Christmas at Brigadier Station Read online

  “I think I met your son a few weeks ago.” He admitted. “I was researching the area, getting a feel for the place before I signed the contract. I bumped in him at the hardware store and we had a bit of a yarn.”

  Harriet raised her eyebrows. “Oh, really? Lachie never mentioned it.”

  “Well, I didn’t tell him who I was or that I was looking at buying this place. Just that I was passing through.”

  She grinned. “A reconnaissance mission, huh?”

  He chuckled. “That’s right.”

  She picked at a muffin but didn’t eat it. “You must’ve liked what you saw.”

  “I did.” He nodded as he gazed back at her, her hair framing her beautiful face. “I still do.”

  She swallowed as he let his words hang heavy in the air for a moment before changing the subject to safer topics. They chatted for a long time, catching each other up on their lives and families. As cups were refilled, the years seemed to melt away.

  “Why didn’t you come back to school the next year?” Tom finally asked the question that had been playing on his mind. If she had returned after the summer holidays, things would have played out differently. They could have picked up where they had left things off …

  She looked up at him with eyes full of regret. “I thought I would come back. I thought I would get one more year of school. It wasn’t until Christmas Eve that my father said I wasn’t returning. He told me he couldn’t afford it and what did a farm girl need with an education anyway.”

  He reached across the table and placed his hands over hers. “Things were so different back then. Women can do anything now. Both my girls went to university.” He didn’t try to mask the pride in his voice. He loved his kids and he was so proud of them. He hoped they knew just how much.

  She smiled at him before continuing her story. “My father started inviting eligible boys and their parents around for dinner. Both my sister and I were old enough to be married off. I didn’t want to disappoint my parents, but some of those boys …” She made a face that caused him to chuckle.

  He wished he’d known. Wished he’d been one of the men dangled in front of her. They hadn’t had time to exchange addresses though and he hadn’t been able to contact her.

  He should have tried harder, found a way, before it was … too late.

  “Then I met Daniel McGuire.” Her voice took on a strange tone. “He was charming, well respected, and came from a good family.”

  “How old was he?” Tom couldn’t help himself. He wanted to know everything about this man who had stolen her heart.

  “He was twenty when we met. He had been going out with my friend for a while, but then she’d moved suddenly, so he was available again. My parents knew he wouldn’t stay single long so they encouraged the match.” She lowered her head and stared into her cup. “We were married before the end of summer and I moved in here with Daniel and his parents.”

  “That’s why you and your sister didn’t come back to school.”

  “Beverly lived with our parents for a few more months before marrying her husband. They stayed in town and it was nice to have her near.”

  He leaned in closer. “Why do I get the feeling there wasn’t a happily ever after to your story?”

  She looked at him with shock in her wide eyes, then turned away. “We had a few good years. Then his parents moved on and we had children. It wasn’t until he began drinking that the problems really started.”

  Tom’s heart thumped in his chest. He had seen what booze could do to a man—how it could change him and how he treated people. What had Harriet had to endure?

  “Anyway,” she said before he could think of something to say that might make up for all those painful experiences, “he passed away many years ago now.”

  “I’m sorry you went through that,” he said. “I’m sorry we didn’t keep in touch.”

  “It’s all in the past now. Nothing we can do about it.” She offered him a slight smile then moved to put the lid back on the muffin container. “I should leave you to get back to work.”

  He stood when she did. He didn’t want her to go just yet, but he couldn’t think of a reason for her to stay.

  “Thank you for the muffins and for coming over. It was great to see you again,” he said as they walked out to her vehicle.

  “You’re welcome. I’m sure plenty of the other CWA ladies will pop around with meals once they hear you’re on your own.” She smiled knowingly.

  He looked into those azure blue eyes of hers and was a teenager again. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to kiss her. She gazed back at him. Did she feel as nervous as he did?

  Bloody hell. They were adults now, not bumbling teenagers. And if experience had taught him one thing, it was that life was short and love was hard to find. He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. She melted into his embrace, comfortably fitting against him, just like she had back then.

  He stroked her hair and breathed her in. Her perfume was a subtle floral scent that reminded him of the vases of flowers his ex-wife used to display on the dining room table.

  Too soon, she pulled out of his arms and was turning to her car. She slipped inside, then rolled down the window.

  He moved to see her rosy cheeks and smug grin. The look suited her and he was thrilled to have put it there.

  “Come over anytime you’re free,” she said. “It gets lonely out here on your own.”

  It sure did. “I will. Thanks.” He waved her off and watched as she disappeared, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

  She was the same girl he remembered. The same girl he’d had a crush on all those years ago.

  He had missed his opportunity once. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

  Chapter Three

  The clouds continued to brew over the next two days, threatening rain that still didn’t fall. Tom worked on the various tasks he had set himself but it seemed that with each job he ticked off, there were four more to be added to his growing list.

  Tom opened the oven door, releasing billowing clouds of steam that fogged up his reading glasses. He took them from his face and placed them on the bench. His eyesight had been perfect until he’d reached fifty.

  Since that milestone birthday, he’d been prescribed glasses and a hearing aid. Too much time spent around noisy machines, without earmuffs. Back then, they hadn’t worried about that—hadn’t realised the repercussions it could have. Of course they had always been careful when handling machines and dangerous tools. Especially around the grain silos which could swallow a person whole. But something as simple as wearing earmuffs? It just hadn’t been the done thing. They knew better now and Tom made sure his children were smarter than him and always wore protective clothing, glasses, and muffs when doing jobs that required it.

  He pulled the lasagne out of the oven and left it to cool on the bench. Harriet had been right. Two ladies from the CWA had shown up yesterday with arms full of home-cooked meals and sweets. He knew better than to get on the bad side of the Country Women’s Association. So he’d made them cups of tea and sat chatting with them for hours, answering their questions about his family and what he planned to do with his new property. He also managed to ask some questions of his own. Mostly about his neighbours. He’d learned that Daniel McGuire had died of a heart attack and that Harriet had been alone since. According to her friends, she hadn’t even looked at another man. The women put it down to the deep love she had felt for her husband and that no other man would live up to Daniel.

  But Tom suspected it had more to do with what she’d gone through. After years of being mistreated, how could she ever risk her heart again?

  Tom hadn’t been treated badly by Amy, but he had been heartbroken when she’d left—when she’d decided enough was enough and nothing could be done to make her fall back in love with him.

  Tom had thought love was only for the young ones, like his children who were meeting new people and finding out what they wanted in a pa
rtner. But after reconnecting with Harriet, and feeling these deep emotions again, he was starting to think he’d had it all wrong. Maybe this could be the start of something great. A second chance at true love.

  Tom chuckled at himself. Since when had he become a romantic?

  He sliced up the lasagne and put it on a plate before settling down to eat at the table. His gaze travelled to the chair Harriet had occupied only a few short days ago and his pulse quickened. What would it be like to share this house with her? She could make it a home for just the two of them. As he ate he daydreamed about evenings spent together talking and making plans for the future. Of nights spent loving her, giving her pleasure and worshipping her body.

  His mobile rang beside him, his son’s name appearing on the screen. Tom swallowed his mouthful of mince before answering it.

  “Hello, Brian.”

  “Hey, Dad. How’s it going out there? Got any rain yet?” His son was never good at small talk. Straight to the point, was Brian. Always another job to do.

  “Nah, not yet, but I expect we’ll see some before Christmas.”

  There was a pause. “Christmas, yeah. That’s coming soon, isn’t it? Are you coming back to spend it here?”

  “I don’t know.” Tom sighed. He loved his kids and spending time with them, but since the girls had left home, they treated it more as an obligation to visit and spend time together than because they really wanted too.

  Once they had children of their own, he was sure it would change. Kids always made Christmas magical. Some of his best memories were watching wrapping paper being strewn around the room as little fingers tore it into shreds, eager to uncover the gifts it held.

  Besides, Brian was in charge of the property now. It was his house and he would be the host. Unless his mother helped. The split had been years ago and Tom and his ex were on friendly enough terms now to spend special occasions together. But he still preferred to avoid her if he could. They would never be close, despite spending decades together.

  Tom sighed. “It’s a couple of weeks away still. Let’s see if it rains first.”

  Rain would change everything. Too much and the roads would flood. Just enough and he would be able to test the pumps and irrigation systems. A decent soaking and grass might start to grow.

  Brian steered the conversation to the station. He updated his father on what he had been doing since Tom had left.

  “Sounds like you’re keeping pretty busy,” Tom said. He’d spent his life on the family property. He’d worked it with his father for most of his adult life, then when his parents had decided to retire on the coast, he’d had Brian eager and fresh out of Ag College to share the workload. But Brian had always been a bit too optimistic. Running a property that size was a big commitment.

  “I was hoping you might be able to come and give me a hand,” Brian said, his voice low, like he was ashamed to be asking.

  Which, of course, he was.

  “The property is yours now, son. If you need a hand then you should consider employing more staff.”

  “It would only be for a couple of weeks.”

  “I’ve got this place now. Heaps to keep me busy here.” He thought again of Harriet. “I just got here. I can’t be running back to Hughenden every time you need a hand with something.”

  Brian paused. “It’s not just the station, Dad. The girls and I have been talking and we just don’t understand why you’re out there? Is this some kind of a midlife crisis?”

  Tom rolled his eyes and felt his blood pressure increase. “Of course not. This is an investment, something I believe in. Now, you’ve got your own place to think about. Don’t worry about me too.”

  Brian started to make more objections but Tom didn’t want to hear it, especially not from his son. He made an excuse and hung up the call.

  He knew it stemmed from love, but he really wished his kids would get off his case. He didn’t interfere in their lives, after all. It was time they stopped interfering in his.

  Chapter Four

  Harriet dabbed her handkerchief over the back of her neck, glad she’d chosen to wear a light summer dress to the school break-up and not something more formal. A quick glance at the sky revealed the mid-afternoon sun glowing through the thickening cloud cover. All this build up, but still not a drop of rain. With luck, at least a few inches would drop overnight and the oppressive humidity would lessen.

  Hannah squeezed her hand and Harriet watched her granddaughter skip along the sidewalk next to her. “Did I tell you we’re going to sing Christmas carols?” Hannah said in her ever-excited girlish tone. Her exuberance for life was refreshing and Harriet couldn’t help but feel it brush off onto her.

  “Really? I know how much you love singing.” Harriet smiled fondly at the six-year-old. How had she not noticed the resemblance between her and Lachie sooner? The same smile and laugh and, of course, the pale blue eyes. Lachie, Noah, and Darcy had all inherited Harriet’s sky-blue eye colour over their father’s dark brown. Now Hannah had inherited it too.

  Lachie and Abbie walked ahead of them, holding hands. It warmed Harriet’s heart to see them so happy and in love. She had spent so many years worrying about her oldest son, especially when he had started drinking excessively. But he was in recovery now and had a real purpose. He would do anything for Abbie and Hannah; his whole world revolved around them now.

  “Harriet?” A familiar voice called her name and she paused when she found Tom standing just in front of her. Her breath hitched as her eyes traced his lean hips and wide shoulders. Wearing jeans and a grey work shirt, he appeared like a true-blue Aussie cowboy, especially with his hair hidden beneath a tan Akubra.

  The rest of the McGuire party stopped walking and turned to look between them.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked Tom in a low voice.

  He gave her a wide grin before waving at his ute. “Getting some supplies.” He turned to Abbie and Lachie then. “I’m Tom Carmody, your new neighbour.”

  Lachie shook his hand. “We met once, didn’t we? Here in town?”

  Tom gave him a sheepish look. “We did. I apologise for not being forthright at the time. I was checking out the area, making sure I really wanted to move here.” Then he snuck a heart-melting look at Harriet. “I think I made the right choice.”

  Abbie smothered a smile behind her hand and Harriet felt heat rise up her neck.

  “Welcome to Julia Creek.” Lachie’s voice was genuine and friendly. “Anything you need, you just come over to Brigadier Station and ask.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” Tom turned his attention to Hannah then and knelt in front of her. “You must be Hannah. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand and she shook it.

  “Do you own Maddie’s old house now?”

  Tom nodded. “I do.”

  “I miss them. It’s sad what happened to Dylan.”

  “It is sad.” Tom agreed before changing the subject. “I heard you have a pony.”

  A huge smile lit up Hannah’s face before she launched into a description of her pony. “Her name is Molly. She belongs to Aunty Meghan but I get to keep her for a while because Aunty Meghan is having a baby and she’s not allowed to ride. Do you have any horses?”

  “Not yet,” Tom said. “But I plan on getting one.”

  “Uncle Darcy breeds horses. You could get one from him.”

  Tom’s eyebrows rose. “Good to know. I’ll give him a call. Now tell me, why are you all dressed up? Is there a party I don’t know about?”

  Harriet placed her hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “We’re off to Hannah’s school break-up.”

  Tom looked over and locked eyes with Harriet. “Of course. Well I better not hold you up.”

  “You should come over for dinner,” Abbie suggested as he stood. “So we can welcome you properly to the area.”

  Tom looked between the women. “I don’t want to impose.”

  “You wouldn’t be,” Lachie said. “You’d be welcome a
nytime. What about Sunday night? Mum always cooks a roast on Sunday.”

  Harriet gulped as Tom turned back to her.

  “Yes, come over Sunday night. It would be lovely to catch up some more,” she said.

  He nodded. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  The men shook hands again in goodbye and the group moved past him to continue on their way to the school hall.

  “Grandma?” Hannah asked. “Is that your boyfriend?”

  “What?” Harriet halted abruptly.

  Hannah shrugged. “He seems really nice and he looks at you in that way.”

  “What way?”

  “The way Daddy stares at Mummy, like he loves her,” she said innocently.

  Abbie and Lachie shared a look and acted like they couldn’t hear anything, even though Harriet was sure they could.

  “He’s just an old friend, sweetheart,” Harriet said. “I don’t think he loves me.”

  But the niggling sensation stayed with her for the rest of the evening.

  Maybe there was still something between them. Maybe it had just been dormant all this time, waiting until they were reunited.

  Maybe, with a little Christmas magic, they would be able to pick up from where they had left off that day at boarding school.

  Chapter Five

  The thing about living in small towns was that you were always bumping into people you knew. Julia Creek had been Harriet's home all her life, and she had attended more weddings, christenings, and funerals than she cared to remember.

  Attending the annual Julia Creek School’s end-of-year break-up was no different. As Abbie and Lachie delivered Hannah backstage with the rest of her classmates, Harriet stopped to chat with friends and acquaintances. Most, like herself, were now grandparents, come to watch their grandchildren perform.

  Lachie, Darcy, and Noah had been home-schooled in their primary years, then they had gone away to boarding school. The children enrolled in the local school lived in town or at least on the bus route. Brigadier Station was neither so Hannah would be home-schooled in the new year, making this event even more special for the family.