You definitely said Nessa, she insisted. I remember. I thought it was an odd name.
Its short for Vanessa. Shes a model and thats what they call her. Nessa was so famous, she didnt need a last name, kind of like Madonna or Sting.
Shes your girlfriend?
Yes. He drew a sharp breath, then cleared his throat. No. Ex-girlfriend.
Sorry, she said with an apologetic shrug. I didnt mean to stir up bad memories.
No bad memories, Brody replied, noting the hint of defensiveness in his voice. What the hell did he care what this woman thought of himor the girls hed dated? He swung his legs off the edge of the bed, then raked his hands through his hair. I know why Im here. What are you doing in a cell?
Just a small misunderstanding, she said, forcing a smile.
Angus doesnt lock people up for small misunderstandings, Brody countered, pushing to his feet. Especially not women. He crossed to stand in front of her, wrapping his fingers around the bars just above hers. What did you do?
Dine and dash, she said.
What?
Her eyes dropped and a pretty blush stained her cheeks. II skipped out on my bill at the diner down the street. And a few other meals in a few other towns. I guess my life of crime finally caught up with me. The owner called the cops and Im in here until I find a way to work it off.
He pressed his forehead into the bars, hoping the cool iron would soothe the ache in his head. Why dont you just pay for what you ate?
I would have, but I didnt have any cash. I left an IOU. And I said Id come back and pay as soon as I found work. I guess that wasnt good enough.
Brody let his hands slide down until he was touching her, if only to prove that she was real and that he wasnt dreaming. What happened to all your money? he asked, fixing his attention on her face as he ran his fingers over hers. It seemed natural to touch her, even though she was a complete stranger. Oddly, she didnt seem to mind.
Her breath caught and then she sighed. Its all gone. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Im not a dishonest person. I was just really, really hungry.
She had the most beautiful mouth hed ever seen, her lips soft and fullperfect forHe fought the urge to pull her closer and take a quick taste, just to see if shed bedifferent. Whats your name?
Payton, she murmured.
Payton, he repeated, leaning back to take in details of her body. Is that your last name or your first?
Payton Harwell, she said.
And youre American?
I am.
And youre in jail, he said, stating the obvious.
She laughed softly and nodded as she glanced around. It appears I am. At least for a while. Angus told me as soon as he finds a way for me to work off my debt, hell let me out. I told him I could wash dishes at the diner, but the owner doesnt want me back there. I guess jobs are in short supply around here.
Brodys gaze drifted back to her facehe was oddly fascinated by her features. Had he seen her at a party or in a nightclub in Fremantle, he probably wouldnt have given her a second glance. But given time to appreciate her attributes, he couldnt seem to find a single flaw worth mentioning.
Quinn!
Brody glanced over his shoulder and watched as Angus strolled in, his freshly pressed uniform already rumpled after just a few hours of work. Are you sober yet?
You didnt have to lock me up, Brody said, letting go of the bars.
Brody Quinn, you started a brawl, you broke a mirror and you threw a bleedin drink in my face, after insulting my taste in music. You didnt give me a choice. Angus braced his hands on his hips. Therell be a fine. I figure a couple hundred should do it. And youre gonna have to pay for Buddys mirror. Angus scratched his chin. And I want a promise youre gonna behave yourself from now on and respect the law. Your brothers here, so pay the fine and you can go.
Teague is here? Brody asked.
No, Callum is waiting. Hes not so chuffed he had to make a trip into town.
I could have driven myself home, Brody said.
Your buddy Billy tried to take your keys last night. Thats what started the fight. He flushed the keys, so Callum brought your spare. Angus reached down and unlocked the cell. Next time you kick up a stink, Im holding you for a week. Thats a promise.
Brody turned back and looked at Payton. You can let her out. Ill pay her fine, too.
First you have to settle up with Miss Shelly over at the coffeeshop and then you have to find this young lady a job. Then, Ill let you pay her fine. Until you do all that, shes gonna be a guest for a bit longer.
Its all right, Payton said in a cheerful voice. Im okay here. Ive got a nice place to sleep and regular meals.
Brody frowned as he shook his head. It just didnt feel right leaving her locked up, even if she did want to stay. Suit yourself, he said, rubbing at the ache in his head.
Payton gave him a little wave, but it didnt ease his qualms. Who was she? And what had brought her to Bilbarra? There were a lot of questions running through his mind without any reasonable answers.
He walked with Angus through the front office toward the door. Let her out, Angus, he said in a low voice. Ill fix any mess shes made.
I think she wants to stay for a while. Im not sure she has anywhere else to go. I figure, Ill find her a job and at least shell eat. He cleared his throat. Besides, she doesnt complain about my music. She actually likes Elvis. Smart girl.
When they reached the front porch of the police station, Brody found his eldest brother, Callum, sitting in an old wooden chair, his feet propped up on the porch railing, his felt stockmans hat pulled low over his eyes.
Brody sat down next to him, bracing his elbows on his knees. Go ahead. Get it over with. Chuck a spaz and well call it a day.
Callum shoved his hat back and glanced at his little brother. Jaysus, Brody, this is the third time this month. You keep this up, you might as well live here and save yourself the trouble driving the two hours into town every weekend. At least I wouldnt worry about how youre getting home.
It wont happen again, Brody mumbled.
I cant spare the time. And petrol doesnt come cheap. And its not like I dont have enough on my mind with this whole land mess boiling up again.
Callum had been a grouch for the past month, ever since Harry Fraser had filed papers in court to contest what had to be the longest-running land dispute in the history of Australia. Harry ran the neighboring station and the Frasers and the Quinns had been feuding for close to a hundred years, mostly over a strip of land that lay between the stationsland with the most productive water bore within a couple hundred kilometers. Ownership of the property had passed back and forth over the years, dependant on the judge who heard the case. It was now the Quinns property to lose.
Hes lost the last three times he tried. He hasnt been able to find any decent proof of his claim. What makes you think that will change now?
Im still going to have to hire a bloody solicitor and they dont come cheap. Callum sighed. And then this genealogy woman just shows up on the doorstep yesterday morning and expects me to spend all my time telling stories about our family history.
Im still going to have to hire a bloody solicitor and they dont come cheap. Callum sighed. And then this genealogy woman just shows up on the doorstep yesterday morning and expects me to spend all my time telling stories about our family history.
I said I was sorry.
Youre turning into a fair wanker, you are. You could find something better to do with yourself. Like lending a hand on the station. We could use your help mustering now that Teagues practice is starting to take off. Hes been taking calls almost every day. And when hes home, he spends his time doing paperwork.
I havent decided on a plan, Brody muttered. But it bloody well doesnt include stockmans work. Now, can I have my keys? Ive got some things to do.
Buddy doesnt want you back at the Spotted Dog. Youre going to have to find yourself another place to get pissed Callum paused or you could give up the coldies. It would save you some money.
Brodys brother Teague had been back on Kerry Creek for about a year after working as an equine vet near Brisbane. Hed taken up with Doc Daleys practice in Bilbarra, planning to buy him out so that the old man could retire. Hed saved enough in Brisbane to purchase a plane, making it possible to move about the outback quickly and efficiently.
Callums income came directly from working Kerry Creek, the Quinn familys fifty-thousand-acre cattle station. Part of the profits went to their parents, now living in Sydney, where their mother taught school and their father had started a small landscaping business in his retirement.
And Brody, whod once boasted a rather impressive bank account, was now unemployed, his million-dollar contract gone, many of his investments liquidated and his savings dwindling every day. He could survive another three or four years, if he lived frugally. But after that, he needed to find a decent job. Something that didnt involve kicking a football between two goalposts.
When Brody had left the station as a teenager, thered been no other choice. Hed hated station life almost as much as his mother had. And though hed wanted to stay with his brothers, his mother needed someone to go with her, to watch out for her. It had been a way to realize his dream of a pro-football career and hed grabbed the chance. If it hadnt been for the accident, hed still be living in Fremantle, enjoying his life and breaking every last scoring record for his team.
One stupid mistake and it had ended. Hed torn up his knee and spent the last year in rehab, trying to get back to form. Hed played in three games earlier in the season before the club dropped him. No new contract, no second chance, just a polite fare-thee-well.
Im sorry youre not doing what you want to do, Callum said, reaching out and putting his hand on Brodys shoulder. Sometimes life is just crap. But you pick yourself up and you get on with it. And you stop being such a dickhead.
Brody gave his brother a shove, then stood up. Give it a rest. If I needed a mother, Id move back to Sydney and live with the one I already have. Brody grabbed his keys from Callums hand then jogged down the front steps and out into the dusty street. Ill catch you later.
As he walked down the main street of Bilbarra, his thoughts returned to the woman sitting in Anguss cell. Payton, he whispered. He hadnt been attracted to any woman since Vanessa had walked out on him a year ago, frustrated by his dark moods and eager to find a bloke with a better future and a bigger bank account.
But Payton Harwell didnt know him, or football. All she cared about was a place to sleep and her next meal. And he certainly had the means to provide that.
PAYTON SIPPED at the bottle of orange juice that Angus had brought for her breakfast. Shed finished the egg sandwich first, then gobbled down the beans and bacon, enough nutrition to last her the entire day. Sooner or later, Angus would let her out and then shed be back to scraping by for her meals. It was best to eat while she could.
She glanced over at the adjoining cell. It had been pleasant to have some company for a time, she mused. Actually, more than pleasant when the fellow prisoner was as handsome and fascinating as Brody Quinn. Payton rubbed the spot where their hands had touched, remembering the sensation that had raced through her at the contact.
Shed been in Australia for a month now and this had been the first real conversation shed allowed herself. Shed told him her name, but not much else. In truth, since her arrival, Payton had spent most of her time trying to figure out exactly who she was, now that she wasnt what she was supposed to be.
Until a month ago, her life had always been neatly laid out in front of herthe best schools, carefully chosen activities, the right friends, exotic vacations. As she grew older, a top-notch education and a careful search for an appropriate husband. Finally, a wonderful wedding to a successful man that her parents adored. It had been exactly the path her mother had followed, a step-by-step guide to happiness.
Payton had taken on the role of the dutiful daughter, doing all she could to please her parents and never once rebelling against their authority. Even when theyd insisted she stop riding at age seventeen after breaking her arm in a fall, Payton had agreed. Shed loved her horse, and riding had given her a wonderful sense of freedom. But shed simply assumed that her parents knew best. If shed had a rebellious streak, it hadnt shown itselfuntil a month ago. And then, it had erupted like a dormant volcano.
When it came to the moment to say I do, Payton had turned and run. For the first time in her life, shed made a decision for herself. Though she was twenty-five years old, her perfect life up to that point had never prepared her to deal with self-doubt. Running had been her only option.
Shed met Sam her first day at Columbia. He was the man her mother had always told her about, the man who could give her everything shed ever want or need. He was handsome and smart, four years older, and from a wealthy East Coast family. Her father, the scion of a banking empire, approved of his finances, and her mother, a third-generation socialite, approved of his bloodlines. And it wasnt as if there hadnt been an attraction between them. There had beenin the beginning.
An image flashed in her mind. How easily shed forgotten Sam. All she wanted to think about now was this stranger who had touched her, this man with the penetrating gaze and the dangerous smile. A tiny thrill raced through her at the memory of his eyes raking the length of her body.
Payton leaned her head back against the concrete wall of the cell. Brody Quinn was incredibly sexy. Any woman would be attracted to a man like that. She allowed herself to speculate. Shirt on, shirt off. Completely naked andwithout the bars between them, she wondered just how far she would have gone. A kiss, a quick grope, maybe more?
Payton sighed. Maybe her attraction to Brody wasnt an early midlife crisis. Maybe she was experiencing some sort of sexual schizophrenia caused by all the stress shed been under. Shed never thought a whole lot about sex until recently. It had never been that important.
But suddenly, she found herself thinking about passion and desire, about what it truly meant to connect on a physical level with a man. Wasnt it normal for her to worry if Sam was the last man shed ever sleep with? Shouldnt he want to touch her and make her moan with pleasure? Shouldnt sexual attraction be just as important as love and mutual respect?