Home Truths (30 page)

‘I couldn't lift his foot so…' Bret's eyes flitted all over the countryside. He didn't want to look at Connie. He could feel a sting behind his eyes and heat rise to his cheeks. ‘So I tickled him,' he eventually mumbled.

‘You tickled him? Where?'

Bret stepped back and hands up, he shook his head. ‘Don't ask.'

Connie peered under the bull and the penny dropped. ‘Ingenious!'

‘Don't you dare breathe a word to anyone,' Bret pleaded.

‘I have to tell Calum, this could be revolutionary.'

‘Yeah right, Connie,' Bret nodded incredulously.

‘You can do the honours and take him up to the barn. We'll have to fix his leg as best we can until Calum comes home.'

‘Whatever happened to Killer George?'

‘Did I say that?' Connie looked at him all innocence. ‘I could've sworn I said lady-killer.'

‘Don't give me that look, I'm onto you, Connie. Yeah, not happy. Let's get the city dude with the killer bull thing.'

‘Oh, but he can be dangerous to strangers that get in his way — on his turf — without bread and a lead.'

George took his time lumbering up the hard, dirt drive with a slow motion swagger and a heavy clump-thump every time a hoof hit the ground. For some reason, Bret found himself taking comfort in the warmth and massive, steady strength this beast radiated. He felt the most relaxed he'd been in a long time, and proud of himself, yeah definitely proud.

Once Bret had spread a thick carpet of fresh hay, he led George into the stall and tethered his lead to a post. Connie handed Bret the first aid kit; he opened it and she pointed at a pot of salve that he should use. He gouged out a lump of the salve and, with care, he gently spread the antiseptic cream on George's cuts. The bull stamped his leg a couple of times and turned his massive head to see what was happening. Perhaps Connie was right, the old bull knew they were helping him. Bret shook his head in wonder, then firmly wrapped the leg with gauze and a crepe bandage.

‘I hear a car. Must be Calum,' Connie said.

Footsteps hurried towards them. Calum peered into the stall. George had settled down on the hay to chew his cud.

‘Got your message, Gran, drove here as quick as I could, but doesn't look as if I'm needed after all. Crikey! Look at him,' Calum said, grinning. ‘Hey Bret, brilliant piece of work, mate.'

‘Yeah, turns out
Killer
George is a pushover,' Bret said dryly. ‘But you knew that already.'

Calum laughed. ‘Ah, but when he's among the cows — watch out.'

‘So I've been told,' Bret said.

‘How'd you get the wire off him?' Calum asked.

Connie glanced at Bret then turned to her grandson, smiling. ‘He tickled him, and that's all I'm going to say on the matter. No amount of pressure will have me spill the beans.'

There was a long pause while all three looked at each other. Bret knew the moment he glanced at the bull's gonads squished out between his hind legs that he'd given himself away.

‘I get the picture,' Calum chuckled. ‘Brilliant, looks like you've made a lifelong friend.'

‘Don't go getting smart.' Bret pointed at them. ‘If I get to hear about this from some other source, you're both in deep trouble.'

Connie and Calum stood back smiling as Bret approached George. He hunkered down and tentatively scratched the patch of hair between the old bull's horns.

George closed his eyes and relaxed into Bret's hand.

‘I think you like me,' Bret smiled down at the enormous animal.

Chapter 16

‘Two-thirty!' Jennifer gulped down a glass of water, made a quick phone call to Brock, and hurried to her room. She changed her clothes, deciding on a white cami, jeans, boots, a pale blue cotton shirt and padded vest to ward against the autumn cold. She didn't want to be late for afternoon tea with Calum…and everyone else.

She ran to the police station, pushed the door open and rushed in. Brock stood waiting behind the desk, keys dangling from his outstretched hand.

‘I agree a gleaming yellow Cadillac up Calum's drive is bound to cause a stir.' His deep voice almost made the windows rattle. ‘It's the old dual-cab in the parking lot,' he grinned.

‘Thanks, you're a doll.' She snatched the keys up on the run and was out the door before it had a chance to close.

Jennifer tried to decipher Calum's directions that she'd written down on a scrap of paper. She passed the turnip-shaped boulder the size of a house, and knew she was close. Another two kilometres she saw the sign:
Merandoora, Black Angus Stud.
Approaching the driveway, she swung the car in, straight over a bone-jarring cattlegrid. She stopped to admire the long winding driveway, and craned her neck towards the windscreen for a better look at the magnificent gnarled old eucalypts. Their branches arched over, creating a cathedral effect. She leant back and moved the car forward, loving the dappled sunlight gliding over the bonnet and windscreen as she headed towards the farmhouse.

A kilometre further on, a two-storey Edwardian sandstone farmhouse, with white trim, came into view. A white picket fence surrounded a lush garden of pink climbing roses that trailed over a pergola. Garden beds blossoming in a profusion of colourful asters and dahlias lined a path.

Jennifer parked under a gnarly old gum tree. She took a deep breath and, before nerves got the better of her, shoved the door open and stepped out of the car. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair and cooled her flushed face. Not sure where to go, she looked at the house then back to the barn, anxiously wondering where Calum might be — was he even back from Armidale yet? She heard water running and splashing from the barn and headed that way. Walking through the enormous barn doorway was like stepping back in time to a horse and buggy era. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but she could tell there were stalls lining the walls on either side. The smell of fresh hay, waxed leather and animal dung filled the air and dust motes danced in a beam of sunlight.

She sensed rather than saw Calum as he approached from deep within the shadows.

An adrenalin rush filled her chest and embarrassment flushed her cheeks. She knew what she had to do and he deserved nothing less.

She watched him approach; he grinned and, considering how she'd treated him a week ago, he looked very pleased to see her. Her breath caught at the casual way he moved towards her. Jennifer loved the way he walked, the way he looked in his worn jeans that sat low on his narrow hips. She loved his thigh muscles that flexed with every step, his hands that swung relaxed at his side. His tartan, flannelette shirt hung open, showing his pecs and firm abs under a tight, white T-shirt.

Her heart skipped.

Rugged he-man. Calendar man.

Her belly melted and there was no controlling the heat spiralling between her thighs. God, she'd missed him.

‘G'day,' his deep voice rumbled sweetly as he made his way towards her.

Not saying another word, he bent down; one arm went around her back, the other behind her knees. He scooped her up, then carried her to an empty stall where he put her down. Using the full length of his body, he pressed her up against a wall.

Okay, he wasn't pissed off with her for behaving like a bitch — at all. There was no mistake, he was happy to see her.

His hands curled around her jaw, his thumbs caressed her cheeks, and his warm, soft eyes searched hers.

‘You smell like soap,' Jennifer whispered.

He gave her one of his sexy half smiles. ‘Saw you coming and washed up.'

‘Oh,' she breathed and, without thinking, her hand went around his wrist; she buried her face in his palm and breathed him in.

She heard him suck in a breath and murmur, ‘Fuck.'

Jennifer let go of his wrist. Calum slid his hands over her shoulders and down her arms until his fingers laced with hers. He raised her hands and held them up, planting them on either side of her head. God what was he doing? Her nipples went hard, straining against the thin fabric of her bra; at the same moment she lost her belly, which sent a sensuous tingle between her legs and she instantly became wet.

‘How are you?' she asked, trying to keep the wobble out of her voice, as he pushed his body into hers.

‘I'm good now,' he murmured, as his deep soft gaze, with a hint of a smile, roamed over her face.

She licked her lips and his eyes dropped to her mouth. ‘Man, I've missed you.' His mouth came down on hers, claiming, plundering.
Oh God yes.
She sagged into him, and he pushed harder.

Then with a nip to her lips, his mouth left hers.

‘I've missed you too.' Her body ached for more of him, a whole lot more. Looking around, she stilled: they were getting hot and heavy in a barn. ‘What've you been doing?' she said, her voice thick with need as she pushed against him, hoping he'd give her a little space.

‘Man stuff — hmm, I love kissing you. I love how you taste.' His mouth touched hers, murmuring, ‘What've
you
been doing?'

‘Girl stuff…and thinking…a lot.' Jennifer inclined her head, taking in every feature of his face. Calum dipped his head, kissed, licked and nibbled her exposed neck. Soft little moans left her throat.

‘Thinking?' he mouthed against her skin.

‘Yes,' she breathed, ‘so much thinking and…and I kept coming back to the same thing.'

‘Yeah, what thing?' he said and sucked her earlobe.

‘Stuff…'

Calum stopped and pulled back to look at her face, his eyes held hers captive and he quietly said, ‘You should stop thinking and follow your instincts and feelings. Like you did a moment ago when you pushed your face into my hand. Fuck, you have no idea what you do to me,' he said, voice throaty.

She didn't know what to say to that, all she could do right now was stay upright and breathe.

‘Feel, Jen,' he rumbled, hot hazel eyes fixed on hers. ‘That's all you need to do.'

She nodded. ‘Okay, but where is everyone?'

Understanding her reluctance, he grinned. ‘Making scones. Stuff happened and afternoon tea will be late. It's just you and me.'

Then he kissed and nipped her jaw. His fingers slipped out of hers and trailed down her palms, wrists and the soft inner skin of her forearms. ‘Feel how beautiful you are.' Then, using the backs of his hands, he swept them up again, pausing to caress her palms. All the while he was kissing and nuzzling her neck, her ear and her temple. ‘Your skin's like silk and I love the smell of your hair.' Jennifer's body sang with pleasure; Calum's hands on hers, keeping them on the wall, made his ambush all the more erotic. Her bones had turned liquid. Her sex throbbed wet with heat. If his body hadn't been pressed hard against hers, she'd fall in a heap at his feet, but she'd make damn sure he'd come down with her. She gasped as he trailed his fingers down again, further this time to her sides, skimming past the swell of her breasts, her waist, and around her hips to cup the cheeks of her bottom. His strong fingers squeezed and tugged her in tight against his hips. Jennifer pulled her arms away from the wall and moved them around his neck, her fingers sliding into his hair. Eyes on hers, Calum angled his head and with teasing, painstaking slowness he closed in, then his hungry mouth was on hers again. God, he could kiss. She moaned into his mouth. He pressed his body into hers and groaned in return. Their kiss deepened.

A bird fluttering into the barn jolted Jennifer out of Calum's sexy against-the-wall ambush. Breathing hard she tapped him on the shoulder.

‘Wait a mo…' Jennifer panted against his mouth. He pulled back and eyes intense he focused on her face. She took a deep breath. ‘I need…'

‘Privacy?' He raised a questioning eyebrow. ‘I wouldn't do this unless I knew we had it.' Eyes on hers, and tender with understanding, he added, ‘I can give you more privacy.'

Jennifer battled her doubts and upbringing that image was everything and went with her feelings. ‘Um…good.'

He kissed her again, deep, warm and reassuring, and the moment his warm mouth gave her that, Jennifer felt her body and mind relax.

With a last lick to her lips, Calum moved back and, grinning, he murmured, ‘How about, you, me and the haystack?'

‘Hmm — who cares if I'm allergic to hay.'

‘That's okay, I can always find us a big enough closet.'

‘I was kidding about the hay,' Jennifer giggled, feeling sexy
and
bold.

‘I knew that,' he said. ‘I'll never forget that closet and —'

‘Shut up, where's this haystack?' She pulled him in for a quick hot wet kiss, grabbed his hand and started to make a move out of the stall. She'd go anywhere, behind a tree, over a hill, as long as they weren't within sight of the house.

She didn't get far. Calum stood firm. She turned back towards him, his hands went around her waist, he pulled her close and rumbled, ‘I love you, Jennifer Dove, and that's got nothing to do with the hay, the closet or anywhere else.'

‘I love you too,' Jennifer blurted. Okay it wasn't a dream; she hadn't misheard what he'd said last Saturday.

She could no longer ignore her all-encompassing body, mind and soul connection with this beautiful man.

Brow furrowed, his intense, almost fierce, hazel eyes studied hers. ‘You can't take that back, you know,' he said.

‘Oh, I'm not aiming to, ever. I've had a whole week to think about…us.'

Slowly, fierceness left his features, his face softened, became tender. ‘Good, because it's hell not having you close.' Calum's hands slid up her back over her shoulder to her neck, eyes on his thumbs sliding across her jaw. Head dipped, he touched his forehead to hers, and his fingers gave her neck a squeeze as if doing this would help her get it. ‘I fell in love with you the moment you sat up in Sofie's car with your hair all mussed up. Sleepy-faced, confused and bewildered. I love the way you fight for what you want. Even if it's screwed.' His fingers pressed into the back of her neck. She gripped his arms. ‘I love you dressed or naked,' he growled. She put a finger to his lips, but he kept going. ‘I love how you make me feel,' he said against her finger. ‘Nothing works unless you're around, without you my dick's a useless appendage. Marry me Jen.'