Read Online The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife by Natalia Elder - Free Book Online

‘Sweet!’  The homestead was
quiet, as she pirouetted and rushed out into the hallway, so out-of-sorts, she
didn’t have a clue where she was going.
    Kirra opened the first door she came upon and slipped
inside. The room was dark and she groped on the wall for the light switch. When
her fingers felt a familiar lump, she flicked it and the room came alive in the
vibrant glow of an antique chandelier.
    The furniture and décor was all chocolate brown and
beige. So masculine and business-like, it was such a stark contrast from the
rest of the homestead.
    There was a wooden door engraved with the word, ‘ Surgery ’ at the
rear of the room. Though tempted, she didn ’ t open it.
    An old-fashioned upright telephone stood proudly on
the chunky walnut desk which looked out of place beside the modern technologies
of computer and all-in-one printer, fax and scanner. Behind it, there was a
ceiling-high wall of books on shelves and there were stacks of newspapers in
the corner. An overwhelming sense of intrusion flowed through her. It was
definitely his room - his retreat.
    A few newspapers lay opened in front of the leather high-backed chair on
the desk. Absentmindedly, her eyes flicked over them while she dialled Elise ’ s number.
    Shock waves of realisation rippled through her and a
flare of outrage made her slam the receiver down before it was answered.
    The newspapers were all Brisbane Bulletins !
Every last one of them. All were opened on pages where her previous articles
were printed.
    How dare he check up on her?
    What was he expecting to find? A serial she ’ d written about her past romantic adventures? Did he
think he would be the next Prince Charming of the newspapers? She ’ d already told him that she wrote fact, not fiction.
And she thought he might be starting to respect her. Ha!
    As her eyes rolled up in disgust, something glinted
and caught her eye. She reached up and plucked a small gold-framed photograph
from one of the middle bookshelves.
    Simmering down a little, she examined the picture with
a trained, investigative eye. A young, pixie-faced woman looked away from the
person taking the photo. The redhead, sitting on a hospital bed, looked like
she’d just given birth. Pale-skinned and freckled, she held out a newborn baby
away from her. It was an odd photo. Why would Jared choose to display such a
photo? It wasn’t a happy snap. Surely, there were more flattering photos taken
of them?
    Was this his wife and son? Come to think of it, this
was the only photograph she ’ d seen in the
entire house. It had to be them.
    His wife seemed plainer than she ’ d expected. She didn ’ t seem at all his type. But then, what was his type? Not that she cared.
Maybe, she ’ d also responded to a newspaper ad for a wife.
    Kirra carefully replaced the photograph back in its
exact position.
    Calmer, she redialled Elise ’ s number.
    As she waited, her eyes trailed over Jared’s
extensive, well-used library of textbooks and fiction. Many were related to
veterinary science, she noted.
    Elise ’ s cheery voice
came on the line.
    Kirra glanced down at the newspapers again. ‘ Hi Elise. It ’ s Kirra.
What needs to be changed in the article? Length? Material? ’ This was the journalist in her talking now - calm,
precise, business-like.
    ‘ Oh, it … it was too long. ’
    ‘ Can ’ t Reece edit it? ’
    ‘ He already has. I … I just wanted to see if your new
man was more important than your job. ’
    ‘ That ’ s absurd! ’
    ‘ He sounds dishy on the phone. Phil reckons it must be
love at first sight if you ’ re still there
after two days. ’
    Kirra sighed. ‘ I have no
choice. It ’ s flooding out here and the bridge is cut. ’
    ‘ How wonderful! ’ she
clucked. ‘ You could be there indefinitely with dishy Jared. ’
    Suspicion spiked in her mind. ‘You sound so
familiar with him. On first name basis are we?’
    ‘ He answered the phone yesterday, ’ she said, then rushed on. ‘ Jared