What was wrong with her? Just the thought of that man made her sweat and quiver in all her sensitive spots.
It was a relief when Tom arrived back with more fence posts. Libby focused on her work, pushing thoughts of Nathan aside until it was time for her to go back to the house and clean up before heading into town to pick up the kids from school.
Libby wriggled her butt in the seat as she drove back to the farmhouse. The sensations in her panties went hand-in-hand with some fantasies in her mind, which had her on the verge of drooling. Focus, girl. Disdain, not lust is how he looks at you.
Forcing her mind away from sex and the man she wanted to feel hard inside her, she gazed out at the lush, open paddocks with thigh-high grasses. It was all so different from what she was used to. Cows chewed contentedly while their calves lay in the shade of the eucalyptus trees, home to the white-crested cockatoos screeching outside her bedroom window early every morning.
“You all right, Libby?” Tom shot her side glances on the drive back to the house after their final fence wire was strung for the day.
“Yeah, just a bit hot and thirsty.” She looked out the window. And not in a good way either.
Libby only had enough time for a cool, wet cloth over her face and arms before she went to pick up the kids.
The twenty-minute drive through calm, green countryside gave her time to fantasize about what she would do if Nathan was ever nice to her instead of so damned annoying, but as her gaze took in his almost manicured paddocks next to hers, she gave up. It would never happen. They were so different.
She parked under a shady tree by the school gates, and hurried to Holly’s classroom. Standing with another mother, she dragged her fingers through her hair and into a knot on top of her hair. Libby prayed her little girl had settled in. The bell rang just as Libby peeped through the window, and she sighed with relief. Her baby was sitting beside another child, their heads together as they worked at a small table to clear their work away. Task completed, Holly came running out with her hand tucked into her new friend’s arm.
“Mum, this is Hannah.” The girls hunched their shoulders up, glanced at each other, and burst out giggling.
“Hi, Hannah.” Libby greeted the girl. “Did you girls have a nice day?”
“Hannah is my classroom buddy.” Holly linked arms with her new buddy. “She said she can be my best friend if I want her to.”
“That’s just great, honey.” Relief washed over her. One bridge crossed. “Let’s get your bag and go pick up your brother and Winton now.”
Holly put her backpack on and followed her mother to the high school side of the complex. Winton and Josh were sitting on top of a lunch table near their classroom, their bags strewn on the ground around them, surrounded by a group of girls. When he saw his mother, Josh muttered something to Winton, and his face turned into a scowl.
“Hey, Josh, Winton, ready for home?” It was obviously uncool in the country as well as in the city to be picked up by your mother, especially when there were girls involved.
“Sure, Libby.” Winton spoke quickly. Josh remained silent, a shade of pink covering his cheeks as a couple of the girls called out their good-byes.
“So, did you guys have a good day?” Libby pulled out into the stream of traffic leaving the school.
“Yeah, it was pretty good, hey, Josh?” Winton grinned at her in the rear vision mirror. “Met up with some people I haven’t seen for a while.”
“That’s good. How did you find the schoolwork?” Libby peered at them in the rearview mirror.
“Not too hard. I had to ask Josh a couple of things, and we have homework, but yeah, I think I’ll be okay.”
“Maybe Josh can help you when you get home then. When you get there, grab a drink and something to eat, and then it’s homework at the kitchen table, okay?”
“Sure.” Winton agreed. Josh merely grunted.
Libby pulled the car into the space by the shed where Tom was waiting, his feet making a dip in the dust as he kicked the ground impatiently. He grabbed the door handle before Libby stopped the engine, his gaze intent on Winton. “Did you have a good day, Winton, I mean did you fit in with the other kids and understand the work?”
“It was good, Tom,” Winton reassured him as he climbed out of the four-wheel drive and headed to his room. “Got me some homework to do now though. Libby said we had to do it straightaway.”
“Good idea.” Tom appeared relieved the boy had done okay. “I’ll put the kettle on. I could do with a drink and a sit for a bit.”
“Sure, Tom, I’ll join you on the front veranda in a minute.” She glanced at his face with concern. Maybe Tom was getting too old for the amount of work they had to do on the farm. Damn Nathan for pushing us to fix the bloody fences so fast. If he wasn’t so pissed with me for coming to take over the farm, Tom wouldn’t be working himself so hard now. If something happens to that dear, old man, I’ll strip Nathan’s hide bare, so help me, I will.
Libby hurried to catch up with the kids, casually draping an arm over Josh’s shoulders as she walked with him into the house.
“Did you have a good day, hon?”
He pulled away from her and shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”
“I want to ask you a ehavi.” Libby pulled him to a halt. “I want you to help Winton with his school work, just until he catches up. Tom told me he was terrified of going to school today in case he embarrassed himself in front of everyone. How did
