by Leah Martyn
And just maybe it was all meant to be.
When her phone rang she was still hugging the thought. Checking the caller ID, she felt a thrilling reality. ‘Dan, hi.’
‘Ms Stewart, I presume. Are you up?’
‘Of course.’ She hastily levered herself upright and swung to the side of the bed. ‘Are you?’
‘Yes.’ He didn’t tell her he’d already been to Hopeton and back to collect some extra clothes for his impromptu holiday.
‘Are you still at the pub?’
‘Actually, no,’ he said easily. ‘I’m only a few minutes away from you.’
‘You are!’ Lindsey almost squeaked. Abruptly, she ended the call and sprinted to the bathroom.
What to wear? Back in her bedroom, she shuffled through the clothes she still hadn’t unpacked from her suitcase. She took out her soft jeans, a white T-shirt and, because she felt a lingering chill of winter in the air, she shrugged into a little cropped-style cardigan. Now shoes—
As the sound of the old-fashioned door knocker echoed along the hallway, she spun to a halt. He was here! And she felt only half-dressed. Hastily, she shoved her feet into ballet flats, finger-combed her hair and went to let him in.
‘Dan...’ She blinked out into the early-morning sunlight and felt a soft shiver like a slipstream of desire feather all the way down her backbone. He looked so early-morning sexy with the beginnings of a dark shadow along his jaw and the simple male thing of the collar of his check shirt all askew under his navy jumper. She made a little sound in her throat.
* * *
Just the sight of her curled a wild kind of excitement through Dan’s gut. She had no make-up on. No lingering smell of perfume. But she exuded a kind of femaleness that was...intoxicating. A bubble of pure want exploded inside him. He took a step forward.
In a second they were leaning into each other.
Dan’s mouth moved against hers, shaping her name as their bodies aligned. And then he kissed her, a gentle, sweet, slow kiss that tingled all the way down to her toes, before he let her go. ‘Good morning,’ she said softly.
He lifted a strand of her hair and wound it around his finger. ‘Now it is,’ he said.
She gave him one of her wide smiles, activating the dimples beside her mouth. ‘Come through. Have you eaten?’
‘I had a coffee earlier.’
‘Let’s see what the pantry can yield up, then,’ she said, leading the way along the hallway to the kitchen.
Dan took a quick inventory of the timber benches and the navy blue and white tiles. ‘Big workspaces,’ he commented. ‘Do you cater for your guests as well?’
‘The cabins allow for self-catering,’ Lindsey said, ‘but sometimes we provide breakfast baskets if anyone requests them. I’ll fix something for us now. What would you like?’
‘Anything is fine. Surprise me.’
She flipped him a cheeky grin. ‘I think I have already.’
She had. And his mind still couldn’t quite grasp the fact that he was here with her. In her home. About to share breakfast with her. His gaze jagged across her face. ‘I can’t believe I’m actually here.’
‘Of course you’re here.’ Her lashes swooped, eyeing him from head to toe. ‘Otherwise who have I just kissed?’
Dan gave a gravelly laugh and looked around the room, his gaze lighting on the sun-catcher crystal that dangled from the window in front of the sink. ‘Nice feng shui.’
Lindsey raised an eyebrow at the abrupt change in conversation. ‘You a follower, then?’
He shrugged. ‘Parts of the philosophy appeal to me.’
Who’d have thought? Now he’d surprised her. Lindsey loaded crockery and cutlery onto a tray and set them on the bench.
‘What can I do to help?’ Dan asked.
‘Let’s eat outside on the back deck,’ she said, handing him the tray. ‘Could you set the table?’
‘I think I can manage that.’
Male distraction gone for the moment, Lindsey set about preparing breakfast. She juiced oranges and deftly arranged portions of melon and a variety of other fruit on a glass platter. That would do for starters, she decided, picking up the plate.
Dan was leaning over the railing, looking into the distance. He turned to Lindsey as she came to stand beside him. ‘This is God’s own country,’ he said, a faraway look in his eyes. ‘How can you bear to leave it and go to work in a casualty department?’
She sent him a pained look. ‘Now you’re talking like a tourist. Running a successful vineyard is extremely hard work, Dan. You can’t sit around, admiring the scenery.’
His mouth quirked. ‘And that’s what you do in Casualty?’
She made a face at him. ‘That’s the creek down there.’ She pointed out an unbroken line of willows. ‘Sami, Cait, my brother James and I had some fun times there when we were growing up.’
‘I can imagine.’ Dan sent her a soft look. ‘James is your brother who’s in Scotland, right?’
‘Yes. He and his wife, Catherine, are physiotherapists. Their baby daughter, Alexandra Rose, is just three weeks old.’
‘Nice name.’ Dan felt an uncomfortable tightening in his gut and breathed it away. ‘And the cabins?’
‘There are four. See, over there to your left.’ She indicated the weathered timber structures nestled into the side of the hill. ‘You can get settled in later.’ She touched his forearm. ‘Shall we eat, then?’
* * *
‘So, how come the name Lark Hill?’ Dan asked, as they each took a selection of fruit. ‘As far as I know, we have no larks as such in Australia.’
‘Long story short,’ Lindsey said, popping a sliver of golden kiwi fruit into her mouth, ‘my great-grandparents came from England. When they came to Milldale to begin farming, the bird calls reminded them of the larks back home. But of course they were our magpie larks, better known as peewees. But they’d already registered the place as Lark Hill so it just stayed.’
‘Fascinating,’ Dan said. ‘So your family are literally pioneers of the district.’
Lindsey lifted a shoulder. ‘It just feels like we’ve always been here, I suppose. What about the Rossi family, then?’
Dan’s mouth puckered briefly. ‘I don’t think we’re pioneers of anything—except maybe passing down old names.’
Lindsey tsked. ‘I really meant whereabouts are you from?’
‘Melbourne.’
‘You mentioned sisters. Any more siblings?’
Dan shook his head. ‘I suppose you want a rundown.’ He gave a resigned lopsided grin.
‘Of course. Then I’ll know where to put you in your family.’
Dan lifted an eyebrow and helped himself to a sliver of melon. ‘My dad is a linguistics professor at Melbourne Uni. Mum is a director of early childhood education.’
‘Wow.’ Lindsey lifted a hand, casually swinging her index finger through a long curl as it fell against her throat. ‘I’ll bet some interesting conversations happened there.’
‘Mmm.’ Dan sucked the sweet juice of the melon deeply into his mouth. ‘They’re both pretty passionate about learning. I think the girls and I could read before we could walk,’ he joked.
‘And your sisters,’ Lindsey asked interestedly. ‘Younger? Older?’
‘Younger.’
‘And what are they—lawyers, doctors?’
‘No.’ He gave an amused chuckle. ‘Juliana trained as a teacher-librarian but now she runs a combined bookshop and coffee corner in downtown Melbourne. Reg—Regina—is married to Christoph. They’re both professional musicians, violinists with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.’
Lindsey drank the information in. ‘So, you’re rather an arts-related kind of family, then. Rich in good conversation, music, books and so on.’
‘I suppose.’
So, in fact, quite similar to her own background, Lindsey thought. ‘But you obviously broke the mould and opted for the sciences and medicine. How did that happen?’
‘My uncle Robert, Dad’s brother, is a physician,’ Dan explained. ‘He arrived late in their family so to us kids he was more like a big brother than an uncle. I hung out with Rob a bit. And with his skeleton,’ he added with a smile. ‘I was always fascinated with the idea of becoming a doctor.’
‘You weren’t daunted by the study involved?’
He shook his head. ‘Couldn’t get enough of it.’
‘It’s a real calling for you, then.’
‘Becoming a doctor? I guess it was.’ Dan chased the last piece of fruit around his bowl and thought with something like amazement that it had been an age since he’d talked so freely about himself. But then again Lindsey seemed to have that effect on him. There was an openness about her that called to him to respond in a similar way. He leaned back in his chair, eyeing her thoughtfully.
‘What?’ Lindsey flicked him a startled look. His gaze had gone all smoky.
‘Just thinking. This is good, isn’t it?’
‘This?’ Her eyes widened and lit.
‘This. Us. Here.’
Lindsey tipped her head on one side and looked searchingly at him. His voice had held slight wonder. ‘Yes, it is,’ she said, and thought that on a personal level they probably still had a few mountains to climb. But what was a mountain or two when Lark Hill was beginning to work its magic already...
‘Well, come on, Ms Stewart.’ Dan broke into her thoughts. ‘That’s me done. What about you and nursing?’
Lindsey batted the question away. ‘There’s not all that much to tell. I actually thought seriously about medicine but I’m a hands-on kind of girl. I figured it would be ages before I could do anything useful as a doctor, whereas nursing offered the chance to get stuck in fairly quickly,’ she summed up with a smile. ‘And here I am.’
Dan’s gaze softened. ‘Indeed you are.’
Deflecting his scrutiny, Lindsey hurriedly got to her feet and began collecting their used dishes. ‘Shall we make some toast? Fiona’s left one of her special wattle-seed loaves.’
‘Sounds interesting.’ Dan pushed himself upright and took the tray from her and they made their way back to the kitchen.
* * *
An hour later they were on their second pot of tea and still talking. About anything and everything. And it had all seemed as natural as breathing, Lindsey thought. In fact, so engrossed had they become, neither heard the sound of the front door opening and closing or the soft footfall along the hallway until, ‘Yoo-hoo. It’s only me. Are you there, Lindsey?’
‘It’s Fiona.’ Lindsey put a finger to her lips. ‘Be prepared to be well looked over. On the deck, Fi,’ she called.
Fiona, cropped greying hair and with the suntanned complexion of her outdoor lifestyle, came out onto the deck and stopped, her clear blue gaze running assessingly over them. ‘Not interrupting, am I?’
‘Of course you’re not.’ Lindsey sought to put the older woman at ease. ‘This is Dan Rossi. He’s a friend from the hospital.’
Dan rose courteously and they shook hands. ‘Nice to meet you, Fiona.’
‘And you, Dan.’ Fiona’s gaze widened as something clicked. ‘You’re the doctor who kindly brought this one home after the accident, then?’
‘That’s me.’ He shot a slightly mocking look at Lindsey. ‘I think she’d have tried to walk home if I’d let her.’
Fiona shook her head. ‘Independent to a fault. Always has been.’
‘Hey, you two,’ Lindsey protested. ‘Do you mind?’ She beckoned Fiona to a chair. ‘Tea’s still fresh.’
‘No, thanks, love.’ Fiona sat. ‘I really just popped in to tell you I’ve let the last cabin.’
‘Oh—OK... Who are the new people?’
‘Young couple, Scott and Amy Fraser. Having a few days’ holiday before the birth of their first baby.’
‘A babymoon.’ Lindsey smiled. ‘That’s so sweet.’
‘They arrived last night,’ Fiona said. ‘Just saw them a while ago. They’re off picnicking.’
‘Well, it’s a beautiful day so let’s hope they enjoy the peace and quiet.’ Lindsey looked at Dan. ‘We should get out and stretch our legs too.’
* * *
With Fiona gone, they went inside, washed up and put the kitchen back to rights. Dan shoved the last of the cutlery into the drawer. ‘I’ll go back and stay at the pub tonight.’
‘Why would you do that?’ Lindsey hung the damp tea towel near the AGA to dry.
‘Fiona said she’s let the last cabin.’
‘Stay here, then,’ Lindsey countered practically. ‘There’s a guest bedroom you can have. It has its own en suite so you can be as private as you want to be.’
‘Ah...’ Dan swiped a hand across his cheekbones.
Watching his body language, Lindsey gave a little huff of disbelief. ‘Surely you’re not obsessing about propriety?’
He frowned through a beat.
‘That’s so sweetly old-fashioned.’ Leaning back against the benchtop, she let her eyes rest softly on him. ‘You’re so well brought up, aren’t you?’
Dan snorted. ‘Give me a break. It’s a small community. You and your family obviously have a certain...status.’ And he hadn’t missed Fiona’s overt curiosity in his presence.
‘Dan...’
‘What?’
She stepped closer to him, her green eyes almost translucent as she met his gaze. ‘We’re grown-ups, aren’t we?’
‘I’d say so,’ he murmured gruffly. ‘Very grown-up...’ he added, as he wound her hair loosely around his fingers, using the impetus to draw her closer and find her mouth.
They kissed long and hard until Dan let her go with a last lingering touch to her lips. ‘Ah, Lindsey...’ His fingers lifted her chin, his mouth only a breath away as he said her name again. ‘Lindsey...’
‘That’s me.’ She reached out to stroke his face, feeling his skin faintly, deliciously rough.
‘I’ll stay here then.’
Watching his mouth, so sexy in repose, Lindsey felt her heart pick up speed. ‘I’m glad you’ve decided that. Now I won’t have to put my fallback plan into action.’
He raised a brow in query.
‘I was going to wrestle you for your car keys.’
‘What’s with you Milldale women?’ Dan shook his head. ‘Nathan said Sami was prone to wrestling him.’
‘Must be something in the wine we grow,’ Lindsey challenged, laughing, as Dan spun her away, as if they were about to dance. She shimmied back to him and locked her arms around his waist.
Dan’s gaze heated. ‘Now what...?’
She lifted her hand and traced the outline of his lips with her finger, recognising there was a new awareness beating its wings all around them. ‘A walk perhaps?’
Or seventeen cold showers, Dan thought darkly, his mouth achingly sensitised by her touch.
Or he could give in to the avalanche of emotions engulfing him. And take her to bed.
Suddenly, making love with Lindsey seemed a natural progression from where they were now. The last step in intimacy. But perhaps he was fantasising. It had been so long since he’d been this close to a woman.
Had wanted to be this close.
So...all things considered, a walk, preferably a long one, would probably be a better option.
‘Go get your stuff from the car,’ Lindsey said, her gaze alight. ‘I’ll sort out some bed linen.’
CHAPTER SIX
‘THIS IS GOING to be magic,’ Lindsey said, as they walked through the vines, and then she showed Dan the creek and the rock pool. ‘Next t
ime you come, we’ll swim here,’ she said.
‘So, I’m coming again...?’ Dan held her loosely, looking deeply into her eyes.
He’d spoken quietly, his voice so husky it had made Lindsey shiver. ‘Of course you are.’ Wrapping her arms round his neck, she stepped closer to him so that they were hard against each other. And they kissed.
‘So...’ he said, when they’d broken apart.
‘So...’ she echoed.
‘Funny how things turn out.’
‘Mmm.’
They linked hands and continued on their hike. ‘Should we be on the lookout for snakes?’ Dan queried.
‘Only elephants,’ she deadpanned.
‘I see.’ Dan did a little sidestep away from her then pulled her back in. ‘I’ve taken up with a joker.’
Further on, she challenged him to walk across the old bush log that spanned the deepest part of the creek. Dan obliged, easily and gracefully, arms held out like a tightrope walker to keep his balance. He gave a bow when he reached the other side and she made a face at him, before stepping lightly across the length of the log and joining him on the other side.
‘Now where?’ Dan asked as he gathered her in and spun her round.
‘Up there.’ Lindsey pointed to the highest point of the paddock. ‘It looks steep but it’s really a steady climb and then you get a great view.’
‘And survey your domain,’ he teased as they wandered off again.
‘This is as far as we go,’ Lindsey said when they reached the top of the hill.
Dan stopped and wheeled her round, linking his arms around her from behind. ‘Ah...bella vista.’
‘Pretty special, isn’t it?’ Eyes half-closed, Lindsey placed her hands on his forearms, almost absently stroking her fingers over his skin. She tipped her head back to look at him. ‘Makes you feel good to be alive, doesn’t it?’
‘That—and being with you,’ Dan added, a throaty edge to his voice.
They sat in a patch of dappled shade beneath a leopard tree, easing back against the trunk, their shoulders touching. For a long time they did little else other than absorb the gentle landscape and breathe in the air that was heady with the scent of wattles that edged up the hill and along the walking tracks.