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‘Brave lass!’ Deidre gasped in admiration. ‘But some won’t stretch far, luv. Happen to know it costs a fortune sending a kid away to boarding school. You’re not on the run from anyone are yah? Like a hubby or a boyfriend? You’re okay here. Ransom isn’t even on the Atlas.’

‘I’m not on the run, Deidre, but thank you for your concern. I don’t have a husband or a boyfriend.’

‘Yah soon will!’ Deidre cackled. ‘I’d like to help yah. I recognise class when I see it. Obviously you’ve fallen on hard times. Don’t we all! Now there are stations all over the South West as you know. The closest one to Ransom is Wungalla.’ She, too, pronounced it aboriginal fashion. ‘Don’t reckon Holt would be lookin’ for a governess, though. That’s Holt McMaster. His little girl, Georgia, is six or thereabouts. Right sharp little kid but real homely, not that I should be commenting on such things. But Holt is plain magnificent! His wife, ex-wife, I should say, Tara—they’re divorced—was mighty glamorous but as hoity toity as they come. She made me feel like I’d just rolled out from under a rock. Little Georgia doesn’t take after either of them. Aunty Lois has been staying on Wungalla for quite a while.’ Deidre let her eyes roll heavenwards. ‘That’s Tara’s sister. As I understand it, she supervises Georgia’s lessons. You won’t get your curly little head in there, sweetheart, if you know what I mean?’

‘Oh!’ Marissa let the full implication of that sink in.

‘Better get those hamburgers goin’.’ Deidre announced cheerfully, realigning her stout body. ‘Little fella looks hungry. He wants a bit o’building up, Mum. No offence, luv. I bet you’re a great little mother. Now, what would you like to drink, son? Don’t say any sort of fizzy drink. Rot yah teeth.’

‘An apple juice would be great!’ Riley wisely settled for the healthier alternative.

‘Right! Go and sit over there,’ Deidre instructed. ‘Take the weight off your feet. This won’t take long. Bettcha like ice cream?’

Riley’s smile broadened. ‘Chocolate chip? That’s my favourite.’

The older woman laughed and waved a hand. ‘Say no more.’

They sat across from one another at a window table. They could have spread out anywhere. There were no other customers. ‘Deidre forgot to ask my dietary requirements.’ Marissa leaned across to whisper. ‘She was too busy looking after you.’

‘Don’t you want a hamburger? Everyone wants a hamburger.’ Riley craned his head to see if Deidre was listening in.

‘A hamburger’s fine,’ Marissa said, settling back. A steak sandwich would have been better, or a ham and salad roll, but never mind. Many nights she had found a secluded spot where they could sleep in the back of the ute. Tonight she would ask Deidre if there might be room for them at the pub. It was easy to recognise Deidre was a woman of consequence.

The hamburgers when they came were everything hamburgers should be. The buns were fresh and lightly toasted on the inside, the beef patties topped with a cheese slice were extra tasty. There was also a slice of bacon, a thick slice of tomato, a sprinkle of little salad greens and a thick chunk of home cooked beetroot to give the beef a sweet tang. The accompanying mound of chips was cooked to perfection. Riley had his Tasmanian apple juice, Marissa a cappuccino with two freshly baked cup cakes while Riley polished off a large bowl of chocolate chip ice cream.

‘That was simply wonderful, Deidre,’ Marissa said, meaning it. ‘It hit the spot.’

‘It’s the best hamburger we’ve ever had.’ Riley rubbed his small stomach.

‘I thought you’d be pleased.’ Deidre beamed on them. ‘Why don’t you stick around for a day or two,’ she said to Marissa. ‘I’ll see if I can find out if any of the station folk are lookin’ for a governess. The school year is almost over, luv, but some parents like their kids to continue with their lessons right through. Gives ‘em a bit of an edge when they go away to boarding school. Reckon some governesses might be leavin’ and not comin’ back. Yah never know.’

‘That’s very kind of you, Deidre,’ Marissa said, marvelling at meeting such a helpful woman. ‘Would there be room for us at the pub?’

Deidre gave another one of her rich belly laughs. ‘I don’t know whether you’ve noticed, luv, but it’s the off season,’ she joked. ‘Pop down and settle yah selves in. Me brother Denny owns it. He’s a bit deaf, but he’ll hear yah if yah lucky or Marj might be around. Marj is his wife. Tell ‘em I sent yah. By the way I’ve got some tucker for yah dog. Best dog in the world, the Queensland Blue Heeler,’ she reiterated. ‘Mind you some of ‘em have a bad habit of nippin’ at yah heels. Hang on a minute and I’ll get a doggy bag.’

‘How much do I owe you, Deidre?’ Marissa called as the woman disappeared into the kitchen. So far Deidre hadn’t presented her with a bill.

‘Nuthin’, luv,’ Deidre responded when she returned. ‘It’s on me. I can see the situation is pretty grim for you and the lad.’

‘Truly it hasn’t come to that, Deidre,’ Marissa protested, more than ready to pay and producing her wallet.

‘I notice these things,’ Deidre said, waving the wallet away. ‘You can pay me when you land a job.’

It was the start of a long-standing friendship that began that very day.

CHAPTER TWO

HOW different everything looked after a good night’s sleep. Marissa stretched like a cat in the ray of golden light that fell through the upper-storey window.

I’ve a good feeling about this place, she thought. Maybe Destiny has drawn us here. Destiny had played the leading role in her life. She slid out of bed and padded across the polished floor to the open doorway of the adjoining room so she could peek in on Riley. He was still fast asleep, looking positively angelic. In a minute or so she would head down the narrow corridor to the bathroom to take a shower. Like Deidre’s café, the pub was spotlessly clean, but the rooms were very basic, fitted with a single bed—no doubles, no couples?—a wooden chair, a wardrobe and a small chest of drawers with a mirror above it. Neat lace curtains hung at the windows. There was a modest rug on the timber floor and centred above the bed, a touch of atmosphere in the form of a framed print of a caravan of camels crossing a fiery-red sand dune.

Denny and Marj, the publicans, a well-matched couple—he was deaf, she had a voice to round up cattle—acted like they had known them for ever. It had been arranged she and Riley would breakfast at Deidre’s place, obviously the hub of the town. ‘We’ll be comin’ towards the end of the rush hour then, luv!’ Marj had informed them, so she had better get a move on.

* * *

Deidre, her hands working on another clean apron, saw them seated and without asking what they would like hurried back to her kitchen.

‘I suppose it’s going to be another hamburger then?’ Riley commented hopefully, looking around at the other banquettes and tables. They were nearly all filled, mostly with station hands, truck drivers or travellers passing through.

‘I hope not,’ Marissa said, trying to act unaffected by so many male eyes on her.

‘Deidre is a really nice person, isn’t she?’ Riley said. ‘I’m sure she’ll find you a job.’

‘And she won’t let the fact all the jobs are taken deter her.’ Marissa smiled. ‘Are you hungry?’

‘Starving. And thirsty,’ Riley said. ‘This is such an adventure! Good thing Dusty likes Marj. Last time I saw him he was following her around.’

‘Just so long as he doesn’t nip her.’ Marissa made a little snapping movement with her fingers.

‘He wouldn’t be game.’ Riley giggled.

‘That’s what makes him such an intelligent dog.’

Breakfast was peach and mango juice followed by a small bowl of crunchy muesli with milk and a banana, and to top it off warmed pita bread stuffed with bacon and a poached egg. All in all a very substantial breakfast guaranteed to provide them with plenty of energy.

That’s if I can get up off the chair, Marissa thought, not used to eating so much. Once again Deidre refused to take payment so Marissa insisted she return when the breakfast session was over to help out in the kitchen. Riley could sit at one of the tables and do his lessons.

‘That’s really nice of yah, luv,’ Deidre said, regarding Marissa with a kindly, approving eye. ‘Meantime why don’t the two of yah take a walk in the park. You won’t see a more beautiful sight than them jacarandas. Wouldn’t have had ‘em only for Holt’s grandma, Mrs McMaster senior. She was the one who had the park set up. Some Pommy landscaper friend of hers planted them. The locals were ignorant of such things but Mrs McMaster is a real lady. Pommy, too, but we never held it against her. She was kinda like a lady General or maybe even Royalty around here. She told us all what to do and we did it. Course the McMasters are Bigtime. They own the town. Know how it came by the name of Ransom?’

‘Please, tell us, Deidre,’ Riley begged.

A male voice in the background yelled. ‘I was wondering if I could get my sausages and eggs, right about now, Dee?’

‘Keep yah shirt on. I’ll be right there,’ Deidre yelled back over her shoulder. ‘I’ll tell yah later, Riley, me boy. I’m fairly certain you don’t know what ransom means, but Mum will tell you.’

Marissa took Riley’s hand leading him out onto the footpath. ‘You’ll have to start calling me Marissa, Riley. People really do think I’m your mother.’

‘Yes, well, remember what I told you? You’re the most wonderful mother in the world.’ He leaned towards her and whispered, ‘My real mummy used to hit me. Once she knocked me really hard in the chest. I think I broke a rib. Daddy was so angry. He called her a poisonous little bitch!’

Marissa closed her eyes. ‘Oh, Riley,’ she moaned. ‘You’ve never told me that before.’

‘I don’t like to tell you anything bad,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘It wasn’t long after, Keile ran off.’

Marissa’s face went tight with dismay. ‘You tell me you don’t miss her, but do you, Riley? She’s your mother after all. You must tell me the truth. The truth is important between the two of us.’

‘I don’t want to see her again,’ Riley murmured, hanging his head. ‘And that’s the truth. Nat, one of the guys on the station, called her a ‘bloody hippy’ but Daddy thought Keile had gone off with him. Nat wasn’t around any more. Daddy made a pile of her things and burnt them.’

‘And there were no tears?’ Marissa tilted his chin so she could see his eyes.

‘No.’ Riley shook his head. ‘Daddy found a new place to live. He said he was going to pull himself together. Every day he told me how much he loved me. I never missed Keile. She wouldn’t let me call her Mum. She was an angry person, Ma. If I did anything wrong she flew into a rage. After she hit me I used to curl into a ball and wait for Daddy to come home.’

‘Oh, my God!’ Marissa moaned, anguishing for his troubled past.

‘Daddy said it was all his fault. He used to try so hard not to have a drink. He called it “the horrors.” We were best mates.’

‘I’m sure you were,’ Marissa said, swallowing hard on the lump in her throat. ‘He was a wonderful father to me before my mother died. We both loved her so much. It was the way my mother died in a car accident with Dad driving that started him drinking. He never used to. He was seeking forgetfulness.’

Both of them were so engrossed in their conversation they hadn’t noticed that someone had followed them out of the café, until a man dressed like a station hand, caught up to them as they entered the park.

‘Howdy!’ he called cheerfully, touching a hand to his wide brimmed akubra.

‘Morning,’ Riley piped up, ever ready to be friendly.

‘Mornin’, young ‘un.’ The man’s gaze flicked briefly over the child before returning to Marissa, a certain glint in his eyes; around thirty, muscular, elaborate tattoos over both arms, good-looking in a slightly brutal way, strangely lifeless grey eyes. ‘Out for a stroll with Mum?’

‘My brother,‘ Marissa said, keeping her tone pleasant.

‘Have it your own way.’ He grinned at her, but his expression wasn’t pretty. ‘Mind if I join you?’

Marissa took a calming breath, glad of the fact quite a few townspeople were now out on the street. ‘Riley and I want to spend some private time together if you don’t mind,’ she said, feeling increasingly wary. She didn’t like the look of this man. She especially didn’t like the way the lifeless eyes were jittering over her.

‘Really?’ He mimed a double-take. ‘You’re remarkably well spoken for a little drifter with a kid. Beautiful, too. A raven-haired beauty with violet eyes. A bit like Liz Taylor when she was young. What brings you to Ransom if I may ask? Name’s Wade Pearson by the way.’ He thrust out a callused hand but Marissa unable to mask her distaste moved back, tightly clutching Riley’s shoulder, dismayed to find it was trembling.

‘Oh, dear, oh, dear, not good enough for yah, eh?’ Pearson sneered. ‘Uppity little broad, aren’t yah?’ His eyes continued to run insolently up and down over her body. She was wearing a fresh white shirt with just above the knee length khaki shorts that still managed to showcase her long slender legs.

‘Excuse me, I don’t want trouble.’ Marissa was already turning away, aware his eyes were boring a hole in her back. Where, oh, where was Dusty, guard dog of renown?

Pearson sauntered after her, his grin brazen. ‘And you won’t be getting any if you just relax and act friendly.’ Despite the grin he was injecting a sense of threat into his voice.

‘But I have no interest in getting friendly, Mr Pearson.’ Marissa rounded on him, hoping he couldn’t catch the anxiety coming off her. ‘Please don’t bother us.’

‘Hell, girl, I’m only speakin’ to you,’ he protested, all innocence. ‘Don’t walk off now.’

‘You heard Ma,’ Riley suddenly shouted, his blue eyes glowing hotly. ‘Go away. You don’t want me to whistle up my dog, do you?’

‘You serious, little fella?’ Wade Pearson lowered his eyes to Riley shaking his head in amazement. ‘Take more than you two and your dog to stand up to me. Don’t get scared. All I want is to have a little chat with your ma. I’ve got a coupla ideas I’d like to kick around with her. We don’t see a woman as beautiful as your ma every day.’

Marissa had a sense no one would ever believe she wasn’t Riley’s mother. ‘I told you. Riley is my brother.’

His reaction was a coarse laugh. ‘A likely story! Hell, you must’ve been just a kid when some dude got to yah?’ He moved in closer, lifting his broad shoulders and expanding his chest, obviously believing it had an intimidating effect.

Marissa could see Riley’s lip quivering. That made her stronger. ‘You’re in our way, Mr Pearson. Move!’ she said sharply.

For answer he crossed his arms over his muscular chest. ‘Spunky as hell, aren’t yah? I like that in a woman. Makes me wonder how much you’d fight me?’

Riley put himself between Pearson and his sister. ‘Go away. Ma and I don’t like you.’

Pearson leaned down and pulled Riley’s ear. ‘Well, I happen to like your ma.’ His face was a leering mask. ‘I think you should keep out of this, little fella.’

‘You don’t frighten me,’ Riley said bravely, pushing back against his sister.

‘It’s all right, Riley.’ She calmed him, drawing him closer. Her eyes had locked on to an impressively tall man who had just entered the park. No question about it, he was coming their way. Very purposefully, she thought.

The cavalry had arrived! If so, he was the officer in charge.

Even at a distance he gave the appearance of the sort of man who would command attention anywhere. Dressed much like Pearson, there was a remarkable difference. While Pearson looked rough and ready, this man had perfected the image of the glamorous cattle baron. In all probability he was! The aura he gave off held such authority it had the power to render her instantly calmer.

‘Back up’s on the way!’ She gave Pearson a challenging look.

He wasn’t impressed enough to turn around to check. ‘You can’t trick me.’ He moved closer so she could smell his stale sweat. ‘You don’t want me to hurt the kid, do yah?’

Marissa eyed him with contempt. ‘Try it and you’ll wish you hadn’t!’

‘You’re a creep and a bully!’ Riley shouted, his breath starting to come hard.

‘Looks like your kid needs teachin’ a lesson.’ Pearson grabbed at Riley’s frail arm.

At the same time as Marissa pulled Riley back, a steely voice cracked out, ‘Let the boy go, Pearson!’

Instantly Pearson was thrown into a panic. He dropped Riley’s arm like a shot, whirling about, bravado shaken. ‘Whoa, boss!’ he called. ‘I was just askin’ this young lady if there’s anything I could do to help her.’

Riley found his vocal chords again. ‘Liar!’

Pearson’s boss reached them in a couple of long strides, his mouth held in a tight line. ‘It didn’t look to me like she was interested in your offer. Get out of here. Now. You’ve got five minutes to grab those spare parts from the garage and head back to the station. We’ll talk then.’

‘I swear it was nuthin’, boss.’ Pearson held to the role of injured party. ‘She looked like she needed help.’

‘Maybe you didn’t hear me. I said, go!’ The newcomer stabbed a bronzed finger at Pearson’s chest.

‘Sure, boss.’ Pearson didn’t wait a second longer. ‘See you later, Riley!’ He waved a pseudo-friendly hand.

‘No, you won’t!’ Riley croaked after him, sounding like he was having trouble getting his breath.

‘What was he saying to you?’ The man looked at Marissa, waiting intently on her answer.

Now she got the full force of brilliant dark eyes; so deep they gave her the unnerving sensation of drowning.

First impression.

She must have taken overlong to answer because Riley broke in. ‘He was bothering Ma,’ he said, thinking this was a real man like The Man from Snowy River. He was big, strong, ready to help and the way he talked sounded like his dad. ‘The one time we didn’t have Dusty with us, either,’ he lamented.

‘And Dusty is?’ The taut expression gentled as the man looked down on Riley’s dark curly head. ‘Don’t tell me. Let me guess. Your guard dog?’

‘A good one, a cattle dog.’ Riley gave their rescuer a warm smile. ‘Thank you, mister.’

‘McMaster,’ the man said, little brackets of amusement etched into either side of his handsome mouth. ‘Holt McMaster and you are?’ He transferred his gaze to Marissa, a brow tilted in interrogation.

She cleared her throat. Holt McMaster, who else! Here was a man who was genuinely daunting, but highly unlikely to go bothering women. More like the other way around. ‘Marissa Devlin,’ she said, extending her hand. ‘This is my brother, Riley.’

‘Hi,’ he said, taking a good long look at her but in a totally different way to Pearson. Just as Deidre had said Holt McMaster was a seriously stunning looking man but very much on the stern side, Marissa thought, herself engrossed in staring at him. He had great bone structure—he’d probably still be handsome at ninety—hollowed out cheekbones, fine straight nose, a firm, but definitely sensuous mouth, sculpted chin and jawline. She wasn’t sure if it was she or he, or maybe both of them were the cause of it, but tiny electric sparks were shooting off their momentarily locked hands.

He seemed to wait a few seconds before letting his gaze settle back on Riley. ‘Are you all right, son? Sounds like you’re having a bit of trouble catching your breath.’

‘He has asthma,’ Marissa said worriedly, starting to rummage around in her leather shoulder bag. ‘He’s been fine but your station hand gave us a fright.’

‘A big mistake,’ McMaster responded tersely. ‘You need to keep calm, Riley.’ He put a hand on Riley’s shoulder. ‘Think you can do that?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Riley rasped.

‘You’ve got the puffer?’ Those fathomless eyes rested on Marissa again.

‘Right here.’ Marissa put the puffer into Riley’s hand.

Both adults stood watching while the little boy inhaled. ‘Good man,’ McMaster praised him. ‘You’ll be fine now.’ He gave Riley a nod of approval. ‘What are you doing all the way out here?’ he questioned Marissa. There was close enough to a frown on his striking face.

She felt herself blush. It was unnerving being the focus of that brilliant gaze. ‘I’m looking for a job.’

‘What sort of job?’ he asked crisply.

She had a strong sense he didn’t approve of her being out here; on the road with an asthmatic child. ‘I’m a trained schoolteacher. I have excellent references. I was hoping to get work as a governess on one of the stations.’

‘Do you want a governess, Mr McMaster?’ Riley piped up, with touching hope.

McMaster suddenly smiled and his whole face changed. Marissa watched in fascination as the dark severity was totally wiped away. Light radiated off him like an actual aura. ‘I hadn’t been planning on hiring one, Riley. At least not at this time.’

‘Perhaps you might know someone, some other station owner who needs a governess for their children, Mr McMaster?’ Marissa asked, doing her level best to mask her awe of this man. But it was there, and she couldn’t do a thing about it.

He seemed preoccupied for a moment. ‘Why don’t we all sit down and get something to drink,’ he suggested. ‘I could do with a coffee.’

‘What about Deidre’s?’ A smile curled Riley’s naturally rosy lips. ‘She makes very good coffee. And hamburgers. She makes everything!’

‘You know, you’re absolutely right. Deidre’s it is!’ McMaster extended an arm to indicate they should all go across the street to the café.

Hope soared! Instinct told Marissa he was at least considering her situation. If so, it would be another case of Destiny at work.

‘Well, look who just walked in!’ Deidre greeted McMaster with the greatest good humour. ‘Hiya, Holt! It’s good to see yah!’

‘Good to see you, Dee,’ Holt McMaster responded, bestowing on her that transforming smile. ‘I could do with a strong black coffee.’ He paused a moment, turning to Marissa and Riley, waiting on their order. ‘And?’

‘We’ve just had a really good breakfast, but I won’t say no to a cappuccino,’ Marissa said. ‘What about you, Riley? Are you feeling better?’

‘He’s fine,’ McMaster said. It was almost a ‘don’t fuss!’ ‘What’s it to be, Riley?’

‘I don’t think I could fit in another thing,’ Riley said, his breathing mercifully restored to normal.

‘What about you come out to the kitchen and help me?’ Deidre suggested. ‘Let your Ma talk to Mr McMaster.’

Marissa fought to keep her composure. How was she ever going to be able to counteract this? There was that Ma again!

Deidre put out her hand and Riley took it, going willingly. ‘What about Dusty?’ he asked. ‘I should go check on him. He’ll be missing me.’

‘Don’t you go worrying about Dusty,’ Deidre said. ‘Marj is lookin’ after ‘im. Marj likes dogs. She’s had plenty in her time, all cattle dogs or kelpies. Now I had a kelpie one time, called Shorty….’

‘Riley is my brother by the way,’ Marissa repeated a few minutes later when they were seated in the same banquette as she and Riley had occupied for breakfast. Deidre had already set their steaming coffee and a plate of freshly baked pastries in front of them. ‘Half brother, actually.’

‘And where are your parents?’ he asked, lifting the cup to his mouth.

His scepticism was painfully obvious. ‘Dead,’ she said. She wasn’t all that good at hiding her grief, so she masked it with a show of long acceptance.

‘They must have died very young?’ His gaze pinned her like a laser.

She had to be careful here. ‘Yes,’ she replied briefly.

‘Okay.’ Clearly he thought she was running away from something. ‘So where do you come from? Married, engaged, any involvement?’

She looked out the window at the blossoming jacarandas, realising she was shaking a little inside. ‘I was born and reared in Brisbane.’

‘Surely Riley was, too?’ he asked in a dry, almost mocking voice.

She felt very much on edge yet strangely more vividly aware than she had ever been in her life. ‘Of course.’ She wasn’t about to discuss hers and Riley’s dysfunctional childhoods. ‘I’m not involved with anyone except Riley. He’s quite enough. He’s asthmatic as you’ve seen. The dry air out here is supposed to be beneficial to asthmatics.’

He had removed his akubra when they came in the door, so now she had learned he had a fine head of hair, black and shiny as a crow’s wing. It was brushed straight back from a distinctive widow’s peak that lent a surprising rakishness to balance out the severity. She started to panic thinking perhaps she was giving him too much attention.

He didn’t appear to notice, so she relaxed a little. ‘I’ve seen cases of a complete cure,’ he was saying. ‘I don’t know, but it seems to me Riley’s condition has an emotional component. He’s a fine-looking boy, but he’s on the frail side.’

It was perfectly true. Even so, her blue eyes flashed. ‘I’m hoping to change that. I’ve had him with me since our father died but it wasn’t working out. I taught at a private girl’s school. I often had early and after-school commitments. It was difficult with Riley, difficult to find minders. Then there was his asthma. People don’t like the responsibility.’

‘One can understand that. So you decided to come a thousand miles West to see if you could find a job as a governess on a station?’

‘That was the general idea,’ she said wryly. Did he have to make it sound as though she had applied for two seats on a space shuttle?

‘But surely being a schoolteacher, Ms Devlin, you know hiring is unlikely in vacation time? It’s almost that.’

She had been shooting glances at him, now she actually allowed her eyes to rest openly on his face; at his remarkable eyes, at his mouth, at his nose and sculpted chin. It was an exciting face, if a bit on the imperious side. He looked what he was, a powerful man. She judged him around thirty-two—thirty-four? ‘I’d heard station folk like their children tutored vacations or not,’ she said, trying to make it sound like she was one jump ahead. ‘It really does pay to be ahead of the curriculum, especially when it’s time to go off to boarding school.’

‘Come on, you took a big risk.’ He cut through to the truth.

She shrugged. ‘Maybe, but I had to do it. Can you help me?’

His face assumed a considering expression. ‘How old is Riley?’ he asked. ‘Seven? He seems very intelligent for his age.’

‘He is,’ she said, showing her pride. ‘My father …’ Her voice trailed off.

‘Yours and Riley’s father, yes?’ he prompted, giving her another one of his assessing looks.

‘I find it pretty upsetting to talk about—our father,’ she said. His eyes had such a piercing brilliance she felt they sliced through all her defensive layers.

‘I don’t know your surname, Marissa.’

‘It’s Devlin. I thought I told you.’

‘So you did.’ There was a lick of mockery in his voice.

‘Were you trying to catch me out at something?’ she challenged.

‘Like what?’

‘Oh, the name of Riley’s real father,’ she said, a little bitterly. ‘I repeat. Riley is my half brother.’

‘You’re remarkably alike.’

‘Why wouldn’t we be?’

‘May I ask how old you are?’ His gaze was very straight.

‘Would you believe twenty-eight?’ She felt very tightly wound. He was having that effect on her. Worse, he knew it.

‘No, I wouldn’t.’ He shook his head. ‘You don’t look like you’re all that long out of high school.’

‘University,’ she corrected. ‘I have a B.A. and Bachelor of Education. I taught at Saint Catherine’s College for Girls in Brisbane, grades 10 and 12. Easily checked out. Besides I have on my person at least in my bag a glowing reference from the Headmistress, Dr Eleanor Bell, a leading educationalist. Do you want to see it?’

‘Why not?’ He held out his hand, a very elegantly formed hand, darkly tanned, lean and strong, able to transmit electric charges at will.

She reached into her satchel bag and produced the reference from a zipped side pocket where she kept papers.

He took it, dark eyes hooded as he scanned the lines. ‘Very impressive,’ he said finally. He had the sort of voice that captivated the ear; dark, resonant, classy accent, no western drawl. ‘I do hope you didn’t write it yourself?’

‘You shouldn’t say things like that.’ She didn’t try to hide her little flash of hostility.

He looked deep into her blue eyes. ‘Women lie about all sorts of things.’

‘People lie.’ His corresponding flash of antagonism registered. It would do no good at all to offend him. ‘I was a good teacher,’ she said, more respectfully. ‘I’m teaching Riley as we go. I think I’m safe in saying his general knowledge for his age is remarkable. My father.’ Once again she faltered.

‘Why is it you begin and can’t go on?’

‘Pain,’ she shot back, still not able to fully control the flare of hostility, that alarmingly had a sexual component. ‘Pain can annihilate. It can come at you right out of the blue. It can hit you with such force—’ She broke off. ‘Do you know anything about that?’

‘None that I’m going to talk about,’ he answered, his voice clipped.

‘Then you’re like me.’ She glanced out of the window at the broad sun baked street.

Instead of answering, he asked another question. ‘So you’re twenty … three?’

‘Yes.’ She was so busy trying to absorb all her impressions of him, she hadn’t considered what impression she was making.

An irresistible lure, had been Holt’s first thought. A lone young woman Outback with a small child, her looks quite enchanting; soft, tender, very refined. She was hopelessly out of place. She looked like the heroine of some romantic novel, undeniably a beauty and he enjoyed beauty. Her tumble of silky blue-black curls pleased him, the vivid, black lashed blue eyes, the flawless complexion that would need a good deal of protection from the sun. Her aura had a special innocence that stirred unfamiliar feelings, vaguely tender. At the same time she was powerfully, effortlessly, seductive but seemingly unaware of it.