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  ****

  Shannon thrust anger and unhappy memories aside. She’d given up allowing Eric to impact on her life anymore—except where Thomas was involved. She’d keep on lying to him about his father forever if she had to. A boy deserved to respect his dad.

  She surreptitiously watched Luke Prescott—her new boss—as they wound along the Murihuku River, past both farmland and through dense bush. She remembered a school trip up the Porakino Valley to study the bush, but she didn’t remember ever coming this far into the Longwoods.

  How had Luke met Eric? She shifted uneasily in her seat. She knew nothing about Luke except the little she remembered from school. Biting her lip, she sent up a little prayer. Please don’t let him be so certain of his own immorality he thinks he can do anything. She’d had enough of that sort to last her a lifetime, two lifetimes.

  The Luke she remembered had been a hellion teenager. Has he retained that recklessness as an adult? If he knew Eric, if they’d hung out in similar circles…Shannon swallowed the groan itching to escape. Something told her the truth. He’s willing to gamble with his life for a burst of thrilling adrenalin, too.

  Shannon took a grip on her tumbling thoughts. What does that matter? It’s got nothing to do with me. As long as my wages arrive in my bank each week, what this man does or doesn’t do has sod all impact on me or my life.

  She looked about with interest as they swung off the road onto a long gravel driveway. The Takitimu ranges appeared close enough to touch, though they were kilometers in the distance—a sign of impending rough weather according to local farmers.

  Numerous hills rolled down onto lush paddocks dotted with sheep. To the left the tops of the high hills were covered in bush while others in front of them and to the right of the now-visible house had been stripped in an attempt to convert the land into farmland. Judging by the number of sheep apparent on these hills, those attempts had not yet proved overly successful.

  Luke stopped near the large rambling farm house. Probably close to a hundred years old, the building had had a couple of additions over the years.

  Surrounded by a solid wooden fence, the massive garden and manicured lawns called to Shannon. She’d loved pottering around in her parents’ garden, but there hadn’t been much chance over the last few years. They’d lived in an apartment in central Auckland. Eric had scoffed at her attempts to have a few potted plants on their balcony.

  Perhaps I’ll be able to take my breaks out here.

  Leaning over the roof of the car, Luke pointed to the bare hills behind a number of farm sheds. “There’s twenty to twenty-five hectares up there that’s supporting only a couple of sheep to the hectare. That’s where I want to put most of the park. The farm isn’t going to miss the land and I would put in another driveway and parking area away from the house.”

  Shannon followed his pointing finger. She saw where the driveway could easily be divided to take any traffic away from the house and farm sheds.

  “Come and have some lunch and then we’ll go for a drive so you can see more closely what I want to do.”

  ****

  The lunch Marcia served was as delicious as any Shannon had sampled in Auckland’s swanky cafes, although the older woman waved aside Shannon’s praise. The atmosphere as they sat around the table in the large kitchen was so friendly and relaxed Shannon soon lost any trepidation at working for a man she suspected might be as recklessly adventurous as her husband had been.

  Glancing between the three adults she sensed their closeness, but the two children captured her attention. A little Shirley Temple look-alike watched Shannon, but made no response to her attempts to engage in conversation. An older boy, maybe six or seven Shannon guessed, dressed in pajamas and a dressing gown, was off school getting over a bout of flu, Marcia had explained. They’d eaten their meal silently and, when excused, slipped like shadows from the table to disappear into another room.

  “They’re very quiet, aren’t they?” she whispered an aside to Marcia.

  The older woman nodded sadly. “Too quiet.” She straightened her back. “But they’re improving. It’s been such a change for them.”

  Luke frowned as his gaze flashed to the door the children had disappeared through. “And it doesn’t help that I have zero parenting skills.”

  “Stop beating yourself up, lad.” His uncle’s tone suggested this advice had been issued before. “I keep telling you I wasn’t much of a father after only six months on the job. Why do you reckon you should have acquired the skills so soon when the rest of us had to muddle through for years?”

  Shannon dropped her gaze from Luke’s face at his heartfelt sigh. He believed himself less than capable of the role thrust upon him by his brother’s death. The knowledge this bothered him was another giant point in his favor in Shannon’s eyes. Eric hadn’t considered parenting worthy of any attention at all.

  Marcia ignored Luke’s obvious tension and turned to Shannon. “You’ve got a little boy yourself, I understand?”

  “I doubt you’d call him little any more. Thomas is twelve.”

  “Ahh, the beginning of those daunting years when children decide their parents are imbeciles.”

  Shannon managed a smile at the empathy in the other woman’s tone. Letting Marcia assume the angst between her and Thomas was merely teenage rebellion sounded a sensible option. I can’t risk Luke’s faith in my abilities to diminish if he discovers what a lousy job I’m doing with my son.

  Suddenly Luke rammed back his chair. “Shall we go for that drive?”

  Shannon jumped up, gathering dishes and taking them to the sink.

  “Leave those,” Marcia ordered, plucking a second load out of Shannon’s hands. “They won’t take me a moment to pop into the dishwasher. Away you go and see what Luke wants to do with this perfectly good farmland.”

  They were bouncing across the paddocks toward the hills far behind the house. “Doesn’t your aunt approve of your ideas?”

  “She’s always giving me a hard time.” Luke laughed. “She was hesitant to begin with, mostly worried about me overstretching myself financially. But I think I’ve allayed her fears.”

  Luke stopped on a knoll and jumped out. Shannon joined him as he pointed out the areas he envisioned his park would go. Shannon was soon caught up in his enthusiasm and by the time they’d stopped at other sites to discuss the possibilities she knew she was going to enjoy this job immensely.

  “There’s this one other thing.” Luke led the way back into the farmhouse, waving a casual arm at Marcia playing with the children in the lounge. He continued down a long passageway.

  “Gordon had this little addition built before he got married. Mum was adamant she wouldn’t live with her children. She insisted the house belonged to Gordon and Alice. He opened a door and ushered Shannon inside. “This annex has been empty since Mum died. There are only a couple of rooms, but if you and your son wanted to shift?” He let the question hang. “It would be part of your employment package, of course.”

  Shannon’s mouth dropped open. He’d already offered an excellent wage, now he making accommodations available as well.

  “There’s a school bus running into Riversleigh so you wouldn’t need to worry about your boy getting to school. He could catch it with Jake. It means a bit of travel time, but there are more kids even farther up the valley. It doesn’t seem to do them any harm. I don’t remember it ever bothering us when we were kids.”

  Shannon’s gaze swept around the compact kitchenette cum lounge before her wobbly legs took her to the doorway of a small bathroom, then onto a tastefully furnished bedroom.

  “There’s only the one bedroom, but I wondered whether your boy might be happy having this as his room.” Luke stretched up and hauled down a fold-up staircase she hadn’t noticed. “There is another entrance from the other end of the house, but I don’t think anyone’s used this since we were kids. Jake and Amy are too young yet.”

  Wordlessly she followed him up the ladder before sta
ggering and gasping aloud. The roof space stretched for what she imagined might be the whole length of the house with only a couple of vertical studs interrupting the flow.

  While the head space appeared less than the normal two-point-four meters, Luke was able to stand upright. Lined and carpeted, it was unlike any ceiling space she’d seen before.

  Large cupboards had been built along each wall where headspace was inadequate. Lighted by large skylights as well as a couple of dormer windows farther from where her feet were glued to the carpet, Shannon stared. What a marvelous play area this must have been when the Prescott boys were young.

  She sucked in a deep breath, holding it until her head started to swim. Has something finally gone right?

  She’d have a job, a decent-paying job she suspected she would enjoy immensely. And no more baked beans. She hugged herself. Thomas would be in heaven up here in this room. He’d not only enjoy the space, but have a sense of freedom from her—something he needed right now.

  He might even think I’ve done something right for a change. Just one little smile of pleasure or appreciation would keep her going for weeks.

  She walked over to one of the windows and looked out over the lush paddocks to the Takitimu range in the distance. Surely coming to live here would gain her son’s approval.

  Luke wandered around. “We could shift a bed up here, and reorganize the cupboard contents to make room for his gear.” He turned and faced her. “What do you think?”

  Before she answered he tacked on, “You can have complete privacy. There’s a door farther along the passage you can come and go by. You wouldn’t be bothered, unless you wanted company, of course.”

  His face darkened a little and he hurried down the stairs, expecting her to follow. “And I’m not suggesting you shift so you’ll work longer hours.” His wry expression was almost endearing. “I’m happy to have you working whatever hours you can spare. And if you’d rather stay in Riversleigh where you’re in town and closer to school…”

  “You’ve seen where we’re living at present. Do you really think I’m keen for us to spend winter there? We’d both probably end up with pneumonia.”

  A smile covered Luke’s face. “So I should see about shifting a bed up these stairs?”

  “Are you really sure? I mean, having strangers living in your house? We’ll try to keep out of your way, not impose, but Thomas—he’s not exactly as quiet as your niece and nephew.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure things will work out fine. Who knows, having an older kid around might lead Amy and Jake to come out of their shells a little.”

  Some of the warmth deserted Shannon. It was unlikely her son’s presence would contribute anything positive to those two little shadows. She bit her lip as she followed Luke back to the main part of the house.

  She prayed Thomas wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize their ability to stay here.

  Chapter Six

  “What do you mean, we’re shifting? Where are you dragging us this time?” Thomas’s belligerent demand turned into something quite different as his eyes bulged and he grabbed her arm. His voice squeaked with excitement. “We’re going home?”

  Shannon sighed and sank down onto the rickety kitchen chair. It only took seconds for the excitement to drain from his face and his normal, surly expression to return.

  “Tommy, I’ve tried to explain again and again. We cannot afford to live in Auckland.” She dragged fingers through her hair. “Why can’t you understand?” she begged. “I don’t have the money to pay Auckland rent.” She spoke slowly, but when he turned aside she jumped up sending the chair crashing to the floor.

  She grabbed his arm. “We barely exist in this dump on the benefit I’m getting. Do you think I enjoy living like this? Do you know how much I hate baked beans?” She flung his arm aside and stalked to the bench to continue boxing up their few kitchen possessions.

  With her back turned, she prayed he wouldn’t see her shaking hands. “I’ve got a job with accommodation provided and that’s where we’re going. I don’t care whether you want to come or not. You’re coming.”

  She ignored the fear clenching at her stomach. “Now go and start packing your stuff. Uncle Johnny is coming at nine in the morning to help us shift our stuff.”

  “If it’s not to Auckland, then I’m not going.”

  Shannon sucked in a noisy, deep breath. The previous niggling apprehension was nothing compared to the ice now invading her stomach and rushing to engulf her whole body. Oh God, is this ever going to change? Will he always balk at everything I ask him to do?

  Something snapped inside her. She mustn’t allow his attitude to cloud the certainty she was doing the right thing. Somehow she found the strength to turn slowly and face him.

  She forced her shaking limbs still and eyeballed him. “You know what, Thomas? You’re right. You do have a choice. You don’t have to come with me.”

  Amazed at her strong and steady voice, she reached into the back pocket of her jeans for her phone. “I’m leaving here at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. If you’d rather I ring the welfare people and have them find you a foster home, I can find their number.”

  Does he realize what it’ll do to me if he calls my bluff? I could never bear to be separated from him.

  His sullen glare stayed connected to hers. After muttering a word she wished he didn’t know, he stomped away.

  “Anything not packed when Uncle Johnny arrives will go into the rubbish.”

  Shannon held herself stiff until the door on his bedroom slammed. Funny how the only door that was able to shut easily was the one to Thomas’s bedroom.

  The bench held her upright as her body sagged and she blinked away tears of relief. But she couldn’t stop the shakes rolling up and down her body. It was the first time she’d met her son’s truculence head-on.

  Buoyed by the certainty relocation would improve their lives, she’d cracked at his belligerence and found the strength to confront him. And it had worked. It seems he doesn’t hate me as much as he thinks he does.

  Shannon flicked her hands and with a couple more deep breaths shoved herself upright. There was still plenty of work to do before morning.

  Since Luke had dropped her back at her car at Riversleigh resort, her thoughts rolled around at a million miles a minute. Shannon had immediately begun making a list to ensure they got out of here as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

  Surprised the landlord hadn’t demanded a fortnight’s rent in lieu of notice, she was even more surprised when he appeared on the doorstep, took a quick walk around, and offered her back the bond he’d demanded when she shifted in. He’d actually been pleasant and wished her well.

  Johnny promised to help with their shift—assuming he remembered and did turn up. She’d arranged Thomas’s bus transport to school from the farm starting next week and had most of her personal stuff packed by the time Thomas had slunk in from school.

  It was well after their normal dinner time when she realized she’d lost track of time.

  “I’m going for some takeaways,” she called, and trotted down to the closest fish-and-chip shop. She grinned as she waited for the order, recognizing she could afford an occasional treat now.

  For the first time in months the nagging worry of where their next meal might come from was gone. She’d forgotten how it felt not to worry about such fundamental things.

  Eric had always seemed to have plenty of money. Foolishly she’d left the finances to him, content he was providing a high-quality livelihood for them. They hadn’t wanted for anything. It had been a hell of a shock to learn he had lived on tick.

  The mortgage on their apartment was an exorbitant amount, the credit cards he flashed about were maxed to the limit, and the savings and investments he’d bragged about were non-existent. Thank God the real estate market had been buoyant and luxury apartments in the city were in high demand.

  It had taken horrendous months to finalize Eric’s affairs and clear his debts. Duri
ng those months their lives had gone from luxury living to the breadline.

  Shannon couldn’t explain to Thomas how his father lived for the moment with no thought of tomorrow—with no thought of providing for those he was supposed to love, either.

  Shannon’s illusions about Eric had begun cracking when Thomas started school. Unwilling to acknowledge Thomas required some stability in his life, Eric’s demands they continue to accompany him on his adventures provided Shannon with the first sign of his own self-absorption. Putting his son’s welfare ahead of his own wants and desires had never occurred to Eric.

  But things were going to change. She tucked the paper parcel of delicious-smelling fish and chips under her arm and jogged home. She tried not to care when Thomas slouched from his room at her call, grabbed his plate, and disappeared again behind his slammed door.

  From tomorrow onward he’d have a huge room to sulk in as much as he liked. She smiled. It didn’t have a door to slam, though.

  ****

  “Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into?”

  Shannon stared at her brother.

  “Luke was always a bit of a hell-raiser.” He scratched his unshaven chin. “I’d have thought he was too similar to Eric for you to hang around with him.”

  Shannon swallowed the doubt Johnny’s words evoked. “I’m not ‘hanging around with him,’ as you put it. I’m working for him.”

  “Yeah, but shifting into his house and all. You’ll be stuck with him. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

  She heaved up a box and practically threw it into his arms. “I don’t have much choice, do I? It’s either stay in this dump, drive for over an hour to work each day, risk dying of the cold in winter, or shift into a cozy little granny flat on the side of his house.” She wasn’t sure if her smile was a great attempt. “Hmm, hard choice, aye?”