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Wazza studied Kee over the rim of his glass, blue eyes heavy and earnest. She watched as his gaze traced over her bare shoulders and down the line of her dress. She was suddenly absurdly glad she’d decided to throw this summer dress into her bag at the last moment. And also, absurdly glad she’d decided to wear it tonight for their dinner together. The hungry look Wazza had thrown at her as he came through the door earlier tonight had made her skin tingle, and she’d plucked self-consciously at the flirty hem of her dress which only came half-way down her thighs. It might be the last time she got to wear a pretty dress for a handsome man, and she didn’t regret her impulse in the slightest.
Dragging her gaze away from his, Kee heaved a huge sigh. “I don’t know how I’m going to repay everyone for their kindness,” she said. “I mean Daniella has given me so much, and you—”
“You need to get over this guilt trip thing you have going.”
“What?” She’d been going to add that Wazza, too, had given her so much, but he’d interrupted her before she could elaborate.
He put his glass on the table. “You keep saying that you need to repay us, and maybe in the city that’s how it works. But out here, country people look after each other. They all made a decision the moment they saw you. They knew you needed help and welcomed you in with open arms. They could see that you’re one of us.”
One of them? Kee wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Because she was as unused to living in the outback as any other city girl. She latched on to the one thing she knew made sense. “But Daniella and Steve have given me this cabin to stay in, and they’ve fed us all this gorgeous food. I don’t want to be a charity case.”
“Why not? There’s nothing wrong with needing help now and then,” he replied lightly.
His question stumped her. But when she stopped to think about it, things became clearer. It was true, her parents had always hated taking charity. Perhaps it was something to do with being immigrants in a strange country. When they’d first moved to Australia, they’d wanted to prove they could stand on their own two feet. They were a proud family and didn’t want people’s pity. She pursed her lips at him as she contemplated her family’s history.
“This is only my belief, and I might be completely wrong, but I think Daniella is doing this as much for Benni as she is for you. There are very rarely kids at the station. I think she might have a secret longing for grandchildren. I’ve never seen her quite so besotted over anyone before. There’s a softer side to Daniella that not many people see, but she really is a generous person underneath all that brusque exterior. And the same goes for Steve.”
Wazza reached across the table and lay his hand on top of hers. “You’ve brought everyone here a little bit of joy. Don’t undervalue that.”
She looked down at his large hand covering hers. Tanned, with long, strong fingers, a callus evident on his thumb. Her gaze lifted to find his locked onto her. A flood of emotion washed over her. She was going to miss him. Terribly. He looked like he was about to say something more.
Benni shattered their moment by running into the living area, a book held high above her head. “I found the one I want,” she said, placing it on the table in front of Wazza. He slowly withdrew his hand.
“My favorite,” he said with a wink and a smile. “Blinky Bill the Koala.”
“Right, let’s get you showered, young lady,” Kee said, concealing a sigh. There was no point in telling Wazza how she felt, she’d never see him again after tomorrow, anyway.
