Chapter Nine
Isabella wished she’d had Sebastian’s camera in her hand to capture the priceless look on his face. The light was brighter now that the moon had risen higher, and even though his face was all planes and shadows and angles, his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. Isabella had made that provocative statement on purpose; the conversation had been way too intense.
She giggled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to jump your bones in the middle of a paddock. And besides, I’ll have you know, that when I did jump on you at the airport, that was way out of character. I’m really very quiet and shy.”
“I don’t believe that,” he said, but he laughed, too. “Bella, you can jump my bones whenever you want.”
The diminutive of her name sounded sweet in his deep and sexy voice but she demurred. “Not usually until after the second date,” she said with a grin. “And so far, we’ve only had one.” She tipped her head to the side. “And that probably doesn’t count because your family was there.”
“Okay, so tell me what counts as a date so I know how to be prepared.” A devilish light glinted in his eyes as he smiled.
She put a finger to her lips and pretended to be serious, enjoying the banter between them. “Hmm, let me see. Roses, definitely roses. Lots of roses. And definitely champagne. A huge bottle. Oh and candles are a must.”
He shook his head, and his deep laugh rang out through the still night. “Okay, so I guess the dinner at the RSL doesn’t even count as a date.”
“No, I guess it wasn’t.”
“So the pressure’s on.” His laugh was wicked but enticing. “I’ll have to start from scratch.”
His laugh kept the smile on her face. “So now we have the date bit and bone-jumping prerequisites sorted, tell me about your real proposition.”
“It’s pretty exciting. For me, at least.” Sebastian held out his hand again. “Come and we’ll find somewhere to sit, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
She took his hand, and her fingers tingled when he laced his fingers through hers as he led her to the riverbank. A grassy spot levelled out where the water came into a tiny bay.
“Do you want to sit on my coat?” He let go of her hand and began to take his leather jacket off.
“No, it’s fine. The grass is dry. And it’s a bit nippy for you to sit there in a T-shirt.” Not that she would have minded the view of muscled arms but, if all was said and done, he looked just as sexy in the leather jacket.
Isabella sat down carefully—not too close to Sebastian, but near enough to be able to hear what he was saying.
“I’ve been offered a photographic contract,” he said.
She stared at him. That was the last thing she’d expected him to say. “I thought you were committed to the farm?” She tipped her head to the side and watched as he leaned closer.
“I am. But this way it’s like having the best of both worlds. I can do it from here, from the farm, I mean. At nights and weekends. I’m going to tell Liam I won’t work weekends.”
“But on a farm don’t some things have to be done every day?” She shook her head. “I don’t know. Like feeding cattle or something.”
He laughed. “Cattle eat grass and feed themselves. But there are some chores that have to be done. I’ll have to cut a deal with Liam. A trade off.” Sebastian picked up a flat stone and threw it onto the still water of the river. It jumped three times.
“Will there be a problem?” she asked.
The smile had gone from his face. “Liam will see it as another lucky break for me. He’ll say, ‘So wonder boy has a choice photographic contract drop into his lap and expects everyone to take up the slack and work for him.’”
“Do you really need to do it?”
“You mean do I need the money?”
A flush heated Isabella’s neck and ran up into her cheeks. She was pleased it was dark. “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean if it’s going to cause trouble between you and your cousin, and there’s work to be done at the farm on weekends, do you really need to take it on?”
“Yes, taking photos is as natural to me as breathing. It’s something I need to do.” This time when he threw the stone at the water, it was with a lot more force and it sank without skipping. “And to be honest, it’s a means of getting away on the weekends once Gran and Pop come home. I don’t fancy being stuck at the farm all the time. I know they’ve handed the farm over to the four of us, but the farmhouse is still their home. It’s not home for me. I’m used to being independent.” He stopped talking and stared at her. “Hey, I didn’t mean to dump all that on you.”
“Hey, I dumped my family stuff on you. I’m happy to listen.”
“Thank you. We’re a good pair. I’ll miss having someone to dump on when you go to England.” Sebastian grinned.
“There’s always email,” she said.
“That would be nice.”
“Now what’s this job you mentioned before we got serious?”
“It’s an easy one, and it could be fun. If I’m going out in the wilds on weekends with my camera, I need a photographic assistant. How would you like to help me out?”
…
After he’d dropped Isabella back in town, Sebastian rode home with a smile on his face. She’d agreed to come out and help him when he went away for the weekends, as long as she had enough time to get the catering organised. They probably wouldn’t get a chance to go out till the wedding was over, but at least he’d see her when she was at the farm working on that. There were a couple of other reasons that made delaying the shoots more attractive. He could take his time telling Liam about the contract and work extra hard to help him get up-to-date with the farm work, and it also gave him more time to research some tips on night photography. It was a new area for him, and one he was excited about.
In the end, they’d agreed to go out the weekend after next.
The cattle grate rattled beneath the bike as he turned onto the driveway to the farmhouse, and he realised he was a lot more excited about learning how to take night photos than learning about the wheat harvest or how to fatten cattle.
But most of all, he was looking forward to going bush with Isabella. The next couple of months were going to be busy, but it was going to be fun.
What bothered him was the time after Isabella left to go to her new job, and he’d fulfilled the photography contract. He could see the years ahead on the farm stretching in front of him, and that prospect didn’t appeal at all. It was too far to get on his bike and head to the city every weekend. By the time he got there, it’d be time to turn around and come home again.
Sebastian put his motorbike away in the shed, checked on Daisy and the pups, and then headed for the house. He’d enjoyed the time with Isabella by the river. She made him laugh with her sense of humour.
As he walked into the kitchen, the flashing light on the answering machine next to the phone caught his attention. He pressed the play button and the robotic voice told him, there was one new message.
“Sebastian. It’s Gran. We’re on our way home. I tried to call Liam but he didn’t answer. Come to Narrabri Airport tomorrow at lunchtime to collect us. Please.”
Sebastian tried not to roll his eyes. At least she’d added a “please” to the royal command. He walked across to the large kitchen window that overlooked the paddocks.
The thought of living in a house with his grandparents was not one that sat comfortably with him.
I wonder if I could find a nice block of land out there and build my own place?
He shivered. That seemed way too permanent.