Breaking The Drought Read online

  Breaking the Drought

  Lisa Ireland

  www.escapepublishing.com.au

  Breaking the Drought

  Lisa Ireland

  When a smooth-talking, sophisticated city girl comes striding into town on her stiletto heels, he’s the last person who wants to notice…

  When Jenna McLean gets roped into attending a matchmaking ball in a small country town, she holds no illusions of meeting the man of her dreams. A no-nonsense magazine editor, Jenna doesn’t believe in leaving love to chance, which is why she’s developed Marriage Material – a fool-proof framework for husband hunting. Shearers and farmhands need not apply.

  Sheep grazier Luke Tanner has met women like Jenna before, and knows not to waste his time. With the drought dragging on and bushfire season around the corner, the last thing he needs is a spoiled city girl like Jenna adding to his problems. He’ll help out with the ball because it’s good for the community, but he won’t dance, he won’t flirt, and he definitely won’t be matched.

  It’s been a long dry season, but everyone knows when it rains, it pours.

  About the Author

  Although born and bred in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Lisa has always been a country girl at heart. After graduating from university, her love of horses, cattle dogs and tumbling-down farmhouses led her to accept a teaching position at a small school in rural Victoria. A flood, a bushfire, and countless snakes taught her there was more to life on the land than fluffy sheep and home baked scones! Lisa hopes her stories reflect the deep admiration she has for rural communities. She will never forget the hospitality she was shown as a wide-eyed city slicker, new to life in the bush.

  Lisa now lives in a small coastal town and spends her days dreaming up stories as she walks along the beach. (Don’t tell her husband — he thinks she’s there to watch him catching waves.) When not writing, reading or conducting conversations with characters in her head, Lisa is busy being mum to her three boys and trying her best to train her impossible but adorable Labrador.

  You can visit Lisa at http://www.lisairelandbooks.com, find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lisawritesromance, and follow her on Twitter @LisaIreland66.

  Acknowledgements

  Many people had a hand in bringing this book to life.

  My heartfelt thanks to:

  Kate Cuthbert (for saying yes!) and all the team at Escape for being so lovely to work with.

  My fantastic editor, Julia Knapman, for holding my hand through the editing process.

  Ligia Pelosi, who believed in this story from the beginning. Without her I would have given up at the first hurdle.

  Amanda Knight for sharing all the highs and lows, and being a wonderful critique partner.

  Carmen Vicos for reading endless drafts and revisions.

  Cate Ellink and Janette Radevski for their thoughtful insights and ongoing support.

  Rachael Johns for never being too busy to answer my many questions.

  Justin O’Brien for giving me an insight into CFA operations.

  Romance Writers of Australia. Without this organisation I would still be dreaming about writing a book someday.

  My friends at Western Women Writers, for all the support and encouragement over the years (and the cakes!).

  All my Facebook friends and Twitter followers for providing me with help whenever I asked, and for being an awesome cheer squad.

  Extra special thanks to my boys, Charlie, Will and Alex for being my biggest fans.

  Finally, to my husband, David, for the technical support, the suggestions (strangely no ninja scenes made it into the final draft, but thanks anyway!) and for all the little things you think I don’t notice, but I do.

  For my mum, Lorraine, who always believed in me,

  and my dad, Kevin, who taught me to dream big.

  Contents

  About the Author

  Acknowledgements

  From the Editor

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing…

  From the Editor

  Dear Reader,

  With the wedding season upon us, conversation in the Gloss office has turned to love and marriage. The general consensus around the water cooler is the two go hand in hand.

  Me? I’m not convinced that love is a vital ingredient in a successful marriage. In fact, I would argue that using romantic love as the main criteria to bind yourself to another person for the rest of your life is simply foolhardy. Of course, my view is not a popular one here in the office. I’m pretty sure I heard the words ‘Wedding Grinch’ being uttered by a co-worker yesterday.

  You might be wondering, if not love, then what?

  So glad you asked!

  The Urban Dictionary defines marriage material as a person who you think would make a good spouse for you.

  No mention of the L-word.

  Marriage is a contract, a lifetime commitment and, in my opinion, not something to be entered into lightly. Is it really the best idea to base one of the most important decisions of our lives on the strength of thumping hearts and tingling skin?

  Any potential spouse of mine will need to meet a few basic criteria before I’m prepared to think about signing on the dotted line. To that end I’ve developed a checklist. My colleagues and friends think I’m crazy, but I think I’m being pragmatic.

  Marriage Material — My Ideal Man

  1.Is seeking a lifetime commitment

  2.Has a desire to have children

  3.Has No Baggage

  4.Is ambitious

  5.Must have a secure income

  6.Is prepared to support my career

  7.Does not gamble, smoke or drink excessively

  8.Keeps fit and eats healthily — preferably a vegetarian

  9.Is not afraid of housework

  10.Must love cats (dog lovers need not apply)

  What do you think? Log onto www.glossmag.com to vote in our Hearts or Heads poll, have your say on the Gloss Facebook page, or tweet us your thoughts using the hashtag #GlossHeartOrHead.

  Looking forward to hearing your thoughts,

  Jenna x

  Jenna McLean

  Editor

  Chapter 1

  ‘Jerk alert at twelve o’clock!’

  Jenna McLean looked up to see what her friend, Brooke, was talking about and instantly regretted her action. Her eyes locked on Simon Travers, her ex-fiancé, as he walked into the bar arm in arm with his latest conquest. Jenna gulped her martini and prayed he hadn’t seen her.

  No such luck. Simon and Alyssa made a beeline for their table.

  ‘Rumour has it they’re engaged,’ Brooke whispered.

  Jenna raised her eyebrows but said nothing as Simon approached.

  ‘Jenna!’ Simon said, planting kisses on both her cheeks.

  Jenna’s eyes flitted to Alyssa’s left hand. Sure enough, a large, square-cut diamond adorned her wedding finger. Jenna was dismayed to feel tears pricking her eyes. Brooke was right, Simon was a jerk, and she certainly didn’t want him back. But six months ago she had wanted nothing more than to be Mrs Simon Travers. That dream had come to an abrupt end when she had come home early one evening and discovered him entertaining Alyssa — in his underwear.

&
nbsp; ‘How are you, Simon?’ Jenna did her best to inject a disinterested tone into her voice.

  ‘Great,’ Simon replied. ‘Actually, I have to confess I hoped I might find you here. Good to see you’re still reliable.’

  Predictable was what he meant.

  ‘What do you want?’ she asked.

  ‘I, or rather we, have some news. I wanted to tell you in person, before you heard it on the grapevine.’

  ‘That you and Alyssa are getting married?’

  ‘We’re engaged, yes. How did you know?’

  ‘I’m the editor of a magazine that thrives on gossip, Simon. I have my sources.’

  Simon looked at Brooke pointedly before returning his attention to Jenna. ‘I suppose you have.’

  ‘Congratulations,’ Jenna said. ‘I’m very happy for both of you. Now if you’ll excuse me…’

  ‘I wanted to give you this.’ Simon handed her a silver envelope.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘An invitation to our engagement party next Friday night. No hard feelings, eh?’

  Jenna was speechless. No hard feelings? Did he seriously think she was going to celebrate his engagement after what he had done? And it wasn’t as if he cared about her feelings. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that. No, Simon Travers knew that it didn’t pay to have the editor of one of Australia’s most popular women’s magazines offside.

  Brooke’s voice broke into her thoughts.

  ‘What a shame, Jenna. That’s the weekend we have the thing on,’ she said.

  Thing? What thing?

  Brooke gave an almost imperceptible shrug of her shoulders, sending her the signal to just play along.

  ‘Oh yes…the thing.’ Oh God, could she be any less convincing?

  Simon raised his eyebrows. ‘What thing would that be?’

  Brooke fished in her bag and pulled out a ragged piece of paper. ‘The Barlow Bush Blokes’ Ball,’ she said, placing the flyer on the table near Jenna.

  Simon laughed. ‘This doesn’t sound like your scene, Jenna. I can’t imagine you in the bush.’

  ‘Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.’

  He smiled and clasped Alyssa’s hand. ‘Well, the invitation’s there if you change your mind. We’ll leave you to your drinks.’

  ‘Snake,’ Brooke hissed at Simon’s back as he and Alyssa made their departure.

  Jenna sighed. ‘A soon to be married snake.’

  ‘You’re not going to let that worry you, surely?’

  ‘It’s not that I want him back, but I feel like I’m standing still while the rest of the world is running past me.’

  Brooke furrowed her brow. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I’m 27 years old. Looks like the plan to have my first child before 30 is out the window. Not only am I not married, I don’t have a boyfriend or even the prospect of one. I’m destined to be a lonely little old lady with 14 cats.’

  Brooke burst out laughing. ‘Oh Jenna, don’t be so melodramatic. You really need to lighten up and stop trying to control every little aspect of your life.’

  ‘What’s wrong with being in control?’

  Brooke shrugged. ‘You don’t seem to be having much fun lately, Jen. That stupid Marriage Material list is half your problem. You can’t go around interviewing men for the job of spouse. If you just relax a bit and enjoy yourself then maybe you’ll meet The One.’

  Poor Brooke. She was still under the naïve assumption that romantic love was the secret to a happy marriage. Jenna was under no such illusion.

  ‘I don’t “interview” them. I just complete a little mental checklist. If they don’t measure up I’m not going to waste my time or theirs. I’m simply being pragmatic.’

  ‘So how many ticks did Simon get?’

  Jenna sighed. She’d been waiting for Brooke to bring this up ever since the break up. ‘He was almost the perfect fit on paper.’ She shrugged. ‘Look, I never said my system was foolproof, but just because it didn’t work out with Simon doesn’t mean I’m ready to give up on finding a perfectly compatible partner. I know the head over heels thing doesn’t pan out in the long run. I can’t see what’s wrong with planning for long term happiness.’

  Brooke rolled her eyes. ‘Sounds like hard work to me. Maybe you should take a break from husband hunting for a while and have a little fun. I think the Bush Blokes’ Ball is exactly what you need.’

  Jenna shook her head. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not actually going to go to a ball in some backwater town.’

  ‘Why not? Maybe a dose of down-to-earth country hospitality is just what you need to get your groove back.’

  ‘You’re kidding, right?’ Jenna asked.

  ‘No, I’m not. I printed out the flyer especially for you. I was about to tell you about it when The Snake rudely interrupted us. I’m going to that ball and so are you. I think a little cowboy action is exactly what you need right now.’

  ‘Cowboy action? I don’t think we have “cowboys” in Australia.’

  ‘Hot young graziers, then. Cattlemen. Call them what you like. In my fantasy they’re all cowboys.’

  Jenna laughed. ‘Fair enough, but I’m still not convinced this is a good idea. Can you honestly see me in the country? I mean, what would I wear? And isn’t it dangerous out there?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘You know, snakes — actual snakes, not those of the human variety — spiders, creepy-crawlies.’

  Brooke rolled her eyes. ‘Barlow’s hardly the outback, Jenna. It’s not like we’d be camping or anything primitive like that. We’ll stay in a hotel and there’s a black tie ball. That sounds pretty civilised to me.’

  ‘What about Cocoa?’

  ‘You’re not bringing her, if that’s what you mean. I’m sure it won’t kill the precious Miss Cocoa to spend a few nights in that upmarket cattery you used when we went to Thailand last year.’

  Jenna held out her hand. ‘Give me the clipping and I’ll have another look while you hit the bar,’ she said. ‘It’s your shout.’

  Brooke was right about one thing. Her life was definitely in a rut. Maybe this bush dance wasn’t such a bad idea. At least there was no danger of running into any of the usual crowd and she certainly didn’t want to be around while everyone was celebrating Simon’s impending nuptials.

  Brooke arrived back with a couple of martinis.

  ‘I guess we could go,’ Jenna said.

  Brooke broke into a grin and lifted her glass to toast. ‘Here’s to kissing cowboys.’

  Jenna shook her head. ‘No cowboys for me,’ she said. ‘That’s the last thing I need.’

  * * *

  Luke Tanner stood on the balcony of Barlow’s only pub watching the parade roll into town. A steady stream of hatchbacks and sports cars could be seen making their way down Barlow Road, leaving a cloud of yellow dust in their wake. It was quite a sight; the old road hadn’t seen that much traffic in years.

  Luke thought Maggie was mad when she came up with the idea of the Bush Blokes’ Ball. ‘I can’t imagine too many city girls coming all the way out here for a ball, Maggie,’ he’d said.

  But she wasn’t taking no for an answer. If there was one thing he’d learnt about his sister-in-law over the past six months it was how determined she was.

  ‘They’ll come,’ she said. ‘It’s all a matter of marketing.’

  ‘Even if they do, I can’t see too many of them settling for a life here with a Barlow bloke.’

  ‘I did,’ she reminded him.

  All thoughts of arguing his case evaporated as Luke studied her face for any sign of emotion, but her grief was well hidden.

  ‘We need to do something, Luke,’ she said. ‘This town needs people. Five families have left the district in the past six months. The school’s facing closure and half the shops in the main street are empty. This place will be a ghost town if we don’t do something soon.’

  Luke shook his head. ‘Bloody drought.’

  ‘We can’t
change Mother Nature, but we can do something positive to save the town,’ Maggie said.

  In no time Maggie had sorted out a website, placed advertisements in the Melbourne papers, persuaded the locals to sign up as ‘bachelors’ or volunteers and even managed to get herself some airtime on a city radio program. Even so, Luke had never imagined the plan would be so successful. Every ticket to the ball was sold, every room at the pub and the local B&B was booked and there were even girls billeted with local families. Now the day of the ball had arrived and Luke had to admit, Maggie was a marketing genius.

  He made his way downstairs and onto the pub’s wide veranda where the registration table was set with nametags and welcome packs. Looking at Maggie sitting behind the table no one would ever guess that she was almost eight months pregnant, but as Luke approached she stood up, revealing her basketball-like stomach. She stretched then placed both her hands on the small of her back and grimaced.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘I’m just fat, that’s all.’

  ‘We can handle this if you need to rest.’

  ‘And miss all the fun? You have to be kidding, Luke.’ She winked at him. ‘Besides, I’m the event co-ordinator. I’m sure you can’t manage without me.’

  Luke smiled. ‘Well, maybe not. But just take it easy, okay?’

  Maggie nodded and shooed him off to help the first arrivals with their luggage.

  The main street was filled with sporty little cars that had no business being in the bush. Luke set his sights on the car furthest from the pub and headed towards it.

  For the first time in his life he noticed a pair of women’s shoes. Bright orange platforms made their way out of the yellow Volkswagen as he approached. The shoes were fastened to the wearer’s feet by the tiniest of straps. Luke stared at them, wondering how anyone could manage to stand upright, let alone walk, in anything so impractical.

  When the car’s occupant emerged, Luke found himself transfixed. The shoes belonged to the most extraordinary woman he had ever seen. She wore a tiny pair of shorts and some sort of fancy cape thing as a top, the likes of which Luke had never encountered. Her clothes certainly weren’t like anything he’d ever seen Maggie wearing, or any of the local women for that matter.

 
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