She simply nodded, indicating he wasn’t the only non-talkative one at the table.
‘You’re lucky you live close enough that you don’t have to go to boarding school,’ he said. ‘My little sister Olivia would have loved to have been able to be at high school closer to home. She’s not much older than you actually.’
‘I wish I was at boarding school,’ Harriet retorted. Making no comment about Olivia, she turned to glare at her mother. ‘Then maybe Mum would stop trying to rule my life.’
Angus glanced across at Simone, who was thankfully engrossed in conversation with Logan and Grace and hadn’t heard her daughter’s jibe. ‘I’m sure she means well,’ he said.
Harriet shrugged. ‘Maybe. Did you really hate boarding school?’
‘I wouldn’t say I hated it,’ he confessed, ‘but I missed the farm. City life is not for me. I like the open air. I like to be able to see the stars at night with only the sounds of the wind and the sheep.’
‘You make it sound romantic,’ she said with a sigh.
He couldn’t help chuckling; he was possibly the least romantic bloke on the planet.
‘Did you get into any trouble at boarding school?’
‘I got into a few fights over the girls from St Mary’s but I didn’t get expelled, unlike some.’ Angus glanced at Logan.
Harriet gasped. ‘Logan got expelled?’
The other three looked up from their conversation and Logan grimaced.
‘What did you get expelled for?’ Harriet asked in obvious admiration.
‘Who’s up for dessert?’ Logan said, getting to his feet and starting to gather the empty plates. ‘Frankie’s famous chocolate cake won’t last forever.’
Angus laughed and stood to help clear the table. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed sitting down to lunch so much.
‘Not a story for teenage girls,’ Logan hissed as the two men carried the plates into the kitchen.
‘Sorry,’ Angus lied. Logan was probably right but seeing him blush had been worth it.
‘What do you think of her?’
‘Who? Harriet?’
Logan glared at him, a rare expression of nervousness flickering across his face. ‘No, Simone.’
Angus sighed and patted his brother on the shoulder. At first he’d thought Logan was pursuing this relationship to prove a point, but now he’d met Simone and her charming girls, he thought maybe there was a future for them. ‘She’s great, mate. I can see why you like her so much. Gorgeous and nice. Almost too good to be true. No idea what she sees in a loser like you.’
Logan grinned. ‘She has a sister, you know?’
He shook his head. ‘We’ve been through this before.’ Logan might be able to overlook the fact that the Knight brothers were unlucky in love, but Angus wasn’t going to be burned again. ‘I’m not interested.’
‘Okay, okay. You can’t blame me for trying.’ Logan sighed as he grabbed the cake box off the table. ‘Can you bring out a knife and plates?’
The group devoured the chocolate cake in record time. Angus’s hopes of some being left over for smoko tomorrow were dashed when Grace helped herself to the last slice. For someone so small, she sure managed to eat a lot.
‘Who’s up for a ride on the quad bike?’ Logan asked, when they had finished eating.
Grace’s eyes sparkled but Harriet shook her head. ‘Do you know how dangerous those things are? I heard they accounted for more farm deaths than anything else last year.’
Grace let out an audible sigh, a frown tainting her lips.
‘You’d be right,’ Logan said, smiling in his easy manner. ‘I actually wrote an article about the dangers after a friend’s little boy was killed on their property up north, so I won’t be taking any stupid risks. I always use a helmet and anyone who rides with me will be wearing one as well.’
‘Can I, Mum?’ Grace asked, looking to Simone.
Simone reached over and patted her hand. ‘Sure, honey. Just do whatever Logan tells you.’
‘I will. Promise. Just gotta go to the bathroom first.’ She pushed back her seat and leaped up, hurrying off in excitement.
Logan chuckled and turned to Simone. ‘We’ve got two bikes. You could come as well if you like?’
She looked from him to Harriet and then back again. ‘Not really my thing, to be honest. Harriet and I will clean up here instead.’
‘You don’t have to do that,’ Logan said. ‘Angus and I can take care of that later.’
Angus nodded. ‘There’s really not much.’
After a few more minutes of ridiculous arguing over who was going to scrub the dirty dishes, Logan and Grace headed off to the shed and Harriet took herself over to the old rocking chair at the corner of the verandah and slumped down into it with a dramatic sigh.
‘Um, missy, cleaning up?’ Simone reminded her.
Harriet groaned and although he wasn’t close enough to be certain, Angus guessed she rolled her eyes as well.
‘Honestly, we’ll do it later,’ he said, then called across to Harriet, ‘My sister has a massive DVD collection. You want to watch one?’
She considered this a moment as if contemplating whether agreeing would ruin her tough-girl image, but eventually said, ‘Yes. Anything to take my mind off football.’
Angus frowned and looked to Simone for clarification.
She shook her head. ‘Don’t ask.’
Only when Harriet was ensconced on the couch in front of Pitch Perfect did Angus realise it left him alone with Simone. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been alone with a woman who wasn’t his sister. What the heck were they supposed to talk about? She smiled at him awkwardly from where she was standing in the hallway just outside the lounge room.
‘You’re not at all what I imagined,’ he blurted in his efforts to think of something to say.
She quirked one eyebrow. ‘What exactly had you imagined?’
He shrugged. ‘Someone younger, a little more polished.’
She blinked, widened her eyes and then she half-chuckled.
‘Shit. That didn’t come out right.’ He ran a hand through his hair, thinking that he should have volunteered to take Grace quad-biking and given the lovebirds some one-on-one time. Or as close as they could get, with a surly teenager in the other room.
‘You don’t say?’ Simone sounded amused.
‘I’m sorry. I’m not good with words.’ Or women. ‘All I meant was that you seem really nice, normal, whereas Logan’s usual type is stuck-up bitch.’ He shrugged. ‘At least that’s how they sound. You’re the first he’s brought home in quite some time.’
She burst into laughter at that, making him smile also. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’
‘Please do,’ he said, nodding as his cheeks flamed. ‘Can I get you another drink?’
‘Better make it a soft drink. I don’t want to get done for drink driving on the way home.’
He fetched two Cokes from the fridge and they took them back out onto the verandah. Simone sat down on the top step and there really wasn’t any option but to sit down right beside her. Angus tried to ignore the fact that her shapely legs—barely hidden beneath their tight denim jeans—were a mere ruler’s length from his thighs. Not that it meant anything bar the fact he hadn’t been near a female body in a long while. The old trip-to-Perth-meet-a-girl-in-a-bar-one-night stand didn’t have the same appeal as it once did.
Simone took a sip from her can and then sighed. ‘It’s truly beautiful out here. So peaceful.’
Angus met her attempt at small talk with, ‘I like it.’ And then more silence followed. Normally he didn’t mind peace and quiet but sitting next to Simone, he felt the need to say something to stop thinking. ‘How long have you been a single mum?’
She turned her head slowly to look at him. ‘Ten years. How much has Logan told you?’
‘Nothing really. Just that you’re a widow with two gorgeous girls.’ Not quite as gorgeous as their mother, but he guessed they
’d grow up to be.
She snorted. ‘And now you’ve seen them for yourself, you must think your brother’s insane.’
‘I’ve known he’s insane for a long time. As for your girls … they seem like normal teenagers to me. Well, Harriet does. Grace is sweet.’ He chuckled. Despite Harriet’s efforts to be difficult, he couldn’t help liking her. ‘What happened?’ he found himself asking. ‘To your husband?’
She rubbed her lips together for a few moments and he was about to apologise for prying when she said, ‘He shot himself.’
Angus’s heart slammed into his throat as he struggled to find adequate words. He only hoped she hadn’t been the one to find him because he knew first-hand what kind of nightmare that was. How the images and questions never went away.
‘Not like it sounds,’ she rushed on. ‘He’d been out shooting a fox on the farm … the gun was in his holster … he climbed a fence … and well … somehow it went off. He was with his dad and the ambulance rushed him to hospital but they lost him on the way to Geraldton.’ Her voice cracked a little on that last word.
Geez. Not what he’d been imagining but just as horrific. Without thinking, he put his hand on her knee and squeezed. ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’
‘Thank you.’ She met his gaze and for a moment they just stayed that way—his hand on her knee, her eyes searching his as if she could see deep into his soul. He had a weird urge to tell her about his own losses, but then she glanced down at her knee and he tore his hand away. What the hell had he been doing?
‘The girls must have been little,’ he said, wanting to banish the weirdness that had settled between them.
Simone cleared her throat and nodded. ‘Yep. Harriet was six and Grace just three. He doted on them.’
‘And you would have been young too.’
‘Teen mum, child bride, widowed in my early twenties.’
‘Fuck. That must have been tough.’ He cursed the words the moment they were out. Talk about stating the bloody obvious.
‘Some days I didn’t think I could get out of bed. If it wasn’t for my sister Frankie, Mum and Jason’s family, I’m not sure the three of us would have gotten through it. But hey, I’m not the only one that has been through hardships. I’m still alive, I’m healthy, I have two mostly adorable children and I’ve experienced true love. That’s a lot more than some people can say.’
So that’s why she and Logan got along—they were both the glass-half-full type of people. He thought of his own losses.
‘It sounds like you guys have had a pretty tough life, too,’ she added before he could say anything else.
He had no idea how much his brother had told Simone about their family and he didn’t like talking about the past anyway, so he turned the conversation back on her.
‘Where’d you and your husband meet?’
‘First day of pre-primary.’ A wistful smile flashed across her face. ‘It was your clichéd childhood sweetheart situation. He pulled my pigtails and chased me around the school yard, I ran away from him screaming “boy’s germs”. First kiss was kiss chasey in the playground, then it was a love-hate thing until high school. Everyone said we were too young and it’d never last but we were head over heels. When I got pregnant, everyone reckoned we only got married ’cos of the baby, but we truly were blissfully happy. He was my best friend. My soul mate. I never imagined not growing old with him.’
Angus didn’t get emotional about much, but he felt a lump forming in his throat. Was that why he and Sarah hadn’t survived the crap life had thrown at them? Because they weren’t soul mates?
‘Have you been on your own ever since?’ he asked, not wanting to think about Sarah or any of that.
She cocked her head at him and smiled in a manner that made his insides tighten. He couldn’t think of anyone who had a brighter smile. ‘Yep. Most men aren’t that excited about taking on another man’s children.’
‘Not only men,’ he said. So much for not thinking about Sarah.
‘Logan tells me you brought up your sister after your parents died?’
He nodded. When was Logan coming back? He should be the one entertaining his girlfriend.
‘I’m guessing that would have made your love life pretty tricky as well?’ There was an awkward pause and then she added, ‘I’m sorry. None of my damn business. I have a habit of speaking before thinking.’
She sounded mortified and he wanted to put her at ease. ‘What love life? I was engaged when Dad … when he died and my fiancée Sarah wasn’t too keen on raising my little sister. We parted ways and since then Olivia has been my focus.’ That wasn’t the whole story, but opening up any further would likely have her reaching for the tissues.
Simone smiled, looking right into his eyes. ‘What a stupid woman.’
Warmth spread through him at the compliment behind her words and he damped down the impulse to stand up for his ex. If he’d told her everything, Simone might have been more understanding. As a mother she would understand Sarah’s grief.
‘Actually, she’s quite smart. Got a PhD in environmental science or something now.’
She laughed. ‘I’m betting that certificate doesn’t keep her warm at night.’
‘No, maybe not.’ He too found himself chuckling at the image. ‘But she had her reasons.’
‘So what’s Olivia like? Did she give you the kind of grief Harriet is giving me or am I just lucky? I guess it would have been hard playing the role of protective older brother and mum and dad.’
He wanted to tell her that Olivia had caused him all sorts of trouble to make her feel a little bit better about her stormy relationship with Harriet, but the truth was Olivia had been an angel most of the time. The bright spark in his otherwise dull existence. Without her to go on for, he doubted he’d have gotten up in the mornings, never mind found the energy or motivation to work.
‘We had the usual ups and downs,’ he began, ‘but I think it was harder on Olivia not having a woman around than it was on Logan and me looking after her. Blokes don’t really get the hype about shopping for Barbies and ballgowns, and she missed out, not having anyone to discuss women’s stuff with.’
‘I can imagine,’ Simone said. ‘Lord knows how I’d have managed with a pair of boys. I can’t even kick a football.’ She paused a moment, then asked, ‘Did you and Logan really go shopping for ball dresses?’
Relieved their conversation was headed for lighter territory, Angus nodded. ‘Yep—we took our duty as big brothers seriously. Poor Liv wanted to get this short red dress with a low-cut cleavage line or whatever you’d call it, and we both overruled her. She ended up with a very demure navy blue dress, floor length and with a very high neckline, but she looked gorgeous.’
‘I’ll bet she did,’ Simone said. ‘Maybe I should take you and Logan with me when we start shopping for Harriet’s ball dress. I can only imagine the nightmare that’s going to be.’
He laughed. ‘Don’t stress too much about Harriet. She’ll come good in the end, I promise.’
‘Maybe.’ Simone shrugged and gave him a what-can-you-do? smile. ‘The question is, how many grey hairs will I have by then?’
Grey hairs or not, she’d still be beautiful. Angus swallowed that thought and asked her about her art. She was more than happy to talk about her passion and he found all she said fascinating. When they heard the roar of the quad bike approaching, he glanced down at his watch and realised that almost an hour had passed. He couldn’t believe how fast the time had flown and tried to swallow his disappointment when Grace came racing towards them, Logan only a few paces behind.
‘Have fun, honey?’ Simone asked, rising. This made Angus eye-level with her butt and he quickly averted his gaze.
Grace nodded so much Angus was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. ‘It was awesome. Logan took me all over the farm and even let me have a go myself.’
Simone pulled her daughter into a hug and glanced over the top of her head at Logan. ‘Thank you so much.’
&
nbsp; He grinned back. ‘It was my pleasure. I hope my brother behaved himself.’
Simone met Angus’s gaze and the look she gave him—as if they shared a secret—made his pulse quicken. ‘He was the perfect host,’ she said.
‘Well, that’s a relief. I’m just going to grab some water. Do you want to go for a walk?’
‘That sounds lovely,’ Simone said.
Logan went into the house to get his water and returned with a bottle less than a minute later. Grace retreated to the lounge room with Harriet, and Angus watched, something inside him squeezing, as his brother took Simone’s hand and led her off down the winding garden path.
He shook his head in an effort to rid the unfamiliar feeling, and then went inside to start on the dishes.
Chapter Nine
‘I’m sorry about leaving you with Angus for so long,’ Logan said as he led Simone, hand in hand, across the paddocks towards his favourite spot on the farm. It had been their place for adventure when they were kids and now it provided solitude when he needed to be alone with his thoughts. ‘Grace was having so much fun and I couldn’t bear to disappoint her. We only came back when the diesel was running low.’
Simone laughed. ‘Honestly, Angus was the perfect host. He got me another drink, refused to let me clean the kitchen and made interesting conversation.’
‘Really?’ Logan couldn’t hide his surprise. ‘Wonders never cease. What did you talk about?’
‘Oh, just stuff. Work. The trouble with teenage girls. We talked a bit about your sister.’
‘About Liv? What did he say? Did he sound depressed?’
‘No.’ Simone shook her head. ‘He told me about the time you all went shopping for a ballgown. Why? Do you think he’s depressed?’
He let out a deep sigh and kicked away a lone gumnut. ‘I dunno. I just worry about him being out here alone for days, sometimes weeks, at a time. It’s not healthy. Besides the farm, what has he got to live for? I can’t help worrying he’ll go the same way as Dad.’
Simone frowned. ‘Did your dad … did he …?’
‘Yes.’ Logan closed his eyes briefly. ‘He killed himself. Depression got him in the end.’
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