eyes told her he didn’t believe her and his mouth thinned into a very straight line. ‘So you’ll be leaving again in the morning?’
She hadn’t been ready for his question. Her head shot up making her look more haughty than she intended. ‘Sure. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as the sun comes up.’
Standing abruptly, he crossed back to the stove and filled the teapot with boiling water from the kettle. Stella bit her lip. Callum had been hospitable and she’d been rude. ‘Do you live here by yourself now?’ she asked, trying to make amends.
‘Yes.’ He thumped the lid onto the pot.
‘How do you manage such a big property on your own?’
‘I manage. My father tried to persuade me that the property’s too big for one man. He wanted to send someone out to help me.’
‘But you refused help?’
‘I don’t want anyone else here.’ The message was loud and very clear.
‘So how do you do it all?’
Callum turned from the stove and shrugged. ‘It’s not that difficult if you’re prepared to work hard. And there are plenty of blokes looking for mustering contracts. I can hire a team of fencers if I need to.’
‘You mentioned your sisters before. Do they live in these parts?’
One of his eyebrows rose quizzically. ‘Didn’t my little brother tell you about the family?’
Stella concentrated on her food. She didn’t want to admit to Callum that there’d been disappointments in her relationship with Scott. She forced a nonchalant smile. ‘It was tit for tat. I didn’t tell Scott about my family either. We liked it that way.’
It was partly the truth. After she’d let Scott make love to her, she’d expected they would become closer in every way, that he’d begin to share more of his life with her. But the minute he’d sensed she’d been getting serious, he’d become edgy and had backed away.
Callum brought the teapot and mugs to the table. ‘My mob don’t have any secrets. Both my sisters married North Queensland graziers. Catherine lives on a property near Julia Creek and Ellie is just outside Cloncurry. They both love the bush life. They’re happy as possums up a gum tree.’
‘Do they have children?’
‘Three kids apiece.’
‘Wow. That’s quite a family. It must be crowded when they all visit.’
‘It’s great.’ His eyes glowed and he actually smiled. And Stella wished he wouldn’t. Callum Roper was far too attractive when his eyes lit up that way.
She glanced at Oscar in his cage in the corner. He was her family, the only living thing in the world that belonged to her. Apart from the baby. But the baby was invisible. Most of the time, she had trouble thinking of it as real.
Callum leaned back in his chair. ‘And I suppose you know all about our old man?’
She frowned. ‘Your father? Should I know about him?’
She was surprised when he almost laughed. ‘He would like to think so, but then, all politicians have huge egos.’
‘Politicians?’ Stella almost dropped her fork. Roper…Roper…Was there a state politician named Roper? Suddenly she remembered. Not state government. Federal. ‘Your dad is Senator Ian Roper?’
‘’Fraid so.’
‘Oh, good grief!’ In her head, she added a few swear words and the invisible cluster of cells in her body suddenly posed a whole new parcel of problems.
Just how much bad luck did a girl have to deal with? She was carrying the illegitimate grandchild of one of the country’s most outspokenly conservative politicians!
Suddenly their efforts at conversation deteriorated. It seemed neither of them had much to say. Stella’s curiosity about Scott’s family vanished. She was back in panic mode again.
After they’d eaten, he asked, ‘Are you feeling OK now?’
‘Yes, much better, thank you. You’re a great cook. Dinner was delicious.’
‘Feel free to go straight to bed.’
‘I’ll help you clean up.’
His dark brows beetled in a deep frown. ‘No, you won’t.’
She had the distinct impression that he’d had enough of being sociable. He wanted her out of the room.
‘You’re sure I can’t help?’
He nodded without speaking.
Standing slowly, she said, ‘You’ll be closing the kitchen windows, won’t you?’
He frowned. ‘I don’t usually bother.’
‘But—with Oscar in here—and the snakes and—everything.’
Callum almost grinned. ‘Oh, yeah. The snakes. OK, I’ll close the windows.’
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