Sundown Crossing

by Lynne Wilding

  ‘Do it in the morning.’ Carla sipped the coffee but it was too hot so she put it on the coffee table, close to the edge. ‘I haven’t thanked you for saving my life and Sam’s.’ Her lips stretched in a sincere smile. ‘Thank you.’ Her eyes twinkled with admiration. ‘It seems that you’ve got into the habit of getting us Hunters out of trouble.’

  ‘Thanks aren’t necessary. It’s just lucky that I was on my way to see you. Normally at that time of night I’d have been home.’

  A frown crept across Carla’s forehead. ‘Coming to see me. Why?’

  ‘About Walt Conrad…’

  What with all that had happened tonight it was difficult to absorb the full import of what Paul told her about Walt and his fraudulent dealings but she didn’t doubt the truth of it. She could never quite work out why she’d had reservations about the Conrads but now she knew. It had been a gut instinct that they weren’t quite trustworthy and she knew that Angie had felt the same way.

  ‘Walt should be stopped before he perpetrates frauds on others. I suggest we pass what we know onto the police and to the relevant insurance company. Let them deal with it.’ Paul’s tone was firm in that regard. ‘He’s been skirting close to the edge of the law for years, it’s time he got what he deserves.’

  ‘I agree.’ Carla punctuated her words with a yawn. She should be furious with Walt for what he’d done, and deep down she was, but somehow his behaviour paled when compared to what had happened tonight. Someone had destroyed a substantial part of the vineyard, and tried to kill her, Sam and the Loongs. It was almost too awful to think about.

  ‘Do you think Walt could have been responsible for what happened tonight because I rejected his offer of a partnership?’ she asked straight out.

  ‘I don’t know. The action seems a bit extreme, even for him, but we now know he wants your acreage. The possibility of him being involved can’t be dismissed.’

  ‘Who else might…?’

  Paul took hold of her hand, the one closest to him. He gave it a little squeeze. ‘Who would gain from you not being around and Sundown Crossing no longer being a viable vineyard?’

  Carla knew; the answer was obvious. ‘The Stenmarks. Oh, no. They wouldn’t.’ She shook her head emphatically. ‘Not Grandfather, not Luke either. I’m part of the family now.’ Unshed tears glistened in her eyes at the thought. She tried to brush them away but was only partly successful. No. No way could he convince her that her grandfather or Luke had ordered tonight’s fire.

  ‘Well, someone wanted to get rid of you. That’s undeniable.’

  Her free hand covered her eyes and when she sighed it was heavy and drawn out. Something was happening to her, deep inside, and what it was had nothing to do with the fire. Paul holding her hand was having an amazing effect on her body, her emotions. Her heart began to pump faster, more heavily, her mouth went dry. Oh, God. She needed…wanted him to hold her close, to make the pain of what had happened tonight disappear, if only for a little while. And she wanted him as she hadn’t wanted anyone since…for so long! Why? The answer was breathtakingly simple. She was in love with Paul.

  The breath caught in her throat and her eyes opened wide as the revelation of her feelings hit with enormous force. She loved him. Admitting it solved much of the confusion that had raged through her for weeks, months. There were the little things. The longing to be with him and enjoying his company when she was. His humour, his good and kind nature. So many things…She had been pushing her feelings, the awareness to the back of her mind, refusing to acknowledge its existence by telling herself she had more important things on which to focus. But what could be more important than finding love when she had resigned herself to the probability of it not happening again? Denying her feelings, smothering the embryonic flame of love within her was, now, something she could no longer do. A tentative smile spread across her lips as the realisation of how she felt took a firmer hold.

  She loved Paul van Leeson. But what about him, a voice inside her head asked? Did he have feelings for her? He wasn’t a demonstrative man. Paul kept his emotions guarded, under control and he had never appeared to feel anything more towards her than friendship. Still, could there be more? The question, so important because of how she felt, begged an answer but…how to ask it?

  He let go of her hand and his arm went around her shoulder to give her a friendly hug. She surprised him by turning towards him, a question in her eyes. Almost shyly her hand reached up and she ran her fingers along his strong jawline. His gaze widened, then narrowed. He drew in a deep breath, and waited.

  ‘I believe a thank you kiss is appropriate for what you did for me tonight,’ she whispered, her tone husky and a little unsure.

  Paul didn’t move. He didn’t push her away, he simply waited to see what she would do. Becoming desperate for his touch, the feel of his lips against hers, she leant into him until their faces were only centimetres from each other. The dreamy expression on her face was what pushed his control over the edge.

  ‘Oh, Carla. My Carla!’

  His lips found hers as he gathered her to him in a tight embrace which by its spontaneity left her in no doubt as to his level of interest. Her lips parted willingly to take in the sensual play of his tongue and she responded to it with an eagerness she couldn’t control, no longer wanting or needing to withstand the strength of her own recently self-confessed feelings.

  After a while he stood and as he did he pulled her gently up with him so he could mould her body to his. And oh, how wonderful that was. But it was her lips that fascinated him and soon his mouth returned to kiss her again and again. She felt his hands push up the top of her pyjamas to find and cover the soft mound of one breast, and she barely stifled the gasp as a shiver of pleasure swept through her. She didn’t want him to stop. She wanted…more.

  ‘I’ve waited so long,’ he said softly into her ear, ‘for a sign that you wanted more than friendship.’ His hand moved to cup her face so he could look deeply into her eyes. ‘I love you, Carla Hunter, have loved you practically since the first day I saw you, and when you came to work for me,’ he paused to reflect, ‘seeing you, being with you most of the week has been a bittersweet kind of torture, especially when you began to see Luke.’

  Her smile was tremulous as she took in what he’d said. He loved her! ‘Well, you are a fine actor, Paul. You kept your feelings well hidden.’

  ‘Because I didn’t want to scare you off. You said often enough that you had no time for romance and…I was prepared to wait.’

  ‘Were you?’ She licked her lips as she contemplated what he had said. ‘Well, you, I, us, we don’t have to wait anymore because,’ this time her smile held a special radiance, ‘I’ve just realised that I’m in love with you too.’

  ‘Really?’ Paul lifted a questioning eyebrow at her as they stood with their arms around each other. ‘What about Luke Michaels?’

  She tilted her head to one side to give his question due consideration, then said huskily. ‘Luke’s family and I like him, but I love you.’

  The fingers of his right hand came up to brush strands of red-gold hair off her forehead. ‘Old Carl won’t be happy about this. I think he kind of expects you and Luke to get together permanently.’

  Carla could see the common sense in her grandfather wanting that. It would bind her to the Stenmarks and Rhein Schloss permanently. However, that wasn’t what she wanted. ‘As much as I love Grandfather, he’ll not rule my life. I make my own decisions and there’s only one person I want to get together permanently with, as you put it.’ Her blue eyes glittered with merriment. ‘Should he ask me to, of course.’

  ‘Ah, I see.’ He gave an understanding nod. After a second or two he said what was required. ‘Will you marry me, Carla Hunter?’

  She didn’t make him wait for her answer. ‘Yes. Definitely.’

  His grin was etched with triumph as he held her close. ‘Wonderful, my darling, and you know, I don’t have a single bottle of champagne in the fridge to celebrate t
his momentous occasion.’

  Carla edged back from him and stared deeply into his eyes, her expression one of seductive promise mixed with anticipation. ‘You do know that there are other ways to celebrate.’

  Getting her meaning, his grin widened. ‘Let’s not waste another moment then, shall we?’ He swept her up in his arms and carried her towards his bedroom and the king size bed that dominated the room.

  Josh Aldrich used the cabin light in his pick-up to check the time again on his watch. 12.45 am. Where the hell was she? It pissed him off that Lisel was letting him cool his heels in the cold night air. Self-centred bitch. She didn’t give a damn about him freezing his balls off while he waited. He’d be glad to see her back for the last time, that was for sure.

  Parked near the Lyndoch Hotel he continued to wait, the fuse on his temper growing shorter by the minute. Another twenty minutes ticked by before he saw her sleek sports car pull up near him. Bugger her. She could come to him he decided and continued to sit there with his arms folded aggressively across his chest.

  A minute later Lisel, sexily dressed in black leather—jacket, pants and boots—tapped on his passenger-side window. She opened the door and climbed inside, wrinkling her nose at the odour. ‘Pooh, you smell like Smokey the Bear.’

  ‘So would you if you were that close to a fire,’ he retorted in a cranky tone. ‘You took your sweet time getting here.’

  ‘I had a date.’

  Sex-mad bitch. Don’t think about what she’s been doing, he chastised himself, it’ll make you horny. He shrugged under the weight of his coat and concentrated on why he was there. ‘Have you got it? The money?’

  ‘What? No small talk, no post-mortem?’ her tone was sarcastic. He was a pig of a man but he’d served her purpose well enough. ‘Did it go well?’

  ‘Like clockwork. Tran and Angie were out but the others were there, in their beds.’

  Lisel smiled with satisfaction. She wished she could have been there to watch Carla’s dreams, and Carla, go up in smoke. Since she was little she had been partial to fires, loving to watch the flames lick and take hold. The colours too, the yellow-red glow, the curling wisps of smoke. ‘And you got an alibi for yourself?’

  He snarled at the note of distrust in her voice. ‘Shit, yes. Like I said, clockwork.’

  Lisel reached into her purse and pulled out a fat envelope. She handed it to him. ‘It’s all there, what we agreed on. I’m not hanging around while you count it.’ Their business concluded she was keen to get away from him, but she was curious enough to ask, ‘When do you leave for the Hunter Valley?’

  ‘Tomorrow. As soon as I pack. My letter of resignation is on Luke’s desk.’

  ‘You’ll be missed.’ She begrudged giving credit to anyone but it was true in his case. ‘Still, it’s best that you go.’ She didn’t want him in the Valley for two reasons. The ongoing fear that one day he might get greedy and try to blackmail more money out of her and that him being around would be a constant reminder of what they’d done. Her hand found the car’s doorhandle and pushed it down to get out. ‘I wish you success in your new venture, Josh.’

  His mouth curled in a sneer which she couldn’t see in the poor light. ‘Yeah, thanks.’

  It was done. Lisel settled herself behind the wheel of the Mercedes and licked her lips as if she had just finished a delicious meal. Luke would never know what lengths she had undertaken to assure his future, nor would her father. Her hand reached for the ignition, she turned the key and the engine purred into life. She shifted into gear. The two years of uncertainty at Rhein Schloss were over and life could go back to being as it was meant to be. Papa would get over his disappointment at losing his granddaughter and great-grandson, and concentrate once more on tutoring Luke to take over. The next thing on her list regarding her nephew was to find him a wife. It was time he settled down, and with Carla out of the picture she could easily orchestrate a romance between Luke and a suitable woman, someone who understood the Barossa.

  The thought made her smile as she took a curve in the road. Yes, that would keep her, and Luke, occupied in the not too distant future.

  Breakfast time in the atrium of Stenhaus was usually a quiet affair, with Lisel and her father munching their way through plates of muesli and flavoured yogurt, followed by toast and coffee.

  Greta, her cheeks flushed, rushed in. She came straight up to her father. ‘Papa, I’ve just been talking to Angie Dupayne, Carla’s winemaker. There’s been a dreadful incident at Sundown Crossing. Last night the buildings were set on fire.’ A little breathless, she had to pause to take in a new breath. ‘The vines are okay but just about everything other than the winery is gone. Luke’s on his way there now to assess the damage.’

  Lisel, sitting on the left hand side of the table, where she could see her father and Greta, went very still. It was time for some play-acting. ‘How awful. Who would do such a thing?’ She watched her father’s expression change, become grim and, as he’d grown into the habit of doing lately, his right hand went to his chest, near his heart.

  Carl’s tone was tight with tension as he asked. ‘And…Carla and Sam?’

  Greta collapsed into the closest chair and rubbed fingers across her forehead. ‘They’re all right, thank the Lord. Paul van Leeson was going to see Carla. He got them out, saved their lives and those of Kim and Su Lee Loong. It’s a miracle no one was hurt.’

  A mouthful of muesli caught in Lisel’s throat and she choked. No one hurt. No one had been hurt. The words resounded over and over in her head. She was still alive. Josh, the stupid bastard. He had said everything had gone like clockwork. This result wasn’t her idea of clockwork. Paul van Leeson coming along and playing the knight in shining armour!

  An instant later she found it hard to breathe. The room, the situation, everything was closing in on her. She needed space and time, to think. After her planning, scheming and the risk she’d taken Carla wasn’t dead. Christ Almighty, she tried to regain a semblance of inner calm. Why was it that if you wanted something done properly you had to do it yourself? She had paid Josh a huge chunk of money and he hadn’t delivered the goods.

  ‘Angie said the fire chief believes it was arson, but the good thing is they have a lead. When whoever did it was leaving he knocked over several cans of paint and the police, they’ve already spoken to Carla, are sure the vehicle used will have traces of paint on the passenger side fender and tyre,’ Greta finished with some satisfaction.

  ‘Where are Carla and Sam now? They should come here.’ Lisel, gritting her teeth, made the offer sound warm, even gracious.

  ‘They’re at van Leeson’s and that’s where they want to stay, it being close to the vineyard and everything. I’ll go over there as soon as I’ve had a calming cup of coffee.’

  ‘I want them here, where it’s safe,’ Carl said, his tone dogmatic. ‘We’re family, after all.’

  Greta smiled at her father. ‘I’ll try, but you know Carla, she’s so independent and she knows Paul and his house pretty well.’

  ‘I will come with you to Sundown Crossing then we’ll go to van Leeson’s place,’ Carl decided. ‘Perhaps I can talk her around.’

  Lisel’s stomach was churning and roiling; she felt as if she was going to be physically ill. Get out of the room, she told herself, before you make a fool of yourself. ‘Well, as everyone seems to be going to check on Carla and Sam I should go to Rhein Schloss. Besides, I’ve an advertising session at ten o’clock.’ So saying, she got out of the chair and walked briskly from the atrium to her own suite of rooms.

  Finding her mobile she picked it up and dialled Josh’s number. ‘You’re still here,’ she hissed at him when he picked up. ‘You have to leave. Now.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘You fool! You’ve messed up. Carla and Sam are still alive, so are the Loongs.’

  Josh’s voice exploded through the receiver. ‘What! How?’

  She smiled briefly on hearing the consternation in his voice. He who thought he was gre
at wasn’t so great after all. ‘Van Leeson came along and rescued them. However, it’s your pick-up that’s the problem. Have you looked at it?’ She didn’t wait for him to answer. ‘According to Angie Dupayne there are traces of green paint—from Sundown Crossing—on the front fender and the tyre.’

  ‘Yeah. I noticed that this morning but couldn’t work out how it had happened.’

  The man was an idiot, no doubt about it. ‘Get rid of the pick-up,’ Lisel ordered. ‘Dump it in the bush then get out of the Barossa. Go today, before the police start checking on the vehicles of people who might have had a grudge against Carla.’

  ‘Ah, shit.’ Josh didn’t hide his disgruntlement. ‘I’ll have to buy another truck.’

  ‘So what? You have plenty of money, Josh. Just do it.’ Her instinct for survival warned her that if the police questioned Josh he might resist for a while but would eventually divulge the whole plan to save himself, and implicate her in the doing. Damn! It was too late for regrets and recriminations but, once again she berated herself, she should have done the deed and not trusted anyone else to do things properly. Her gaze narrowed on her reflection in the dressingtable mirror. Time to move into damage control. Arson was a serious offence and arson with intent to murder was even more serious.

  Maybe she should get out of the Barossa for a period of time. The European summer had begun and it wouldn’t be hard to convince Luke that she should visit wineries in France and Italy. Relieved by the thought of having a plan, a smile spread slowly across her face and the queasiness began to leave her stomach. That’s what she would do, go to Europe. Survival was a primal instinct and as a Stenmark she had a more than average share of it. She would take herself out of the picture before someone queried her as an interested party with a compelling motive to destroy Carla.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  In the end curiosity got the better of Lisel and before she drove to Rhein Schloss she followed her father’s chauffeured car to Sundown Crossing to assess for herself the damage done. Luke was already there, talking to a fireman who’d been assigned to the site to make sure the fire didn’t re-ignite.