Taming the Outback (6 page)

Her breath caught, and her stomach clenched. The light flickering in his eyes showed her he was aware of the effect he had on her. She stepped back and turned on her heel, striding back to her vehicle on unsteady legs as her body filled with heat from the inside out.

As she drove down the long driveway, she could see him watching her in the mirror. It did nothing to quell the butterflies in her stomach.

Libby hadn’t been that close to a man since her husband died, let alone had sex with anyone. The look in his eyes made her burn, and while mentally kicking herself for being so susceptible to a handsome male, it was the touch of his hand on her face that reduced her to a quivering mess. She wondered what she would do if he touched her more intimately…probably combust in a screaming heap at his feet. Libby worried that thought would come back to haunt her.

Libby calmed slightly by the time she arrived back home. Tom was still out with the kids and the horses. Josh was being led around the paddock on a quiet palomino. Libby parked the truck and walked over to the fence to watch. Winton was leading him around the paddock alternating between and walk and a slow trot.

“Kid’s got a decent seat on him,” Tom said.

“Must be in the genes, I guess.” Libby grinned, leaning on the fence.

“Sort it out with Nathan?” he asked.

“I told him I didn’t want that kind of confrontation in front of my kids again.” Libby avoided his eyes.

“How did he take it?”

“He all but laughed at me,” Libby admitted.

They stood and watched Josh for a while longer, and then Tom made a move.

“If we don’t get started, it’ll be dark before we get into it,” he stated. “Winton, Josh, come on. You guys can help with the fencing.”

Libby watched them rush to obey Tom. It’d been a long time since Josh had done as he was told without having to be threatened.
Tom might prove to be a good grandfather figure for him.

“What do we need?” she asked following him into the shed.

Tom passed her roll of wire, a pair of cutters, and some heavy gloves before picking up a sack and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Come on, kids,” he yelled. “Get a move on, or you’ll be left behind.”

Holly ran to catch up with Libby, the tiny Henry in her arms, and Winton and Josh scampered up the drive, kicking dirt with their boots, Josh’s pup running between them.

The tools went in the back of the truck, the kids piled in the back seat with the dogs, and Libby and Tom climbed in the front.

“Winton, you are on gates on the way out, Josh you can do it on the way back.” Tom started the vehicle.

It only took ten minutes to get to the first patch of fencing needing mending. They piled out of the car and surveyed the damage.

“No wonder Nathan’s cranky.” Josh nodded at the fence between the properties. “Look at this place compared to his.”

Libby’s gaze roved over the beautifully kept paddocks next door. The stock even looked in prime condition compared to the ones in their paddocks. Mongrels, he had called them.
He’s right to a certain degree.
The fences were a mess. Moss-covered, weathered posts were leaning over, and the cattle only needed to lift their feet a bit higher to march over it. A large strip of the boundary fence had broken wire in more than a few places, and this was where Tom headed.

“Boys, grab the rest of the tools and get your butts over here,” he called. “You too, Libby.”

They all scrambled to gather the tools and follow Tom’s direction. He pulled a post up from the weeds and held it straight. Under his guidance, Libby managed to pound it back into the ground with the post rammer. He showed her how to attach the fence strainers he pulled from the sack to the existing wire and pull it tight enough to reattach to the post. After a couple of goes, she managed to do it on her own.

She stood back with a huge smile on her face as the sweat ran down her back, soaking her shirt to her body. It had required muscles she’d never used before to handle the heavy equipment, and she’d be sore later, but it was worth it.

“That was awesome.” Libby lifted her hat from her head as she wiped her face. “Thanks, Tom.”

“Your turn, Josh.” He guided the boy to the next wire. He took his time teaching them the skills that should come as second nature to those living on a station. Even Holly put Henry down long enough to nail a couple of wires to the posts. Libby hauled the water container over and gave everyone a drink. The afternoon was stinking hot, and they had so much more to do before they called it a day.

She still had to arrange for her station wagon to get towed somewhere, but as Tom had already told her, it wasn’t worth stealing, and it was off the main road so it would be fine until they had the chance to get it.

They fixed fences until the sun started to lower in the sky. The kids started to complain, and Libby’s hands were almost raw. The muscles in her back ached. The pups had long since gone to sleep under the four-wheel-drive parked in the shade.

“Let’s call it a day,” said Tom when they finished the next section of fence. “You guys have done well, but you look pretty done-in. We can come out again tomorrow.”

“But, Mum, tomorrow is Sunday,” Josh cried. “We always sleep in.”

“This is a working farm,” Libby stated, dreaming of her bed after a soak in the tub and a late start tomorrow. “We have so much to do to get the farm up to scratch, and on Monday, I have to go into town and book you all in school. That’s just the way it is. Help pack up the gear, and we can go home.”

Libby let her gaze travel the newly repaired fence line on the trip back to the house. She felt a surge of pride in herself and her family.
We can do this, fix the farm and make it a home, and it feels so damned good too.

C
HAPTER
F
OUR

After their hard day of fencing, the dinner conversation was a huge downer for the kids. Libby tried to involve them in her Monday plans, but the only one remotely interested in school was Winton.

“This is not up for discussion.” Libby spoke between mouthfuls. “You are all going, and that’s final. You can make it easier on Winton though, Josh, if you go over what you’ve been doing this year. It would be a shame to see him held back because he’s missed so much.”

“He should be okay.” Tom spoke up. “We have been working at nights on his schoolwork, and he likes to read, always got his nose in a book when he’s not out working or skylarking around.”

“Regardless, Josh, after dinner, you and Winton can go over your books and see where he is up to, and on Monday, I’m taking the three of you into Charleville to school.” Libby looked around the table at all of them, daring them to argue with her. “That makes tomorrow your last free day, so you can be excused from working on the farm so long as your rooms are clean, and the dogs can probably use a bath. Tom and I are going to have a cuppa on the veranda, and you kids are on dish duty.”

Libby got up from the table amidst cries of protest and put on the kettle for tea. She made two big mugs and walked outside, taking a seat in one of the old chairs. She stretched her feet out in front of her and let her head droop over her chest.

“Takes it out of you, doesn’t it?” Tom asked.

“Yes, but it’s a good feeling. I really enjoy working outside, even if my hands are covered with blisters and feel like they’re on fire. You know, Tom. When I first walked in the house yesterday, I felt like I was home, it was almost as if deep down in my mind, I hadn’t really left. I’ve never felt that in any of the places we’ve lived. Even meeting you, I feel like I’ve known you for ages.”

“Guess that means you’ll be keeping me on then.” Tom chuckled.

“What do you think? At least until you teach me everything you know.”

“Well, now,” Tom drawled, stretching his legs out in front of him. “That could take a mighty long time, being as you are such a slow learner and all.”

Libby almost choked on her tea with laughter. It was so nice to be around a man she felt at ease with.

_***

There was no time for a leisurely breakfast in the morning. Josh refused to get out of bed until Libby threatened him with a glass of cold water, and Holly was pensive about leaving Henry home. Winton was at the back door when she opened it, scrubbed clean and in his best jeans and shirt. He looked nervous, but Libby really didn’t have the time to fuss and reassure him as much as she wanted to.

She made them breakfast and packed lunches, using what she had on hand, and herded them all out to the truck for the trip to school. Tom had given her directions and a list of stuff to pick up from the produce store.

After enrolling the kids at school and seeing them to their classes, she drove to the store and parked behind a familiar vehicle.

Damn.
It would be childish to drive off and come back later. She would just have to deal with it. She knew she could. She just didn’t know if her hormones felt the same way. After all, five years without sex tended to get one just a little bit testy when a ruggedly handsome man touched her, even if he were a conceited and arrogant brute.

She exited the vehicle and walked into the store. Two men were leaning over the counter, and their conversation stopped as she walked across the wooden floor, her boots tapping a rhythmic tattoo.

Nathan stood and faced her as she walked toward them, and she noticed a smile tugging at his mouth when her step faltered. She managed to pull herself together and continued until she stood opposite him.

“Didn’t expect to see you in here today.”

“Why would that surprise you, Nathan?” she queried. “This is a produce store, isn’t it? Somewhere where one can buy stock feed for one’s farm. At least, that’s what Tom told me. I do hope he wasn’t wrong on that point.”

She gave him her best attempt at sarcasm and tried to look offhand while the guy at the counter appeared amused by the action between the two of them.

“Pete, meet sweetheart. The new owner of Quincy Station...for now,” Nathan said.

Pete leaned over and held out his hand for her to shake. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

“Call me Libby.” She gave him a genuine smile. “All my friends do.”

“Ouch.” Nathan flicked his gaze at Pete. “Told you she was testy. So, how was your first weekend on the station, sweetheart?”

“Just fine, thank you.” Libby looked coolly at him. She turned back to Pete and handed over the list Tom had given her. He glanced over it and nodded as he walked through the storeroom, hefting bags of feed and placing them at the front loading bay as he went.

The silence between them stretched out uncomfortably—at least for Libby, it did. Nathan didn’t seem to mind the lack of conversation as he casually leaned on the counter, his gaze traveling over her body, making her skin heat and her stomach jittery. She turned away in the end, pretending to search the shelves for something she needed. When she risked a quick glance at him, he was looking at her with a strange look on his face. She averted her eyes and wandered around the shop until Pete came back and started to write her order up.

Libby had no choice but to approach the counter again.

“Notice you have fencing supplies,” Nathan said. “Good move on your part to make a start on keeping those mongrels contained.”

Libby glared at him before she spoke. “We’ve already made a start, for your information. But I will reiterate what I said to you earlier. If you have any issues with me or the farm, I would appreciate it if you could talk to me directly and not in front of my kids.”

“Damned if you don’t look cute with your heckles up, Libby.” He grinned. “But let me tell you, it’ll take more than a cute butt and a pretty face to convince me a city barmaid has the makings of a farmer. Just so you know, I don’t think you have it in you, no matter what Tom and Aaron think.”

He picked up his hat, placed it on his head, and calmly walked out the door, leaving Libby fuming.

“Um, will that be all, Libby?” Pete asked after an uncomfortable few minutes.

“No.” She turned back to the man at the counter, pasting what she hoped was a winning smile on her face. “I want some seedlings. Do you have any?”

“Sure we do.” He looked relieved at the change in conversation. He led her outside to a shaded area where tables of seedlings lay in rows.

Libby chose flowers for their pretty colors on the labels and some vegetables she recognized, taking her time while her temper slowly came down from the boil. Pete helped her load her truck with her purchases, and she headed for home.

Libby drove up to the shed so they could unload the feed and fencing supplies. She jumped down from the driver’s seat and slammed the door harder than she meant to. She had to stop letting him get under her skin.

“How did it go at the school?” Tom asked, coming out of the shed, making her jump.

“Jeez, Tom, don’t sneak up on me like that. You scared me half to death.”

He went to the back of the vehicle to start unloading the heavy bags of feed as if they were weightless and stored them in the shed. By the time he was done, Libby had taken her tray of seedlings into the house yard and put them on the worktable in her potting shed.