Free The Cattleman's Special Delivery by Barbara Hannay Page B

want cinemas and parties, girlfriends—all the things women missed when they came out here. She deserved an easier life. She deserved happiness, not hardship.
    In other words...there was nothing wrong with his original plan, but they couldn’t afford to complicate it with attraction issues. He certainly couldn’t let on how badly he was attracted to her.
    And the only way he knew to handle this was to stay well out of her way.
    * * *
    ‘So what’s Reece up to today?’ Jess asked Michael over their mid-morning cuppa. It was a question she asked most days, at morning or afternoon tea, or at lunch.
    ‘Same as yesterday.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Rounding up cattle, leadin’ them into the yards, drafting out the weaners from the mothers, branding, yarding the beasts he plans to sell.’
    ‘I guess he’s going to be pretty busy every day, then.’
    ‘Damn busy.’ Michael’s eyebrows knitted as he watched Jess spooning mashed vegetables into Rosie’s mouth. ‘She’s not too noisy, after all, is she?’
    ‘Does that mean she’s not bothering you?’
    ‘Not yet.’
    Jess smiled. ‘Glad to hear it.’
    Everything was fine, actually. Jess had absolutely no reason to feel twinges of disappointment.
    Just the same...there were many nights when Reece didn’t get back until after she and Michael had already eaten, and she’d had to leave his dinner on a covered plate in the warming oven. She knew it was probably a paranoid thought, but she’d begun to suspect that he was deliberately avoiding her.
    * * *
    The day in the saddle was long and hot and dusty. Reece showered and changed and ate alone in the kitchen, enjoying corned beef with tomato relish and tender vegetables with a delicious white onion sauce. He had to hand it to Jess. She could turn even the simplest dishes into a gourmet meal.
    ‘Enjoying your tucker?’
    ‘Very much,’ Reece agreed as his dad shuffled into the kitchen in his pyjamas and slippers.
    ‘She’s a good cook.’ Michael was squinting without his glasses.
    ‘Yeah. And I take it you and Jess are getting on OK?’
    Michael nodded, pulled out a chair and sat slowly, wincing a little as his old bones creaked.
    Reece continued eating. He never minded his father’s company, but, from years of living with the guy, he sensed that he was about to find himself on the receiving end of a lecture.
    Michael leaned forward. ‘Are you going to say goodnight to her?’
    ‘To Rosie?’
    The old man snorted. ‘To Jess.’
    This was a shock. The last thing Reece had expected. Then again, his father had periods of vagueness and weirdness these days. ‘She’s already in bed, Dad.’
    ‘She’s in her room, but she likes to read. She’s working her way through the books in the lounge room. I’m sure she’s not asleep.’
    Frowning, Reece speared a carrot with his fork. ‘I don’t think I’ll bother her.’
    ‘She’s lonely, Reece.’
    A chill slinked through Reece’s veins. His thoughts flashed, without his volition, to boyhood memories of his mother. With unnecessary care, he set his knife and fork on his plate. ‘What makes you think Jess is lonely?’
    ‘She asks about you all the time. What’s Reece doing today? How long does the mustering last?’
    He swallowed as his heart began to pump. ‘Jess sees me at breakfast. She could ask me those questions.’
    ‘Maybe.’ His dad shrugged. ‘She doesn’t strike me as the timid type, but I reckon you’ve got her spooked.’
    ‘That’s rubbish.’
    For long seconds his father stared at him. His once sharp eyes were now cloudy with age and diminishing health but they hadn’t lost their inner steel.
    Reece sighed. ‘All right. I’ll talk to her. I’ll make sure she’s OK.’
    * * *
    Jess slid a bookmark between the pages of her book and set it on the bedside table. The story, set during the Great Depression, was about a lonely guy whose wife had left him. As a result, the man had to care for their little daughter on his own. Life was