toward her that she could have misinterpreted as the beginning of a relationship, apart from kissing her, which hardly spoke volumes. Had it been so long since she had felt the love a man, even a gentle word or touch, she was locking onto the first available male figure who laid a hand on her? Ridiculous, when he made no bones about the fact he wanted the farm, not her. So why was she having fantasies about him? Why were women always drawn to the bad guys? Frustrated and desperate for release, Libby sank to the floor and dropped her head to her knees before wrapping her arms around herself protectively.
C HAPTER S EVEN
She was still there dreaming of his naked body intertwined with hers ten minutes later when Tom and Holly arrived back home. She shook herself and went back in to make Tom a cuppa. She needed an extra-strong one to kick herself out of this sexual haze. Either that, or she was headed back to the shower.
“Was that Nathan we just passed?” Tom asked as he came up the path.
“Yes,” she replied, willing her face not to glow.
“And? Was there something special he wanted?”
“Yes.” Libby filled the kettle to make him a cup of tea. “He wanted to let you know the McNally’s had some bulls you might be interested in.”
“Really?”
“Apparently, you two talked about it once before, and he thought it was his neighborly duty to come and inform you they were for sale.”
Tom waited until he had his cup in his hand. He sipped at his drink while he thought about what Nathan had said. “We should go and have a look, Libby.”
“I agree. But what I don’t understand is why Nathan was telling us this if he wants me to go back to the city?”
“Maybe he’s just trying to be nice. He did apologize the other night for coming on a bit strong.” Tom glanced at Libby as she paced the kitchen.
“Somehow, I don’t see him in that light. One minute he’s trying to goad me into going back to the city with all his snide remarks, and then he plays Mr. Nice Guy. You know him better than anyone. Is he always like this or is he putting it all on for me?”
“Libby, I’ve told you why he dislikes city people, women especially. I don’t think you should take this personally, you know.” He put his mug down and tapped his fingers on the table as she waited for answers.
“I can’t help it. He frustrates the hell out of me. Do you honestly think he’s being nice to me because he cares about what I’m doing, or is it something else?” Libby asked, hope starting to rise in her heart.
“Dunno. Maybe the stock will go with the farm, and it would be in his best interests for you to have something good going if you are going to fold.” Tom shrugged.
“That sneaky, conniving bastard.” She fumed as her hope shriveled a sudden death. “I knew it couldn’t be because he was just being Mr. Nice Guy. Ooohhh, I could kill him. And he had the nerve to ask me to save him a dance.”
Tom threw back his head and laughed. He was wiping the tears from his eyes when Holly came in and called to him.
“Tom, the lambs are crying again,” she said, looking at him pocketing his handkerchief. “What’s wrong with him, Mum?”
“Nothing, honey. Just a joke.”
“Oh, okay. Come on, Tom. You have to mix the formula.” Holly pulled him from the chair. “Want to help, Mum?”
“Thanks, baby, but I might go and work off some energy in the garden, and then I need to go back to the office to finish some stuff.”
Libby pulled weeds with a vengeance for half an hour until she managed to calm her body and mind. Then she went to the office and pulled the file containing the will Aaron had given her. She hadn’t thought of reading it, believing he had given her all the pertinent facts. It had just been one of those pieces of paper she’d put straight in the file.
Reading the will, Libby came to understand more about her grandmother than she had previously known. She had bequeathed money and belongings to many of
C HAPTER S EVEN
She was still there dreaming of his naked body intertwined with hers ten minutes later when Tom and Holly arrived back home. She shook herself and went back in to make Tom a cuppa. She needed an extra-strong one to kick herself out of this sexual haze. Either that, or she was headed back to the shower.
“Was that Nathan we just passed?” Tom asked as he came up the path.
“Yes,” she replied, willing her face not to glow.
“And? Was there something special he wanted?”
“Yes.” Libby filled the kettle to make him a cup of tea. “He wanted to let you know the McNally’s had some bulls you might be interested in.”
“Really?”
“Apparently, you two talked about it once before, and he thought it was his neighborly duty to come and inform you they were for sale.”
Tom waited until he had his cup in his hand. He sipped at his drink while he thought about what Nathan had said. “We should go and have a look, Libby.”
“I agree. But what I don’t understand is why Nathan was telling us this if he wants me to go back to the city?”
“Maybe he’s just trying to be nice. He did apologize the other night for coming on a bit strong.” Tom glanced at Libby as she paced the kitchen.
“Somehow, I don’t see him in that light. One minute he’s trying to goad me into going back to the city with all his snide remarks, and then he plays Mr. Nice Guy. You know him better than anyone. Is he always like this or is he putting it all on for me?”
“Libby, I’ve told you why he dislikes city people, women especially. I don’t think you should take this personally, you know.” He put his mug down and tapped his fingers on the table as she waited for answers.
“I can’t help it. He frustrates the hell out of me. Do you honestly think he’s being nice to me because he cares about what I’m doing, or is it something else?” Libby asked, hope starting to rise in her heart.
“Dunno. Maybe the stock will go with the farm, and it would be in his best interests for you to have something good going if you are going to fold.” Tom shrugged.
“That sneaky, conniving bastard.” She fumed as her hope shriveled a sudden death. “I knew it couldn’t be because he was just being Mr. Nice Guy. Ooohhh, I could kill him. And he had the nerve to ask me to save him a dance.”
Tom threw back his head and laughed. He was wiping the tears from his eyes when Holly came in and called to him.
“Tom, the lambs are crying again,” she said, looking at him pocketing his handkerchief. “What’s wrong with him, Mum?”
“Nothing, honey. Just a joke.”
“Oh, okay. Come on, Tom. You have to mix the formula.” Holly pulled him from the chair. “Want to help, Mum?”
“Thanks, baby, but I might go and work off some energy in the garden, and then I need to go back to the office to finish some stuff.”
Libby pulled weeds with a vengeance for half an hour until she managed to calm her body and mind. Then she went to the office and pulled the file containing the will Aaron had given her. She hadn’t thought of reading it, believing he had given her all the pertinent facts. It had just been one of those pieces of paper she’d put straight in the file.
Reading the will, Libby came to understand more about her grandmother than she had previously known. She had bequeathed money and belongings to many of
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