‘I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll turn away while you put something on.’
She eyed him as she slipped a shirt over the nightie, and gathered her hair into a knot at the nape of her neck.
‘What do you want?’
‘I would like to speak to you, if you don’t mind, in private.’
‘There’s nothing private between the two of us, you’ve made that quite clear.’
His right hand clung to the doorknob.
‘And you hadn’t? I apologise for not ringing you. I’m sorry. It wasn’t in my plans, but why don’t you give the irrigation system a chance. The underground spring is the answer. If the tests are positive, this place could be one of the best cattle stations in these parts.’
‘It was when Mum and Dad were alive.’
‘That was before the drought. Wouldn’t you like to see it prosper?’
‘We’re doing fine.’
‘The books don’t indicate you’re doing that well.’
‘The books.’ She let out an exasperated gasp, horrified that her brothers had shown him their private affairs. ‘Listen, whatever you’re up to it won’t get by me.’
He shook his head. ‘I’m not up to anything. I’m doing a job, Sam. As I said I’m sorry for something that couldn’t have been prevented. My mobile was destroyed, therefore any numbers I had vanished. I had no way of contacting you. You didn’t give me your last name, and I had no idea you lived up this way. Samantha, what happened between us was almost a year ago. Things change, people change.’
‘Yes, things change and people do change. Don’t think for a second I would be still interested in someone like you.’ Their gaze radiated heat, fuelled by an underlying passion of those few short days where she’d thought she’d finally met that special person her mother often spoke about.
He closed the door without a sound, leaving her heart locked in stalemate. Her entire body trembled. It was obvious he hadn’t been affected by what happened between them. How could she be so stupid not to realise most men were only after one thing? She’d been taken for a ride, one hell of a long... beautiful... She closed her eyes to try to ebb the burning bite of tears.
He’d already done the damage; what more did he want to do?
Chapter Three
Samantha crawled from bed when the alarm buzzed five o’clock. She rushed to change and headed into the kitchen expecting to find it empty.
‘Morning Cam.’
‘Morning sis.’
After she put on the kettle, she turned to Cameron. ‘I don’t know why I have to be the one to show Brad the property. Why me?’
‘I’ve explained why. Usually you’d jump at the chance to be outdoors and have a swim.’
‘I would...but.’
‘Do you realise there is no swimming in the drop if you’re alone?’
‘Yeah, yeah.’
‘It’s a chance for you to take a swim and we all know how much you like swimming.’
Samantha fumed at her options. She didn’t have many. It was either go for a swim, or miss out. She needed to feel that water surrounding her, and needed to feel closer to her mother.
‘Okay. I’ll go and show him the drop and the Falls,’ she said curtly.
‘Are you standoffish because you know the guy and something happened between the two of you?’
‘No... it’s not that. He makes me feel...un—’
‘Morning.’
‘Brad. How’d you sleep mate?’
‘Great.’
‘What were you saying Sam?’
‘Nothing. It’s not important.’ Although she was about to say Brad made her feel uncomfortable, she stifled her last word the moment he walked into the kitchen, appearing as though he’d woken seconds ago. Wisps of dark brown hair hung over his forehead and a depth of darkness cloaked his eyes, eyes she originally thought resembled pure river pebbles. Coal black came to mind.
‘Help yourself to coffee or whatever you need. It’s going to be a long day,’ she said curtly, while busying herself packing lunch for the day.
Steven and Christopher walked in.
‘Morning all.’
‘Morning,’ she called, looking over her shoulder. ‘When you’re finished, put your dishes in the dishwasher please. The maid’s out for the day.’
Acknowledgements came from everyone, and from the corner of her eye, she watched Brad drop down on a pine breakfast barstool. He moved with jerky movements and she wondered if his morning routine was similar to hers. It took a while to wake up but after that first initial hit of caffeine, sparks fired.
‘Coffee Sam?’
‘Thanks Cam.’
Cameron passed her a mug.
‘Thanks.’ She sat at the dining table. ‘Who’s doing the toast?’
‘Mike said he’d have the horses ready at about seven,’ Cameron announced.
‘Yeah. He told me as well.’ After breakfast, Samantha had a hard time looking at Brad. ‘Are you ready?’ Short and sweet. She could do this. Speak when necessary, nothing more. The day would be over and done with before she knew it.
‘I was when I climbed from bed.’
‘Have a good day Sam, and don’t forget to show him as much as you can.’
‘Yeah. Yeah.’
Samantha grabbed a cooler bag, slipped it into her backpack and handed another pack to Brad.
‘We have to walk for a bit. The reason for the backpacks and everything won’t fit in the saddlebags.’
‘Here, I’ll take the other one as well.’
She didn’t refuse his offer and handed it over. ‘There’s water, coffee, sandwiches and cake. It should see us through the day.’
‘Cover up, Sam. It’s forecast to get in the late thirties today.’
‘I’ll be fine. Make sure you get Chris up to the bus stop on time, or perhaps you can drop him off at school.’
‘We’re dropping him off in town.’
‘At the school gate, Cam.’
‘Yes, Mum, right out at the front of the school gate.’
‘Catch you later.’
‘Yeah. And be careful.’ Cameron looked over his shoulder.
‘Always.’ She plastered a fake grin over her face, and with a jittering pulse made a quick exit to head toward the stables.
There wasn’t any need to go into detail about Brad's appearance. It had knocked her yesterday, and this morning wasn’t any different. She breathed in the fresh morning air, and glanced at the sky’s display of early dawn, but still it didn’t settle the turbulence hurtling through her nervous system or distract her from the manly presence beside her.
One whole day. She wished her mother were there to chat to, hold her up when things got rough. Things weren’t that bad, but to have her mother beside her again would be like the summer rains, the ones she remembered as a child.
‘Sam, wait up.’
She looked over her shoulder and slowed until he caught up with her.
‘I wanted to remind you that I didn’t have your last name, that you didn’t give it to me.’
She squinted. ‘I’m sure I did.’
‘No, no you didn’t. Remember. ‘You stated, ‘It’s just Samantha for now.’ You told me you lived on a property, and you had to get home to your family.’
‘I didn’t get your phone number.’
‘You didn’t ask. I was just as shocked as you when I arrived. I had no idea you lived here.’
Samantha shrugged.
‘I’d like us to get on. I mean...I’m here to do a job, that’s all.’
That was fine with her, as long as he didn’t invade her personal space. She could handle this until his job was finished. Or could she?
‘We do get on. I respect that you need to work, to do whatever it is you do. Install irrigation systems. I won’t stand in your way or hinder your work unless there’s cause to do so.’
‘Thank you for being understanding.’
As they neared the stables Mike walked out to greet them.
‘Morning Mike. Are we ready to go?’ Samantha called as they neared.
‘All done. Raven is looking forward to another ride. I told him you were coming.’
Samantha smiled. ‘Thanks.’
‘Tibbels is also good to go.’
‘This is Brad Harper. Brad this here is Mike. He’s been working here for years. Brad’s assessing the property to see if it’s suitable to install an irrigation system.’
While the two men shook hands and chatted, she walked into the stable. Raven lifted his head and gave a little snort when he noticed her approach.
‘Hi ya, fella.’
Taking the reins of both horses, she led them outside.
‘Here you go.’
Samantha held the reins up in Brad’s direction, and wasn’t looking at what she was doing. Her hand brushed against his, forcing her to jump.
‘Oops.’ She tried to camouflage her reaction and hastily said, ‘We should head out. It’ll be dark as it is when we get back.’
‘Be careful and watch those red belly blacks. They’re on the move this time of year.’
‘Thanks Mike.’
‘Let’s get this day over and done with shall we.’ Without waiting for a response, she mounted and directed Raven west toward the mountains. ‘Come on boy.’
Brad caught up to her and they rode side by side down the dirt tracks between several dry paddocks, opening and closing each gate. About an hour later, Samantha came to a standstill, admiring the view in the distance.
During the entire trip, her insides sat on a wave of nerves. When they were on the coast he made her think that there was more to those few short days than being friends. Knowing that his mobile was destroyed didn’t help one bit. Since his arrival at Raven Falls, he’d been standoffish, as though he didn’t want anything to do with her, and she wondered why the sudden change. After analysing every possible reason, she concluded his heart wasn’t and had never been in the same place as hers.
‘That’s some sight.’
‘It is.’
‘It’s a different world out here.’
‘Wait until we get to the drop.’
Rocky outcrops jutted high into the sky, giving the area an eerie appearance. Samantha directed Raven down the ridge, keeping her gaze over the uneven ground. Although Raven had been up this way before, Samantha wondered if he remembered when her mother would take him to this very spot each Sunday.
Unable to hear the steady clop of hooves behind, she turned and found Brad resting up against a tree.
‘Are you okay?’ She dismounted, and walked toward him. He’d taken off his boot. ‘What’s up?’
He replaced the missing boot, and pushed to his feet. ‘I thought something was in my boot.’
‘Well don’t go sitting down anywhere. You heard what Mike said. Those red bellies are on the move.’
‘We haven’t seen any.’
‘Just because we haven’t seen any doesn’t mean they aren’t there. There also could be king browns about.’
The mention of the deadly snake didn’t seem to disturb him one iota, but she had to remember he wasn’t the city boy he’d originally portrayed. He was as much country as she, even though he’d lived in the city for a time.
They rode toward the beginning of the rocky outcrop, but instead of heading over to the narrow passage, Samantha directed Raven down the lower side of the incline.
‘We have to leave the horses down this way. There’s a watering hole.’
‘From the underground spring.’
‘I gather that’s where it comes from. It’s always been here.’
When Samantha approached the watering hole, she turned back. ‘It’s not as high as it used to be, but it’s high enough.’
‘It looks perfect. Who set this up?’ A rope stretched across two trees beside the watering hole.
‘My father did, years ago. Cam replaced it not long ago.’
She dismounted, and tethered Raven to one of the lead ropes, ensuring it was secure. ‘There you go.’ She gave Raven a rub to prolong her time in the shade while Brad dismounted. Although it was early morning, the first hint of heat teased the atmosphere.
‘Can you pass my backpack over?’ He passed her pack over, and she strapped it into place before turning in the direction of the Falls.
They walked up a slight incline for ten or so minutes.
‘It’s as though all those rocks were dumped on the surface.’
‘It gets better. Wait and see. But you have to be careful. Stick close by and don’t turn off course.’
Brad followed her through the narrow passage, apparently knowing he’d get lost amongst the misleading trails if he didn’t do what she said.
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Now you know why we left the horses.’
Brad peered up ahead. ‘I wouldn’t have believed it if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes.’
The track thinned, and slithered like a snake into the thicket while sharp rocks jutted out on either side. A steep descent dropped away to at least twenty metres below them.
‘Be careful of the rocks. We’ve had some bad snags in the past.’
‘Snake.’ Brad had spotted it before Samantha had. On her right, she caught sight of a large eastern brown snake slithering over the rocks. She stilled while the snake moved on by, apparently uninterested.
‘I think they’re more scared of us than we are of them,’ she said, when it was out of sight.
They continued trekking over the rocks.
‘How much farther?’
‘Another ten minutes or so and you’ll understand what I mean about the Falls.’
The sound of trickling water grew louder, which pushed her pace up a notch until she came to a standstill above a pond of blue green water, nestled about twenty metres down.
‘I didn’t know there was water here. I mean in the centre.’
‘I think it trickles from the underground spring. It did at one stage have a waterfall, which flowed almost all the time. It came from up there. Flowed like a river.’ Samantha indicated the direction with the point of a finger.
‘It’s perfect.’
While Brad ogled over the area, she took off her Akubra and wiped her forehead before adjusting her dark ponytail. Feeling the heat of the day peel in around her, she couldn’t wait to dive into the coolness below.
When she turned, Brad was taking off his blue chambray shirt, sending her an eyeful of strong tanned arm muscles, which spanned down over his back. He proceeded to discard his jeans, leaving her to wonder why he’d left his singlet on. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t seen him bare chested before. That thought had her blinking and she looked away in haste to avoid a collision of emotions.
‘How deep is it?’
‘At least eight or so metres. Be careful though. There’s a ledge under us. Hang on...’
She couldn’t let him run and jump into something he wasn’t used to. After all, Samantha and her brothers were only here a few weeks back and they knew the drop, knew the dangers and valued the fact that there had never been any accidents.
‘I’ll go first. I know the drop. It has to be checked out before anyone swims.’
She untangled the pack from her back and placed it down on the rocks. ‘The water’s pretty cool.’
‘It won’t affect me.’ He grinned.
Samantha dipped her gaze, and slipped off her boots and socks before wriggling from her jeans.
Knowing she’d be dying to cool down when they reached the Falls, she wore a black bikini under her clothes, as she’d done many times. She always came prepared.
‘I’ll climb down first, and check it out.’ Samantha stepped down and crouched several times until she reached the water’s edge. She looked up, spotting Brad peering down above her.
‘How is it?’
‘A few more minutes.’
She ran her gaze around the circular hole, checking for snakes or anything that could cause injury. A fallen log or a stump
hidden under the water could cause sudden death. Assured that the area was snake and log free, she eased into the water and her breath rushed from her lungs.
She dived, keeping her eyes open, checking below the surface before spearing toward the bottom. After exploring as much as possible, she rose to the top, grabbing a breath.
‘Okay. There’s nothing in here but me.’ She swam to the water’s edge and looked upwards. Brad jumped into the centre, splashing her with a canopy of refreshing coolness.
‘It’s fantastic,’ he said, after he surfaced. ‘And beautiful.’
They were an arm’s length apart, and Samantha’s body went weak with heartache. Realising what could happen, she reached out and grabbed hold of the rocks to pull herself from the water.
‘Keep a guarded look about. It’s fine for now. If you splash a lot it usually keeps the predators at bay.’
‘Like this.’ He waved his arms above his head, before flapping the flat of his hands against the water’s surface, and for the first time in a long time Samantha smiled a genuine smile. She shook her head and climbed to the top. When she reached the diving point, she glanced down. Brad floated on his back, his arms spread wide as he moved them up and down.
‘You’re not in the snow.’
‘So what? Instead of making a snow angel I’m making a water angel.’
Samantha grinned. ‘I’m heading down. Clear out of the way.’
He swam toward the edge and Samantha undertook a perfect graceful dive, dividing the clear blue, and soon resurfaced.
‘Wow. You can tell that you’ve done that before.’
‘Heaps of times.’ She pushed wet strands of hair from her eyes. ‘I think that’s enough for me.’ She started climbing and when she reached the top, she turned to see Brad slipping on his clothes not far away. He must have scurried up behind her. Every so often, she’d catch him doing unusual things and it bugged her not knowing what he was up to.
After lunch, they trekked back toward the horses, and rode around the rocky outcrop, where Brad inspected the area.
‘Cam was right. It’s perfect to set a bore down. That drop as you call it gives a good indication of the water supply. With your permission, I’d like to set my men up in a few days. Get the tests done and make a start. It’s amazing, Sam.’
Raven Falls: Australian Rural Romantic Suspense Page 4