Cam’s mouth dropped open. ‘We were only supposed to look!’
But she’d started laughing. ‘Cameron, you have a lot to learn about children if you really thought all we were ever going to do today was just look.’
They went home with a chicken and a wire cage loaned to them by Mr O’Connell, a puppy, a dog basket, a collar and lead, and plenty of pet food.
And their picnic.
Tess set up a card table in the backyard to keep the food out of reach of their furred and feathered friends, and two camp chairs for her and Cam. Children and animals cheerfully settled on the blanket until they’d finished eating, and then Krissie and Ty set about introducing Fluffy and Barney to the backyard.
Tess selected a pikelet liberally slathered in butter and jam and bit into it, closing her eyes for a moment to savour it. If she didn’t stop eating like this soon, she’d outgrow all her clothes. She took a second bite. ‘I can’t believe that chicken is following Krissie about as if it’s a dog.’
‘I can’t believe you bought a White Bearded Silky instead of a Leghorn or a Rhode Island or…or anything that’s a proven layer. You know that thing is going to lay next to no eggs.’
She just grinned at him. ‘Have a piece of sultana cake.’
He had a piece of fruitcake instead. ‘And a black Labrador?’ He shook his head.
‘Labrador puppies are the cutest in the world.’
‘They don’t stop being stupid until they’re about four years old. It’ll chew everything it can find, you know?’
‘That’ll teach the kids to pick up after themselves. And while Barney may not prove to be the cleverest of dogs, I suspect he’s going to be loving and loyal.’
‘He’ll never be a working dog.’
‘We don’t need a working dog.’ She polished off her pikelet and licked her fingers. ‘Cameron, I know we’re breaking every rule of being proper country folk, but look how happy they are.’ She found herself grinning like an idiot. ‘How can that be a bad thing?’
He glanced at her and those green eyes of his softened. ‘It’s not, I guess. Not when you put it like that. I just can’t help feeling you’ve taken on more work than you realise. And I’m responsible for that. If I’d known earlier what would happen—’
‘I’m glad you didn’t! You’re responsible for the kids remembering all the good things they wanted from our move to Bellaroo Creek. You’re responsible for them being happy that we moved here rather than afraid. Do you always focus on the negatives rather than the positives?’
He didn’t answer. His eyes had lowered to her mouth and there was absolutely nothing negative about his gaze. What if he had kissed her earlier? What would that have been like? She swallowed. Heat circled in slow spirals through her veins. She recalled in microscopic detail the feeling of being pulled up hard against him and the need that had roared through her.
The world contracted about them. She touched her lips—lips sensitised beyond measure. Her index finger traced her bottom lip. It swelled and throbbed…until she encountered something sticky.
Sticky? She closed her eyes in sudden mortification. Jam!
She had jam all over her face? No wonder Cameron was staring. She scrubbed it off and when she opened her eyes she found him staring straight out in front of him at his precious forty hectares.
She scowled but it didn’t slow the thud of her heartbeat.
‘Why did Lance yell at you?’
She shifted on her chair. Lorraine had said Cameron and Lance hadn’t spoken in ten months. She didn’t want to make that situation worse.
‘I will find out so you might as well tell me.’
She slumped on a sigh. ‘Fine, but I’ll only tell you if you fill me in on what’s going down with the two of you.’
His nose curled. It shouldn’t look sexy. It didn’t look sexy! ‘I’m surprised nobody filled you in about it yesterday. It’s no secret.’
His curled lip told her that while it might not be a secret, he didn’t enjoy talking about it. She pulled in a breath. ‘Whatever it is, it’s certainly upsetting your mother.’
He snorted. She didn’t understand that.
‘Ten months ago,’ he clipped out, ‘I was engaged to Fiona.’
She stared. Did he mean the same Fiona who…‘Tall, blonde, ponytail?’
‘That’s the one.’
She stiffened. ‘Oh!’
He smiled but there was no warmth in it. ‘Exactly.’
They both stared out at the backyard, silent for the moment. ‘I, umm…take it,’ she started, ‘that you and Fiona hadn’t broken up before she and Lance…’
‘You take it right.’
Ouch!
She opened her mouth to say something, anything that would offer comfort or commiseration, but he glared at her and shook his head. ‘Don’t.’
Right. She closed her mouth again.
They were both quiet for a long time. Eventually she moistened her lips. ‘Lance wanted to lease the forty hectares from me. When I told him I’d already signed the lease over to you he…became a little upset.’
His eyes narrowed, but he still didn’t look at her. ‘He wanted to lease that land?’
‘Uh-huh.’
His nostrils flared. ‘I knew he was behind that.’
Um…‘I’m pretty positive your mother had no part in it, though.’
That made him swing to her. ‘Oh, really?’ His scorn could blast the skin from a person’s frame. She darted a glance towards the children. He swore softly. ‘Sorry.’
He raked a hand back through his hair. ‘Look, I’m still angry that I didn’t see it coming, that I didn’t see what was happening right under my nose. That he was—’
He broke off. ‘I underestimated him. None of that is your fault, though.’
‘I’d have said believing in your family was a good thing, not a bad one.’
He didn’t reply. She pulled in a breath. ‘Look, yesterday your mother seemed appalled and shocked when I told her about the mix-up with the forty hectares. I doubt very much she feigned that.’ She bit her lip and then shrugged. ‘I liked her.’
His lips twisted. ‘And let me guess, despite my brother’s bad behaviour you like him too?’
She thought about that for a moment. ‘Hmm, no, I’m not convinced I do. I don’t much like being yelled at. He owes me an apology and until I receive one he’s a…’ He’d stolen Cam’s fiancée! She tilted her chin. ‘He’s a weaselling, snivelling, black-hearted swine.’
Cam stared at her, his jaw slack, and then he threw his head back and laughed. The sound rippled through her, warming her all over. Both Ty and Krissie glanced across at them and grinned. It made Tess realise what little laughter they’d had in their lives these last few months. And probably quite a while before then too if the truth be told.
Oh, Sarah.
At the thought of her beautiful dead sister any desire to laugh along with Cam fled. ‘Cam, about your mum…’
His face shuttered closed. ‘She’s made it clear where her loyalties lie.’