I dont see why Miss Moynihan cant take her meals with us, Davey said, glancing around at his fellow jackaroos. We can act polite. He snatched his serviette from his collar and laid it on his lap. See?
Cal reached for a piece of toast, then slathered it with strawberry jam. Who is Miss Moynihan?
We have a guest, Mary said, setting a mug of coffee in front of him. She smoothed a strand of gray hair back into the tidy knot at the nape of her neck.
We do?
Since you werent here, I took it upon myself to offer her a place to stay. Shes a genealogist come all the way from Dublin, Ireland, to do research on the Quinn family. Shes been driving back and forth between here and Bilbarra for the past two days, waiting for you to get back.
You invited a genealogist to stay at Kerry Creek? Cal frowned. What does she expect to find here?
Shed like to talk to you about Crevan Quinn, in particular. Shes documented the Quinn line going all the way back to the ancient kings of Ireland. You ought to take a look at her work. Its all very interesting.
Where did you put her? Cal asked.
She stayed in the south bunkhouse last night. Shell be driving back to Bilbarra to fetch her things this morning, if you approve. I dont think her research will take long.
Im not going to have time for her, Cal said, grabbing the platter of eggs and scooping a spoonful onto his plate. He sent Mary a shrewd look. If you ask my opinion, I think youre happy to have another woman on Kerry Creek who will sip tea and eat biscuits with you all afternoon.
Mary gave his head a playful slap. Im the only one on Kerry Creek who has managed to maintain a bit of civility. Look at the lot of you, gobbling down your food like hogs at a trough. Id wager youd all act differently if we had a lady at the table.
Oh, so you invited her to stay so wed improve our manners? Cal picked up his serviette and placed it daintily in his lap, holding out his little fingers as he did so. Hear that, boys? Our Mary thinks were all a bunch of uncouth cane toads.
Can I tell her youll meet with her after dinner tonight?
Let Brody or Teague take this one, Cal said wearily. Ive got far too much on my list.
Brody took off for Bilbarra on Friday and hasnt been seen since and Teague has responsibilities with Doc Daley. He spent last night at Dunbar Station and isnt supposed to be back until later this morning.
The phone on the wall rang and Mary wiped her hands on her apron before picking it up. When she finished with the call, she sighed and shook her head.
What is it? Cal asked.
That was Angus Embley. Your brother raised quite the stink in town last night. It appears Brodys lost his keys down the dunny at the Spotted Dog. Angus asked if someone could bring him a spare set and bail him out of jail.
Im not going, Cal said. This is the third time in as many months.
You will go, Mary said, her voice firm. Though she wasnt related to the Quinns, she had served as a surrogate mother ever since their own mother had left the station twelve years before. Cal recognized the tone of voice and knew not to argue.
Since Brody had arrived on Kerry Creek a few months ago, hed been nothing but trouble. A motorcycle accident had ended his career as a pro footballer and Brody had found himself at loose ends, unable to deal with the loss of everything hed worked for. Though he wasnt a pauper, the money hed made wouldnt last forever. Sooner or later, Brody would have to make a decision about a new career. But for now, hed been living off his notoriety and the patience and generosity of his oldest brother. But this had gone far enough.
Teague probably has to fly into Bilbarra today. He can just
Youll not leave your brother sitting in the nick, Mary scolded. Besides, it will do you good to get off this station for a few hours. You can pick up supplies and the mail, and maybe even get yourself a decent haircut.
All right, all right, Cal said. He pushed away from the table and stood, then snatched another piece of toast from a passing platter. If I leave now, Ill be back before lunch.
Mary fetched her list and handed it to him. Stop by the library, too, will you? Daisy called to tell me my books were in.
Any other requests? he asked, looking around the table.
The windmill up in the northwest paddock is rattling, Skip said. We should probably take it apart before mustering and replace the bearings.
Ill order the parts, Cal said. He grabbed his stockmans hat from the peg near the door, then nodded to the men gathered around the table. Comb your hair for once, will ya, boys? Im sick to death of looking at you.
Cal jogged down the porch steps to his ute. He tucked Marys list into his shirt pocket, then hopped behind the wheel. A cloud of dust billowed out behind him as he drove down the long dirt road.
Though the drive into Bilbarra took two hours, Cal had made it so many times in his life that he barely noticed the time passing. The closer he got to town, the smoother the roads became, though none of them were paved. He slipped a CD into the player and let his mind wander, thinking about his chances of finding a wife.
Hed always known his place was at Kerry Creek. From the time he was a boy, hed carefully watched each element of the operation, taking on more and more responsibility with every year that passed. Hed never expected to be boss cocky before he turned thirty. But when his parents had decided to reconcile, his father had reluctantly handed the reins over to Cal and left for Sydney.
Cal imagined that Jack Quinns decision had been made easier knowing the station was in good hands. And after his parents last visit, he could see the choice had been right for them both. His mother taught school in Sydney and his father had started a small landscaping business. Theyd bought a house near the ocean and were happy being together again.
As he turned east on the main road into Bilbarra, Cal squinted as the early-morning sun emerged at the top of a rise. He grabbed his sunglasses from the dashboard, but they fell to the floor of the ute. Bending down, he searched for them with his fingers. But when he glanced out the windshield again, Cal was startled to find himself heading directly toward a figure standing in the middle of the road.
GEMMA SAW THE TRUCK COMING toward her and frantically waved her arms above her head. Shed been stuck here, at the edge of nowhere, for nearly thirty minutes. Not a single living creature had happened by beyond a few hundred flies and a small, evil-looking lizard. But now, as the vehicle was coming closer, she realized the driver hadnt seen heror he didnt intend to stop.
She shouted, jumping up and down to gain the drivers attention. For an instant, she thought he might run her down and she scurried to safety, but then suddenly, the truck veered sharply and drove off the edge of the road. It came to a dead stop when the front wheels hit the bottom of a shallow gully. Gemma held her breath, afraid to move, adrenaline coursing through her. Shed been the cause of this accident and now she wasnt sure what to do. Her mobile wasnt working and she was at least fifteen kilometers from Bilbarra and help.
Oh, please, oh, please, she chanted as she raced over to the truck, climbing down into where it had come to rest. The drivers-side window was open and she could see a man inside. He was conscious and staring out the windscreen. Are you all right? she asked, coughing from the dust that hung in the air.
Oh, please, oh, please, she chanted as she raced over to the truck, climbing down into where it had come to rest. The drivers-side window was open and she could see a man inside. He was conscious and staring out the windscreen. Are you all right? she asked, coughing from the dust that hung in the air.
He turned and looked at her, then blinked vacantly. Yes, he murmured. He closed his eyes, then opened them again, shaking his head. Are you real? Or am I dead?
His question caught her by surprise and she reached inside and grabbed his arm, then pinched it hard. Do you feel that?
Ow! He rubbed his skin, glaring at her.
Im very real. And youre fine. You havent hit your head, have you? Are you bleeding anywhere?
He reached up and pushed his hat off. The moment he did, Gemma got a good look at his face. She took a step back, a shiver skittering through her body. Suddenly breathless, she tried to inhale. But her lungs had ceased to function properly. She felt a bit dizzy and wondered if all that adrenaline was wearing off too quickly. Her fingers gripped the edge of the window as she tried to remain upright.
The driver pushed against the door with his shoulder and it swung open, sending her stumbling backward. Im so sorry, she said. Good Lord, he was absolutely the most gorgeous thing shed ever seen in her life. Although Australia was teeming with beautiful men, Gemma felt quite certain that shed hit the jackpot with this bloke.
He was fine, handsome without being pretty. His features, taken individually, were quite ordinary, but together they combined to make up a man of unquestionable masculinity, rugged and powerful and perhaps a tiny bit dangerous.
Gemma took another step back as he approached and her heel caught on a rock. An instant later, she landed on her bum, the impact causing her to cry out. Gemma felt something move beneath her hand and she looked down to see a lizard squirming between her fingers.
This time, it was a shriek that erupted from her lips as she scrambled to her feet to escape. But she lost her balance again and pitched forward into his arms. He held on to her until she was back on her feet, looking down at her in utter bewilderment.
Is it poisonous? she asked, frantically wiping her hand on the front of his shirt. Jaysus, I hate those things. Theyre slimy little buggers. Look, did he bite me?
Her question seemed to shake him out of his stupor. Its a gecko. He smiled crookedly. II reckon you are real. I dont expect angels screech like that. He gradually loosened his grip on her arms. I almost hit you, miss. What the hell were you doing in the middle of the road?
I was trying to wave you down, Gemma said. I have a punctured tire. Ive tried to change it myself, but I cant get the bloody things off. Thescrews. The bolts. Didnt you see me?
Nuts, he said. Theyre called nuts. He took her elbow and gently led her back to the road. The sun was in my eyes. Drawing a deep breath, he surveyed the scene, his attention moving between his truck and her car. Come on, Ill help you change it.
She looked back over her shoulder. Shouldnt we get your truck back on the road first?
No worries, he said with a shrug. Its not stuck. He walked up to the Subaru wagon shed rented in Sydney and squatted down beside the flat.
Her attention was caught by the way his jeans hugged his backside. They fit him like a glove, not so tight that it looked like he was trying too hard to be sexy, but just tight enough to attract her notice.
Her eyes moved to his shoulders, and the muscles shifting and bunching beneath the faded work shirt. Then he stood and faced her. Gemma liked the way he moved, so easy, almost graceful.
These roads around here are shite, he said, wiping his hands on his jeans. If you hit enough holes, a tire will go flat without a puncture.
Gemma pointed to the jack, lying in the dust. I tried to change it myself, but I have no earthly clue what Im doing. I was starting to get worried when no one came by.
This road doesnt go many places, he said.
She stood over him as he put the jack together and hooked it beneath the front of the car. Watching him, Gemma realized she never would have figured out how to change the tire on her own. She bent down beside him. From this vantage point, she could get a better look at his face. He was deeply tanned and his eyes were an odd shade of hazel, more gold than green. Thank you so very much for stopping.
I didnt have much choice, he said. It was that or run you down. He straightened and began to pump the handle. Slowly, the front end of the car rose. Then he started on the nuts that held the tire to the car.
As he worked, she studied him more closely. He wasnt much of a conversationalist. Shed always thought the strong, silent type was just a myth, but here was a man who proved it. He was tall, over six feet. His clothes were well-worn and she suspected he worked on one of the stations in the area. She made several more attempts to engage him, but he seemed intent on his task.
Since the weather and the flies hadnt sparked a discussion, she decided to try asking about places to eat in Bilbarra. Hed been headed in that direction and once he was through with her tire, shed offer to buy him lunch.
Though Gemma had been anxious to get back to Kerry Creek with her things, the Quinn brothers had been scarce. According to the housekeeper, Cal had been camping in the outback for a few days and Brody had stayed overnight in Bilbarra. Shed met Teague briefly on the morning shed first arrived at the station, but he hadnt had time to talk. Since she wasnt getting anywhere with the Quinns, why not spend a little time with this stranger?
Her plan had seemed so simple back in Dublin. But now that she was here in Queensland, ready to play the part of a curious genealogist, Gemma was getting nervous. What if they didnt believe her? What if she tripped herself up and revealed her real reason for coming?
For a long time, shed thought the Emerald of Eire had been nothing but an overblown legend, based more in fantasy than truth. Her mother had told her about it when shed been little and it had piqued Gemmas imaginationnot because of the jewel, but because it had something to do with Gemmas father, David Parnell.
Before the age of twelve, her father had been nothing more than a faded photo. But suddenly, Gemma realized she was part of something bigger, a family history.
According to her mother, the jewel had been stolen from Gemmas fourth great-grandfather, Lord Stanton Parnell, more than one hundred and fifty years ago. Some of the Parnells believed that with the loss of the emerald, the fortunes of the family had been cursed.
The fortunes of Orla Moynihan had definitely fallen the moment she set eyes on David Parnell. According to her mother, theyd fallen in love instantly. David had promised to find the emerald so they might run away together and get married. Gemma suspected this was only a ploy to lure her mother into his bed. A pregnancy followed and David disappeared, behind the protective walls of the Parnell family estate. The baby was named Gemma, after an emerald and a dream.
It was no surprise that David had abandoned her mother. The Parnells were part of the old English aristocracy that had made their fortunes in the Belfast textile industry. And Parnell sons didnt marry poor Irish girls, no matter what the circumstances.