Read Online Down Outback Roads by Alissa Callen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alissa Callen
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Kree.
‘Hi, I’m Darby,’ Braye said, with an elbow to his brother’s stomach. ‘And he’s Braye.’
Ewan folded his arms. The boys were playing switcheroo. He’d let it play out, it was impossible to tell them apart anyway,but he’d have a quiet word to mischievous Braye when they headed inside.
‘Nice to meet you, Braye and Darby.’
The twins’ eyes widened at her unfamiliar accent.
‘But, you know, I could have sworn you were Braye,’ she said, looking at the correct child, ‘and not Darby. Darby has a plaster on his finger and took Midget over to her kennel.’
Ewan chuckled as Braye’s mouth dropped open.
Darby grinned and held up his band-aid covered finger.
‘That’s not a plaster,’ Braye said with a frown.
‘It is where I come from,’ Kree said with her own grin as she turned towards a foot-stomping Fudge. ‘Now, I’d love the real Braye to please help me with this little rascal.’
Braye stepped forward straight away, his expression sheepish. ‘Right, Braye ,’ she said with a wink, ‘will you be okay with Fudge?’
The five-year-old nodded and accepted the end of the red lead rope Kree passed him. She leaned into the ute and lifted out the little goat. When her small hooves hit the gravel driveway, she bolted. Braye held onto the lead and ran after her. When she reached a lavender-filled garden bed and could run no further, she stopped and lowered her head to eat the lawn. Braye stood beside her, his small chest moving in and out as he puffed.
‘Okay, Darby, you ready for Freckle?’ Kree asked.
Darby’s dark head bobbed up and down.
Kree passed him the end of the green lead rope and whispered, ‘Don’t worry, Freckle isn’t as strong as Fudge and won’t pull you as fast. He’ll just want to go over to where she is.’
Sure enough, when Kree placed Freckle on the ground, hescampered over to his partner-in-crime and Darby barely had to run.
Ewan unfolded his arms. His flight response urged him to walk away as fast as he could. Not only had perceptive Kree called Braye on his switcheroo plan, she’d also identified sensitive and anxious Darby might need reassurance. If she could read the two boys like a book within minutes of meeting them, then what had she discovered about him that he didn’t want anyone – and especially her – to know?
He swung away, on the pretext of collecting his phone and wallet from the ute.
‘Ewan …’
He slowly faced her.
She pushed her cap back on her head. Her blue eyes met his.
‘Are you sure this is a good idea? I don’t want to intrude. It would be far less hassle for you if I stayed in town.’
‘It’s fine,’ he said, fighting to keep his voice casual. ‘Don and Maureen would have my hide at my lack of country hospitality if I let you stay elsewhere. Besides, you’ll only need to visit Berridale once a day to feed the chooks, check the cattle water and the ewes. I’ll track Don down overseas as soon as I can, to see what he wants to do about a replacement –’
Ewan’s words were drowned out by the boys’ excited squeals as they chased Fudge and Freckle across the garden. Midget and Whiskey barked, pulling on their chains, desperate to join in the chaos.
‘And besides,’ Ewan continued, as he opened the passenger side dual-cab door to take out Kree’s bags, ‘even the boys would know leaving Freckle and Fudge to their own devices would be a bad idea.’
‘Are you sure your wife won’t mind?’
He straightened, Kree’s bags forgotten. ‘Sorry?’
‘Your wife, Tish, she won’t mind having an extra person in the house? It can be hard sometimes having visitors when you have young kids.’
He met Kree’s serious eyes. ‘Tish isn’t my wife.’ For some reason the denial left his mouth quicker than cattle through an open gate.
‘Sorry, I mean partner, though she did introduce herself as Tish Mackenzie on the phone.’
‘My brother’s surname. Tish is my sister-in-law. The twins are my nephews.’
‘Hi, I’m Darby,’ Braye said, with an elbow to his brother’s stomach. ‘And he’s Braye.’
Ewan folded his arms. The boys were playing switcheroo. He’d let it play out, it was impossible to tell them apart anyway,but he’d have a quiet word to mischievous Braye when they headed inside.
‘Nice to meet you, Braye and Darby.’
The twins’ eyes widened at her unfamiliar accent.
‘But, you know, I could have sworn you were Braye,’ she said, looking at the correct child, ‘and not Darby. Darby has a plaster on his finger and took Midget over to her kennel.’
Ewan chuckled as Braye’s mouth dropped open.
Darby grinned and held up his band-aid covered finger.
‘That’s not a plaster,’ Braye said with a frown.
‘It is where I come from,’ Kree said with her own grin as she turned towards a foot-stomping Fudge. ‘Now, I’d love the real Braye to please help me with this little rascal.’
Braye stepped forward straight away, his expression sheepish. ‘Right, Braye ,’ she said with a wink, ‘will you be okay with Fudge?’
The five-year-old nodded and accepted the end of the red lead rope Kree passed him. She leaned into the ute and lifted out the little goat. When her small hooves hit the gravel driveway, she bolted. Braye held onto the lead and ran after her. When she reached a lavender-filled garden bed and could run no further, she stopped and lowered her head to eat the lawn. Braye stood beside her, his small chest moving in and out as he puffed.
‘Okay, Darby, you ready for Freckle?’ Kree asked.
Darby’s dark head bobbed up and down.
Kree passed him the end of the green lead rope and whispered, ‘Don’t worry, Freckle isn’t as strong as Fudge and won’t pull you as fast. He’ll just want to go over to where she is.’
Sure enough, when Kree placed Freckle on the ground, hescampered over to his partner-in-crime and Darby barely had to run.
Ewan unfolded his arms. His flight response urged him to walk away as fast as he could. Not only had perceptive Kree called Braye on his switcheroo plan, she’d also identified sensitive and anxious Darby might need reassurance. If she could read the two boys like a book within minutes of meeting them, then what had she discovered about him that he didn’t want anyone – and especially her – to know?
He swung away, on the pretext of collecting his phone and wallet from the ute.
‘Ewan …’
He slowly faced her.
She pushed her cap back on her head. Her blue eyes met his.
‘Are you sure this is a good idea? I don’t want to intrude. It would be far less hassle for you if I stayed in town.’
‘It’s fine,’ he said, fighting to keep his voice casual. ‘Don and Maureen would have my hide at my lack of country hospitality if I let you stay elsewhere. Besides, you’ll only need to visit Berridale once a day to feed the chooks, check the cattle water and the ewes. I’ll track Don down overseas as soon as I can, to see what he wants to do about a replacement –’
Ewan’s words were drowned out by the boys’ excited squeals as they chased Fudge and Freckle across the garden. Midget and Whiskey barked, pulling on their chains, desperate to join in the chaos.
‘And besides,’ Ewan continued, as he opened the passenger side dual-cab door to take out Kree’s bags, ‘even the boys would know leaving Freckle and Fudge to their own devices would be a bad idea.’
‘Are you sure your wife won’t mind?’
He straightened, Kree’s bags forgotten. ‘Sorry?’
‘Your wife, Tish, she won’t mind having an extra person in the house? It can be hard sometimes having visitors when you have young kids.’
He met Kree’s serious eyes. ‘Tish isn’t my wife.’ For some reason the denial left his mouth quicker than cattle through an open gate.
‘Sorry, I mean partner, though she did introduce herself as Tish Mackenzie on the phone.’
‘My brother’s surname. Tish is my sister-in-law. The twins are my nephews.’
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