His Ring, Her Baby / His Bride for the Taking: His Ring, Her Baby / His Bride for the Taking

She gave a startled laugh. “What happened to ‘you only had to say no’?”

“I said I could take it. I didn’t say I would.” An air of indolence exuded from him. “Now, about that rain check …”

All at once she wanted to get the better of him. “Okay,” she said, planting a smirk on her lips. “Next time it rains I’ll have dinner with you.”

His brow rose. “You realize we’re in the middle of a severe drought, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know.”

His firm lips relaxed into a lazy smile and her stomach did a flip-flop. Suddenly she wanted to step around the counter and into his arms. Arms that would snake around her hips and pull her up against his aroused body.

Aroused? Yes, she had the feeling she could excite this man, if she chose to make a move on him.

Not that she would, she told herself as she mentally pulled away in confusion. She’d never felt such an instant reaction before. With Mike the attraction had grown as she’d slowly fallen in love.

Mike.

Oh, God, how could she even think about comparing her late husband to this stranger? What was wrong with her today? Maybe it was just too much stress. In any case, it was definitely too much of—

“Kirk!” Linda exclaimed, coming through a side door with Hugh, sending a sigh of relief through Vanessa, who was more than ready to go clean some of the vacated rooms. “You’re back from Sydney at last.”

“Yes, just passing through on the way home.” He gave Linda a kiss on the cheek and shook Hugh’s hand. Then his gaze slid across the reception desk. “Your cousin’s been looking after me.”

Linda darted a smile at Vanessa. “Good.”

“Did she tell you about the sale?” Hugh said.

Kirk brows drew together. “Sale?”

Vanessa gave Hugh a helpless smile. “I wasn’t sure if I should say anything.”

“That’s okay, love,” Hugh said warmly. “Kirk, we put the motel on the market a few weeks ago and this morning we received our first reasonable offer. That’s why we rushed into Dubbo. To sign the contract.”

A frown crossed Kirk’s face. “You’re selling?”

“It’s either sell now or lose everything,” Hugh said, then his face brightened. “But I’ve been offered a job to manage some apartments on the Gold Coast. It’s come at the perfect time. Linda and I want to have another baby in the not-too-distant future.” He hugged his wife to his side. “Don’t we, darling?”

Linda smiled up at him. “A little brother or sister for Toby would be lovely.”

Kirk scowled. “Listen, if you need money to keep the motel afloat—”

Hugh shook his head. “Thanks, mate, but it’s been getting too much for us anyway. It’ll be nice to have a normal family life again.”

Vanessa watched Kirk seriously consider his friends, then give a slow nod. “I’ll be sorry to see you both go.”

“Hey, we’ll only be a few hours away by air,” Linda said.

“When does the sale go through?”

“We’re handing over in a month’s time.” Hugh grimaced. “The buyer is Bert Viner and you know what his reputation is like. I don’t like selling to him but—” He put up his hand as Kirk went to speak. “No, we’re fine, Kirk. It’s time for us to move on.”

Linda sighed. “Unfortunately he’ll cut back on staff and I hate that people will lose their jobs. And Vanessa was going to stay for six months but now.” Linda looked at her cousin and her eyes clouded over. “I just didn’t think it would happen this quickly.”

Neither had she, Vanessa thought, forcing a smile. “Oh, Linda, it’s not like you hadn’t told me that you’d put the motel on the market.”

“I know but—”

“Don’t worry about me. This is your life we’re talking about.” They’d worked hard to get to this point in their lives.

“I know but—”

“I’ve had a nice break,” Vanessa said firmly.

Linda took a shuddering breath, then her face filled with resolve. “You’re my cousin. We’ll think of something.”

Vanessa’s heart softened as she looked at Linda’s upset face and Hugh’s concerned one. These two people had welcomed her into their home with love and affection and she didn’t want them to feel guilty about any of this.

Then she realized Kirk’s intense gaze was on her. He couldn’t know her circumstances but she suspected he knew she was deeply worried.

So she welcomed Linda’s exclamation. “Oh, heavens, Kirk! We’re standing here talking to you instead of offering you a drink. Or how about I make you some lunch? The restaurant’s closed but I’d be happy to whip something up for you.”

Kirk’s smile said thanks but he replied, “Sorry, I can’t. I need to get home and do some catching up. I’ve been away too long.”

Linda’s expression turned sympathetic. “I’d heard your housekeeper had to go interstate to take care of a family member. It won’t be easy getting someone to replace her.” She pulled a face. “And here, I haven’t even asked how your mother is after her surgery. There were some complications, I believe.”

“Yes, but she’s finally on the mend. Jade’s looking after her now, when she’s not working all the hours under the sun, that is.”

“I wonder who your sister is like?” Linda teased, then her eyes widened. “Oh, I almost forgot. It’s Hugh’s parents’ thirty-fifth wedding anniversary tomorrow and we’re giving them a party in the restaurant. You must come, Kirk. They’d be heartbroken if you didn’t. Isn’t that right, Hugh?”

“You know they always had a soft spot for you,” Hugh said, going over to one of their guests who’d come in and made a beeline for the brochure stand.

“I don’t see how,” Kirk joked after him, and Vanessa had to wonder the same thing, too. The man had a hardness about him that didn’t translate into him being more a friend than a foe. Yet watching him here with Linda and Kirk—and he evidently treated his mother and sister well—didn’t fit. That hardness was more than skin deep, she was sure.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he added.

“Good,” Linda said, taking that for his word. “And if you don’t mind, you can keep an eye on Vanessa. She doesn’t know many people in Jackaroo Plains. She’s only been here from Sydney three weeks.”

Vanessa froze.

“It would be my pleasure,” she heard Kirk say.

She recovered quickly. Her cousin was a mother hen at times but she didn’t need looking after, and certainly not by a man who dined on women for breakfast.

“I’ll be fine, Linda. I don’t want to take Kirk away from the other guests.”

“You won’t,” he said, a purposeful gleam in his eyes sending a shock through her, though it shouldn’t have. He’d been making a move on her since he’d walked through the door, and mentally she was already his.

“There you are then,” Linda said, giving Vanessa an encouraging smile. All at once she tilted her head thoughtfully. “You’re looking quite flushed, sweetie. It’s this outback heat. You haven’t got the air-conditioning turned up high enough. You should go for a quick swim but don’t stay in the sun too long.”