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‘Finished?’ Morgan’s voice brought her to her feet in one swift movement. She brushed the unruly curls from her face, knuckled her eyes to rid them of tears, straightened her yellow sun-top, dusted off her jeans and then glared at him. She thought she saw pity in his eyes and her chin went up.

‘Finished what?’ she demanded.

‘Wallowing in self-pity. You look a right mess! ’

‘Thank you! That’s all I need to make my day. You’ve got sixty-three thousand acres to manage, why pick this spot?’

He threw back his head and laughed. ‘I always keep my eye out for trouble spots.’

‘Meaning I’m one of them?’ Katriona could feel her temper rising and tried to control it. She wanted to leave with cool dignity. She must not let him get under her skin.

‘Well, I wasn’t sure till I got down here. I saw you from the lane, spread-eagled on the grass, and thought you’d done yourself in ’orribly ...’

‘Thought or hoped?’ Katriona flashed back at him. Morgan’s grey eyes were full of laughter, ‘Oh, you’re not that big a problem to me, little Red. I can handle half a dozen your size before breakfast if the mood takes me.’

Katriona took a deep breath and her glance ranged across the golden land and up to the mountains beyond. Dignity was the key word. She must not lose her temper.

‘If you’re looking for Tay, he won’t be coming to rescue you,’ Morgan told her. ‘He’s out on Dismal Flats. You’re all on your own. Does the thought scare you? Just you and me and miles and miles of no one else.’

‘You couldn’t scare me, Morgan Grant, not if you practised for a hundred years. It would take a bigger man than you.’ Katriona threw dignity to the winds.

‘I wouldn’t count on it.’ There was a dangerous light in his steely grey eyes and he was smiling.

Katriona turned to run for the lane, but his arm snaked out and wrapped itself around her like a steel band, pulling her closer and closer to him. Then he held her to him, ignoring her struggles. Gently with his free hand he stroked her hair, smoothing the flame-coloured curls, his hand then tracing the sweet outline of her face. Katriona stopped struggling, and was still ... she could not get away from him, she had neither the strength nor the desire to try. Her heart was pounding, sending the blood coursing through her veins, and the bittersweet knowledge was that while he was only teasing her, she was getting what she longed for ... just once to be held in his arms ... just one kiss before she left Evangeline for ever. And she knew he was going to kiss her ...
oh, how she knew
!

‘Relax, little Red, you’re going to enjoy this, and so am I,’ he spoke very softly.

She resisted for a moment, then looked up at him, her blue eyes twin pools of burning', longing love. She was leaving today. Did it matter what he read in her eyes? It had never mattered, she had never had a chance. ‘Why not?’ Her voice was husky.

She felt his arm slacken as she relaxed and her arms wound around his neck as she moved closer into his embrace and heard his heart beating in tune with her own, closing her eyes as he cupped her chin in his hand, tilting her face upwards to his. Before his lips brushed hers lightly she knew that she would remember this moment till the day she died, the warmth of his hard body against hers, the touch of his hands on her body, and then as his lips moved softly against hers, tauntingly teasing, suddenly something beyond his control or hers exploded between them. Her whole being responded to the urgency of his demand and her world of blue, green and gold was blotted out in a rapture undreamed of, as she gave free expression to the flame of love and desire which she had held in since the first day she met him.

At last it was over ... her one kiss, the kiss that would carry her for the rest of her life and never let her love another man. As Morgan put her gently away from him, her eyes flicked open to surprise the same awe and wonder in his eyes that she was feeling.

Before he could speak she said quickly, ‘I’m leaving today, Morgan. I hope you’ll arrange for someone to take me to Christchurch.’ She turned and walked slowly up the hillside towards the truck.

He was at the door before her, barring her way. ‘Why have you decided to leave today, Katriona?’

‘Because I must leave
now
,’ she answered flatly, her eyes downcast.

‘Because I kissed you?’ he mocked softly.

Katriona flung her head up to glare at him. ‘Certainly not! What’s a kiss?’

He was smiling down at her as he leaned against the truck door. ‘I thought that was a very special kiss.’

‘Nothing special about it. I always kiss like that,’ she replied with seeming nonchalance while she knew she lied.

‘Lucky Donald! ’

Colour flamed in her cheeks. She had never kissed Donald like that. Morgan laughed. He knew she had not. ‘Why lucky Donald? There are other men in the world besides yourself and Donald.’

‘Oh, a very experienced young woman of the world.’ His eyes sparkled with disbelief. ‘You could have fooled me. Your eyes are shining, your lips are soft and sweet, and your whole expression so vulnerable and innocent...’

‘I’ve been kissed like that hundreds of times!’ Katriona shouted.

‘Then you were right. There’s nothing I can teach you.’ There was no mistaking his meaning.

‘I want to go home. Turn that truck around and take me back so I can pack, and stop annoying me. You’ve had your fun.’

‘It was fun, wasn’t it, Katriona? I mean, even for an expert such as yourself, you would have to admit it was a very satisfying kiss. Answer me, Katriona.’

She wanted to slap that teasing smile right off his face, but she did not dare come too close. ‘All right, I enjoyed it. Satisfied?’

‘Very.’

She turned away to look at the lake. He was playing with her as a cat plays with a mouse. She would refuse to answer him again. Her lips set mutinously.

‘Oh, definitely your best profile, little Red.’

She turned her back to him, then heard him move and swung around defensively. ‘You keep away from me, Morgan!’

He laughed. 'I was only opening the door for you. Hop in.’

She edged past him nervously and pulled the door shut with a vigorous slam. She sat as far away from him as she could, thankful he was driving the International truck which had such a nice wide seat, wide enough to get four people in. That left a good distance between them.

Morgan sat relaxed in the sunshine, making no move to start the truck.

‘I want to go home,’ Katriona demanded a little desperately.

‘Why? Why the sudden decision to leave Evangeline?’

'I'm homesick. Donald needs me ... I need him.’

‘Make up your mind.’

‘Both! ’ Katriona shouted wildly.

‘And that’s a good enough reason to break your promise to your father?’ His voice was harshly critical.

It’s what he’ll expect of me. He won’t be surprised. Even you can’t pretend to be surprised. I’m that image of my mother you carry in your mind, aren’t I? A vain, frivolous woman who puts her pleasure before other people’s lives. Well, nothing I can do can wipe out what she did. You think I’m a liar. You think I drift around in a dream, leaving gates open and making a lot of work for you. You believe Carla. You won’t even show me the station. My father can’t even bear to come home while I’m here. So I’m leaving. I wish I’d never come in the first place! ’

His face darkened ominously. ‘Before you go, allow me to straighten you out on a few points. First of all, I did not believe Carla. Carla always lies. I asked for your side of the story, but you refused to say anything. Next, your father is so excited about having a daughter that his business colleagues haven’t had to buy themselves cigars since you arrived. He planned a surprise party for you this Saturday night. All his friends from the neighbouring stations are coming to Evangeline for a barbecue to meet his daughter. But you won’t be here. And finally, if I ever said you were the image of your mother, I retract the statement absolutely. I would elaborate further, but I’d be wasting my time.’'

Morgan started the engine and moved off, heading away from the homestead.

‘Turn around! Where are you taking me?’ Katriona yelled.

‘I’m kidnapping you. Sit back and enjoy it.’

‘I’m getting out here,’ she retorted.

‘I wouldn’t if I were you. I’ll set the dogs on you.’

'You would too!’

'I would.’

Katriona sat back in her seat, ramrod-stiff, her arms folded across her chest and her eyes closed tightly.

‘You won’t see much of the station that way.’

‘I don’t want to see the station,’ she muttered from between gritted teeth.

‘If you don’t open your eyes this instant, I’ll stop the truck and kiss you.’

Her eyes flew open wide.

‘That’s better. I’m taking you up the hill to see the deer before you leave.’

‘That’s not a hill, that’s a mountain. Your hills are my mountains,’ Katriona remarked stubbornly.

‘I’ll let you keep this one for a mountain because it’s marked Mount Kakapo on the map, and we’re going right to the top, you and I.’

‘I don’t want to. Not with you. Not in this truck.’ She did not want to learn any more about Evangeline. She just wanted to get away from all the pain and bitterness that her coming had stirred up. Even Nivvy

‘The truck is quite safe. It’s a four-wheel-drive vehicle. You don’t want to go on the tops with me? Why ever not? Don’t you think I could teach you anything?’

‘I’d rather go with Tay. Tay is kind,’ Katriona threw at him.

‘Tay is soft. Not your kind of man, Katriona. You need a firm hand to keep you in order. I don’t think Donald is big enough for the job, if you want my advice.’

‘I don’t want
anything
from you.’

Morgan stopped in front of a huge cyclone gate. ‘The truck is safe. I’m not. Don’t push me too far or you may regret it. Here’s the keys, open the gates.’

‘Why do you padlock so many gates?’ she asked.

‘Each of those deer is worth about a thousand dollars, and there’ll always be thieves and poachers where you’ve got valuable stock. Out!’

She sat still for one moment openly defying him, but his expression was enigmatic, and his tanned body taut and muscles tense.
He was not safe.
He was like a panther poised to spring on its prey.

Shakily she grabbed the keys and battled to unlock the six-foot-high double gates. Morgan drove the truck through while she had another struggle to close them. She could hear him whistling his dog Flame and wanted to watch to see if he was as good as Tay, but she had to close the stubborn lock first.

It helps if you remove the key, then the padlock will close.’ He sounded impatient.

He could have told her when she left the truck instead of making her feel an idiot. She turned to tell him so, then stood staring. Down the hill came deer, red deer, hundreds and hundreds of them, with Flame working them as if they were sheep. Down through the tussock they came, some running, some walking, some leaping over the low matagouri shrubs, or jumping from rocky ledges, incredibly graceful, stags and hinds, slender legs, pointed ears and big eyes.

Katriona’s eyes were enormous as she watched the moving mass come closer and closer and then pour through the gate a little along from her, and watched entranced as they fanned out across the next block, moving in lines higher and higher up the golden tussocks till they disappeared from her sight in hidden gullies and valleys. Twenty or thirty stood just through the gateway, their heads turned, their ears pricked watching her curiously.

‘Oh, I’ve never seen anything more wonderful! That was fine ... just fine.’ Her small attractive features were lit up with the excitement and wonder of seeing such a sight, and her voice was soft and breathless. ‘Oh, thank you for making me come. Thank you for showing me your deer.’

‘Get in the truck,’ Morgan barked almost harshly, ignoring her delight and putting Flame back in the crate.

Katriona climbed in the truck, feeling as if he had thrown a bucket of cold water over her. He wasn’t bringing her here to show her something lovely. He was doing it as a duty. She was leaving and he was doing what her father said he must. It hurt. She moved along the seat a little closer to him to show that she wanted to be friendly, to show that she wanted to share the joy of this remarkable experience with him. .

He appeared remote and uninterested, not even noticing her shy gesture. He kept his eyes on the unbelievably steep winding track which twisted and curled tortuously round the side of the mountain, taking them always higher. Perhaps he was wise, Katriona sighed. Of course he had to watch the road. There was no room for error. But he could have said
something.
They had once shared a sunrise. The thought brought a lump to her throat. She would never see another sun rise over Evangeline. She was leaving today.

Fiercely she tried to keep her gaze on the tiny thread of road ahead of them, but as if drawn by a magnet her eyes turned back to him. This was the last time she would see him. She noted his thick dark hair, his firm jawline and chin, his superbly handsome profile, his deeply tanned skin which highlighted the whiteness of his teeth, his mouth ... There she stopped. She touched her own mouth with the back of her hand as her thoughts winged backwards to the lake.
Oh, Morgan Grant
,
I love you.
So intense was the feeling burning her up that she longed to reach out and touch his cheek, or smooth his dark hair, or even move closer so that her shoulder touched his ... She thrust her hands into her jeans pockets to keep them under control, and shut her eyes tight to blot out his image, but as if chiselled into her mind she could see him more clearly with her eyes closed.

‘Open the gate,’ he ordered.

‘Are we at the top?’

‘Almost. Just through this gate and up to the summit. ‘You didn’t say you were scared of heights,’ he commented dryly.

‘I’m not scared of heights,’ Katriona protested.

‘Then why did you shut your eyes?’