Read Online Outback Sunset by Lynne Wilding - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lynne Wilding
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out.’ Stuart grunted as he recalled. ‘The best decision I ever made. Now I have more money than I know what to do with.’ How typical of Stuart to rub everyone’s noses in his inordinate tourist success — it was one of his less admirable traits.
Stuart’s gaze locked on to Curtis’s. ‘Perhaps that’s the kind of decision you should be making. You have the funds to, don’t you?’
‘My money’s tied up in a venture with Lauren, besides, I’m not interested in leaving Amaroo. It will always be home to me. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.’
‘Even though you’ll never own the place?’ Stuart put in slyly. He leant back in his seat to wait for the answer.
‘Being here is enough,’ Curtis’s answer was direct. ‘I don’t cast envious eyes over Amaroo. It’s Bren’s and I’ve accepted that.’
Nova glanced from Curtis to Stuart. She shook her head at them. ‘You two! Amaroo, Amaroo … Can’t we talk about something else?’
Curtis gave her a cheeky grin and with a twinkle in his eye, teased, ‘What else of mutual interest is there to talk about?’
Exasperated, she picked up a half-eaten piece of cake and threw it at him. It landed on his chest and he promptly popped the remains into his mouth.
‘Pig!’ Then in typical Nova style, she changed the subject. ‘I saw Georgia in Sydney when I was there.’
‘And …?’
She’d known the mention of Curtis’s ex-wife’s name would get his attention. ‘Georgia looked fantastic. She asked how you were.’
The hazel eyes hardened. ‘I’m sure she did. She’s making a nice income with the child allowance I pay, on top of what she earns as a freelance journalist-photographer. It’s in her best interests for me to be in good health.’ His tone changed, softened. ‘Was Regan with her?’
‘No, it was night time, at a pub in The Rocks. She was with a few people who were farewelling her before she flew to Paris for the spring fashion shows.’
‘And dragging Regan with her, no doubt.’ Curtis shook his head. ‘That’s no life for a young kid.’
‘Curtis, you have to accept that you’ve lost Regan. I know it’s hard, but it’s a fact,’ Stuart put in quietly. ‘Georgia built up a lot of resentment over the divorce, mostly because you fought tooth and nail to have sole custody of your daughter by implying that she wasn’t a fit mother because of her affairs. That made her mean enough to make it difficult, almost impossible for you to see a lot of Regan.’
Curtis gave him a withering look. ‘Easy for you to say, Stuart. You have four daughters, two of whom are in your various businesses where you see themregularly and the two youngest still live at home. I have one child and if I’m lucky I see her for two weeks of every year.’
The phone rang and Fran got to it first. She looked at Curtis. ‘It’s Linford Downs Station. Bit of a problem, I think.’
Glad for the diversion, Curtis scraped back his chair on the vinyl as he rose to answer the call.
‘What’s up, Simon?’
‘Curtis, one of our men has just ridden in from the range bordering our properties. Your stockman, the one named Tony, has had an accident. His horse spooked and he came off. Reg is pretty sure he has a broken leg,’ Simon Johns reported. ‘He said to relay that Tony’s in a lot of pain, too much to be put into splints then on a horse and brought in.’
‘Okay, I’ll come out in the chopper. Where exactly are they?’
‘Approximately ten kilometres north of where Gumbledon Creek runs into the Chamberlain River.’
Curtis knew the place. He checked the time on the kitchen wall clock. He would have to fuel up the chopper before take off. ‘I can be there in an hour or so. Thanks, Simon. Bye.’
He glanced at those seated at the table. Now he had a good excuse to be up and away, literally! ‘Got to go. One of our men’s had an accident. I’ll have to fly him to the hospital in Kununurra.’
‘What bad luck,’ Nova said.
Stuart’s gaze locked on to Curtis’s. ‘Perhaps that’s the kind of decision you should be making. You have the funds to, don’t you?’
‘My money’s tied up in a venture with Lauren, besides, I’m not interested in leaving Amaroo. It will always be home to me. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.’
‘Even though you’ll never own the place?’ Stuart put in slyly. He leant back in his seat to wait for the answer.
‘Being here is enough,’ Curtis’s answer was direct. ‘I don’t cast envious eyes over Amaroo. It’s Bren’s and I’ve accepted that.’
Nova glanced from Curtis to Stuart. She shook her head at them. ‘You two! Amaroo, Amaroo … Can’t we talk about something else?’
Curtis gave her a cheeky grin and with a twinkle in his eye, teased, ‘What else of mutual interest is there to talk about?’
Exasperated, she picked up a half-eaten piece of cake and threw it at him. It landed on his chest and he promptly popped the remains into his mouth.
‘Pig!’ Then in typical Nova style, she changed the subject. ‘I saw Georgia in Sydney when I was there.’
‘And …?’
She’d known the mention of Curtis’s ex-wife’s name would get his attention. ‘Georgia looked fantastic. She asked how you were.’
The hazel eyes hardened. ‘I’m sure she did. She’s making a nice income with the child allowance I pay, on top of what she earns as a freelance journalist-photographer. It’s in her best interests for me to be in good health.’ His tone changed, softened. ‘Was Regan with her?’
‘No, it was night time, at a pub in The Rocks. She was with a few people who were farewelling her before she flew to Paris for the spring fashion shows.’
‘And dragging Regan with her, no doubt.’ Curtis shook his head. ‘That’s no life for a young kid.’
‘Curtis, you have to accept that you’ve lost Regan. I know it’s hard, but it’s a fact,’ Stuart put in quietly. ‘Georgia built up a lot of resentment over the divorce, mostly because you fought tooth and nail to have sole custody of your daughter by implying that she wasn’t a fit mother because of her affairs. That made her mean enough to make it difficult, almost impossible for you to see a lot of Regan.’
Curtis gave him a withering look. ‘Easy for you to say, Stuart. You have four daughters, two of whom are in your various businesses where you see themregularly and the two youngest still live at home. I have one child and if I’m lucky I see her for two weeks of every year.’
The phone rang and Fran got to it first. She looked at Curtis. ‘It’s Linford Downs Station. Bit of a problem, I think.’
Glad for the diversion, Curtis scraped back his chair on the vinyl as he rose to answer the call.
‘What’s up, Simon?’
‘Curtis, one of our men has just ridden in from the range bordering our properties. Your stockman, the one named Tony, has had an accident. His horse spooked and he came off. Reg is pretty sure he has a broken leg,’ Simon Johns reported. ‘He said to relay that Tony’s in a lot of pain, too much to be put into splints then on a horse and brought in.’
‘Okay, I’ll come out in the chopper. Where exactly are they?’
‘Approximately ten kilometres north of where Gumbledon Creek runs into the Chamberlain River.’
Curtis knew the place. He checked the time on the kitchen wall clock. He would have to fuel up the chopper before take off. ‘I can be there in an hour or so. Thanks, Simon. Bye.’
He glanced at those seated at the table. Now he had a good excuse to be up and away, literally! ‘Got to go. One of our men’s had an accident. I’ll have to fly him to the hospital in Kununurra.’
‘What bad luck,’ Nova said.
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