The Mighty Quinns: Teague. Kate Hoffmann

And she doesn’t look like she’s been exercised or groomed in weeks. Your grandfather used to take such pride in the place.”

      “I—I didn’t know it was getting this bad,” she said, grateful that she wouldn’t have to analyze the kiss. “I haven’t been home for three years. I thought Benny McKenzie was taking care of everything. I was sending money and they were cashing the checks. But then, I spoke to Daisy Willey last week and she told me Benny’s mother had taken sick and Benny had left to tend to her. He’s been gone a month. But this couldn’t have all happened in a month.”

      “What about the other stockmen?”

      “There are no others. My grandfather ran them all off. He thought they were lazy and not worth their pay. And when there was no one left to care for the stock, he sold it. Molly is the last animal on Wallaroo, besides the rabbits and kangaroos and dingoes.” She forced a smile. “I’m going to try to convince him to sell the station. Or maybe lease out the land. His health is bad, he’s still smoking and he hasn’t been to a doctor since I came to live on the station thirteen years ago.”

      “You’re not going to get him off this station,” Teague said.

      “I have to try,” she said, her voice tinged with resignation. “And if I succeed, I want you to take Molly and find her a good home.”

      Teague nodded. “But until then, I’ll bring some decent feed from Kerry Creek when I stop by tomorrow to check on her.”

      “You’re coming back?” Hayley asked, unable to ignore the rush of excitement that made her heart flutter. She’d see him again. And maybe this time, she wouldn’t be weeping uncontrollably.

      “Follow-up visit,” he said. “It’s part of the service.”

      Joy welled up inside her and Hayley couldn’t help but smile. Her arrival on Wallaroo had brought nothing but sorrow. And though she knew it would be best to get her grandfather off the station, she’d thought that selling the land would cut her last connection with the boy she’d once loved.

      Now that connection was alive again. He was here with her, touching her and kissing her and making her feel as though they might be able to turn back the clock. “Thank you,” she said again.

      “You need to exercise her,” Teague suggested. “Easy at first. A nice gentle walk. You could always ride out to the shack. That’s not too far.”

      Surprised by the suggestion, Hayley couldn’t help but wonder if it was an invitation. The shack had been their secret meeting place when they were teenagers. The place where they’d discovered the pleasures of sex.

      “Maybe I’ll do that.”

      “I mean, I don’t know how long you’re planning to stay, but—”

      “I don’t know, either,” Hayley said. “My plans are…flexible. A week or two, at least.”

      This seemed to make him happy. He looked at his watch. “I really should go. Don’t feed her tonight. Just water. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

      She quickly stood up, wanting him to stay but unable to give him a good reason. “Tomorrow,” she repeated. Hayley glanced down, wincing inwardly. There were so many things she needed to say, but now didn’t seem like the right time. She looked up to find him staring at her. And then, acting purely on impulse, she pushed up onto her toes and kissed his cheek.

      She slowly retreated, embarrassed that she’d shown him a hint of the emotions roiling inside her. But then, an instant later, Teague crushed her to his chest, his mouth coming down on hers in a desperate kiss.

      In a heartbeat, her body came alive, her pulse quickening and her senses awash with desire. He was so familiar, and yet this was much more powerful than she’d remembered. Her knees wobbled but he was there to hold her.

      They stumbled until she was pressed against the rough siding of the stable. His hands drifted lower, cupping her backside and pulling her hips against his. Hayley felt herself losing touch with reality. How many times had she dreamed of this moment? Over the years, she’d wondered what it might be like if they saw each other again. And now, the time had come and she wanted to remember every single second, every wild sensation.

      Hayley clutched his shirt, fighting the urge to tear at the buttons. She wanted nothing more than to shed her clothes and allow him to have his way with her. She knew, just by the effects of his kiss, what he could do to her. It had been so long since she’d felt such unbridled passion. Was Teague the man she’d been waiting for all this time?

      His palm slid beneath her shirt and up to her bare breast and she arched closer. Cupping her warm flesh, Teague ran his thumb over her nipple until it grew hard. God, it felt so good to have his hands on her body again. All the years between them seemed to drop away and the world was right again.

      Hayley worked at the buttons of his shirt and when she pressed her hand against his chest, she could feel his heart pounding in a furious rhythm. “Make love to me,” she pleaded.

      Her plea seemed to take him by surprise and he stepped back and stared down into her eyes, as if searching for proof that she’d spoken at all. She saw confusion mixed with his desire. Had she made a mistake? Had she moved too fast?

      “Hayley! Where are you, girl?”

      The sound of her grandfather’s voice shocked her into reality. She quickly straightened her clothes and brushed her hair from her eyes. “Here,” she called.

      Teague reached for the buttons of his shirt as she turned to wait for her grandfather in the doorway of the stable. “We’re watching Molly,” she said with a bright smile. “She’s better. See?”

      He stepped out into the late-afternoon sun, shading his eyes as he searched the paddock. His eyesight had been failing for years, yet he refused to get glasses. Sometimes his stubbornness was downright silly, she mused. At this moment, though, it was convenient. “Where’s that damn vet?”

      “I’m here, sir.”

      Hayley steeled herself for what she knew would be a litany of harsh words between them. A Quinn setting foot on Wallaroo was unthinkable. “Grandfather, I don’t think—”

      “What’s your name, boy?” he demanded.

      Teague glanced at Hayley, sending her a questioning look and she frowned. Hayley quickly cleared her throat, stunned that her grandfather hadn’t recognized Teague. “His name is Tom,” she said. “Tom Barrett.”

      It was the name of one of the characters on Castle Cove, but her grandfather had never seen the program so there wasn’t much chance of him recognizing the name.

      “Dr. Tom Barrett,” Teague said, holding out his hand.

      “How much is this going to cost me, Dr. Tom Barrett?” her grandfather asked impatiently, ignoring Teague’s hand.

      “Don’t worry, Harry,” Hayley replied. “I’ll pay for it. Molly is my horse. My responsibility.”

      “Suit yourself,” the old man muttered. He squinted into the sun, then said something under his breath before turning and walking into the barn. Hayley released a tightly held breath. “He didn’t recognize you.”

      “No,” Teague said. “Good thing, since he was waiting on the porch with a rifle when I arrived.”

      She laughed softly, then shook her head. “I knew his eyesight was bad, but not that bad. For a second there, I thought I’d have to break up a fistfight.”

      “I think I could have taken him,” Teague said. He slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “Meet me tonight,” he said. “I’ll wait for you at the shack.”

      “I’m not sure I remember how to get there.”

      “There’ll be a moon.” He pointed toward the east paddock. “I’ll meet you right there at the far gate. Just like we used to. Nine o’clock.