Walking the Line

by Mandy Magro

  Charlize snorted.

  As if! ;) Have a good day, Janey. Love ya! Xoxo

  Grabbing her notebook from beside the bed, she dialled the number for the hire car company Jasper had given her when she’d rung him last night. Poor Jasper had been worried sick as she’d relayed the events that had led to her being stranded in the middle of a paddock, and it had taken her a good five minutes to talk him out of coming out to make sure she was definitely okay. Bless him.

  After a few rings, a woman’s chirpy voice sung down the phone and Charlize explained what had happened and where the car was. In less than ten minutes it was all sorted. The car was going to be towed away and they would be in touch about the finer details later. Katherine had already offered her the use of one of the farm vehicles whenever she needed to get about, so Charlize declined a replacement car.

  Padding over to the closed French doors, she pulled the heavy floral blackout curtains back, opened the doors and stepped out onto her little terrace, the scent of fresh air invigorating. The panoramic view of the surrounding countryside was magical. Her hand fluttered to her chest as her mouth dropped open. She certainly hadn’t been expecting this kind of view.

  The sprawling homestead was fringed by lush and colourful gardens filled with a multitude of roses and bougainvillea bushes. The terrace overlooked verdant green paddocks dotted with pretty yellow and purple flowers. A striking mix of palomino and chestnut horses grazed tranquilly amongst hundreds of silky-looking Black Angus cattle. Off in the distance, a small rustic barn-style shed sat off to the left and to the right was what appeared to be the stables and a roundyard. And beyond all this was the mirror-like flash of a large dam surrounded by land that seemed to go on forever and ever. Massive mountains lay in a great line on the horizon—the perfect backdrop to the majesty of Rollingstone Ridge. She slowly shook her head as she drank it all in. It looked like heaven on earth, and here she’d been thinking she was being sent to the ends of it.

  Dragging herself away from the terrace, she wandered back inside and over to her suitcase. She pulled out her large vanity bag, a clean G-string and matching bra, a pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. A quick trip to the loo was in order, and it would also feel good to brush her teeth and tame her hair. Only then would she head down and say good morning.

  Not that she should care about her appearance after the state both Katherine and Dallas had seen her in last night, but she did.

  CHAPTER

  13

  The first thing Charlize saw as she stepped into Katherine Armstrong’s warm and welcoming country-style kitchen was Dallas’s handsome face. He was chatting quietly to someone on his mobile phone. The scurrying of paws on the dark timber floor announced her arrival as Bruce bounded across from where he’d been snoozing beside Levi. Dallas acknowledged her with a smile, and she smiled back as her excited mini pooch skidded to a sideways halt. She bent over and laughed at his exhilaration as he leapt into her arms. Not only were dogs a man’s best friend—they were a woman’s too.

  Seconds later, the pug’s new doggy pal joined them, but instead of outwardly displaying his excitement, Levi the kelpie sat an inch away from her, his tail slapping the floor and his eyes hopeful as he waited for her okay to join them. Charlize gave his head a ruffle and he snapped to enthusiastic attention. Laughing, she gave him a gentle cuddle around the neck and then stood with Bruce in her arms as Levi danced at her feet.

  Katherine removed her reading glasses and smiled as she folded her newspaper in half. ‘Good morning, how’d you sleep, love?’

  ‘Morning, Katherine.’ Charlize returned her smile. ‘I slept like a baby. That bed is like sleeping on cotton wool.’ She bent down and placed Bruce on the floor, grinning as he scampered back to Levi, who was now lying by a pair of well-worn boots at the back door.

  ‘Good, I’m glad you got some rest. You looked exhausted.’

  Charlize nodded. ‘I certainly was.’ The radio was humming in the background, the announcer’s tone bright and cheery as he read out the local weather. Apparently today was going to be ‘a ripper’, filled with glorious sunshine. Charlize had to smile at his enthusiasm.

  ‘Morning.’ Placing his mobile on the table, Dallas glanced up from his hearty serve of bacon and eggs and grinned before checking his watch for emphasis. ‘Or should I say afternoon?’ He flashed her a cheeky smile, stabbed a piece of bacon and then shoved it in his mouth.

  Charlize smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder. ‘Morning, Dallas.’ Wandering over to the kettle, she flicked it on, feeling comfortable to help herself after making the second hot chocolate last night. ‘Anyone want a top up?’

  ‘I’m right, thanks, love.’ Katherine pointed to the fridge. ‘I’ve made you up a plate for brekkie.’

  ‘Oh geez, thanks, Katherine. You didn’t have to go and do that.’ Placing the mug she’d just grabbed from the cupboard on the bench, Charlize almost skipped to the fridge. She was starving. She swung the door open, beaming from ear to ear as she spotted a plate piled high with chopped strawberries, bananas and red papaya. ‘Wow, this looks amazing. Thank you.’

  ‘My pleasure. I just hope I’ve done all right with the whole pescetarian thing.’

  ‘As long as there isn’t anything on the plate that would moo, baa, snort or cluck, it’ll be perfect.’ The fragrance of the strawberries beckoning, Charlize plucked one off the top and shoved it in her mouth. She groaned in pleasure as the sweetness enveloped her tongue. Padding to the table, she placed the plate down.

  ‘I wouldn’t mind another coffee, if you’re still making one,’ Dallas said. He waggled his empty cup in the air.

  Charlize took it from him, her hand brushing his as she did. ‘How do you like it?’

  He gave her a slow and sexy smile. ‘Sweet and white.’

  The way he said it, with a lilt of a smile, made her heart flutter. She turned back to the bench to hide the flush rising to her cheeks just as the kettle boiled. What was with this guy? He could make a woman melt just by looking at her. Surely she wasn’t the only one he had this effect on. ‘What time did you end up getting in?’

  ‘Oh, just now.’

  Charlize gasped and swung around to face him, her hands over her chest. ‘What? You mean you were out all night? Oh my god, I’m so sorry.’

  Katherine reached out and playfully slapped him. ‘Don’t make her feel any worse than she already does, you clown.’

  Dallas laughed. ‘Nah, I got back just after midnight. Will, Phil’s son, came home just after we fixed the fence, so we had a few beers.’

  Charlize breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Oh thank God.’ She added a teaspoon of coffee to each cup, while eyeing the brand; Moccona Indulgence. She prayed it was at least drinkable. ‘How much will Phil want for the damage to his fence?’

  Dallas laughed, deep and throaty. ‘You’re kidding, right?’

  Coffees made, Charlize headed towards the table with cups in hand. ‘No, not at all.’ She placed one down in front of Dallas, acknowledging his thanks with a smile, and then pulled up a chair. Taking a sip, she smiled to herself. For instant, the coffee was surprisingly good.

  ‘Phil won’t want anything for his fence. In fact, he’d be insulted if you even offered—it’s a given that these things happen in the bush. He was more worried about you than anything else.’ Dallas shook his head. ‘I can understand your instincts making you swerve to miss that lamb, but your hire car has definitely seen better days. I reckon there’s an angel watching over you because it could have been a lot worse than it turned out.’

  ‘It’s that bad, huh?’ She forked a piece of papaya.

  ‘Yup, but the most important thing is you’re still in one piece and unscathed.’

  Goosebumps covered Charlize entirely, and it wasn’t just from the glorious tasting fruit in her mouth. It was so nice to see such a caring side of Dallas after her initial bad impression. Alistair would never have said anything about angels watching over her. It would have been more li
ke, ‘You should have hit the lamb rather than risk our lives like that. You really need to have a think about that.’

  She nibbled a slice of banana and glanced at the newspaper Katherine had been reading—the Grenfell Record. It now lay on the table, the corner frayed with teeth marks from a dog. She grimaced while chewing. ‘I hope it wasn’t Bruce that did that?’ With the mere mention of his name, Bruce shot like a torpedo back to the table. Standing on his hind legs he pawed her. She gave him a loving pat.

  Dallas smiled wickedly. ‘Yeah, kind of.’

  ‘Don’t you dare blame Bruce.’ Katherine rolled her eyes and then focused on Charlize. ‘It was all Dallas’s fault. He was sitting on the floor teasing him with it when I came back in from seeing to the horses earlier. The pair of them were having a wow of a time until I reminded him I needed to read it before they tore it apart.’

  Dallas chuckled as he eyed his mum. ‘You’re a party pooper. That’s all I have to say.’ He looked down at Bruce. ‘He’s one hell of a lot of dog in a small space.’ He picked him up from the floor, flipped him over and gave his belly a ruffle. ‘I like your style, little fella.’

  Charlize’s heart melted at the sight of Dallas being so loving towards her dog. Not once had she ever seen Alistair play with Bruce, let alone show him such open affection. ‘I’ll have to agree with you there. He sure is a lot of dog in a little package.’

  Katherine gently touched Charlize’s arm. ‘I actually found him asleep in one of my old slippers when I came down this morning. It was so cute,’ she clucked. ‘I never allowed dogs in the house when Dallas was growing up, but I’m becoming a big sook in my old age.’

  Charlize smiled and shook her head. ‘You’re nowhere near old.’ She motioned to Katherine’s good figure. ‘I only hope I look as good as you when I’m in my forties.’

  Katherine grinned, clearly touched by the comment. ‘Oh love, I’m fifty-two, but thank you.’

  ‘What’s your secret?’

  ‘Fresh air, good thoughts, plenty of love and smiling as much as you can.’ Katherine gave her a wink. ‘And a glass of red wine every night helps too I reckon.’

  Charlize loved her answer. If only she could have the kind of love that would make her smile every single day.

  ‘Does beer do the same thing?’ Dallas chimed in as he forked his last bit of bacon while stealthily manoeuvring Bruce so he couldn’t steal it as he brought it to his mouth.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Katherine replied playfully. She stood and began gathering plates and cutlery.

  Dallas was still chuckling as he grabbed his mum’s hand. ‘Leave that. I’ll do it. You go and have a nice shower and get ready to head to town.’

  ‘You sure?’

  ‘Positive.’

  Katherine turned to Charlize. ‘If there’s anything you’d like in town, or you just feel like female company for the day, you’re quite welcome to come with me.’

  Charlize grinned. ‘That sounds lovely, thanks.’ She turned to Dallas. ‘As long as you don’t mind me not tagging alongside you today, that is?’

  ‘Nope, I’m sure I got things covered.’ Dallas gave her a grin and then popped Bruce back down. Standing, he gathered the pile of plates and cups from his mum’s hands. ‘There’ll be plenty of time for me to show you around the place this week. And for you to ask me a million questions. So go and have a relaxing girly day while you can.’

  ‘You don’t have to twist my arm when there’s a girly day on offer. Shall we get into the interview nitty gritty tomorrow then?’

  Dallas nodded. ‘Sounds like a plan. And just so you know, I’ve got the boys lined up for the photo shoot on Friday too.’

  ‘Excellent, you must have read my mind because that was going to be my next question. Sounds like you’ve got everything under control.’

  ‘Yup, pretty much.’

  Katherine clapped her hands. ‘So it’s sorted then, you’re coming along with me. It’ll be so lovely to have someone to natter with. Maybe after the shopping we could head into the pub for a counter lunch.’

  ‘Cor, talk about living the high life, hey girls,’ Dallas said as he headed to the sink. ‘And make sure you get yourself that new dress for the Rodeo Ball too, Mum. I’m not going to have you using the excuse you have nothing to wear to get out of coming this weekend.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be there with bells on, but do I have to wear a dress?’

  Dallas cocked his head and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Yes, Mum. The men wear suits and the women wear dresses. You can’t wear your jeans to a ball.’

  ‘Oh, okay then.’ Katherine grumbled. ‘But I’m not spending a fortune.’

  ‘Yeah, righto,’ Dallas mumbled from the sink.

  Charlize admired the way Dallas took care of his mum. It made him even more attractive. Damn it. She smiled up at Katherine. ‘I love shopping for clothes—so it’s a date. Is the Rodeo Ball an annual event here in Grenfell?’

  Katherine nodded. ‘It sure is. It’s the one time of the year we all have a good excuse to scrub up and turn on the razzle-dazzle—not that I enjoy doing so, I might add. I’d much rather be in my everyday clothes.’

  ‘Well, lucky I brought just the right dress along. I almost took it out of my suitcase when it was looking a little too full, but I never go anywhere without a cocktail dress. Is there a greengrocer where I could grab some supplies while we’re in town?’

  ‘There sure is.’ Katherine looked towards the clock above the oven. ‘Just give me thirty minutes and I’ll be ready to go.’

  ‘Wonderful, I might change out of my jeans and into a skirt before we head off.’

  ‘Good idea. They’re saying it’s going to be a warm day. And town is always hotter than here—must be all the bitumen I reckon.’

  Charlize watched as Katherine took off her apron and then headed down the hallway. ‘Your mum is so lovely,’ she said to Dallas’s back.

  He turned from the sink, his hands now covered in suds. ‘She sure is. I’m one lucky bloke to have a mum like her.’

  Charlize motioned towards the dishes now draining on the rack. ‘And from the looks of it, she’s one lucky woman to have a son like you. I don’t know many blokes that do the washing up.’

  Dallas shrugged. ‘We all pull our weight around here, especially since …’ He halted, his shoulders visibly slumping. He tried to save face by smiling too broadly. ‘Thanks for going with her today; it’ll be nice for her to have some company.’

  Charlize wanted to jump up and give him a hug. Understandably, his father’s death would have taken a massive toll on all of them. She forced herself to stay sitting. ‘Oh, my pleasure, I’m looking forward to it.’

  Wiping his hands on his jeans, Dallas pulled his wallet from his shirt pocket and then pulled out two one-hundred dollar notes. He turned to Charlize and held the money out to her. ‘Can I give you this and leave you in charge of finding her a really nice dress? Because if I give it to mum she won’t spend it.’

  Swooning at his beautiful gesture, Charlize took the bills from him. ‘You can count on me to spend money on clothes.’

  Dallas grinned. ‘I thought as much.’ He turned back to the sink. ‘Just a heads up; the reef and beef is awesome if you’re wondering what to have for lunch today.’

  ‘Um, I can do the reef but not the beef.’ Charlize shrugged. ‘But not to worry, I’m sure they’ll have something that tickles my fancy.’

  Like your arse in them jeans … Charlize mentally slapped herself. Get a grip, woman. Still married, remember?

  ‘Oh yeah. Sorry, I keep forgetting about the Presbyterian thingamajig.’

  Charlize tried to stifle her giggle, but failed. Her brow quirked as she watched Dallas’s confused facial expression as he looked over his shoulder at her. ‘What’s so funny, Missus Dawson?’

  Dallas’s lopsided smile sent her into more of a belly laugh then a giggle. She sucked in a breath to gather herself. ‘Right, well, Presbyterian is a religious reference. I�
��m a pescetarian.’ She drew the last word out so he heard the pronunciation right.

  ‘Ahh, right. I guess there’s a little bit of a difference.’ Dallas flashed his megawatt smile, sending her belly and heart cartwheeling. ‘My bad. Whoops.’ He joined her at the table and collected her now empty plate. Their gazes collided and his smile faded as his blue eyes gathered intensity. ‘I wanted to apologise for coming across as a bit of an arse last night. I hope I haven’t given you the wrong impression of who I really am.’

  Charlize halted with a mug of coffee at her lips, feeling as though he’d somehow reached inside of her and stroked her soul. How could she hold what happened at the cafe against him now? She offered him a grateful smile as she placed the mug down on the table and then lightly touched his forearm. ‘That’s okay. I understand you were a bit taken aback by the fact that I hadn’t told your mum the truth. Which I really should have.’ She grimaced. ‘Sorry about that.’

  Static charged the atmosphere. The world fell away, leaving him standing in front of her in all his masculine glory, yet at the same time so kind and humble. What a man, being able to apologise like that—and for such a minor thing. Alistair hadn’t even managed a sincere apology for cheating on her.

  Dallas held her gaze for a moment too long. Charlize felt something unfathomable pass between them, and then his eyes fleetingly skidded over her.

  All over her.

  In that moment, she wanted to fall into his big strong manly arms and feel loved and safe and happy, and it freaked her out.

  Big time.

  She looked away, praying he couldn’t hear her frantic heartbeats as she caught the breath Dallas had taken from her.

  Spinning around, he grabbed the tea towel and wiped his already dry hands as he cleared his throat. ‘Righto, I better get back to it.’ He strolled to the back door and pulled on his boots. ‘Do you want me to take Bruce, seeing as you’ll probably be out for most of the day?’