LITMIR.BIZ

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      “When does the sale go through?”

      “We’re handing over in a month’s time.” Hugh grimaced. “The buyer is Bert Viner and you know what his reputation is like. I don’t like selling to him but—” He put up his hand as Kirk went to speak. “No, we’re fine, Kirk. It’s time for us to move on.”

      Linda sighed. “Unfortunately he’ll cut back on staff and I hate that people will lose their jobs. And Vanessa was going to stay for six months but now.” Linda looked at her cousin and her eyes clouded over. “I just didn’t think it would happen this quickly.”

      Neither had she, Vanessa thought, forcing a smile. “Oh, Linda, it’s not like you hadn’t told me that you’d put the motel on the market.”

      “I know but—”

      “Don’t worry about me. This is your life we’re talking about.” They’d worked hard to get to this point in their lives.

      “I know but—”

      “I’ve had a nice break,” Vanessa said firmly.

      Linda took a shuddering breath, then her face filled with resolve. “You’re my cousin. We’ll think of something.”

      Vanessa’s heart softened as she looked at Linda’s upset face and Hugh’s concerned one. These two people had welcomed her into their home with love and affection and she didn’t want them to feel guilty about any of this.

      Then she realized Kirk’s intense gaze was on her. He couldn’t know her circumstances but she suspected he knew she was deeply worried.

      So she welcomed Linda’s exclamation. “Oh, heavens, Kirk! We’re standing here talking to you instead of offering you a drink. Or how about I make you some lunch? The restaurant’s closed but I’d be happy to whip something up for you.”

      Kirk’s smile said thanks but he replied, “Sorry, I can’t. I need to get home and do some catching up. I’ve been away too long.”

      Linda’s expression turned sympathetic. “I’d heard your housekeeper had to go interstate to take care of a family member. It won’t be easy getting someone to replace her.” She pulled a face. “And here, I haven’t even asked how your mother is after her surgery. There were some complications, I believe.”

      “Yes, but she’s finally on the mend. Jade’s looking after her now, when she’s not working all the hours under the sun, that is.”

      “I wonder who your sister is like?” Linda teased, then her eyes widened. “Oh, I almost forgot. It’s Hugh’s parents’ thirty-fifth wedding anniversary tomorrow and we’re giving them a party in the restaurant. You must come, Kirk. They’d be heartbroken if you didn’t. Isn’t that right, Hugh?”

      “You know they always had a soft spot for you,” Hugh said, going over to one of their guests who’d come in and made a beeline for the brochure stand.

      “I don’t see how,” Kirk joked after him, and Vanessa had to wonder the same thing, too. The man had a hardness about him that didn’t translate into him being more a friend than a foe. Yet watching him here with Linda and Kirk—and he evidently treated his mother and sister well—didn’t fit. That hardness was more than skin deep, she was sure.

      “I’ll see what I can do,” he added.

      “Good,” Linda said, taking that for his word. “And if you don’t mind, you can keep an eye on Vanessa. She doesn’t know many people in Jackaroo Plains. She’s only been here from Sydney three weeks.”

      Vanessa froze.

      “It would be my pleasure,” she heard Kirk say.

      She recovered quickly. Her cousin was a mother hen at times but she didn’t need looking after, and certainly not by a man who dined on women for breakfast.

      “I’ll be fine, Linda. I don’t want to take Kirk away from the other guests.”

      “You won’t,” he said, a purposeful gleam in his eyes sending a shock through her, though it shouldn’t have. He’d been making a move on her since he’d walked through the door, and mentally she was already his.

      “There you are then,” Linda said, giving Vanessa an encouraging smile. All at once she tilted her head thoughtfully. “You’re looking quite flushed, sweetie. It’s this outback heat. You haven’t got the air-conditioning turned up high enough. You should go for a quick swim but don’t stay in the sun too long.”

      Vanessa swallowed with difficulty. “What a good idea,” she said, not looking at Kirk.

      Thankfully another guest came into the reception area just then, and with Hugh still busy with the previous guest, Linda came around the counter. “Here, cuz. Let me take over. You go have that swim.”

      Vanessa didn’t need further prompting. She twirled toward the door marked Private, desperate to grab any excuse to get out of that man’s presence. She heard him tell the others he had to get home.

      Then, “Vanessa?”

      If only she could ignore him, but Linda and Hugh would think her rude.

      She stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Yes?”

      “See you at the party,” he said, an intensity to his eyes that made her softly gasp.

      Somehow she managed a jerky nod before making her escape. It hadn’t been an issue before now but tomorrow night she’d tell him he’d got it all wrong. He had to be told she was a widow. There was no way this man would want any involvement with a woman who was still mourning the man she loved.

      Kirk Deverill would never accept being second best.

      After six weeks away Kirk had looked forward to coming home but now as he drove toward Deverill Downs, he realized the news that his friends were leaving the area shouldn’t really have come as a surprise. He’d miss them. There weren’t many people he totally trusted like he did Hugh and Linda.

      So why did his mind keep switching back to a beautiful, green-eyed woman with honey-blond hair? Tall and with a stunning figure, Vanessa Hamilton was a surprise find here in his hometown. A man would have to be six feet under not to want another look at those firm breasts, or at legs so long and slim they’d cling to him like warm sap on a gum tree.

      He grimaced to himself. He was certainly waxing lyrical today. Being without a woman for a while did that to a man.

      Okay, so that had been his choice, not the other way around. He’d gone to Sydney over a month ago to spend Christmas with his mother, who’d moved to the city after his father’s death. Then his mother had needed an operation and he’d ended up staying longer than expected when there had been a complication. She was fine now, but he’d been glad to be there for her and his sister.

      And all that had put a curb on his sex life. Strangely he hadn’t cared. Running into a newly married Samantha, who’d made it clear she was quite willing to resume their affair, had left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn’t believe three months ago he’d been ready to ask her to marry him. She was the type of woman who hadn’t wanted children and that had suited him perfectly. She’d lived in Sydney but he’d been certain she’d jump at the chance to marry him and move to the outback.

      Instead she’d up and married one of his business acquaintances from the city, an older, richer guy who could give her more than “life” on a cattle station. The worse thing was that Kirk had known she would have married him if Marcus hadn’t come along.

      How could he have read Samantha so wrong? She’d put on such a classy act, duping him into believing they might come to love each other and have a decent life together. Thank God she’d dumped him before he’d told her he was sterile. At least she didn’t have that power over him.

      No woman ever would.

      Bloody hell, he should have learned his lesson

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