"We're not married, we're friends. Wendy is my foreperson. Why would I think you were here to see her if we were married?"
Luke dragged his hand over his face, and for one brief moment I thought I saw relief flash in those baby blues. I wondered…for about a millisecond, then the thought hit me…he was interested in my sexy cowgirl friend.
"Okay, let me explain…Dad phoned just before I finished Uni and said the station was mine if I wanted it because him and mum were moving to the coast. Wendy and I had become close friends in Uni and she urged me to take him up on the offer. She insisted if it were her, she wouldn’t hesitate to accept. After giving it a little thought, I told dad I’d love to continue on with the place and I could put my degrees in Farm and Station Management and Ag Science to good use. Since Wendy had revealed that living out here would be here dream come true, I invited her out here to work with me and share the bills. When dad’s…our foreman passed away about five years ago, Wendy asked me to give her a crack at the position. She’d been doing pretty much all of the job anyway, so I agreed. I haven't regretted it for one second.”
I smiled at the woman in question and her eyes lit up as she smiled back.
"So, there's nothing? You live with this gorgeous gal and there's nothing?" Luke was becoming more confused.
Wendy opened her mouth to speak and I was concerned she might inadvertently ‘out’ me, I shook my head and her mouth snapped shut. She was the only one around these parts who knew I was gay. I didn’t need any backlash from the bigoted townspeople, the station would suffer. It was me who reassured him.
"Nope, we're just good friends."
When Luke directed his next question to me I found it rather odd.
"Do you date?"
"Nope, haven't got the time. Too busy keeping this place viable." It was only a small lie. "Luke, you still haven't answered my question about why you’re here." I cocked an eyebrow at him.
He seemed nervous, his fingers repeatedly twirled the Akubra in his hands.
"I start work here in three weeks and there's no place in town suitable for me to rent. The place which is usually available to the town cop is being fixed up, and I told them to go ahead and rent it to a family when it was done. Most of it would never get used if I lived there. Mrs Henning at the post office suggested I come and speak to you. She said you have a big place with a bunkhouse and could probably offer me a room until something came available in town."
Right now, I didn't know whether to kiss Mrs Henning, or strangle her, for suggesting Luke stay under the same roof as me. "The bunkhouse is full, but there’s plenty of room up at the house. Only Wendy and I live there."
"Are you sure? I’d hate to intrude but would appreciate it if you can help. It's only a fifteen minute drive into town and I'll pay you a fair rental. I can help with chores when I'm not working."
I smothered a groan. How was I going to deal with the man I'd wanted since the age of fourteen living under the same roof as me? He hadn’t noticed me in school, but I sure as fuck hadn’t missed noticing him at every opportunity.
Living with him would be torture. My mouth obviously didn’t get the memo my brain was telegraphing because it opened and I said, "of course I’m sure. You can have the room next to mine upstairs, and there's an adjoining bathroom we can share. Wendy has the guest suite downstairs. Anything you need stored can go in the barn and we can stable your horse, we have three stalls empty at the moment."
"Wendy, is it okay with you?" Luke asked.
"I don’t have a problem with you being here as long as you follow three rules. Don't hit on me, I'm not interested. I don't cook every night, with you here it will be one in three unless one of us is working, or away, and I don’t do laundry—except my own. We share the cost of the housekeeper—Mrs Roby. She comes in once a week and if you sweet talk her, like Kyle does, she'll probably do your laundry for you. Can you cook?""
"Nothing fancy but I cook a mean beef stew. Past roommates tell me my food is edible."
Wendy nodded. "Good, one in three it is. I can't cook for shit, and attempts to teach me by Kyle, and everyone else around here, have failed so my turn is usually takeout. Kyle's a pretty good cook. Oh, and one other thing, if you want to bring a fuck home, take her to the shack on the south side near the river."