An Outback Affair/Runaway Wife/Outback Bridegroom/Outback Surrender/Home To Eden (4 page)

“We're partners, ain't we? You make. I sell. Tell yah somethin' else. Folks love yah boxes. Sold the last one to Tessy Matthews for her weddin' chest.”

“That's great! Had I known it was for her wedding chest she could have had it for nothing.”

“Folks don't treasure what they get for nuthin',” Zack maintained.

“You're a smart, smart man, Zack.” Evan laughed, steering Laura through the archway that led to the secondhand section.

“You get along with him okay?”

“Why not? I've never had any trouble getting along with people. Even very difficult people.” He remembered the number of men holding guns he had interviewed. Some genuine patriots. Others a bunch of fruitcakes.

“Yet you've earned the reputation of being something of a loner.”

“Is that so?”

She nodded. “Difficult to sustain when the young women of the town are on a crusade to draw you out?”

“Who told you that, precisely, Laura?”

“I've seen it with my own eyes.” Indeed, she had noted the curiosity and interest as they moved amid the smiling sea
of faces. probably they were already an item of hot gossip in the coffee shops, with a dazzle of gazes through the colonial windows. “Harriet mentioned it as well, if I'm not telling tales.”

“Harriet's a throwback to everyone's slightly astringent favourite aunt.” Evan grinned. “So, Harriet told you there are women anxious to enjoy my company?”

“
I
like being with you,” she pointed out, as though that were entirely reasonable. “You're bracing and kindly.”

“Hell, I'm not your goddamn grandfather,” he retorted. “You seem to prize kindliness in a man above all else.”

“Every woman wants a man who will be kind to her and her children,” Laura answered, very seriously indeed.

“And you're worried that your boyfriend isn't a great choice for life?”

“Correct,” There was pain and sorrow in it.

“But you miss him already?”

“I'd like to ask you a few questions, Mr Thompson,” she retaliated. “If you answer truthfully my lips are sealed. Are you married?”

“Never. Not once.” He looked directly at her.

“How come?”

“For a lot of years of my life I never knew where I was going to wake up.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” She'd already sensed he was a man of adventure.

“On the move, Laura. I've travelled the world.”

“As a wood worker?” she queried dubiously.

“When I could find the time.”

“Don't you miss it?”

“Miss what?” He bent to examine a small desk. A few scars. Nothing that couldn't be fixed.

“Whatever you did. I'm not so totally inexperienced I can't see you were personally acquainted with danger.”

“So much for my tight cover.” he mock-growled.

“You won't always live here, will you?” she persisted, accepting the powerful natural attraction of him.

“No more than you. In fact I marvel at the fact you found
your way out here. This is truly the Outback, the Never Never, the Back of Beyond.”

“I love it already,” Laura said, her lovely face dreamy. “The peace, the freedom, the vastness. I've decided I'm going to walk every inch of the Simpson Desert,” she joked. “Maybe I'll take a pack of camels, like that wonderful woman author. I can't remember her name at the moment, but I was fascinated by her book.”

“Robyn Davidson. The name of her book was
Tracks
. It's an account of her 1700-mile journey across Australia with camels. It won her an award.”

“You're very knowledgable.” She looked at a coffee table, thinking about where it might go.

“Yes,” he agreed.

“You're a writer? You're a famous author?”

His brilliant gaze told her she was way off beam. “Let's get this whole thing cleared up. I'm a wood worker.”

She was afraid she had overstepped the mark. “I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry, Evan. I was just having—fun.”

“Hey!” He watched her face, saw it lose colour. That really bothered him. “I'm sorry too if I sounded a bit stern. Who hurt you, Laura?” he questioned, looking like a man who would listen. “If I don't ask I'll never know.”

Her eyes clouded. “Why do you want to know?”

“There's something very endearing about you,” he said with simple truth. “Witness the way you've cajoled reclusive me to take you out for coffee and sandwiches. Just between the two of us I want to know enough to be on the look-out for your boyfriend, should he decide to try to track you down. Do you think he will?”

Her whole body tensed. “No, no. Everything's okay.”

“Of course. That's why you just trembled. I promise you I'll keep an eye out, and you don't have to put me on the payroll. Maybe you can invite me in for dinner some time. Can you cook?”

She smiled. Shook her head. “I thought I could. Now I'm not so sure.”

“Your self-esteem has taken a battering.”

“Why do you say that.”

“It couldn't be clearer if it were front page news on today's
Courier Mail
.”

“There you go again.” She paused in her inspection of a sofa to look across at him. “You're a reporter. An overseas correspondent. There's something else in your background, I think.”

“Please tell me,” he invited, deliberately using a casual tone. He continued down the aisle, thinking she was way too perceptive.

“This might be a bad time for it as you're helping me choose my furniture.”

“Fire away.” He touched his fingers to the surface of a smallish circular table. Good red cedar. “I won't hold it against you.”

“All right.” A curious thrill raced down Laura's spine. “I know we only met today. And I've never seen you before in my life. Yet the more I look at you the more I'm convinced I know your face from somewhere. Have you ever worn a beard?”

“Good grief, Laura.” He rolled out a leather armchair on castors.

“Tell the truth.”

“Every man has a beard from time to time, even if it's only the weekend growth.”

“I mean a full beard and moustache.”

“My dear, that would take years,” he drawled.

“All right. It's just that I keep seeing you with a beard. Very impressive. Very formidable. As though no one could hide from you. The cover of a book, maybe?”

He exchanged a droll look with her. “You're not even warm.” Which was far from the truth. He
had
put out a book on his trip to Antarctica—but the photograph had been on the back cover, beard and all. “But I'll guarantee to give progress reports.”

“Just a woman's curiosity.” She settled in the rich burgundy armchair he had rolled out for her attention.

“And here I was thinking you a mere babe,” he gently mocked.

“I know.” It was true she didn't carry her scars on her face, otherwise she would look awful.

He couldn't help smiling at the picture she made, curled up in the oversized but very comfortable chair.

“But very bright. When you're older and more sure of yourself you'll be positively dangerous.” He turned to look around him. “We've walked all the aisles. What do you think?”

“The armchair, definitely,” she decided. “It's very cosy. I liked the circular table you were looking at. Good wood. Is it red cedar?”

“It is. It'll come up nicely.”

“You mean you're going to work on it?” she asked, sliding her long hair back behind her ear.

“When I have the time. What else?”

“The most expensive thing will be the new bedroom suite,” she said. “We can use the cedar table for when I invite you in. I'm not fussed on the chairs. They're too—functional. Clean lines.” Her smile was strained.

“You and the boyfriend got to discussing furnishings?” Instantly he picked up on her wavelength.

“How do you know I'm not married?” She looked straight at him, loving his attention and the dazzling complexity of it, but somehow hoping he would guess her secret.

“I don't know,” he replied, studying her with his brilliant dark eyes. “You'd say, wouldn't you? Then again I can't remember when I last met a young woman who somehow struck me as being such an innocent abroad.”

“I'm not. Maybe I'm playing at a character.”

He didn't speak for a few moments, considering what she'd just said. “I don't think so. I think you're a young woman who's been cherished all your life and now you find yourself in a situation you can't handle. Yet you're someone who wants desperately to stand on your own two feet. You're even prepared to take a risk to do it. Is the boyfriend someone who wants to dominate you?”

“Very much so.” She couldn't keep the quiver out of her voice.

“Then it's clear you can't be happy together. Probably that's why you're comfortable with me. You are, aren't you?”

She flushed. “Yes.”

He nodded. “You're drawn to older men. No doubt because you deeply loved your father.”

“Yes, again. Isn't it a mercy that as well as being comfortable—which you're not, strictly—you're charming, obliging, with a good sense of humour, and investigative enough to be interesting? Shall I go on? You shouldn't be worried I'll take advantage of your kindness. I half hope we'll be friends?”

“Why half hope?” He lifted a quizzical brow.

“I can't expect more.”

“You can as far as I'm concerned. The decision has been made. I'm big brother. You're Laura next door. We're well on our way towards becoming good friends. To put the whole thing simply, we've bonded. Both of us are living defensively and so forth. As for chairs—I have two at home that will do you nicely.”

“Did you make them?” She looked up at him with open delight.

“I did.”

“Then I'm honoured. I heard you don't charge a lot either.”

“Laura they're a house-warming present,” he said gently.

“Oh I can't—” she started, broke off, overwhelmed by his kindness and generosity.

“Yes, you can. Now, there are a few other things you can have sent. That coffee table, for one. Cash cover it?” he asked in a laconic voice.

“It does, and I like it.”

“Those few little nicks can be ironed out. No problem at all to bring it back to its former glory. What about that coat-stand for the hall? I don't think it will crowd it. I expect you'll wear a lot of hats. You'll need them to protect your
skin. You won't be needing a raincoat, however. I can't even remember when it last rained. When do you think you will move in?”

A smile curved her lips. “If it can be organised, why not tomorrow?”

“I'm sure it can. I'll be on hand to help out.”

“Why are you being so nice?” All at once her heart was beating fast. All wrong, in the circumstances.

“You're a woman on your own, aren't you?” he said reasonably. “I'm the kind of man who likes to lend a hand.”

“Then I'm very grateful.”

“Besides, I've had a good time.” He looked at her and gave that white melting smile that sat so piquantly with his dark, brooding good looks. “I was getting terribly dull. Terribly set in my ways.”

“I wonder how long it will be before you're ever that.”

“Laura Graham, you scare me.” Before he could help himself he had touched her cheek lightly with his finger. It had the velvety texture of a magnolia.

For a moment they stared into one another's eyes. Laura felt oddly as if the air might explode.

“Well, come on,” he said, making a brisk return to the role of big brother. “We really should visit the general store. You'll be needing a few pots and pans, though you don't look like you eat a whole lot.”

“Don't go thinking I have eating problems,” she chided him.

“So why the feather weight?”

He spoke lightly, but she couldn't help herself going tense. “I don't know really. It's not easy to eat sometimes.”

“When you're unhappy and you're sleeping badly?” His dark eyes rested on her for a second.

“I'm going to deal with it.”

“Good girl,” he said quietly.

Together they began to walk back along the aisle. Laura felt so drawn to him, but she had no doubts that before he'd come to Koomera Crossing he'd been someone very differ
ent. He'd lived a high-powered life, running on adrenaline. Perhaps even in personal danger.

Who was he? Unless he told her she could speculate for ever and never know. As for him she realized he saw an image of a vulnerable little rich girl on the run from some very smart, demanding boyfriend in her set. She wondered what he would think if she told him about Colin and the wreck of a marriage. He would be kind but he might secretly despise her for failing to stand up to the enemy.

 

She told Sarah all about her day over the evening meal. Laura had prepared cashew nut and ginger chicken, served with Chinese noodles and a side dish of crisp green broccoli florets.

“Mmm, this is great! I'm really going to miss you, Laura.” Sarah looked up from her plate to smile. “It's lovely having a meal waiting for me when I get home from the hospital, and you're such a good cook. You and Harriet ought to get together. She's thinking of retiring from schoolteaching and starting up a restaurant.”

“Here in the town?” Laura was intrigued.

“Kyall convinced her we could do with a good restaurant. All we have are the two coffee shops. They only sell snacks. Harriet is a marvellous and adventurous chef. She loves everything to do with food. She's collected stacks of recipes on her travels. Thailand. India. She goes for exotica. I believe she could make quite a success of it.”

“How exciting for her.” Laura nodded her agreement quickly. “One career closes. Another opens.”