Her Outback Cowboy (Prickle Creek) Read online

  The brown water was not very enticing, but at least it was wet and sort of cool. After having a good look around the edge for snakes, Lucy kicked off her boots and walked into the water, floating as soon as she could to get her feet off the muddy bottom. It was very different to the sandy beach at Bondi that she’d fallen in love with.

  “What the heck am I doing out here?” She closed her eyes and let the warm water slide over her body. Seeing her grandparents, that was all. There was such a vast difference between her city life and the country where she’d spent her childhood. True, her memories were good, but the country just didn’t cut it for her these days. Apart from seeing Gran and Pop, there was nothing else here that made her want to stay in the outback.

  If she scrunched her eyelids tightly closed, she could imagine the translucent blue waters of Daydream Island whispering over her hot skin. Summoning up the feel of pure white sand squeaking beneath her feet and the sound of the ocean breeze rustling the palms, she let the idyllic tropical picture fill her mind for one brief moment. Until she opened her eyes and looked out over the golden paddocks and the red dirt road in front of her.

  Daydream Island was where she’d dreamed of spending her short Christmas holiday this year. But she’d had no time to take a holiday. She’d had a busy summer with lots of freelance jobs, and now she had a proposal to finish. The biggest lingerie company in Australia had chosen Goodbody and Grech as the agency to launch their new line of sexy underwear. And the advertising manager had dropped the campaign in Lucy’s willing hands. The design and the copy. A campaign that would give her advertising career an almighty push upwards.

  If she could find the right image. Something new, something fresh; not like the current garbage that was being spewed out by some of the Sydney agencies.

  If I can ever get online here in the boondocks. She’d suspected the internet service wouldn’t be too good out here. She’d tried to check her email before she’d changed into her swimmers. Even with her dongle, the connection at Prickle Creek Farm was painfully slow.

  Lucy tilted her head back, letting the lukewarm water swish through her hair as the hot sun beat down on her face. She closed her eyes as the past flashed by. Where had the years gone? And why had she agreed to come back?

  Maybe Seb was right. Maybe she’d made a huge mistake. She had so much work lined up, and Gran and Pop did have enough money to hire someone to help out.

  Although the cousins had let the farm go, and had left it all up to Gran and Pop. Another ripple of guilt fluttered through her.

  Lucy floated on her back and blocked out the sound of the headers as the hay was baled in the paddock across from the dam. The heat out here in the Pilliga Scrub in late summer was searing. It was a toss-up whether the heat, the flies, or the cat’s head prickles were the worst part of this landscape.

  She flicked her hand in the water and kept her eyes closed as she counted the days and tried not to think of the tropical holiday she’d dreamed about. Fourteen days working her butt off in this arid, hot, and flat landscape was not a fair trade, but she’d agreed and she’d see it through.

  “Lucy-Lou! I thought it was you I saw walking across the paddock.” The laconic voice pulled Lucy from her daydreaming and she opened her mouth, spluttering as she copped a mouthful of muddy dam water.

  She lowered her feet and squealed as her toes sank in the squishy mud.

  “Oh, yuk! How gross.”

  Lucy knew that voice too well. Her memory kicked into gear, bringing back a few afternoons by the dam with Garth Mackenzie when they’d been at high school. And wow, what memories. Her face heated, and it wasn’t just the hot sun that was causing it. The outback sun hadn’t been the only thing to heat her up in those days. She kept her head down as she trudged through the fine silt, trying to look unconcerned and hide how fast her heart was beating. She wondered why Garth was back here and not up north at his cotton farm. She reached the edge of the dam, grimacing as the cool mud oozed between her toes.

  “Garth! It’s been a long time.” Lucy managed to regain her composure and push aside the memory of him standing stark naked on that very same spot. In those steamy days, they’d not worried about swimming costumes. It was far enough from the road—there was always plenty of warning if someone came along by car or on horseback.

  Garth leaned down, and his hands were strong and firm on her shoulders as he brushed his lips across her damp cheek. She couldn’t believe that butterflies fluttered in her stomach as they always had when Garth had touched her.

  “It surely has. What are you doing back here? Thought you’d abandoned the country for the big smoke years ago?”

  “I’m here to help Gran out for a couple of weeks. Pop’s in the hospital.”

  “I heard that.” His gold-flecked hazel eyes held hers, and he spoke quietly. “I was sorry to hear about your mum, Lucy. I was away and I didn’t get to the funeral. It’s been a tough few years for your family.”

  “Yep, it has, but time passes and helps us heal, doesn’t it?” Keeping her voice steady, Lucy squinted up at him in the bright sun. His Akubra hat shaded his chiselled face, and she stared. Garth had been the best-looking boy at school. His eyes had always been alight with laughter, and he’d been a good friend to her, both before and after their brief fling. As she gazed up at him, her mouth dropped open and she stepped back, raising her hands. She made a square with the fingers of both her hands and captured both him and the horse through a pretend viewfinder.

  “Don’t move,” she said in her best bossy voice.

  “What?” His deep voice was as sexy as ever, and Lucy’s creative juices kicked in, banishing the butterfly flutters. “What’s wrong?”

  “You, Garth Mackenzie, are the answer to my dreams.”

  Brilliant blue sky formed a backdrop for his rugged face and strong shoulders. Lucy let her gaze travel down past his shoulders to his buttoned-up shirt tucked into navy-blue work pants. Scuffed boots were planted firmly in the red dust at the edge of the dam, his strong thighs outlined by the close-fitting pants. His white teeth flashed as he grinned at her, shaking his head. In the background, a shiny brown horse pawed at the ground and snuffled behind the fence.

  He’s perfect! The horse is perfect! The landscape is perfect!

  “Where’s Seb when I need him?” she muttered. Lucy lifted her gaze back to Garth’s face. The perfect shot for her advertising proposal was out here at Prickle Creek, a place where she would never have thought of looking in a million years.

  “Madcap as ever, Lucy-Lou?” His eyes crinkled at the edges, full of laughter and interest.

  She grabbed his hands and reached over and planted a smacking kiss on his mouth. “You, Garth Mackenzie, have solved my problem. Want to come over to the house for a cuppa and we can talk about it?”

  Chapter Three

  Garth Mackenzie ignored the feeling that had slammed into his chest when he’d spotted Lucy Bellamy crossing the paddock to the dam. He’d blinked, dropped the wire strainer, and rubbed a grimy hand across his eyes. For a moment he’d thought he was hallucinating from the heat. God, he’d been thinking about her, and here she was.

  Memories hit him like a sixer. Harder than he’d hit the winning ball in the final over of the cricket match last week.

  He had walked over to the fence line, and his horse ambled along behind him, munching the last tufts of dying grass around the fence posts. He had stood there and watched her floating in the dam for a few minutes before calling out to her.

  The small copse of trees where they’d both lost their virginity one warm winter afternoon still stood in the middle of the wheat paddock. For a few weeks afterwards, he’d expected to see her grandfather arriving with a shotgun because they’d used no protection. Condoms weren’t something he’d carried when he’d been fencing back in those teenage years. He grinned; it had been a good lesson for an eighteen-year-old boy.

  Those lazy afternoons popped into his head as Lucy stood in the water and waded toward
s him. Her one-piece swimsuit clung lovingly to her curves, and he let his gaze sweep her length. Her body was more womanly than when she’d been an athletic teenager, and her skin was fairer than it had been when she’d lived out here.

  But she was still as drop-dead gorgeous as ever.

  As he kissed her cheek and stepped back, he became the subject of her intense scrutiny. Her bright blue eyes held his, and her low and husky voice sent a shiver down his spine. “Come on over to the farm for a quick visit.”

  He shook his head. “Thank you, but no, not at the moment. Your grandmother wouldn’t be too happy if I rolled into her kitchen.”

  Lucy looked up curiously as she bent to pull on her boots.

  “Nice look. Purple Blundstone boots and swimmers. Takes me back a few years.” He chuckled at the quirky picture she made.

  Quirky, but still very, very beautiful.

  A flush ran up her cheeks as she looked up at him. “Why wouldn’t Gran be happy about you coming over? You used to live in her kitchen when we were kids.”

  Garth huffed a sigh and bit down on the regret that surfaced. “It’s a long story, Luce. When did you leave? Six years ago?” He knew full well exactly how long it had been since she’d left, but he wasn’t going to let her know that. A man had to have his pride. More than six years since he had last seen her. The first holiday he’d come home from university, he had discovered she had left for the city.

  “Five,” she said.

  “Well, I’m sure it won’t be long till you catch up on everything that’s happened while you’ve been gone.” His horse snickered and he turned. “I’ve got a crew waiting for me at the back paddock, so I’ve got to go. Come on over to my place whenever you want.”

  “Your place?”

  “Yeah, the olds handed it over to me. Dad said there was no point waiting till they carked it. They’ve moved down to the South Coast. Got a beautiful house on the water at Jervis Bay.”

  “That’ll keep you busy.” She tipped her head to the side, and Garth caught his breath again. Lucy didn’t look a day older than when he’d graduated. Her dark hair was still long, and her fringe brushed her high arched dark eyebrows. Her lashes were wet from her swim, clumped together in long spikes framing those beautiful blue eyes. Yep, she was even more beautiful now. Garth struggled to catch his breath.

  “Got any kids yet to carry on the tradition?” she asked with a smile that showed off her pretty teeth.

  “None that I’m aware of,” he said with a grin.

  “And your wife? Does she work in town or help you on the property?”

  “My wife?” Garth fair snorted the words. “What wife?”

  “The girl from Narrabri you married. That wife.” Lucy stared up at him with her hands on her hips. She was such a petite little thing. But he knew better than to be taken in by her looks. Lucy Bellamy was one of the kindest people he’d ever met, but she had a backbone of steel. Stubborn, just like her grandmother.

  He shook his head and laughed.

  “You got that one wrong. That was my cousin Brent. He got married just before Mum and Dad moved south. His wife’s family has a big cotton property out near Moree and he’s looking after that.”

  “So you’re all settled here in the Pilliga by yourself?” Lucy’s forehead wrinkled in a frown, and a feeling that he’d been judged and found wanting flickered through Garth.

  “No desire to see the world?” she said.

  “Oh, I’m not quite a cow cocky, Lucy. I’ve travelled.” His voice was clipped, but he tempered his words with a smile. “But unlike some of us who grew up here at Prickle Creek, this is where I want to be. There’s no better place in the world for me.” He didn’t mention the three years in Perth studying his engineering degree or the following three years working in the mine in Western Australia, saving as much money as he could. Dad had thought he was mad, but even as the only child, Garth had refused to be given the property. He’d worked his butt off as a mining engineer for three years, and he’d paid for the beach house for his parents before he’d let them sign over the farm to him. The day he’d come home to Prickle Creek had been the best day of his life. Lucy didn’t need to know all that: she’d made her assumptions about him and it hurt, so he changed the subject.

  “Now what’s this crazy thing”—he put his hands in a square to his eye, mimicking her action—“that you’re on about?”

  “You’ve given me a fabulous idea, Garth. Can I come over to your place later and tell you about it?”

  “Sure can. I’ll expect you after dinner. Okay?” He tipped his hand to his hat. “It’s been good catching up, but I have to go. Just came up here to fix the fence. The cattle were getting into the wheat.” He shook his head and couldn’t help the grin that was tugging at his lips. “Couldn’t believe my eyes when little Lucy Bellamy strolled along the road. It’s really good to see you again.”

  “Not so little anymore.” Lucy reached for the bright yellow dress hanging on the fence and pulled it over her head.

  “Still love your colours, Lucy?”

  “I do.” Her gaze locked with his and he grinned; she seemed to be having as much trouble looking away from him as he was keeping his eyes off her. “I’ll see you later.” She smoothed her dress down. “That’s if you’re sure you want to have a city slicker come visit.”

  With that parting shot, she turned and headed for the dusty red road winding around the paddock, where the wheat swayed in golden ripples as the afternoon breeze strengthened.

  “I think I can cope with it,” he said drily. “See you soon, then.” Garth stood and watched her walk away before he turned to the waiting horse. Hot damn, her butt still swayed in that same sexy walk of old; the image of her in that brief little swimsuit and the purple boots was one he wasn’t going to lose for a long time. If he didn’t know better, he could have sworn Lucy Bellamy was flirting with him, and his interest had fired instantly. Shame, because the timing to follow that spark was off, the way things were at the moment, anyhow. Her gran had pretty much barred him from the farm next door.

  Garth was thoughtful as his horse cantered down towards home. He shrugged as he slowed down to open the gate near the house paddock. Maybe Lucy didn’t know about the bad feeling between the two farms. Maybe it wouldn’t matter to her. His grin widened as he pulled the gate shut and looped the chain over it.

  It sure didn’t matter to him.

  Chapter Four

  Lucy took heed of Garth’s words and didn’t mention to Gran that she was going to the Mackenzie farm after dinner. Gran had answered Lucy’s nonstop stream of questions over dinner, but she’d seemed preoccupied. After they had cleared the table, they worked together in the kitchen making a few more batches of scones for the next day.

  “Do you still make your blackberry jam, Gran?”

  “No. I haven’t had anyone to pick the berries for me, Lucy. I’m too old to go climbing all over those bushes. They’re out of control in the back paddocks. If you feel like going down to pick some while you’re here, we could make some jam together.” The guilt that hit Lucy squarely in the chest got worse with Gran’s next words.

  “You get the thermos flasks from the pantry, Lucy. I just need to sit down for a while.” Lucy frowned when Gran put a hand to her chest and reached for a small bottle of tablets on the kitchen windowsill.

  “What’s wrong?” Lucy closed the door of the walk-in pantry room and followed her grandmother to the living room.

  “Nothing.” Gran waved a dismissive hand. “My digestion isn’t what it used to be. Just a bit of heartburn.”

  “Really? That’s all?”

  “Yes. That’s all.” But Gran didn’t meet her eye. “Now go and get those flasks out and make sure we’re set for the morning.

  “Okay, and then if you don’t mind, I’m going to go for a bit of a drive around.”

  “That’s good. I’m happy you want to see the farm. Have a look at the blackberries, but if you get out of the car, watch out for
snakes. Your Pop said there have been some big eastern browns around since the heat arrived.”

  “Ergh.” Lucy shivered.

  Gran smiled, and her whole face softened. “You never were one for the farm, were you, Lucy?” Although she smiled, her old faded eyes were sad. “Although you were always such a sweet kid, you never said anything.”

  “That’s not true. I loved spending time with you and Pop when we were kids.” The happy memories of her childhood had seen her through some lonely nights in the city. And the memories of the times she’d spent out here with Garth. “Is the old bore still running? We used to have such fun out there.”

  “It is. I don’t think you kids ever appreciated how lucky we are to have a farm sitting right on top of the Great Artesian Basin.”

  “I didn’t until I learned about it in high school geography lessons.” Lucy giggled. “I can still remember Garth Mackenzie boasting about how his parents were the first to tap the bore and have running hot water in the paddocks.”

  “Hmph. Did he just?”

  Lucy pulled out a chair and sat beside her grandmother. “He did.”

  “I know that was the only way that your parents could get you out here after you started high school. Didn’t want to see us. All you wanted to do was go for a swim. You didn’t give a thought to how it kept our farm going when there was no rain.”

  “I did love coming out here, you know.” Lucy was half speaking to herself, looking through the window to the tops of the eucalyptus trees swaying in the breeze. She turned back to the kitchen.

  Her grandmother’s hands trembled slightly as she folded the tea towel on her lap. “It’s a shame. A lot of the bores have been capped off now, but we kept ours. Your grandfather loves getting in that one. He says it helped his knee.”

  “We can all go and visit him tomorrow. He’d love that, wouldn’t he?”

  “We’ll see what the day brings.” Gran yawned as Lucy picked up her car keys.

  Lucy leaned over and put her arms around Gran’s shoulders even though Gran hated any signs of affection. She was surprised by her frailty. “I won’t be too long. I’ll make you a cup of tea for supper when I get back, if you’re still awake.”