Page 22 of The Talk Around Town

The boxes contained books, toys and clothes. All precious, but all impossible to look at.

Here in her arms was the reason for her move to Kurrajong Crossing.

This stuffed toy that smelled of baby powder.

And sandalwood.

Chapter Ten

“We’re here.”

Darby’s cheerful announcement had Emma’s stomach twisting like pretzels.Herewas Gabe’s farm. Cattle grazed on lush grass behind a fence a few hundred feet away, the sight sending shivers spiking down her spine.

Nasty creatures.

As soon as Darby had learned Emma was scared of cows, she’d insisted they head out to Gabe’s place immediately.

“You’ll see there’s nothing to be scared of. They’re too stupid to be scary.”

Emma grunted and chewed her lip. This wasn’t going to be fun.

Never mind the fact that this wasGabe’splace. A man who would be any woman’s dream, hers included. She’d never thought herself a particularly sensual or sexual woman but man, did he give a new meaning to the wordfantasise.

Sweat had drenched her body when she’d woken this morning, her chest heaving, her breath curiously short. She’d even glanced around the room to look for Gabe, so sure was she that her dream had been real. She’d fallen back onto the pillows, unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed that he wasn’t really there.

A long shower had been needed to calm herself down. Even hours later, her stomach clenched when remembering what he’d done to her in that dream.

“Earth to Emma? They really aren’t that scary, you know.”

Emma’s cheeks heated as she realised Darby was talking to her, and here she was, daydreaming about her brother. She nodded in Darby’s direction to try and pretend that the cows were what had her all flustered.

“Gabe’s probably over in the barn.” Darby pointed to the massive structure to their left. “He has his surgery in there.”

Emma shut the car door. Her gaze caught on the majestic vista of the Great Divide dropping off to her left. The never-ending peaks in the distance framed the pasture. The grazing cows completed the picture-perfect image, but she kept a wary eye on them.

The pungent scent of fresh hay and cow permeated the warm air. She took a deep breath.

It really wasn’t that bad a smell. Darby’s laughter caused her to glance in her direction.

“They can’t get you from over there! Come on.” Darby grabbed her hand and pulled her through the doorway into the cool interior of the barn.

Emma stopped, stunned. Neat, clean stalls lined one wall. Only two were occupied at the far end. Huge, ceiling-high sliding doors took centre stage on the other wall. What lay on the other side, she had no idea. Except maybe cows.

A loft full of hay covered a third of the ceiling space, and toward the back of the barn a series of steps and landings rose to reach it.

A double-doored room sat to the left of what appeared to be an office, the semi-opaque doors reminding her of an operating theatre. Beside it, two rooms with chest-high, solid-timber walls were topped by a clear Plexiglas window that ran the entire length of the rooms.Quarantinewas written in large letters across the bottom. Gabe stood inside the closest one, looking worried. He glanced up and sent them a brief smile, waving them over.

Gabe scratched at his stubbled jaw and leaned back against the wall, shaking his head.

“What is it? Is something wrong?” Darby moved to the open half-door that allowed entry to the room and leaned her arms on the top.

Gabe waved an agitated hand at the cow before him. “Jez rejected the calf.”

Emma stepped up to the wall cautiously. She clenched her hands into fists before Darby or, even worse, Gabe saw them shake. The thing couldn’t get her out here.

“What do you mean, ‘rejected’?”

He looked up, his stormy grey eyes catching hers. “It means the mother won’t accept the calf. Won’t even let it come near her. I’ve tried all night. This last time she tried to attack it.”

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