by Kate Hardy
“Good girl,” he said, giving her a pat on the head when she settled against his leg, bright eyes connecting with his. “You did good.”
Harrison sat down on the grass and stretched his legs out in front of him. The dog lay at his side. He worked Suzy on her own only when they were dealing with a small herd or the odd rogue cattle beast, and she stuffed up only when he stuffed up. And he knew why he was showing himself up today—because there was a certain teacher on his mind he couldn’t forget about, and because his daughter was going to be furious with him when she got home.
He was never, ever again going to let her help him with the young stock. What had started as something nice to do together, spending time with his girl and teaching her the ropes, helping her to deal with the confusion of not having her own mom, had turned into him letting her save a heap of calves that he was lumped with for the foreseeable future.
So much for being a tough rancher. One burst of tears from Katie and he’d promised the orphans wouldn’t be sent away, even though he knew he couldn’t keep them forever.
But he’d solved the biggest part of the problem—separating the bull calf from the females before he became an issue. And lucky for Katie, he was good enough to be considered for stud. Although a half-tame bull might be scarier than a wild one when it came to mating time.
Mating. Why the hell had Harrison thought about that when he was struggling not to wonder why the hell Poppy was living in the middle of nowhere without her husband? Had she left the man? Had he done something to make her want to run? Harrison would be damned if he’d stand by and let the woman be terrified of some lowlife tracking her down.
He let out a big breath and dropped his palm to his dog’s head, kneading her fur gently with his fingers. She was his best form of stress relief because he relied on her and she never answered back, and because she was the only female he’d had affection from since his wife had left.
“Come on, girl. It’s time for lunch.” Then it was school pickup, and he was going to get in and out as quickly as he could. Poppy was a great teacher; his kids liked her, and hell, so did he. But being around her wasn’t good for him, made him think all sorts of things that he’d sworn off thinking these past few years, and what he needed to do was distance himself. Before he started thinking up all kinds of stupid ideas and did something crazy like ask her over for dinner.
Maybe he needed to take his helicopter up for a spin, check out the far fields—anything to get his head back in the space he needed it to be in.
* * *
Poppy sat at her desk and pretended not to notice some of the girls whispering and passing notes. She wasn’t about to ruin their fun, not yet at least, not when they’d already completed the task she’d set them. And besides, she wasn’t quite ready to stop her own daydreaming, no matter how dangerous it might be.
Harrison Black. Why couldn’t she seem to forget the way his fingers had felt against hers when they’d clashed on the dish? The look in his eyes when he’d been talking about his daughter or the cool way he’d announced there was no Mrs. Black.
Less than two months ago, Poppy had been thinking about her wedding, wondering whether to wear white or ivory, flicking through bridal magazines. Now she was virtually penniless, had had her heart broken in more ways than she could imagine and was already struggling not to think about a handsome-as-hell rancher she’d met only three times.
Poppy smiled to herself. And the first meeting hadn’t exactly gone down well.
“What are you laughing about?”
She looked up and saw the girls watching her. They were no longer scribbling notes but eyeing her instead.
“I’m not laughing. I’m just smiling about how nice it is to be here,” she replied, cheeks flushing ever so slightly at being caught out, especially with Katie staring at her so intently. The last thing Poppy needed was the young girl knowing she was dreaming about her father.
“Is it different here than your last school?” an older girl, Marie, asked her.
“Yes,” Poppy answered, standing up so she could walk around to the front of her desk and lean back on it. “The last school I taught at was in the middle of the city, and we had a big, high fence around the outside and a concrete playground. The children had to be collected inside the gates and signed for by their parents or caregiver.”
It couldn’t have been more different to the relaxed attitude at Bellaroo, where all the parents knew one another on a first name basis.
“Is it better here?” another child asked.
“I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t think it would be better, and I can tell you right now that it’s even better than I imagined it could be.”
Every child in the room was staring at her now, and she couldn’t help but smile back at their beaming little faces.
“Enough talk about me. It’s time for you to share your stories. Let’s start with the eldest and make our way down, okay?”
Poppy sat on the edge of her desk and waved to Connor, her eldest pupil, to come forward.
She hadn’t been lying to the children; it was better here. In fact, old house aside, it was almost perfect.
A phone rang and she looked around. She didn’t even recall there being a phone in the classroom, and she hadn’t bothered turning her mobile phone on since she’d arrived. It had sat dormant from the moment she’d left the city behind, in fact. There wasn’t a signal out here, and all the ranchers used satellite phones when they needed to communicate.
“Anyone know where the phone is?” she asked.
A few of the kids pointed to her left.
“In the cupboard?” She wasn’t convinced, but sure enough, there was an ancient-looking phone attached to the wall. Poppy picked up the receiver. “Hello, Bellaroo Creek School,” she said hesitantly.
“Poppy, it’s Harrison.”
Harrison? “Is everything okay?” He sounded out of breath and her heart picked up rhythm, starting to beat fast.
“No, I’ve had some bad news, and I need to head for Sydney as soon as I’ve given the guys instructions for the cattle.”
“Sydney? I don’t understand.”
He sounded distracted, as if he wasn’t really concentrating, not sure of what to say.
“Poppy, my dad’s had a heart attack and I need to get to the hospital. I’m trying to organize someone to look after the kids, but is there any chance you could stay with them a bit later today?”
“Oh, Harrison, I’m so sorry.” Tears sprang into her eyes because she knew what it was like to receive a phone call like that, to have your day going along like normal and then find out that life had thrown a curve ball that had the potential to break your heart. It had been like that when her dad died, and the only consolation was that he hadn’t been witness to her losing everything.
Harrison was silent on the other end, but she could hear him breathing, as if he was running around doing something. Probably packing.
“Harrison?”
“Sorry, it’s just...”
“I’ll take them,” she said without hesitation. “Don’t worry about the children, just go. If you’re okay with me taking care of them, I’ll do it.”
He was silent again, a long pause hanging between them before he answered. “Poppy, I can’t ask you to do that. You’re their teacher, and you hardly even know us.”
“You didn’t ask me, I offered. And I know you plenty well enough.” She kept her voice low, conscious of her students listening to their conversation. “You were kind enough to help me out twice now, and I already adore your children, so just go, and don’t worry about them.”
“Are you sure?” His voice was deep, husky and commanding. He might be upset and needing to flee, but she could feel his strength without even seeing him. “I’d never ask you to step up like that, and it wasn’t why I called
.”
“Just tell me how to get to your place, leave a key out and do what you have to do.”
“You want to stay here?” he asked, clearly surprised.
“Wouldn’t that be easier? Then the children can stick to their routine and have all their things around them.”
She could almost hear his brain ticking over while he was silent. “There’s dogs and chooks and...”
Poppy laughed. “I’m from the city, not another planet,” she said. “I have no problem with animals and I’m sure the kids can help me out, tell me where things are, that sort of thing.”
Even as she was talking she was wondering what on earth she’d done, but what other option did she have? Harrison was a solo dad with few people to call on, and his children didn’t need the extra worry or stress of staying with someone else when she could care for them in their own home.
“I’ll swing past on my way out of town, say goodbye to the kids and give you a map for how to get to the ranch,” he said after a long pause. “And I’ll organize for the dogs to be taken up to the worker’s house and for all the chores to be done. I have a family living in the cottage at the moment, and there’s a few guys working here full-time at the moment, too, so you won’t have to worry about anything.”
Poppy said goodbye and took a moment to collect herself. She glanced at her wristwatch. There was only another forty-five minutes until the end of the school day, which meant she had some time to prepare herself mentally for the children finding out that their granddad was unwell and their dad was leaving. She had no idea how long he’d be away for, how long she’d be expected to stay at his ranch without him, but she’d do it.
Because the truth was she missed being part of a family, hated living in a house all on her own when she was used to having people around her every day. And staying at Harrison’s ranch would be like a minivacation in a way, her first real taste of the Australian outback up close and personal.
Her saying yes had nothing to do with the fact that Harrison had gotten under her skin. That all she’d thought about since she’d made dinner for them was how intriguing he was; how different he was from the man she’d spent the past eight years of her life with. And how easily she could take back the vow she’d made to herself about swearing off men for good.
Poppy drew a deep breath and shut the cupboard door behind her. Every single child in the room was staring at her, no doubt wondering who she’d been talking to and what was going on.
But she wasn’t going to say anything to Katie and Alex until their father arrived, because he was their dad and it was his place to explain to them what was happening.
“Okay, back to reading your stories aloud. Who was first?”
Poppy sat down at her desk and fixed a smile on her face, even though inside she was anything but calm and happy.
She was terrified. Because she’d just volunteered to help out Harrison and his gorgeous children, and the reality of that was starting to set in. She’d be staying in his home, caring for his kids, being part of his family.
Poppy touched her stomach with her palm, feeling how flat it was.
If she hadn’t had the miscarriage, she’d be close to having her own child, her own family...and there wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t think about the child she’d lost.
Poppy kept telling herself that it would happen, that she’d be a mom one day, only she wasn’t so sure she’d ever be able to find a man trustworthy enough to be the dad.
* * *
Harrison dropped a kiss on his daughter’s head and gave his son another big hug.
“I’ll only be a few days, okay? I just need to get to Sydney, spend some time at the hospital, then I’ll come straight back home.”
He felt like crap for leaving them, but what choice did he have? His parents meant a lot to him and he was their only child—he couldn’t let his dad die without telling him how much he loved him. It wasn’t something he’d ever told him before, and the thought of never getting the chance to be honest and say how he felt? He couldn’t let that happen.
“We’re going to have lots of fun while your dad’s away,” Poppy told the kids, meeting his gaze and giving him a reassuring smile. “Late nights, yummy food and lots of television.”
Harrison nodded, hoping his smile looked genuine. “I’ll be back before you even know I’m gone. It’s only a five-hour drive, so if you really need me I can get home pretty fast.”
They looked sad, but they understood. Or at least they seemed to better understand now that he’d explained to them why they couldn’t join him and what exactly a heart attack was. He knew they’d be scared, but they were in good hands; he couldn’t have found anyone he’d trust more with his children if he’d tried, even though they had known Poppy only a short time.
“You’re sure then?” he asked, for what was probably the tenth time since he’d arrived at the school grounds.
“Positive.”
Poppy had a sunny smile on her face, and when she stepped toward him, arms held out, he didn’t back away. Couldn’t. Because he was so alone right now, and the pain he was feeling at the idea of his dad hooked up to machines in a hospital was so intense it was starting to consume him. Like a hand around his neck slowly choking him, draining him of all his strength, all his determination.
“Come here,” she said, folding her arms around him and enveloping him in a tight hug. “Everything’s going to be okay, Harrison.”
He mumbled something against her head, into her silky hair, but didn’t even know what he was trying to say. What he did know was how great she felt in his arms, how soothing it was to be held. By someone warm and soft and so feminine.
“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice low and gravelly as he held back tears he hadn’t even known had been waiting to fall.
“I’ve been where you are and I know how it feels. But you need to believe it’s going to be okay,” she told him, squeezing him tight before stepping back a fraction.
Harrison looked down into her warm aqua eyes, noting the way soft bits of short hair were wisping around her face. Despite everything—the pain and the confusion—all he could think about when he stared at Poppy was what it would be like to kiss the breath from her, tug her back in tight against him and just kiss the hell out of those plump lips.
Her smile drew him in, made him keep his hands against her back after hugging her. Harrison bent slightly, slowly moving toward her, before he stopped himself. Glancing at his children, he realized they were watching what was happening. And if he hesitated a second longer, if he didn’t let go of Poppy, it would move from an innocent hug between friends to something far murkier.
The confusion evident all over Poppy’s face told him he’d already hesitated too long, but the nervous smile she gave him? That told him that maybe, just maybe, she’d been thinking exactly what he’d been thinking.
“Uh-hmm.” Harrison cleared his throat and put a definite few steps between them this time, needing to get as far away from her as possible. “I’d best be off. You two be on your best behavior for Ms. Carter, you hear me?”
“Poppy,” he heard her say, then turned to watch her mouth as she spoke, drawn in again by the woman he was trying so hard to resist. “I’m more than just your teacher now, so out of school you can call me Poppy.”
Maybe inviting her to stay in his home, care for his children, be his someone in his hour of need, had been the stupidest thing he’d ever done. Either the stupidest or the cleverest. He wouldn’t be able to decide until he’d figured out how to resist her. Because they could never, ever be more than just friends.
Right now that was the only thing he was certain about.
“Love you,” he told his kids, looking from Katie to Alex.
They were being so brave, standing on either side of Poppy now as he walked around to th
e driver’s side of his truck.
“Drive safely and phone us when you get there,” Poppy called out.
“Funny, but I said that to my parents when they went away. It was supposed to be their relaxing trip around Australia, taking in the sights, and they only made it to Sydney to enjoy the big city.”
Poppy never took her eyes from him, and he spent a moment looking back at her. He could see every bit of the compassion she was feeling for him, as if her arms were around him, comforting him, even though she was still standing on the pavement and he was on the road.
Harrison jumped behind the wheel and waved out the window, turning the ignition. As he drove away, he alternated between staring at the road ahead and into his rearview mirror.
It had been a long time since he’d seen a woman, aside from his own mom, embracing his children. Comforting them, caring for them, doing the things he’d had to do for so long on his own.
He’d tried to pretend that his children didn’t need a mom, that they were doing fine without one and that he was enough.
So why was seeing Poppy with them, so kind and nurturing, making him feel they were missing out on more than he’d ever wanted to admit?
Harrison turned up the stereo until it was blaring and focused on the road. He had a long drive ahead of him, and thinking about his ex-wife, or Poppy, for that matter, wasn’t going to make the drive any easier.
CHAPTER SIX
POPPY LOOKED AROUND the kitchen. She was like a fish out of water—less because she was out of her depth and more because it was weird, poking around in someone else’s things. Harrison had asked her into his home, told her to make herself comfortable, but it was still kind of awkward.
Plus she’d presumed there would be enough supplies without even checking.
“What do you guys feel like for dinner?” she asked, hand poised on the fridge door.
Alex didn’t even look up from the television, but Katie jumped to her feet.