Free Outback Flames: Australian Rural Romantic Suspense by Suzanne Brandyn Page B

write a
cheque for you later today. Is that okay?'
    He nodded, and
left her gazing at his wide shoulders as he left the room. She directed the
delivery men to carry her bedroom suite up to her bedroom, and then a timber
dining table and chairs was centred in the dining room. That was about it. It
didn't take them long until the truck was heading away from the property.
    Moments later,
she wandered up to one of the spare rooms, where she found Jordan hanging
cupboard doors.
    'It looks
great. Um. I'd offer you a cup of coffee or something but I'm heading into town
to grab some necessities. Oh, I've got a refrigerator arriving sometime today.
Could you show them to the kitchen?'
    'Will do.' He
stopped what he was doing and turned. 'How did you go with your memory last
night?'
    She shrugged.
'No dreams. Nothing. It's locked in there. I guess it's as stubborn as I am.'
She laughed.
    'It'll come
and if you ever need someone to talk to, well I'm here.'
    'Thank you.'
    'I'll also be here
when you get back. How about when you return you make that coffee and we can go
over a few things?'
    'Sounds like a
plan.'
    He grinned and
his eyes lit up, warming her belly.
    As she took
the stairs, she ran her hand down the timber banister, freshly coated with
clear lacquer. She couldn't wait to give her visitor the first cup of coffee
made in the new Montagreen.
    ***
    Zoe couldn't
believe two hours had passed while grocery shopping. She should have expected
it. Starting from scratch was expensive. She paid the shop assistant and pushed
the trolley towards her ute, only to be stopped as someone called her name.
    Her gaze flicked
in all directions. The thought of her aunt sending someone to find her and drag
her back haunted her. She dropped her shoulders, reminding herself that he aunt
had no hold over her, and she didn't know where she'd gone. For all she knew
she could be overseas. Zoe turned on the heel of her boot, facing the direction
she'd heard the voice.
    'Zoe
Montgomery.'
    'Yes, that's
me,' she said to a man in his fifties, who was apparently trying to catch his
breath as he stood before her.
    'I'm Daniel
Stanford. I was a friend of your mother and father. I was told you were back in
town and I thought it might be you in the supermarket.'
    'Hello Mr
Stanford.'
    'Dan will do.'
He smiled.
    'Dan.'
    'I never
thought I'd see you again. You were listed as missing.'
    'I know, but
I'm not now. I'm here. I ended up living with an aunt.'
    'Was it the
aunt who met with your mother a few days before the fire?
    Zoe screwed up
her face. 'Met with my mother, a few days—'
     'Yeah. I'm
not sure what the meeting was about.'
    'That does
sound weird. How come you know so much?'
    His cheeks
flushed. 'I'm your parents’ solicitor. Your mother changed her will three days
before her death, the same afternoon after she met up with her sister.'
    Zoe stilled,
her mouth gaped and all the blood drained from her body. What had her aunt been
scheming? 'I thought Mr McPherson was my parents’ solicitor. He's the only one
listed in the phone book.'
    'He was your
parents’ solicitor up until about two months before the fire.'
    'That's
interesting. I had no idea my parents had a will. I picked up the deeds to the
property a while back.'
    'McPherson
kept the deeds to the property as your parents instructed. They updated their
will as I said, but lodged it at my office three days before the fire. They
were going to move the deeds in my care, but it didn't happen.'
    'Thank you for
letting me know.'
    'As I said no
one knew where you went. We contacted your aunt, although it took a while. She
told the authorities she hadn't seen you. That she had no idea where you were.'
    Zoe frowned as
heat surfaced over her face. That was typical of her aunt. But why would she do
such a thing, especially lie to the law?
    'There's one
problem though. I have their old will, and the new one has been misplaced.'
    Zoe screwed up
her face. 'Misplaced?'
    'I am sorry.
But we can go off the old one