Family Farm (14 page)

Will’s eyes were alive and she felt like they could see right into her soul. Was he reading her thoughts? Someone walked in front of him, breaking the connection between them. Will turned and laughed at something one of the blokes said. Angela, who was leaning into Will with her arm resting on his, was trying to join in the conversation. Lucky for some, her small black top was tight, preventing a fallout. It was just about the same at the other end with her tiny denim miniskirt, which didn’t leave much to the imagination. Even from a distance, Izzy could see the thick black eyeliner outlining Angela’s hazel eyes, combined with too much blue eye shadow, and her vibrant red lipstick looked as if it had been applied with a paint roller. Maybe I’m being harsh, Izzy thought, but there’s more to life than trying to get a man’s attention.

She felt James’s hand on her shoulder before he spoke.

‘Angela’s had a thing for him all harvest. Been tryin’ hard but to no avail.’ James knew all the goss. He managed to hear everything while working on the bin with Angela and the others.

Izzy shrugged. ‘That surprises me. I thought he’d have jumped at the chance,’ she said, genuinely puzzled.

As if sensing he was being talked about, Will glanced Izzy’s way. Instantly she felt naked under his gaze. He smiled deviously as if reading her thoughts and she felt his eyes drop. Her body reacted like it would to a feather brushing down her naked skin.

Next to her, James rambled on about a small grain mix they’d had last week and complained about the brainless bloke who did it, who’d left because he couldn’t stand the heat. His voice seemed far away and she struggled to pay attention. How could she concentrate? Will’s stare was starting to unsettle her. Heat rose to her cheeks. Quickly she broke his eye contact. Feeling inadequate, she leant towards James and spoke, ‘To answer your earlier question, no I don’t have a boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean I want one either.’

James paused mid-speech, raised his eyebrows and gave her a cheeky grin. Without warning, he placed a hand upon her shoulder and pulled her closer, just inches from his Bundy breath. ‘I’m relieved to hear it,’ he whispered gently, as if sharing a secret.

‘Don’t think that means you’re gonna get lucky,’ she warned him.

‘Aw, come on. Can’t a bloke try?’ James shrugged and asked. ‘Can I at least get you another drink, then?’

Izzy glanced at Will out of the corner of her eye. He was still watching her. What was his problem? She noticed Will’s face was knotted, almost scowling. She wondered what could have possibly aggravated him. Well, whatever it was, it wasn’t her problem. She just wished he’d leave her alone. Her gaze flicked back to James.

‘Nah, I’ve got my own back at the ute.’

All of a sudden, a shadow was cast over her. James was so close that he blocked out the light. Panic rose in Izzy’s throat. Was he was going to kiss her? Before she could lean back, he began to pull away, reluctantly letting her go. Throwing his empty can into a nearby bin and avoiding Izzy’s eyes, James headed off to get himself another refill. Izzy stood for a moment, relieved, and then slyly looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened. Hell, she hoped no one had any bets on her. Maybe James had one to win.

Will had been keeping a watchful eye on Izzy all night, thinking of it as his job to watch over Bill’s daughter. He was not at all impressed with James, who was clearly trying to make a move on her. And that moment she and James had just shared, what did that all mean? They’d been looking pretty friendly. The more drinks Will had, the harder he found it to control his eyes. Like a dicky compass they kept wandering back to Izzy. She looked so fresh. It was nice to see her smiling and enjoying herself after what she’d been through. One day he’d like her to laugh and smile like that with him. Maybe there would come a time when they could be great friends. Claire would have loved that. For some reason Will found he needed to be close to Izzy. An unknown force kept pulling him towards her. He watched as she walked off into the darkness to her ute and suddenly found his feet moving. Leaving the crowd, and a stumbling Angela, he followed Izzy, almost transfixed.

She was leaning over the back tray, reaching for another drink, when she felt a hand slide across her shoulder. ‘Miss me already?’ she said, thinking it was James. She turned around with a naughty smile only to find a pair of electric eyes that did not belong to James. The glow from the moon illuminated Will’s strong jawline. Bugger it! Goosebumps had appeared along her arms and she felt slightly dizzy. ‘Ah, it’s you,’ she croaked, not sure why she could suddenly hear her pulse beating in her ears. It must be the alcohol running through her veins. Had she had too much already?

Will raised his eyebrows. ‘Expecting someone else, were we? Just as well I came to check up on you.’

‘Now, why would you want to check up on me?’ said Izzy rapidly, not sure if it was the alcohol getting to her again or Will’s intoxicating scent, which was a mixture of soap and aftershave. Closing her eyes for just a moment, she dared to take in another breath. A larrikin smile danced on his face as she met his gaze again, along with a devilish look in his eyes. No wonder women fell at his feet like rabbits with a good dose of mixo.

‘Someone has to make sure you get home safely, especially after what I witnessed earlier.’ Will reached up to move a strand of her hair that had fallen across her face and was moving in the slight breeze, teasing him. God knows what possessed him to do it but it was dangerous. It was all unscripted territory and he was afraid of what he might do next. Jesus, he had only come over to interrogate her. He felt his body reacting to her eyes, which were full of spark. The heat within him was growing stronger and he had no control.

Izzy slapped his hand away gently. ‘Hey, I can take care of myself, mister. I could take you on any day.’

‘Oh, I’m sure you could. Come on,’ he urged. Will lifted up his hand again and Izzy caught it quickly. For a moment they battled in a war of strength, their muscles raised like the hackles on a dog, neither wanting to give in.

In the midst of it all, Will leant down unexpectedly and brushed her lips with his, ever so gently.

Izzy felt their lips touch and her mind went blank. Slowly the fight leaked out of her arm.
Oh my God
she screamed inside her head. What in hell’s name is he doing, besides cheating?

He pushed his hand forward and out of her weakened grasp. Slowly, gently, it moved to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. All she could do was follow like a silly puppy on a lead. All of a sudden, a million things went through her mind – only she couldn’t slow down her thoughts enough to understand any of them. She felt confused. But her body felt warm, energised, as if giving away secrets.

She should stop this, she thought, as Will’s warm lips pressed even harder. She reached up and put her hand on his chest to push him away. But as she did so, a soft groan escaped from him and all her strength sank faster than a dodgy sponge cake. Gently, his tongue ran across hers, igniting hidden fires. He reached for her free hand and wrapped it around him. Oh, it’d been so long since she’d experienced a kiss like this. Surely she could make an exception. Her insides began to melt from the inferno that had now erupted below her belly, and a tingling sensation crept through her skin.

Unconsciously, she opened her mouth for him as he deepened the kiss. Leaning into her, his warm, hard body pressed her back against the cold steel of her ute. She’d forgotten how wonderful a man’s body felt crushed against her own. If he moved away, she was sure she’d flop to the ground like a rag doll. Well, bugger me, she thought. How was she supposed to keep her wits about her at a time like this?

Momentarily she got lost in the kiss and slid her hand down around Will’s back to the top of his jeans.
Shit, I can’t do this
, her commonsense tried to scream. But his breath intoxicated her, bringing with it the smooth mixture of bourbon and Coke. Her hand found his warm naked skin under his shirt and she felt his body shiver. Was that from her touch? Izzy gripped onto his belt, which she knew was so full of notches. Hell, she didn’t want to be another one. This thought was enough to shake her awake. I won’t be another Claire, she resolved. No matter how good he smells … and kisses. I’ve only given in so easily because it’s been so long, she convinced herself. Gathering all her strength, she pulled away with as much dignity as she could muster.

‘Whoa! I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.’ It was all she could manage to say before covering her mouth in shock. With her eyes on the dark ground she slid from between him and the ute and headed briskly back to the party.

Will couldn’t speak. He didn’t know what to say. It didn’t feel right apologising for something that had felt so amazing. He stood rooted to the spot, waiting for the tightness in his jeans to subside as he watched the way the silvery moonlight shone off her ute. He heard a metallic clang and saw Tom, who had rested his head on the open window.

‘Hello, boy,’ said Will as he scratched Tom’s head. He knew he couldn’t hide out here all night. Turning away, he headed back to the party, kicking at the dirt as he walked. He was as confused as Izzy was about what had come over him. Maybe he liked the challenge. Or maybe he just needed to get laid.

Izzy tried to avoid Will for the rest of the night, torn between not liking him and not being sure whether she could trust herself near him in her present state. Will didn’t try to talk to her again either, but she did catch him glancing her way a few times.

Luckily, James staggered over for another chat and it took her mind off Will, for a moment anyway. James was way past it. Izzy had a task just trying to keep his hands off her.

‘Look, how about you back off a bit, mate? You’re smashed. Maybe you should go sleep it off,’ said Izzy strongly, but she wasn’t really too concerned.

James leant in closer and feigned deafness.

‘You heard the lady – back off.’ Will appeared from the darkness and his strong arms pulled the offender away.

James threw up his hands like a footballer pleading his innocence after a wayward punch.

‘Time to shove off,’ said Will, giving him a nudge towards the hut.

James gave a look that said, ‘Yeah, I hear ya.’ Then with a smirk at Izzy he headed off into the hut.

Izzy waited until James was out of earshot before swinging around to face Will. ‘What the hell did you do that for?’

Will shrugged and ran his hand through his hair. ‘Just trying to help you out.’

‘Well, I’m not a child and I don’t need an overprotective big brother. I was quite capable of handling the situation.’

‘What – like you did an hour ago?’ he said tauntingly, as the taste of her lips came to mind. He tried hard not to smile as he saw the fury in her eyes and the embarrassment on her face. Oh, why did he like to tease her so? He hadn’t had this much fun in ages.

Izzy shuffled her feet. She didn’t dare open her mouth, afraid of what she’d say. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. Instead of yelling, she glared at him and said, ‘Why can’t people just let me run my own life and fight my own battles?’ It almost came out as a plea. She turned and walked away. ‘I’m not ten any more. I don’t need protecting.’

Will watched her go. He didn’t need reminding of her age. You idiot, he thought. That wasn’t the best way to get back into her good books. He got the feeling it wasn’t just him she was angry at. Well, there was nothing he could do now except have another drink. He felt the cold seeping into his skin and moved towards a crowd around one of the fire drums.

It was well after midnight when Izzy opted for the comfort of her swag, which she headed to alone. The crowd had dispersed. James had crashed earlier with a sore head, and only a few others sat around the dying fire. As Izzy headed to her ute, Travis called out goodbye and she turned, shouting a reply. A movement between a small bush and a parked car caught her eye.

Instantly she recognised Will’s form with Angela sprawled all over him, like a spider with many legs wrapped around its prey. But instead of killing her prey Angela was literally kissing it to death. That’s what it looked like anyway.

Stumbling on a small rock, Izzy quickly turned back towards her ute. Her ears began to echo with a dull thud, blocking out any other sound. She shouldn’t be upset. She knew Will was like that, had been all his life. He couldn’t get much from Izzy, so he moved on. Well, that was the Will she knew, and she only had herself to blame.

But why did she feel so angry? ‘You’re a bloody idiot,’ she muttered to herself as she crawled into the back of her ute and into her swag. She should have learnt from Claire’s mistake. Wriggling, she snuggled down into her sleeping bag as the fresh night air clung to her face. The stars moved about above as if swinging from a baby’s mobile. Trying to block them out, she clamped her eyes shut, only for them to be replaced with a vision of Will and Angela. ‘Ugh,’ she groaned, before deciding the spinning stars were better.

THE cool fresh morning combined with the sound of pink and grey galahs screeching overhead in the large gum tree out the front woke Izzy from her restless sleep. It was early; the sun had only just cracked the horizon, creating a beautiful pinky-red haze, and the few soft white clouds nearby looked as if they were alight. She lifted her head up a bit higher and rested back on her elbows. This was the best part of the day. The air was crisp and it always smelt so good.

It should have been a memorable moment, lying there looking out the back of her ute at the sunrise, with Tom curled up next to her pillow, but the thumping going on in her head was just too much. She also had a horrible ‘something just shat in my mouth’ feeling and her murky eyes were struggling to stay open.

The camp was quiet. Nobody else was up and about – thank goodness. She could get away without having to see anyone. Besides, with her mouth the way it was she probably couldn’t talk just yet anyway.

Throwing open the green canvas cover, then unzipping her sleeping bag, she began to crawl out gingerly. Oh, it was going to be a long morning. She needed to get home and have a shower, and a Berocca to fix her aching head.