frowned, dragging his bushy eyebrows low, as if an employee’s impending marriage was a huge inconvenience. But then he managed to say ‘Congratulations,’ with a grunting nod in Bella’s direction, before he disappeared into his private den.
He’d never been the type of boss who chatted with his staff, so everyone was used to his gruffness. Nevertheless, his dampening presence put an end to the morning’s excitement.
The semicircle of onlookers melted away. Only Zoe remained, her head so brimming with a thousand questions she was reluctant to go back to her desk. And she couldn’t help feeling a tad put out that Bella had never confided in her.
‘Are you all right, Zoe?’ Bella asked cautiously.
‘Of course, I’m fine.’ Zoe touched Bella’s ring finger. ‘I’m stoked about this.’
‘But you didn’t reply to my text.’
‘What text?’
‘The one I sent you last night. Just before I left Willara Downs, I texted you with my good news.’
‘Oh?’ Zoe pulled a sheepish face. ‘Sorry, Bell. I took myself to the movies last night, and I turned my phone off. Then I forgot to switch it back on.’
‘Must have been a good movie,’ Bella said dryly, but she was smiling again.
‘It was. A lovely, mushy romance.’
Bella rolled her eyes, but they grinned at each other and Zoe was ridiculously pleased that she hadn’t been left out after all.
‘Meet me at The Hot Spot at lunchtime?’ Bella asked next.
‘Absolutely.’ The busy little café on the corner was their favourite, and a meeting today was top priority.
Back at her desk, however, Zoe’s spirits took another dive as she came to grips with the reality of Bella’s startling news. She was losing her best friend. Bella would move back to the country to live with Kent Rigby and that would be the end of her close friendship—their mutual support over office grumbles, their lunchtime chats, their Friday night cocktails and joint shopping sprees.
It was definitely the end of their overseas holiday plans. And it was very puzzling that Bella had never confided in her about Kent. What did that say about their supposedly close friendship?
Glumly, Zoe retrieved her phone from her handbag and flicked it on to find two unread messages—both from Bella.
At 6.35 p.m. last night:
The most amazing thing! Kent and I are engaged. So much to tell you. B xx
And then at 9.00 p.m.:
Where r u? Gotta talk. x
Zoe winced. If she’d been available for a heart-to-heart chat last night, she’d know everything now and perhaps she’d understand how this engagement had happened so quickly.
Instead, she had to get through an entire morning’s work before she received a single answer to her thousand and one questions.
‘You’re getting married?’
‘Sure.’ Kent pitchforked fresh hay into the horse stall, then angled a meaningful glance to his mate Steve who leaned on the rails, watching. ‘Why else would I be asking you to be my best man?’
Steve’s eyes widened. ‘So you’re dead-set serious?’
‘I’m serious.’ Kent grinned. ‘Getting married isn’t something to joke about.’
‘I guess it isn’t. It’s just that we all thought—’ Steve stopped and grimaced.
‘You all thought I’d carry on playing the field for ever,’ Kent supplied.
‘Maybe not for ever.’ Steve’s grin was sly. ‘But heck man, you never gave the impression you were planning to settle down just yet, even though plenty of girls have tried their hardest.’
Kent’s jaw tightened as he thrust the pitchfork back into the hay bale. He’d anticipated Steve’s surprise—and yeah, maybe his disbelief—but his friend’s reaction still rankled. It was true that he’d dated plenty of girls without getting serious. In the past. But those days were over now. He had responsibilities to shoulder.
Steve’s ruddy face twisted into a baffled smile, and he scratched at the side of his sunburned neck. ‘Crikey.’
‘You’re supposed to say congratulations.’
‘Of course, mate. Goes without saying.’ Balancing a booted foot on the rail, Steve leaned into the stall, holding out his hand. His eyes blazed with goodwill. ‘Congratulations, Kent. I mean it. Bella’s an ace girl. She’s terrific. The two of you will be a great team.’
He shook Kent’s hand.
‘Thanks.’
‘I shouldn’t have been so surprised,’ Steve added, accompanying the words with a shrug. ‘It makes sense. You and Bella have always been like—’ He held up a hand, displaying his index finger and forefinger entwined.
Kent acknowledged this truth with a nod and a smile. He and Bella Shaw had been born six months apart to families on neighbouring properties. As infants they’d shared a playpen. As youngsters they had joint swimming and riding lessons. They’d gone to school together, travelling into Willara each day on the rattling school bus, swapping the contents of their lunch boxes and sharing the answers to their homework.
From as far back as Kent could remember, their two families had gathered on the banks of Willara Creek for regular barbecues. Their fathers had helped each other with shearing or mustering. Their mothers had swapped recipes, knitting patterns and old wives’ tales.
When Kent was just six years old, Bella’s dad had saved his life …
And now, with luck, Kent was returning the favour.
He felt OK about it. Honestly, he was happy with the future he and Bella had planned.
Just the same, Kent would have been relieved to get a few things off his chest to Steve. In the past few years his load had mounted steadily.
When his dad had hankered for an early retirement, Kent had taken on the bulk of the farm work. Then Bella’s mother had died, and her father, the very man who’d saved his life when he was a kid, had started drinking himself to death. Desperately worried, Kent had helped out there as well, putting in long hours ploughing fields and mending neglected fences.
Bella, of course, had been distraught. She’d lost her mother and now she was likely to lose her father, and if these weren’t enough troubles to bear, her family’s property was rapidly going down the drain.
A host of heavy emotions was tied up in their decision to marry, but although Kent was tempted to confide in Steve he wouldn’t off-load his baggage, not even to his best friend.
‘I hear Bella’s dad’s in a bad way,’ Steve said. ‘He’s been keeping very much to himself and he needs to slow down on his drinking.’
Kent’s head shot up. Had Steve guessed things were worse than most people realised?
‘Tom has the beginnings of heart failure,’ he said slowly.
‘That’s a worry.’
‘It is, but if he looks after himself, he should be OK.’
Steve nodded. ‘And once you’re his son-in-law, you’ll be able to keep a closer eye on him.’
Clearly, Steve thought their decision was reasonable, but then his eyes flashed as he sent Kent a cheeky smirk. ‘You and Bella are a sly pair though, keeping this under wraps in a gossipy town like Willara.’ He snapped a piece of straw between his fingers and raised his eyebrows. ‘So, when’s the happy day? I suppose
I’ll have to wear a penguin suit.’
When Zoe burst into The