The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife (26 page)

‘
They sound like great wedding vows,
’
Kirra said brightly,
‘
Do you mind if I write them down?
’

He smiled and shook his head in disbelief.
‘
Ever-the- journalist. I must be mad!
’

‘
Madly in love!
’
Kirra
quipped, as he strode out the door.

Kirra had a fun-filled morning of playing games with
Caleb and the puppy, while Jared went to check on the calves he
’
d delivered the other day and their lucky-to-be-alive
mothers.

When Jared arrived home, he taught Kirra how to ride
‘
Billie
’
,
‘
Blinky
’
s stable-mate.

Kirra turned out to be a natural in the saddle and was
excited when she handled the even-tempered mare in a short gallop in a circle.

Holding his puppy,
Caleb watched on from behind a wooden, safety fence and cheered her on.

She rewarded him with a heartfelt smile. She really
did love him as her own.

That night, after a long soak in a bubble bath, it was
only then, a keen feeling of bereft crept through her veins back to her heart.
Being parted from them, even for a few days, would be pure torture.

Still, she had tonight and as everyone brought a dish
for a
‘
Pot Luck
’
Dinner
before the Bush Dance, she had things to do.

Kirra dressed in silk underwear, a blue denim skirt, a
red silk blouse and her ankle-boots, she smiled into the bathroom mirror and
brushed her hair until it shone like spun gold. Feeling light-hearted, she applied
light make-up and clear red lipstick, then collected her engagement ring from
the box and slipped it on her finger.

She knew Magda or Harry would have spread the news
throughout the district, so she didn
’
t want to
let Jared down in any way. She gazed at the antique setting of the ring with
its fine golden scrolls around the sparkling gemstones. It really was uniquely
beautiful and she was proud to wear it to carry on Glengarry traditions.

She thought of her parents then, and wondered if she should call them.
Perhaps, she should just take Jared, Caleb and Chocolate up to Noosa for a
drive and give them a lovely surprise. They loved surprises. She realised then,
that she hadn
’
t
met Jared
’
s
mother either and knew formalities of their union had to be observed sooner or
later.

While Jared and Caleb showered and dressed, Kirra
decided to make Beef in Black Bean Sauce, but with limited time, she cheated
with a packet of frozen Fried Rice for sides. She thawed it out in the
microwave and tossed it in a little oil in the wok she found hanging with the
pots and pans.

Both father and son looked devastatingly handsome in
jeans, blue-checked shirts and boots. After some mutual appreciation of attire,
Caleb put Chocolate and his bed box in the laundry for safe-keeping. Once
settled, they tip-toed down the back steps and hopped into the Range Rover.

‘
What are the people of the district like?
’
Kirra said with trepidation, as they headed to the
Bush Dance.
‘
Will they eat me alive?
’

Jared patted her knee in a calming gesture.
‘
You
’
ll be fine, my
love.
’

‘
They
’
ll know we
’
re engaged,
’
she said and chewed on a nail.

‘
And be happy for us,
’
he said with quiet reassurance.
‘
They are good, friendly folk. It
’
s not like in the city. Nobody is a stranger here.
’

‘
Bridie will be there,
’
Caleb chimed in.
‘
Maybe, I
’
ll ask her
to marry me.
’

Jared laughed in a way she
’
d become accustomed, hearty and joyful.
‘
You
’
re a little young,
Tiger. Maybe, when you
’
re eighteen. You
’
ll be a man
then and if you still feel the same way. . .
’

‘
And Bridie does too,
’
Kirra added sagely.
‘
You both have to
love each other and want it.
’

‘
Like you and Dad?
’

‘
Yes.
’
Kirra glanced at
him in the backseat.

‘
Awesome!
’
he said
and punched the air.

Kirra gave him a soft smile. He was so much more
confident now. Did she do that? It warmed her heart to think so.

When they arrived at the hall, looking beautiful with
strings of coloured house lights - probably left in place since Christmas -
Kirra took a deep breath and walked inside with them, one either side like the
true family unit they
’
d become in such a few short days.

Inside, the hall was simply decorated with hay bales
and streamers. There was a stage, microphone and music equipment at one end and
long white-clothed tables at the other. The tables were already laden with
delicious-smelling pots of food and various non-alcoholic drinks. Country music
from a juke-box was softly playing in the background.

Jared put her offerings on the table, then began to
introduce her to everyone. Kirra was deeply affected by how welcoming they were
to her. They were very happy for Jared that he
’
d found love again.

‘There’s Bridie!’ Caleb said excitedly, pointing to
the entrance. ‘Can I go see her, Dad?’ he asked, tugging at his father’s hand.

Jared ruffled his hair. ‘Sure, Tiger.’

After dinner, Jared took to the stage and took Kirra
with him, her hand resting comfortably in his.

‘Attention, Everyone!’ he said and the townspeople
instantly quietened. ‘I’d like to officially announce that Kirra and I are
engaged.’

Kirra felt her cheeks burn, as the townspeople cheered and clapped for
what seemed like an eternity. Jared tucked her under his arm and she smiled up
at him, genuinely happy. To her surprise, many people took photos of them. Then
suddenly, it was all too much and Kirra turned and buried her face in his
chest.

‘
Alright, folks,
’
he
announced over the microphone.
‘
It
’
s time to start the Bush Dance so grab your partners.
’

An elderly man took the stage and called the dance
steps with expert ease.

Jared led Kirra off the stage and merged her into a
group of dancers. It took Kirra a little while to get the gist of what to do,
but following Jared
’
s lead, she managed to put the steps together and
enjoyed herself immensely.

Before the night was over, she
’
d kept her promise and had a short dance with Max. It
wasn
’
t long though, before Jared swept her up into his arms
again and her nostrils were swimming happily in his familiar masculine scent.

On the way home, Kirra sat in the backseat with Caleb
who was propped up asleep on her shoulder. She sighed joyfully, as she cuddled
him in close.

Jared gave her a
knowing smile in the rear vision mirror.

‘
Did you enjoy yourself, Kirra?
’
he said, then flicked his eyes back to the road.

‘
Very much so,
’
she
replied on a whisper, so as not to wake Caleb.
‘
Everyone was so kind to me.
’

‘
Do you think you could settle here in the country?
’
he said on a serious note.

‘
I think so,
’
she said,
joy skipping through her blood.
‘
My editor
has asked me to write the rural news for a year.
’

‘
And after that?
’

‘
Maybe, I
’
ll have a
shot at writing a novel,
’
she supposed.
‘
I
’
ve always wanted to.
’

‘
You won
’
t get
bored?
’

‘
No, I can still email my family and friends and visit
them sometimes,
’
she replied astutely.
‘
Besides, babies could take up a lot of time if they come along.
’

His shoulders visibly relaxed.
‘
I
’
m glad you
’
re a practical person like me.
’

‘
I think we
’
re very
compatible, don
’
t you?
’

‘
Perhaps, we should ask Elise?
’

‘
Elise?
’

‘
Yes, I rang Mum this morning to let her know the good
news of our engagement before any of her friends spilled the beans,
’
he explained.
‘
She also
rang me yesterday to see if Caleb made it home last night. She admitted she
’
d hatched the plan with Auntie and Elise. Apparently,
Gus, a.k.a., Phil printed the fake ad.
’

Kirra frowned.
‘
Why didn
’
t you tell me sooner?
’

‘
Too much happening,
’
he said in
earnest.
‘
It completely slipped my mind.
’

‘
Why?
’
she asked.
‘
Why did she do it?
’

He gave a curt nod.
‘
She
’
s fallen in love with Auntie
’
s neighbour, Frank Goodman. I can’t believe she kept
it from me.
’

‘Maybe, they just
realised recently that they were in love,’ Kirra suggested, her journalistic
mind on alert. ‘
Does she want to go live with
him?
’

‘
Apparently, she does,
’
he said. ‘I don’t know for sure.’

Kirra
’
s shoulders
relaxed.
‘
Are they an item?
’

‘
Mum is too old-fashioned to reveal such private
information,
’he said in a quiet tone, so as not to wake Caleb.

‘
Are you happy for her?
’ she queried, wondering how strong
the apron strings were.

‘
Of course. It
’
s not very
often one comes across a soul-mate. She
’
s had two,
my father and this fellow.
’

‘
And we
’
ve also found each
other.
’

‘Yes.
How lucky are we?
’
he said,
glancing back her and they exchanged smiles.

Arriving back at the homestead, Kirra was grateful
that Jared had thought to leave the verandah light on which shone like a beacon
in the vast paddock dotted with cattle.

When he pulled the Range Rover to a halt in the
garage, the sensor light flicked on and afforded them some light in an
otherwise pitch-black night.

Jared carried Caleb inside and put him to bed, while
Kirra retrieved the sleeping puppy in his bed box and put him back in Caleb
’
s bedroom. They kissed Caleb goodnight and padded into
the hallway. Jared closed Caleb
’
s door.

‘
What happens now?
’
Kirra said huskily. Her heart hammered out a rapid
tattoo, as she looked up into his soft grey-blue eyes.