“Do you know something you are not telling me, Abbey?” Sybil asked directly.
Abbey wanted to blurt out the truth, but her nerve deserted her. “I’d better get this food to your son,” she said. “He hasn’t eaten for hours.” She hurried out the backdoor.
Sybil went back to bed, but Abbey’s words were on her mind.
***
Jack was sitting in the straw beside Max, petting him, when Abbey returned to the barn with a sandwich and a bottle of water. He was surprised to see her again.
“I brought you something to eat and drink,” Abbey said, sitting down on a hay bale.
“Thanks,” Jack said wearily. He was absolutely exhausted and had little appetite, but as Abbey had gone to the trouble of preparing something, he made an effort to eat.
“How is Max?” Abbey asked just before Jack bit into the sandwich.
“Sleeping,” Jack mumbled. “That’s the best thing for him right now.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes while Jack finished the sandwich. The atmosphere was slightly tense, but Abbey felt no inclination to blurt out that she had been protecting the dog from Elias rather than refusing help.
“How did things go today at Martindale Hall?” he asked, after having a drink.
Abbey told him about the visit and Heath’s fragile state of mind. “He has asked if we can be friends, and he seems to desperately need a friend right now,” she said. She felt a little anxious about Jack’s response, given his opinion of Heath.
“A friend?” Jack looked puzzled and a bit cross. “From what I’ve seen, the man already has more friends than he knows what to do with,” he said tersely. “And as I’ve already told you, a good number of them are women.” He realised he sounded almost churlish, but he was frustrated that Heath was deliberately deceiving Abbey for some purpose, and she couldn’t see it.
“As a wealthy man, Heath no doubt attracts people to him, but he claims he hasn’t any real friends,” Abbey explained, hoping he’d understand. “Not the sort of friends he can confide his deepest thoughts and feelings to.”
Jack looked skeptical. “You barely know the man, Abbey, so surely you don’t believe that he suddenly needs you,” he said, unable to hold back. “Either he’s lying for his own purposes, or he’s lost his mind.”
“I don’t think he’s lost his mind,” Abbey said defensively. “He’s just grief-stricken.”
“Over his father, a man he detested? That doesn’t make sense. You can’t trust him, Abbey.”
“I’ve got nothing he wants, Jack,” Abbey said, becoming cross herself.
Jack looked her over in a way that made her self-conscious. “Don’t you believe it.”
Still very sensitive over what had happened with Heath’s father, Abbey flinched. “Heath is in a lot of pain right now,” she said emotionally. “You should be more sympathetic.”
“Abbey, think about it. Why would he suddenly desire you as a friend?”
Abbey stared at him silently for a moment. “Thank you very much,” she eventually said, with a tremor in her voice. “Obviously, you feel I’m not good enough to be friends with a man like Heath.” Not so long ago, she would have agreed, but Heath had made her feel differently.
“I didn’t say that,” Jack said, frustrated that he wasn’t getting through to her.
“No matter how unworthy you think I am, Heath has always been gentlemanly towards me, and now he needs a real friend. I don’t see the harm in that.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you that he can’t be trusted,” Jack said.
“You might be my employer,” Abbey replied indignantly as she stood up. “But that doesn’t mean it’s your responsibility to worry about me.” With that, Abbey left the barn.
***
Abbey tossed and turned for hours. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Jack had said. She was sure he hadn’t meant to be cruel and that it was just his weariness speaking. With no prospect of restful sleep, Abbey thought she might as well go and check on Max.
As she came downstairs, Abbey glanced at the clock in the hall. It was nearly three o’clock in the morning. Putting her fears of marauding Aboriginal men aside, she tiptoed outside and went to the barn, which wasn’t far from the house. Even before she opened the door, she saw the glow of a lantern through the wooden slats and thought how considerate Jack had been in leaving a light for Max.
She opened the door and saw Jack still sitting beside Max. He was exhausted and didn’t notice her presence at first. Abbey stood just inside the door, gazing at him, and thinking what a truly incredible man he was. An unfamiliar warm sensation flooded through her, leaving her feeling quite weak.
Suddenly sensing another presence, Jack looked up. “Abbey! What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I came to see if Max was all right.”
“That’s kind of you,” Jack said, touched. “ListenI’m sorry.”
“Me, too,” Abbey said, interrupting him. “We were both tired.”
Jack nodded. “Even so, I don’t want you to ever think you are unworthy of any man. That’s certainly not what I meant. I’d never think that.” At that moment, through a fog of fatigue, he couldn’t find the words to tell her that he thought she was wonderful and far too good for the likes of Heath Mason. He firmly believed that any man who won her heart would be a very lucky man indeed.
“Forget it,” Abbey said. “I know you are tired.”
Jack frowned before he looked down at Max again.
“How is Max doing?” Abbey asked, sensing that Jack was still very worried about the dog. She felt almost guilty that he was also concerned about her.
“He hasn’t moved a muscle, but he’s very weak from losing so much blood, and he’s no doubt in pain.”
“How about you? You should be in bed, sleeping,” Abbey said, coming closer.
“I know it’s silly, but I don’t want to leave him alone,” Jack said. “He didn’t deserve this. He’s given me years of loyal service.”
“Will it be harder to move the sheep without him?”
“Losing Max is like losing ten men on horseback,” Jack replied.
“Really?” Abbey was astonished.
“The dogs are very valuable. It’s true; they do the work of many men, and all they ask in return is a bowl of food and some affection. Max is actually the best dog I’ve ever had.”
“Where did you get him?” Abbey asked with interest. She sat down in the straw beside Jack and stroked Max’s black fur.
“I got him from Reg Robinson, a local farmer who breeds sheep and cattle-dogs. Max was the runt of a litter of twelve, and his mother was rejecting him. Robbo, as the locals know him, shows his dogs, so he keeps only the best. He didn’t think Max had any redeeming features, and he knew he’d have to hand-rear him, so he was going to drown him, but I said I’d take him. He thought I was mad, but sometimes the runt turns out to be the pick of the litter. Max isn’t a pretty dog, with his lop ear, long snout, and lolling tongue, but he’s a good size, and he’s the best working dog I’ve ever had. His instincts are spot on. But even if he hadn’t been a good working dog, I would’ve kept him as a pet. I sure hope I don’t lose him.”
“I hope not, too,” Abbey said. “I’ve grown rather fond of him in the short time I’ve been here. He’s more reserved than Jasper and Rex, but there’s something endearing about his mischievous nature.” Abbey thought about Elias. “I was quite surprised that you weren’t angry when Elias said it might be kinder to put him out of his misery.”
“He could be right,” Jack said, taking her by surprise again. “If his leg becomes infected, it could go gangrenous, and then poison will spread throughout his body, and he’ll die a terrible death. Nine out of ten farmers I know would have shot him.” Jack looked at Abbey quizzically. He realised he’d been wrong about something. “Is th
at why you had the laundry door barricaded? Because Elias wanted to shoot Max?”
Abbey nodded, tears pricking in her eyes.
Jack’s smiled, and he put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. “Thank you for stopping him, Abbey. If Max lives, he owes you his life.”
“I couldn’t let Elias do something so terrible. I knew you’d try to save him,” Abbey said, leaning on him. “I thought Elias was callous for not wanting to give him a chance.”
“Elias may seem like a hard man, but he has his reasons,” Jack said.
“What reasons?” Abbey asked curiously.
“Elias grew up in the Blue Mountains. When he was about ten, his father gave him a foal to care for after the mare died giving birth. It was touch and go for the foal, but Elias bottle-fed it night and day, and it lived. Naturally, he and the horse were very close, and he loved it very much. When he was about sixteen, he went out riding early one misty winter morning. They were cantering across the mountains when the horse slipped on some ice on the slope, and its foreleg went into a wombat burrow. Horse and rider went down heavily. Elias had a few scratches, but the horse suffered a ruptured fetlock, which is a terrible injury. His father wanted to shoot the horse right away, but Elias begged and pleaded for its life. He said he would help it get better, but in the end, he couldn’t do it. His father insisted Elias be the one to shoot it.”
A tear ran down Abbey’s cheek. “Why?”
“His father believed Elias had let the horse suffer longer than necessary, and he wanted him to learn from his mistake.”
Abbey looked up at Jack in disbelief.
“It was a tough lesson for a young boy,” Jack added. “Elias probably didn’t cry in front of his father, but I know he must have been absolutely heartbroken.”
“Making Elias shoot the horse was a horrible thing for his father to do,” Abbey said angrily. She found it difficult to believe a man could be so cruel to his son.
“I agree it was heartless, but I gather Elias’s father was a hard man,” Jack said. “But now you know why Elias is the way he is. He does have a soft side. He just keeps it well hidden. He always treats the station workers fairly, and that’s something I appreciate. They respect him, and how much a man is respected is a good indication of his character.”
“That is all very well and good, but I still can’t believe he was going to shoot Max,” Abbey said, still leaning into Jack’s protective embrace. The late hour, the soft lighting, and the emotional circumstances all contributed to an unprecedented feeling of closeness.
“He was probably trying to protect me,” Jack said. “He knows how hard I would find it if I had to kill Max.”
Abbey hadn’t thought of that. She looked into Jack’s dark eyes. “You won’t shoot him, will you? Not after he bravely made it home with that terrible injury.” Just the thought of how terrified Max must have been after being chased by Aboriginal hunters wielding spears was enough to summon fresh tears.
Jack almost became lost in the pooling depths of her blue eyes. “I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that, Abbey.” He put his other arm around her, and they sank back onto the bed of straw behind them, each gaining comfort from the other’s closeness.
“It’s been a long day and night,” Jack whispered huskily as he closed his eyes.
Abbey looked at his profile in the golden lamplight. Almost asleep, Jack looked vulnerable, and attractive. She liked his strong jawline and his well-shaped mouth. She also liked the way his hair flopped boyishly across his forehead. She could have gazed at him for hours.
As Abbey’s thoughts wandered, she realised she hadn’t felt so safe since being in Neal’s arms. For the first time, she mentally compared the two men. She didn’t know exactly how old Jack was, but she suspected he was less than than ten years older than Neal, and he seemed far more mature. Neal had not yet found his path at the time of his passing, but he had ambitions to better himself, whereas Jack was a man with a very firm view of which direction he was headed. Neal’s life had been hard, but obviously Jack’s life hadn’t been easy, either. Although he’d had a leg up, with his father leasing him and his brothers their land, he’d still had to work very hard to establish Bungaree. He’d obviously made wise decisions, but he’d also taken enormous risks. There was certainly much to respect about him, but it was his compassion that she admired the most, and it was that same empathy for people and animals that had attracted her to Neal. That Jack would sit up all night with a dog, and not ask one of his workers to do it, spoke volumes about the kind of man he was. She had no doubt that Neal would have done the same thing.
Sensing he was being watched, Jack’s eyes opened, and he looked at Abbey dreamily. Their faces were only inches apart. They gazed into each other’s eyes, and time stood still. Somewhere in that surreal space of time, something changed, and Abbey noticed that Jack’s gaze travelled to her mouth. A moment later, his lips brushed against hers in the most exquisite, tender kiss. A tingling sensation rippled through Abbey’s entire body. Jack closed his eyes again, and the change in his breathing told her he’d fallen asleep.
Abbey’s heart was racing, but so were her thoughts. Why had Jack kissed her? Was it just because she was there in his arms? Was he so tired that he’d imagined she was Clementine? Surely that wasn’t possible. She suddenly wondered if Jack was jealous of Heath, and that was why he was wary of a friendship between them. But that would mean he thought of her in a romantic sense, and she didn’t believe that was true. But then he’d kissed her. She wondered, in his present weary state, if he’d even remember in the morning that he had kissed her. Whatever happened, Abbey wanted to savour the moment. She snuggled closer to him and tried to sleep.
***
Abbey awoke hours later. The morning sun was shining, and she was alone in the barn with a blanket over her. There was a note on the hay where Jack had been lying. Max was awake and looking at her, but he was still lying motionless. The other two dogs had gone.
Abbey read the note.
Please see if Max will eat something this morning, Abbey. If he does, that will be a good sign. I’m going out to search for those responsible for injuring him. See you later today. Jack.
She reread the note several times, searching for any romantic connotation, but there was nothing. The note could have been from a brother. Her heart sank like a stone in a millpond. Obviously, he didn’t remember the kiss they’d shared. She had doubted he would, given how exhausted he was, but she’d still held out hope.
Abbey went to the kitchen and began slicing some lamb from the leg they’d had for dinner the previous night.
“That’s an odd thing to eat for breakfast,” Sybil said as she came into the kitchen with Clementine.
Abbey jumped with fright. She hadn’t known anyone was awake. “Oh, you scared me,” she gasped, with her hand over her thumping heart. “Your son asked me to see if Max would eat this morning, and I thought some of this meat might tempt him,” she stammered.
“That’s too good for a dog,” Sybil said. Her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t feed him the missing leg of ham, did you?”
Abbey blushed because Max had eaten the ham. Still, she was a little annoyed that Sybil had drawn that conclusion. “No, I didn’t,” she said tersely.
“Are you sure?” Sybil asked, noting her heightened color.
“Yes,” Abbey stated firmly. “I didn’t give Max or one of the other dogs the ham.”
Sabu walked into the kitchen. He looked at the sliced lamb. “What are you going to do with that meat?” he asked curtly.
Abbey thought he must have overheard what she had said to Sybil.
“She’s going to give it to the dog,” Sybil told him.
Abbey’s blush deepened. “Only this once,” she said. “Max has been badly hurt, and there’s a chance he might not live. I wanted to tempt him to eat something.” She glared at Sabu, daring h
im to complain. Clearly, he wanted to, but he clamped his lips together in case Abbey had told Sybil the truth about the ham.
Sybil was quite obviously confused by Sabu’s lack of reaction. She’d expected him to explode with anger.
Ignoring them both, Abbey began putting the meat on a plate.
Clementine stepped closer to her and pulled a piece of straw from her hair. “Did you sleep in the barn, Abbey?” she asked.
Abbey’s eyes widened guiltily. “What?” She looked at the straw between Clementine’s fingers. “No, I’ve been sitting in the straw with Max,” she said. She realised that didn’t really explain why she’d have straw in her hair, but she didn’t know what else to say. Her blush deepened, but she covered it by feeling her hair for more straw.
“Where is Jack?” Clementine asked. “He will be having breakfast with us, won’t he?”
“No,” Abbey said quickly. “He’s already gone out.”
“So early?” Sybil said. She was surprised that he’d left the dog. “I hope he’s not hunting for the Aboriginal men.”
“He wants to find those responsible for spearing Max and Tom,” Abbey said.
Sybil’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know Max had been speared,” she said, shocked. She gazed through the window fearfully. “It obviously isn’t safe to step outside.”
Clementine looked alarmed, too.
“Your son will sort it out, Mrs. Hawker,” Abbey reassured the woman. “Don’t worry.” She was concerned for his safety herself, but she didn’t want to show it. She suspected Sybil might panic, and that wouldn’t be helpful.
Abbey headed for the backdoor, but before she reached it, someone knocked. She jumped in alarm, but reminded herself that it was unlikely that anyone with ill intentions would knock.
She opened the door to Ben Dobson and Doris Hubert’s husband, Oliver.
“Hello,” Abbey said. “If you are looking for Mr. Hawker, he’s not here,” she said.
“We know, Miss Scottsdale. It was Mrs. Hawker we wanted to speak to,” Ben said.
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