Father In Secret

* * *

The canteen was quiet and Theo was giving himself a harsh talking-to. He was getting involved. He’d not looked at another woman since Marie had ground him into the dust, and he wasn’t going to start now. You couldn’t trust them. So many times he’d thought he’d won custody of Sam and then Marie had pulled something else out of the hat. He’d finally realised she enjoyed his pain.

He didn’t know how much more he could take. His life was marking time until he could win custody of Sam, and his lawyer promised that day would soon come.

Theo didn’t want to complicate it with an overly demanding job—he had to be free to be able to leave at any minute if needed. But what about Andy’s niece?

Savannah provoked a response in him that he didn’t understand. She was bossy, and yet caring with her patients. There was something about her that pierced his usual wall of indifference that protected him from the female of the species.

Maybe if he found out what it was he could inoculate himself against her like a flu vaccine. He forked the last of his powdered scrambled eggs into his mouth and swallowed it with a grimace. He needed to get home and out of here.

* * *

The pigs were cross. Their mistress had not seen them all day and had then decided to change her sty-cleaning time to before the evening meal. They squealed, nudged and butted her legs as she hosed, but she refused to give in until the floor was clean.

‘It’s OK, you girls. I’ll feed you soon. Anyone would think you hadn’t eaten for a week.’

Bruce stared with piggy eyes through the slats in his own clean pen and grunted and munched.

Savannah smiled as she hosed. They were all characters. Rachel was bossy, Hilda a greedy guts and Trisha was timid. Rosa and Keira looked exactly the same and she called them the twins.

Poor old Louise was ponderous with her unborn babies and Savannah kept telling herself a pig could have piglets without a human’s help.

It had been too cold to clean the sties before work and surprisingly she found it mindlessly relaxing after the tension of starting the new job that day. And recognising the first boy she’d ever kissed. It was crazy. They’d been kids. It meant nothing.

The sound of water hitting concrete and the cacophony of the pigs masked Theo’s approach.

He leaned back against the debarked tree-trunk used as the centre pole of the pig shed and watched her as she talked to the pigs.

She looked younger in a man’s flannelette shirt with sleeves rolled up and a pair of old jeans tucked into Andy’s boots. She’d certainly filled out and gained confidence over the years. He’d found that out at work.

One of the sows butted her in her nicely rounded backside and she barely flinched as she turned the hose on the offender with a laugh. He had to admit it, she handled the animals well.

Now that he looked, he could see a glimpse of the girl from the past. Especially when she laughed. She’d had that same bubbly chuckle all those years ago. He’d teased her about it. But on the rare occasions he’d heard it then, and listening now, it still made him smile.

He wasn’t even sure why he was here. He’d had trouble sleeping today and once it had hit four o’clock he hadn’t been able to stay in bed any longer.

He told himself he was being neighbourly, checking on her for Andy’s sake, but he wasn’t quite convincing himself.

She’d been so competent at work that morning that he wondered if he’d secretly hoped she’d look at a loss on the farm. He could despise a city slicker like his ex-wife.

No such luck. But he couldn’t afford to get sidetracked here.

Sam was the major factor in his life and always would be. He wasn’t free to dally for the fun of it. But there was something about her...

Savannah released the trigger on the hose and tipped the last of the pellets onto the floor of the final pen.

The noise level went from screaming pitch to munching level in the space of two seconds. She laughed out loud.

Theo took his shoulder off the pole. ‘If only everyone were that easy to please.’

Savannah jumped at the sound of Theo’s voice and spun to face him. Unconsciously she aimed the hose at his chest and he raised his hands.

CHAPTER THREE

‘DON’T shoot.’

‘Well, don’t sneak up on me!’

Savannah lowered the hose and Theo put his hands down. His lips twitched at her threatening attitude.

‘A brass band could sneak up on you with the noise this lot makes. Where’s your guard dog?’

‘Benson doesn’t like the pigs. He’s asleep up at the house.’ Savannah collected the empty buckets and pails and passed him to go into the office.

He followed her. He didn’t understand it. ‘Why do you have a dog like that?’

‘He was my mother’s.’

A strange, vulnerable look crossed her face and it looked out of place on the confident woman he’d met twice. ‘I’m sorry, has something happened to your mother?’

‘Yes. She tired of the dog. Like she tires of everything. So I took him.’

This was too deep for him. He didn’t want to know why she hurt when he asked about the dog.

Savannah could see he looked uncomfortable. She turned and walked towards the driveway. ‘Did you want something, Theo?’

‘No. I was just checking that you were getting on all right with the animals, and I’ve brought my phone number in case you need help with an emergency on the farm.’ He handed her a piece of cardboard he’d ripped off a cereal box.

‘That’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you.’ She grinned at the brand. ‘Coco Pops? I hadn’t picked you as a chocolate-covered-cereal-eater, Theo.’

‘They were for a guest who never came.’ He looked away and changed the subject. ‘Tell me how the rest of your first day at work went then I’ll push off.’

‘It was fine. There are a few areas I think we could streamline, and I’d love your input.’ She saw the look on his face. ‘If you’re interested?’

His face remained closed. ‘In discussing improvements? Not really. I do my shift and go home. I’ll leave all that to the enthusiastic ones like you.’

Savannah narrowed her eyes. The guy was a selfish jerk. How could a health professional not be interested in the smooth running of the department? She supposed it went along with the man who wouldn’t accept a permanent job.

She had to stop expecting people to be things they weren’t. She should have learnt with her mother—and Greg. ‘Then you’ll have to excuse me. I’m looking forward to my shower.’

He screwed up his nose. ‘You need one.’ He spun right as they crossed the road and headed down it towards his own home a couple of bends further up the road.

She spoke to his retreating back. ‘I’m not ashamed of it. Honest labour dirties your hands, Theo.’

He didn’t answer.

Savannah steamed all the way up the driveway. Mainly because she was ashamed of her rudeness to him. Sixteen hours of night shift was honest labour. And he’d come to check she was OK and bring his phone number in case she needed him. She was the jerk. But that crack about her needing a shower had been petty. She sniffed her sleeve and screwed up her nose. ‘Phew.’ Maybe more truthful than petty after all!