The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife (12 page)

A transitional man is one thing, but if she couldn
’
t get enough of him, she mightn
’
t be able to leave him after her two holiday leave had
expired.

Then, where would she be?
Bereft and heartbroken, that
’
s where.
No, she couldn
’
t stand that. He
’
d never
mentioned that he loved her during their love-making. Zac had always said it
after he’d ejaculated, then shot out the door to make work calls in the lounge
room. Jared was a different man altogether but still, how could she be sure?

‘
You never cease to amaze me, Kirra!
’
Jared’s deep voice broke into her thoughts. She
instinctively met his eyes, giving him a bemused smile.

She watched him stride over to her and take her hand
in his. He brought it to his lips and kissed it.
‘
You
’
re so willing to try anything.
’

Kirra glanced at the stirrups hung up on a nearby
post. ‘What did you have in mind?’

Jared laughed, as he walked with her slowly towards
the cows. ‘Certainly not that!’

When they neared the cows, he released her hand.
Heading into the enclosure alone, he led out the first cow and closed the gate.

‘
What would you like me to do?
’
Kirra said enthusiastically.

Jared grabbed a length of rope from a hook nearby.
’
Keep her head steady, while I rope her down.

Kirra did as she was asked and watched in awe of his
expertise to effectively immobilise the cow.

‘
Keep her calm as best as you can,
’
he said and opened his black bag.

Kirra patted the cow
’
s head and hummed to it, while Jared scooped away the infection between
the claws with some sort of knife. He rolled up a swab soaked with antiseptic,
then dressed the hoof to keep it clean.  

An hour or so later, the cows were all treated.

‘
Thank you,’ Jared said simply, as he finished up and
she knew he meant it.
‘
It really helped you being here. It made the task so
much easier.
’

It was lovely to be appreciated and she gave him a
heart-warming smile.
‘
I enjoyed watching you work. I saw many veterinary
books in your study. Are you a vet as well?
’
 

‘
Yes, I imagine I
’
ll be
getting more calls now that the bridge is clear.
’
           

They washed their hands at a nearby sink, then came
out of the barn.

The sun was setting over the green pastures in the
distance. They stood together for a moment and Jared put his arm around her
shoulder. Kirra tucked herself under his armpit and slipped her hand around his
waist.

The sunset was a vivid pink against the violet hue of the sky and Kirra
sighed.
‘
It
’
s so beautiful out here.
’

‘
Yes, I love it in the evenings. The sunset is
different every night.
’
 

She noticed the cows were sauntering up to the dairy
and Kirra
’
s heart welled with a warmth and serenity, she hadn
’
t experienced in a long time.

‘
It
’
s milking time,
’
she said happily.

Jared shook his head.
‘
Are you sure you
’
re not too tired?
’

‘
No. I had a nap before, remember?
’
she said,
‘
I
’
m fine. I
’
m loving
the chance to do something physical.
’

Their eyes met then and she saw his grey-blue eyes
darken to midnight as his face sobered.

‘
Please don
’
t look at
me like that,
’
he said, groaning.
‘
I want to make love to you again, but the cows can
’
t wait.
’

‘
You do?
’
She couldn
’
t believe she had that effect on him.

‘
You know I do,
’
he said matter-of-factly.
‘
You can feel it in the air between us. Our chemistry
is electric.
’

‘
Mm,
’
she said simply
and she turned towards him.

He kissed her forehead, before they walked hip-to-hip
to the dairy.

In a rhythmic team effort, they milked the cows in
their fastest time yet.

It wasn
’
t long,
before they were back at the homestead and they hurriedly removed their muddy
gumboots.

‘
Thank you, Kirra,
’
he said
with an honesty that almost undid her.
‘
Would you
care to use the spa-tub?
’

‘
You have a spa-tub?
’
she said
incredulously, then laughed, remembering her dream.

‘
Yes, I put it in for Heather,
’
he explained,
‘
but she
never used it.
’

Glad that he’d freely told her something about his
first wife, she brazenly said,
‘
Will you join me?
’
 

His eyes darkened with desire.
‘
I should be so lucky.
’

‘
I had a dream,
’
she said,
suddenly breathless.
‘
We were making love in the spa-tub, when you woke me
up earlier.
’

He grinned.
‘
You were dreaming about me?
’

‘
Maybe, it was a premonition.
’

‘
There
’
s only one way to
find out,
’
he said in a playful tone.
‘
Race you to the bathroom.
’

Without a second thought, she took off down the
hallway.
‘
Catch me if you can.
’

On a long stride, he quickly caught up to her and
lifted her off her feet. He carried her on her hip into the bathroom, squealing
and laughing. She
’
d never had so much fun in all her life.

Jared set her down on her feet and drew her in,
kissing her thoroughly. She stood there, desire fizzing through her veins, as
she watched him put the plug in the oval-shaped tub and turn on the water. She
found a bottle of bubble bath on a shelf and brought it over, giving it a
generous squeeze. A fountain of blue liquid arced into the water and instantly,
bubbles frothed like champagne.

He glanced at her then.
‘
I
’
ve never done this before.
’

Kirra tucked her hair behind one ear in a nervous
gesture.
‘
Neither have I. Fantasy is one thing. Reality, well -
’

His grey-blue eyes sparkled.
‘
Shall we find out?
’

‘
Oh yes please.
’
She didn
’
t want to sound like a sex-starved wanton, but she
wanted him now! In her urgency, she tugged at the bottom of his t-shirt in an
attempt to remove it, but to no avail.

He gently batted her hand away and pulled it over his
head, then he slid off her top.

She released the catch at the back of her bra and it
joined the rest of the clothing on the floor.

Within moments, they were divested of the bottom half
of their clothing and they came together like magnets, before stepping in
unison into the spa-tub.

As the water continued to flow, Jared kissed her
passionately and said,
‘
What happens now in your dream?
’

Mindless, Kirra
’
s senses
were on fire and she said with an excited huskiness in her voice,
‘
Lie down.

JARED DID AS instructed, taking her with him, his manhood fully aroused.
He didn
’
t know how long he could hold out this time. Kirra
’
s passion affected him deeply. Intoxicatingly.

She sought out his lips and fastened on, as the
slippery sudsy water on the hard frame of his body washed, delicious and
decadent, against her breasts.  He lifted her up and impaled her slowly on
his long length. She was ready for him and rode him fast and hard to an
almighty, cataclysmic climax - crying out in unison.

Sated, Kirra laid her head on his chest and listened
to his accelerated heartbeat until it eased back to normal. Sighing with
contentment, his large, weathered hand cupped back of her head, comforting and
protective.
‘
I like your fantasies, Kirra,
’
he said after what seemed like an eternity.
‘
Let me know if you have any more dreams.
’
He slipped out of her then.

‘
Mm,
’
she said and
though she was reluctant to do so, she sat back at the other end of the
spa-tub, facing him.

Jared reached over and turned off the taps.
‘
Have you finished your rewrite, Kirra and emailed it
through?
’

Kirra lowered her eyelashes instinctively, but she
wanted everything to be honest between them. Looking up, a warm smile parted
her lips.
‘
The article only needed to be shortened to fit the
page. My editor has done that already,
’
she
explained.
‘
Elise was just curious about you, since
she
was
the one who found the ad and insisted that I answered it.
’

One dark eyebrow rose.
‘
So you weren
’
t really interested in meeting anyone, especially not
a dairy farmer, I take it?
’

‘
I must admit, no. I was curious though to know why you
couldn
’
t find a partner through normal social means. I
thought you must have a flawed personality because the photos of you on the
internet looked fine.
’ 

‘No surprises that you’ve checked me out,’ he said harshly. His jaw set
and his nostrils flared.
‘So do I fit the Sociopath type
?
’

‘
Oh, no!
’
she
refuted, remembering a journalist had speculated he was in one of the earlier
articles when his wife had initially drowned. But she didn’t want to hurt his
feelings, so she added,
‘
I can see why it
’
s hard
meeting people if you
’
re milking twice a day, seven days a week.
’

Mirth caught in the back of his throat.
‘
I don
’
t usually milk.
The Miller brothers run the farm, while I run my vet practice and manage the
farm
’
s books.
’

‘
I saw the
‘
Surgery
’
sign on a door in the study and wondered,
’
she admitted,
‘
but I didn
’
t take a peek.
’

‘
Thank you.
’
He smiled
that crooked smile of his and her heart melted.
‘
You’re correct in one way though. I
’
m on call
seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. It would be difficult to keep a
courtship going with someone in the city.
’

Her heart lurched then. Was he letting her know that
this was only a holiday romance, that their love-making was nothing more than
sex between two consenting adults? She put on a brave face.
‘
Surely, there are single girls here in the country?
’

‘
Socially, there
’
s sport, barbecues and a bush dance once a month.
Single girls don
’
t stay single for long out here.
’

‘
So was your wife one of these single country girls?
’
The personal question was out before she realised,
her journalistic mind kicking in to stop her heart from breaking.
‘
I
’
m sorry. I shouldn
’
t have asked that.
’

He rubbed his chin as if weighing up whether to trust
her. After a moment, he met her gaze levelly.
‘
You
’
ll find out soon enough, so it may as well be the
truth from me,
’
he said, tension drawing his shoulders back.
‘
Heather was a local. Her parents owned the property
beside the Miller
’
s. After a long, dry summer, their house burnt to the
ground. Her mother was trapped in the house. Her father charged in to save her.
It was a fruitless gesture. Heather lost everything. Her family. Her life.
’

‘
Oh, how awful!
’
Her hand
covered her mouth in shock.

‘
I was away at university and my parents took her in,
’
he continued, as if committed to memory.
‘
When I returned to the farm, after my own father died,
I married her.
’

‘
Just like that!
’
Kirra
’
s eyes widened incredulously.

‘
Heather was a kind, gentle girl. Our parents were best
of friends. We grew up together. Attended the same school. Rode the same bus.
Danced at all the bush dances. It was a given that one day we would marry. That
was the girl I thought I’d married.
’

‘
Did you love her?
’
she asked
softly.

‘
Of course.
’

Kirra probed gently, as Jared had done when he
’
d allowed her to talk about Zac, merely giving his
thoughts direction.
‘
Did she change somehow?
’
 

‘
Losing her parents in the fire killed her inner-peace.
She
’
d built a fortress around herself to block out the
pain. I wasn
’
t aware of it at first. She seemed content to keep
house and make handicrafts.
’

‘
Didn
’
t having a baby
make her happy?
’

‘
No, she developed Baby Blues a couple of days after
the birth which progressed into full-blown Post-Natal Depression. She rejected
him in the end.
’

‘
Poor Heather. Poor Caleb. How devastating for your
family
,
’
she murmured in sympathy.

‘
Mother couldn
’
t look
after him when he started walking, then running. Her knees weren
’
t the best, so she hired nannies.
’
He cursed to himself then.
‘
But it only made things worse.
’

‘
Didn
’
t you try to get
her some psychiatric help?
’

‘
I tried.
’
Air puffed up his cheeks and he released his breath
on a frustrated sigh.
‘
She
’
d
act so normal when the doctor made home visits, that he thought I was making it
up.
’

‘
I was right,
’
she said
quietly.
‘
You haven
’
t told
anyone about this, have you?
’

‘
Mother knows. She was here.
’

‘
That
’
s not the same as
talking about it. That
’
s what you told me with Zac.
’

His blue eyes hardened to steel.
‘
It
’
s not the same for
men as it is for women. Society dictates that we keep a stiff upper lip.
’

‘
What rubbish! That went out generations ago and
hopefully, won
’
t return. We all have human needs and emotions. They
need to be expressed.
’

She wanted to ask him how Heather had drowned, but
from the pained look on his face, she thought better of it. Intuition told her
that this intriguing man before her had begun to regret opening up to her.

With a hooded gaze, he said,
‘
The water
’
s getting
cold. We
’
d better get out.
’
Abruptly,
he stood, turning his back to her, as her heart squeezed with compassion for
him. But she knew better than to touch him or apologise. He seemed immersed in
his thoughts as he stepped out and briskly, towelled himself dry. Kirra chewed
on her lower lip until she tasted blood. Helplessly, she watched him gather his
clothes and without another word, walk out.

Oh, why had she probed? Digging up all those painful
memories. Maybe, Heather had taken her own life and Jared blamed himself. From
her previous research, all reports led her to believe that there were
suspicious circumstances around her death, even though Jared wasn’t charged.

Kirra stood slowly, their impulsive love-making a
distant memory. Pulling the plug was an effort. As the water disappeared down
the plug-hole, all her energy seemed to drain from her. On shaky legs, she
stepped out on the mat, a cold shiver skating down her spine.

Where to from here?
She wondered.

Wrapping a fresh towel around her, she saw Jared in a
new light now. It was as if his entire life had been one big arrangement filled
with responsibility. No wonder he
was annoyed
when she
’
d first arrived. Just one more arrangement by someone
on top of running his father
’
s farm, his vet
practice and taking care of his son and mother. He was even caring for her. She
could see that now, but could he ever entrust his heart to someone again? She
would never know.

A lump caught in her throat and she let out a
strangled sigh, when she heard the back door close and the Land Cruiser
’
s engine fire.

Where was he going now? She had no right to feel that
she had to be informed. She wasn
’
t his wife.
She wasn
’
t anything except a holiday fling!

Her heart squeezed in pain, as she gathered up her
clothes and hurried into the sanctuary of the granny flat. Had she made a huge
mistake?
How could she think Jared could be a transitional sex partner
to be enjoyed, then discarded? He was
The One
! She knew she
’
d been kidding herself. She loved him whole-heartedly.
It was then she knew that she couldn
’
t leave the
homestead, even though the urge to run away was strong. She had to stay so he
could believe in her, even if he only lusted after her and didn
’
t feel love right now.

Famished, she pulled on fresh underwear, jeans and a
lime long-sleeved shirt and headed to the kitchen to make something for dinner.

Beef strips and frozen stir-fry vegetables flavoured
with garlic and ginger were an easy find in the freezer. She teamed them with
steamed rice and within half an hour, the simple, tasty meal was ready, but
there was no sign of Jared
’
s return.

The phone rang in Jared
’
s study and Kirra ran to it in case he was calling
her.
Had something happened to him?
She hoped not.

It was Max Miller on the end of the line and Kirra
relaxed a little. She scrawled down a message for Jared, then hung up. Perhaps,
that would cheer him up to know that the Miller brothers would definitely be
there to do the morning milking.

She padded down the hallway and opened the back door.
Jared’s Land Cruiser was parked outside the barn. There was a glow coming from
somewhere inside it. He had to be there.

Snatching up the car-keys to her Subaru, Kirra pulled
on her borrowed gumboots.