Maybe this was just what they needed and while playing happy couples, he could show her how good they could be together and what she would be missing out on if she rejected him again.
He spotted Hannah first, jumping up and down and cheering as she watched the barrel racing start. A woman on a grey horse was first, the animal kicking up a plume of dust as she turned sharply around a barrel.
Taking the stairs two at a time, then shuffling his way past a row of people, Lachie finally reached the group.
“Lachie, here sit beside us.” Judith shuffled over so he could sit between her and Abbie. Hannah left her grandfather’s side and perched herself on his lap when he was sitting.
“Hey squirt. Having fun?”
“Yes. Did you see the liberty horses perform to Zoe’s song? They were dancing!”
He smiled at her enthusiasm. “It’s cool, huh? It takes years of training to get a horse to do what you want like that.”
“I wish I could have a horse.” Her shoulders slumped. “Mum says I have to prove I’d be able to look after it. Are horses a lot of work?”
“They sure are. You have to ride them and wash them and feed them.”
“But they eat grass. Why do you have to feed them?”
He smiled at her naivety. “Did you see any grass at Brigadier Station? Horses can’t eat dirt.”
A grin broke across her youthful face. “I could feed it apples and carrots.”
He laughed. He’d missed their conversations. “Horses need a more substantial diet, hay and oats.”
With the barrel racing finished, the campdrafting event was announced, and Darcy appeared in a slot.
“Isn’t that your brother?” Abbie leaned over and asked, the smell of her floral perfume faint on her exposed skin.
Lachie nodded. He’d always been proud of his brother’s achievements, even if he hadn’t shown it. To a certain extent, he had been jealous. Darcy had been such a natural horseman. Lachie had never been really good at anything. Except drinking.
Abbie leaned forward, getting her parents’ attention. “That’s Darcy McGuire. Lachie’s brother.”
Her parents turned and they all watched intently as Darcy rode out on his black horse, Shadow. The smells, the dust, the cattle and horses, the cowboys, the cheering, and even the country music playing from the suspended speakers all combined to make his heart pump faster as Lachie watched his brother run the course. He was grateful to have something to focus on other than how good Abbie looked in her tight jeans and fitted blue shirt, and how her leg would bump against his from time to time.
Darcy cut the beast and easily sent him around the figure eight, finishing to a chorus of applause from the crowd. Their homegrown hero had done it again.
After the campdrafting was over, there was a break between events so the party decided to use the opportunity to visit some rides and get something to eat.
The lines for the food were long and filled with hungry children.
“We’ll wait here and order,” Judith said, motioning to a vendor selling burgers and other greasy delights. “You two go on some rides with Hannah.”
Hannah took Lachie and Abbie’s hands and tugged insistently, leading them in the direction of an ornate carousel. As beautiful as it was with its carved white horses, the line was short. Patrons preferred the scream-inducing adrenaline rides.
“Can I, Mummy?”
Lachie observed as Abbie smiled down on her daughter. “Okay. I’ll watch from here.”
When Hannah was safely aboard her pony, Abbie returned to Lachie’s side. The cheerful music started and Hannah moved up and down and slowly around in wide circles.
“Sorry about before,” Abbie said, her eyes still trained straight ahead.
“About pretending I’m your boyfriend?” Lachie smiled. “No problem.”
She snuck him a glance. “My parents can be very … persuasive when it comes to where I live and and if they think there is a good reason for me to stay here, they’ll let up a bit.”
Lachie leaned forward on the fence. “Am I a good reason to stay?”
She turned to look at him. “It’s just pretend. Just for today.”
He exhaled slowly and straightened. “There’s no pretending on my part. I want to be with you, Abbie. You must know that. I want you and Hannah in my life.” It felt good to say the words. To lay all his cards on the table.
She gaped back at him. “You do?”
He nodded and brushed his hand over her hair. It was just as soft as he remembered. She looked dazed, her skin flushed and her eyes half-closed. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. “We could have this, you know. We could be a family.”
Her eyes deepened and her mouth opened. He moved closer to her as her gaze slipped to his mouth. This was it; he would surely be able to persuade her with a kiss.
“There they are.” Adam’s brogue Scottish accent cut through their tender moment like a knife. Abbie jumped out of his reach and backed steadily away.
Lachie turned to the older couple as disappointment curled through him. Turning on a smile, he gratefully accepted his food though he had no hunger for it anymore. He had an appetite for something else altogether.
Chapter 13
Mum, look at me,” Hannah called from the top of the sleek black horse, Shadow, which Darcy had ridden at the rodeo the day before.
Meghan, held the lead rope and led the giant of an animal around the yard in slow circles.
Abbie pulled out her phone and snapped some photos and video of her daughter with a big grin plastered on her face.
“She’s a natural.” Darcy spoke beside her. “Are you sure she’s never ridden before?”
Abbie shook her head. “No, never.”
She slid Darcy a sideways glance. He was so similar to his brother in appearance, she wondered if they were ever mistaken for twins. She hadn’t seen Lachie yet today. Was he avoiding her on purpose.
Yesterday at the rodeo, Lachie had invited them out to the station so Hannah could ride Darcy’s horse before they headed home to Arabella Plains. Adam and Judith had eagerly said yes and she guessed this was all part of their plan to size up their daughter’s new boyfriend. Her parents were anxious for their daughter to settle down and marry. To give Hannah a permanent home with two stable parents. Did they still want that? Even if it meant she’d be living on a cattle station in outback Queensland.
“I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time,” Abbie said as her daughter pulled gently on the reins, turning Shadow around the corners.
Darcy leaned against the fence next to her. “She sure fits in well. Seems really fond of Lachie too. He’s never spent much time around kids.”
Abbie looked everywhere but at him, like an embarrassed child.
Her ride finished, Hannah climbed down from the horse and cuddled it around its neck before returning to Abbie. “That was awesome. I want a horse.”
“Then you had better start saving for one.”
They thanked Meghan and Darcy, who set about unsaddling the horse while Abbie and Hannah joined the rest of the party.
They found the group assembled on the verandah, sipping cold drinks and chatting. Judith and Harriet were sitting next to each other, deep in conversation, while Adam was holding court with Noah, Riley, and Lachie.
Abbie slowed as she took Lachie in. Tall, broad-shouldered and lean-hipped—by anyone’s definition he would be considered gorgeous, especially with the tanned skin, and the angles and planes of his features. Not to mention those eyes.
As they got closer, he turned and their eyes met. “How was the ride?” he asked as Hannah skipped to his side.
“Amazing. Darcy said I’m a natural.”
“Of course you are.” He tickled her neck and she giggled.
Lachie’s words echoed in Abbie’s ears. “We could be a family.” This strong and stoic cowboy was unlike any man she’d ever met. He wanted to be in their lives. Not many men would want to take on a single mother.
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She stood next to him as he tickled Hannah. His five o’clock shadow made him even more swoon-worthy. A mixture of wood, leather, and something she couldn’t quite pinpoint caressed her sense of smell, suddenly making her feel a little light-headed.
Shaking her head, Abbie walked over to the table and poured herself a glass of water, moving as far away from Lachie as she could. Riley pulled her into conversation and she found herself relaxing with her new friends.
“Lachie, do you have any tattoos?” Riley asked as Lachie moved to join the circle.
“Just the one on my back,” he said, reaching behind him and pointing to the top of his spine.
Abbie couldn’t help but remember the times she had seen him without his shirt on. She had never noticed a tattoo though. She wondered what it was.
“Abbie, do you have any?” Lachie’s voice held a mischievous tone.
She shook her head. “No tattoo. I do have an ugly birthmark though.”
“Noah wants something on his arm but he can’t decide what,” Riley said.
Noah strung his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “Only if you get something too. I’d like a bird. Maybe an eagle.”
Something tugged at Abbie’s heart. No one had ever looked at her like Noah looked at Riley. She shifted her weight on her feet and became all too aware of Lachie standing right next to her. The heat of his body curled around her, making her blood sizzle with need.
Biting her lip, afraid of what she might say or do, she excused herself from the group and went inside to the kitchen where she found Meghan gathering her things. “The horses are all loaded so we’ll be going as soon as we say goodbye.”
“It was lovely to see you again.” Abbie smiled, so grateful to have made friends with this kind-hearted woman.
“I hope you’ll bring Hannah out to Arabella Plains sometime. We have plenty of spare beds,” Meghan said. Abbie heard the sadness tinge her last remark.
“Thank you. We’d like that.” Abbie looped her arms around Meghan in what she hoped was a supportive hug.
“And I’m rooting for you and Lachie. I can see how much he cares about you,” Meghan said. “He certainly never looked at me the way he looks at you.”
Abbie frowned. “What?”
“He would tell me he loved me, but I never really felt it.” Meghan paused and studied her. “You know we were engaged, right?”
Abbie’s mouth dropped and she felt the world spinning around her. “You and Lachie? Engaged?”
Meghan clamped her hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry; I thought you knew. Everyone knows, how do you not?”
Abbie backed away until she felt a chair behind her she could fall into. People had been eager to tell her about Lachie’s drinking and womanising but no one had thought to tell her that he’d once been engaged? To Meghan? The woman his brother was now married to?
She couldn’t bring herself to be upset with Meghan. Obviously she was deeply in love with Darcy now and happy in her marriage to him. But why hadn’t Lachie told her? After all, he’d said he wanted her in his life, but had kept this crucial piece of information from her.
If he’d lied about that, what else had he lied about?
Lachie stood by the vehicles, waiting his turn to say goodbye to Abbie and her family.
“It was lovely to meet you, Lachlan,” Judith said and pulled him down for a hug. “I can tell you have good intentions for our girls. Look after them for us?”
He kissed her cheek. “I will. You have a safe trip back to the city.”
“I can’t say I’ll miss the flies.” Adam moved forward and shook Lachie’s hand. “Come visit us if you’re ever in Brisbane.”
Hannah threw her arms around Lachie and squeezed.
“Bye, squirt. You be good to your mother.”
“Come see us soon?” she asked and Lachie looked up at Abbie. Any barriers he had pulled down were firmly back in place now. Something had changed and he was damned if he knew what.
“We’ll see,” Abbie said, directing her daughter to the car without so much as a wave to him.
Meghan tapped on his arm, and he turned in her direction. “She didn’t know about us,” she said as the engine fired and the car cruised away. “I thought she did so it kind of all came out. I’m so sorry.”
Lachie rubbed his temple. It hadn’t even occurred to him to tell her. They hadn’t gotten to the point in their relationship where they discussed their exes. “It’s not your fault. I wasn’t keeping it secret; I just hadn’t told her yet.” He shrugged.
“She seemed really surprised and kind of devastated.”
Devastated? That meant she really did feel something for him after all. Sure, he would have to work hard to mend what had broken between them, but at least now he knew it wasn’t all in his imagination.
“Thanks for telling me.”
“I really do hope it works out with her. You two would make a great couple.” Meghan smiled. “And Hannah is just the cutest thing. If I didn’t know better, I’d actually think she was yours.”
He furrowed his brows. “What? Why would you think that?”
“Well, you obviously both adore each other, and she kind of looks like you. I mean she has the same eyes and even your noses are similar.”
Lachie was speechless as he took in her words.
Meghan shook her head. “I’m on hormone drugs, so don’t listen to me. I’m probably seeing things that aren’t there.” She turned and left Lachie frozen in place, mentally comparing images of Hannah and with the vision he saw whenever he looked in the mirror.
No, it was just coincidence. Blue eyes—lots of people had blue eyes.
Besides, he’d never slept with Abbie so there was no way he was Hannah’s father.
He scratched his head. It must just be a case of wishful thinking.
Chapter 14
Lachie parked his ute in the hospital parking space and slammed the door behind him. It had been a week since Abbie had been at Brigadier Station, and she had been avoiding him ever since. She had ignored all his phone calls and texts. Even his bloody Facebook messages.
But today she was going to see him, even if he had to sit in the waiting room all day and night. Because this morning he had woken up with a memory of Abbie and her blasted birthmark.
He remembered tracing its oval outline. Kissing the soft skin where it lay, just below her left breast. He remembered kissing other parts of Abbie Forsyth too. Drunk or not, he remembered it all. Every touch, every kiss and every exquisite taste.
How could he have forgotten her, even for a moment? She had kissed him on a dare and he had thought he’d won the lottery. The most beautiful woman in the world had just flung herself in his arms. Of course he wasn’t going to turn her down. He might have been a drunk, but he wasn’t a complete idiot.
Kissing had led to touching, which had led to them ending up on the back of his ute with the full moon shining down on them.
He pushed open the doors to the hospital and stood in front of the empty reception desk. There was only one other person in the waiting room, a frail old lady he didn’t know.
Ping. He tapped on the metal bell.
“I need to see Abbie Forsyth.” He spoke as he spotted the receptionist peering out of a doorway. “It’s an emergency.”
She gave him a questioning look. “I’ll see if she’s free.”
He paced circles in front of the desk while waiting for Abbie, all the time practicing what he would say to her.
“Lachie?”
He turned to see her walking towards him, dressed in her pale blue uniform, and his heart pounded.
“I remember.” He strode towards her. “I remember Birdsville.” He watched for a sign of understanding in her expression but she didn’t even flinch.
“What are you talking about?”
He looked around to make sure there were no prying eyes or ears. “Birdsville. I remember that we spent the night together.”
Her eyes widened and
she inhaled.
“I remember your birthmark.” He pointed to where he knew it was just under her chest. “It’s oval and dark brown. Right on top of a rib.”
She took a step back but remained silent.
“When is Hannah’s birthday?” He had already done the calculations. Birdsville Races was an annual event in September. If Hannah was born in June, then he really could be her father.
Instead of answering though, Abbie put her hand up to stop him. “I’m at work; we can’t talk about this here.” Her tone was accusatory and her eyes warned him to stop pushing. “You need to leave me alone.”
She turned on her heel and started walking quickly away.
He called after her but she just hastened her pace.
When she was out of sight, he smacked his palm against his forehead in frustration. Damn, now he’d pissed her off there was no telling what she’d do.
This was not how he’d planned it. He had thought, or at least hoped, that she would remember too and they could start planning their happily ever after. Now he was left with unanswered questions and suspicions.
Abbie was still fuming when she knocked off work and walked home that night. She was angry at Lachie for remembering, especially when she couldn’t remember it herself. She was furious at him for confronting her at work, and she was terrified that he might try to take Hannah away from her.
She could leave Julia Creek. She could take Hannah back to Brisbane or even interstate. They would surely need nurses in rural New South Wales, or maybe somewhere farther away like the Northern Territory or Western Australia. Riley had said WA was beautiful. It would be a good place to hide.
But deep down, she knew she couldn’t run from this. Secrets and lies always had a way of catching up with people, or so she’d heard.
She went through the motions that night with Hannah. She cooked her dinner and put her to bed, but all the while her mind was racing with what-ifs and maybes.
When Hannah was finally asleep in her room, Abbie pulled out her phone and dialled Paige’s number.
The Legacies of Brigadier Station Page 10