Even though he was late, Gabe looked casual and unhurried as he strolled across the grass, and much to Bella’s dismay, her heart continued the ridiculous hammering that had started up the instant she’d heard the truck arrive.
Gabe looked so good, not quite as tall as Mac, but around six feet, nevertheless, and very broad shouldered in his open-necked shirt. As for the way he moved . . . he made jeans look like the greatest fashion accessory ever invented.
Bella thought she’d be okay. She wasn’t even close.
Fortunately Liz launched straight into hostess mode. ‘Gabe and Roy,’ she called brightly. ‘Good to see you both and just in the nick of time. We were about to start without you.’
‘Sorry we’re late.’ Gabe kissed Liz’s cheek, shook hands with Mac and went to greet Zoe who was buttering bread rolls at the far end of the table. ‘We’ve had problems with cattle bogged in a dam,’ he told them. ‘Took me all of yesterday afternoon to get them out and all this morning to mend the fences they damaged. Bigger job than I expected.’
‘It certainly sounds as if you’ve both earned your lunch,’ said Liz.
Roy rubbed his stomach. ‘That barbecue smells amazing. I could eat a racehorse and chase the jockey.’
Gabe had completely ignored Bella and she had more or less convinced herself that she didn’t care when his gaze flicked to her, giving her an embarrassing hot flush.
‘Hey there, Belle.’ His manner was laid-back as he finally stepped forward and kissed her cheek with the same careless peck he’d given Liz and Zoe.
‘Hi.’ Bella made sure her response was as casual as his. ‘Glad you got your cattle out. Are they okay?’
‘Had a rough time of it, but I think they’ll be fine.’ Gabe nodded to Mac. ‘I guess you’ve plenty of muddy bogs on your place.’
‘The bottoms of our lagoons have turned to glue,’ Mac said with a scowl. ‘Like bloody Araldite. I’ve had to shift a big mob right away from there.’
‘And now the weather bureau’s trying to tell us it probably won’t rain until January,’ Roy joined in gloomily.
Bella frowned, remembering one distant dam on Mullinjim that she hadn’t got around to checking yet. She might have mentioned it if Liz hadn’t appeared handing around plates.
‘Sorry to interrupt,’ Liz said breezily. ‘We need to get these steaks off before they turn to boot leather.’
In its own small way the gathering was a triumph, Bella decided. It was very pleasant to take a break from work and to loll about outside, enjoying wine and plentiful food and genial conversation.
Once she got over having Gabe there, it felt good to be at home with family and friends in the shade of the old tamarind that some unknown Afghan trader or Chinese miner had planted a hundred years before she was born. And it was the next best thing to having her dad home to have his faithful dog Gus sprawled on the lawn close by, softly panting in the heat.
She began to relax, amused by Liz’s relief and pride when everyone complimented the tender, tasty steaks or praised her salads.
‘That potato salad is divine,’ announced Zoe. ‘I’d love the recipe.’
Liz actually blushed.
‘And we have one of Zoe’s fabulous cakes for dessert,’ Bella responded, jumping to her feet to gather up the used plates and cutlery.
‘Here, let me help you with those.’
Anyone would think she’d touched a live electric fence the way she jumped at the sound of Gabe’s voice.
Crikey, get a grip, girl.
She left the pile of plates for him and collected the salad bowls instead, making the mistake of glancing in Liz’s direction. Her aunt looked away quickly, but not before Bella caught her knowing smile.
It’s not like that, she wanted to tell her. Gabe and I are history.
She was still smarting over Liz’s presumption when she reached the kitchen with Gabe hot on her heels.
‘Where would you like these?’ he asked. ‘In the sink?’
‘Thanks.’ Bella shot the response over her shoulder as she headed with businesslike zeal for the freezer. ‘I need ice-cream to serve with Zoe’s cake.’ She made a big deal about hunting for it beneath packets of frozen peas and beans. ‘The cake’s orange and almond, so I think vanilla would be best. Ah, here it is.’
‘Bella.’
Spinning around, she bumped into a solid wall of male. ‘Far out, Gabe, don’t sneak up on me like that.’
Instead of apologising, he took the tub of ice-cream from her hands and set it on the table. ‘I wanted to have a word with you.’
It was plain ridiculous to be suddenly breathless. She stared at the damp patch on his shirt where she’d rammed him with the frosty ice-cream tub.
‘We need to clear the air, Bella.’
Well, yes, that was certainly true. Maybe then she would be able to breathe. Pity she couldn’t make her voice work. She wished Gabe wasn’t standing quite so close.
‘I had second thoughts about coming over here today,’ he said. ‘But then I decided that staying away wouldn’t solve anything.’ He frowned as he folded his arms over his chest, unconsciously drawing her attention to its significant breadth.
She remembered how good it had felt to lie there with her ear against his heart, listening to its steady beat, feeling his strong arms about her.
‘The past’s the past,’ he said. ‘Our short relationship––’
‘Our four-night stand.’
Gabe stared at her, his eyes extra bright. His throat worked. ‘Was it only four?’ The question was little more than a whisper and in the silence that followed, his gaze dropped to Bella’s mouth.
She thought her legs might give way.
But then he gave a small shake and his face tightened. ‘Whatever,’ he said gruffly. ‘We’ve both moved on.’
Moved on . . .
Bella dragged her mind back from that perfect time in her past to the painful realities of everything that had happened since then.
Gabe’s expression was once again grave as she nodded her agreement. Yes, she’d moved on to Anton. It shouldn’t be so difficult to remember Anton.
‘We have to work as neighbours now,’ Gabe went on. ‘At least for the time being, we should be able to set foot on each other’s property and help out without being snarled at.’
‘I didn’t snarl at you.’
His smile was more sad than smug.
Well . . . perhaps she had been snappy. ‘I’ve been pretty tense,’ she said defensively. ‘I’ve had a lot on my mind.’
‘I know that. I understand.’
She was surprised by the gentleness in his tone.
‘Bella, I’m really sorry about your father.’
‘Thanks.’ She swallowed. ‘And I – I was very sorry about your dad, too.’
She hadn’t planned to say that. The last time she’d tried to offer sympathy for his father’s death, Gabe hadn’t wanted to listen. It had hurt horribly that she couldn’t help him, that she hadn’t been able to get through to him.
But she wouldn’t remind him of that now. It was water under the fridge as her dad would say, and, as Gabe had just so succinctly stated, they’d both moved on.
‘This couldn’t have happened at a worse time for you,’ Gabe said. ‘From all accounts you’ve been having a great time overseas.’ His eyes searched her face just a little too carefully. ‘I suppose you want to get back there as soon as you can.’
‘Sure. That’s the plan. It all depends on how quickly Dad gets better, of course.’
For a terrible moment she almost said: I don’t have to go back.
But how foolish and weak was that?
Gabe wasn’t angling to resurrect their romance. And Bella certainly didn’t want to slip back into repeating her past mistakes. Right now she was clinging to Liz’s exit strategy and the pact they’d made. When this job was over, they were both going back to Europe.
She’d left her horseshoe charm with Anton and she’d promised to go back to him. She was a girl who kept her promises. She’d never made promises to Gabe and he’d been silent on the promise front, too.
There was no question of staying.
As soon as her father’s health and the management of Mullinjim were sorted, she would head back overseas. Safely over there, she would look out for a proper job, something that used the business degree she’d studied for.
Clearly it was time to end this conversation. She forced a smile. ‘We’d better hurry and get these things outside or the ice-cream will melt. Can you grab that tub?’
She didn’t look at Gabe again as she collected the dessert bowls and spoons, so it was a bit of a shock when his voice sounded close by.
‘Just to get things clear, Bella.’
Once again, she spun around quickly, but this time Gabe was at a safe distance.
His grey eyes were sparkling reminding her of the Gabe light. ‘We’re friends again, aren’t we?’
‘Friends?’ It was the worst possible moment to feel the dangerous sting of tears. ‘Yes,’ she said, hastily dropping her gaze to the bowls in her hands. ‘Yes, of course, we’re friends.’
Friends and neighbours, nothing more . . .
A couple of hours ago this was all she’d wanted. Now, as she hurried outside, clutching the dessert bowls, she was blinking madly, praying the hot blast of afternoon heat would dry her tears before anyone noticed.