LITMIR.BIZ

       CHAPTER THREE

      ALESSANDRA didn’t wait for a response; she flung her heels into the big grey beneath her and galloped into the herd of white-faced cattle. She’d well and truly shown him her hand, but this wasn’t the time to consider her next course of action; right now it was time to prove she could muster and cut cattle as well as anyone!

      ‘Let’s get ‘em, Pewter!’

      Alessandra knew she was making quick work of the task she’d been set, but a lot of the credit had to go to the gelding beneath her. It was as if he could anticipate her every move. Time and time again his sure-footedness amazed her; it seemed he was capable of changing direction on a dime.

      When all the nominated cattle were separated from the main bunch she eased herself back in the saddle and gave an exhausted sigh. Taking off her hat, she turned her head on to her shoulder to wipe the perspiration from her brow on the sleeves of her T-shirt. It made little difference, since that too was damp with sweat.

      ‘That was pretty fair ridin’, little lady! Where’d you learn to work cattle like that?’ Jim wanted to know.

      Alessandra was naturally pleased by the praise, but she felt even more pleasure as she noted the warmth in the smile that Bart sent her. Yes, she thought, if there’s one thing in life I really want to experience it’s Bart Cameron’s lovemaking! She waited a moment for her heart to stop flipping before she answered.

      ‘I’ve mustered cattle and sheep in just about every state and territory of Australia, and a person really can’t help picking up a knowledge of the business if they spend enough time in the saddle. Still, I’d have to say that I learnt more from an old Aborigine stockman I met in Queensland than from everyone else put together.’

      ‘Well, you’re as good as any man I’ve ever seen!’ Jim said, then looked at his boss and qualified the statement by adding, ‘’Fer your age!’

      Alessandra laughed.

      ‘We’d best be heading back,’ Bart said, ‘otherwise Lisa may have already cooked dinner. As from tomorrow, Jim, you’ve got a new hand.’

      ‘That mean she’ll be bunking down with the rest of us?’ Jim asked. He was answered by a droll look from Bart. ‘Just a thought,’ he muttered.

      Bart entered the kitchen just as Alessandra and Lisa were finishing washing up the pots and pans.

      ‘When you’re free, Alessandra, I’d like a word with you. I’ll be in the office.’ He turned to leave, then stopped. ‘By the way, dinner was very nice, Lisa.’

      ‘It was only the left-overs from last night,’ the girl replied, puzzled.

      ‘I know, but last night I never got a chance to compliment you. I was side-tracked by a discussion about your future education, if you recall.’

      ‘I’m not changing my mind, Daddy,’ the girl said, but with little conviction, Alessandra thought.

      ‘Neither am I,’ Bart stated. Without another word he left the room.

      Lisa slumped into the closest chair. ‘He simply will not listen to anything I say! I don’t want to go to some fancy girls’ college. In fact I don’t want to go to college, period!’

      ‘And he has other ideas?’

      ‘Oh, both he and Grandma are full of them!’

      Alessandra moved to the table and sat down.

      ‘I thought your grandparents were dead.’

      ‘Oh, not Daddy’s mother. Grandma Weaver—my mother’s mother. She’s alive and well and living in Houston,’ Lisa explained.

      ‘I see. So your father and grandmother are quite close?’

      Lisa sent her a horrified look.

      ‘Close? Are you kidding? They drive each other crazy! The only thing they have in common is a desire to make me into a carbon copy of my mother—Grandma so that I can become the stunningly popular débutante that she’d always wanted my mother to be, and Daddy so that he can prove to Grandma that the courts did the right thing in granting him custody of me, instead of her!’

      ‘You mean your grandmother fought your father for custody of you?’ Lisa nodded. ‘No wonder they dislike each other,’ Alessandra mused.

      ‘The thing is I’m sick of being piggy in the middle. Oh, Mac! What am I going to do?’

      ‘Tough question. I agree you’re entitled to make your own decisions, but you have to be sure those decisions are based on long, solid consideration,’ Alessandra advised gently.

      ‘Did you go to college?’ Lisa asked.

      ‘Yes, but I dropped out after only a year.’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘Oh, lots of reasons. Look, Lisa…’ She paused to give herself time to decide how best to end this conversation without lying and without going into details about Jenni’s death.

      ‘An awful lot of things happened during my first year of university. Things that made me question the values and goals I’d been raised to respect. When I stood back and looked at them I realised that they weren’t all they were cracked up to be.’

      ‘Do you regret not finishing college now?’ the girl asked.

      Alessandra was tempted to lie, but she didn’t. She lifted her head and looked squarely into Lisa’s brown eyes.

      ‘No.’

      ‘You wanted to see me…’

      Bart looked up from his work and saw a snowy-haired, blue-eyed pixie peeking around the door. God, she was beautiful! He shoved the thought aside.

      ‘Yes. Sit down.’

      Alessandra moved into the room and sat down on the chair across from Bart. She ran a hand through the short silkiness of her hair and questioned the apprehensive flutter of butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

      Bart’s face was unreadable, his mouth thinned in an unsmiling, non-committal line, his blue eyes thoughtful and wrinkled at the corners.

      ‘I’ll come straight to the point. I have no argument with your abilities as a bookkeeper. Edith’s accounting methods aren’t based on any recognised systems, but, judging from what I’ve seen of your efforts so far, you aren’t having any difficulty interpreting them.’

      Alessandra shrugged. ‘I never expected to, once I became accustomed

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