Required: Three Outback Brides: Cattle Rancher, Convenient Wife / In the Heart of the Outback... / Single Dad, Outback Wife

She wanted to remain as cool as a cucumber but the way he said her name tugged at her heart. Perversely it reminded her of the need for caution. How could her interest in a man reawaken so quickly after her divorce? The answer? This man was too compelling. ‘That happens when people are wary of one another,’ she said.

‘Are we?’ he asked, feigning a wondering voice. Neither of them could deny there was a strong current running between them.

‘Isn’t that the word you would use?’ She kept her eyes on him. No struggle at all.

‘As I say, it pays to be wary around a beautiful woman.’ Impatiently he slicked that troublesome stray lock back. ‘Did I mention I find you beautiful?’ Well, she knew that for a fact. No harm in getting it out into the open.

‘That worries you?’ Her blue eyes checked on his expression.

‘Terribly.’ He smiled.

The really extraordinary thing was she smiled back. ‘Whatever looks I have they haven’t done me much good,’ she said wryly.

‘But I understood from Chloe you’re a fashion editor on a magazine? If they wanted someone to look the part you had to be it.’

‘Why thank you, Rory.’

He smiled. ‘If I know anything about women, it’s they like to be complimented now and then.’

‘True. Okay, my looks were important there,’ she conceded. ‘But I wanted a happy marriage far more than a successful career. I wanted children. I wanted family. I wanted years and years and years of watching my kids grow up. I wanted grandchildren. I wanted my husband and myself to grow old together, still in love.’

He gave her a searching look. ‘A lot of wants, Allegra. You didn’t try for a family?’ God a man would so want a child with her.

There was pain in her expression. ‘You don’t know when to quit do you? That’s a very personal question.’

‘Maybe, but I’m in pursuit of truth here. It so happens, I’m looking for a wife.’

Her heart did a somersault in her breast. ‘Is that your next career move?’ Somehow she gave the question an edge of sarcasm.

‘Sure is. Total commitment,’ he confirmed.

‘Don’t dare look at me.’ She issued the warning with a little laugh. ‘I won’t be thinking of marriage for a long, long time.’

‘Afraid?’

‘You bet!’ she answered swiftly. ‘I made one mistake. I’m sure you’ll appreciate I’ll be very cautious about making another. To be honest, Rory, I didn’t see your offer coming.’ She gave him a sparkling glance.

‘I didn’t make one, did I? Hell, I’m as cautious as you, Allegra. But I have to tell you, you impress me.’ He made a mock study of her as though she were a possible candidate. ‘You’re a highly desirable woman in any man’s language, but there’s that wary bit we both share.’

‘Maybe you’d be more in tune with Chloe?’ she suggested. ‘And here I was thinking you were simply looking to buy a property?’

‘But I am,’ he assured her. ‘It was you who introduced the subject telling me you wanted children. I feel the same way I want a wife and family. It’s predictable I suppose. I never really had one.’

‘So what’s wrong with advertising?’ she suggested helpfully.

‘Nothing whatsoever,’ he said. ‘We guys live in such isolation it’s not easy to find partners.’

‘I understand that,’ she said, ‘having been reared on the land. I have a feeling, though, if you do advertise you’ll be inundated with answers.’

‘I’m counting on it. In the meantime, there’s you!’ He flickered a silver glance at her.

It was pathetic, but thrills ran down her spine. ‘It’s like I told you, Rory Compton. Count me out!’

His handsome face was openly mocking. ‘I know better than to argue.’

‘That’s a relief.’ She felt a flush over her whole body.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. In the next minute Chloe bustled in, eyes wide as she tried to gauge the atmosphere. From the look that came over her face she could have suspected amazing sex on the kitchen table. ‘What in the world are you doing?’ she asked, transferring her glance from one to the other.

‘My fault,’ Rory said, and flashed Allegra a smile.

Chloe’s cheeks smarted. ‘I just thought you might need some help?’

‘We’re fine thanks, Chloe,’ Allegra said pleasantly. ‘You can play Mother and wheel the trolley out if you like.’

Forty minutes later Rory was sitting in the passenger seat of the station Jeep with Chloe at the wheel. So far he could see work around Naroom had all but come to a stop. Why wouldn’t it without an overseer to run it? Whatever had persuaded Mrs Sanders to sack her late husband’s right hand man? It didn’t make sense unless that was confirmation she had no intention of remaining on the land. Even then it was counter productive to allow the property to decline. He had seen around the homestead and liked it. It was spacious, comfortable, attractive. The outbuildings for the most part were in good condition. Now he asked Chloe to stop while he spoke to one of the stockmen who was driving a small mob of healthy looking beasts towards the creek.

‘We’d be mighty pleased if a good man could buy the place,’ the stockman confided within minutes of Rory’s calling out to him. He was only too ready to talk and hopefully hold on to his job. ‘Things have gone from bad to worse since the Boss died and Jack left. Jack Nelson was the overseer here for the past ten years with no complaints from the Boss, but Jack and the Missus couldn’t see eye to eye. Or even half an eye come to that. She never wanted to spend any money maintaining the place. It was a real battle trying to get any money out of her for anything, even paying the vet. Jack reckoned she was only waiting for a buyer so she could sell up. The only one who loves the place is Miss Allegra. Miss Chloe now—I can see her back there in the Jeep—you want to strap yourself in—she won’t do no rough work. Not much of a rider, either, which is pretty funny when to see Miss Allegra in the saddle does a man’s heart good. She can handle most of the jobs on the station, too. Her dad taught her. Chloe, now, always liked to spend her time indoors with her mum. Both of them are bone lazy if you ask me. Hell, don’t tell her that. I could lose my job.’ He shut up abruptly.

Back in the Jeep Rory would have liked to suggest he take over the driving but didn’t want to hurt Chloe’s feelings. She didn’t so much steer as wrestle with the wheel. One of her little foibles was hitting as many pot holes and partially submerged rocks as she could, sniffing them out like a heat-seeking missile. It was almost as if it were her bounden duty. Then she groaned aloud as the vehicle reacted with a stomach churning kangarooing. Excuses ranged from, ‘Whoops, didn’t see that!’ to ‘That wasn’t there last time!’ Maintenance on the Jeep would run heavily to shock absorbers he reckoned.

‘What did Gallagher have to say?’ she asked when they resumed their seats after another bout of catapulting.

Rory thought it better not to pass on Gallagher’s indiscretions. ‘Nothing much. Just saying hello.’

‘It’s a wonder Mum didn’t sack him along with Jack Nelson,’ Chloe muttered, incredibly clipping a branch of a tree.

‘Why’s that?’ Rory wondered how Chloe could possibly drive in a city or even a small town without hitting everything in her path. He even began to wonder if she’d had any proper driving lessons or simply got behind the wheel one day without bothering about lessons or a licence. He recalled he and Jay could drive around the station from a very early age.

‘Cheeky bugger! Not respectful enough to Mum or me.’ Chloe bridled.

‘Who, Nelson or Gallagher?’ Both that voice in his head said.

‘Both,’ Chloe confirmed, her pretty mouth tightening. ‘It would be wonderful if you really liked the place, Rory. No one ever thought Dad would die so young. Mum and I are lost without him. Running a station needs a man. Dad needed a son. Instead he got Allegra and me,’ she said wryly. ‘I stayed. I was the loyal one. Allegra cleared off as soon as she could.’

‘Oh, yes, when was this?’ He tried not to sound too interested when he found himself avid for information.

‘She insisted on going to university while I had to stay at home. Mum needed me. It’s so lonely out here a girl could go ape. Afterwards Allegra landed a magazine job. We all know why. She’s the perfect clothes horse and she does have good taste although it took a few years before she got the big promotion.’

‘Was this before or after she married?’ Rory asked, intrigued Allegra might have kept working when she had married a rich man.

‘The promotion?’ She took such a lengthy look at him, Rory was forced to put a steadying hand on the wheel.

‘Yes.’

Chloe placed her hand gently over his and took a while to take it off. ‘She was fashion editor when she met Mark. She could easily have quit her job and devoted herself to being a good wife to Mark, but she didn’t. I think a man deserves that, don’t you? He’s such a lovely man, too, and she dumped him. I ask you! Dump the love of your life?’

‘Obviously he wasn’t,’ Rory suggested, not trying all that hard to dull the sarcasm.