Free Taming the Outback by Ann B Harrison Page A

they won’t even bother putting you on their list.”
    She watched him storm back to his car and tear down the road in a cloud of dust.
    “Is he right, Tom, should we have let him get them to his place first?”
    “I don’t think so, not unless we know for sure we won’t get this lot in before they get here. If we hurry, we will, and now we have something to prove, don’t you think?”
    He reached for her arm and stopped her walking away.
    “Look, I’m not making excuses for Nathan, honestly. But I’ve known him all his life, and he really is a nice guy under all that angst and attitude. He just has a bad time dealing with city folk after what happened, and I’m afraid you are copping it all.” Tom scratched his head. “But don’t let it worry you, it’s something he has to deal with, and I’m sure he will sooner or later.” Tom nodded his head at the trail of dust Nathan was leaving as he drove away.
    “Let’s go then,” she declared, determined to get every last straggler in for shearing and prove the bastard wrong.
    ***
    Libby soaked in her bath trying to ease the aches and pains wracking her tired body, refusing to give into her heated fantasies about Nathan as her fingers fluttered over her breasts in an attempt to wash herself. Even the scathing remarks about her incompetence and lack of country spirit couldn’t dampen her body’s reaction when his face came to mind.
    Annoyed with herself, Libby pulled the plug and stood briskly, drying herself before dressing in old, comfortable clothes.
    As Tom and Winton came through the gate, Libby took a bottle of red wine from the pantry with a couple of glasses. She rummaged through the drawer for a corkscrew to open the wine. When she had popped the cork, she put her hand on the older man’s arm and headed to the front veranda.
    “Sit and relax.” She put the glasses on the little table she’d placed between the two rocking chairs. Libby tipped the bottle and filled their glasses, swirling the wine as the setting sun reflected off the ruby liquid. She passed the glass to Tom and sat in her rocking chair, letting her head fall back.
    “This is the life.” She took a much needed sip of her wine to calm her frazzled nerves and tried to block out the unwanted picture of a tall, handsome farmer who appeared each time she closed her eyes.
    “I’m not much of a fancy cook, so let’s just have a quick barbecue.”
    “No complaints from me.”
    The singing of the cicadas in the gum trees was the only background to the quiet stillness of the house as they all relaxed from their first sheep mustering.
    “Ever been to a barn dance?” he asked.
    “No.” She turned to look at him. “Tell me about them.”
    “Just a good excuse for country folk to get together. One coming up in a couple of weeks if you want to go, might be a good chance to meet some of the locals.”
    “I could deal with that. What do you wear and can the kids come, do you think?”
    “’Course they can. You wear a dress, I guess. What do women usually wear to a dance?”
    “A dress, I suppose, but I’ve never been to a country dance.” Libby took another sip of her wine. “I could always go into town and see what they suggest at the dress shop.”
    Tom sat back in his seat, a satisfied smile on his face. Libby stood to start the barbecue, pressing a hand gently to his shoulder as he offered to get up and help her. She insisted he sit, that she’d cook tonight.
    By the time the hotplate was ready, Holly had come back to the house and was talking about the lambs to Tom. He’d promised he would wake her in the morning to feed them after she appointed herself their main caregiver, and he was happy to oblige her. Libby had watched her little girl blossom under the watchful eye of the older man, and apart from the incident when Nathan had threatened to shoot the wandering cattle, Holly was taking to country life like a duck to water.
    The smell of marinated steak wafted through the