Her Happy-Ever-After Family: The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family / Miracle in Bellaroo Creek / Patchwork Family in the Outback

She shook herself. ‘I found out about the violence after the car accident, from Sarah’s neighbours and Bruce’s doctors. From Ty and Krissie.’ And from the letter Sarah had left her, asking her to look after the children if anything should happen to her, and leaving her a ludicrously large life insurance policy, enabling her to do exactly that.

She lifted her chin. ‘All that matters now is making sure Ty and Krissie feel safe and building a good life for them here. I’ll do whatever that takes.’

‘Why?’

The single question chilled her. ‘Because I love them.’ That was the truth. Cam didn’t need to know any more than that. She wasn’t sure she could bear the disgust in his eyes if she told him the whole truth.

‘Miss Laing, there you are! We’ve been knocking on the front door, but you obviously didn’t hear us.’

Tess and Cam shot to their feet as three women came around the side of the house—Cam’s mum, Stacy Bennet and the unknown but well-dressed woman who’d addressed Tess.

Tess urged herself forward and forced what she hoped was a welcoming smile to her lips. ‘I’m terribly sorry!’

‘It’s no matter, dear,’ Lorraine said. ‘But I want to introduce you to Helen Milton. She’s the headmistress of Lachlan Downs Ladies College, which is a boarding school two hours south of here. She’s made the trip into Bellaroo Creek especially to meet you.’

Cam rolled his shoulders and remained where he was. Why on earth did Helen want to meet Tess?

‘I saw you play when I was in London the year before last. My dear, you have such a rare talent, but it wasn’t until I saw you play in Barcelona a few months later that I truly realised it.’

Tess’s spine, her shoulders, her whole bearing stiffened. He couldn’t see her face, but the fact she made no reply told its own story. He moved to stand beside her.

‘Hello, Cameron.’

He glanced down at his mother and his stomach clenched. ‘Mum.’

‘Oh, no, no, no,’ Helen continued, ‘you won’t be hiding your light under a bushel out here, Tess!’

Tess gripped her hands together, her knuckles turning white. ‘Oh, but—’

‘You don’t mind me calling you Tess, do you?’

‘Of course not. I—’

‘It’d be a crime for you to bury your talent and I won’t allow it.’

Lorraine smiled at him and behind the lines of strain that fanned out from her eyes he recognised genuine delight. ‘Tess is apparently not just a world-class pianist, but a classical guitarist of some note too.’

He stared at her. Not a dancer but a musician? It made perfect sense. It explained her innate grace and balance, and the way her whole being came alive when she sang.

She shrugged, colour flooding her cheeks as he continued to stare at her. He nudged her arm. ‘Tess, that’s really something.’

But she stared back at him with doe-in-the-headlight eyes and he didn’t understand, only knew something was terribly wrong. He straightened. ‘How about we go inside and I’ll put the kettle on?’ Tess needed something warm and sweet inside her.

‘I can’t, I’m sorry—this is just a flying visit. I need to be back at the college by three—I’ve chartered a plane—but I wanted to introduce myself to Tess while I had a brief window of opportunity.’ Helen turned back to Tess. ‘Because I have plans for you, my dear.’

‘Oh?’ Tess’s voice was nothing but a whisper.

‘Every year we hold a two-week summer camp at the college, and we want you to give music tuition. Heavens, talk about a coup!’

‘But…but I couldn’t possibly leave Ty and Krissie for two whole weeks.’

‘My dear, they can come too. There’ll be all sorts of activities to keep them occupied.’

‘But—’

Helen’s eyes narrowed and hardened. Cam shifted his feet. The headmistress hadn’t got where she was today by taking no for an answer.

‘Miss Laing, you can’t possibly have a problem with wanting to assist The community that has taken you under its wing. Surely?’

‘Well, no, of course not.’

His lips twisted. The rotten woman should’ve gone into politics.

‘Excellent!’ She took Tess’s arm and led her back the way she’d come. ‘I’ll email you with all the details. And don’t worry, you’ll be handsomely reimbursed.’

‘How are you, Cameron?’ his mother asked, her question stopping him from following.

He rolled his shoulders. ‘Fine, and you?’

Her hand fluttered to her throat. ‘Fine.’

He shifted from one leg to the other. ‘Would you like to come around for dinner one day this week?’ The words burst from him. They burned and needled but he didn’t retract them.

‘Oh!’ She swallowed. ‘I…I’m afraid this week isn’t good.’

‘Right.’ Exactly the same response as the last time he’d asked her. ‘Let me know when your diary clears.’

She opened her mouth, but closed it again without saying anything more. ‘I’d better go,’ she finally said. ‘Goodbye, Cameron.’

‘Mum.’

He stared after her and then started in surprise when Ty slipped his small hand inside Cam’s. He glanced down. ‘You okay, buddy?’

‘What did that lady want?’

‘I think she wants your auntie Tess to do some work for her.’

‘Auntie Tess didn’t look very happy.’

No, she hadn’t. Why not? If she had a passion for music…Cam cut the thought off and focused on allaying Ty’s concern instead. ‘I think your auntie Tess is going to be just fine, Ty. She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to.’

Ty thought about that for a moment and then nodded. ‘Would you like to play fetch with Barney?’

CHAPTER FIVE (#u05d84099-629d-514d-b1e5-4198508a69f5)

CAM STRODE THROUGH the back door of the schoolhouse. If Stacy really wanted to turn that lower field into a play area for the children, they were going to need to talk about drainage, fund-raising and working bees.

He turned the corner and then pulled up short as Tess bolted through the school’s front door.