Outback Sisters Read online

  ‘Logan,’ he offered with a smile. ‘Nice to meet you. This fish looks amazing.’

  ‘Wait till you taste it.’ She flicked long brown hair that probably should have been tied in a ponytail over her shoulder and grinned at him. ‘Enjoy. And let me know if you guys need anything else.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Yeah, thanks, Tegan,’ Simone added as she picked up her fork. She looked back to him as the waitress retreated. ‘So, are most of your articles light-hearted like the rural dating one? When you said you were a rural reporter I was thinking about things like the live-export trade crisis and the closure of Aboriginal communities.’

  ‘I’ve covered both of those stories extensively. I even flew to Indonesia when the live-export problems were rife. But I like to mix up the serious with the human interest stories.’

  ‘That makes sense. I’ll be honest, I rarely listen to the news or read the papers because most of what I see when I do depresses me.’ She twisted some strands of fettuccine around her fork and lifted it to her lips.

  ‘I know what you mean. To be fair though,’ he continued, ‘the outback dating one was more serious than it sounds. So many rural towns are shrinking rapidly and many have way more men than women, which is a real problem—not only for communities as a whole but for men’s mental health. Online dating might seem a little desperate to some, but it’s the only hope many of these isolated farmers have.’

  She nodded seriously. ‘I’ve seen that first-hand. Until recently I was worried about my cousin Adam becoming one of those statistics. And it’s not just men. I’ve been widowed for ten years and it’s hard enough to meet people, let alone when you have kids. Add living in a small town to that and it can make things nearly impossible. And then there’s my younger sister, Frankie.’

  ‘She’s single too?’ The question slipped out before he knew what he was saying. He hoped he didn’t sound too eager.

  ‘I guess the right man just hasn’t come along yet, but she’s so great. A new cop came to town last year and I thought maybe … but he hooked up with a friend of ours.’ Simone sighed. ‘At least she’s in a social job, being in the café, and could in theory meet new people there.’

  ‘Yes, whereas, since his engagement ended, Angus is practically a hermit. We could be living up north on some remote station and he’d probably meet more people than he does currently.’

  ‘Not a social butterfly then?’ Simone asked, smiling as she took another sip of wine.

  Logan shook his head. The only new women Angus ever met were the roustabouts or wool classers who came to their property with the shearing teams and even if he wanted to make an effort, they’d probably be too young.

  ‘So Frankie and Angus both need to be more proactive.’

  ‘Like us you mean?’ He couldn’t help looking at Simone and thinking how different she seemed in person to online. It wasn’t a bad thing … he liked this Simone as well, but she’d been a lot more chatty over the internet. A lot more forthcoming.

  ‘Exactly.’ She slipped another forkful of creamy pasta into her mouth, reminding him he too should start on his meal before it went cold.

  ‘This is better than I imagined,’ he said after a few mouthfuls.

  ‘Told ya.’ Simone smiled victoriously. ‘What’s the most recent article you’ve written?’

  ‘I’ve just submitted a big feature to The Australian on wind-farming.’

  Her eyes lit up. ‘Ooh, now that’s a contentious issue around here at the moment. I hear there’s a big renewable energy company trying to lease land off local farmers. I’m fascinated. Are you for or against?’

  While finishing his mouthful, Logan deliberated what to say. He’d had numerous arguments with Angus over the last few months about this very issue and he didn’t want to get into another one on a first date. Having said that, he wasn’t the type of guy to hold back his opinion.

  ‘I don’t think it’s as black and white as some people want to believe,’ he began. ‘As with most things, there are advantages and disadvantages, but in this case I think the benefits far outweigh the negatives. The turbines can provide an additional income for farmers, which can help in times of drought. There’s also community benefits—employment and ongoing maintenance. Not to mention tourism.’

  She smiled and nodded.

  ‘Sorry, I’m probably boring you half to death.’

  ‘On the contrary.’ She lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a sip before adding, ‘I’m enjoying myself immensely. You don’t know how starved I am for adult conversation. Most of my time is spent stopping my teenage daughters from killing each other.’

  Logan chuckled, recalling all too well the numerous fights he and Angus had gotten into as teenagers—neither of them backing down until blood was spilled, bones were broken or one of their parents physically dragged them apart. Like most siblings, they had a love-hate relationship. Angus was both his best friend and his worst enemy.

  ‘So what do you think about wind farms then?’ he asked, trying to forget about Angus and enjoy Simone’s company. Just because his brother was intent on living the life of a recluse, didn’t mean Logan should feel guilty about getting out and enjoying himself.

  ‘I actually think the turbines themselves are rather beautiful,’ Simone confessed, ‘but to be honest I don’t know enough about them to make an informed decision. I have heard they can be damaging to local wildlife or even hazardous to humans. Do you think there’s any truth in that?’

  ‘I’ve interviewed people on both sides of the fence and I visited a few of the more established Australian wind farms and, in most cases, from what I saw, the livestock weren’t affected at all. In fact, cows seem to love wind turbines.’

  She raised her eyebrows but her smile said she found this amusing. ‘You’re a cow whisperer as well now, are you?’

  ‘No.’ He laughed. ‘But I have got photographic evidence of cows and their love affair with wind turbines.’

  ‘Show me,’ she demanded, leaning forward and giving him a glimpse of her cleavage.

  ‘With pleasure.’ He swallowed and then whipped out his phone, scrolling back to some of the photos he’d taken while researching the story. They leaned towards each other as he showed her his favourite shot of a black and white heifer rubbing herself affectionately against the great pole of a wind turbine.

  ‘Aw, she’s adorable,’ Simone said, her voice full of warmth. ‘Still, no offence to cattle, but how would they know if the turbines were affecting their health? They’re not exactly the smartest creatures on the planet, are they?’

  ‘If I was a cow, I’d take offence to that.’ With a grin, Logan put his mobile back in his pocket. ‘Plenty of scientific studies have been conducted around wind as a renewable energy and there’s not yet been any evidence found to link the turbines with adverse health effects on humans or animals.’

  ‘It certainly sounds like you’ve done your research. Maybe you should become a politician, you can be very persuasive.’ She smiled at him as she twisted some more pasta onto her fork.

  He laughed. ‘If I can’t persuade my own brother to consider wind-farming on our property, I doubt I’d ever be able to convince strangers of the benefits.’

  ‘You want to lease your land for wind-farming?’

  He simply nodded. In addition to all the reasons he’d listed to Simone, his recent diagnosis meant he had other personal reasons for pursuing an alternative source of income for the family farm, but he wasn’t about to share that with her yet.

  ‘And why is your brother so opposed to it?’

  Logan shook his head. ‘Fuck knows why Angus does or thinks anything.’ Then he cringed and hit her with a sheepish smile. ‘Sorry. Language.’

  She laughed. ‘It’s okay. I’ve been told I swear worse than a shearer.’

  ‘But I bet no-one cares when someone as gorgeous as you curses.’

  She blushed. ‘My mum cares. She reminds me constantly that I’m not too old for her to was
h my mouth out with soap.’

  He grimaced at the thought, almost able to taste the soap himself. ‘She never actually did it though, did she?’

  ‘Hell yeah, she did. First time I was about seven. All I said was “bloody” and she marched me into the bathroom and practically shoved the whole bar of Lux into my gob. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson but I can’t help it. I like the way curse words sound on my tongue. Didn’t yours ever do the same? Or were you a good boy with a clean mouth back then?’

  He couldn’t reply; he was too busy laughing at the image of a feisty little redheaded girl with a whole cake of soap in her mouth.

  ‘It’s not funny,’ she protested, although her tone said she disagreed. ‘In fact I think it constitutes child abuse.’

  ‘I’m sorry, you’re right,’ he conceded, shoving the last piece of his fish into his mouth to stop from cracking up again.

  ‘Thank you.’ She nodded her approval. ‘So do your parents still live on the farm as well then?’

  He almost choked on his snapper. ‘My parents are both dead,’ he reminded her when he’d swallowed. They’d had the family discussion quite early on in their emails. Simone had shared hilarious tales about her sister, her two daughters, her runaway father and her mother, who’d finally found love in a second marriage and now lived in Perth. And, in turn, he’d spilled his whole sorry life story as well.

  ‘Right. I’m sorry.’ She blinked, her cheeks turning crimson. ‘I knew that. I feel terrible for bringing it up. It’s just—’

  ‘It’s all right. Easy mistake.’ He forced a smile, trying to relax her again. ‘We’ve covered a lot of ground in a short time. Can I get you another glass of wine?’

  ‘Yes, thanks. That’d be great.’

  ‘I’ll be right back.’ Silently cursing himself for making her feel bad about her faux pas, Logan pushed back his seat and headed off to the bar. The fifteenth anniversary of his mum’s death had passed a couple of months ago and his dad had been dead well over a decade, but whenever someone asked him about his parents, he still felt a sharp spear of grief to his heart. He guessed it might always be that way.

  He ordered another chardonnay and then, vowing to get the conversation back on track, he returned to the table and smiled at Simone as he handed her the glass.

  ‘So … why’d you join online dating?’ he asked.

  * * *

  Frankie had finally succumbed to sleep on Simone’s couch, but woke just after eleven o’clock to the sound of the front door opening. Her nieces had deserted her but the television still flickered in the corner. Lifting the remote, she muted the already low sound as her sister walked into the room. One look at Simone’s face told Frankie the night had been a success.

  ‘Hi, little sis,’ Simone said, throwing her handbag onto the floor and squeezing in next to Frankie on the couch. ‘Good night?’

  ‘Not as good as yours by the sound of things.’ Frankie sat up, yawned and psyched herself up to hear about Simone’s night. How the tables had turned. Simone had married her high-school sweetheart young and already had Harriet by the time Frankie started flirting with the opposite sex. So many times, Frankie had called her big sister in the early hours of the morning and shared the highs and lows of her relationship rollercoaster, desperate for Simone’s sage advice. Not that it had helped in the end.

  ‘Were the girls good?’ Simone asked, also stifling a yawn.

  Frankie nodded. ‘We ate and then Harriet went off to her room and Grace and I watched a few episodes of Outlander. I must have fallen asleep and I guess she went to bed. I’ll go check on them.’

  Simone grabbed hold of her arm as Frankie attempted to stand, pulling her back onto the couch. ‘They’ll be fine. They’re not babies. I’ll check in a moment. Sit with me a while. I’m too psyched to sleep just yet.’

  ‘Okay.’ Frankie didn’t really want to hear her sister rave about Logan. Any other guy and she’d be over the moon that Simone was getting herself out there again. Ten years was a long time to be alone and just because Frankie was in an extended dating drought, didn’t mean she didn’t want her sister to find happiness. Guilt tightened her chest.

  ‘Aren’t you going to ask me how it was? What he was like?’ Simone was practically bouncing in the seat.

  ‘How was it?’ Frankie feigned enthusiasm. ‘What was he like?’ Of course, she already knew the answer to the latter question. In the few moments she’d spent with him, she’d seen enough to know that Logan Knight was like no other guy. They mightn’t have shared the world’s longest conversation but, be it female intuition or whatever, she knew he was much more than a hot body and a handsome face. ‘Did he wonder why you spent so long in the toilet?’

  Simone tried to scowl but couldn’t bring herself to do so. ‘Oh, I honestly don’t know where to start. I’ve had the best night in forever.’ She leaned back against her cushions and positively beamed. ‘We shared a piece of apple pie.’

  ‘What?’ That made Frankie sit up straight. ‘But you won’t even share dessert with me.’

  Simone laughed. ‘I know. This was worth the sacrifice.’

  Frankie felt a little sick. ‘Did he, like … feed it to you?’

  ‘No, nothing like that. We had two spoons, but they did clink occasionally and it just felt … intimate. He’s such a spunk, which of course you know.’ Simone nudged Frankie like this was hilarious.

  She nodded half-heartedly. The thought of Logan and Simone sharing dessert reminded Frankie of the kiss. Had Logan mentioned it? She couldn’t bring herself to ask for fear of heat rising in her cheeks, giving her ridiculous feelings away.

  ‘But there’s such depth to him too,’ Simone added. ‘We had a fascinating conversation about his work. He’s a really intelligent guy.’

  ‘I guess the question is—’ Frankie felt like it needed to be asked ‘—if he’s so perfect, why does he need a dating site?’

  Simone was quiet a moment, then, ‘I take your point, but he travels a lot for work and while that means he meets his fair share of women, long-distance relationships aren’t a walk in the park. You and I both know how hard it is to meet people.’

  ‘The right people anyway,’ Frankie agreed, thinking of her last attempt at serious. What a train wreck that had been. Stop being such a wet blanket. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not trying to rain on your parade, I’m just tired. It’s been a long week.’

  ‘That’s okay. I’m actually exhausted too. It was hard to keep up my side of the conversation without slipping up and sounding like I didn’t know something I should.’ Simone groaned. ‘At one point I asked him if his parents still lived on the farm and he reminded me they are dead.’

  ‘Oh God. The poor bloke. You didn’t?’

  ‘It’s not my fault. I didn’t know! I honestly wished the floor would open and swallow me. I felt terrible and of course I couldn’t ask for details because, well …’

  Frankie nodded. ‘Yes, I see your dilemma. So, are you going to see him again then?’

  ‘Is the Pope Catholic? I’m not going to let a man like him slip through my fingers. I know it seems sudden but everything happens for a reason and I don’t want to be alone forever. Besides, I owe it to the girls to give it my best shot. He’s away next week covering some event in Broome but then he’ll be back on the farm for a few days. We’ve arranged to have lunch at the café.’

  ‘My café?’ Frankie’s stomach flipped at the memory of exactly what had happened in her café that afternoon.

  Simone frowned. ‘Of course—it’s the best around, isn’t it? So I’ve got just over a week to do my research. I’m studying Logan Knight and I plan on topping the class. An A-plus for me, little sister. You want to help?’

  ‘What? How?’

  ‘You can be my study partner, read through our emails as well, in case I’ve missed anything vital.’

  Frankie felt as if she’d already read enough. ‘Did he say much about his brother at all? Maybe we can double date.’ She forced a la
ugh at the thought.

  ‘Oh yes, his name’s Angus—but don’t go getting your hopes up. He sounds like a bit of a grump. I’ll have to engineer a meeting and check him out before I consider setting him up with my best sister.’

  Although Frankie appreciated Simone’s sentiment, the phrase ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ immediately came to mind. Besides, if Angus shared the same DNA as Logan, he couldn’t be that bad. Could he? ‘Thanks,’ she said, although she felt anything but thankful.

  ‘But hey, if he’s not a possibility, maybe you could sign up to online dating as well? It worked for me, right?’

  The mere thought made Frankie’s skull pound. Simone seemed to have forgotten that it wasn’t even her who had done the work—three hours ago she’d been threatening to murder her daughters for it. Deciding it was time to make a move, she stretched her legs out in front of her. ‘I’d better be going. I’m glad you had a good night.’

  ‘You can’t go yet,’ Simone objected. ‘Why don’t you stay the night? We can grab a bottle of wine, take it into my bedroom and start our study routine. First thing is finding out when and how Logan’s parents died. I’m interested in his relationship history too. Did you know he was married?’ Simone didn’t give Frankie the chance to reply before continuing, ‘Of course you didn’t. You spent even less time with him than me. He must have been quite young when they tied the knot. I wonder what happened?’

  Frankie stood. Although she was curious to learn more about Logan, she decided that for self-preservation, it was better to keep her distance, so she yawned again. ‘I’m sorry, I’m stuffed, maybe another night. I’ve got an early start at the café and the cats will be climbing the walls as I haven’t been home since this morning.’

  Simone shrugged, dismissing this excuse. ‘They’ve got each other for company.’

  ‘Unfortunately they haven’t yet worked out how to open the cat food,’ Frankie said, her tone firm. She leaned down and kissed her sister on the cheek. ‘See you tomorrow?’ Rarely a day went by where they weren’t in each other’s pockets.