The Cattleman's Special Delivery

by Barbara Hannay

  Her green eyes sparkled—yes, her eyes were definitely green—and Reece realised that this was why he’d come: to reassure himself that she hadn’t forgotten how to smile. She looked so heart-stoppingly pretty when her eyes lit up.

  There was an awkward silence as they sat a metre apart and watched Rosie play with her new toy.

  ‘How have you been, Jess?’

  ‘Fine, thanks.’ She tweaked a curl on her baby’s head. ‘Honestly. I hope you haven’t been worrying about me.’

  ‘No, not at all.’

  Another awkward silence.

  ‘Where are you staying?’ Jess asked. ‘Do you have friends in Cairns?’

  ‘Not really. I’m booked into a pub down on the waterfront.’

  ‘Nice.’

  ‘Yes, it’s fine. Close to the hospital.’

  Rosie grabbed at her mother’s nose and squealed with glee. Jess laughed, and then, suddenly, she asked, ‘Would you like to stay for dinner?’

  ‘No, no. I just dropped in for a quick hello. I don’t want to impose on you.’

  ‘I’ve made a chicken casserole.’ Before he could answer, she hurried on. ‘You must allow me to feed you, Reece, after everything you’ve done for me.’

  He remembered her letters. I owe you so much. One day, I promise I’ll repay you.

  ‘Your cooking certainly smells very good,’ he said.

  ‘That’s settled, then. It’s all ready.’ Jess smiled again and then she stood and set the baby down on a rug on the floor, putting the chime garden beside her, as well as the teddy bear he’d sent and a rattle. But as soon as she was down Rosie complained, waving her arms and throwing herself down and crying.

  Jess sighed. ‘I’m afraid she’s always super grizzly and needy at this time of day.’

  ‘Would she let me hold her?’

  ‘I’m sure she’d love it. I’ll check the dinner.’ As Jess headed for the stove her pink mouth tilted into yet another smile.

  Reece swallowed nervously as he looked down at the small, angry infant. His offer to pick her up had felt like the right thing to do, but now he was somewhat in awe of this writhing, small creature. He knew zilch about babies. He guessed they were probably like dogs, able to sense a person’s fear. Sure enough, when he picked Rosie up, she stiffened as she stared at him.

  At the same moment, a knock sounded on the door.

  ‘Gosh,’ Jess exclaimed as she set the hot casserole dish on a cane mat. ‘I hardly ever have visitors, and now I have two in one night.’

  What lousy timing, she thought as she slipped off the oven gloves. Now that she’d recovered from the shock of finding Reece on her doorstep, she’d even managed to shove aside the awkwardness she’d felt remembering her labour and everything poor Reece had been exposed to that night. With those thoughts carefully blocked, she was actually looking forward to sharing her dinner with him.

  Apart from the fact that she owed him so much, the past four months had been lonely, with hardly any time for catching up with her friends. Then again, her friends were mostly childless and always on the go at parties, or yachting weekends, or working overtime to ‘get ahead’. But although Jess missed them, another visitor now would upset her dinner plans—there were only two chairs.

  Someone would have to sit on the sofa.

  She sent Reece an apologetic eye-roll as she went to answer the door, and her stomach tightened when she saw two strange, beefy and unsmiling men.

  ‘He-hello,’ she said uncertainly.

  ‘Mrs Cassidy?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Is your husband home?’

  ‘No.’ A cold shiver snaked over Jess’s skin. ‘My husband passed away several months ago.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ The speaker was bald with bushy eyebrows and he looked momentarily wrong-footed. Recovering quickly, he shot a suspicious glance past Jess to Reece, who was standing a few feet behind her, holding Rosie.

  Jess noticed, irrelevantly, that the baby looked amazingly tiny in Reece’s strong, manly arms.

  Facing her visitors again, she held her head higher. The fact that she was a widow alone with a handsome male guest was none of this stranger’s business.

  ‘I’m here to represent Tighe’s Electrics,’ he said.

  Jess frowned. ‘Electrics? My electricity’s fine, thanks. Everything’s fine.’

  ‘I’m referring to your electrical white goods.’ The man’s tone held a hint of menace and he leaned forward to peer through the doorway into her tiny kitchen. ‘You have a fridge and a washing machine and dryer and you’ve received communications from us regarding them.’

  ‘No, I haven’t.’ Jess felt suddenly sick. ‘I haven’t heard anything about white goods. But I’ve moved quite a few times this year, and my mail has been messed around.’

  ‘If you have a problem with the Post Office, that’s nothing to do with me.’ The man on her doorstep looked unsympathetic and waved an official-looking document under her nose. ‘I’ve been authorised to repossess these items.’

  Jess swayed against the door frame. ‘You can’t. I—I don’t understand. My husband paid cash for them.’

  He shook his head.

  ‘Alan was absolutely definite. There must be a mistake.’ Jess hoped she sounded convincing, but she sensed this was another battle she was almost certainly going to lose.

  She’d had so much bad news in the past few months. So many things that Alan had kept hidden from her, including huge debts on two credit cards. She’d even discovered that he’d cashed in his life insurance, leaving her with nothing but a massive debt.

  Until now, she’d been grateful that she’d at least found a job to pay for rent and food and the minimum repayments on all these other debts. Beyond that, her prize possessions were her transistor radio and her bed, plus the refrigerator and washing machine.

  ‘Excuse me,’ rumbled a deep voice behind her.

  Jess jumped. She’d momentarily forgotten about Reece, and now she was flooded with wincing embarrassment. What must he think?

  ‘There seems to be a problem,’ he said. ‘Perhaps I can help.’

  Instinctively, Jess shook her head. Reece had already gone above and beyond the call of duty for her.

  ‘Too late,’ the man on the doorstep said, totally unconcerned. ‘I have orders to repossess. Today. No more chances.’

  ‘I can write a cheque,’ Reece replied firmly.

  A bushy eyebrow lifted. ‘Sorry, mate. As I said, time’s run out.’ Switching his attention to Jess, he said, ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You let me take these items now, or I can come back with the police.’

  ‘I have no intention of fighting you.’

  Chin high, with as much dignity as she could muster, Jess stepped back as the fellow barged through the doorway.

  ‘Come on, Fred,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘Let’s get this lot into the truck.’

  ‘Hang on,’ Jess protested. ‘There’s food in the fridge.’

  ‘I’ll empty it out.’

  ‘No, you won’t.’ With sudden, fierce determination, she pushed past him. She was humiliated and devastated, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to let this bullying oaf walk all over her. ‘I’ll take my food out, thank you very much.’

  Lips compressed, she wrenched the fridge door open and began to remove its contents, setting the items neatly and efficiently on the draining board. Eggs, butter, milk, cheese...a plastic container of home-made stewed apple, another of chicken stock...

  Watching her, Reece wanted to roar with rage. He’d never felt so furious and so helpless. It was probably just as well he was holding the baby, or he might have shoved an angry fist in these guys’ smug faces. He was so maddened to see Jess treated like this. He couldn’t imagine the circumstances the poor girl had been left in.

  When the refrigerator was emptied, Jess came over to him, her face tight and pink, but composed. ‘Thanks for looking after Rosie.’

  ‘No problem.’

&
nbsp; She took her baby from him and hugged her close. ‘At least no one can take you,’ she murmured, dropping a kiss on the little girl’s downy head.

  Out in the street her refrigerator was being loaded into a truck and for the first time her eyes brimmed with tears.

  Reece’s throat tightened on a painful rock. ‘Will you be able to manage?’

  ‘Oh, sure. I’ll have this sorted tomorrow.’

  He knew she was covering a host of worries, and she didn’t want to admit she was in trouble, which made it hard for him to help.

  ‘I’ll duck out and get some ice,’ he suggested. ‘Then you can keep things cold in the sink overnight.’

  She nodded without quite meeting his gaze. ‘That’s a good idea. Thanks.’ Then she looked up at him, her green eyes shimmering, and she gave him a brave but tremulous smile.

  Reece felt as if he’d swallowed razor blades.

  * * *

  The truck was gone by the time he arrived back with a bag of ice. He couldn’t see Jess, but there was a soft light coming from behind the bedroom curtains and she’d left the front door open. He guessed she was settling the baby to sleep, so he entered the flat quietly and glared at the dusty gap in the corner where the fridge had been. Then he placed the ice in the sink and packed the fridge items in with it.

  He noticed that the casserole dish was back in the oven and the radio had been turned down low.

  Jess came tiptoeing into the room, a finger to her lips. ‘I think she’s down for the count,’ she whispered, and then she picked up the flowers he’d brought. ‘I haven’t even thanked you for these gerberas. They’re lovely, Reece. So bright and cheerful.’

  Once again, he felt sure the flowers were totally wrong.

  ‘I don’t think I have a vase,’ Jess said. ‘I might have to put them in a jug.’

  He held up a bottle of wine. ‘While I was out, I decided we could use a drop of vino to go with the chicken.’

  Jess brightened. ‘So you still want to stay?’

  ‘You invited me, didn’t you?’

  ‘Of course.’ Her smile lingered as she quickly found tumblers for the wine, put the flowers in a green glass jug and set the table with cheery red mats. The bright colours made the fridge-less kitchen seem less depressing.

  Jess served up the fragrant meal and they sat, just a little self-consciously.

  ‘This is sensational,’ Reece said as he tasted the chicken.

  ‘Yes, it’s one of my favourites.’

  ‘So you like cooking?’

  ‘Sure. It’s my job.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘I’m a chef.’

  He knew so little about her. She was the girl he’d found on the side of the road. A girl in trouble, a girl still in trouble. He ate in silence, caught up in his thoughts.

  ‘You’re not huge on conversation, are you?’

  He looked up to find Jess watching him, her eyes dancing with private amusement.

  ‘Sorry. I was thinking.’

  ‘About your father?’

  ‘Partly.’ He couldn’t deny that he was haunted by the image of his dad looking lost and intimidated in the big city hospital. He would duck back there soon to make sure the old man was settled for the night. ‘I was also thinking about you.’

  ‘Don’t worry about me.’ She picked up her glass. ‘This is a very fine wine.’

  Reece couldn’t let her change the subject so easily. ‘Sorry, Jess, but I can’t help being concerned. You’re not in trouble, are you?’

  ‘No, I’m absolutely fine. I have a job, and I’m managing. Honestly.’

  ‘Are you in a position to buy a new fridge and washing machine?’

  ‘Of course.’

  He was sure she was lying.

  ‘Look,’ Jess said tightly. ‘I don’t want to talk about money tonight. I’m sick of thinking about money and bills. I’ll deal with that tomorrow. I want to channel Scarlett O’Hara. Another day and all that, and I’ll work something out. But tonight, my baby’s asleep, I have adult company, and we’re drinking a very good wine. I’d very much like to enjoy it.’

  With a wave of her glass, she gestured to the table and then to him and her mouth quirked into a shy smile. ‘Believe me, this is an unexpected but gratefully appreciated luxury.’

  Reece found himself returning her smile. Truth was, this was a luxury for him too. Dining with a pretty girl who happened to also be a fabulous cook made a brilliant change from his own bland cooking and his father’s increasingly dour company.

  Just the same... Jess hadn’t just lost a husband—she’d lost a life partner, a support base. ‘I know you don’t want to talk about it, but this must have been hard for you, managing on your own. Do you have support? Friends? Family?’

  ‘Yes, Reece.’

  Her reply was too quick, but he knew she’d hate it if he pushed her any further.

  She smiled again as she sipped her wine. ‘So tell me... If you could be absolutely anywhere in the world right now, where would you like to be?’

  Here, he almost said, and then checked himself just in time. She would be shocked if she knew how much he was enjoying this meal and her company.

  ‘Come on,’ Jess prompted. ‘Where would you choose? City or country?’

  Reece shrugged. ‘City, I guess. I wouldn’t mind a city break.’

  ‘In summer or winter?’

  ‘Maybe winter. A total change from the tropics. Possibly with snow.’

  ‘Manhattan in January,’ she suggested, her green eyes alight.

  ‘Sounds about perfect.’ He pictured her on a crowded Manhattan street. Saw her against a background of yellow taxis and skyscrapers. She would be wearing a long coat with a bright scarf at her throat and there’d be snowflakes in her dark hair. The image was entrancing.

  ‘What about you?’ he remembered to ask. ‘Where would you like to be?’

  Jess’s eyes were lit by a gratifying sparkle. ‘I wouldn’t say no to Manhattan. As long as I could afford to buy really trendy clothes. But...’ she cocked her head to one side ‘...I guess it depends... If I had Rosie with me, I might choose the beach. Not a North Queensland beach. I wouldn’t want stingers or crocodiles. Somewhere with surf and sandcastles and wading pools.’

  Now, he was picturing Jess in a bikini.

  Damn, he was a fool.

  * * *

  Later...Jess washed the dinner dishes in the laundry tub, because the kitchen sink was now packed with ice and the contents of her fridge. Of course, she wouldn’t let Reece help her with the dishes, but after she’d sent him away, she felt depressed.

  She missed him already, which was crazy. He wasn’t hers to miss. He was an out-of-town cattleman passing through, but now that he was gone she couldn’t hold off facing her problems. She had absolutely no money to spare. As it was, sharing her dinner with Reece meant that she’d be eating baked beans on toast by the end of the week. But how on earth could she manage without a fridge and a washing machine?

  She’d been trying so hard to keep her head above water, but now she felt overwhelmed by debt and black despair. She was drowning.

  It had been so hard to hide her desolation from Reece, but she’d been determined. She couldn’t fall apart in front of him. Not again.

  On the upside, they’d shared a very pleasant evening. Sitting across the dinner table from him, she’d found herself mesmerised by his dark brown eyes and the clean lines of his cheekbones. But, of course, she had to stop any hint of dreamy thoughts.

  To begin with, Reece hadn’t shown the slightest hint that he was in any way romantically interested in her, and even if he had she couldn’t allow herself to become involved with another man. Not for ages, quite possibly not ever.

  Not with these debts hanging over her head. She could never go into another relationship so encumbered. Her goal now was a stable, happy life for Rosie, and it was up to her to provide it. It was going to take years to get her finances back on track, and till then she couldn’t allow h
erself to be distracted by another guy, no matter how kind, or heroic, or attractive.

  Anyway, besides her debt worries, falling for Alan had taught her many lessons—enough to make her doubt men and to doubt her own judgement when it came to making romantic choices.

  She’d been totally taken in by Alan’s good looks and charming manner, and, after they’d married, he’d talked her into setting up her dream restaurant. He’d had it all planned. He would help to finance the venture. Jess would be head chef and he would be manager and together they’d attract fame and fortune.

  In reality, Jess had worked her butt off in the kitchen, while Alan swanned about in the dining room, greeting their customers like bosom buddies, regaling them with stories they didn’t want to hear and drinking their wine. As a business manager, he’d been utterly hopeless. After six months, Jess had been so worried, she’d sat up one night until dawn trying to make sense of their finances.

  What she’d found had appalled her. Alan had never invested his own money, and now they weren’t keeping up with repayments on the loan, and other bills had also gone unpaid. Their business had gone under three months later.

  It was the beginning of a disastrous pattern. Looking back, it was hard to believe that Alan had twice managed to convince her that they’d get it right the next time.

  Remembering it all now, Jess felt such a mix of sorrow and regret, and anger, but a good swag of the anger was directed at herself. She’d been too easily sucked in by Alan’s charm and his hollow promises.

  She’d spent three years trying to believe in him.

  In the future, she had to be wiser, and her safest bet was to rely on no one. Go it alone. She’d watched her mother limp from one disastrous relationship to another, and she’d vowed she’d never follow her example.

  Now, she tiptoed into the bedroom she shared with Rosie. The old second-hand cot didn’t look as scratched and ugly in the soft pink glow of the rabbit-shaped night lamp. She could see Rosie lying on her side, her hair, lighter now, and soft as a cloud, her little hands loose and relaxed, a bubble of milk on her lower lip. As always, Jess felt her heart swell with love. Love sweet and painful and more powerful than anything she’d imagined.