Coming Home (23 page)

"Is there any
chance it could be your baby, Russ?" Rooney asked.

"Not a hope it
hell. I'm pretty sure sex is involved to create a new life from what I learned
at uni."

"Well..."

"Evening
all...Stevie, it's good to see you again." Kate walked around the front of
the house, her clothes dirty and stained from work.

"You're a bit late
knocking off." Rooney raised her glass. "Can I get you a wine before
dinner?"

"No, I need a
shower first." She showed her filthy hands. "If you can give me five
minutes, I'll have one then."

"Sure. I'll have a
glass with your name on it," Rooney replied. She watched Kate walk away
and wandered down the steps with Stevie following her. They walked over to
where their daughter played with her new dog in the roots under the huge Morton
Bay fig trees.

Russ watched them with
envy. If Paula's baby had been his, he would have tried to come to an amicable
agreement with her. The dream of having his own child was up there in the list
of things he wanted to achieve. Sadly, it wasn't working out that way.

"I don't know why
you let her treat you that way, Russ. You deserve better and not just because
you're family." Cade hopped across the veranda to stand beside him. They
looked down at the small family under the tree, bonding. "Don't let Lizzie
go if she means anything to you."

"I can hardly go
courting her with a pregnant wife in town." He struggled to keep the anger
from his voice. "Sorry, it's not your fault and I don't mean to take it
out on you either. It's been a shit of a day and I'm a little bit wound up over
it all. I can't see a way out of this. Not one that will fix itself in a hurry,
anyway."

"So, let me get
this right, you’re going to let her think you don't care and risk losing her,
and let your stupid bitch wife win? I thought you were made of tougher stuff
than that, Russ. You always did act like the nice guy and try to keep the peace
with everyone. I figured as an adult you’d have more guts. Guess I was
wrong."

Russ glared at him
before turning on his heel and walking inside. He ran up the stairs to his
bedroom and slammed the door. Heading over to the window, he gazed down. Did he
really want to go out on a limb and fight for Lizzie? It seemed petty to even
try, especially after the incident at the hospital. She had, no doubt, already
made up her mind from what transpired yesterday. Somehow, he didn't think he
stood a chance. Stripping off his shirt, Russ decided on a cool shower before
dinner. He didn't want to go back downstairs in the mood he was in and spoil
Rooney's night.

Kate leaned her head
back under the pulsing jet of the shower, rinsing the shampoo from her hair. A
quick lift of her face under the warm spray and she was done. Flicking the taps
off, she stepped out onto the bath mat and lifted her towel from the rail,
wrapping it around her as she walked back into her bedroom. She took clean
underwear from her top drawer and thought about what to wear.

Normally she wouldn't
care but tonight looked a bit more special. Stevie was here with Rooney, and
that may be cause for a celebration. Skinny jeans would be okay so long as she
wore a nice top with them. That way if they ended up sitting outside, the
mossies wouldn't make a feast of her legs like they usually did. Being a
red-head and fair-skinned had its problems and that was one of them.

After Kate had dressed,
she wrapped the towel around her hair and scrunched it to absorb most of the moisture.
Unwrapping it, she shook her head and her wet locks fell over her shoulders in
a mass of tight red curls. With just a touch of make-up, she was ready.

Wally wound his way
through her legs waiting for his dinner as usual. When she looked in his bowl
to find it still full from breakfast, she scolded him. "You’re getting far
too fussy for a barn cat, pal. Now, let me go. I need to eat and spend time
with friends and idiot men who don't know what's good for them."

She dimmed the lights
in the lounge and kitchen, leaving one on outside so she could see her way home
without stumbling in the dark. Wally meowed and followed her to the front door.
"No." Kate stroked his head as she opened the door.

The cat spat and lashed
out, scratching her hand in the process before running through the house,
hissing.

"Shit." The
blood ran down her hand and the scratch stung like crazy. She looked up to see
Cade standing at the door, his gaze concerned. "What the hell was that all
about? Since when did you scare the crap out of my cat?"

He grabbed her hand to
inspect the scratches. "Hell, Kate. I'm sorry. I didn't think your cat
would be scared of dogs living on the farm." He pushed her back into the
hallway and hobbled in, shutting the door behind him.

"What dog?"

"I'll tell you
about it later. Let's get this clean before we go for dinner." He followed
her into the kitchen. When she reached under the kitchen sink for the first aid
kit, he nudged her out of the way and leaned down to get it.

Kate watched his blond
curls and resisted the urge to touch them as he placed the kit on the bench and
undid the lid. With unhurried precision, Cade pulled out a small bottle of
disinfectant and a large band aid, along with a tube of antiseptic cream. He
took a small bowl from the rack on the bench and poured disinfectant into it,
using cotton wool balls to wipe the blood from the back of her hand.

Her heart rate hitched
up a few notches as he held her hand and she had to concentrate to keep her
breathing steady. Having Cade in her house alone was too tempting by far.
"Thanks." He dried the scratch and dabbed cream on before taking the
backing off the band-aid to cover it. "I didn't take you for the caring
type, Cade."

"You wound me with
your assumptions, Kate. I'm not the playboy you make me out to be."

"Really? Funny how
I don't actually believe that, but it's not my problem." She moved past
him in the tiny kitchen, the contact with his body making her stomach quiver.
"Let's go and have dinner, shall we? They're probably waiting." She
walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to open the front door again. On
the step sat the dog that caused the incident with Wally. It backed away when
it saw her. "That dog better not be a stray hassling the cattle."

"It's okay,
girl." Cade brushed past Kate and reached down to stroke his dog on the
head. "This is Molly. I rescued her yesterday and she's turning into my
shadow."

"You rescued her?
Why and where from?" Kate stood and looked from him to the dog. She shut
the door as he started for the house and followed him.

"Tell you all
about it later, after dinner when the squirt has gone to bed. She doesn't need
to know what happened."

"What were you
doing at my front door anyway?"

He glanced up and down
her body, sending small jolts of electricity down her spine and to her
sensitive spots. When he didn't answer, she shrugged, deciding to ignore him.
They walked around the side of the house and true to her promise, Rooney had a
glass of wine for Kate. "Thanks. I need this tonight."

"Sounds like
everyone’s had a rough week. What's the problem, Kate?" Rooney took a seat
on the cane lounger and held her hand out for Kate to join her.

"Short-handed at
the moment. I lost a guy a couple of weeks ago and can't find anyone worth
hiring. Seriously, people don't want to work for a living these days. They
expect everything for nothing, so I'm doing longer hours—but that's what I'm
paid for."

She saw the look that
passed between Cade and Rooney, and raised her eyebrow. Rooney winked and
looked away.

When Essie called them
in for dinner, Kate found she was placed next to Cade.
Awesome…not! How the
hell am I supposed to act normal with him so close?
He's already played
havoc with my body tonight.
She managed to join the conversation and talk
normally when she had something appropriate to say, all the while aware of the
heat between the two of them. If she wouldn't hate herself in the morning, she
would be tempted to rip his shirt off and push him against the wall, running
her tongue over his perfectly sculptured body. Even the thought of it made her
edgy and frustrated.

Kate didn't believe in
sex for the sake of it. What was the point? She had to live with herself and as
it stood now, the only one who cared about her morals was her.

"Kate, earth to
Kate?" Cade poked her arm.

"What?" She
looked around the table and everyone was watching her. Rooney had a smile on
her face and Kate could just imagine what was going through her mind.
"Sorry, thinking of other things. Work and stuff, you know."
Embarrassed now, she grabbed her napkin and wiped at her lips.

"Essie was asking
if you would like your coffee on the veranda. Stevie and Rooney are going to
put Tam to bed, and come down and join us. There are a couple of things we need
to discuss. You may as well be in on the conversation since you’re considered
family." Cade looked at her with pale blue eyes and a grin on his face.

"Um…yeah,
sure." She cursed her pale skin knowing she was blushing. Pushing her
chair back, she stood. Before Cade could stand, Kate took his plate and hers,
walking into the kitchen to place them on the counter.

"Sorry, Essie. I
was miles away." She rinsed the plates and loaded them in the dishwasher.

"Don't apologise
to me, Kate. You can moon over the boy any time you like. It would be nice to
see him with you and not one of those skanky city girls who hang around the
rugby players." Essie grinned.

"Oh, you’re
incorrigible. That’s the last time I'm confiding in you." Kate headed back
to the dining room to collect more dishes.

***

When Tam was settled,
Rooney and Stevie came back downstairs. Kate joined them on the veranda once
she had finished cleaning up with Essie.

"Okay, so what's
the big deal here apart from the fact we have Stevie for dinner?" She
leaned against a veranda rail with a mug of steaming coffee in her hands,
trying not to look at Cade.

"You've met
Milly." Cade stroked the head of his dog snuggled in beside his chair.
"Do you know Mr Stubbs? He lives out on the Lorn Road."

"Yeah, everyone
does. He's an arsehole from all accounts. Not quite right in the head."

Cade laughed.
"Right, you got him in one. He visited Rooney's surgery the other day and
he brought in that little pup Tam is running around with. When he saw what the
bill was going to be, he said he was going to shoot it. Rooney, being Rooney,
bought it."

Kate looked over at her
friend and smiled. "I probably would've done the same thing."

"Yeah, that may
be, but on the way home she decided to call in and be nosy. Seems Rhian told
her how he runs a puppy farm and she wanted to see for herself."

"Like to live
dangerously, don't you?"

"I had to do it,
Kate. I'm sure you would’ve done the same."

"But unlike Kate,
I'm not sure you could do anything to save yourself if the case arose,"
Stevie said. "Kate at least, can throw a sizable calf on the ground and
digs in with the best of them. You look way too delicate for that."

Rooney gasped and
thumped him on the shoulder. "Cheap shot."

"It's the truth.
We know he is a nasty character, which is the reason the RSPCA have asked for a
police presence tomorrow when they go in. I don't want you anywhere near him in
the future. If you have any issues, call me and let me deal with it."

Kate watched Stevie
brush his hand over Rooney's cheek and ached for someone to love her as much as
that. "So, where do you and that dog come in, Cade? You did say you would
confess all after dinner." She walked over and sat down on the top step,
watching him stroking his fingers around Molly's ears.

"I figured if we
could get video evidence of what was going on, it would help Rooney's
complaint." He leaned forward in his chair and gave her his trademark
smile. Molly placed her chin on his sore knee and gazed adoringly at him.
"He was only too happy to show me around and sell me something. Luckily, I
insisted on checking out the second barn because Molly here was tied up with
bloody baling twine, ready for a bullet. Poor girl hadn't had a litter for two
seasons running and was useless in his eyes."

Kate pushed back the
wave of emotion rising in her throat. Who would have guessed the tough rugby
player could be slayed by a barren collie on death row? She coughed to clear
her throat. "Right. So what happens now then?"

"Nothing, I guess,
until he goes to court. Then I suppose Rooney and I will have to testify
against him, tell the judge what we saw. Although I think the video evidence is
proof enough."

"What video
evidence?" A chill raced up her spine.

"I had my phone in
my pocket and videoed everything. Rhian downloaded it and we emailed it along
with the complaint form."

"Are you crazy?
What if you'd been caught?" She couldn't believe how stupid he was
sometimes.