by Annie Seaton
Reaching for Bowser’s leash, she picked it up and looked at the clip, trying to figure out how to attach it to his collar. If they stayed well back from the water, it should be fine. She’d keep the dog close, stand near the truck, and keep her eyes open for all the other assorted venomous creatures that seemed to inhabit this country. No matter how small her apartment was at home, and how much traffic she had to battle every day to get into Manhattan, it was what she loved.
Despite what Alex had instructed, she couldn’t stay in the truck a minute longer. Nor could the dog—he’d die of heat exhaustion as well. He said he wasn’t going to be gone for long, and he’d been gone for ages. Jess clipped the leash onto the dog’s collar and cursed as she lost another fingernail in the process.
“Shit,” she muttered. “Please somebody take me to a nice hotel room with a real bathroom, air conditioning…and a manicurist.”
She opened the door and waved with one hand as the cloud of black flies descended before she’d even swung her legs out. She scanned the ground for snakes, balancing carefully on the running board beneath the open door.
All clear.
Grabbing the dog under her arm, she stepped down to the fine white sand and groaned as a drop of slobber soaked through her silk top.
Look on the bright side. At least it’s cool.
As soon as they were on the ground, she bent down and looked under the side of the truck in case anything was sheltering from the hot sun. She didn’t want any surprises jumping out and grabbing her leg. Walking around the front of the truck, she found a patch of deep shade close to the huge trunk of the tree, leaned against the smooth bark, and closed her eyes for a moment. The air moved slightly, and she took a deep breath, appreciating the cooler breeze as Bowser sat patiently at her feet. Her eyes flew open, and she turned when something soft and feathery brushed against her cheek. She jumped back with a soft scream. A huge, pale-green praying mantis with a half-eaten brown moth between its pincers had landed on the tree trunk beside her face and was slowly devouring the moth’s head. Jess shuddered and turned away just as the low hum of an outboard motor drifted across to her.
Thank God.
Before she could move, Bowser pulled on the leash, and it dropped from her hand. With a screech, Jess ran after him. Forgetting all about snakes and prickles, and paying no regard to the ground beneath her flimsy sandals, she chased him toward the water and the oncoming boat.
“Bowser!” She screamed as the dog ran down the bank into the water and began yapping at the boat and his master.
“Shit. Bowser, get back.” The more Alex yelled, the louder the dog yapped. “Jess, you stop right there. Don’t you come any closer to the water.”
There was no way she was going to be responsible for the little dog ending up in the jaws of a man-eating crocodile, no matter how bad he smelled or slobbered.
Kicking off her sandals, she ran down the sloping sand into the water and scooped the little dog up in her arms. A huge swirl in the water just out from the edge broke the surface, and Jess froze, unable to move. Alex gunned the motor and the small aluminum boat whizzed across the river and over the spot where the water had swirled only seconds before. The boat roared onto the shore at full speed, scraped along the sandy bottom, and wedged on the sand beside them. He cut the motor and jumped out and grabbed her, pushing her and Bowser up the sandy bank.
“Jeez, Jess, are you okay?” He spoke quietly, as if not to spook her any more than she’d already been. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against his chest as she began to shake uncontrollably.
Burying her face into his chest, she nodded. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t bear the thought of him being eaten. I know I wasn’t supposed to get out of the truck, but it was too hot in there.” Her voice was muffled in his soft T-shirt, and she couldn’t help but notice his chest was rock hard. His heart thudded against her cheek, and she closed her eyes. “Thank you.”
“You might be a city slicker pain in the ass, but I wasn’t going to let you get eaten by a crocodile.”
She didn’t move for a minute, appreciating the strength of the arms holding her.
“Jess?”
Alex was looking down at her intently, his blue eyes narrowed. She held his gaze and her heart began to race as he lowered his head. She couldn’t move, and she watched, fascinated, as his lips came closer. They were a mere breath away, and Bowser yapped at her feet, interrupting them.
“I’m okay now, thanks.” Pushing away, she walked to the top of the bank and picked up her sandals before going across to the truck.
She opened the door, climbed in, and slammed it behind her, taking deep breaths as she willed her thudding heart to slow down. Alex followed her, opened the other door, and put Bowser on the seat next to her. The dog came across the seat and snuggled into her, obviously sensing her distress. A warm wet tongue scraped along the side of her face, and she laughed shakily.
“That was a stupid thing to do, Bowser,” she said. “You nearly got us both eaten.”
Alex watched them through the open door. “You’ve made a buddy there. He doesn’t usually take to other people.”
Jess looked up from the dog to Alex. Perspiration ran down the side of his face and his shirt was damp. He held her gaze, and her uncertainty was reflected in his eyes. She looked away as a shaft of warmth sent another shake through her body, but this time it wasn’t fear making her legs weak.
…
Alex cursed himself as he headed back to the boat.
Christ, his stupid game of showing her up could have ended in tragedy. All she’d been doing was trying to look after his dog, and she could have ended up as crocodile bait. He’d seen some close calls over the past seven years, but that had been the worst.
What sort of idiot was he? Teaching her a lesson in honesty was one thing, but putting her in danger?
No more.
He’d put his head down and focus on getting them to Cockatoo Springs with no more incidents, and then he’d sort her out once they’d arrived safely. She could stay for a holiday, but he wasn’t going to break and give in to an interview. He’d taken the job under sufferance, he’d built the school up faster than anyone had anticipated, but that was as far as it went. He was getting out soon, and Alessandro Ricardo was going to disappear for good. No matter how much Jess wanted to get a scoop and publicize it, his private life was private.
Not negotiable.
She could interview Mitch and get the information second hand if it meant she’d get a job out of it. He still didn’t know whether she was being truthful, and once they got to Cockatoo Springs he wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
Jess sat quietly next to him, cradling Bowser on her lap while he backed the trailer to the water and hooked the boat on. He drove back up the slope and parked beneath the stand of melaleucas and then transferred the crabs into the iced cooler in the back of the truck.
“Just going to check the forecast, and then we’ll have a cuppa and head off.” He held up the satellite phone, which always worked in the outback—unlike regular cell phones—to Jess, and she gave him a brief smile before he walked around the back of the boat and called Mitch, his assistant manager at Cockatoo Springs.
“Where are you, Alex?” Mitch’s voice was muffled by the connection. “Clayton’s arrived.”
“Just turned off the main road; I’m taking the shortcut across.”
“Why? A bit risky with the rain coming.”
“Long story, mate. I’ll tell you when I get there. If I need help if the river comes up, I’ll radio in, and you can send the chopper out. Got a good haul of crabs for you, and the barramundi went to Darwin last night.”
Mitch laughed. “It’s already here. Clayton checked and got it in fresh before they could freeze it. He’s got the first class doing it today.”
“Great stuff. I can’t wait to meet him.”
Alex ended the call, lifted the small cooler out of the boat, and walked over to t
he truck. Unzipping the canvas, he reached in and pulled the old blanket from the back.
Might as well give Jess somewhere to sit. She’d been very quiet since the episode on the water. He spread it on some soft grass well back from the river before going over and opening the door to the truck. Jess looked at him and anticipation filled her voice.
“Are we leaving now?
“Soon. Come and have something to eat, and then we’ll head off for the last leg. I hope.” He was going to be honest about what was ahead. “I want to stop and get our camp set up before dark. It’s raining up ahead.
“How do you know?”
“I was talking to my…to my mate at Cockatoo Springs. Rains started over on the coast last night, so we’re going to have to be careful.”
Jess rolled her eyes at him as she stepped out of the truck. “Whatever. Can’t get much worse, can it?”
Alex shook his head as she strode ahead of him to the blanket.
Oh yes it can. If the rains start, we are going to get stranded on this back road, and I don’t know if I could handle being stranded in the outback with you for too long.
She had determination in bucket loads. He was enjoying her quick comebacks, and although she’d bitched about the heat and the dog amongst other things, she was giving it a go.
When he’d held her after she’d saved Bowser, a feeling, long-buried, had shimmied up into his chest, and he hadn’t liked it one bit. Jess was playing havoc with his emotions, and he was angry at himself for putting himself into that situation. But the longer they traveled and the more he threw at her, the more respect he was developing for her toughness.
Even though she’d headed off in the wrong direction on her journey and ended up with him, she was coping despite everything he’d thrown at her. Even when he’d deliberately invaded her personal space and pressed up against her, she’d only looked at him and not commented. But that wasn’t going to happen again, anyway; getting up close and personal with her was not an option. He was going to stay well clear. She was way too appealing, and he wasn’t going to go there.
…
Jess lifted the blanket carefully and looked around the edge of the grassed area before she flopped down onto the ground next to him.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already checked for snakes. Just watch out for those grass seeds I told you about.” He held up the flask. “I’m sorry…no coffee. I’ve only got tea. Wally’s missus puts the tea leaves in the flask, and it’s pretty strong, but it will quench your thirst.”
“What do you do up here all year?” Jess looked at him over the mug of tea she’d accepted.
“In the off season, I do a bit of this and that around Cockatoo Springs. Sometimes I help with the tours.” He looked at her. “There’s a really good trip you should take if you stay there long enough. It’s a trip out into the bush, gathering bush foods, and learning about bush tucker.”
Her face lit up with interest, and his stomach clenched. She was altogether too beautiful for his peace of mind. Even with her hair tied back with a piece of string and his old fishing shirt buttoned up to her throat.
“That sounds fabulous. I’ve never read about that. I could include it in my article.” She tipped her head to the side and held his gaze. “Have you always fished up here? No other career?”
Alex looked up as the flock of red-tailed cockatoos squealed overhead. Something had disturbed them—he looked around to see what had set them off, but couldn’t see anything around. He turned his attention back to Jess. Her mug was beside her, and she’d sprawled out on the blanket on her stomach with her chin propped in her hands.
It wouldn’t hurt to be truthful here.
“I came to the Territory two years ago.”
“Where from?”
“A small town called Armidale in the middle of New South Wales.”
“No fishing there?”
“No, not this sort of fishing. I grew up in the country, and I’d never held a fishing rod until I went out on a charter from Darwin and I was hooked. Pardon the pun.
“So what did you do before that?”
“I studied to be an environmental lawyer and worked for the government in Brisbane for a while.” Alex held her gaze in his and shrugged. “At least I ended up here, working in the environment.”
“That’s a big change. What made you leave law?”
He stared off into the distance, and the raucous noise kicked up by the cockatoos stopped as suddenly as it had started.
“Life happened. I needed a change.”
“Law wasn’t for you?”
“Family circumstances.”
He’d left Emily behind in the cemetery on that cold hill in Armidale and hadn’t talked about her since he’d come to the Territory. Not only had he had to deal with her death but her betrayal had screwed with his head and his emotions for the first year. He’d only started to move on these past few months.
“You’re quiet.” Jess rolled over and sat up, placing her hand on his arm. “And you have a sad look on your face. I hope I haven’t upset you.”
She chewed her lip, looking across at him with concern
Feelings he hadn’t let surface for years were filling his chest. He dropped his head and pulled Bowser over onto his lap.
“I have two brothers and three sisters. I’m the baby of the family. My two brothers, even though they are very different in personality, both disagree with how I handled a situation a couple of years back.” Alex laughed shortly, but there was no amusement in it. “Nick and Tom both think I ran away from home, and they can’t understand me giving up my law career.” He looked up at the sky and lifted one hand.
“But hey, they were wrong. It’s not all about money.” He gestured around them. “Look what I have. The outback has looked after me, and I’m pretty damn happy. I haven’t done too badly up here.”
As soon as his contract finished in the next couple of weeks, he had to figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life. But first, he had to sort out his passenger.
Chapter Seven
The raw pain in Alex’s voice when he talked about the ‘situation,’ which had been the catalyst for him coming to the Top End, piqued Jess’s interest. Even though she was a food journalist, she was always interested in people, and thoughts of using Alex’s story as a second article played around in her mind.
He had offered that I interview him instead of Ricardo. I could do a series, seeing I’ve come all this way.
She was curious about what had happened to spur him onto such a dramatic move in his life, but until he volunteered the information she wasn’t going to press him.
“Did you practice law for long?” She tipped her head to the side and looked at him thoughtfully. “How old are you, Alex?”
“I worked in the government department for a while, not in a law firm. I’ll be twenty-eight in a few days.”
His answer surprised her; she’d picked him as a bit older than her. The tanned skin and the shaggy hair had obviously contributed to her incorrect assumption.
She smiled. “So will I. What date?
“December tenth.”
“You just beat me. And we’re the same age…”
“This is where a gentleman would come straight back and say ‘but I thought you were only twenty-one.’” He grinned at her. “Having a birthday bash?”
If her father had his way, there would be the full blown, ridiculous extravaganza at Spago in Los Angeles or one of the other restaurants where he and his latest bimbo could be photographed for some ritzy magazine. Although probably not— he wouldn’t want anyone to know he had a grown-up daughter.
And her mother would be in a health spa somewhere in Europe and wouldn’t even remember it was her birthday. Jess had called her a few days before she’d left for Australia, and her mother’s personal secretary answered and told her she was in the Swiss mountains. Her mother had never gotten over her father’s desertion, and even though she received a healthy settlement, she’d
spent most of it to trying to recapture her lost youth.
“Jess?”
“Oh, sorry. No, no party. Maybe a dinner out with my friends, Monica and Gareth, in New York. If she’s still talking to me after this fiasco of a trip.” She held her hands out in front of her and frowned at the state of her manicure. “Poor Monica tries to keep me organized. If she could see me now, she’d die…that is, after she’d killed me first. What about you? Do you have anything big planned? Or does the outdoor life not give you time for that sort of thing?”
Alex looked at her for a moment before he answered, and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head.
“My family is coming for my birthday. They’re not happy I don’t make the effort to go home, so they all descend on the resort for a week or so every December.”
“All of them?”
“Yes.” He nodded and smiled.
She’d never had much of a family life and his family sounded fascinating. If they were staying there, someone obviously had money, because it was a five star resort, and she’d seen it featured in those coffee table books with photographs of the best resorts in the world.
Alex laughed and she gazed back at him. When he smiled, the ruggedness of his face softened. “Anyway, that’s enough about me…you’ve got the potted Alex Richards’ history now. I’ll shout you a birthday drink before you go back to the States. How long are you planning to stay?”
“Until after the interview with Alessandro Ricardo.”
He frowned at her, and suddenly she wondered if any help he could give her would be worthwhile.
“It sounds like you know a few people at the resort,” she said slowly. “Tell me what you know about Ricardo.”
“He’s a very private person. Look, Jess. I’ll be honest. When you get there, you really should just have a break and forget the idea. He doesn’t do interviews. Just forget about it and have a holiday.”
“You say you don’t know him, so how do you know that? Maybe the right person hasn’t come along yet.”