by Julie Kenner
Teague pulled off his gloves and shoved them into his jacket pocket, heading toward the house. He had the evening to himself, with only one call on his agenda, a stop at Wallaroo to see Hayley.
Mary was preparing supper in the kitchen when he walked inside. He tossed his hat on the table and washed his hands in the sink.
“Where have you been?” she asked. “Or maybe I needn’t bother asking.”
Teague put his finger to his lips. “Let’s make this our secret, eh, Mary? I don’t need to listen to any whinging from my brothers about my choice of companions.”
“I don’t think they’re in a place to be complaining,” Mary said. “They’re a bit preoccupied with their own romances.”
“I’m heading out,” Teague said. “I’m taking my satellite phone, so if Doc Daley calls, tell him to ring me at that number. And I don’t plan to be home for a while.”
“You haven’t slept in your own bed for the past two nights,” she said.
Teague grinned. “Yeah. Well, I’m saving you the trouble of making my bed. You should be happy.”
Mary shook her head and laughed. “You take care,” she said. “I remember what happened the last time that girl broke your heart. You were impossible to live with.”
“No one is going to break anyone’s heart,” Teague reassured her. He pulled open the refrigerator and searched through the contents. “I thought there was another bottle of wine in here.”
“Brody took it last night,” she said. “Wine consumption has gone up on the station since the ladies arrived.” She opened the cabinet above the sink and pulled out a bottle. “Red. It should be served at room temperature.”
Teague leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You’re a sweetheart, Miss Mary.” He strode out of the kitchen onto the back porch, then crossed the yard to his Range Rover. Callum approached from the opposite direction, wiping his hands on a rag as he walked. Teague slipped the wine into his jacket pocket, pushing the neck of the bottle up his sleeve.
“You leaving?” Callum asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got to drive into Bilbarra to pick up some medicine from Doc Daley.”
Callum frowned. “Why don’t you take the plane. You should be able to make it home before dark.”
Teague shrugged. “I don’t mind the drive. I thought I might spend the night. Do a bit of socializing. Since you and Brody have corralled the only two decent-looking women in this part of Queensland, I’m going to have to look elsewhere.”
Callum stared at him for a long moment. “You are so full of shit,” he muttered. “Who do you think you’re fooling? I know Hayley Fraser is on Wallaroo and I suspect you’ve been seeing her.”
“And what if I am?” Teague asked.
Callum shook his head. “Did you ever think that maybe Harry Fraser is using his granddaughter against us?”
Teague laughed. “I think you’ve got a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock there, Cal. The land is ours. He’ll lose, whether I’m seeing Hayley or not. Unless you think he has a valid claim to the land.”
“Doesn’t matter what I think,” Cal said. “Harry’s the one raising a stink. He’s gone completely round the bend thinking he’ll win. This is costing money to defend ourselves once again. I’m ready to sue him right back for the fortune I’ve spent on solicitors.”
Callum had no idea how close he was to the truth about Harry. He had gone a bit berko. And maybe the lawsuit was part of that. “If you must know, Hayley is trying to convince Harry to sell the station.”
Callum gasped. “What?”
“He’s out there all by himself. He’s got no stock, the place is falling down around him and he’s probably spending his last cent trying to get that land back. I don’t know what good the land will do him, unless he thinks it will raise his asking price for the station.”
Callum frowned, shaking his head. “If you really think Harry will sell Wallaroo, you’re the crazy one. The only way Fraser is leaving that station is in a casket.”
“Hey, I’m just telling you what I know,” Teague said as he pulled open the door on the Range Rover. “Hayley is not involved with what her grandfather is doing. She doesn’t give a stuff about that land.”
As Teague drove the road to Wallaroo, he thought about Cal’s attitude toward Harry Fraser. Callum was a reasonable bloke and he always made decisions after careful thought. But his dislike for Hayley’s grandfather seemed completely irrational. Yes, the land was valuable. But if the situation were reversed and Callum thought he’d been cheated out of the land, he would do everything he could to get it back.
What difference did it make? Teague mused. He and Hayley were friends. What Callum and Brody thought about their relationship was irrelevant. And if they became more than friends, then he’d have to deal with that when the time came.
When he got to the house on Wallaroo, he found Harry sitting on the porch, his feet resting on the railing, his hands folded over his stomach. He sat up straight as Teague leaned out of the window of the Range Rover. “Hello, Mr. Fraser.”
“She’s in the stables. If you’re here to collect on your bill, she’s going to pay it. It’s her horse.”
“No worries,” Teague said. “I’m sure she’s good for it.”
“If you’re not back for money, what are you doing here?”
“Just another follow-up call,” Teague said.
“Get on with it, then,” he said, calling an end to their conversation.
By the time Teague reached the stables, Hayley was headed toward the house. He pulled up beside her and reached out, smoothing his hand along her bare arm. “Get in,” he said.
“Where are we going?”
“Out,” Teague replied.
“There is no out in the outback. We’re already out.”
“Well, I have a destination in mind. We’ll have a little wine, maybe a bite to eat. After that, maybe we’ll see a show.” He reached over and opened the passenger-side door. “Come on. We’re going to be late.”
She gave him a dubious look, but hurried around the SUV and jumped inside. Instead of driving toward the road, Teague drove through the yard and past the stables. The Range Rover bumped along toward the sunset, dust billowing behind them. Teague had seen the landing strip from the air the last time he’d passed over Wallaroo and he wanted to see it up close. When he reached the long, flat stretch, he turned the SUV around, its tailgate facing west.
“What are we doing out here?” Hayley asked.
“The best show in all of Queensland,” Teague said as he helped her out. He pointed to the brilliant pinks and purples on the horizon. “We’re just in time.” Teague opened the tailgate of the Range Rover, then lifted Hayley up to sit on it. Then he retrieved the bottle of wine from behind the driver’s seat. “And I brought refreshments.”
Hayley smiled. “Is this a date? Are you trying to impress me?”
“Is it working?” Teague asked.
“Yes.”
“Then this is a date,” he said. He took a corkscrew out of his pocket and opened the wine. “I didn’t bring glasses. We’ll have to drink out of the bottle.”
“It’s so much more sophisticated that way,” Hayley teased. “That’s the way they do it at all the best restaurants in Sydney.” She crossed her legs in front of her. “You know, this is our first date. In all the time we knew each other as kids, we never went on a real date. No school dances, no parties. I wish we would have had something like that to remember.”
“We’ll have this,” Teague said.
“Maybe we shouldn’t.” Hayley sent him a sideways glance. “Maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We’re so anxious to rekindle a teenage romance that we aren’t thinking about the effect it will have on our lives.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to be with me?” Teague asked.
“No. I’m saying, when this is over, I might not be able to cope with losing you again. I feel happy when I’m with you, Teague. The world seems right.”
; “You’ll always have me,” he said. “You don’t have to worry over that.”
She took a sip of wine, then smiled ruefully. “We’ll be eighty years old and I’ll show up on your doorstep wondering if our ‘friends with benefits’ deal is still good.”
“And I’ll invite you in for a cup of tea and a Vegemite sandwich and we’ll watch a nice game show on the telly.” He bumped her shoulder with his. “And you’ll be wearing some of those sexy stockings that end at the knees and comfortable shoes and a nice hairnet and I won’t be able to keep my hands to myself.”
“Now you’re making me really depressed,” she said.
Teague took the wine and set it down beside her. Then he leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her damp lips. “I can make you feel better,” he offered. “It’s the perfect remedy. Have you ever had sex on the roof of a Range Rover at sunset?”
“I can’t say that I have,” Hayley answered.
Teague reached into the rear of the SUV and pulled out a blanket, then tossed it over his head. He stood up on the tailgate and pulled her up to her feet. Spanning her waist with his hands, Teague lifted her up to sit on the roof, then handed her the bottle of wine.
“I knew there was a reason I didn’t get the optional roof rack,” he said as he crawled up beside her. “Sweetheart, you are never going to forget our first date.”
A MANTLE OF STARS filled the inky sky. Away from the lights of the city, Hayley was amazed at the sight, like a million diamonds scattered above her. Only in the outback, she mused. Snuggling against Teague, she sought the warmth of his body to ward off the chill of the night air. They lay facing each other, the blanket wrapped around them both, their noses touching.
“This was the nicest first date I’ve ever been on,” she teased, her lips brushing against his as she spoke.
“I know what a woman likes,” he said. “I’m pretty smooth that way. Wine directly out of the bottle, a beautiful sunset and really incredible sex on the roof of my car.”
“So, how many other women have you had since me?”
“I don’t remember,” he said.
Hayley drew back. “You’re lying.”
“I’m saying that none of them were memorable. You were the one who stuck in my mind. I think I can recall every single time we made love.” His hand ran up along her hip, then down again. “Would you like me to recall them all for you?”
Hayley shivered, nuzzling against his neck. “I guess it’s true what they say. You never really forget your first love.”
“Very true,” he agreed.
“We should probably go. Harry is going to wonder where I am.”
“It’s not that late. We can stay a bit longer.” He kissed her again, this time lingering over her lips. “I want to say something to you and I want you to listen carefully.”
“What is it?” Hayley asked, wondering at his serious tone.
“I plan to spend as much time as possible with you, Hayley. I don’t know how long you’ll be here, but I’m determined to make every minute count. So when we’re together, there’ll be no talk of getting home or worrying about Harry or maybe we shouldn’t be doing this or that. If you’re not prepared to spend every free minute with me, you need to tell me now.”
“You have to work,” she said.
“I do. But I figure you can come along. That’s why I wanted to check out the landing strip. I’ll buzz the house and you can meet me out here and off we’ll go. What are you doing tomorrow? I have to fly into Bilbarra to cover a couple surgeries for Doc Daley. After we’re done we can fly to Brisbane for lunch.”
“I have to take Harry into Bilbarra. The eye doctor stops there tomorrow and he has an appointment to get his vision checked. We’re leaving first thing in the morning. Two hours in the car on the way to Bilbarra and two hours back. I’m not sure how that’s going to go.”
“Why don’t you let me fly you both. It’s about a half hour by air. Once I’m finished at the surgery, we’ll have lunch.”
“Harry would never get on a plane,” she said. “I’m going to have the devil of a time getting him in my car. He’s very suspicious of everything I suggest to him. He’ll probably think I’m planning to dump him off at some retirement home.”
“He must leave the station occasionally. Doesn’t he?”
“From what I can tell, not recently. He’d been living off tinned food for a month before I arrived. This station was his whole life. It’s kind of sad to see what’s happened to it. Makes the feud seem a bit silly, doesn’t it?”
“Why is he bringing this up again? He’s lost the last two times in court. And the time before that, he only won because he found some old document that the judge thought was real.”
“I don’t know,” Hayley replied. “He has no money to pay for this lawsuit. He’s not using the land he has. He’s so fixated on winning.” She drew a deep breath. “Couldn’t you let him win?”
Teague frowned. “You mean turn over the land to Harry? Cal would never go for that.”
She nodded. “Why not? I’m beginning to think the feud is the only thing keeping my grandfather on this land. He simply refuses to leave until he wins.”
“He’s not going to win this time,” Teague said.
“What if I bought the land from Cal? How much would your brother want for it?”
“He won’t sell,” Teague said. “Why do you care? Harry never did anything for you except drive you away from the only home you had left. You don’t owe him anything, Hayley.”
“You don’t understand,” she countered.
“Explain,” he said. “Make me understand.”
Teague waited, watching as she tried to put her thoughts in order. “You’re right, I don’t owe Harry anything. But he’s the only family I have. And I can’t continue to push him away. There’s going to come a day when he isn’t around anymore and I don’t want to have any regrets about what I did or didn’t do.”
Teague caught her hand and drew it to his lips. “You can’t make him love you. Even if you handed him that land on a silver platter, it wouldn’t change who he is.”
“I know.” She drew a ragged breath. “He seems so old. And sad. And when he’s gone, I won’t have anyone left.”
“You’ll have me,” he said in a fierce tone. “How many times do I have to say that for you to believe it?”
“Kiss me again,” she said. “Then maybe I’ll believe it.”
Teague cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly. Tears pushed at the corners of her eyes and she fought against them. She never cried. She hadn’t cried since her parents’ funeral. And now, twice in one week. Teague was the dearest friend she’d ever had, the only person in the world she could trust. Yet, she couldn’t allow herself to surrender to those feelings.
He pulled away and Hayley swallowed the lump in her throat. Before he had the chance to see her tears, she rolled over on top of him, pushing the blankets aside. Goose bumps prickled her skin as the chilly night air stole the warmth from her body. She ran her fingers down his chest from his collarbone to his belly.
The cold magnified every sensation, the simplest touch warming her blood and making her heart race. Teague smoothed his thumb over her nipple and Hayley sighed softly, bracing her hands on his chest.
She moved above him, teasing at him until he began to grow hard with desire. And when he was ready, Hayley shifted and he was suddenly inside her. She moaned as he thrust deep, his hands clutching her hips.
She could lose herself in this passion. When he was inside her, all her doubts and insecurities vanished. The connection became strong and the trust unshakable. But they couldn’t spend the rest of their lives making love. They both had to live in the outside world, where other forces would pull them apart.
If only she knew what to do, how to commit to a man. Without an example to follow, without loving parents to watch, she’d been left to find guidance from romantic movies. But that wasn’t real life.
Her parents had love
d each other, against all odds. They’d met and fallen in love in the course of a day, then married young, just a year after her father had left Wallaroo. They’d started with nothing and built a life together. But how did it happen? She’d been too young to see the truth in their relationship. To her, they’d seemed perfect. Yet they must have had their problems just like any other couple.
Had it begun like this? Hayley wondered. With desire and passion and need? Or was there some other secret to making love last a lifetime? She looked down at Teague, his face cast in silver light from the moon, then bent closer and kissed him.
He twisted his fingers through her hair, holding her close, whispering his need against her mouth. Then he reached between them and touched her. She drew in a quick breath, then moaned, an unspoken plea for him to continue.
Hayley gave herself over to him, light-headed with desire and unable to think rationally. It felt so good to let go, to know that he would be there to catch her when she fell. She could allow herself to be vulnerable without the usual fears.
The seduction was slow and deliberate, a gentle climb toward release. And when it finally came, she and Teague found it together, their bodies joined in perfect pleasure. Hayley didn’t know much about love, but she knew what they shared sexually was as good as it got.
He pulled her into his embrace again, tucking her against his warm body and wrapping the blanket around them. “We can’t go on like this,” he murmured.
“We can’t?”
“I don’t want to leave you. I want you with me.”
“That’s not very practical,” she said.
“I’ll find a way to make it happen. Twenty-four hours together with no one to get between us. Two days would be even better.”
“I’m cold,” Hayley said, anxious to change the subject.
“I think I’m going to have to find our clothes.” Teague wrapped her up in the blanket, then slid off the top of the Range Rover.
She sat up and watched him, appreciating his body naked in the moonlight. He gathered his clothes first, pulling his shirt over his head before he tugged on his jeans. Then he searched for his boots and socks. When he was finished dressing, he returned with her clothes.