people like that all the time, ’ he said in a quieter tone.
‘ You live alone. ’
‘ No, I don ’ t. My
mother and son live with me. ’
‘ That ’ s not the same as
having a partner. ’
He grunted. ‘ Arguing isn ’ t getting the milking done, ’ he said, as hooked up the cups. ‘ See how you go with taking the teats off. If it ’ s too much for you, let me know. ’
‘ I ’ ll be fine, ’ she bit back.
He strode away and immediately recommenced work as if
nothing had happened between them.
Kirra couldn’t believe it! He’d deliberately cut short
their conversation. She now knew that he hadn’t been with anyone since his
wife’s death. But why? He was obviously a virile man. Her imagination triggered
with all kinds of scenarios. If he wouldn’t let her ask any questions any time
soon, she was going to combust with curiosity.
As the platform began to move, Kirra quickly unbuckled
the strap behind the cow ’ s back legs. The cow reversed out, turned and
sauntered towards the paddock.
She did her best to concentrate on her work at hand.
She thought she’d managed quite admirably once she became used to the weight of
the cups and worked out an easy way to hang them up. She ’ d felt better humming to herself and the cows seemed
to co-operate as well. Pride swelled in her chest. She could really do this!
When all the cows were milked, Jared sauntered over to
her. He seemed relaxed now, the tension released from his muscles after such a
long work-out. Kirra, however, felt every one of her tired muscles and
straightened her neck to release a kink.
His eyes zeroed in on the long, white column of neck
flesh. ‘ I ’ ll do the clean-up
if you want to take a shower before I make that country breakfast I promised
you. ’
Kirra met his eyes and watched his darken to midnight.
So the man wasn’t immune to the chemistry that she was feeling between them. ‘ No, I ’ ll stay and help,’
she said, in a business-like tone, rubbing the back of her neck. ‘I’m still
fresh. It ’ ll make it quicker. ’
‘You look tired,’ he said, ‘but I’m too hungry to
argue. Let’s get it over and done with.’
Together, they cleaned the milking machines, before
Jared snatched up the high-pressure hose and washed the entire area with smooth
efficiency.
‘ Can I have a go? ’ Kirra
asked. ’ It looks like fun. ’
‘ Fun? ’ He looked
puzzled, but handed it over.
With a smirk on
her face, she directed the hose straight at him.
‘ You little witch! ’
Kirra laughed, breaking the tension between them.
He grabbed the hose and turned it on her. ‘ How do you like it?’
‘ Just fine, ’ she said
and let out a delighted squeal. ‘ Stop it!
Stop it! ’
She squealed again.
Drenched, Jared turned off the hose. ‘ Let ’ s get back to the
homestead, ’ he said, his temperament lighter, ‘ and get out of these wet clothes. ’
‘ I ’ m all for that, ’ she said cheekily.
Chapter Four
FRESHLY-SHOWERED, JARED strode into the kitchen. After feeding and
tending to Jesse, he set to the task of making breakfast.
While he gathered the bacon and eggs from the
refrigerator and heated the pan, he tried not to think about what had just
happened in the milking shed.
He couldn ’ t imagine
Heather even attempting to help him milk the cows. She was so debilitated by
her phobias, post-natal depression ramping up to real mental illness.
There was nothing he could have done to prevent it. He ’ d done his best caring for her. He knew firsthand how
difficult it was living with someone with mental illness, but how he longed for
someone to work beside. To have fun with.
Fun had been so far
divorced from his life that guilt crept into his mind just thinking about
it. Fun! When Heather was dead . . . Could he?
Kirra was so different from Heather - brave, yet
vulnerable all at once. Her husband had obviously not appreciated her and he
cursed him for making her wary of men.
But it didn ’ t
‘ You live alone. ’
‘ No, I don ’ t. My
mother and son live with me. ’
‘ That ’ s not the same as
having a partner. ’
He grunted. ‘ Arguing isn ’ t getting the milking done, ’ he said, as hooked up the cups. ‘ See how you go with taking the teats off. If it ’ s too much for you, let me know. ’
‘ I ’ ll be fine, ’ she bit back.
He strode away and immediately recommenced work as if
nothing had happened between them.
Kirra couldn’t believe it! He’d deliberately cut short
their conversation. She now knew that he hadn’t been with anyone since his
wife’s death. But why? He was obviously a virile man. Her imagination triggered
with all kinds of scenarios. If he wouldn’t let her ask any questions any time
soon, she was going to combust with curiosity.
As the platform began to move, Kirra quickly unbuckled
the strap behind the cow ’ s back legs. The cow reversed out, turned and
sauntered towards the paddock.
She did her best to concentrate on her work at hand.
She thought she’d managed quite admirably once she became used to the weight of
the cups and worked out an easy way to hang them up. She ’ d felt better humming to herself and the cows seemed
to co-operate as well. Pride swelled in her chest. She could really do this!
When all the cows were milked, Jared sauntered over to
her. He seemed relaxed now, the tension released from his muscles after such a
long work-out. Kirra, however, felt every one of her tired muscles and
straightened her neck to release a kink.
His eyes zeroed in on the long, white column of neck
flesh. ‘ I ’ ll do the clean-up
if you want to take a shower before I make that country breakfast I promised
you. ’
Kirra met his eyes and watched his darken to midnight.
So the man wasn’t immune to the chemistry that she was feeling between them. ‘ No, I ’ ll stay and help,’
she said, in a business-like tone, rubbing the back of her neck. ‘I’m still
fresh. It ’ ll make it quicker. ’
‘You look tired,’ he said, ‘but I’m too hungry to
argue. Let’s get it over and done with.’
Together, they cleaned the milking machines, before
Jared snatched up the high-pressure hose and washed the entire area with smooth
efficiency.
‘ Can I have a go? ’ Kirra
asked. ’ It looks like fun. ’
‘ Fun? ’ He looked
puzzled, but handed it over.
With a smirk on
her face, she directed the hose straight at him.
‘ You little witch! ’
Kirra laughed, breaking the tension between them.
He grabbed the hose and turned it on her. ‘ How do you like it?’
‘ Just fine, ’ she said
and let out a delighted squeal. ‘ Stop it!
Stop it! ’
She squealed again.
Drenched, Jared turned off the hose. ‘ Let ’ s get back to the
homestead, ’ he said, his temperament lighter, ‘ and get out of these wet clothes. ’
‘ I ’ m all for that, ’ she said cheekily.
Chapter Four
FRESHLY-SHOWERED, JARED strode into the kitchen. After feeding and
tending to Jesse, he set to the task of making breakfast.
While he gathered the bacon and eggs from the
refrigerator and heated the pan, he tried not to think about what had just
happened in the milking shed.
He couldn ’ t imagine
Heather even attempting to help him milk the cows. She was so debilitated by
her phobias, post-natal depression ramping up to real mental illness.
There was nothing he could have done to prevent it. He ’ d done his best caring for her. He knew firsthand how
difficult it was living with someone with mental illness, but how he longed for
someone to work beside. To have fun with.
Fun had been so far
divorced from his life that guilt crept into his mind just thinking about
it. Fun! When Heather was dead . . . Could he?
Kirra was so different from Heather - brave, yet
vulnerable all at once. Her husband had obviously not appreciated her and he
cursed him for making her wary of men.
But it didn ’ t
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