The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife (7 page)

On her next breath, more pent-up frustrations rolled
out. She couldn
’
t look at Jared though. She couldn
’
t bear it if he judged her.

‘
Honestly, I don
’
t know
exactly what Zac was doing. He managed a holiday resort. He was always out
entertaining. After work, I preferred to unwind at home baking, watching a good
movie or reading a good book,
’
she told him and
somehow it seemed the right time to unburden herself.
‘
I only went out with him on weekends and that was only
if I
’
d finished all the housework,
’
she continued to babble.
‘
Zac loved anything fast - cars, boats, life. He lived
for thrills, moment by moment.
’

‘
How did he die?
’
Jared
’
s gentle words didn
’
t interfere with her thoughts, but merely gave them
direction.

‘
There was a boating accident. Too many people on the
speed boat and too much champagne drunk. He fell overboard and ... and ...
’
Kirra choked back her tears, refusing to cry. She
’
d cried enough tears to fill an ocean when he was
alive.

He didn
’
t touch her
again. For that, she was grateful.

‘
And there was nobody with you when you found out.
’

Her chin lifted as she filled her lungs to capacity
and turned to meet his sympathetic gaze.

‘
No, my parents drove down from Noosa immediately, but
they had to return not long after the funeral,
’
she said. When his eyebrows knitted together, she added,
‘
They are wonderful people, really. When they retired,
they bought a souvenir shop at Noosa Heads. It was peak tourist season when Zac
died.

I insisted it was foolish to shut up shop in their
most profitable period, so they reluctantly went home. Besides, I wanted to go
straight back to work. It was the best medicine. I was okay.
’

‘
And what about Miss Watson? Did you talk to her at
work?
’

‘
Oh Elise was there, but I didn
’
t want to burden her with my sorrows and regrets. She
’
s quite a few years my junior. She
’
s also been trying to coax me into going on blind
dates for ages.
’
She bristled with annoyance.
And she’s a blabbermouth!

‘
Ah! So you have someone who cares enough about you to
arrange dates?
’

‘She gossips too
much!’ she snapped, raking tense fingers through her hair. ‘Besides,
I thought you said someone was playing a joke on you?
’

‘
Someone is. I
’
ve known
for a long time that mother chooses the most attractive nannies for my son in
an attempt to arouse my interest in finding another mate. However, there is
more to marriage than superficial beauty and sex,
’
he added pensively.
‘
For it to last a
lifetime, there has to be many other compatibilities and considerations.
’

She wanted to believe he was genuine, but instead, she
said,
‘
I suppose advertising for a wife is being a bit too
caring?
’

‘
You honestly expect me to believe that mother
advertised the position like a job?
’

‘
Believe what you like.’ She waved her hand
impatiently. ‘Have you called her yet?
’

‘
No. I haven
’
t had time to make any calls,
’
he said, his eyes suddenly turning to steel.
‘
But I will.
’
 

Jared opened the door and hopped out. His shoulders
squared, he strode around in front of the vehicle and opened her door thrusting
out his hand to assist her down.
‘
Hold on.
’

‘
I can manage,
’
she insisted,
annoyed with herself how much she
’
d revealed
and inadvertently, getting off on the wrong foot!

Rain sprayed into the cabin. In an instant, water
slicked off her oilskin coat and onto the running board.

‘
Stand back,
’
she ordered.
Placing her hand on the door, she jumped down with an almighty splash.

Jared
’
s hands fisted his
hips.
‘
A stamp of independence, hmm?
’
he admonished, then gave a short, sardonic laugh.

‘
And why not? I
’
m used to
looking after myself.
’

‘
So you say,
’
he mocked.
‘
We
’
ll see how long
your independence lasts today with the dairy cows that also have a will of
their own, shall we? Come. The cows are waiting to be milked.
’

Kirra
’
s oversized
gumboots sloshed beside his, as they headed towards the dairy.

‘
You mean the cows know when they want to get rid of
their milk?
’
she said, astonished.

‘
Yes. It
’
s a lot of
extra weight to carry around the paddock in their udders. They quickly become
used to the routine once their calves have gone.
’

Kirra looked horrified.
‘
Oh the poor things. I
’
d be devastated if
someone took away my baby soon after birth.
’

Jared flashed his eyes towards her, as they walked
beside each other.
‘
It
’
s part of modern
farm life. The demand for fresh milk is high today due to a marked increase in population
and the great variety of dairy products.
’

‘
I keep the heifers, the female calves,
’
he continued,
‘
to increase
the herd. The young bulls become dinner-table veal or beef most of the time,
unless they
’
re accepted into the A.I. program.
’

‘
A.I?
’
she asked, her
interest piqued, as he pushed open the door and led her into a side room. She
thought it stood for Artificial Intelligence, like the sci-fi movie.

‘
Artificial Insemination. Magda comes out and injects
the cows with -
’

Kirra held up her hand to stop him immediately.
‘
I know.
’
Her cheeks
flushed crimson.

It reminded her too much of the I.V.F. program she
’
d looked into, when she couldn
’
t seem to fall pregnant after trying for two years
with Zac. The memory of the frustration and stress of that time coursed through
her veins and she met his eyes with a sadness she couldn
’
t hide.

His face sobered. He grimaced, clearing his throat.
‘
Put these on,
’
he said quietly and handed over her the overalls and
straw hat she
’
d
worn last night.
‘
The cows seemed okay with you in them.
’

Kirra couldn’t speak. She felt a great ball of
emotional wool jammed down her throat. She quickly changed her clothes, before
he guided her into another part of the milking shed.

‘
What are these?
’
she asked,
when the emotion cleared and she trusted her vocal chords to work. She pointed
to two huge stainless steel cylinders that filled up most of the area.

‘
They
’
re storage vats
for the collected milk. They
’
re sealed to
prevent bacterial contamination,
’
Jared
explained in his element, as he checked the temperature gauge.
‘
A tanker driver from the Dairy Co-Op comes out every
second day to take it away.
’

‘
What happens to the milk if he doesn
’
t come? If the bridge is out?
’

‘
Mm. That
’
s a worry,
’
he said, grimacing.
‘
Some will be fed to the heifers in buckets, but most
of it will have to be tipped out. I
’
ll show you the heifers later if we make good time
milking.
’

She gave him a genuine smile.
‘
I
’
d like that.
’

‘No problem,’ he said, guiding her back into the
milking area.
‘
If you like, today I
’
ll teach you how to take the cups off the teats.
’

‘Really?
Unbuckling straps is so repetitive.
’

‘
It
’
s still
repetitive,
’
he said,
‘
but you
’
ll have a more things to keep you busy.
’

Jared jumped on the platform and she followed him,
careful not to bump into him. The platform was suddenly brought to life with
the flick of a switch and the milking process began.

Kirra watched in awe, as Jared meticulously checked
each teat for infection before placing the suction cups on.

When the first cow had finished being milked, he
stopped the platform, to her surprise.
‘
I
’
ll show you how to take off the cups,
’ he said.

Kirra stepped in closer. Stooping beside him, his
manly scent was distinct and all her senses came alive.

He deftly removed the teats and released his cow.
‘
Now, it’s your turn.’

Kirra easily flicked the next set free.  The
weight fell into her hands and she staggered a little.  He caught her, his
large hand cradling her back.

Instinctively, she turned towards him. She could feel
his breath on her cheek, every cell in her body aware of him.

‘
Kirra?
’
He stilled, a
sudden awareness darkening his eyes to midnight.
‘
Are you alright? Can you manage?
’

‘
Yes, I -
’
Her eyes
locked unblinkingly with his, as a powerful chemistry like lit phosphorus
reacted between them.

If only he hadn
’
t asked her
about Zac, she might have been able to fight this intense attraction, but he
’
d listened to her without judgement and had shown her
compassion by squeezing her shoulder
which definitely wasn’t sexual
harassment!

His eyes narrowed in puzzlement.
‘
Kirra?
’

Heat curled in her loins. She gasped in surprise,
bowing her head, as the heat rose rapidly to her face.

With his index finger, he gently tipped up her chin
and a tremor of anticipation coursed through her.

Through lowered
eyelashes, she looked at him. His erratic breathing surprised her and her
breath caught in her throat. 

Could he see the desire in her eyes?
She wondered.

‘
Jared, I -
’
Of its own
volition, the tip of her tongue touched her top lip and she sucked her bottom
lip. Sensing the tension rising in his body, she stilled.

Delicious heat radiated out from her loins, down her
trembling thighs and up to her knotted stomach muscles which were strangely
loosening. Feeling her control slipping towards oblivion, she closed her eyes.

The cups slipped free.  She didn’t hear them hit
the floor. Her eyes flew open, when she felt her waist hit a wall of muscle, as
he pulled her to him with one smooth action of his forearm. His other hand
deftly held out the cups, she suddenly realised.