Back in the Saddle (Diamond Firetail Farm)

Chapter 26

26

Taylor

C iaron and I got dressed. I paused as I watched him pull his jeans up his muscular legs and over his fine arse. When he pulled his green shirt on and buttoned it up over his chest, the sight was just as good. I loved how his wide, strong shoulders stood out.

“Are you going to get dressed?” Ciaron looked down at the dress in my hands.

“I got distracted.”

He chuckled. “As much as I love seeing you in your underwear, we do have a party to get to.”

I pulled the woollen dress over my head. It was form fitting at the top and flowed at my waist.

Ciaron let out a low whistle. “Isabelle said I’d be happy with the dress. That was an understatement.”

He was standing in front of me within seconds. I couldn’t believe I was jittery at his closeness. Another thing I’d taken for granted.

“You look stunning.” He pressed his lips against mine.

“Thank you.” I ran my hands down his chest. “I love this colour on you.”

“Let’s go before we get distracted.”

He took hold of my hand and led me into the living room. Isabelle and Callum were already waiting, chatting to each other. Were all brothers and sisters like this or were they so close because they lived out here on the farm?

“We’re going to have to start locking her up,” Ciaron said.

Isabelle was wearing a navy and teal dress with long slits up the side which revealed her legs and cowboy boots. Callum, on the other hand, was so casual his shirt was untucked.

“You take the kids,” Ciaron said to me. “I’ll go get Mam.”

“What about Nanna?” Callum asked.

“Dan said for this to be a real date he needed to pick her up and take her home,” I said.

“Probably so he can get a goodnight kiss,” Ciaron said.

“Do you think I can ask for an extra day’s pay if he gets a kiss?” Isabelle asked.

Ciaron chuckled. “I reckon you could.”

We left the house and went our separate ways. When I walked into the staff dining room with the kids, I gasped. There were fairy lights strung across the room and lanterns on the tables. The tables had colourful runners. When I looked closer, I recognised them as Isabelle’s scarves.

“It looks so pretty,” I said to her.

“It was Nanna’s idea.”

As we made our way to Mum and Dan, Ciaron and Mary arrived and joined us. Ciaron placed his arm around my waist, and I moved into him.

Dan’s blue-grey eyes twinkled. “It’s so good seeing you two back in the saddle. I didn’t think your split would last.”

“Oh really,” Mary said. She snapped her mouth shut as soon as it was out. Then she took a small step back and studied us.

Mum’s mouth dropped open, and she clutched Dan’s arm, whose eyes widened at her reaction.

Ciaron and I tensed. Until that very moment, Mary had no idea that we’d separated. I broke out into a cold sweat as I tried to find my voice. It should have been natural for us to say thank you and we would have in any other situation. We would have been glowing. But as Mary’s eyes narrowed, I wanted to be anywhere but here. I could never tell what she was going to latch onto to make my life more difficult.

“We’re going to check the punch,” Mum said before whisking Dan away.

I saw the moment she told him that Mary didn’t know because he clearly said “shit” while throwing furtive glances our way. Mary watched the scene intently and then spun to Ciaron and me. Her lips were in a tight line. Ciaron shifted from foot to foot. Mary opened her mouth, presumably to say something. I stood ramrod straight, widening my eyes at Ciaron, inviting him to speak.

“Wow, this is amazing,” Rachel said as she walked into the dining room. Thank God, it stopped Mary saying whatever she was going to say. Rachel made her way over to us and handed Isabelle a gift. “I love that dress, Isabelle. Happy birthday.”

Mary’s eyes were still pinned on us. My shoulders relaxed as I moved my attention away from her. Another person walked in. Someone I didn’t realise we’d invited—the American vet, Curtis. He saw Rachel and smiled. That man could have stepped out from a modelling magazine with his wavy blonde hair and square jaw. And his teeth were perfect.

“Mum invited him,” Ciaron said, loud enough only for me to hear. “She said, and I quote, Reason A- It would give Dan someone to talk to if their date fizzled out.”

Curtis waved to Dan and went over to say hello. Reason A seemed like it would be effective.

“B - it would be good for Isabelle to interact with him before going on work experience because when he’s working, he has resting bitch face.”

I laughed. “Ain’t that the truth.”

He’d been loosening up slowly. He’d even started to laugh at Australian humour.

“And C,”—his voice dropped lower—“which she seemed to think was pretty important, he likes Rachel, and she needs to date because she hasn’t since her husband died.”

Curtis made his way over to us. Rachel clutched her hands in front of her.

“That’s a lot resting on one man’s shoulders,” I said.

“Lucky he has no idea.”

All the while, I could feel Mary’s eyes boring into me, even while she had a conversation with the remainder of the group. Great. The longer she had to think, the worse it would be.

Two teen girls and boys turned up. Ciaron took my hand and led me over to the mother who’d dropped them off.

“Hi, Ciaron.”

“Thanks for bringing the kids, Audrey. This is my wife, Taylor.”

He’d called me his wife. I glowed. I wanted to hug him. Anyone would think I was a lovesick teenager.

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

“Thanks, you too.” She smiled. “What time do you want me to pick them up?”

“Eleven would be great. You’re welcome to stay,” Ciaron said.

“Thanks. I have a date with a book. My husband is away and without the kids in the house, I might get some peace.”

“Enjoy,” I said before she left. “I can’t remember the last time I read a book.”

Some other staff arrived and wished Isabelle happy birthday. They milled around, talking to each other. Before Ciaron and I could join Mum, Dan and Mary, I got a text.

“Pizzas will be here in ten,” I said.

Ciaron nodded. “I’ll let Callum know he’ll be needed soon to help me pick them up at the gate.”

I started walking to the others. Before I reached them, Mary cut me off. My stomach sank. I glanced at Ciaron. He was busy talking.

“I thought something was up,” she said. “You can stop pretending now.”

“We’re not pretending.”

She moved around and I was compelled to follow her, meaning I couldn’t see Ciaron anymore. I couldn’t make eye contact with him and ask him to save me. Why didn’t he say something to her when he had the chance? Now I had to put up with her shit.

“Ciaron won’t save you.” How did she always know what I was thinking? Her coy smile made my stomach reel. “You couldn’t hold his interest after all.”

Our sex said otherwise.

I kept my mouth shut. She knew I wouldn’t fight back. I didn’t want Ciaron to have to choose.

“Do you really think you can win him back after you hurt him so bad?”

Had Ciaron told her? Surely not. I clenched my teeth, and she saw it. She knew in that moment that I blamed myself. She could always read me, and I hated it. I wiped my sweaty palms against my legs.

But it wasn’t just my fault, I reminded myself. Ciaron had lost his way in the marriage, too. Jeez, imagine if I said that to her. I clamped my mouth shut.

“Did you get back together to spite me?”

I swallowed. It was better not to engage. Especially tonight at Isabelle’s party, in front of everyone. If I started, I might not stop. I started to walk away, but she grasped my arm and reached out and tapped my cheek. I cringed. “Oh Taylor. A mother’s love always wins. I have a week left. He will come home with me.”

I shook my head. “He won’t leave Isabelle and Callum.”

“Maybe not, but he will leave you .”

She laughed, pretending we’d had a lovely talk together, and went over to Isabelle and her friends.

I was left all alone, trying to control my racing heart and erratic breathing. Ciaron was gone. Why had he left me alone with her? Because I never told him what she was really like, that’s why. Fuck me dead. This, what happened tonight, proved my suspicions. She hadn’t changed.

I went over to Mum, Dan, Rachel and Curtis and tried to join their conversation. But I couldn’t concentrate.

Ciaron and Callum came back with the pizzas. I went to help open the boxes and lay them on the table.

“What were you and Mam talking about?” Ciaron asked.

“Nothing.”

Ciaron glanced sideways at me. I walked to the other end of the table. Now was not the time to discuss how awful of a human being his mother still was.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be having her here,” he said, smiling. “She’s changed.”

He was happy, and I’d have to rip that away from him. I didn’t want to.

It wasn’t just that, though. The bitterness Ciaron and I had felt today was bad. And if I told him what I truly felt about his mam, it could be worse than that. What was I supposed to do? There was no choice. I had to tell him. The question was, how?

All I wanted was for her visit to be over and her looming threat to disappear along with her. Then we could continue to mend.

As long as she didn’t ruin it all first.