by Annie Seaton
The Weimaraner was in the goat pen and was having a wonderful time chasing the goats.
‘Blast you, Otis.’ He’d had nothing but trouble with the damn dog since he’d arrived to look after the farm. Now he knew why Dave had trouble getting the neighbours to look after the place when he went away.
‘How can I help?’
He turned around to see Sally beside him.
Sol shook his head with another groan as the goats ran around in a mad panic. He could barely make himself heard over the bleating and the barking. ‘If you hold the gate, I’ll go in and get him. When I get back over here with him, open the gate and shut it behind us after I drag him through.’
Sally nodded and he vaulted the fence. His PJs caught on the barbed wire at the top and he grabbed for his butt as a blast of cold air hit his skin. But he didn’t have time to worry about that. He grabbed the top of his pants, and held them secure as he took off across the pen after the dog. After three circuits of the pen avoiding goat hooves, with a huge lunge he crash tackled the damn mutt and landed in the mud with the dog beneath him.
‘Gottcha, Otis!’
SALLY HADN’T LAUGHED so much for years. Okay, maybe she had a tiny bit of sympathy for Sol, but the sight of a grown man with a huge rip in his PJ pants, chasing a silver flash of a dog around a goat pen was one of the funniest things she’d ever seen. By the time, Sol was back in his feet and dragging the dog over to the gate where she stood guard Sally had managed to school her face into a sympathetic expression.
‘Step back when we come through, you don’t want to get flicked with mud.’ Sol now had both hands through the dog’s collar, and the dog was heading reluctantly towards the gate. ‘Okay. Open it now.’
Sally pushed the gate open and the dog charged through. She squealed as it headed straight for her and two muddy, smelly paws landed on her shoulders and a pink, very wet tongue licked her chin.
‘Oh, God, I’m so sorry.’ Sol tugged at the dog’s collar. ‘Otis, bloody get down!’
Sally snorted as the laughter took over again. She lifted her hand to her face and it came away wet with a combination of dog slobber and mud. Her best white T-shirt and designer jeans were flicked with mud. As Sol pulled on the dog’s collar, the dog resisted, still licking Sally’s face, obviously enamoured with a new human. Sally reached out and put her arms around him. She was already filthy, and he was the most beautiful pup, naughty behaviour withstanding.
‘What a beautiful boy,’ she murmured. The dog moaned as she rubbed his ears, and after a minute, he slid his paws down the front of her T-shirt and jeans on his way to the ground.
Sol stood there and looked at her, a stupefied expression on his face. ‘I am so sorry. What a welcome.’
‘It’s fine. My clothes will wash. The goats seem to be alright, and the only damage I can see—’the laughter spluttered out again—‘is the huge rip in your pretty blue PJs.’
The grin stayed on her face as Sol went brick red and looked down at the dog.
‘Now take me to a laundry, and I’ll have a wash.’ She wrinkled her nose. What’s that strange smell?’
‘Probably wombat.’ Sol rolled his eyes as he looked at her. His mouth twitched and then lifted in a grin. ‘Trust me, you don’t want to know.’
Sally stared up at him. ‘Thank you. ‘
‘Thank you?’ Sol quirked an eyebrow. ‘What for?’
‘For taking me right out of my comfort zone.’
Sally looked down as the dog slipped out of his grasp and headed for the house. Sol held his hand out to her, and it seemed to be the most natural thing in the word to slip her hand in his.
Her heart filled as they followed Otis over to the old farmhouse.
Chapter 8
Sol showed Sally to the bathroom, and went in search of some clothes. He stripped off his PJs in the laundry and had a quick wash under the outside shower when he was sure that Sally was inside. He pulled on the jeans and a T-shirt that he’d left in the laundry and went looking for some clothes for her. Surely Dave has something here that she could put on while he washed and dried her muddy clothes.
The farm had belong to Dave’s parents before they’d retired to the coast, and in the back room, he found some bags of clothes that seemed to be bundled up for the op shop. Digging in he found a pair of yellow track pants, a hi vis work shirt and a purple hoodie. He knocked on the bathroom door and yelled through the door. ‘There’s some clothes on the floor outside for you, Sally.’
‘Thanks,’ came the reply. He heard the shower switch off and he hurried down to the kitchen where he’d fed Otis and locked him in. The dog looked up at him innocently. He and Sally had got most of the mud off his coat before they’d let him inside. Sally had been such a good sport.
‘Stay there.’ Sol shook his head as he pointed to the rug in front of the blazing fire, and the mutt settled in comfortably. He checked the back door was closed firmly and opened a window to let some fresh air in. The aroma of wet dog wasn’t a pleasant one for a kitchen, but Sol didn’t have the heart to move him away from the fire.
With a shrug, he crossed to the fridge and took out the pie he’d cooked last night when Sally had agreed to drive up. The oven in the combustion stove was warm and he slipped it in.
I owe her big time.
It was satisfying to be pottering around the kitchen preparing a meal to share with another person. For too long, Sol had lived alone, choosing to house sit for his friends. In between house sits, he endured being back in the apartment at the family home, and if he was lucky his parents would be travelling to some medical conference overseas when he had to stay there. It was about time he bought his own place, although with his new career plans, he could end up anywhere. He stood at the window thinking about where he might end up and jumped when something brushed against his arm.
He turned around and looked into a mass of colour.
Sally stood beside him and smiled. ‘At least they fit, even though I might be a bit bright.’ She gestured down to the clothes he’d found for her.’
‘You look . . .um . . . lovely.’ His lips twitched again.
‘Um, lovely?’ She nudged him and a warm feeling shot down into his stomach and—
Don’t go there.
‘Yes lovely. And bright. Lunch is almost ready.’
Sally sniffed. ‘Smells good.’
‘It’s killed the dog aroma anyway.’ Sol pulled out a chair for her, but she shook her head.
‘I’ll go and get my bag and your notes first.’
As she opened the door, Otis was up instantly and out the door like a shot. Sol followed him out and crossed to the gate with Sally. ‘’He can’t get out of the house yard, so I’ll wait here and make sure the gate’s locked when you come back in.
A short time later, he locked the gate behind Sally and Otis stayed outside as Sol followed her back into the warm kitchen. His lips twitched again as he looked at the outfit she was wearing.
‘I’ve put your clothes in the washing machine. As soon as it finishes, I’ll put them in the dryer.
‘Thank you.’ She sat down and put the notes on the table. ‘I’ll take you through this because there’s so much there. I’m not sure exactly what your focus is.’
‘Fabulous. Thank you. How about after we eat?
‘Sounds good to me.’
The bacon and egg pie was cooked to perfection, and the pastry was light and flaky.
Sol made two coffees with the coffee maker that went everywhere with him when he moved between house-sits. Sally leaned back in her chair and inhaled as it brewed. ‘Yum. What is that?’
‘Ginger and cardamom.’
‘You’re an interesting man, Sol Brown.’
He poured the coffees and carried them across to the table. ‘Not really.’
She nodded and a whiff of fresh Sunlight soap wafted across.
Sexy. Sol shook his head. Stop it.
‘You are. You have a mean hand with pastry. You make amazing coff
ee and you’re writing a fascinating thesis.’
He grinned ruefully. ‘You need to talk to my family. They would disagree.’
‘Speaking of family. I have a huge favour to ask you.’
He tipped his hand to the side as he sipped his coffee. Sally’s eyes were bright, and her cheeks were pink from the warmth of the fire crackling beside them.
‘How can I help?’
‘The day my sister comes home from Hawaii, I want to give her a shock. It’s payback time. She thinks I’m too boring and staid to play a trick on her, and I know she’ll fall for it hook, line and sinker.’
What do you want me to do?’
‘I want to pretend that you’ve moved in with me.’
The anticipation glinting in her eyes mirrored the anticipation that shot through him.
‘But only if it suits you. I’m not sure when Sonia’s due home, and you have the goats to look after and the dog. And I know you’ve got to get your thesis in too.’
Sol looked her and grinned. ‘Sounds like fun. But am I right in guessing payback is out of character for you?’
‘You’re very perceptive,’ she said as she held his gaze. ‘I’m the quiet twin. The one who always does the right thing, the one who fulfils everyone’s expectations. I’ve been a bit introverted over the past couple of years. I had a relationship go wrong, and I’ve been licking my wounds ever since. For way too long. That’s why Sonia decided to jolt me out of my comfort zone.’
‘And you’re happy she has?’
Her eyes sparked with mischief. ‘I am. But she’s not going to get away with it.’
Sol reached over and picked up his phone. ‘I leave here on Friday and I was going to head back to Vaucluse for a couple of weeks, so I can come any time.’
‘Thank you. I’ll find out when she’d coming back.’
‘And I’ll have to make sure Gertie’s fixed by then. I don’t want to be stuck out here with the goats and Otis when Dave comes home.’ He smiled apologetically. ‘Can you just excuse me for a minute? With all the fuss this morning, I haven’t had a chance to ring the mechanic yet.’
Chapter 9
Sally picked up her coffee and walked across to the fire while Sol made his call. She stared into the flames as she sipped the wonderful brew. It surprised her how comfortable she was here with him. Maybe it was the incident with the dog and the goats that had broken the ice a bit more, but if she was honest, she’d felt just as easy with him at the house the other night.
As Sol disconnected, Sally crossed to the sink and rinsed her cup. Her mouth dropped open as she looked over at the shed. Around her car were piles of grey—she wasn’t sure what—grey stuff. As she watched, Otis jumped from her car window with a mouthful of grey—
‘Oh my God.’ She yelled and took off for the kitchen door, pushing past Sol as she put his phone on the countertop. ‘He’s eating my car!’
The door slammed behind them as Sol followed her out. Sally pushed the gate open and ran across to her car, the sharp stones of the driveway sharp beneath her bare feet. She stood there with her mouth open, disbelief coursing through her. Sol stood beside her, his mouth open and his eyes filled with horror.
‘Fucking hell, Sally. I’m so sorry.’
The interior of her car—the seat covers, the carpet and parts of the dashboard— were scattered around the driveway.
‘I’ve never seen a dog eat a car before.’ Her voice was hushed. As she spoke Otis squeezed his head through the open driver’s window, a goofy smile—if dogs did smile—on his face and lumps of foam rubber stuck in the slobber around his mouth.
Sol opened the door and Otis jumped out. The dog came over to Sally and she crouched down when he flopped at her feet. She couldn’t help but run her fingers over that silky silver coat as she chastised him.
‘You are a naughty boy, you know that, don’t you, gorgeous.’ She looked up at Sol as he peered into the interior of her car. ‘How bad is it?’
‘Um, you don’t want to know.’ Sol shook his head. ‘Don’t worry, Sally. I’ll pay to have it fixed.’
‘Insurance should cover it.’ She couldn’t help but giggle. ‘Puts a whole new spin on the dog ate my homework, doesn’t it?’
‘Maybe I could try the dog ate my thesis?’ Sol’s deep voice was full of laughter and Sally’s girly bits quivered. They hadn’t done that for a long time.
‘Maybe.’ She knew her smile was shy and she stood and worked over to the car, and stood close to him as she peered inside. ‘Um, is it drivable?’
Sol shook his head. ‘He’s chewed up the pedals too. Dave told me his previous owner calls Otis, the naughtiest dog in the universe, and that’s why he got rid of him. Dave took him on as a rescue dog, but he didn’t warn me about half of what he’s done this week.’ He put his hand on Sally’s arm, and the butterflies in her tummy started dancing again. ‘I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for a cab to take you home later.’
‘Oh. She bit her lip. ‘I forgot your car was out of action.’
‘Mac’s coming out at five o’clock to take a look at it when he shuts the local garage back at Peats Ridge. If he gets it going today, I can drive you home tonight. We’ll have to get your car towed to a panel beater for a quote.’
‘Don’t worry too much. It’s a really old car. Sonia and I have shared it since we were in our teens. It’s about time we got a new one. I just hope insurance covers interiors.’
‘But I do feel bad. I’ll sort out something.’ Sol frowned at her. ‘When’s your next appointment or class?’
‘Not till tomorrow night, so there’s no rush to get home.’ The thought of staying with Sol for a few more hours filled her with happiness. He took everything in his stride and she loved the way he was. She shook her head as she thought of Blake coping with a situation like this. He would have lost it entirely, and he would have been rude about the outfit she was wearing. Sonia had been right all along.
‘He really wasn’t a very nice person,’ Sally muttered.
‘Sorry? Who?’
Sally shook her head and smiled up at him. ‘Nothing. I was just thinking out loud.’ She tugged Sol away from the car. ‘Come on, there’s nothing we can do about that. And we need to go through my notes so you can get your work done.’
Three hours later, Sally stretched and looked over at Sol. He’d made pages and pages of notes, and his face had lit up constantly. She’d already told him to stop thanking her over and over.
‘This is exactly what I needed. It fills the hole in my argument. And being clinical notes is perfect. I won’t use the names of course, and I’ll have to get you to sign a permission release for me—’
Sally waved her hand. ‘All good. I’m pleased I could help. I guess Sonia’s ad was worthwhile after all.’
‘It sure was. He held her gaze and something shifted inside of her as he smiled. ‘And not only because of your work, Sally. I’ve really enjoyed spending the day with you.’
Sally felt like a teenager as warmth ran up her neck and filled her cheeks. ‘Me too.’ But a warning tugged at her. Hadn’t she felt the same excitement when she first met Blake?
Why was this—if it went anywhere—going to be different?
She sat up straight and her voice firmed as the heat subsided. ‘So tell me what you’re going to do once your thesis is accepted. Will you start clinical practice yourself?’
Sol dropped his gaze and shook his head. ‘No. I’m going back to my original career choice. Once this is finished I’ve decided to finish my veterinary science degree.’
‘Wow. That’s a big change in direction.’ She could have sworn that he looked uncomfortable for a moment before he answered.
‘Yes, but it’s what I want to do. Now can I offer you another coffee before Mac arrives?’
Sally reached down and fondled Otis’ ears. ‘Thank you.’
She sensed the subject of his work was closed.
SOL WAS CROSS WITH himself for feeling uncomfortable when he told Sally of hi
s decision to change his career path. He’d half expected a response like he knew he’d get from his family, but then he realised Sally didn’t know about his erratic career path.
How many courses he’d done—and how many times he’d changed direction. He should have stuck with vet science; he could have had a career well under way, and a practice set up by now. Instead of being at a loose end, still half living at home at the ripe old age of twenty-eight. As he picked up the coffee pod and put it into the machine, Mac’s work truck trundled through the front gate. Mac was Dave’s uncle and Sol had known him since he was a kid running wild in the orange orchards at the bottom of the hill when he’d come to stay at Dave’s house. They’d met at boarding school, and it had been a long friendship. Dave was one of the few who understood Sol’s need to study, and to search until he found his niche in life. Dave had followed his dream and he had a successful fashion label; he’d spent more time overseas in the past year than here at the farm.
Dave had asked Sol a couple of times if he wanted to move in on a permanent basis but it was too far from the university for Sol to consider it.
‘Is that the mechanic?’ Sally had crossed the kitchen and was standing beside him as he daydreamed.
‘Yeah, that’s Mac.’
‘Do you want me to finish making the coffee?’
He nodded. ‘Thanks. If you don’t mind, bring one out to Mac too. I’ll go out and see what he’s got to say.’ He ran his hand through his hair and grimaced when he lifted his arm. ‘Blasted dog. I think I pulled a muscle in my back when I tackled him this morning. I’ve stiffened right up.’
As she looked up at him, his face heated. Her fresh soapy smell stayed with him as he walked to the shed.
Mac climbed out of the old work truck and grinned at Sol as he crossed the lawn. ‘Gertie’s playing up again, is she?’
‘Yeah. Flat battery, I think.’
‘Blast it, I haven’t got a spare in the workshop at the moment. The delivery’s due tomorrow.’ Mac scratched his head. ‘If you need to go back to town tonight, I can jump start you, if it is the battery.’