4
A BEAD OF PERSPIRATION fell into Payton’s eye and she straightened and brushed her arm over her damp forehead. Her back ached from the day’s work—mucking out the stables and moving bales of straw into the freshly cleaned stalls. Setting the pitchfork against the rough wooden wall, she stretched her hands above her head and twisted to work the kinks out of her back.
“A dip in the hot tub would soothe those sore muscles,” Teague said.
“Sounds good,” Payton replied. “Maybe after dinner.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “You know, you don’t have to work quite so hard. Callum is already impressed. You do twice as much work as all of the jacka-roos who’ve had the job before you.”
“What exactly is a jackaroo?”
“Just another name for a stockman. Technically, you’re a jillaroo since you’re of the female variety.”
She smiled. “I like that. I have a title. Maybe I should get some business cards printed. Payton Harwell, Jillaroo.”
“Really, I’m serious. No one is going to fire you. And if you’re trying to impress Brody, don’t bother. He’s never been one to enjoy station work.”
“Why is that?”
Teague shrugged. “From the moment he could express an opinion, he wanted off the station. He’s more like our mum than our dad. He finds it sheer drudgery.”
“So, why does he stay?”
“I expect because you’re here. Before you came, he spent most of his time in Bilbarra.”
“No, I mean, why did he stay as an adult?”
“He didn’t. He left the same time our mum did. Moved with her to Sydney when he was fourteen. After that, he only spent holidays here. He hasn’t told you this?”
Payton shook her head. “We haven’t really talked about our pasts. I guess we’ve been focusing on the present.” She pulled off her gloves, then sat down on a nearby bale of straw. “So he’s just here visiting?”
“He’s been back for a while. Since his accident—”
“His motorcycle accident?”
Teague nodded. “Since his accident, he hasn’t been able to play and he got dropped by his club.”
“Club?”
“He hasn’t told you much at all,” Teague said. “Football club. He was a professional footballer. Aussie rules. He played for a club in Fremantle for the past five years. But he tore up his knee in the accident.”
“I’ve seen the scar,” she murmured. “He just brushed it off like it had happened years ago.”
“He was in the hospital for a month and in a cast for six. He’s lucky to be alive.”
“I wonder why he didn’t tell me?”
“He doesn’t like to talk about it. The accident ended his career. Just when he was starting to play really well, too. And I suppose he thought it didn’t make any difference.” He sat down beside her. “Does it?”
“No. The scar doesn’t bother me. Why would it? It’s just that—” She shook her head.
“What?”
“I guess we don’t know each other very well. At least not in that sense.”
Teague shrugged. “Believe me, it isn’t any easier when you know everything about each other. Maybe you and Brody are better off. Less…baggage?”
“Maybe.” What Teague said might be true. She and Sam had known each other for years and the passion between them had faded to nothing more than a dull glow. But with Brody, there was fire, flames shooting up into the sky every time their bodies came together. Maybe all the things she didn’t know just kept it more exciting.
“I’m flying into Brisbane day after tomorrow. Do you and Gemma want to ride along? You’d mentioned you wanted to shop.”
“I have to work,” she said.
“We’ll be back before dark. I can’t land on the station after sunset. And I’m sure some of the guys will take over your duties for a day.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“Payday is Friday,” Teague countered. “And I’d be happy to loan you a dollar or two if you’re short.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“Hey, I think you’re a trustworthy sort.”
“Then you haven’t heard of my criminal past,” she said, laughing. “I met your bother in jail.”
“Callum mentioned something about that. I guess we’ve all done things in the past that we wished we could change.” He stood, then held out his hand to help her up. “Can I ask you something? From a woman’s point of view?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Do you think it’s possible to forgive past mistakes? I mean, if things get royally stuffed up, is it possible to begin again?”
“I don’t know,” Payton said. She’d wondered the same thing. “I’m not sure you can ever go back and fix the mistakes you’ve made. You can just go forward and promise not to make them again.”
He nodded, then smiled. “Yeah, I see what you mean.” He drew a deep breath. “Listen, if it’s all right with you, can we vaccinate those yearlings next week? I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “Except to Brisbane, if you still plan to take us.”
“That I do,” he said as he strolled out of the stable. Brody passed him as he wandered in with his horse. Glancing back over his shoulder, he sent his brother an irritated frown, then turned to Payton. “What did he want?”
“He just stopped by to say hello,” she said. “We were going to vaccinate the yearlings, but then something else came up.” She slipped her gloves on. “He’s going to fly Gemma and me to Brisbane on Saturday.”
“And what are you and Gemma going to do in Brisbane?”
“Shop. I need to buy some work clothes,” she said, glancing down at Davey’s jeans and shirt. “And maybe we’ll have some lunch and get a pedicure and a manicure. I’d like to get my hair cut, too. I feel like I need a change. This hair just gets in the way.”
Brody rested his hands on her shoulders and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “But I like the way you look right now.” He rubbed a stray strand between his fingers. “And I’m fond of your hair.”
Pulling her against him, he kissed her again, this time more passionately.A shiver skittered through her body and she felt her desire warm. It didn’t take much to make her want to pull him into a stall and tear off their clothes. “We could go to Brisbane together,” he suggested. “Maybe spend the day at the beach instead. Do some surfing.”
“It’s really a girls’ day out,” she said. “I’m sure you can get along without me for a day, can’t you?”
“I don’t know,” he teased.
“We’ll spend the evening together. I’ll be back before dark. Teague said he can’t land once it’s dark.”
“Which means he’ll probably find a way to keep you both in Brisbane for the night,” he said cynically.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think Teague has something else going on.”
“Why is that?”
“He asked my advice. Something about starting over again.”