Margaret Way - Outback Wives Wanted! - Wedding at Wangaree Valley / Bride at Briar's Ridge / Cattle Rancher, Secret Son

“Of course.” Guy, who had saved Alan Callaghan’s life, nodded his head on behalf of the rest of them.

The fact it had been an accident made quite a difference, Guy thought. He could see the relief neither Alana nor Kieran was able to keep out of their faces. Bypass surgery had a high success rate. With the proper care Alan Callaghan had many more years of life left. What he had to do was make huge change to his lifestyle. That was if he really wanted to live.

Alan Callaghan’s quadruple bypass was scheduled for ten days’ time. He was sent home on medication. There was no question of his touching alcohol. Alana was certain he’d make no attempt to, even when no one was around. Not that he was left on his own for any length of time. Kieran was managing the farm almost single-handedly. She devoted her time to her father watching him like a hawk, and when she took a short break Buddy, who had moved into the house from the cottage, was at hand.

“A man’s never alone for five minutes!” Alan Callaghan pretended to growl. “Can’t even go to the lavatory on my own.” It was true Buddy followed him there, on sentry duty outside the door.

The Wine Festival Dinner-Dance was to take place on the Saturday night, but Alana had no thought of going. She had to be home with her father. She was going to be extremely nervous until he had his operation, and stood over him while he took his medication. Simon came over frequently—mostly to see Alana, but genuinely concerned for her father’s health.

“Surely Buddy can watch your dad for a few hours?” he suggested. “He looks all right to me. In fact much better.” That at least was true.

“There will be other dinner-dances, Simon,” she said. “Take Rose. You and she have been spending a bit of time together, I hear.”

“Bless her. She’s been a big help when I’m really busy,” Simon said quite fondly. “It’s just as you said. There’s a lot more to Rose than meets the eye.”

“Gosh, I would have thought what meets the eye was good enough for most guys,” Alana said. “Maybe Rose is having a calming influence on you? As for me—one part of me is really sorry I’m missing out, the other knows where love and duty lie.”

But her father when he found out, wouldn’t hear of her missing out on the big night. “Alana, I won’t sleep until you tell me you’re going. I’m as right as rain, my girl. Haven’t you been noticing how much better I am? Would you deprive your father of the pleasure of seeing you all dressed up and winning The Naming? Think about it. I’d be far happier seeing you go off to the ball than seeing you sitting home with me. I can watch some television. Buddy will keep me company. Buddy’s perfectly capable of keeping an eye on me. As if I need it! I can’t have you worrying yourself sick about me. I want you to go.”

Alana had a problem. She didn’t have a dress.

Kieran worked close to the homestead while Alana took a quick trip into town. There were two excellent boutiques. Maybe she could find something to fit her budget?

She was coming out of the first boutique, having tried on several lovely but too expensive garments, intending to move on to another shop to check out what they had in stock, when a well-bred but severe-sounding voice hailed her.

“You’re going to the dinner-dance, then, Alana?”

Alana spun to look into Rebecca Radcliffe’s obsidian eyes. Of all the rotten luck! “Oh, hello, Mrs Radcliffe.” Hastily she put a smile on her face. “Dad doesn’t want me to miss out.”

“How is he?” Rebecca asked, with little show of concern.

“Much better, thank you.” Alana moved into the arcade for privacy. Rebecca followed suit. “He’s due to have a bypass on the fourteenth.”

Rebecca smiled thinly. “I know. My son tells me everything. I’m not quite sure what it is you want from my son, Alana. Perhaps, since we’re on our own, you can enlighten me?”

Alana knew a challenge when she heard it. She began a slow count to ten. “Mrs Radcliffe, Simon and I have been friends since we first started carrying school bags. Friends are what we are. I thought that was understood.”

“Oh, please.” Rebecca gave a nasty little jeer. “You know, I can’t figure you out, Alana. You don’t want my son, yet you can’t bear to let him go. You give him no chance to be with other girls, you demand his constant attention, and all the time you have your eye on Guy. No, don’t attempt to deny it. I’m no fool. Guy’s one of your little secrets, isn’t he? You’ve been infatuated with him for years now. I remember as if it were yesterday you looking up at him at your eighteenth birthday. I remember his kissing your cheek. I remember how you touched it afterwards. A dead give-away to anyone watching, as I was. Guy, of course, has an understanding with your cousin, Violette. You know that. But I suppose a girl can dream. You won’t get him, my dear. Though I suppose he can’t help being fascinated. You are beautiful. A heartbreaker, like your mother. But you won’t get Guy, mark my words. There’s bad blood there.”

Alana wasn’t as profoundly shocked as she once would have been. Nevertheless, she felt as though an arrow had pierced her heart. She stared back at Rebecca’s face, with its fine, cold features, for the longest time. “How dare you attempt to defile my mother’s memory?” she said, her voice low and vibrating with emotion. “I’d have a care, if I were you. Someone might start dragging out your secrets, and I bet you’ve got a few. What are you talking about anyway? Bad blood?” The anger that was in her showed in her sparkling eyes.

Rebecca Radcliffe gave another one of her thin, hateful smiles. “You’re such a passionate creature, aren’t you?” She made it sound like a serious character defect. “I know when to keep my mouth shut. There’s plenty that has been kept hidden. Plenty that has been kept within the family. I’m family. You forget, I was married to David Radcliffe’s brother.”

Alana’s Irish temper unfortunately got the better of her. “Who seemed pretty desperate to get away from you,” she shot back, then immediately apologised. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. But I can’t stand here being insulted by you, Mrs Radcliffe. I’ve been through a pretty emotionally worrying time with my father. I won’t let you upset me further, though upsetting people is your specialty. If you’ve got concerns about Simon and me, speak to Simon. Personally, I think Simon’s big problem in life is you!”

That was all wrong, she fumed, as she rushed away. But didn’t Rebecca deserve it? Alana didn’t want to look at dresses any more. She didn’t want to go to the dinner-dance. Thoroughly upset, she kept on walking, past where she had intended to go and on to where she had parked the ute. What a dreadful woman Rebecca was. No wonder Simon lacked backbone, with a mother like that to drive him crazy. Alana was doing Rose a huge disservice, pushing her in Simon’s direction. Razor-tongued Violette was much better suited to dealing with a potential mother-in-law like Rebecca.

She had almost made it back to the ute when Guy, who was driving through town spotted her bright head. It really was a beacon, that mane, he thought—not for the first time. There was a parking spot just behind the utility. He pulled into it, getting out of the car and greeting her across the bonnet. “So—what are you doing in town?”

Her heart did its usual flip. This love of mine, she thought. This secret love of mine. “I haven’t been here for long,” she said, the tremble in her voice betraying her agitation. “I ran into Simon’s mother.”

“Aaah!” Guy expelled a long understanding breath, joining her on the pavement. “That must have been like running into an iceberg. So, what did she say?”