Kirk didn’t like the sound of that, but perhaps Linda was overreacting. Surely Vanessa’s in-laws couldn’t be that bad?
And if they were, it still wasn’t up to him to sort out Vanessa’s family problems. If Vanessa came to live with him—correction, to live in his house—she’d have more problems than her in-laws. Despite the attraction between them, she wasn’t ready for a physical relationship.
And that was all he wanted.
Hugh put his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Darling, Kirk might already have someone else in mind.”
She shook her head. “You don’t, Kirk, do you? You told Phyllis you would have to look for someone.” All at once her eyes riveted on him. “I know there’s something going on between the two of you. It’s as plain as the freckles on my nose. But you’ve got to look beyond that. You’re her only hope. Don’t turn your back on her now.”
Silence rent the air, then Hugh growled, “Linda, shut up.”
Kirk heard him but knew nothing would shut Linda up when she was protecting one of her own. “That’s a low blow, Linda.” She must know not too many people would get away with saying something like that to him.
She held his gaze. “I know, but this is too important to me. And to Vanessa and Josh.”
He lifted a brow. “Are you sure you’re not trying to ease your own guilt?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “You certainly know how to give as good as you get.” Then she recovered quickly with a challenge in her eyes that reminded him of Vanessa. “So, what’s the verdict?”
Kirk looked at his friends. He loved Linda like a sister but even sisters were women who liked to manipulate men. And he knew Hugh would support his wife in this, even if he didn’t agree with her.
All this for one woman.
Vanessa looked up from making the bed and caught her breath. Kirk stood leaning against the doorjamb of the vacant motel room.
“Well done, Vanessa,” he said with a cynical twist to his lips and a hard look in his eyes that shocked her.
She frowned as she straightened. “What do you mean?”
“You must know I need a housekeeper.”
She nodded. “I know your housekeeper’s sister is sick.”
“And yesterday Martha took six months off and flew to Adelaide to look after her.” He gave an eloquent pause. “As I told Phyllis last night.”
She was puzzled. “I don’t understand. What’s that got to do with me?”
“Everything.”
She blinked. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”
He pushed away from the door and came a few steps into the room. “Last night I asked you what you were going to do about your situation and you said you were working on something. That was after you heard the news about Martha, no doubt.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Of course, I didn’t know you meant you were working on me.”
She felt her eyes go wide. “Wh-what? I wasn’t.”
“And just now with Linda, you were perfect. All that talk about cooking and cleaning and about someone with a spare room where you can board, then asking me what I thought.”
“But I didn’t mean anything by that. I was just trying to—”
“I know what you were trying to do. And it worked, as you knew it would. Linda thinks it’s the perfect solution for you to be my housekeeper for six months.”
“What!” This was ridiculous. How could Linda think such a thing? Or him?
There was something else they needed to take into account, too. “What about my son?”
“He won’t be a problem,” he said, his expression closed.
She swallowed hard. He had to know that being his housekeeper was the last thing she would want. Working for him would bring him too close. She wouldn’t—couldn’t—live under the same roof as him.
“Just forget what Linda said then.”
“I can’t forget it. She and Hugh mean a lot to me. I won’t lose their friendship because of you.”
She winced inwardly. Why was she suddenly the scum of the earth? “They wouldn’t hold it against you.”
“Really? Linda loves you like a sister. If you go anywhere else and things don’t work out, then it’s going to wreck our friendship. You know it and so do I.” His features set with absolute determination. “I won’t allow that to happen.”
The breath caught in her throat. She understood him wanting to protect his friendship with Linda and Hugh, but this wasn’t her fault. How could things get so muddled so quickly?
“I need you to start as soon as possible,” he said in clipped tones, dragging her back to the moment. “I’ll give you a couple of days to wrap up things here. I’m sure Linda will understand,” he added, his lip curling.
She hated his derision. And his unfounded accusations. She had done nothing wrong and that made angry bile rise in her throat.
She lifted her chin. “No, thanks. You can keep your job. I don’t accept charity. And I certainly don’t accept anything that’s begrudgingly given.”
A hint of something that could be admiration flickered in his eyes before vanishing. “So you’re going to tell Linda that you refused my offer then.”
She swallowed hard as she remembered her cousin’s anxiety. “That’s not fair.”
He shrugged. “I’m only telling you that I’m not going to be held responsible for upsetting Linda further or for her thinking I didn’t ask you.” His eyes didn’t leave her face. “You can go back to Sydney or not, but the job offer is there.”
But he wished it wasn’t her who needed the job, she silently inserted.
“By the way, it’s not charity,” he added. “I do need a housekeeper for six months. You’ll have plenty of privacy. Your rooms would be on the other side of the house with your own bathroom.”
Her shoulders slumped. It would have been best if Kirk did have a problem with her son. Then they’d both have an excuse not to even consider her going to live at his cattle station.
And then what?
Panic stirred in Vanessa’s chest for her son. Did she really want to drag Josh back to the city after only a few weeks away? Or to another country town? And did she want to give up all the one-on-one time she had with Josh right now? She would have to juggle every moment between work and home, time that would be better spent with Josh, at least for six more months. His childhood was too precious.
For her son she would change her
