Best in Show
Page 10
Zoe could see he’d changed. Even within twenty-four hours, he wasn’t the same Max she’d walked away from in the carpark. But she wasn’t sure. Men like Max don’t change for love. Yet, that was exactly what she was seeing there. He didn’t try to touch her. He was letting the softer part of himself show, the part she always knew was there. And he all but said he loved her. It didn’t make it right. Only time would do that, and he would go back to his farm tomorrow, and there was no more time for them. She wasn’t about to risk going up to his farm. Not now. Even though it was clear his feelings matched her own. It just wasn’t going to happen. And seeing this now brought the tears to the surface she’d tried so hard to keep away.
“I’m glad that it won’t. But I think it’s all too late.” She turned and once more walked away from the man she really wished she could’ve had a future with.
Three weeks had passed before Zoe remembered she’d taken an even bigger risk with Max, and she booked herself in to see her doctor for the tests she needed to make sure she hadn’t picked up anything.
“When was your last period?” asked her female doctor who she’d been seeing since a teenager, Dr. Yeo.
Zoe opened her mouth to say last week but then clamped her jaw shut. Shit. It hadn’t come.
“Let’s start with a pregnancy test then.”
Zoe held her breath. She knew with a flutter in her stomach that she was pregnant. And with a shiver down her spine, she knew no matter what she was going to keep this baby. The issue was going to be if she was going to tell Max or not.
Were the feelings she’d been beginning to feel real? Could she really forgive him for what she’d heard him say? Men like that were always bullies with women, and she just wasn’t sure she could trust him anymore. And I’d trusted him so openly. But then he’d opened his heart to her even though it was too late. He didn’t beg. He was respectful. And he’d not rung or texted her since. He’d made it clear he wanted her, to see if they could have a future and she’d walked away. She had to. She needed the time to process what had happened and to sort out her own feelings. Zoe realised she was actually the one with the power in the relationship, and if she wanted to see if there was a future with Max, she would have to contact him. Could I really be a farmer’s wife?
Three days later her doctor rang with the results. “Congratulations, you’re going to have a baby.”
A tear slid down Zoe’s face. This wasn’t what she’d planned for yet, or now, but she was happy. Pregnant. She smiled to herself. A feeling that everything was going to be all right flooded through her. As well as a thought that maybe she could turn from city girl to country girl. Anything was possible.
Her family took the news well, and after a few counselling sessions, Zoe knew what she needed to do to find out once and for all if there was any chance of a future between her and Max. She rang Billie.
“Billie, can you please give me the directions to Max’s farm?”
“Only if you stay for a weekend here with me.”
“Deal.”
“And I don’t think it’s a good idea by the way.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I have to find out.”
Max looked up from loading his tools on the back of the ute. A vehicle he wasn’t familiar with was coming down his driveway, slowly, leaving a cloud of dust behind them. Who the hell is coming to see me? He didn’t want to see anyone, not after what happened with Zoe. He wanted to be by himself and forget about the world around him. Just him, Bluey, and his cattle. But then there was also the manager he had on the farm, and that was more than enough human contact for him to deal with right now.
A dusty small car, Toyota hatch, pulled up near him. It was most certainly a city car. Another lost city slicker. He stopped himself from rolling his eyes. It happened from time to time, they’d turn off too soon and instead of the Wilpena road to the Rawnsley’s Bluff caravan park they ended up at his farm rather confused.
He put down his tools and walked around the ute to get ready to give his usual talk on how they needed to go back the way they came, turn left and then take the next left. And no he wouldn’t drive ahead in his ute. He’d been asked that on a few occasions. It wasn’t that hard to find the caravan park. Next left. The main problem was the dirt roads here didn’t come up on the GPS, and so it was easy for people to get lost.
Max stopped. There was only one person in the car, and it was a female. His stomach roiled.
The car door clicked opened, and a woman slid out.
His mouth dried, and his breath caught in his throat. She looked more sassy, and hot, and perfect than he remembered. She wore a tailored blue dress that ended at her knees, her hair straightened, and heels that were totally out of place on the stony dust ground.
What the fuck is she doing here? His heart sped up as if chasing a runaway calf.
She slammed the door of her car shut. “I need to talk with you.”
“Okay.” His voice sounded dry.
Zoe inhaled slowly. Seeing him, here in his own environment, dressed in grubby denim jeans and a dark blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows only made it worse for her. Worse, in the sense that the feelings she’d tried so hard to ignore over the last month came rumbling to the surface with force, reminding her that there was something between them.
Will he treat me and our baby right? This time such a thought didn’t cool down the heat which was rising within her. She’d missed him. No other man took her sharp comments quite like he did. Max looked even better than at the show.
Dust swirled up around her as she stepped forward. She wobbled on her heels. He rushed to help her, grabbing her before she could topple to the ground. His arms around her waist gave her a comfort she’d sorely missed. She gazed into his eyes, the intensity there took her breath away. She could see the feelings in them, the hurt, his desire for her. How sorry he truly was.
She didn’t want to waste any more time. She’d come here to tell him one thing. And one thing only. But it had already turned into something else. She knew she loved him. Just seeing him now made it abundantly clear that it was the case.
She took a deep breath to settle the rising butterflies in her belly. Best just to say it. The nearly four-hour car ride to his property had given her plenty of time to rehearse how she was going to tell him the news. But she still hadn’t found the order of words or a soft way to tell him they’d created a life together.
“I’m pregnant.” She looked up at him. She’d come this far to his farm without knowing what his reaction would be. He’d tried to open up the last time she saw him, but it was obvious he was finding it difficult. And she wasn’t sure that this was something he could overcome. Yet, she had to try. He’d gotten under her skin, and being pregnant with his child only kept him in her thoughts more intensely. She braced herself how this news might set up his temper.
Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and her feet left the ground as he tipped her body gently into his. It was nothing like before, when they had argued. His heat enveloped around her, his breath hot on the side of her neck. He spun around, holding her tight. She felt safe in his arms and rested her head on his shoulder, letting him hold her body weight. He put her softly on the ground, keeping his arms around her waist, her body close to his. She kept her head on his chest, listening to the fast beat of his heart. He moved, putting his hand under her chin and directing her to look at him. His eyes were moist, glistening with joy.
“You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world.”
Her mouth opened in surprise. This was the response she was hoping for but not expecting in a million years. Words evaporated on her tongue. He pressed his mouth on hers, and his heat tingled on her tongue, bursting with saltiness she had missed tasting. He sucked gently on her lip as he pulled away.
“Truly?” She’d found one single word. Her knees were wobbly, and she was glad he was holding her up.
“Yes.” The intensity in his eyes helped her believe him. “I love y
ou.”
Zoe smiled, the warmth from his wrapping her in a sense of safety and love. “I love you, too.”
“Do you think you can live here on the farm? It’s a bit rough?”
“I’ll fix it up.” She took a deep breath. She was confident she could live there. The first time she saw the farm driving up in her car she’d fallen in love. It was so different from the life she was used to, but it had felt like she was coming home.
“You’ll do no such thing in your condition.”
“I will so.” She stirred, her strength vibrating out with her words.
He kissed her. His tongue tangled slowly with hers as if feeling her for the first time. “I’ll help you then.”
“I’m going to find it a little hard here on my own, but I know it will work out.”
He ran his finger down the side of her cheek, she tilted her head into the palm of his hand, enjoying the roughness of his skin mixed with a gentle touch.
“I don’t think you will.”
“I guess there will be three of us soon enough.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
She moved to look up into his eyes. His smile sending her mind dizzy with the new found connection with him. It was strong. Powerful. Her heart felt unbreakable.
“I’m shearing in a month, and you know Billie, right?”
“Billie’s going to be here?”
He nodded his head. “For at least a week.”
“I reckon I could work remotely, what’s your internet like?” asked Chloe. She loved her job and was good at it. So much so she was sure that her boss would want her to leave as he valued her contribution to the law firm.
“Ummm… I’ll make sure I get it sorted so you can work. And I’m sure we can arrange for other people to visit you, and maybe I could take a holiday to the city—”
“You’ll go to the city with me?” She knew he hated the city.
“Of course. I’d go to the moon if that’s where you want to go. Though, I’d have to come back to feed the sheep so that might get a little tricky.”
Laughter spilled from her lips. “I’m loving you even more right now. “
“Good. Because I hated it when you didn’t, and I only ever want to love you.”
“And our baby?”
“Yes, and I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Or her.”
“And then I’ll show them how much you mean to me, every day.”
Her head spun with the love his words weaved around her. “I will, too.”
Thanks to the continual support from my friends, Marianne, Carla, Maggie, Leesa, Kim and Kaylene. The serious writing conversations and the fun chats, all help keep the wheels moving forward.
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Lilliana Rose has poems, short stories, and novels with various Indie presses in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. She enjoys world building and creating characters for these unusual worlds. Check out more of her work at www.lillianarose.com and as an Amazon Author and her blog on life wanderings and wanderlust, Café Pondering www.cafepondering.com
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