Blackpeak Station Read Online Free PDF Page B

that Matt had a bit of a crush on Jen, unlikely as that might seem. Then again, maybe it wasn’t so strange. Despite first appearances, Jen did tend to inspire a weird kind of devotion — the dogs would do anything for her, and Charlotte was starting to feel a bit that way, too. Maybe it was because Jen gave the impression of caring so little about herself — she was who and what she was, and that was all the self-analysis she needed. She was pretty easy to talk to, as well. Charlotte carried the coffees across and thought how odd it was — odd but nice — to have such a friend out here.
    The last of the dusk was fading when they heard an old diesel motor pull up outside. Charlotte groaned. ‘Who the hell can that be?’
    ‘Maybe it’s the Sallies,’ said Jen, without moving. ‘Tell them we gave at the office.’
    Charlotte pulled herself up enough to look through the window, and gave a small shriek. ‘Christ, it’s Rob Caterham!’
    ‘Who?’
    ‘The accountant.’ Ignoring Jen’s confusion, Charlotte looked down at her filthy shirt and riding pants and sniffed quickly under her arms. ‘You talk to him — I’ve got to have a shower!’
    ‘Charlie! You can’t—’
    But Charlotte was gone. Having showered at something close to the speed of light, she rummaged frantically and without success for a clean pair of jeans. Settling on the least grubby pair, she drenched them with Andrea’s Christmas perfume to hide the competing odours of dog and sheep — then, catching a whiff of herself, wished she hadn’t. When she finally made her reappearance in the kitchen, it was in a pair of old tracksuit pants she’d found in Nick’s room and a baby pink t-shirt her aunt had sent from London three years ago because she’d thought the colour might suit her. Charlotte had never agreed, but at least it was clean.
    Rob was deep in the vagaries of the wool market with Jen. He looked up as Charlotte walked in, his blue eyes crinkling. ‘Hello.’
    ‘Hi!’ she replied nonchalantly. ‘I thought I heard a car pull up.’
    ‘I hope I’m not disturbing you. I hadn’t realised it had gotten so late.’ Charlotte glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn’t even eight-thirty. ‘I was on my way back from Cromwell,’ he continued, ‘so I thought I’d drop in. Since I was … passing. See how you were.’
    ‘I’m fine.’
    ‘So I see.’ He grinned.
    ‘Would you like a coffee? Or a glass of wine?’
    ‘Well … if you’re having one.’
    Deciding she was, Charlotte got three glasses out and fetched a bottle of Andrea’s pinot gris from the back fridge. The first glass settled her nerves. The second had her thinking how surprisingly comfortable it was, sitting there chatting to Rob. By the third, she was really enjoying herself. Rob wanted to know about all the things she was actually good at talking about — merinos and micron counts, fertility rates and pasture.
    It was past ten o’clock when Jen yawned conspicuously and let it be known that she was calling it a night. As they heard her ute crunch away, Rob stretched out his long legs and fixed Charlotte with his wide blue gaze.
    ‘Well,’ he said softly.
    ‘Indeed,’ said Charlotte.
    ‘Are you going to bed too?’
    ‘Not yet.’ She tried to match his suggestive tone, but before she could stop it, a huge yawn escaped. It had been a long day.
    Rob laughed. ‘I’d better get going. You need your sleep.’
    Resisting the urge to say,
please don’t
, Charlotte walked him to his car. The breeze had turned chilly, and she shivered in the dark, staring up at the unclouded stars. He opened the door. She stood beside him, feeling awkward, hoping he wasn’t just going to get in and drive away.
    When he bent to kiss her, she was so relieved that at first she barely felt anything else. Then it got deeper. But before she really had time to start kissing him back, run her hands through that silky blond hair, he was gone, the car door between them.
    He leaned his