The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife (24 page)

Maybe, that
’
s why
on-line matching services were so popular, but she couldn
’
t ever imagine using one of them
. If you chatted
on-line for a while, what would you talk about when you met?
She wondered.

‘
Let
’
s go back to the
homestead, shall we?
’
Jared suggested and turned to slip his arm about her
waist to guide her towards the Land Cruiser.

Still out-of-sorts and needing some space, Kirra twisted out of his
hold.
‘
I think I
’
ll walk back. I need time to clear my head.
’

‘
Sure,
’
Jared said,
tipping his hat. ‘Please stay away from the river. There may be germs and
snakes in the water.’

‘Snakes?’ She said and shivered. After doing the
article on the man with forty-four snakes, she wasn’t keen on coming
face-to-face with even one.

Kirra started to walk back to the homestead.
‘
The article is under
Public in Peril,
’
she decided to
yell out to Jared, ‘Just in case you’re interested.’

Jared grimaced as climbed back into the driver
’
s seat. ‘
Public in Peril
’ didn
’
t sound like a story about a lonely farmer unable to
find love because he was riddled with guilt,
he thought, easing off the
brake.

What a fool he deemed himself? A buffoon? A lovesick
puppy? He loved Kirra he knew that now, and if he kept screwing up, he
’
d lose the best thing that had ever happened to him!

Even he knew mutual love didn
’
t happen very often in one
’
s lifetime. The number of times at university he
’
d hooked up with women, none had developed into
full-blossomed love. He
’
d loved Heather and she
’
d professed to have loved him, but that hadn
’
t lasted when mental health took hold of Heather
’
s mind.

Kirra … Kirra, he had fallen for hook, line and
sinker! If he didn
’
t marry her soon and make her his, he
’
d damn near go mad himself. He knew that Kirra was the
love of his life and if he blew it now, he
’
d regret it
until the grave.

What a fool he was to tell Magda that Kirra was his
fiancée without her agreeing to it yet. He
’
d jumped
the gun big time! He was worried about not trusting her, but had he himself
earned the right to be trusted?

Dammit!
He knew now
that it was imperative that he showed her that he trusted her. No matter how
curious he was, he would remain disciplined. He wouldn
’
t read the article, he decided.

EXERCISE WAS GOOD for releasing anger and frustration, so much so, that
Kirra felt relaxed and calm when she returned to the homestead.

When she opened the front door, the distinctive aroma
of Chinese Food teased her nostrils. Hungry, she followed her nose through the
kitchen and into the dining room.

Jared and Caleb sat at the candle-lit table complete
with their traditionally-embroidered tablecloth, both looking adorable with
their new hair-cuts.

Jared
’
s hair was also slicked
back as if he had just washed it. He wore blue, hip-hugging jeans and a white,
short-sleeved shirt which was open at the neck exposing a spring of dark hair.

Kirra
’
s
breasts began to tingle and that tell-tale curl of desire rose up again in her
belly. He was so virile and handsome. She loved him so much.
But would he
ever make love to her again after this afternoon’s fiasco?
She hoped so.

Caleb had showered and wore flannelette pyjamas with
cool skateboarders on them. Her heart pounded beneath her breast. He was such a
sweet kid.

Father and son were all smiles and Kirra was
magnetically drawn to them.

‘
We
’
ve been waiting
for you,
’
Caleb accused innocently.
‘
We drove for an hour to buy it.
’

‘
Did you now?
’
Kirra said
kindly and sat down opposite Caleb.
‘
Well, that
makes me feel special. Chinese Food is my favourite.
’

‘
I know, Dad said.
’

Jared cleared his throat and took one of Kirra
’
s and Caleb
’
s hands in
each of his.
‘
It
’
s time for our
thumb game.
’

Kirra laughed.
’
You like
this game?
’

‘
It
’
s fun,
’
Jared and Caleb said in unison. They linked Pinkie
fingers and made a wish.

After they
’
d played a few games of thumb wrestling so everyone had a turn at
winning, Jared looked at Kirra. His gaze was soft, his tone serious.
‘
Caleb has something he wants to ask you?
’

‘
Oh yeah!
’
Caleb said
excitedly, as he pulled a little white box out of his pyjama pocket.
‘
Will you marry us?
’
He smiled
at Kirra and handed over the box.

Kirra looked swiftly towards Jared. Her eyes narrowed
in confusion.

‘
Take a look,
’
Jared said
and gave her that heart-melting crooked smile of his.
‘
It belonged to my grandmother.
’

Kirra opened the box and to her surprise, a sparkling
dark green gemstone, surrounded by diamonds was set on an ornate gold band.
‘
It
’
s exquisite. What
type of stone is it?
’

‘
It
’
s a Sapphire,
’
Jared said.
‘
Sapphire
’
s come in many colours. Blue is the most common. My
grandfather found this one in the Sapphire Gem-fields near Anakie in Central
Queensland.
’

Delighted, Kirra smiled and said,
‘
Sapphire is my birthstone, according to Elise.
’

‘
It was also my grandmother
’
s,
’
Jared informed
her.
‘
She
’
d have been happy
to know you
’
d wear and appreciate its significance. Grandma
Glengarry was a very practical and considerate lady.
’

Kirra blushed and stared at the ring. Tears pooled in her
eyes.
‘
It
’
s beautiful.
’

‘
Dad and I had it polished when we went out,
’
Caleb informed her.
‘
So will you marry us? Dad says we
’
re a
bargain two for the price of one.
’

Kirra closed her eyes barely able to handle the
emotions that swelled in her heart. After a moment, she breathed deeply and
opened her eyes. She gave Caleb a heartfelt smile. His blue eyes were so much
like his father
’
s and so full of hope, she dared not refuse him.
‘
Of course, I
’
ll marry
you, Caleb.
’

Caleb hopped out of his seat and hugged her.

She hugged him back and said,
‘
I love you, sweetheart.
’

‘
And what about me, Kirra?
’
Jared asked in a low tone.
‘
Will you marry me?
’

‘
Maybe, it depends?
’
she
teased.

‘
On what?
’
Jared
looked taken aback.

Kirra laughed a little.
‘
I
’
ll tell you later.
’
She closed
the box and placed it on the table.

‘
Aren
’
t you going to try it on?
’
Caleb said.
‘
Dad says if it doesn
’
t fit or you don
’
t like it, we can take to the jewellers to have it
resized or remodelled.
’

‘
In that case, then,
’
Kirra
’
s voice grew hoarse with emotion.
‘
I
’
d better make
sure.
’

She hesitated and a wayward thought crept into her
mind. If she put it on her finger, would Jared take it for granted she
’
d capitulated and agreed to marry him?

She hadn
’
t worn any
rings on that finger since Zac had died.

It felt strange, but she chose to slip it on. To her
surprise, the heirloom ring looked exquisite on her pale fingers and Kirra
admired it for a moment before she showed them.

‘
It fits perfectly,
’
she said
in delight.
‘
How about that?
’
She gave
them a courageous smile. Things weren
’
t quite
right between her and Jared, but it was a sweet gesture, especially when she
knew now Caleb wanted her to be his mother.
‘
I like it
the way it is.
’

When she put the ring on, a happy and serene feeling
came over her. Elise had told her rings carry the energy vibration of their
owners and she couldn
’
t help but wonder if Jared
’
s grandmother - Caleb
’
s great grandmother - was also of that nature.

She wore it through
dinner, but took it off before she loaded the dishwasher, while Jared read
Caleb a story and tucked him into bed.

Once finished, she put the ring back in the box.
Carrying it back to her granny flat, she quietly closed the door, deep in
thought.

Something was niggling her at the back of her mind,
but she didn’t know what. It had stopped her from saying yes to Jared and Caleb
’
s sweet proposal. She sat on the bed and closed her
eyes for a moment. An image of Zac came into her mind and she knew it had something
to do with him, but what?

Puzzled, she opened her eyes. To her surprise, she
noticed her swimsuit and towel were dried and neatly folded on her chest of
drawers. She
’
d forgotten all about the laundry she
’
d done earlier in the day.

Jared must have hung them out and bought them inside
again.

Zac would never had thought to do that.

Jared was so much more compatible with her - truly
sharing a life together - than Zac was. Was she crazy to pass up this
opportunity to live happily ever after? If only Jared had told her he loved and
trusted her?

But this wasn
’
t fairytale-land. Nothing in life was rarely perfect, even for a moment.
Life was often chaotic and messy. To survive, you had to deal with its ups and
downs. That was one thing she had learned from being around Zac.

Living with Jared was totally different. He didn
’
t want her to be his housekeeper. He wanted her to be
his wife in every sense of the word - partners in life.

Kirra grabbed her robe and went into the
en suite
for
a shower. When she stepped under the hot water and lathered soap over her
breasts, she closed her eyes and shuddered. The intense memory of their
love-making there came back to her like a sensual, ebbing tide.

Oh how she missed him.
His masculine scent. The feel of his rock hard body against her. His
erotic foreplay. The ride - like wild horses running through the forest. The
ecstasy of climaxing in unison. The nuzzling and kissing afterwards.
         

Kirra moaned in need and want for him. She couldn
’
t get enough of his touch. It was then that she knew,
she couldn
’
t live without him.

Her heart squeezed in pain. It was suddenly all too
much for her. She couldn
’
t go on not knowing if he loved her or not. If he
trusted her with his heart. She didn
’
t even know
if he
’
d read her article or not. He
’
d never told her.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel
around her. Looking in the mirror, she saw the melancholy in her eyes and she
decided the only way to get the answers she needed, was to take a journalistic
approach and ask direct questions. If he wasn
’
t willing to answer them, then at least, she
’
d know where she stood.

She dried herself off and wrapped herself in the robe
she
’
d borrowed from Jared. She laid on her bed for a few
moments while composing herself.

A soft knock at the door startled her.

‘
Kirra, can I come in?
’
Jared
’
s deep voice could be heard clearly through the door.

‘
Just a minute,
’
she
replied. A quiver of desire sizzled through her blood. Just the sound of his
voice made her want him.

Her nipples stood erupt and her feminine core
moistened. The desire to be one with him was almost insurmountable to dampen
down, but she did her best.

Holding the lapels of her robe together, Kirra padded over to the door
and opened it a little.
‘
Yes, what do you want?
’
she asked, her tone neutral.

He raked long fingers through his hair.
‘
Caleb
’
s asleep,
’
he informed her succinctly.
‘
We need to talk.
’

‘
Yes, we do,
’
she
husked, emotion making her tone unsteady.
‘
That was a
pretty low trick you pulled at the dinner table.
’

‘
Would you like to talk here or in my study?
’

Being naked under her robe, Kirra knew if they talked
in her granny flat, it might lead to them making love.

Although she hungered for it, for him, she couldn
’
t quite bring herself to do it without a declaration
of his love.
‘
The study, I think,
’
she
decided.
‘
I
’
ll be there in a
moment after I get changed.
’

Jared nodded and she closed the door. Hurriedly, she
slipped on silk underwear, a simple turquoise skirt and an ivory knitted top.