was that keeping his distance from Jess was not only crazy. It was impossible.
CHAPTER SEVEN
T HINGS changed alittle for Jess after the birthday. Reece wasn’t in quite such a rush to get away in the mornings. She usually had the radio playing softly in the background and they got into the habit of listening to the six a.m. news and then chatting about it afterwards.
And Reece seemed to make it back earlier in the evenings too. Many nights now, he was home in time for dinner, and a new pattern emerged. Sometimes, they played a game of five hundred with Michael after the meal. Other nights they watched television, which arrived at Warringa via a satellite dish. Or if Michael retired early, Reece and Jess would read for a bit—in the lounge room together, rather than separately in their bedrooms.
Jess genuinely appreciated his company, loved his quiet humour, his surprising wit, his calmness.
Two weeks later, the last of the cattle were branded and included into the herd, or shipped away to fattening blocks further south. The muster on Warringa was over and Reece spent one entire day lazing, shirtless, in a hammock on the back veranda, drinking icy beer, dozing, reading and cheering Rosie, who’d now started crawling and was turning into quite a little show-off.
Reece announced that Jess had earned a day off too, or at least a break from her normal routine.
‘Why don’t we go out to the gorge tomorrow,’ he suggested. ‘Take a picnic lunch and swimming gear.’
‘I didn’t know you had a gorge. That sounds interesting.’
The gorge was quite spectacular, actually. In many ways it was too good to keep hidden. More than once, Reece had considered reducing the cattle herd and starting up a tourist venture. Michael was dead set against it, though.
At least Jess’s reaction to the scenery was gratifying. Her jaw dropped next day when they arrived at the head of the gorge and she saw the rocky escarpments falling away beneath her to the deep aqua-green cavern of water below.
‘It’s beautiful. But I’ll have to hang on to Rosie.’
‘Don’t worry. I can drive you to a safer spot where we can swim.’
‘Are there crocodiles?’
‘Not where we’re going.’
She sent him a wary smile.
‘You can trust me, Jess.’
‘Of course I can,’ she said softly. ‘You showed me that on the night I first met you.’
The shining look in her eyes made Reece want to leap high mountains, fight off wild beasts, light protective fires at the door to her cave.
Actually, Reece did light a small fire when they reached the rock pool where he planned to swim. He made billy tea and they drank from tin mugs, sitting on a rocky ledge and dangling their feet in the cool water, and he enjoyed holding Rosie, who seemed super excited about her new surroundings.
After their tea, Jess changed into her swimsuit behind a rock. She knew she shouldn’t feel super self-conscious about appearing semi-naked in front of Reece, but she did, of course. At least the costume was a one-piece in figure-slimming, stretch-mark-hiding black. She stripped Rosie down too and carried her to the water.
This would be her baby’s first swim.
It helped to concentrate on Rosie, rather than on the tall, broad-shouldered figure nearby. Reece in bathers was a distraction Jess tried to ignore. With little success.
The water was surprisingly cool and at first Rosie squawked with terror, but she soon adapted, and her cries changed to delighted chortles as she splashed madly, thrilled with this new game.
It wasn’t long before Reece appeared at Jess’s side, all strapping muscles and sleek satin skin, glistening with water. Jess tried not to stare. She really tried.
‘You should have a swim,’ he said. ‘I can hold Rosie for a while.’
‘That’d be great. Thanks.’
It wasn’t actually possible to hand the baby over without touching him and, of course, the connection sent a live current shooting through her. So maddening when she was trying
CHAPTER SEVEN
T HINGS changed alittle for Jess after the birthday. Reece wasn’t in quite such a rush to get away in the mornings. She usually had the radio playing softly in the background and they got into the habit of listening to the six a.m. news and then chatting about it afterwards.
And Reece seemed to make it back earlier in the evenings too. Many nights now, he was home in time for dinner, and a new pattern emerged. Sometimes, they played a game of five hundred with Michael after the meal. Other nights they watched television, which arrived at Warringa via a satellite dish. Or if Michael retired early, Reece and Jess would read for a bit—in the lounge room together, rather than separately in their bedrooms.
Jess genuinely appreciated his company, loved his quiet humour, his surprising wit, his calmness.
Two weeks later, the last of the cattle were branded and included into the herd, or shipped away to fattening blocks further south. The muster on Warringa was over and Reece spent one entire day lazing, shirtless, in a hammock on the back veranda, drinking icy beer, dozing, reading and cheering Rosie, who’d now started crawling and was turning into quite a little show-off.
Reece announced that Jess had earned a day off too, or at least a break from her normal routine.
‘Why don’t we go out to the gorge tomorrow,’ he suggested. ‘Take a picnic lunch and swimming gear.’
‘I didn’t know you had a gorge. That sounds interesting.’
The gorge was quite spectacular, actually. In many ways it was too good to keep hidden. More than once, Reece had considered reducing the cattle herd and starting up a tourist venture. Michael was dead set against it, though.
At least Jess’s reaction to the scenery was gratifying. Her jaw dropped next day when they arrived at the head of the gorge and she saw the rocky escarpments falling away beneath her to the deep aqua-green cavern of water below.
‘It’s beautiful. But I’ll have to hang on to Rosie.’
‘Don’t worry. I can drive you to a safer spot where we can swim.’
‘Are there crocodiles?’
‘Not where we’re going.’
She sent him a wary smile.
‘You can trust me, Jess.’
‘Of course I can,’ she said softly. ‘You showed me that on the night I first met you.’
The shining look in her eyes made Reece want to leap high mountains, fight off wild beasts, light protective fires at the door to her cave.
Actually, Reece did light a small fire when they reached the rock pool where he planned to swim. He made billy tea and they drank from tin mugs, sitting on a rocky ledge and dangling their feet in the cool water, and he enjoyed holding Rosie, who seemed super excited about her new surroundings.
After their tea, Jess changed into her swimsuit behind a rock. She knew she shouldn’t feel super self-conscious about appearing semi-naked in front of Reece, but she did, of course. At least the costume was a one-piece in figure-slimming, stretch-mark-hiding black. She stripped Rosie down too and carried her to the water.
This would be her baby’s first swim.
It helped to concentrate on Rosie, rather than on the tall, broad-shouldered figure nearby. Reece in bathers was a distraction Jess tried to ignore. With little success.
The water was surprisingly cool and at first Rosie squawked with terror, but she soon adapted, and her cries changed to delighted chortles as she splashed madly, thrilled with this new game.
It wasn’t long before Reece appeared at Jess’s side, all strapping muscles and sleek satin skin, glistening with water. Jess tried not to stare. She really tried.
‘You should have a swim,’ he said. ‘I can hold Rosie for a while.’
‘That’d be great. Thanks.’
It wasn’t actually possible to hand the baby over without touching him and, of course, the connection sent a live current shooting through her. So maddening when she was trying
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