AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I can imagine,” Dale muttered. Poor Alek. He was the activities manager for the resort, plus he helped fill in any gaps if they needed help around the station. When Skylar was feeling in a mood, she’d sometimes call him the local dog’s body. Alek often liked to boast that he was the complete opposite of your typical Polish man. He was effervescent and friendly, could talk the hind leg off a donkey. Perfect for making the guests feel at home, and Dale got on well with the man. Dale sighed. It probably meant he’d be roped in to help with whatever games Alek had in mind tonight. But that might be good if Daisy joined in, as well. It’d keep her mind off being stuck here and stop her worrying about her work colleague so much. She seemed to be overly concerned about a mere workmate. But who was he to judge? Perhaps there was more to it than she was letting on. Perhaps they were sleeping together, having an office affair. The thought struck an unusual note inside his chest. A hot, heavy flame licked the inside of his ribcage. Something like jealousy. But of course, he couldn’t be jealous, he barely even knew the woman.
The timer trilled suddenly, the shrill noise making Daisy jump beside him. Skylar bent down and retrieved a tray from the oven underneath the countertop, positioning it onto the steel counter.
“Mm, my favorite. I thought I could smell these.” He reached greedy fingers toward the tray.
Skylar batted his hand away as he stretched out for one of the buttery, yellow scones. “These are for the guests,” she said, with a mock frown.
“But you always bake extra, just for me. Right?” He took off his Akubra, so he could look her properly in the eye. She wouldn’t refuse him, would she?
Daisy watched their sibling interplay silently, and he wondered what she thought of all this.
Skylar silently put two plates on the counter and then transferred two scones to each. “Don’t tell Alek I let you have these.” The frown was still settled between her brows. “Or Steve, for that matter. They’ll think I’m playing favorites and then they’ll hound me until I give them some, too.”
Dale put his arm around her and kissed her on the top of the head. “You’re the best, sis.”
Skylar didn’t reply, which was unusual, because she always had to have the last word. Instead, she glared at the cool room, as if she could burn a hole right through the metal door.
“What’s up?” he asked, troubled by the look on her face.
“What?” She glanced up at him, almost as if she’d forgotten he was still there. “Oh, it’s nothing…it’s just…”
He waited patiently while she seemed to struggle with the question of whether to tell him what was bothering her.
“You’re sure you put three packs of steaks in the cool room for me the other day?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I asked Pete to cut me thirty steaks, and I watched him wrap them up,” Dale replied. Pete was their local butcher mate, who came out to the station once a month to help them slaughter and then butcher enough cattle to keep the resort well-stocked, so they could feed the guests home-grown beef.
“And I believe you, because I saw them in there two days ago. Well, I can only find two packs in the cool room, now,” Skylar said, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “But I’m not blaming you,” she added hurriedly when Dale stood up to his full height next to her.
She better not blame him, because he was sure he’d put three packs in there, ten steaks in each pack, enough to feed all the guests and the staff for one meal, with a few extra left over just in case. And while he had been known to play games with Skylar and move things or hide them just to mess with her mind, he wasn’t responsible this time. But a pack of steaks couldn’t grow legs and walk away. They had to be in there somewhere.
“Do you want me to go and take a look?” he offered, placing the plate of scones back on the countertop.
“No, no,” she grumbled. “Never mind. It just means I’ll have to get creative with dinner tonight.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, trying, and failing, to keep the hopeful note out of his voice. The smell of those warm scones was driving him a little crazy.
“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled. “Get out of here and leave me in peace. I need to get these out while they’re hot and then start prep for dinner.” She pushed him away and glared at him, giving him her normal Skylar piercing stare. “And you’re wet, aren’t you going to change into something dry?” He’d almost forgotten how damp he was, although the air conditioning was cooling his wet clothes. He needed to change. Daisy could probably do with a change of clothes, too. He could see goosebumps rise on her forearms from the air con.
“I will. After I’ve eaten,” he promised. “Is Bindi giving you a hand with dinner?” Cooking gourmet meals for upwards of twenty-five people took all of Skylar’s time. Bindi was her sometimes-unreliable assistant cook. She helped with lunch and dinner prep, but also liked to spend as much time as she was able at the cattle yards, or up at the stables.
“Yes, she should be here in half an hour, now get going.”
Dale grabbed a knife, a jar of strawberry jam and a tub of cream from the large double-door refrigerator at the end of the counter and beckoned to Daisy. “Come with me, I know a great spot we can eat these undisturbed.” He handed her the cream and jam to carry and led the way, letting the slightly odd conversation of missing steaks fade from his mind. He could sort that problem out later.
Their wet shoes made a quiet slapping sound on the deep-red, slate tiles, also sourced from the local escapement, as he led Daisy through the maze of hallways to the family apartments at the northern end of the building.
Balancing both plates in one hand, Dale opened the door to the private living room, and poked his head through to make sure no one was there. “All clear,” he said, and ushered her into the room. Steve would be out at the yards, and his mother was probably ensconced in her office, frowning at the paperwork, or heckling Alek to organize something exciting for the guests to do in the rain.
Daisy stared, her mouth half open. “Sheesh, you guys live in an amazing place. Did you know that? Even this room is gorgeous.”
For the second time that day, Dale stopped and looked at where he lived, trying to see the room through a stranger’s eyes. Two large couches formed an L-shape; made of soft, light-brown leather, they were extremely comfortable. Four winged easy chairs, done up in ochre-toned fabric, sat in convenient spots around the room, and two woolen rugs with Indigenous designs graced the wooden floorboards. Everything led the eye to the enormous picture window that afforded a view of the rainy billabong at the bottom of the hill, and the escarpment behind it. The room felt warm and inviting, with the rain pouring down outside.
Maybe he had become a bit too blasé about the whole place. It was a good reminder how lucky he really was to be living here. He had to remember to appreciate Stormcloud for what it was. He needed to get over this attachment he’d formed with Stargazer. Forget about his thoughts to go back to America, and perhaps live with his uncle for good. When he’d first arrived in Montana, he’d been overwhelmed by how big everything was. And how luxurious the lodge and the rest of the resort was over there. He’d started to see Stormcloud as a bit basic, second-class almost. But now he understood it wasn’t second-class. It was merely understated. In typical Aussie style, everything was simple, but elegant—not overstated and flamboyant, like Americans tended to be.
Glancing over at Daisy, he thought he might even be able to get over pining for Violet, too.
Daisy had already taken a seat on one of the leather lounges and was pulling open her scone with her bare fingers. He handed her the jar of jam. “Thanks, I’m starving.” She grinned up at him, a cheeky smile, full of sudden mischief, and he glimpsed the true Daisy. The one she seemed to keep hidden behind her cool façade and her sharp tongue.
