so perfectly beautiful in every way. He’d never looked into a woman’s eyes and fallen from a great height.
It had been a classic case of love at first sight, with all the usual symptoms—the thunderbolt to the heart, the obsession.
With the recklessness of youth, Gray had followed Chelsea back to America. In New York he’d courted her with the single-minded passion of a young man desperately in love. A hasty engagement, a wedding in Central Park and a blissful honeymoon in Paris…
Then back to Jabiru Creek Station. To the Outback.
Within the first month, Chelsea had realised her mistake. She’d loved Gray—about that there had never been any doubt—but in the Australian Outback his precious bride had wilted like a flower without water.
His throat ached now as he remembered the tears streaming down her face as she’d confronted him.
We’ve made a mistake, Gray, haven’t we? Don’t you think we should separate now, before this gets too complicated? You’re a good man. I should have been more honest. I didn’t want to hurt you.
Of course, he should have given in then. It was so easy now to look back and to see how foolish and blinded he’d been—how he’d kissed her tears and begged her shamelessly.
You must stay, Chelsea. Please, please give it a go.
It was only a few weeks later that she’d realised she was pregnant so, of course, she’d stayed…
‘You wake him up.’
‘No, you.’
Childish giggling penetrated Gray’s sleep. Damn. Was it morning already?
It had taken him hours to fall asleep and he felt absolutely stuffed, unable to move, like an elephant paralysed by a stun gun. Perhaps, if he lay very still, his children would creep away again and leave him to sleep.
Not a chance. Already small hands were poking and shaking him.
‘Dad! Dad!’
He groaned in a low protest.
‘Daddy!’ That was Anna’s voice, now suddenly panic-stricken.
His eyes snapped open, then he cringed from the bright daylight flooding the room. ‘Good morning,’ he groaned. ‘What time is it?’
‘It’s really late,’ Josh told him. ‘We had breakfast ages and ages ago.’
Gray struggled onto one elbow, yawned and rubbed a hand over sleep-bleary eyes.
‘Are you all right, Daddy?’ Anna still sounded worried.
‘Yeah, chicken. I’m fine.’ He yawned again. ‘Just sleepy. My body thinks it’s still in Australia.’
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat for a minute, elbows propped on his knees, holding his dazed head in his hands. Jet lag was taking its toll.
‘Holly said to tell you she’s made a fresh pot of coffee,’ Josh announced.
Bless Holly. Coffee was exactly what he needed. As soon as he’d had a shower.
Gray ruffled his kids’ hair. ‘So what have you two got planned for today?’
‘Packing!’ they chorused.
‘You’re kidding?’ How could they look so excited? ‘Don’t tell me packing’s fun?’
‘Sure, Dad. It’s great fun. Holly’s playing a new game with us. We’re putting all our toys in a magic rocket box, and it’s going to take off for Australia all by itself.’
‘Wow. How about that?’
Gray had to hand it to Holly. She sure had a way with his kids. Damn pity she wasn’t coming home with them.
As the hot water in the shower streamed over him, he reminded himself why he mustn’t put any pressure on Holly to help him out. She’d already gone above and beyond for his children, and now she had a life of her own to lead. Holly was a good sport and she would never let on that she was cracking her neck to be free of her commitments here. But he knew she must be keen to get on with her new career and to start dating again, find a new boyfriend.
He wouldn’t appeal to her good nature…couldn’t exploit her genuine affection for his kids by trying to talk her into coming with them. That would be nothing short of emotional blackmail.
Just the same, Gray wished he felt more confident in his ability to raise his kids.
Their education was his major worry.
For all kinds of reasons Gray’s own parents had totally stuffed up his schooling. Just thinking about his lack of education triggered unwelcome memories of his parents’ harsh and heated bickering. He found himself remembering his mother’s fits of crying and his father’s sulky, blustering anger and his innards twisted.
Truth to tell, his formal schooling had finished almost as soon as it started, around the same time as his parents’ divorce. However, it was only much later in his adult years that Gray had fully understood the handicap he carried. By then he’d developed a tough veneer and he’d managed to bluff his way through most challenges, never realising that his failings would come back to bite him, that he’d let his wife down…
And now he was in danger of letting his kids down…
No. There was no way he would allow Anna and Josh to grow up with the limitations he’d endured. But if he wanted to give them the very best chance, he needed help. He needed someone exactly like Holly.
If only she was free…
We’ve done well, Holly thought at the end of a full day of packing and, thanks to Gray’s involvement, it had been relatively painless. Gray’s sense of humour—a side of him she’d never really seen before—had saved a few awkward moments when decisions over toys might have ended in tears.
And then he’d surprised her further by cooking dinner.
‘Because you’ve been working so hard,’ he’d said with an endearingly shy smile that sent her stomach fluttering. ‘And only if you like spaghetti bolognese. I’m afraid there’s a limit to my kitchen skills.’
Spaghetti bolognese was absolutely fine, Holly assured him. Unfortunately, anything seemed fine when he sent her those smiles.
Except she didn’t want to be susceptible to his smiles, did she? She was simply grateful for the chai latte he’d brought her from the drugstore two and a half blocks away, as well as the chance to soak in the tub and change her clothes before dinner, and then enjoy a meal she hadn’t had to cook.
Over dinner, Anna and Josh talked about Australia. They were very excited to hear that Gray had an airstrip on his property and that his mail and supplies were delivered by aeroplane.
‘We’ll fly to Normanton,’ Gray explained, ‘and then we’ll drive home to Jabiru from there.’
We’ll drive home to Jabiru…
Holly pictured Gray and his children in a big SUV, skimming over wide red plains towards a distant homestead, and she was swamped by a wave of loneliness.
What was wrong with her? She’d known all along that this would happen. But she still couldn’t help feeling miserable. Everyone who was important in her life was being taken from her—Chelsea, Brandon, and now Anna and Josh.
I’ll start again and build a new life around my new job.
Right now, it was hard to feel happy about that.
Suddenly she realised Josh was asking his dad about their new school.
To Holly’s surprise, Gray’s ears reddened. He looked pained and cleared his throat. ‘The school in the Outback is a bit different from what you’re used to.’
‘How different?’
‘It’s