had to stay in town suddenly didn’t seem as reasonable. She still wasn’t used to driving on the other side of the road.
He straightened, took off his hat and speared a hand through his hair. ‘Sorry, Kree, the pump’s seized.’
‘Seized? That doesn’t sound good?’
Ewan slowly shook his head. ‘The motor’s had it.’
He looked across to where Freckle and Fudge now played. The little bush goat gave Freckle a playful head butt as the pup attempted to jump on her back. They both ended tangled in a noisy ball of tiny limbs.
The tanned skin of his throat moved as he swallowed. ‘The three of you will have to come and stay at Marellen.’
The one person Ewan most needed to stay away from would be living under his roof. Unease, heavier than the bags ofcanola seed he’d unloaded from the ute into the shed last night, pressed onto Ewan’s shoulders. Surviving a dinner party in close proximity with Kree was now the least of his worries. Until the pump was replaced, he’d see her on a daily basis. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know his self-control would take a battering.
He pulled to a stop in front of the white, wrought-iron-trimmed Marellen homestead. Once the sprawling redbrick home had filled him with pride; now the financial responsibility of maintaining the historic building was another thing to keep him awake at night.
The heavy front door burst open and Braye and Darby, dressed in identical navy shorts and yellow t-shirts, sped down the path. Tish had clearly relayed his phone message about having unexpected visitors.
Behind Ewan, the chug of the Tylers’ slower, dual-cab diesel ute sounded as Kree entered the circular driveway. Tish briefly appeared at the front door, an untied apron over her gardening clothes, waved and raced inside. Dinner must be cooking on the stove.
Whiskey and Midget shot into sight from around the side of the house and made a beeline for Kree’s now-parked vehicle. Ewan pushed open his driver’s side door. In less than three seconds it would be bedlam if Whiskey leapt into the tray-back where Fudge and Freckle were tied. He pursed his lips and whistled. The black kelpie came straight to his heel. But the way the dog whined and didn’t take his eyes off the goat and pup told Ewan the peace would only be short-lived.
‘Braye, can you please grab Midget?’ Ewan asked as Kree left the ute and the Jack Russell sniffed her borrowed leather boots. ‘And Darby, can you please call Whiskey? Beforewe get the terrible twosome off the ute, we’d better tie up the big dogs.’
‘Poor Whiskey, he doesn’t look impressed,’ Kree said as the boys led him and Midget over to their kennels beneath the jacaranda tree.
‘He’ll survive. And I’m sure after an hour of Fudge and Freckle fun, he’ll be taking himself off to his kennel for a sleep.’
Kree smiled but he wasn’t sure if her smile had reached her eyes. She’d pulled on an old baseball cap that hid her expression. But he had no trouble interpreting the rigid line of her back beneath the pink tee, which fitted her like a glove. She still wasn’t comfortable with staying.
When he’d said the pump had seized and that she’d have to stay with him, the smile had waned in her eyes. Then, when he’d explained that until he could contact Don overseas about replacing the pump, he couldn’t begin to restore the inside water supply, her lips had pressed together. He’d seen Kree on the verge of exhaustion, seen her battle the fear that she’d lost her brother but he’d never seen her … vulnerable. For some reason, the prospect of living at Marellen had thrown her as much as it had thrown him.
‘Kree,’ he said softly, ‘I know you think you’re imposing, but it really is okay to stay.’
She flashed him a quick, over-bright grin before her gaze slid away to watch the twins as they raced each other from the kennels to the driveway. ‘Thanks.’
Braye and Darby slid to a sudden stop in front of
He straightened, took off his hat and speared a hand through his hair. ‘Sorry, Kree, the pump’s seized.’
‘Seized? That doesn’t sound good?’
Ewan slowly shook his head. ‘The motor’s had it.’
He looked across to where Freckle and Fudge now played. The little bush goat gave Freckle a playful head butt as the pup attempted to jump on her back. They both ended tangled in a noisy ball of tiny limbs.
The tanned skin of his throat moved as he swallowed. ‘The three of you will have to come and stay at Marellen.’
The one person Ewan most needed to stay away from would be living under his roof. Unease, heavier than the bags ofcanola seed he’d unloaded from the ute into the shed last night, pressed onto Ewan’s shoulders. Surviving a dinner party in close proximity with Kree was now the least of his worries. Until the pump was replaced, he’d see her on a daily basis. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know his self-control would take a battering.
He pulled to a stop in front of the white, wrought-iron-trimmed Marellen homestead. Once the sprawling redbrick home had filled him with pride; now the financial responsibility of maintaining the historic building was another thing to keep him awake at night.
The heavy front door burst open and Braye and Darby, dressed in identical navy shorts and yellow t-shirts, sped down the path. Tish had clearly relayed his phone message about having unexpected visitors.
Behind Ewan, the chug of the Tylers’ slower, dual-cab diesel ute sounded as Kree entered the circular driveway. Tish briefly appeared at the front door, an untied apron over her gardening clothes, waved and raced inside. Dinner must be cooking on the stove.
Whiskey and Midget shot into sight from around the side of the house and made a beeline for Kree’s now-parked vehicle. Ewan pushed open his driver’s side door. In less than three seconds it would be bedlam if Whiskey leapt into the tray-back where Fudge and Freckle were tied. He pursed his lips and whistled. The black kelpie came straight to his heel. But the way the dog whined and didn’t take his eyes off the goat and pup told Ewan the peace would only be short-lived.
‘Braye, can you please grab Midget?’ Ewan asked as Kree left the ute and the Jack Russell sniffed her borrowed leather boots. ‘And Darby, can you please call Whiskey? Beforewe get the terrible twosome off the ute, we’d better tie up the big dogs.’
‘Poor Whiskey, he doesn’t look impressed,’ Kree said as the boys led him and Midget over to their kennels beneath the jacaranda tree.
‘He’ll survive. And I’m sure after an hour of Fudge and Freckle fun, he’ll be taking himself off to his kennel for a sleep.’
Kree smiled but he wasn’t sure if her smile had reached her eyes. She’d pulled on an old baseball cap that hid her expression. But he had no trouble interpreting the rigid line of her back beneath the pink tee, which fitted her like a glove. She still wasn’t comfortable with staying.
When he’d said the pump had seized and that she’d have to stay with him, the smile had waned in her eyes. Then, when he’d explained that until he could contact Don overseas about replacing the pump, he couldn’t begin to restore the inside water supply, her lips had pressed together. He’d seen Kree on the verge of exhaustion, seen her battle the fear that she’d lost her brother but he’d never seen her … vulnerable. For some reason, the prospect of living at Marellen had thrown her as much as it had thrown him.
‘Kree,’ he said softly, ‘I know you think you’re imposing, but it really is okay to stay.’
She flashed him a quick, over-bright grin before her gaze slid away to watch the twins as they raced each other from the kennels to the driveway. ‘Thanks.’
Braye and Darby slid to a sudden stop in front of
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