He shook his head and managed to grin.
He might just be the luckiest man to have found Zoe, and to have her in his life.
Don’t screw it up.
The ute bumped along the fence of the boundary line between Greenfields and the next farm owned by the McLaughlin’s. The flat land stretched out in all directions, dry and brown, yet there was a fertile vibe with the hint of green, native trees and bushes, and the cattle casually grazing, ignoring them as they rattled past. In the distance, the Flinders Ranges added a majestic landmark with their mountainous height. The sun’s rays felt hot despite it only being mid-morning. Zoe didn’t mind the heat so much, though it felt more intense, whether that was because she was further north or because she was pregnant, she didn’t know. Maybe it was a mixture of both.
Zoe didn’t mind the rough ride in the passenger seat. She didn’t wear a seat belt, and she slid around, so she had to grab at the door handle a few times. The window was down, to let in the breeze since the air conditioning didn’t work. Zoe had never felt so alive and it beat sitting at home. She enjoyed looking at the landscape of her new home. A shudder slid down her spine.Could she call this her new home?A flutter in her belly made her think that perhaps the baby could.
There were a few quick jobs she could’ve done—legal research she was employed to do working from home for her old firm in Adelaide—but she’d much rather go out and see the farm and spend time with Max. She could imagine that in a few months or so, a ride like this wouldn’t be at all comfortable. Besides, the legal work was hard to do with the reduced internet speed, and with the approach of Christmas, the tasks being sent to her had dwindled.
She hadn’t told Max this fact though, that she wasn’t going to be getting much work for the next few weeks, and she was concerned this might even extend into the new year. Zoe didn’t know how else she’d earn an income, and Max had already made it clear that money was tight. All that aside, she did have plenty of time during the day to work at something. Designing the baby’s room she knew she could do too, but while she still could she wanted to focus on doing something that would earn money. She wanted to do her bit also for their growing family.
“I’m trying to avoid the bumps,” said Max, as he drove the ute.
“Could’ve fooled me.” Zoe felt herself almost lift off the seat of the ute from the impact of hitting a rock.
“Sorry. This is why maybe you should’ve stayed home.”
“Not this again.” She turned to look at him, but he kept his attention straight ahead.
Zoe laughed.
“What the hell is so funny?”
“You. And for the record, I’m having the time of my life.”
Zoe saw a surprised look on Max’s face as he glanced at her.
“Really?”
“Yes, I am. It’s certainly more exciting than sitting at a desk all day.” She missed the intellectual challenge of her job, but the adventure out there was something more. Like seeing the snake before.
“I guess I should be happy about that.”
“Damn right you should, now stop worrying.” There was another flutter in her belly, and she put her hand there, wanting to feel the baby again. Would it look more like her or Max? Would it have his dark eyes? Or her blonde hair? Tall like him, or shorter like herself? A bit of her time was spent wondering about what the baby would look like. She couldn’t wait to meet the precious bundle.
“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” she asked.
“Ahhh… it would have to be a boy.” He slowed the ute, and turned right, following the edge of the open paddock.
“Because…?” She arched her eyebrow at him. She supposed it would be typical for a farmer to want a boy with that inheritance thing. Surely, that didn’t matter so much these days, though?
“To help me on the farm.”
I was right.She adjusted her position on the passenger seat, so she was more relaxed, the slower speed more comfortable with less bumping around.
“A girl could help you just as much,” Zoe retorted. Whenever she felt like things were going well, there was something, a comment, a niggle from Max that fueled the doubt in her mind.
Max stopped the ute. “We’re here. First water trough to check.”
“Don’t avoid my comment,” Zoe demanded. Now they weren’t moving, the airflow had diminished and she began to feel the heat of the day.
Max put on the hand brake with an effort. The ute was old, and needed to be upgraded to a newer model a few years ago. “As long as you and the baby are healthy, I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl.”
“Really?” She wasn’t at all expecting that sort of answer from him.
“Yes, really.” He reached over and put his hand on her leg. A pulse of desire shot through her skin from his touch. The heat seeped into her, melting away the doubt and the frustration that had been building within her.
