Beneath Outback Skies Read Online Free PDF

to study.
    ‘Thanks. It’ll rain again. Sometime. But in the meantime we’re doing fine. How about you? I know business is slow.’
    Steve’s thin shoulders moved in a sigh. ‘It is and won’t pick up anytime soon. But you know …’ He smiled again. ‘Today is my lucky day.’
    ‘Lucky day?’
    ‘Yes.’ He patted the pile of clothes filling the box. ‘See all these. Five pairs of gloves. Five pairs of jeans. Shirts. Akubra. Work boots. Dress boots. I’ve sold them all.’
    ‘Sold them? To whom?’
    Tait approached on silent feet. ‘To me.’
    She swung around as if he’d stuck one of his EpiPen needles into her shoulder.
    ‘These are work clothes.’ She spoke through clenched teeth. ‘For getting dirty. Why on earth will you need …?’ Her amber eyes widened before her mouth sealed itself shut.
    ‘That’s right. I need more than cobwebs to have the true outback experience.’ He added the vest to the items in the box and grinned. ‘What else would I wear when I work out in the paddocks with you?’

Chapter Three
    From the sliver of light stealing beneath Connor’s bedroom blind he knew it would soon be dawn. He rubbed at the sharp ache in his leg that had become as much a part of him as the scar tissue on his right thigh. But it wasn’t pain robbing him of sleep, it was doubt. A doubt so stubborn, so subversive, it refused to listen to anything he said.
    His heavy sigh echoed around the room. If only Molly was here, she’d know what to say to make him feel better about what he’d done. Molly had always known what to say, even with her last breath. She’d looked up at him and whispered, ‘It’s time. I love you.’ With the life dulling in her gentle eyes, she’d clutched at his arm. ‘Don’t let the past … poison yours and Paige’s … future.’
    Then she was gone, leaving him with nothing but a splintered soul and a silent shadow for a daughter. Paige may have grown into a beautiful, resilient woman, just like her mother. But this past year he’d seen her spark gradually dim and smudges of fatigue become permanent fixtures beneath her eyes. She’d lost weight, barely slept, and he’d been powerless to lighten her burden until Anne, the local librarian, had sent a box of newspapers for him to read. There, in full colour in the Sydney social pages, he’d seen the answer to his prayers. Life mightn’t have always dealt him a flush hand but as he’d stared at Tait Cavanaugh, CEO of AgriViz, a premier agricultural consultancy company, he knew life had been trying to make amends. If anyone could help his stubborn daughter it was this man who stared down the camera lens confident that he could take on the world.
    It’d taken several attempts but finally he’d been put through to Tait’s personal line. After some key words that he knew would capture Tait’s interest, the agreement to create afarm business plan had been reached. It appeared coming out to remote Banora Downs suited Tait, for not only had he offered to do the plan himself but he’d also volunteered to do the work pro bono. It seemed Tait’s marketing department would be very keen to secure a testimonial from a property as iconic as Banora Downs.
    Connor sighed again. He just wanted Paige to have a life again and to have some fun. Not all blokes were as gutless and as selfish as her city-ex, Chris. But had he done the right thing bringing Tait into their lives? He’d thought so yesterday when Tait and Paige had returned from town. While Paige had exited the car as though her feet were on fire, there had been colour in her cheeks. And despite her aversion to Tait’s presence after dinner, she’d lingered a little longer than usual. He rubbed at his leg. But in the darkness of pre-dawn, when the doubt demons snarled and snapped, he wasn’t so sure.
     
    She’d give him one day.
    Paige stood in the darkened hallway and rapped on Tait’s bedroom door. Make that half a day. Mr I-Want-to-Experience-the-Outback