“I was his kids’ governess,” she said.
Lachie grinned. “So you knew all his bad habits going into this. Smart.”
“My bad habits?” Logan punched his friend playfully in the arm. “I was never as bad as you.”
Lachie shook his head. “No, you weren’t, that’s for sure.” He found Abbie in the crowd and felt his pulse quicken. “But those days are behind me now. I’ve cleaned up and am focusing on the future and keeping the station afloat.”
“Good on you,” Logan said, his voice softer. “Terrible situation, this. We’ve lost a lot of good graziers to suicide.”
“Yes, too many,” Paige agreed.
Lachie nodded and scraped his hand over his freshly shaven chin. “How did you know Dylan?”
“I know Maddie through School of the Air,” Paige explained. The online teaching school was used for most children in remote and regional areas of Australia.
“Of course.” Lachie nodded. “For a big country, it’s a small world.” Logan smiled.
Abbie had finally made her way through the crowd and hugged Paige and Logan in turn.
They chatted on as the crowds slowly dissipated. Noah and Riley, and Darcy and Meghan joined them, and the young people discussed the drought, beef prices, and other rural issues.
After promising to visit Brigadier Station the following day, Logan and Paige headed off.
“I better go. Hannah will be finishing school soon,” Abbie said.
“I’ll walk you to your car.” Lachie placed his arm around her back, feeling the warmth from her body under his palm.
“This is going to sound strange,” he said when they were alone, “but I’ve heard you sing before.”
She stopped walking and turned wide eyes on him. “You can’t have. I hardly ever sing in public.”
“All I can remember is it being a hot and dusty afternoon with lots of people around. You were singing a song. I can’t remember what but I remember your voice.” He gave her a sheepish look. “It’s unforgettable.”
That gorgeous pink stained her cheeks. “I haven’t spent much time in the outback and that was the first time singing in …” she bit her lip as she thought, “… about seven years.”
“You never came out here before now? Or somewhere dry and dusty? How about a B&S ball?” he said, referring to the frequent bachelor and spinster balls popular with young, single country folk.
He caught a look of recognition cross her face before she looked away and started walking again.
“The only other time I’ve visited the outback was when I went to the Birdsville Races, but that was years ago.”
“That must be it. I used to go all the time.” He smiled, finally having cracked the mystery of where he knew her from. “I can’t remember many specifics but I’m sure that’s where I would have met you.”
She shot him a smile which didn’t reach her eyes.
She unlocked her car and looked up at him. “Thanks for walking me out.”
“It was good to see you.” The urge to kiss her was strong, but he held back. She had a sudden standoffishness about her. Like she would bolt if he tried anything.
He opened the door and held it open. “I’ll see you later.”
She nodded and climbed in.
He watched as she drove away, still wondering what he had said to make her suddenly so wary.
“He was at the races the same year as me,” Abbie said in hushed tones over a wine that evening.
Paige and Logan were staying at the hotel up the road, and Paige had come over at her friend’s desperate pleading.
“Okay.” Her friend urged her on.
Abbie chewed her lip as she considered her words. She had never told anyone this before, but she knew she could trust Paige with the story. She wouldn’t even tell her husband.
“I went to Birdsville Races seven years ago. A bunch of friends, other nurses, wanted to blow off some steam, so I tagged along. I didn’t really want to go, but I needed a break from work, study, and my parents.”
“So you went to the races?”
Abbie nodded. “I really let loose, like, completely out of character. I got really drunk and did stuff I wouldn’t normally do.” She thought back on the snippets of things she remembered from that weekend. The taste of dust in her mouth; the camels, and the smell of beer and bourbon. “I slept with a guy and nine months later …”
Paige’s eyes widened. “Wow, I thought Hannah’s father was an ex. I didn’t realise it was a, what, one-night stand?”
Abbie nodded. “I don’t remember anything about him. His name, what he looked like-anything.”
“You weren’t drugged, were you?”
“No, my friend, Jo remembers a bit. She said I was acting really happy and buzzed, but I definitely didn’t take anything.”
“Okay. So you were drunk and slept with someone willingly and got pregnant.”
Abbie nodded.
“And now you think Lachie was there.”
“He remembers me singing. Jo said I jumped up onstage and sang some country song. I kind of remember seeing this big crowd cheering me on.”
“Wow, what are the chances?” Paige leaned back in her chair as she let the information sink in.
“Yes. What are the chances …?”
Paige turned to her abruptly, and goosebumps rose on Abbie’s skin. “What are the chances Lachie’s the guy you slept with?”
She nodded. “He was drunk too, and he has a reputation of sleeping around.”
“Hannah does have the same blue eyes as him.”
“They can both roll their tongues and I can’t.”
Silence descended as Abbie considered the possibility. “He is familiar,” she said. “When we kissed, it felt familiar.”
“Wait. You kissed?”
Abbie explained how they had found Dylan.
“Oh, wow. That must have been so traumatic.” Paige rubbed her arms.
“It was. But, Lachie was there and we shared the grief together. He comforted me. I don’t know how I would have coped without him.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Abbie’s head shot up. “No. I mean, I like him. But, no, I can’t go there. He’s got a past.”
“We all have pasts, Abbie. You have a baby from a stranger you can’t remember.”
Abbie shrugged. “You’re right, but what if he relapses?”
“He’s come so far. Logan told me what he used to be like, and I can’t even believe he’s the same guy. Maybe he’s worth taking a chance on.”
“Maybe.”
“Do you know his blood type?”
Abbie shook her head. “You think I should see if it’s the same as Hannah’s.”
“You know more about it than me, but isn’t that a step you can take before doing a paternity test?” Paige asked.
“Yes. There’s only a couple of blood types that would match.” She considered the consequences of finding out. “His blood type will be in his records at the hospital.”
“Then you need to find out. One step at a time.”
“Should I tell him?”
“No. Find out for sure before dropping this on him.”
Abbie swallowed the last mouthful of wine from her glass.
What if it turned out Lachie was Hannah’s father? Would that be a bad thing, really? At least the mystery would finally be solved, and Hannah would have a dad.
But was Lachie ready for that responsibly? And was Abbie ready to be tied to him for the rest of her life?
Chapter 10
Why did you go into nursing when you could have become a famous singer?” Logan asked Abbie late the following afternoon as they sat around a campfire.
Abbie laughed. She had never considered music as a serious career. She had enjoyed studying it at school, but nursing was her calling. “My parents would have disowned me,” she said and smiled at her friends. Hannah was at Lachie’s side, slowly turning a sausage speared on a stick over the edges of the fi
re. Lachie was close enough and keeping an eagle eye on her so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
She trusted him with her daughter. She had never trusted anyone other than her parents and close friends. But she knew without a doubt that Lachie would protect Hannah and look after her.
And she adored him back. He was the only father figure in her life. Possibly more than just a figure given what she had found out.
“How are your kids, Logan? Still riding those horses you got them?” Darcy asked from across the firepit.
“They sure are. I started something there; they’re all horse mad now. Especially Scotty.”
“Horses are great with autistic kids though. Do you think it’s helped?”
“Sure has. You should see them together.”
Darcy was obviously horse mad himself. Meghan had explained how they lived on a station a couple of hours away called Arabella Plains, and as well as running beef cattle, they bred campdrafting and stock horses.
Darcy reached over and squeezed Meghan’s hand. “We’ve been talking about learning more and doing some study. We’d like to open a camp or something like that for kids with learning disabilities.”
“We have such sweet animals,” Meghan explained. “They would be perfect for kids with autism.”
“That would be fantastic,” Paige said. “We’d love to help.”
Abbie felt at ease around these good, country folk. It warmed her heart to see that the younger generations were continuing their parents’ community spirit and pride in the land. They could have moved to cities and towns and gotten easier jobs with higher rates of pay, but instead they had chosen to stay on the land and help support their rural communities. Abbie couldn’t help but respect them for that.
She turned to Riley who was sitting on her left and the only member of Lachie’s family she hadn’t spoken to at length yet. “I heard you and Noah are based in Western Australia. What are you doing there?”
Riley swept her long dark locks over her shoulder. “I’m a helicopter mustering pilot so we’re following the work and exploring the countryside. Have you ever been west?”
Abbie shook her head. “I’m a city girl; this is as far west as I’ve ever been.”
“If you get a chance you should come visit. Perth is a great place-not that I’m a fan of big cities and crowds of people.” Riley struck Abbie as a woman full of guts and determination, used to living in a man’s world and able to give as good as she got.
“I’d love to see it one day. All of the outback seems so foreign. It’s like being on Mars.”
“It is,” Riley agreed. “You should see it from the sky. So vast and undisturbed.”
The women continued chatting until Paige tapped her on the shoulder. “Help me get the salads?”
They linked arms and walked into the empty house.
“Did you find out his blood type?” Paige asked eagerly.
“Yes. I checked this morning at work.” Abbie looked around to make sure there were no listening ears. “He’s a match.”
“Wow.” The word escaped her friend’s mouth.
“I have a friend in Brisbane who could do a DNA test. I just need to get a sample from Lachie.”
“What kind of sample?”
“Some hair or fingernail clippings. Or a swab from his mouth, but that might be a bit obvious.”
“So sneak into his room and find something. There must be some hair on his brush.”
They arrived in the kitchen, and Paige pointed her down the hallway. “Do you know which room is his?”
Abbie nodded.
“Then go. I’ll keep watch.”
With a pounding heart, Abbie crept down the hallway and turned into Lachie’s room. She saw the bed and remembered how soft and inviting it was. Again, she wondered what it would be like to lie in it with its owner. She shook her head and focused on her mission. On top of the chest of drawers was a mirror and bingo, a brush.
She pulled out a clean tissue from her pocket—she was always prepared for snotty noses—and used it to pull some brown stands from the brush.
“Meat should be ready soon.” Lachie’s voice loomed from the living room.
Abbie pocketed the tissue and ran from the room and collided straight into a hard chest. She gulped as she raised her head.
Lachie looked at her with a tilt to his head. His strong jawline was thick with stubble, adding to his rugged appeal. “Were you in my room?”
“What? No.” She stepped around him. “I was in the bathroom.” Blood pounded in her ears, loud, intense, as though in warning. Everything tightened, from the tiniest muscle in her body to the very air surrounding them, as if the world held its breath, expectant.
He nodded slowly at her. “Why are you being so weird around me?” He lowered his voice. “Is it because we kissed?”
That was as good a reason as any. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I guess I’m embarrassed.”
His laid his hands on her shoulders. “You don’t have to be. Not with me.” The raw, intense emotion in his voice touched her even more than his husky words. Their gazes remained locked. A gaze of yearning, of need, of hope. The need to kiss him, to taste him again almost overwhelmed her.
But he might be Hannah’s father and until she knew for sure, she couldn’t do anything.
“I should get back to the kitchen and help Paige.” She slipped out of his grip and turned from him.
The sooner she had the results, the better. This was torturing her.
When the food was dished up, Lachie studied Abbie. Her pale hair was pulled back into a ponytail to reveal the smooth pale skin of her nape. He ground his teeth. He could memorise every delicate contour and satin-soft curve, and still he’d never be able to get enough of her.
He wanted to ask her how she was coping. If she often woke in a cold sweat too. When a rush of grief and anxiety engulfed her, if her knees went weak. It seemed no matter how hard he pushed his emotions into the depths of his subconscious, they continued to crawl to the surface, and all when he least expected it. So often since the accident he had found himself gasping for air, thankful no one was around to watch as his emotions and fears threatened to tear open his soul.
“What do you think Maddie will do now?” Harriet asked as the group, pulling him from his reverie.
“Sell the station probably,” he said before taking a bite of sausage. As much as it pained him to lose his neighbour, he didn’t think she’d have much choice.
“I don’t suppose you can buy it?” Noah asked.
Lachie shook his head. “As much as I’d like to, there’s no way a bank would give me a loan right now. We’re stretched enough.”
“I heard the Hendersons sold their place to overseas investors,” Meghan said. “Such a shame to be losing a family with such a long history on the land.”
“The Hendersons? They were one of the first settlers. They used to breed merino sheep way back in the day.” Lachie remembered the stories he had learnt from his school history lessons.
“Things are changing,” Harriet said. “We just have to make the best of it.”
The sombre mood once again descended over the group.
“Little Jamie was well-behaved at the funeral,” Abbie said.
Lachie glanced at his sister-in-law. He had spotted her looking longingly at Maddie’s son. She had always had a soft spot for the little boy. His heart tightened in his chest and he sent a hope into the universe that Meghan and Darcy would soon be blessed with a child of their own.
“Yes he was.” Harriet voice was filled with emotion. “Poor thing, losing his father so young.”
“I really liked the photo collage they played,” Riley said. “Does anyone know who organised it?”
“I did,” Abbie said quietly from her spot next to Harriet.
Eyes turned in her direction.
“I planned most of it with the funeral director. Maddie wasn’t up to it.”
“It was beautiful.” Harriet placed her hand on Abbie’s. Lachie w
ished he was sitting there so he could touch Abbie’s hand as well.
He missed touching her.
And kissing her.
Hannah left her spot on the ground and walked over to Lachie before flinging her arms around his neck. Her skin was soft against his rough cheek.
“Hello, squirt.” He stroked her hair. “Have you had enough to eat?”
“I feel sick.”
He watched as she held her stomach. “Did you eat too many sausages?”
She nodded and stuck out her bottom lip.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest and rocking her gently, side to side.
From across the fire, Darcy cleared his throat and Lachie looked up to see everyone staring at him. They all looked surprised, even amused.
Abbie was almost pale in the firelight and Lachie wondered if she was feeling sick too.
“Wow, I didn’t know you were so paternal these days,” Noah said beside him.
Abbie stood and walked around. Bending down, she put her arms out. “I can take her.”
“She’s okay,” he said earnestly.
Abbie shook her head. “It’s getting late. We should go home.”
“I wanna stay here,” Hannah complained.
“Just a few more minutes.” Lachie didn’t know why Abbie was behaving like this. He could feel everyone watching them.
Her voice was quiet but demanding. “She’s my daughter. Give her back.”
Lachie let go of Hannah and put up a hand in surrender. “Come on, squirt. Time to go home.”
“No,” she said as Lachie stood her up. Abbie grabbed her daughter’s hand and pulled her away from him.
Abbie rushed her goodbyes, loaded her daughter into the car, and was gone before Lachie got a chance to get over the shock of what had just happened.
“What was that all about?” Darcy asked him as the car lights disappeared down the driveway.
“I have no idea,” he admitted. “She’s been acting weird lately, but never like that with Hannah.”
Darcy looked at his wife, chatting with Riley. “Maybe she’s jealous. She’s had Hannah to herself all this time, and now she’s getting attached to you.”
The Legacies of Brigadier Station Page 8