‘Bad day in the office?’
‘Yes, more like a bad six months. There’s a company I need to make a proposition to, but it seems to be surrounded by a strange code of silence.’
‘You said you like mysteries.’
‘Yes, I do.’ But his lingering frown communicated that whatever the mystery connected to the Three-M company was, Tait could do without it.
He checked the clock on his phone. ‘Do you mind if I make a quick call?’
‘Go ahead.’
Paige looked out the window to offer Tait some privacy. He greeted his stepfather in an affectionate tone that she’d never heard him use before.
‘Hi, Bruce. Yes, Paige’s with me. It’s a long story but she’s hurt her foot. Yes, I will. Now are you right for this morning?’ He paused. ‘Good. I’ve already sent a copy of your reports to the specialist. This will be a routine visit. Nothing to worry about.’ He again paused. ‘Okay, I’ll call you at lunch.’
She stared unseeing at the colours that sped past. The care and warmth threading Tait’s words were unmistakable. How could she have ever believed he’d be shallow and superficial like Chris? He shouldered the burden of his stepmother’s infidelity, he chauffeured his stepsister to her formal to make sure she’d be safe, he’d been prepared to adopt an orphaned pup and he’d called to reassure Bruce that his specialist appointment would be okay.
The flash of the countryside blurred. Emotion ached in her throat. Tait’s stepfather wasn’t the only good man. The city pretty-boy beside her was too.
After seeing Dr Lee, Paige was officially diagnosed with a broken third toe. As she’d suspected there wasn’t much that could be done, other than to rest and stay off her foot. Yeah right. As soon as she returned home she’d find a way to make sure she could be mobile again. She knew without looking up that Anne would be keeping a close watch on her. Tait had issued strict instructions when he’d dropped Paige at the library that she was to stay sitting down. So here she sat in a comfy chair, her elevated foot strapped in a Velcro, toeless black boot, a hot chocolate and salad wrap beside her and a laptop on a small table before her.
‘Need anything?’ Anne asked with a smile from behind the library counter.
‘Only a new foot. This is so ridiculous. You know I can’t go home and sit around all day.’
‘You must rest, Paige. I know you hate sitting still but if you push yourself too hard you’ll only end up doing more damage. You heard what Dr Lee said.’
‘I know.’ Anxiety hunched her shoulders. ‘But how am I going to get everything done at home?’
Anne smiled. ‘Tait’s around and he’s more than happy to help out.’
‘But he goes on Sunday.’
A strange expression crossed Anne’s face. ‘Is that when he’s leaving?’
‘Yes, he’s only booked in for the two weeks, and by the way his phone went off on the drive here, they can’t wait to have him home.’
Paige ignored the sudden feeling of sadness that tugged at her. What was with her today? Sleep deprivation and whatever medication Dr Lee had prescribed were messing with her emotions.
A phone rang. Anne bent to collect her mobile from the handbag Paige knew she kept behind the counter. Paige took a sip of her hot chocolate and pressed a few keys on the laptop. If she was stuck here for the next hour while Tait had ‘secret men’s business’ to complete, then she may as well make the most of the free internet. She looked out the large glass window to the street where his car was. She needn’t worry about giving him directions, he knew his way around Glenalla as though he’d been born here.
Snippets of Anne’s hushed conversation drifted to her. ‘Under no circumstances will such information be made available. May I remind you we didn’t go to all the trouble we did fifteen years ago to now fold under pressure. Hold firm. The timing’s not right to proceed.’
Paige turned her attention to the internet weather page. One of Anne’s Sydney business interests must be giving her grief. She clicked on the weekly forecast and sighed. Zero chance of rain. She went on to check the cattle market, commodity prices and did a little web-surfing on broken toes. Her restless fingers drummed on the keyboard. Tait’s ‘secret men’s business’ was taking a while. She needed to get home. Hyperactive Bundy would be driving her father nuts.
She took another sip of her hot chocolate and munched on her salad wrap. Every so often she’d think of a webpage to look up. She placed her almost finished wrap beside her as she remembered she should be checking Banora Downs’ web presence. She still didn’t quite know how Tait’s PA had heard about them. But as she entered different key words into the search engine she couldn’t find anything about Banora Downs operating as a farm stay. Sure there were plenty of historical references, photos of the house and even of the old church in tourist blogs, but nothing to indicate Banora Downs was available for accommodation.
She chewed on the last of her lunch. Behind her Anne was busy lending out books to tiny, hard-of-hearing Mrs Jones. Paige typed the letter ‘t’ into the search engine and then deleted it. She couldn’t enter Tait’s name, could she? That would be the same as cyber snooping. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. But how could she not? If he was lying about how he found out about them – there was no way his PA had done so on the internet as he claimed – what else could he be telling them that wasn’t true? Before her conscience could veto such a rash idea, she typed in his full name and held her breath.
The computer screen lit up like a Christmas tree. Images of Tait with various blondes were followed by newspaper and social page links touting his charitable contributions to the Brain Aneurism Foundation. She opened the top link and read the first line.
Tait Cavanaugh, CEO of AgriViz, an agricultural consultancy firm …
She stopped reading. A chill raced through her and despite the day’s heat she shivered. CEO? Agricultural consultancy?
She remembered Tait’s words from the Balgarry schoolhouse. I own three companies.
Fingers unsteady, she typed AgriViz into the search engine. A website flashed onto the screen.
She sat back in her chair, arms crossed, heart stampeding. She didn’t need to read more than the brief website blurb to know once again she’d been duped by a smooth-talking city boy.
‘So do either of you have something to say to me?’ Paige asked from the kitchen doorway in a tone that was sharp enough to cut glass. Tait glanced across the breakfast table at Connor. Just as well he’d given Connor the heads-up last night that Paige was onto them. When he’d picked her up from the library there’d been a fire in her eyes he couldn’t put down to her injury. The open laptop and the compressed line of her lips left him in no doubt she knew an investment company wasn’t all that he controlled. She’d sat stiff and silent in his car until, thankfully, whatever medication Dr Lee had given her had knocked her out. She hadn’t woken when they’d arrived home so he’d carried her to her room. When he’d then taken her a dinner tray she’d still been asleep.
He held her furious golden gaze.
He’d direct all her wrath his way and spare Connor. Worry had already creased the older man’s brow.
‘Does sorry pass muster? Your phone is by your bed, you could have texted and I would have carried you down to save you walking.’
She hobbled into the kitchen, wearing white shorts, a fitted grey tee and the black hospital boot, and leaned her hip against the kitchen table to take the weight off her foot. The hard stare that she pinned the two of them with said an apology definitely didn’t pass muster and how she got downstairs was the least of her issues.
‘Stop the games, Tait,’ she said, voice terse. ‘I know why you’re really here.’
‘Do you now?’
‘Yes.’ She looked at Connor. ‘Dad, what have you got to say about a financial consultant conveniently coming to stay?’
‘I’m sorry, Possum. It’s me you should be mad at, not Tait.’
Her eyes flicked toward him. ‘It’s a litt
le too late for that.’
‘I asked Tait to come and asked him not to tell you why he was here,’ Connor explained as he rolled toward his daughter. ‘It seemed like a good idea to have someone else do a farm business plan.’ He took Paige’s hands in his. ‘It would be one less thing you’d have to worry about, that’s all.’
‘So that’s why all the paperwork was missing?’
Connor nodded.
Her gaze pinned Tait’s. ‘And that’s why your PA couldn’t possibly have found out about us from the net.’ He nodded. ‘And why I felt like I was on a quiz show with all your questions about where I saw Banora Downs heading. And why for a city boy you know far too much about olives, alpacas and farm dogs called Jim Beam.’ Tait repressed a wince. Paige hadn’t missed a trick. He was going to have to double his efforts to be careful around her. His business reason for being in the outback might be out in the open but his other more personal reason had to stay dead and buried. He nodded again. ‘Exactly.’
The anger dimmed in Paige’s eyes as she pulled her hands out of Connor’s and slumped on the nearby wooden chair. Connor examined her face before moving towards the toaster and putting some bread in for her.
She looked across at Tait, the fury in her eyes now dull embers. ‘So how much does an AgriViz financial plan cost?’
‘It doesn’t.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m doing the plan pro bono in exchange for a testimonial from Connor. My marketing department will never forgive me if I don’t make sure Banora Downs’ name appears on AgriViz’s promotional material.’
But Tait’s answer didn’t ease the tension whitening her lips. ‘The money you paid,’ she breathed, ‘we can’t accept it. You can’t pay to stay and then do the plan for free.’
‘Yes I can. I’m not normally out in the field, but the agronomist or financial planner who is, rarely stays on farm. They usually stay in a hotel in the closest town. So my paying you to stay here is no different from paying for town accommodation.’
‘But you paid triple,’ she said.
‘So what? I’d pay quadruple. You and your father have looked after me very well.’
The angle of her chin told him his words hadn’t been heeded.
‘I have to pay you back.’
‘No you don’t.
‘Yes I do.’ She stopped and colour flared in her cheeks. ‘The money you’ve paid has already been spent but once the drought breaks and we’ve a cash flow established again, I’ll send you a cheque.’
Tait took a sip of coffee, knowing arguing would be futile. ‘Fair enough.’
Paige could send him as many cheques as she liked, he wouldn’t be cashing them.
‘Actually you’d better leave me your bank account details, as then I can transfer the funds electronically and know you would have received them.’
‘No worries. Remind me to give you my bank details when I go. I’m sure I’ll forget.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘You might, but I won’t.’
‘Here, Possum,’ Connor said as he placed some Vegemite toast before her, ‘have something to eat. You must be hungry.’
‘Thanks,’ she said with a sweet smile at her father.
As Tait picked up his own toast Paige shot him a sharp look. Connor might be off the hook but he sure as hell wasn’t.
Tait stuck his head into the office where Paige had set up camp for the day sorting through paperwork. She had her foot on a chair, papers in neat piles over Connor’s desk and a permanent frown on her brow.
‘Don’t look so happy,’ he said.
‘That’s easy for you to say. You’re not stuck in here.’ Her voice contained a bite Bundy would be proud of.
He lifted his hands and walked into the office. ‘I come in peace, oh cranky one. I need to check what I feed the chooks. Is it the stuff from the bag that has laying mash printed on the front?’
‘I’m sorry, I do sound cranky. Yes, that’s right and don’t forget to collect the eggs. There should be five.’ She tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear. ‘Thanks for doing the chooks and for feeding Gidget and the cattle this morning. Surely by tomorrow I can start to do a few things?’
‘It’s no problem helping out. But I think Miss Princess Polly will be glad to see the back of me. I still can’t seem to find the right spot for her morning rub.’
‘Her tiara is still sparkling, then?’
‘Brighter than a paparazzi’s camera flash.’
Paige smiled.
‘It won’t be long, and you’ll be back on your feet. Just remember what Dr Lee said. The more rest you have the quicker your foot will recover.’
She sighed. ‘I know. But another day in here with farm records and budgets will kill me. I don’t usually mind going over them, but I then don’t usually spend a whole day sitting still.’ She paused. ‘I read over your plan. You’ve done an impressive job.’
‘Thanks.’ He moved closer to the desk. It was her forgiveness, not praise he needed. ‘Listen, Paige, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about what I was doing.’
‘It’s no biggie. I’ve had time to calm down.’ Her fingers played with the edges of the closest paper pile before her. ‘I understand why Dad felt he had to keep the business plan a secret. He thinks I work too hard. It’s like what you said in the car, secrets aren’t all created equal. But …’ her eyebrow kinked, ‘you’d better not have any more up your sleeve.’
Connor placed the wrench he’d been using onto his lap. He could only hope Tait was taking so long to return to the shed because he was talking to Paige. Connor stared at the navy Jaguar before him in which he and Tait were replacing the water pump. It’d been Tait’s idea to surprise Paige and have her grandfather’s car operational for the ball. That’s if she’d still be going.
After this morning’s events he didn’t know if his plan to bring fun and companionship back into his daughter’s life was still on track or blown to smithereens. That bastard, Chris, had sure done a number on Paige and she didn’t trust easily. He’d seen the heated look she’d speared Tait with over the business plan, even though it had been Connor’s idea to hide its existence. What would happen when she discovered that Tait had a further reason for being out west? Tait had no idea he and Anne knew his true identity and they’d both protect his secret out of respect for the dead. Connor could understand why Tait felt he had to keep his past hidden and it would be up to him to let Paige know the truth when he was ready. Connor swallowed. But when all was revealed, could Paige accept that Tait had concealed yet another thing from her? A thing that was far more personal and important than a financial plan.
Chapter Fifteen
‘My old boots have to be in here somewhere, Bundy,’ Paige said to the pup as she pulled another shoe from the trunk in the mud room. ‘I know I didn’t throw them out.’
Bundy’s only answer was to look up from the sneaker he had trapped between his paws and cock his head.
She dug to the bottom of the trunk but all she retrieved was a black gumboot. She flipped it onto the floor. The boot slid along the tiles and collided with a shelf of gardening items. A small, green watering can toppled from the top shelf. Bundy growled and pounced on it.
Paige laughed and eased herself into a more comfortable position on the stool. ‘I’d hate to be a snake when you’re fully grown.’
Bundy busied himself chewing on the spout.
Paige continued to toss out shoes until hard plastic suddenly cannoned into her thigh. Her laughter filled the narrow room. ‘Bundy, you’re a dead-set goose!’
The pup had stuck his inquisitive head into the watering can and now tottered around trying to free himself. Still laughing, Paige went to pick him up but he staggered out of reach. She leaned sideways and stretched out her fingers but couldn’t quite catch him. She took hold of the side of the trunk and went to pull herself up.
‘And you’re a dead-set goose if you leave that stool. He may be wearing a watering can, but Bundy will
still outrun you,’ Tait said from the doorway.
Bundy dashed in the direction of Tait’s voice, only just missing Paige’s injured foot. She sucked in a swift breath. Even with the hospital boot on, her toes felt vulnerable. Tait picked up the pup and carefully prised the watering can off his head. Bundy licked Tait’s hand before sinking his teeth into his thumb. Tait made a face.
‘Ouch,’ Paige said, with her own grimace.
Tait placed Bundy onto the floor, diverted his attention with the laces of a battered sneaker, and shook his hand. ‘Bloody hell, he has sharp teeth. Remind me if I hear laughter and banging again, I don’t come to investigate.’
‘Deal.’
Tait eyed off the shoes strewn across the floor. ‘What are you doing anyway? Creating Bundy Heaven?’
‘No. Much to Bundy’s disgust all these shoes will stay in the trunk. I’m just looking for …’ she pulled out a cracked, worn boot from beneath a tall riding boot and smiled, ‘this.’
‘It’s not exactly the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.’
‘It is to me.’ She examined the hole in the front. ‘My old boot will be perfect for the paddocks.’
‘Paige …’ Tait’s single word contained a mountain of warning.
‘What?’ She flashed him her best wide-eyed, innocent look. ‘I’m just using a little bush ingenuity.’
He groaned as she fluttered her lashes at him. ‘What do you want?’
She lifted the boot. ‘Pretty please, can you take this to the shed and cut out the toe for me?’
‘What’s wrong with the boot the hospital gave you?’
‘It isn’t sturdy enough and the dirt gets in under my toes …’ She stopped. Tait wasn’t supposed to know she’d been outside to see how far she could shuffle.
Beneath Outback Skies Page 16