His Outback Temptation (Pickle Creek) Page 6

  “Where are you?” Chris asked. “Out in the boondocks yet?”

  “Yes, I’m at the farm. Been here since Tuesday. Where are you?”

  “That’s good. I’m in Sydney and I’ve got a job for you.”

  Sebastian ran his hand through his hair impatiently. “Chris, I already told you. I’m not available to take off around the world at the drop of a hat.”

  “You don’t have to go anywhere with this job. Well, not far, anyway.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Grimes and Haines called me when they heard you were back in the country, and mate, this job has fallen in your lap. It’s perfect for you!”

  The excitement in Chris’s voice spread to Sebastian. He loved that little flare of anticipation that fired when a new shoot was first discussed, but he pushed it away. He was on the farm now; his days of being a photographer were over.

  But it wouldn’t hurt to ask what he was going to miss out on. “Tell me about it.”

  “It’s a calendar series. They want day and night shots of the sky and the landscape.”

  “What landscape?” He could hear the anticipation in Chris’s voice as he reeled him in. His agent was a crafty bugger; he knew exactly how to get Sebastian interested.

  “The bloody Outback, mate. Right on your doorstep.”

  “What’s the time frame?” Okay, so he was taking the bait a bit too quickly.

  “Two months to do it, only twelve shots, a spring and summer shoot, ready for international distribution mid-next year.” Chris’s words kept bubbling over. “And mate, the calendar company wants you so badly, the fee I quoted was mega and guess what?”

  “What?”

  “You’ve hit the big time. They didn’t even want to negotiate. Said yes on the first call and said to get you signed up. So what do you reckon?”

  “Yes.”

  Chris’s laughter came down the phone. “You’re sure you don’t want to think about that some more?”

  “No. I’ll fit it in on weekends.” The excitement had grown from a little spark to a blazing fire. He was back in the business and could do it from here.

  And he had a great candidate in mind for a location assistant.

  He slid the phone in his pocket and walked towards the house, his mood improving even more as the dust kicked up by the mailbox. An unfamiliar yellow sedan drove slowly along the road from the cattle grid, and he stood by the gate to the house yard, waiting for it to appear around the last turn.

  He smiled when he saw Isabella hunched low over the steering wheel of an old Citroën. It had to be a 1960s model, but it was in perfect condition. He walked over and opened the door for her, and she climbed out gracefully.

  “Thank you.” With a laugh she ran her fingers through her curls that seemed to be springier than usual. “When Dad told me there was no air con in the car, I almost rang you to come and collect me on the bike.”

  “Any time. Love the car, by the way,” he said. “What model is it?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is I hate driving it!”

  “It’s a classic.” Sebastian smoothed his hand over the shiny, canary-yellow paintwork. “Did you having any trouble finding the place?”

  “No, your directions were spot on, but you are a long way out of town.” She leaned against the car and looked around. “Your farm is beautiful. I didn’t imagine there’d be a green lawn and such a pretty garden way out here in the red dirt. Even roses!”

  “Gran’s always been proud of her garden. Woe betide any dog or child who interferes with her plants.” He followed her gaze across the colorful early spring flowers. “I don’t know who’s been taking care of it while they’ve been away but someone obviously has.”

  “The flowers will be great to decorate the hayshed for the wedding.”

  “If you need a hand with anything, make sure you ask me. I’d love to help.”

  “Don’t worry, I will. You have a great family.” Isabella’s voice held a wistful note. “I really enjoyed meeting everyone again last night. I feel so old, seeing Lucy with a baby and Jemima pregnant with an instant family. Only problem was, when we got home Dad started on the ‘how long till I’m a nonno’ questions!”

  “Do you want kids one day?” Sebastian asked curiously.

  She shrugged. “I’ve been too busy building my career to think about it. Plenty of time for that in the future.”

  “Me, too. But I don’t know that I could ever settle in one place long enough to raise a family.”

  She looked at him strangely and he realised what he’d just said.

  “So you’re not here to stay, after all?” she asked.

  His laugh was forced. “I forgot for a moment that I’d come home to stay. I think I’m still jetlagged. Anyway, come on over and I’ll show you the shed while we’re waiting for the others to get here.”

  “Angie called as I turned off the road. She’s on her way.”

  …

  While Sebastian put the working dogs into their pens, Isabella waited at the front of the hayshed across from the pretty garden. She pulled out her phone and took some photos. She could already visualise how the big shed could be set up. Angie and Jemima had run some ideas past her, and she was looking forward to talking more about it, now that she’d seen the space where they would set up a semi-outdoor reception. As well as looking after the catering, they’d been happy to accept her offer to organise the “event” in terms of layout and decorations.

  “You are a lifesaver,” Jemima had said. “This pregnancy has slowed me down so much, I can barely cope looking after the house and kids, let alone plan a wedding.”

  Angie had nodded. “It’s awesome that you are willing to do it for us. I’ve been busy at the vet surgery and trying to get our new house organised. You’ll have to come and see it.” Then she shook her head and smiled. “It’s probably the last thing you want to do while you’re visiting your dad. Look at paint schemes and new furniture! We’ll be taking up enough of your time with the wedding organisation.”

  Isabella had shaken her head. “I’d love to come and visit.”

  “I won’t be long.” Sebastian locked the gate of the dog pen. “I’m just going to look for Daisy. She’s disappeared. Make yourself at home.”

  Isabella wandered around the shed and checked out where the power points were. It would be easy to set up some food warmers and serve some of the meal from inside. Planning the menu and the table decoration would keep her busy, and she closed her eyes as she whispered a thank you to the company that had pulled out and given her this opportunity.

  Her time in Spring Downs would be bearable now. She’d had to bite her tongue already, because now that Dad had got over his initial happiness at seeing her, he’d started in on her. Last night—on what was it, only her fourth night in town—she’d actually been tempted to look up an earlier flight out.

  The conversation had started out pleasantly enough.

  “What have you been doing in Florence?”

  “Working,” she’d answered patiently.

  “Where have you been working?”

  “In the middle of the city.”

  “Do you have many friends?” Of course, no mention of Mum.

  “What is this job you are so excited about? Why do you have to go to England?”

  And then all the negatives had followed.

  “You work too hard, Bella. It’s not right for a woman to work so hard. You need a man to look after you and give you babies.”

  That had been the comment that had almost pushed her over the edge, but she’d gritted her teeth and waved an airy hand. “Oh, there’s plenty of time for that, Dad. No rush at all. There’s a whole world out there, and success beckons.”

  “No, you’re in your mid-twenties. Most women have a home and family by then.”

  “Not most women in my world, Dad.” She’d tempered her words with a smile and changed the subject. Five more weeks of nagging from her father, in a to
wn where there was nothing to do, had loomed.

  A faint yapping at the back of the hayshed caught her attention, and she wandered across to the dark corner behind the tractor.

  She drew a quick breath. A sleek red kelpie was lying in the hay with what seemed like dozens of little puppies fighting to latch on to her for a feed. She kneeled down and counted the pups.

  “You must be Daisy.” The mother lifted her head and tired eyes almost smiled in contentment. “What a clever girl. Nine beautiful puppies.”

  Isabella pushed herself to her feet and walked back outside. “Sebastian, is Daisy a kelpie?”

  He came around from the back of the shed. “She is, and she’s due to whelp any day.”

  “She’s in the shed behind the tractor with her new family.”

  A beautiful smile crossed Sebastian’s face. His full, firm lips tilted, and she remembered how they’d felt against hers. “Over there?”

  “Yes, tucked in behind the back wheel.”

  His voice was low and soothing as he crouched down beside the bitch and her pups. “Who’s a clever girl then, Miss Daisy? All by yourself without a peep.”

  Isabella stood beside him and watched as Sebastian patted Daisy’s head. He’d thrown his hat to the straw on the ground before he’d squatted down. His hair was pulled back neatly into a tight man bun, and the leather tie holding it back today was black, the same colour as his T-shirt and jeans. He looked as far removed from a cattle farmer as he could possibly be. Without the hat, he could have walked into any coffee shop in Florence and blended into the trendy crowd. She wondered if he was really serious about making a life on the farm. It was as though Sebastian was out of the environment that suited him.

  With a shrug, she turned away. It wasn’t any of her business, but she certainly knew she couldn’t make a life here, and she imagined it would be hard for Sebastian, after living in Italy. She turned and looked at the scenery through the wide door.

  It was beautiful—in its own way. A huge expanse of blue sky, so bright that it made her squint, stretched into the distance. The land was flat, and behind the house, golden fields of wheat stretched as far as she could see. It was a harsh and bright landscape, very different to the soft muted landscapes of the northern hemisphere.

  She jumped when a warm hand touched her shoulder.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” he asked. “You were miles away.”

  “I was just thinking how beautiful this is.” She spread her hand in a wide gesture. “And quiet. Not a sound to be heard.”

  “A bit quieter and more peaceful than the sound of the Ferraris roaring across the bridges over the river Arno on a sleepy Sunday morning in Florence, isn’t it?” He stared at the landscape, and she would have sworn his expression was wistful.

  “Not to mention the noise of the market setting up outside my window before dawn every Sunday. Now that is one thing I won’t miss!”

  The cattle grate rattled again, and she pointed towards the gate. “Here comes a sports car, so not too different.”

  “It’s Jemima’s.” Isabella had been fascinated when Lucy had told her of Jemima’s international career as a fashion model before she’d come back home to take her turn helping out on the farm, and how she’d married Ned across the road to help him get a bank loan. The story of how they’d fallen in love was a beauty. As the silver Audi rattled across the cattle grid, two farm utes came in from the other side of the property.

  “There’s a back gate that leads to Garth and Lucy’s place. It saves a long drive around the road.” Sebastian leaned down, his cheek close to hers and one arm draped casually across her shoulders. “If you look directly over that wheat, the paddock where the big gum tree is, can you see a flash of silver in the distance?” He pointed to the north.

  Isabella nodded, conscious of the warmth radiating from his arm to her bare skin. She’d put on a skirt and a camisole top with thin straps today, leaving her shoulders bare. Even though it was only early spring, it was still warm in the middle of the day, and she’d thought this morning it would be nice to get some colour before she headed into the cold of an English winter. A strange shiver ran down her back. She’d only have to turn her head to put her lips against his neck. He hadn’t shaved this morning, and an enticing darkness tinged his strong jaw line. The kiss they’d shared—or rather the kiss she’d demanded at the airport—had been in her dreams every night since she’d arrived.

  In fact, Sebastian had been in her thoughts pretty constantly over the past few days. She stepped away, cross at the direction her thoughts were taking her. It was only because they were both newly arrived in town, and they’d shared common experiences.

  She frowned. He was one very attractive guy, and she’d caught his eyes thoughtfully on her a few times at the club last night. Isabella stepped forward with determination in her step. There was no point getting involved with him, no matter how tempting it was. She was here for another five weeks and three days.

  “Lucy came, too,” Sebastian said as he walked over to the first ute. “Now you’ll get organised.”

  Jemima had brought Ryan, and Lucy had James on one hip. Sebastian kissed each of the women, and then put on his hat.

  “I’ll leave you ladies to it.” He grinned and a flutter of butterflies took up residence in Isabella’s tummy.

  Stop it, you’re not in high school now, she admonished herself.

  “Give me a yell when it’s cuppa time.” Sebastian tipped his hat back and strode off towards the paddocks. His jeans were snug around his thighs, and she watched until he was out of sight.

  Isabella turned around to see a satisfied smile on Lucy’s face. The same look that her father had given her last night.

  “Seb got the gene for the good looks in the family, that’s for sure.” Lucy winked at her.

  “Don’t even think about it, Lucy.” She looped her arm through Lucy’s spare one as Angie and Jemima headed towards the house. “You haven’t changed a bit since we were at high school. I’m here for six weeks and then I’m off.”

  A happy sigh left Isabella’s lips as the smell of spring flowers drifted around them. The next three weeks planning this wedding would be fun.

  Chapter Eight

  Her happy mood lasted until after dinner. Dad had been quiet and hadn’t spoken much as they’d eaten the lasagne that she’d cooked when she’d come home from Prickle Creek Farm. Isabella hadn’t laughed as much as she had in the kitchen at the farm this afternoon. Chatting with Lucy, Jemima, and Angie had made her realise that she had let her friendships go. Working hard in Florence had taken up most of her days, Sunday had been her only day off from the restaurant, and they were spent doing her laundry, cleaning the small apartment, and catching up with her mother. There had been little time for socialising, and most of her friends had been work colleagues, anyway. It had been a while since she’d had a good female chin wag.

  Finally, Dad sat back, picked up his napkin, and wiped his mouth. “That was very good, thank you, Bella.”

  “I love to cook. Even when I’m not working.” She reached over and touched his hand when he put the napkin down. “Are you okay, Dad? You’re very quiet tonight.”

  He nodded sadly. “I’m okay. I’m just thinking about when you leave, how lonely it will be again.”

  Luckily, she was looking at him to see the crafty look he shot her before he looked down at the table.

  Two can play at this game.

  “Yes, it must be very lonely for you. I think it’s time you made a change.” Isabella could be crafty, too. After all, she took after him. Stubborn and determined to get her own way. They’d had some doozies of arguments when she was in high school.

  “Mum has been so sad lately, too,” she said.

  “Hmph,” he said. “Why should she be sad and lonely? She’s had you over there with her since she left. Although she tells me that you neglected her.”

  Neglected her? Isabella pushed away the anger that niggled and seized on the one pi
ece of information that Dad had let drop.

  “And since when have you been having conversations with Mum?”

  “We talk.” He sat back and folded his arms across his portly stomach.

  “I didn’t know that, but I’m pleased. And as you well know, I’ve been living in my own place for ages.”

  He dismissed her protest with a wave of his hand. “We talk because we worry about you. You know if you stayed here, I think your mother would come home.”

  This time her temper bubbled over. “Don’t even think about it!”

  “Think about her coming home? I thought that’s what you wanted?” His tone was hurt.

  “No, you know very well what I mean. Don’t even think about trying to blackmail me. I’m not going to stay here on the off-chance that Mum might come back. That’s between the two of you. I’m a big girl now, and I have my own life and career.”

  “Not much of a life, cooking for other people all day.”

  “Oh,” she said sweetly, “and tell me what it is you do all day, Dad?”

  “I’m a man. That’s different.”

  Isabella stood and threw her napkin to the table. Two volatile Italian tempers threatened to erupt. It wouldn’t be pretty if she hung around.

  “I’m going for a walk. You can do the dishes. Unless that’s not a man’s job?” She managed not to slam the door behind her and ran down the steps. Five minutes later, she’d walked the length of the main street as she worked off her temper. Past the library and the produce store, and three empty stores on one side, across the road, and up the other side. The bakery, the butcher shop, and the local grocery store were closed and the lights were off. Two cars drove past while she was walking, and a red kelpie barked at her from the back of a ute parked outside the vet surgery. The light was on in the surgery, and for a moment, Isabella was tempted to go in and see Angie for a vent. She’d said she had a couple of late consultations. Before she pushed open the gate she changed her mind. She barely knew Angie, and it wasn’t her problem.

  Isabella turned and walked more slowly back the way she’d come, along past the milk bar and towards the bridge. Seeing the town so quiet and deserted made her homesick for Italy. Spring Downs wasn’t home. She had only lived here for three years before Mum had headed back to Italy.