It had been the most difficult day of his life. Hed been heading off into a brand-new worlduniversity in Perth, hundreds of miles from the girl he loved. Shed promised to join him the moment she turned eighteen. Theyd both get part-time jobs and theyd attend school together. He hadnt known that it was the last time hed ever see her.
For weeks afterward, his letters had gone unanswered. Every time he rang her, he ended up in an argument with her grandfather, who refused to call her to the phone. And when he finally returned during his term break, Hayley was gone.
Even now, his memories of her always spun back to the girl shed been at seventeen and not the woman shed become. That woman on the telly wasnt really Hayley, at least not the Hayley he knew.
The runaway teenager with the honey-blond hair and the pale blue eyes had ended up in Sydney. According to the press, shed been discovered working at a T-shirt shop near Bondi Beach. A month later, shed debuted as a scheming teenage vixen on one of Australias newest nighttime soap operas. And seven years later, she was the star of one of the most popular programs on Aussie television.
Hed thought about calling her plenty of times when hed visited Sydney. Hed been curious, wondering if there would be any attraction left between them. Probably not, considering shed dated some of Australias most famous bachelorstwo or three footballers, a pro tennis player, a couple of rock stars and more actors than he cared to count. No, she probably hadnt thought of Teague in years.
As he approached the homestead, Teague was stunned at the condition of the house. Harry Fraser used to take great pride in the station, but it was clear that his attitude had changed. Teague watched as a stooped figure rose from a chair on the ramshackle porch, dressed in a stained work shirt and dirty jeans. The old mans thick white hair stood on end. Teagues breath caught as he noticed the rifle in Harrys hand.
Shit, he muttered, pulling the Range Rover to a stop. Drawing a deep breath, he opened the window. His reflexes were good and the SUV was fast, but Harry Fraser had been a crack shot in his day. Put the gun down, Mr. Fraser.
Harry squinted. Who is that? State your name or get off my property.
Im the vet you sent for, Teague said, slowly realizing that Harry couldnt make him out. His eyesight was clearly failing and they hadnt spoken in so many years there was no way Harry would recognize his voice. Doc Daley sent me. Hes in the middle of a surgery and couldnt get away. Imnew.
Harry lowered the rifle, then shuffled back to his chair. Shes in the stable, he said, pointing feebly in the direction of one of the crumbling sheds. Its colic. There isnt much to do, I reckon. He waved the gun at him. Im not payin you if the horse dies. Got that?
Theyd discuss the fee later, after Harry had been disarmed and Teague had a chance to examine the patient. He steered the Range Rover toward the smallest of the old sheds, remembering that it used to serve as the stables on Wallaroo. Besides that old shack on the border between Wallaroo and Kerry Creek, the stables had been one of their favorite meeting places, a spot where he and Hayley had spent many clandestine hours exploring the wonders of each others bodies.
Teague pulled the truck to a stop at the wide shed door, then grabbed his bag and hopped out. The shed was in worse condition than the house. Hullo! he shouted, wondering if there were any station hands about.
To his surprise, a female voice replied. Back here. Last stall.
He strode through the empty stable, each stall filled with moldering straw. A rat scurried in front of him and he stopped and watched as it wriggled through a hole in the wall. While the rodent startled him, it was nothing compared to the shock he felt when he stepped inside the stall.
Hayley Fraser knelt beside a horse lying on a fresh bed of straw. She was dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, the toes of her boots peaking out beneath the ragged hems of her pant legs. They stared at each other for a long time, neither one of them able to speak. It wasnt supposed to be like this, Teague thought, his mind racing. Hed always imagined theyd meet on a busy street or in a restaurant.
Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, she blinked and pointed to the horse. Its Molly, she said, her voice wavering. Im pretty sure she has colic. I dont know what else to do. I cant get her up.
Teague stepped past Hayley and bent down next to the animal. The mare was covered with sweat and her nostrils were flared. He stepped aside as the horse rolled, a sign that Hayleys diagnosis was probably right. Teague stood and reached into the feed bin, grabbing a handful of grain and sniffing it. Moldy, he said, turning to Hayley.
I got here last night, she explained, peering into the grain bin. When I came in this morning she was like this.
She might have an impaction. How long has she been down?
I dont know, Hayley said. I found her like this at ten this morning.
Teague drew a deep breath. Colic in horses was tricky to treat. It could either be cured in a matter of hours or it could kill the horse. We need to get her up. Ill give her some pain medication, then well dose her with mineral oil and see if that helps.
What if it doesnt? Hayley asked. What about surgery?
Teague shook his head. I cant do surgery here. And the nearest equine surgical facility is at the university in Brisbane.
I dont care what it costs, she said, a desperate edge to her voice. I dont care if I need to charter a jet to fly her there. Ill do whatever it takes.
He chuckled softly at the notion of putting the horse on a jet. Well cross that fence when we come to it, Teague murmured. Help me get her up.
It took them a full ten minutes of tugging and prodding and slapping and shouting before Molly struggled to her feet, her eyes wild and her flanks trembling. The moment she got up, she made another move to go down and Teague shouted to distract her, slapping her on the chest and pushing her out of the stall.
He handed the lead to Hayley. Keep her walking, dont let her go down again. Ive got to fetch some supplies.
Teague ran toward the stable door, then glanced over his shoulder to see Hayley struggling with the mare. Thank God they had this to focus on, he mused. It was difficult enough seeing her again without demanding answers to his questions and explanations for her behavior.
He opened up the tailgate on the Range Rover and searched through the plastic bins until he found a bag of IV fluid, which he shoved in his jacket pocket. He took a vial of Banamine from the case of medication. Then he grabbed the rest of the supplies he neededa hypodermic, IV tubing, a nasogastric tube and a jug of mineral oiland put everything into a wooden crate. When he got back to the stable, he saw Hayley kneeling on the dirty concrete floor with Molly lying beside her.
She looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. I couldnt stop her. She just went down.
Teague set the crate on a nearby bale of straw, then gently helped Hayley to her feet. In all the years hed known her, hed never seen Hayley cry. Not a single tear, not even when shed fallen from her horse or scraped her knee. Hed never thought much about it until now, but it must have taken a great deal of strength to control her emotions for so long.
Dont worry, he said, giving her hands a reassuring squeeze. Well get her up.
Then he brushed the pale hair from her eyes, his thumbs damp from her tears. It had been so long since hed touched her, so many years since hed looked into those eyes. But it seemed like only yesterday. All the old feelings were bubbling up inside him. His instinct to protect her had kicked in the moment he looked into her eyes and he found himself more worried about Hayley than the horse.
Teague didnt bother to think about the consequences before kissing her. It was the right thing to do, a way to soothe her fears and stop her tears. He bent closer and touched his lips to hers, gently exploring with his tongue until she opened beneath the assault.
Cupping her face in his hands, he molded her mouth to his, stunned by the flood of desire racing through him. They were teenagers again, the two of them caught up in a heady mix of hormones they couldnt control and emotions they didnt understand.
He drew back and smiled. Better? Hayley nodded mutely and Teague looked down at the horse. Then lets get to work.
It was as if the kiss had focused their thoughts and strengthened their bond. Though he wanted to kiss her again, he had professional duties to dispatch first. And saving Molly was more important than indulging in desire. They managed to get the horse on her feet again and pushed her up against a wall to keep her still as Teague inserted the IV catheter into her neck. Drawing out a measure of the painkiller, he injected it into the IV bag.
There. She should start feeling a little better. Once she does, well dose her with mineral oil. If its an impaction, that should help.
They walked back and forth, the length of the stable, both of them holding on to Mollys halter. At each turn, he took the time to glance over at her, letting his gaze linger.
Without all the slinky clothes and the fancy makeup and hair, she didnt look anything like a television star. She looked exactly like the fresh-faced girl he used to kiss and touch, the first girl hed ever had sex with and the last girl hed ever loved. Teague clenched his free hand into a fist, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her again.
So you got home yesterday, he said.
Hayley nodded, continuing to stare straight ahead. He could read the wariness in her expression. If she was feeling half of what he was, then her heart was probably pounding and her mind spinning with the aftereffects of the kiss theyd shared.
Ive seen you on telly. Youve become quite a good actress. This brought a smile, a step in the right direction, Teague thought. I heard you won some award?
A Logie award. And I didnt win. Ive been nominated three times. Havent won yet.
Thats good, though, right? Nominated is good. Better than not being nominated.
Its a soap opera, she said. Its not like Im doing Shakespeare with the Royal Queensland.
But you could, if you wanted to, right?
Hayley shook her head. No, I dont have any formal training. They hired me on Castle Cove because I looked like the part. Not because I could act.
He wanted to ask why she had decided to run away from home. And why she hadnt come to him as theyd always planned. Teague drew a deep breath, then stopped. Molly had settled down, her respiration now almost normal. See, shes feeling better, he said, smoothing his palm over the horses muzzle. Thats the thing with colic. One minute the horse is close to death and the next shes on the mend. Have you ever twitched a horse?
Hayley shook her head. I dont want you to do that. It will hurt her.
It looks painful, but it isnt if its done properly. Its going to release endorphins and it will relax Molly so she wont fight the tube.
All right, she said, nodding. I trust you.
Three simple words. I trust you. But they meant the world to him. After all that had happened between them, and all that hadnt, maybe things werent so bad after all.
As they tended to Molly, they barely spoke, Teague calmly giving her instructions when needed. Hayley murmured softly to keep her calm, smoothing her hand along Mollys neck. Once the mineral oil was pumped into the horses stomach, Teague removed the tube and the twitch and they began to walk her again.
She is feeling better, Hayley said. I can see it already. She looked over at him. Thank you.
Teague saw the tears swimming in her eyes again and he fought the urge to gather her into his arms and hold her. The mere thought of touching her was enough to send a flood of heat pulsing through his veins.
Hed kiss Hayley again, only this time it wouldnt be to soothe her fears, but to make her remember how good it had been between them. And how good it could be again.
HAYLEY STARED OUT at the setting sun, her back resting against the side of the stable. A bale of straw served as a low bench. Teague sat beside her with his long legs crossed in front of him and his stockmans hat pulled low to protect his eyes from the glare.
Theyd spent the last hour walking Molly around the stable yard, and to Hayleys great relief, the mare seemed to be recovering quite well. Hayley wanted to throw herself into Teagues arms and kiss him silly with gratitude. But she knew doing that would only unleash feelings that had been buried for a very long timefeelings that could sweep them both into dangerous waters.
Shed already turned into an emotional wreck over Molly. Since shed returned to Wallaroo, shed rediscovered her emotional side. It had disappeared after her parents died, when shed stubbornly refused to surrender to sorrow or pain. But in these familiar surroundings, her past had slowly come back and shed found herself grieving, for her parents deaths, for her difficult adolescence and for her fractured relationship with Harry.
There was no telling what might happen if she and Teague revisited their past. With so many unresolved feelings, so many mistakes shed made, shed likely cry for days.
Now, it seemed so clear, his leaving. Hed been going off to university, starting his life away from home. But at the time shed seen it as a betrayal, a desertion. Though shed known hed be back, Hayleys insecurities had overwhelmed her without Teague to help hold them in check.
From the moment shed met Teague, shed found a home, a family and someone she could trust. Shed come to depend on him. He had been the only person who loved her, the only person who cared that she existed and suddenly he was gone. Shed been angry. And though shed tried to tell herself shed be all right on her own, shed been terrified.
So shed run, away from the place that held so many memories, away from the boy who might not want to return.
She snuck a glance at him. Hed grown into a handsome man. Working in television, shed met a lot of good-looking blokes, but none of them possessed Teagues raw masculinity. Teague Quinn was a flesh-and-blood man, seemingly unaware of the powerful effect he had on women.
She looks almost frisky, Teague commented, nodding toward the horse.
I dont know how Ill ever be able to thank you, Hayley said.
Dont worry. Im glad I could help. I know how much Molly means to you. I remember the day you got her.
My sixteenth birthday, Hayley said. My grandfather was never one for birthday celebrations. Hed shove money into my hand and tell me not to spend it on silly things. And then, he gave me Molly and I thought everything had changed.