* * *
"There's a letter here for you, Katie girl," Tilly said, placing the mail on the table in front of Kate's breakfast plate.
She looked at the white envelope and dropped her dry toast. Brushing the crumbs from her fingers, she picked it up and ran her finger under the flap, drawing out the stiff white paper. Scanning the business name at the top of the sheet, she drew in a quick breath.
She started to feel faint as the blood drained from her face. She read the letter's contents and flipped over the page to reveal the photocopied contract for her body, the contract Magnus had promised would never see the light of day. It was attached to a letter from his lawyer insisting that she continue with her part of the deal or there would be repercussions.
"What is it, love?"
"Nothing."
"Rubbish. You've gone white as a sheet, tell me," demanded Tilly as she buttered her toast.
"A feed bill. I just didn't expect it to be this much. Gave me a bit of a fright." Kate folded the sheets and put them back into the envelope away from Tilly's prying eyes. She folded it in half and slipped it into her pocket. "I'll give them a call and make sure they haven't double charged us later."
"What are you going to do about him next door?" Tilly asked. She took another bite and looked at Kate with sympathy in her eyes.
"I have nothing to say to him regarding the baby, and you know it. The water is a different story though. He's taking too much, and I have to go over the contract again to double check the figures. I might have to talk to him regarding those. It will be purely business between us, Tilly, so leave it at that, hmm."
"Your father would be horrified to hear you talking like this."
"It's his fault all of this happened." Kate was past the point of being sentimental anymore. She had come to terms with what he had done, and the thought no longer made her emotional. It was a fact, sad, but that was how she was looking at it to get her through. "I'm going to grab the file and see what the contract says before I go and give him a piece of my mind."
Kate leaned back on the pillows on her bed and scanned the document. The talk of mega liters was beyond her comprehension so she set to working it out on the computer in the corner of her room. She worked out the size of the dam and the gross holding amount and decided that if she had it right, he was allowed to take more than the dam held. Sneaky bugger. Why didn't I look into it better before I signed the damned contract?
She knew why; she was desperate and would have signed anything. It didn't seem prudent to go and measure her dam and insist that he leave her enough water for her farm, but then she didn't think that he would take as much as he had anyway. People were supposed to look out for each other in the country; that's the way it usually worked.
Now she was being called over to keep up her side of the agreement, and she had to try and talk to him about the water usage. Great. Kate didn't know if she would be able to keep her emotions under control if he insisted on sex with her again, and it seemed that was his idea or she wouldn't have this letter burning against her breast.
She jumped off the bed and threw the contract on the desk. She grumbled as she made her decision.
"I have to go and see Magnus about the water he's using," said Kate, walking out of the kitchen. "I might see if I can set up a meeting down at the dam for later today."
Her boots where at the back door and she sat on the step to pull them on. She grabbed her hat from the hook at the door and jammed it on her head before heading over to the shed and her vehicle. Kate held her hand protectively over her stomach when she slid into the front seat, careful to fasten her seatbelt. She slammed the door of her old truck and tried to calm her nerves. She loved him passionately while hating him at the same time, even though she was carrying his child. But she would not let him take over her life just so he could save himself the embarrassment of being talked about in the newspapers. She would not sell her baby and her future so he could look good in front of the press.
By the time she parked her vehicle in front of his yard, Kate's hands were slick with sweat. She could feel the trickle of nervous perspiration running between her breasts and leaned her head back on the seat to calm her breathing.
A tap on the window had her jumping in her seat, and a scream escaped her lips before she could stop it. Jock was peering at her with a worried look on his face.
"You all right, young Kate?" He opened her door.
She resisted the urge to giggle hysterically and twisted out of her seat, then stood facing him. "Yeah, I'm just fine, Jock. Daydreaming as usual. Sorry about the squeal. You scared me."
"Seems to be happening every time I see you."
"Um, is Magnus around do you know?" she asked, her nervousness giving way to a slow simmering anger that she tried hard to suppress.
"I think he's in his office," said Jock, waving toward the house as he walked away.
Kate straightened her back and took a deep breath.
