His Outback Temptation (Pickle Creek)

by Annie Seaton

Seb broke every road rule he’d ever learned as he jumped in the ute and drove back to Prickle Creek Farm. He should have listened to Gran. If she ever gave him advice again, he’d listen to every word she said. The dear old gal had been right, and he felt like whooping as the ute chewed the kilometres up. If he’d listened to her, he would have had his bag and his camera gear in the ute, but now he had to backtrack. He kept his eye on the clock on the dashboard, but the time seemed to fly by as fast as the kilometres.

  Finally, the ute rattled over the grid at the front of Prickle Creek Farm, and he spared a quick smile at the sign at the front. He sent a thank you to whomever was looking after him when he spotted Liam’s ute in the hayshed. As Sebastian jumped out of the ute, Liam tipped his Akubra back.

  “Where’s the fire?”

  “Stay there.” Sebastian pointed at the car as he ran towards the house. “Don’t move. Don’t go anywhere.”

  Liam was still frowning at him when he shoved open the screen door and ran up the hallway. He stuffed as much as he could into his bag and searched frantically for his passport. As long as he had his wallet, his camera gear, and his passport, nothing else mattered. He picked up his tripod and threw it back on the bed. He could buy another one. Liam was still standing beside the ute, scratching his head when he ran back down the steps.

  “You’ve got me beat. Where are you going?” Liam nodded at the gear that Seb was throwing on the back of the ute.

  “We’re going north. You and me. Now.”

  “What? North where?”

  Sebastian glanced at his watch and did a quick calculation. “I’d say somewhere between Moree and Boggabilla if we don’t get a move on.”

  “What the hell are you on about?” Despite his question, Liam jumped in the ute.

  “I’m going after Bella. She loves me.” He stated it simply and satisfaction filled him as the words came out. “Gran was right all along. Isabella loves me.”

  “So she told you this at the bus station?” Liam grabbed for his seat belt as Sebastian fishtailed the ute down the road to the gate. “Slow down if you want to get there in one piece, you hoon.”

  “No, she didn’t. But she does. She kissed me.”

  “And then when you reach her, are you going to do what I think you are?”

  “Yep. I’m going to England.”

  “Thank goodness for that,” Liam said with a grin.

  “Why? Won’t you miss me?” Sebastian shot a glance at his cousin as they reached the main road.

  “Of course I will, but I also know that your heart’s not in the farm, and you’ll be a damned sight happier taking photos.”

  “I will.” Sebastian cleared his throat. “Ah. Just checking. Are you happy to come with me and bring the ute back?”

  “I guess I’m here now.”

  Just under an hour later as they drove through Moree, Sebastian pulled the car to a quick stop outside the local IGA.

  “What now?” Liam shook his head. “Did you forget something?”

  Sebastian grinned at Liam and ran inside.

  When he came back, Liam shook his head as Sebastian carefully placed six bunches of red roses on the back seat.

  “You’ve totally lost it, Seb. You know that? You’re off your flaming rocker.”

  “And happy as a pig in mud. Or I will be soon.”

  “I just hope you’re right,” Liam muttered as Sebastian accelerated down the road. “And watch out. There’s a speed camera north of town.”

  Sebastian slowed the ute for the first five kilometers out of town and then planted it again. According to Gran, the coach would have stopped at Moree for a half-hour rest stop so it shouldn’t be far ahead of them now.

  “You’re going to get us arrested at this speed.” Liam’s words held a note of warning, and Sebastian eased back on the accelerator as they crested a hill.

  “You bloody beauty!”

  The coach was only a couple of hundred metres ahead of them. He floored it again and Liam shook his head.

  …

  Isabella was thankful that Helena and Harry were sitting a couple of rows ahead of her, and the seat beside her was empty. The elderly man across the aisle from her had gone straight to sleep and hadn’t even woken when they’d stopped for their first rest break at Moree.

  So she could shed as many tears as she liked without anyone looking at her. She wiped her eyes with her sodden tissue and pulled her sunglasses down when she noticed Helena walking up the aisle to sit with her. Every time she stopped crying, the thought of never seeing Sebastian again would make the tears start afresh.

  What have I done?

  She shook herself and tried to push the emotion away. Once she was on the plane and making her way to England, this feeling would ease. It would be in the past. In future years, she’d look back at the holiday fling and her first proposal as a fond memory and be able to smile about it. Her lips trembled, and she hitched a shaky breath.

  I’m not the right one for Sebastian. He needs a country girl. Someone who’ll settle on the farm with him. Someone who’s happy to stay in the Outback.

  Determination filled Isabella. No matter how much she loved him, she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t. No matter how much that hurt, she couldn’t imagine spending the rest of her life in the bush. So it just went to show that she didn’t love him enough, so they weren’t right for each other.

  She just had to figure out how to get on with life without Sebastian in it.

  And then she sat up straight and opened her eyes. They were right for each other. She loved him, and she knew he loved her. For God’s sake, he’d proposed and she’d rejected him.

  His grandmother eased into the seat beside her and snapped on the seat belt. “Harry’s gone to sleep.” She looked closely at Isabella. “I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

  Isabella nodded and stuffed the wet tissue into her pocket. “I’m fine.” She cleared her throat.

  “You don’t look fine.” Helena’s voice was brisk as she passed a clean tissue across the seat. She wasn’t one for holding back. “I think you love my boy, don’t you?”

  Isabella nodded mutely. “I do.”

  “So what are you going to do about it?”

  Tears welled in her eyes again. “Figuring out how to stop crying would be a good start.”

  Helena patted her arm. “The tears will dry up. I cried buckets of tears when I left Harry all those years ago. When he came back to Australia.”

  “That’s good.” Isabella sniffed and wiped her nose. “To know they’ll stop, I mean.”

  “I want you to know something, and it might give you some hope. I know that boy well—and trust me, I know what makes him tick. Much more than he realises.”

  Isabella looked up curiously. “And…”

  “And I know he loves you. Don’t you worry; he won’t let you go.”

  Isabella shook her head. “He’s got commitments here. He shouldn’t leave.” She looked up at Helena. “You all want him to stay here. It’s me that’s the sticking point. But I’ve made up my mind. I can’t let him go.”

  “We all want Sebastian to be happy. It doesn’t matter where he is. And as I said to Harry before, if we’re totally honest, we all knew that his heart wasn’t in the farm.” She took Isabella’s hand in hers. “But sweetheart, it shows you the measure of the man he is. He knew we wanted him to have a go at it, and he came out and he gave it his best shot. And if you hadn’t come along, he probably would have kidded himself he was happy here.”

  Isabella shook her head. “At the next stop I’m getting off. I’m going back to ask him to come with me.”

  “I don’t think you will need to, if I know my boy.” Helena’s smile was sweet.

  A glimmer of hope kindled in Isabella’s chest. “Really?” she whispered. “You think if I called him and told him I love him, there’s a chance for us?”

  Helena looked out the window of the bus and then turned back to Isabella with a smile. “Sweetie, I don�
�t think you’re even going to have to call.”

  Isabella frowned as the bus drew slowly to a stop beside a park on the side of the narrow country highway.

  “Good. I’m going to get off now,” she said.

  The coach driver picked up the microphone, and there was laughter in his voice. “Just an unexpected delay folks. We’re ahead of time so it’s nothing to worry about. If you’d like to get out and stretch your legs, it’s another hour before our next stop.”

  “Come on. Let’s stretch our legs and get some fresh air.” Helena had the strangest smile on her face. “I guarantee you will feel much better.”

  “If I get off, I’m staying off.” Isabella unclipped her seat belt and followed Helena and most of the passengers to the door of the bus. Helena tapped Harry’s shoulder on the way out.

  “Harry. Come on. You need to get off the bus. Now. Quick.”

  “Wha—?” He came awake with a snort and was on his feet and following them, still rubbing his eyes.

  Isabella pulled her sunglasses down as she stepped onto the grass verge at the side of the road. The other passengers had walked across to the small park where there were a couple of tables with a roof overhead to provide shade.

  As she turned around she blinked, and the deep breath she was about to take turned into a gasp.

  A white ute was parked half across the road, blocking the bus from going any farther. Liam was leaning against the passenger door, his arms folded.

  But it was the man walking towards her who sent her heart skyrocketing. Her mouth dropped open, and she lifted her hands to her lips as Sebastian dropped to one knee in front of her—and the forty coach passengers.

  A giggle rose in her chest; she could barely see him for the dozens of red roses that filled his arms.

  “Hello, Sebastian.” Her voice was even as she managed to greet him as though kneeling on a deserted Outback road, holding dozens of roses against his chest, was just a normal occurrence.

  “Hello, Bella.”

  She leaned over and put her hand on his shoulder and was surrounded by the sweet fragrance of the ruby blooms. “A bit of a coincidence to see you out here.” Her voice was wary because no matter what Helena had said, Isabella wasn’t sure how he’d answer her question.

  “No coincidence about it.”

  “How did you get the coach driver to stop?”

  “I got him on the radio.”

  “Why?” she asked as she looked down at him.

  “This is where I have to be.”

  “Where’s that, Seb?” Her voice was soft as his eyes held hers.

  “Wherever you are, Bella. I want to share your dreams.”

  Her breath hitched again, and she reached out and touched his face. “My dreams?”

  “Yes. And I know now that our dreams aren’t here. Not now, maybe one day. Maybe. Maybe not.” He pushed himself to his feet and looked down at the roses with a grin. “I want to put my arms around you when I tell you how much I love you, but I can’t.”

  “Put them on the road, Seb.” The little glimmer of hope in her chest had blossomed like the roses. Strong, colourful, and all pervading, it had blossomed into trust and certainty that this was the right thing for them.

  Before he could put the roses down, Helena and Harry reached for them. “Give them to us, Sebastian,” Helena said with a smile.

  He handed over the roses and put his arms around Isabella. She turned her face into the warmth of his neck as he lowered his head to rest it against hers.

  “Bella, is it okay if I come to England with you?”

  Her head flew up and she stared at him, her eyes wide as surprise slammed into her.

  “So that’s a yes or a no? Talk to me, Bella.”

  She lifted her arms around his neck and held him tight. “I was going to get off the bus and come back. I was going to beg you to come with me.”

  “No begging required, sweetheart. Did you really think I’d let you go? I’m coming with you.”

  “You’re coming with me? Now?” Isabella laced her fingers behind his neck, not game to let him go. “On the coach?” She frowned, unable to process what he was saying. “To Brisbane?”

  “Yes. To wherever you’re going. The farm’s not the right place for me. Gran helped me see that.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Maybe England’s not where we’ll end up, but we’ll give it a try. Maybe Florence? Maybe Rome? Maybe…who knows? It doesn’t matter, Bella, as long as we’re together, we’ll be happy.”

  As Isabella looked up at Sebastian, her heart swelled with love for this man.

  My man.

  “And yes, I have a coach ticket. That’s why I brought Liam. He’s going to take the ute back. I’m all packed. All I need is you…and my camera. And there’s a spare seat next to you, I believe.”

  Isabella lifted her arms around his neck and pulled Sebastian’s head closer to hers.

  “Kiss me.” She pressed her lips against his mouth. “Kiss me. Please, kiss me.” Warm lips moved against hers, and she remembered the moment he had first saved her. “Kiss me as if you can’t bear to let me go.”

  An unbelievable feeling ran through her as his hold tightened and she closed her eyes. His lips claimed hers, and a cheer rose from the coach passengers surrounding them. Isabella opened her eyes as he murmured against her lips.

  “I’m kissing you because I won’t let you go, Bella. I’ll follow you wherever you take me.”

  Epilogue

  Twelve months later

  Isabella stood on the edge of the manicured green lawn outside The Three Ducks restaurant in the village of Maplethorpe in England. She looked up at the pale eggshell-blue sky. It was nothing like the big sky of Outback Australia. That sky would always be very special to her, just like a night that had threatened rain and she’d slept inside a swag.

  The night I fell in love.

  She smiled as she smoothed down the white silk of her wedding dress. Inside the restaurant, her love was waiting for her. Waiting for her to come in and commit her life to him.

  “Ready, Bella?” Her mother’s voice intruded on her happy thoughts.

  Isabella looked up, and her eyes pricked with tears as she looked at her old and new family. “I’m ready, Mum.”

  “Oh no, you don’t.” Jemima pulled out a tissue, reached across, and dabbed lightly at Isabella’s eyes. “I didn’t do your makeup for you to cry and have it run before you even get married.”

  Isabella blinked them away. “They’re happy tears.”

  Lucy smiled. “Let her cry, Jemmy. You cried bucket loads of tears on your wedding day.”

  “I did.” Jemima nodded.

  “You look beautiful, Bella, tears and all.” Angie’s voice was soft and Bella reached out and squeezed her hand, although it was hard to get past Angie’s pregnant stomach.

  Isabella looked at her bridal party and couldn’t help the huge smile that lifted her lips. Her father was waiting by the door and was going to walk her in with Mum. As she watched, Dad put his arm around her mother and dropped a kiss on her cheek. Happiness for her parents completed her. The past twelve months had been wonderful. Her job at The Three Ducks was everything she’d dreamed, Sebastian had picked up a contract with a top London magazine, and now everyone who was important in their lives had come to England to be a part of their wedding day.

  Lucy, Jemima, and Angie were her three matrons of honour, dressed in pale blue. Kelsey and Gwennie were bridesmaids in white lace. Ryan and Lucy and Garth’s little James were ring bearers. Jemima carried Charlie, their almost-one-year-old son. Isabella had said it wasn’t fair that he miss out. Lucy and Garth’s new little girl, Charlotte, was asleep in the pram.

  Inside, the rest of the family were waiting. Gran and Pop hovered near the door, ready for the bridal party to come in. Liam was Seb’s best man, and Garth and Ned were the groomsmen.

  As Isabella waited, the strains of their chosen song drifted out on the air, and her mother and father walked ove
r and stood on each side of her.

  “Are you ready, cara?” Dad asked with a smile.

  “Yes, I am,” she said.

  …

  Sebastian stood at the front of the restaurant. A small formal area had been set aside for the ceremony. He glanced down at his watch and Liam laughed.

  “Seb, it’s approximately thirty seconds since you last checked the time. It’s not going to go any faster. If you hadn’t insisted on getting here early, you wouldn’t have had to wait so long for the girls to arrive.”

  They both looked up as Gran hurried across the restaurant. “Okay, they’re ready.” She nodded to the young man manning the sound system, and he switched on the music.

  Calm flooded through Sebastian as the strains of “Only When You’re Sleeping” drifted through the room. He looked up as Isabella walked towards him, and love flooded through him.

  He took her hand and they stepped up to the celebrant. Lucy came over behind them and lifted Bella’s veil. Bella’s gaze held Sebastian’s, her beautiful rosy lips tilted in a smile. He looked down at her and was moved by the expression of sheer joy and love on her face.

  He mouthed to her, You are beautiful, as the strains of the music faded and the ceremony began.

  A cheer went up as the celebrant pronounced them man and wife, and Seb looked down at Bella as her fingers tugged on the sleeve of his dress shirt.

  “Seb?” Her voice was soft.

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  “Kiss me.” She pressed her lips against his mouth. “Kiss me, quick. Please, kiss me.” Soft, warm lips moved against his. “Kiss me, as if you can’t bear to let me go.”

  “I’ll never let you go.” He lowered his lips to hers and smiled as she sighed.

  A satisfied sigh.

  A breeze light as a baby’s breath and as warm as a kiss teased curls from the flowers in her hair. The children let go of their parents’ tight hands and ran around laughing, sensing the happiness in the room.

  Helena clutched her hat and held on to Harry with her other hand.

  “All is well with our family, Harry,” she said.

  He smiled down at her. “It is, Helena. We’ve come full circle.” He reached over and kissed her cheek. “You know, you don’t look any different from that girl from Notting Hill I fell in love with all those years ago.”