“Damn it,” she muttered. She was alone, with a farm to run as well as the tasting room. With no time to feel sorry for herself she jumped back into her car. There was only a soft click in response to her turn of the key. She hit the steering wheel in annoyance. She’d recharged the battery but it had obviously been on its way out. The farm ute was close by in the shed. She left her car where it was and climbed into the other vehicle. The fuel gauge barely moved when she started it up.
She sighed in frustration. Who puts a vehicle away with no fuel? Certainly not her father. It was more likely to have been Patrick, he’d been using it to take Yasmine around the place rather than his new car. She drove over to the diesel tank and filled up. The marker on the tank was low as well. She tapped it with her finger but it didn’t budge. She frowned at the gauge. It had been filled not that long ago. In fact, twice since she’d come home from holiday.
The air temperature was dropping and Mackenna suddenly felt cold. She rubbed at her arms and whistled up the dogs. She shut them up and hurried back to the Gatehouse. There was plenty for her to do if she was going to be ready to serve dinner tomorrow night.
Mackenna took her coffee cup from the machine and slid onto one of the chairs in her kitchen. Just the smell of the coffee was enough to lift her spirits. She’d been up since five o’clock, checking irrigators and sheep, making phone calls, prepping food for tonight. Now it was mid-afternoon. She’d run out of puff and fancied a real coffee. Instead of making it in her mother’s kitchen, she shifted the machine to the Gatehouse. She was usually the only one who made coffee with it anyway.
She glanced at her menu for tonight’s meal. With only a few changes she was sticking to the menu she’d prepared for her family. The bus company was a small one doing short tours between Melbourne and Adelaide. The guy running it had been prepared to test her out on this trip but said he wasn’t sure his customers were the type to pay the prices she was asking. She’d had to make some cuts but Simon and his group from Melbourne were a different proposition altogether. She wanted them to fully explore the potential of Woolly Swamp lamb for their restaurant.
She rested her head in her hands a moment. She’d decided to set the two groups up in separate rooms but hadn’t finished rearranging the furniture yet. There was still food to be prepped and there was one last paddock of sheep she wanted to check.
A footfall made her whizz around, spilling her coffee as she went. Cam was standing behind her and she hadn’t heard him come in.
“How did you get here?”
“A mate dropped me off. My ute’s still here.” He jerked his finger over his shoulder.
“I didn’t hear a vehicle. Where’s the truck?”
“Still in town with his gear on it. I left them to unload. Thought you could use some help.” His mouth opened in a wide grin revealing his crooked tooth.
A shiver ran through Mackenna. She pushed back her chair and went to the sink for a cloth to mop up the spilt coffee.
“The sheep in the swamp paddock need checking,” she said. “No-one’s been there for a couple of days.”
“I meant here with your bus group.” Cam opened the fridge and peered in. “I’m not a chef.” He closed the fridge and turned back to her. “But I can take orders.”
His eyes swept over her. She wanted to turn away from him but she forced herself to meet his look. If it were orders he was wanting he’d get them.
“That’s good,” she said. “I’ve got everything under control here but I do need you to check the sheep.”
“One more day wouldn’t hurt.” He took a step towards her. “I’m handy at more than farm work, you know.”
Mackenna resisted the urge to step back. She’d never felt lonely on the farm but she suddenly felt very alone. It was still several hours till her guests arrived and she didn’t like the way Cam was acting. She wanted him gone from her kitchen.
The sound of a motorbike grew louder and she realised it was coming their way. They both listened as it roared closer then stopped near the house.
A frown flitted across Cam’s face. “You’ve got a visitor.”
Neither of them moved as the crunch of footsteps approached the back door.
“Mackenna?” The sound of the familiar voice was a welcome surprise.
She stepped around Cam and opened the door.
“Adam,” she smiled. “What are you doing here?”
“I told your mum to let you know I’d be back to help tonight. I’d have been here earlier but I got delayed by an accident not far out of Melbourne.”
Mackenna was so pleased to see him she barely listened to his explanation. Whatever reason had brought him back, she was glad of it.
“How are things going?” he asked as he stepped into the kitchen. He paused at the sight of Cam. “Looks like you’ve got help already.”
“Adam,” Cam said with a nod of his head.
“Cam just called in to see what else needed doing on the property,” Mackenna said quickly. She tossed her head back and looked Cam firmly in the eye. “If you could check those sheep for me that would be great. Then you don’t need to be back until Monday. You can finish helping your friend shift house.”
Mackenna spoke with a brightness she didn’t feel. Cam had been acting almost predatory. What might have happened if Adam hadn’t turned up?
“You’re the boss,” Cam said, but once again Mackenna felt his tone mocked her. “I’ll leave you to it.”
He passed her to get to the door, brushing her shoulder with his as he went. She followed and watched him leave.
“Everything okay?”Adam asked.
“Yes.” She tugged at her ponytail and turned to her menu. “Except that I’m way behind with the prep. I don’t know why you’re here but I hope you’ve come to work.”
“Yes, chef,” he said.
Adam’s quip reminded her of Cam and the way he called her boss, but there was a difference. Adam was laughing with her.
She focused on the menu. There was no time to waste on thinking about Cam. She had a big night ahead and plenty of jobs for Adam. She started listing them.
It was midnight when she waved off Simon and his mates. The bus group had enjoyed their meal, had a few drinks and were gone by nine thirty, but Simon’s group had settled in, enjoying her food and wine. Just before they left he had cornered her and, exhausted as she was, Mackenna managed to strike a deal with him to get their lamb to his Melbourne restaurant. The excitement of that put a spring in her step as she made her way through the house, turning off lights on her way to the kitchen.
Adam was wiping the last of the pans. Everything was cleaned up and the work surface gleamed. While she’d been chatting, he had been cleaning.
“Thank you,” she said. “I really appreciate your help.”
“No problem. I’ve got time to kill. I’ve run out of interest in the touristy stuff for now and Mum’s at the hospital a lot.”
“I’m sorry,” Mackenna said. “I haven’t asked you how your grandfather is.”
“Deteriorating, but he’s getting good care. There’s nothing I can do for him.”
“You’re not close?”
“I’ve never really known him. We sometimes came to Melbourne for Christmas when I was a kid. I remember him as a grumpy old man. He worked away from home a lot and didn’t visit us. I really only made this trip to support Mum. I’ve been driving her to the hospital and making an evening meal for her.”
“You shouldn’t have worried about me,” Mackenna said. “You should be with your mum.”
“My uncle’s come from Sydney now and the flat’s only small. I thought I’d keep away for a while. She’ll call me if anything happens, but the doctors say it could be weeks. He’s a tough old coot.”
“Well, I wasn’t expecting you but I have to say you were a sight for sore eyes when you turned up.”
“Didn’t your mum tell you I was coming back?”
“No.”
“I left my phone number
with her in case . . .” His voice trailed off.
Mackenna was immediately back in the motel room in Queenstown. He said he’d left his number then too.
“Mum’s been in a tizz getting ready for their trip. She probably forgot.”
“I’ll be off then.” Adam backed towards the door.
“Where are you going at this hour?”
“Up to the house.” He turned his deep brown eyes to her. “I’m pretty bushed. I’m assuming I can use my old bed again for a while?”
“Oh, of course.” Mackenna stumbled over her words. She hadn’t given a thought to where he might sleep. “The back door’s not locked. I don’t know if the bed’s made up.”
“That’s okay. I know my way around. I’ll fix it.”
Mackenna followed him outside.
“Where’d you get the bike?”
“I found a company that hires them. Mum’s got a hire car in Melbourne. This suits me better.”
He strapped on his helmet and kicked the bike into life. Mackenna closed the door and leaned her back against it as he roared away up the track. The sound once again transported her back to Queenstown, to another time when Adam had ridden out of her life.
It was good of him to come back to help. She couldn’t have managed tonight without him, she knew that. Once again they had worked well as a team in the kitchen. Adam was a good chef with an eye for detail. She hadn’t needed to check anything. They’d had a few jokes and the kitchen had been a busy but happy scene.
She dragged herself to the bathroom and stripped off her clothes. Her mixed emotions were having a field day in her exhausted state. It was time for a shower and sleep. In the morning she’d think about Adam.
CHAPTER
29
Mackenna inhaled the sweet smell of the wet grass at her feet. She’d come to inspect the irrigator that had given them trouble yesterday and it was apparent that it had done its job, watering the pasture overnight. She cast her eyes over the long, gangly arm of the pivot then slowly turned in a circle. The green of the irrigated pasture was a vivid contrast to the brown of the surrounding landscape. They needed a good rain but in the meantime she hoped Cam was right and the irrigator would continue to work until he could replace the O ring.
She thought back over his visit yesterday afternoon. Had it been as creepy as she’d perceived or was it that he’d just caught her off guard? She brushed hair from her face and turned the ute around. With the crutching team arriving on Tuesday she had plenty to do. She’d allowed herself a sleep-in this morning after the big day and night she’d had. She assumed Adam was doing the same. His bike was by the house gate when she’d gone past to let the dogs out but there was no sign of him. She hadn’t stopped.
Now she made her way back there. She couldn’t very well leave him on his own with no-one else at the house. Besides, it would be downright rude after all the help he’d given her last night. She just wasn’t sure what to say to him.
Mackenna stopped the ute next to his bike. That’s what she’d been doing the whole time he’d stayed before, hiding from him, from her feelings for him. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Simon’s name came up on the screen. She leaned against the ute and answered the call.
He and his friends were about to leave for Adelaide but he’d been in touch with some other friends who were travelling through today and they were keen to try the Gatehouse tonight. There’d be six of them. Mackenna had agreed to open before she’d had time to think about what was left in her fridge. Once again she was compiling lists in her head as she entered her family home. The smell of cooking greeted her before she reached the kitchen.
“Scrambled eggs?”Adam asked as he ran a spatula around the pan.
“Smells divine,” Mackenna said, eying off the mixture. “Could you find everything you need?”
“I hope you don’t mind but I have, yes. It seems a bit rude to be poking about in someone else’s kitchen when they’re not here, but I was feeling hungry this morning.”
Mackenna clasped her hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled between her fingers. Neither of them had time to eat last night except for a few tastings as dishes were served. “How terrible of me, making you work and not feeding you.”
“You didn’t make me and as you can see, I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself.”
Mackenna took the toast as it popped and buttered it while Adam lifted the eggs from the cook top.
“I’ve just had a call,” she said. “Six more guests for the Gatehouse tonight.”
“That’s fantastic. It’s a brilliant concept, and your food selections are a perfect showcase for your lamb.”
Adam smiled at her. Her stomach did a flip and she turned her attention to the food in front of her.
“Mmm,” she murmured after the first mouthful. “Delicious.”
“Glad you like it. I’ve owed you for a long time.”
“Owed me?”
Once again Mackenna gazed into those deep brown eyes. She felt as if she could leap into his arms and kiss him, forget all about the eggs and drag him off to bed.
“I was going to make you a special breakfast the day you . . . the day I cooked for my mate . . . the day you left,” he finished.
“I didn’t leave,” she said.
She realised how silly that sounded.
“What I meant was . . .”
“It was a misunderstanding by both of us. I came to Australia looking for you because I needed to know why you left.”
“I thought you came for your grandfather.”
“I would have come anyway. I needed to know what happened.”
Mackenna studied his face, searching for the man she’d fallen in love with in Queenstown. She didn’t have to search long, he was there – she just wouldn’t let him back into her heart. Her bruised and battered, mixed-up and confused heart.
“Now I get it,” he said. “Staying here with your family, watching you work, you were born to life on the land. It suits you. I understand Queenstown ... us ... it was just a holiday.”
“Adam – ”
“No.” He cut her off. “It’s okay, Mackenna. You don’t have to explain. I got the picture last time I was here. I’m only back now because I had time to spare and I thought you could use the help.”
“Got what picture?” He was talking in riddles now.
“You and Hugh. You’re so close. A lovely couple with your fond kisses and caresses. He’s a nice bloke and you’ve known him a long time – ”
“Hugh?” This time Mackenna chopped Adam off. How could he think there was something between her and Hugh when she didn’t understand it herself? What kisses and caresses?
Adam’s mobile rang.
They both stared at it in amazement. “I bought a new one,”Adam said. “The guy told me it had good coverage.” He glanced down at the screen. The phone stopped ringing and he shook his head.
“It’s Mum, but it’s dropped out. Can I use your landline?”
“Sure.”
He dialled the number then took the cordless handpiece and left the room as he started speaking.
Mackenna poked the last of the scrambled eggs with her fork. She’d lost her appetite. What had Adam thought he’d seen? The only time she and Hugh had been close was the day he’d kissed her. While it had been Adam who had interrupted them, he couldn’t have seen them.
Adam was back at the door. “I have to go.”
“Has something happened?”
“My grandfather died this morning.”
Mackenna rose to her feet. “I’m so sorry.”
“His time had come. Mum’s taking it pretty hard. I need to get back to her.”
“Of course.”
“Are you going to be okay on your own?”
“Of course,” she said again. “Don’t worry about me. I appreciated your help last night but I’ve only got six at the table tonight.”
“I might come back,” he said. “After . . .”
“Y
ou don’t have to Adam, really. Patrick will be back next week, and Cam. I’ll have plenty of help. You be with your family.”
He hesitated in the doorway then rushed forward, pulled her towards him and kissed her firmly on the lips. Before she could respond, he was gone. Mackenna stood fixed to the spot, wondering if she’d just conjured up that kiss. Then the motorbike started, revved a few times and roared off. At the main road it paused, revved, then roared away. It was taking Adam away from her once again. Why had she said he didn’t have to come back when that was what she wanted? She waited until she couldn’t hear the bike any longer then she sank onto a chair.
“You fool, Mackenna,” she said to the empty room. Once again his loss overwhelmed her. She put her head in her hands and let the tears fall. Her body shuddered with the strength of her sobs until finally they stopped. She pushed Adam to the back of her mind. There was no time for self-pity and plenty of work to keep her busy. She lurched to her feet, cleaned up her mother’s kitchen and drove back to the Gatehouse to collect last night’s scraps for the chooks.
When she got there her phone rang and she eagerly scooped it from her pocket. Her heart sank when she saw Rory’s name on the screen. She let it ring and then realised it couldn’t have been Adam anyway. She’d never given him her number, but hadn’t he said he’d left his with Louise?
She flew out to the ute and drove the short distance back to her family home like a madwoman. She didn’t even bother to shut the door when she jumped out and ran into the house. She wasn’t sure what she’d do with his number when she found it. She just wanted to have it. Her mother always pinned important things on the board above the computer but there was nothing there. Nothing on the fridge, except her postcards. Mackenna sifted through every piece of paper clipped in piles in trays ready for filing. She rummaged through the desk drawers and finally thumped the desktop in frustration. Maybe she’d misunderstood. Maybe he said he’d meant to leave Louise his number.
Finally she gave up. Her phone beeped a reminder that she had a message. She tapped the screen and put the phone to her ear. Rory wanted to know how the tasting room was going and whether he and his wife and his parents could come out for a meal tonight. Why not, she thought, just as easy to cook for ten as six. She rang him back then went to the Gatehouse.
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