The Long Paddock, page 15
He flexed his shoulders to dispel the tension that never seemed to ease. He’d promised his mother to look out for Meredith in case she too was at risk from the Rigby curse. Apart from a week every year when she seemed unusually quiet and would leave town, she remained her usual upbeat self. She displayed none of the mood swings of her brother or her father. She also didn’t hesitate to express her feelings. One of his earliest memories was sitting on her lap and her telling him that she loved him.
A hand grabbed his arm and he turned to see Sally. The teenager wore a vivid, fitted blue dress and her eyes shone with excitement.
‘Hi, Sal. How’s the driving going?’
‘Good. I’m taking my test soon and then we can give your mum’s car back.’
‘That’s great to hear. Good luck.’
Sally grinned. ‘I’ll need it. My reversing’s still a little rough.’
Three teenagers joined Sally. All had long, straightened hair, short hemlines and wore heels that could double as lethal weapons. They stared, eyes large and round. He smiled to put them at ease. Four sets of black lashes blinked.
The girls all then focused on something to his left. He caught the faint scent of blossoms and a flash of red, before Cressy appeared. She didn’t touch him but stood so close her bare shoulder brushed his arm.
‘Hi, girls. Do you mind if I borrow Denham? You can have him back for the dancing.’
After some giggling and plenty of head nodding, the girls melted away.
‘Thanks,’ he said so only Cressy could hear. ‘I was having market-day flashbacks.’
Cressy smiled. ‘I didn’t realise there were quite so many teenage girls in town until I saw your line at the barbecue stall.’ She glanced at his feet. ‘I hope those are your dancing boots because you’re going to need them.’
He groaned and her smile widened. He glanced up. Shaun watched them. Irritation marred the usual charm of his grin. Denham ignored him and focused on Cressy.
‘What happened to your dancing boots?’
She briefly lifted her right shoe to examine the black heels that had replaced her cowgirl boots. ‘Don’t worry, they’re in the ute. I’ll let Edna have a few more glasses of champagne before I bring them out. Then she’ll never notice.’ Cressy turned. ‘Come on, I’ll show you where you’re sitting with Meredith and Phil. Ella and I are on the table behind you.’
Denham saw where he was seated and then accepted a beer from a passing waiter. Finn Barton approached and soon they were deep in conversation about cattle prices. Cressy chatted for a short while before excusing herself to sit with Ella at their table.
The pre-dinner champagne, wine and beer flowed and the crowd swelled beneath the canopy of fairy lights. All of Woodlea had to be out tonight. Darkness descended and overhead the stars glowed. As the first course was served and consumed, it truly was dinner under the stars. While Denham ate his tender rack of lamb, he remained acutely conscious that it wasn’t just Ella and Cressy sitting behind him but also Shaun. Shaun hadn’t masked his satisfaction as he’d shot Denham a pointed look when he’d taken the seat beside Cressy.
Sweet and creamy desserts followed with tea and coffee and soon it was time for the two main auction items to go under the hammer. Shaun’s date was up first. He sauntered to the makeshift dance floor to stand beside the auctioneer. In his hands was a final long-stemmed red rose for the auction winner. He flashed a movie-star smile while his blue gaze slowly swept across the crowd.
The bids flowed thick and fast. As the dollar amount reached over a thousand a collective gasp reverberated around the tables. The auctioneer called for final bids and then the hammer fell. Shaun’s date went to a pretty blonde who cheered, whooped and waved her arms in excitement.
Denham pushed back his chair to head to the stage. He buried his unease. It never got easier being the centre of attention. He could only hope his date raised the necessary money fast. As he passed Cressy she mouthed ‘good luck’ and gave him her sweet smile. Her smile stayed with him as the bidding commenced.
He remained still and silent as bids flew around him. His amount surpassed Shaun’s total and he readied himself for the hammer to fall. He’d survived. Just. The older lady with the current winning bid was Mrs Fell, his primary school teacher. She’d always been interested in local history and Claremont. Then Edna stood.
‘Fifteen hundred,’ she said over the noise of the crowd. Beside her sat her daughter Bethany, her expression sullen and arms folded.
Cressy frowned and whispered to Ella. Sue left her seat beside Meredith, pressed a phone to her ear and walked to a quiet corner of the crowd.
‘Third and final call …’ the auctioneer boomed.
‘Eighteen hundred,’ Sue’s soft voice cut through the excitement.
‘Two thousand,’ Edna countered, her round cheeks flushed.
Sue again spoke into her phone before looking at the auctioneer. ‘Two thousand five hundred.’
Silence. Edna shook her head and sat down. Bethany unfolded her arms.
The auctioneer called ‘going, going, gone’ and the crowd erupted. The identity of Sue’s cashed-up mystery bidder would now dominate every conversation.
Denham returned to his seat but only walked two paces before well-wishers surrounded him. By the time he’d navigated his way through the throng, a Dubbo party band blasted out their first song. There was also no sign of Sue who would have gone inside the church to pay for the auction win.
Cressy gave him a wave as Ella dragged her towards the dance floor. Shaun followed close behind. Ella and Cressy stopped to let Mrs Fell exit her seat. Shaun too stopped and, shoulders moving to the music, waited. Denham’s jaw locked. He couldn’t let Shaun’s possessive hold on Cressy’s hip rile him.
Shaun stopped dancing and took a sudden step backwards. Cressy faced him, chin tilted. Not saying a word, she pressed a finger into his chest, making him take a step away, and then another. Wherever Shaun’s other hand had touched, she wasn’t impressed.
Mrs Fell walked out of the narrow space between the tables and Ella and Cressy continued to the dance floor. Mouth set in a thin line, Shaun headed for the bar.
Denham reached his seat. By now his section of the table was deserted. Guests were dancing or mingling on the grassed area closer to the church away from the band. He took a swig of beer and looked across to the dance floor. Ella’s honey-blonde hair gleamed as she danced with Sally and her friends, but Cressy wasn’t to be seen.
He sat his beer on the table and on a hunch took the shortcut along the side of the church to the car park.
As he’d suspected, Cressy sat on the tailgate of her ute. Feet bare, her black heels had been tossed in her ute and her cowgirl boots sat beside her. The light of a distant street lamp cast a weak glow but even in the gloom he could discern her mood. She always tapped her fingers when agitated.
‘Hey,’ he said as he approached.
The sound of her nails tapping stopped.
‘Hey.’
She moved her boots so he’d have room to lean against the ute.
‘Feet sore?’ he asked as he rested against the tailgate and slipped his hands in his pockets.
‘No. I’m just having a … breather.’
He nodded. In the elevated car park, with the church between them and the band, the music was reduced to a dull thud. But that wasn’t why she’d escaped. The tight note in her voice said she was good and mad.
‘Tell me this …’ she said, nails tapping again, ‘in what warped universe is it okay for Shaun to grab my butt? I don’t care if he has a few beers on board. It’s no excuse. I’ve made it crystal clear I’m not interested.’
Denham again nodded. He knew better than to stop Cressy from venting.
‘I’m running out of patience. It was one date we went on and we didn’t even last the whole of the races.’
Relief held him silent. Ella’s warning about Shaun twisting the truth to save his reputation now made sense. Cressy had never been serious about Shaun.
Denham cleared his throat. ‘One date?’
‘Yes. Not that anyone thinks that’s all it was.’ Frustration edged her words. ‘Shaun had everyone convinced we’d be married by Christmas. And now after what he just did, people will believe we’re back on again.’
‘Let’s just say that the finger you poked in his chest will set the record straight. People will know Shaun took his flirting too far.’
She sighed and he sensed her irritation ebb. ‘Fingers crossed. I’ve got enough to worry about without Shaun causing me grief.’
The raw note in her voice stirred his emotions. He slid his hands from out of his pockets and turned towards her.
‘Cressy, it will rain.’
She stared at him. Her eyes were large and filled with shadows. His self-control whispered caution. He mightn’t clearly see her expression but with the way the streetlight fell, she’d see his.
‘It will,’ he repeated.
‘It has to. I’ll be out on the road for two weeks and it will break my heart to come back and find Glenmore how I left it. Or worse.’
Denham nodded and flattened his palms on his thighs. It was either that or frame her face with his hands and kiss away her pain.
‘Everything will be okay.’
She continued to stare at him as though he hadn’t spoken.
‘Denham, why did you leave?’
The question hit him from left field. He knew she’d registered the blow to his control when she shifted to see his face better.
‘Was … it because of … me?’
‘No.’ His single word emerged low and husky.
Her gaze held his, not allowing him to look away. ‘It’s okay … you can tell me if it was. I just want the truth.’
His hands curled into fists. ‘No, it wasn’t … you.’
‘So what was it then?’ An unfamiliar vulnerability pinched her face. ‘I know you didn’t just leave for the rodeo.’
He pushed himself away from the ute and the answers he couldn’t give. It became harder to breathe, as if a silo of wheat showered over his shoulders, burying him.
‘That’s true but I can’t say any more. I don’t want to hurt you.’
‘So it was me … us?’
He faced her.
‘Cressy …’ Even in the poor light, he could see the sheen of her overbright eyes. ‘I promise, you and … us … wasn’t why I left.’
The breeze blew wisps of hair over her cheek. Without thought, he tucked the silken strands behind her ear. The pads of his fingers glided over her pale, smooth skin. She appeared unaware of his touch. Instead she gazed at him, eyes wide, her brow creased and her lips pressed together.
His fingers lingered on her cheek as concern unlocked his emotions. She didn’t believe him. He drew a slow line from her jaw to the corner of her mouth with his thumb. He had to convince her she wasn’t at fault for him leaving.
He lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers. The brief contact was supposed to be gentle and tender. The chaste kiss was supposed to remind her how good it had been between them. What they shared had been nothing to run from.
But then she sighed, her lips parted and her hands slid into his hair.
The world imploded.
Kissing Cressy was like the high of an eight-second ride that had no end. Her sweetness infused his senses. Her heat incinerated his control. Her hunger fuelled his. He stepped forward as her hands delved beneath his jacket to dig into his back, urging and moulding him closer. He wrapped his arms around her. Having her fit against him was like finding the missing piece of himself. Hurting her was like having a part of him die.
He pulled away. Chest heaving, he dragged in desperate, ragged breaths.
‘That was a mistake.’ His voice sounded little more than a throaty rasp.
‘Was it?’ Her reply emerged breathless but strong. ‘It felt pretty good for a mistake.’
He closed his eyes to shut out the truth. Her lips were swollen and her skin flushed. His own heart hammered and his pulse throbbed.
‘Cressy …’ He opened his eyes and fought for control. ‘The reason why I left is to do with me. And it hasn’t changed. You deserve someone … better.’
Eyes unreadable, she didn’t speak. Instead she placed a hand on his chest where his jacket lay open as if to read what his body said. The intimacy of her touch caused him to shake. So many bleak nights he’d remembered the feel of her hand and how her warmth could reach deep inside to thaw every lonely part of him.
Her fingers curled into his shirt, then relaxed before her hand lifted. She reached for her boot as though they discussed nothing more than the weather.
‘Shaun grabbing my butt was a mistake.’ She pulled on her boot. ‘But that kiss, no matter what you believe about yourself, was no mistake.’ She tugged on her second boot and jumped to the ground. ‘And it will happen again whether we think it’s a good idea or not.’ She paused, her fingertips touching his jaw with a caress as light as a butterfly. ‘Now we’d better get back and walk in separately before the rumour mill has a meltdown.’
CHAPTER
11
‘I promise I’ll see you as soon as I get home again.’ Cressy rubbed Reggie’s nose. ‘You’re far better here at Denham’s than out on the long paddock. People will only judge you …’ She laughed as the bull tried to lick her hand. ‘They’ll have no idea you’re really a big softie.’
She dragged a chunk of carrot from out of her jeans pocket. While Reggie munched, she brushed his mottled grey coat. The dawn sun slipped over the horizon, spreading its light and warmth in gentle increments. A pair of galahs landed on the side of the cattle trough and dipped their beaks into the rose-tinted water. The pipe Denham had replaced continued to hold.
Her brush strokes slowed. Unlike her composure. After Denham’s kiss the other night it had taken all of her willpower to appear as though nothing had happened. When she’d returned to the dinner, Ella had come to her side. Her perceptive brown gaze had skimmed over Cressy’s face and without a word she’d herded her towards the dance floor. Amongst the crowd of dancers, Cressy’s too-warm cheeks and tousled hair wouldn’t appear so obvious.
For the rest of the dinner she’d only caught glimpses of Denham. If he wasn’t having a dance with Sally and her friends, he was over near the bar deep in conversation with other farmers. At the end of the night he’d come over to where she and Ella had sat drinking coffee. As he’d wished them a good night, his gaze had locked with hers. All noise had faded and her breathing had quickened as she’d struggled to keep her eyes from off his mouth.
After he’d walked away, Ella had sent her a satisfied grin. ‘I’m not saying a word other than I want a cowboy to look at me the way Denham just looked at you.’
Cressy had barely heard her words, she’d been too busy catching a last glimpse of Denham’s broad shoulders as he disappeared into the crowd. Apart from when he brought Jazz to see her out on the stock routes, she wouldn’t see him again for two weeks.
She’d looked up only to see Shaun sitting two tables away, his arm around the blonde out-of-towner who’d bought his date. He’d lifted his beer in a silent toast to Cressy. She’d nodded, without smiling. She wasn’t letting him charm his way out of having wandering hands. When he was sober, and she returned from droving, they’d have a serious talk.
Cressy finished brushing Reggie. She’d better get going before the morning heat kicked in. She had a slow grazing permit which meant she didn’t have to travel the required ten kilometres a day. She glanced at the sun that was now a full, round orb. But even travelling five kilometres could prove difficult until her cattle settled into the rhythm of being out on the long paddock.
She gave Reggie a final piece of carrot and a tight hug. ‘Be good and look after Denham for me.’
On the drive back to Glenmore she ran through a mental checklist. She’d already filled Kevin’s and the chicken’s self-feeders with food and water. Without Tippy there to raid the eggs or sneak the chook food, they could all free range around the homestead. Meredith or Phil would look in on them every two days.
Her parents’ old caravan was parked at the waterhole where she’d spend the first night. She’d also set up a temporary holding yard with steel posts and white electrical tape. Her cattle could only travel between sunrise and sunset and at night they’d need to be yarded.
Cressy had also prepared the spare room. Fliss was due for her promised visit. As it turned out her big sister also had an auction date to go on. Cressy shook her head. She still couldn’t believe Fliss was Sue’s mystery bidder. Sue had been concerned about Edna buying Denham’s date and had found a way to spare him from her matchmaking plans.
Cressy changed gears. But Fliss would have to take Sue on the two-person date as she wouldn’t be around. Which was a relief because if Fliss saw her and Denham together, she’d realise things had heated up between them. She could no more explain to her sister what was going on with her and Denham than she could to herself.
He might say he was too busy for a relationship and that kissing her was a mistake but his body told a different story. The tenderness of his touch and the shudder that ripped through him when she’d placed her hand on his heart couldn’t be misinterpreted. His kiss wasn’t part of some meaningless flirtation. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. But it also wasn’t a fresh start.
Whatever it was that he believed made him unworthy of her was strong enough to still come between them. She also couldn’t forget the phone conversation she’d overheard. She would be a fool to think she was the only woman in Denham’s life.
She slowed the ute before turning past the white forty-four-gallon drum that served as Glenmore’s mailbox. She needed to discover why he thought she’d be better off without him. There was no way she’d line up for more heartache if there was any chance Denham would walk away again. She wasn’t interested in a fling, no matter what her hormones thought. With Denham it was all or nothing. She wanted the deep connection they’d once shared. Anything less would break her heart all over again.
