A Remembered Land (Book 2, Maniototo Skies)

By Anya Forest

She’s trying to escape her past. He’s building himself a future. Can they turn a chance meeting into something more?

Louise Owen has a reputation. Everything around her is a stark reminder of the mistakes she’s made and the memories she can’t leave behind. Frustrated and lonely, she throws herself into her studies and gives up on love. At least, until she met Cody...

Cody Thomas has a golden life. He’s found his calling, he’s got a great internship, and his girlfriend is totally hot. But when his relationship goes belly-up, he’s surprised to find the aloof, outspoken Louise running through his mind.

Louise knows that life is not a romance novel, but being with Cody makes her anxiety flare up like crazy. Can Cody crack her defenses and get her to fall in love again?

A Remembered Land is a contemporary romance novel set in New Zealand. If you like smart dialogue, kiwi settings, and strong but flawed heroines, then you’ll love the second book in Anya Forest’s Maniototo Skies series.

Buy A Remembered Land to meet your new favorite vixen today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anya Forest
• Release date: Mar 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9780473342319

Anya Forest

I'm a New Zealand writer who enjoys creating true-to-life Kiwi characters and communities in my contemporary New Zealand stories, capturing the unique way of life of small-town rural Mainlanders. I've lived around the South Island (and Stewart Island!) with family originally hailing from the West Coast. Each of my books weaves in the southern places that have a special place in my heart, and the outdoor way of life that is such a special part of New Zealand life. My latest book is a time-travel adventure set in Fiordland, New Zealand, featuring characters from the past and New Zealand wildlife, including the Haast's eagle! I've also written several adult fiction books. My "Across the Strait" series is set around a family where all is not as it seems, moving through Central Otago and Stewart Island. My "Maniototo Skies" series is set around the plains of the Maniototo, dealing with the far reaching consequences of a moment of anger, and the nature of forgiveness - or not! My stories have a strong flavour of New Zealand - including the wildlife, the scenery, the music and art. When I’m not writing I’m enjoying the outdoors with my retriever dog Crockett. And no, he’s not spoilt – I’m just very well trained!

Book preview

Chapter 1

S hut the gate, would you? he called casually as he walked on ahead.

Louise froze, her heart pounding. Her fingers tightened around the lichen-covered gatepost, the distinctive scent of the wet timber in the rain suddenly overwhelming. She tried to take a deep breath, but tightness spread across her chest with a familiar spiralling sense of anxiety. I…

He stopped and looked around, then frowned as he saw her still standing by the open gate, reluctant to walk through the muddy area around the entrance to the paddock. Come on.

I can’t.

He laughed. It’s not that muddy, Louise. Get over yourself. A bit of mud never hurt anyone.

Shame filled her; the sheen of rainwater on her face mingled with her tears. Impatiently she forced her hand to brush them away. The rain lashed her, soaking through her jacket at the cuffs and neck, trickling into her mouth when she breathed. She sensed he was moving closer to her. With his long strides, it took him only seconds to reach the gate.

A real townie, aren’t you? he said. It’s not rocket science. Just a gate on a geology field trip. He shepherded her through the gate, oblivious to her distress. And you pick up the hook on the chain like this… He moved the chain with an exaggerated flourish, And then put it through the catch like this.

Louise battled to bring her thoughts under control. She marched on ahead, almost stumbling as she misjudged the depth of a patch of mud. Her boot caught and she wrenched it free, hyperventilating as she tried to right herself.

I can’t even walk through a gate now… It’s getting worse, not better like I thought it would. A cow watched her from across the paddock; she instantly recognised the breed and assessed its condition. Aren’t you a clever girl. The praise from long ago seared through her mind, taunting her. The knowledge of her exceptional academic success at university faded away as her mind took her back into the past. Her mouth went dry and she tried to swallow. They’re just thoughts. I don’t need to think about that. Not now, when I’m supposed to be focusing on this field trip.

Are you going to tell me what that little performance was all about? He had caught up to her easily.

Piss off, Cody. She saw the disapproval on his face and decided she did not care. Just another Kiwi guy that can’t cope with a female swearing. If it’s all right with you, I would like to be left alone, please, she added sarcastically, mimicking a proper lady. Too late she realised he had instantly understood the reason for her sarcasm.

No chaperone? He matched her tone.

She shook her head. One of those would be as useless as… Maybe using Dad’s saying would be going a bit too far. And not just because of the language. Her mouth went dry again.

Were you going to mention a bull?

She was speechless as the terrible irony of her own comment struck her. I don’t want to talk about it, she said eventually.

The default response for any female, he said. Finally. Maybe you can pick up different lines once you’ve read some more of your book tonight.

He must have been watching me last night… Let me know if you want to borrow it after I’ve finished, she said flippantly.

He gave a short laugh. "I’ll stick with Geological Field Techniques. Your book’s cover looks far more interesting though."

She walked on ahead of him, her emotions surging, unstable. He caught up to her again. There’s another gate coming up.

She shrugged and did not look at him. He saw the sheen of water on her cheek, the way her straight hair curled slightly around her face, wet from the continuing rain.

She gazed across the paddocks towards the Inangahua River, the water that churned across the ancient alluvial plain. The river’s banks, with flashes of exposed quartzarenite, were barely visible in the deteriorating weather. Even thinking of the familiar, scientific names soothed her, helped her regain her equilibrium. And if I look back I can see the remnants of the tectonic slides… She looked again at the river, following the current and the powerful flow of the water with her eyes. She knew it flowed into the Buller River; her expression curved into a small smile as she thought of the limestone escarpments she had seen earlier in the week. She searched for Mount Wynn and the surrounding peaks in the distance but could not make them out in the rain and low mist.

Mount Wynn’s over there. Cody pointed.

I know, Louise said. And the Brunner and Victoria Ranges.

He glanced at her. And the old Mulligan’s Mine.

She shook her head. No, that’s over that way. She pointed in the correct direction. I thought you’d know that. She saw the slight smile on his face and realised he was testing her. She flushed, immediately defensive. And for bonus points, name the bridge that was washed away and closed the mine. She spoke sarcastically.

Perseverance. He aimed a look at her. I guess the weather must have been similar to this. But the mine produced almost thirty thousand tonnes of coal before that happened.

She was silent and didn’t smile as he casually displayed his knowledge.

Makes me wonder about the viability of opencast mining in the valley, he said.

I’ll meet you back at the shed.

You mean you don’t want to debate opencast mining with me?

She ignored him. She was again preoccupied with the river, almost oblivious to the heavy rain.

You can’t stay out here in this, Louise. We’ve had a long enough day as it is. The others are probably already back. Come on. He reached for her arm.

She pulled her arm away. I’m all right.

No, you’re not. You’re coming back to the shed with me right now. He reached for her arm again, and she did not pull away. She let him lead her across the paddock. He unhooked the next gate and pushed it open just enough to guide her through it. He hooked it up again himself.

She shook off the light pressure of his hand and walked on. Limestone, sandstone…

Louise, he said sharply. Wait for me. This weather is atrocious. We need to stick together. She looked back at him. He was shocked to see she was crying, her reddened eyes the only indication as the rain took away her tears. She turned away again, walking with determined strides across the paddock. A small building was on the other side of the fence.

He grabbed her just before the fence. This way. He almost pulled her along to the stile; then he urged her up onto the plank and over the fence. She refused his offer to hold on to his shoulder to balance herself with a look that needed no words. Nevertheless, he kept a secure grip on her arm as he followed her over the stile and stepped down after her onto the rutted farm track. He guided her the few metres to the building and opened the old wooden door. In the late afternoon gloom, she could see the space was dry and big enough for both of them to shelter from the storm.

She inhaled; the damp earth, old boxes of supplements, and rusted tools added a familiar scent to the small space. She took another deep breath, filled with shame and embarrassment. She glanced sideways at Cody. Thanks, she muttered. I’m just tired.

He did not reply but shrugged off his backpack and helped her do the same. Before she could stop him, he unzipped her backpack and started searching through it. No, she said, reaching for it. He easily held it out of her reach and then put it down on a ledge to look in it again. No, she said again, a thin thread of panic in her voice.

What’s in here? That book? He did not take her distress seriously.

I—

I just thought you’d have dry clothes in here. It’s pissing down outside… His dark eyes met hers. He seemed to be trying to bait her into a response. Before she could say anything, he pulled a thick wool top from her pack, and a small cardboard box fell to the ground. He reached down to pick it up. He glanced at it casually, and then at Louise, but she averted her eyes. He looked again at the box, frowning at the prescription label. Then he put it back into her backpack without saying anything, and zipped it back up.

Finally she spoke, her voice brittle. I’ll wait here for a while.

He looked up from searching through his own backpack. Fine. It’s only about twenty minutes back to the others. I’ve got food. We’ll take a break and then head back.

"No, I meant that I’ll wait here for a while. By myself."

He shook his head. I’m not leaving a townie out here in the rain. You can’t even manage the gates.

Somehow his words hurt her more than anything else that had happened. Like I said, Cody, just piss off.

His face flushed. Can you take a pill for your manners too?

She dipped her head, not meeting his eyes. You won’t tell anyone, will you? She heard the vulnerability in her voice and hated herself.

He shook his head, and she thought she saw a fleeting apology in his expression. But then it was gone, and he unravelled the top of a large bag of chocolate chip biscuits and offered it to her. Louise took one nervously. Her sense of panic was easing. She inhaled the familiar scent of the farm shed again and took a bite of the biscuit. She debated whether to bother putting on the wool top from her pack when it would only get soaked as soon as she went outside.

I don’t even know if it’s worth putting dry gear on, Cody said, echoing her thoughts. It depends how long you want to rest here. If you’re tired.

Louise knew he was watching for her reaction. She straightened. I’m not tired. Not really. She picked up her wool top and replaced it in her pack.

I know. He poured some coffee from his thermos into the small cup and handed it to her.

She looked at him. I have my own. I just want a biscuit, thanks. Or two. She reached for another one from the bag, and he swallowed down the coffee she had refused.

Shall we get going, then? The cows won’t hurt you, but we can walk down the track, rather than cut across these next few paddocks. He shouldered her backpack as well, shrugging off her furious protests. You can cook dinner to thank me.

Louise rolled her eyes as she shut the door after them. You were right about the rain.

What about the rain? he asked, his smile broad. He laughed outright as he heard her reply.

Right, Cody said. Just through here and we’re back at the shed.

Louise climbed onto the stile and over the fence. Then she jumped down into the mud and crossed the paddock, not even pausing to wait for him. He shook his head as she moved past cows that were clustered under a tree. She’s certainly not worried about those cows. He thought back over the day as he tried to make sense of her behaviour. The spark in her eyes as she joked with him contrasted with the panic that had been only too evident over the afternoon. And yet there were no problems this morning, or in the days before that. He tried to recall details, and he could only think of the highly competent field partner who had an answer for everything and boundless energy.

Cody had not known what to expect when he had been told Louise would be joining them on the field trip. None of the other students on the trip seemed to know her well, and he did not know her personally, although of course he had heard talk about her exceptional grades. And the papers she’s studying. When he had mentioned her to Ben and Simon, they’d indicated that a lecturer had told Louise about the planned trip and facilitated her joining them.

This was only supposed to be a chance to catch up on some last-minute mapping before Easter…and for Gemma and I to get some time together. Instead, they’d ended up working in separate areas for the day; Cody couldn’t complete his mapping in the same area where Gemma needed to be. At least the fact we had to work separately didn’t upset her too much, he thought with relief. And we’ll be able to work together tomorrow.

He snapped back to focus on Louise and watched her scale the next fence. Terrified of cows but climbs a fence like it’s nothing… He quickened his stride, intent on catching up with her before she reached the main shed. I don’t know what they’d say in your Gender Studies lectures if they could see you now, he said with a grin.

They’d probably congratulate me, she retorted with a faint smile. You’re still carrying my pack.

He laughed. So the rumours are true. He was curious about why Louise was studying outside of the usual science papers.

She shrugged. I wanted to do those papers. As extras. And the dean said yes.

I’ll bet he did. Because of your nearly perfect A average and likely first-class honours degree. Just for fun then.

She nodded. It’s going really well. She spoke with a touch of arrogance. One of the papers is on masculinity. And gender roles. He saw the elusive glint in her eyes again. You could even be a case study. She had stopped walking away from him and was focused on the conversation.

In what way? He walked closer, knowing he had to keep her talking.

Gender roles. I’m leading and you’re doing all the work.

Not masculinity? He took her arm. She tried half-heartedly to shake his hand off, but the firm pressure remained. She knew he would let her go if she insisted, but the touch of his hand on her arm was strangely comforting. The knowledge he now had, the secret he could always hold over her, suddenly went through her mind, almost paralysing her. Her mouth started to go dry as they stood together by the fence.

It’s raining, she said. I want to go back. He searched her face for some hint of recognition of the joke they had shared earlier about the rain. The fact that she spoke only with difficulty – and so quietly he could barely hear her – only underscored that he needed to take action. She was shivering. It was impossible to know if it was from the rain, or emotion.

He led her back to the tree at the side of the paddock. He should have said something at the implement shed, where at least it was dry. The cows moved away calmly at his signal; Louise glanced at him quickly and then looked back towards the river.

Right, being masculine means taking the bull by the horns, he said, trying to make a joke. Instead she went pale as her breathing became shallower.

Louise.

She faced him.

Have you run out of those tablets?

She shook her head, looking down at the ground. He took his hand off her arm and gently raised her chin so she was looking at him. She jerked her head away quickly, tears in her eyes.

When did you last take one? He spoke calmly. Yesterday?

She nodded. I’m all right though. She sounded uncertain.

So if you took one yesterday, why not today? He barely heard her response and asked her again.

I’m driving home on Friday. For Easter.

He frowned. But what… His mind flashed back to the box he had seen. The driving restriction.

She nodded. I can leave at lunchtime on Friday if I don’t take one today. Or tomorrow. To be on the safe side, for such a long drive.

He tried to make sense of what she was saying. But then, won’t you… I don’t know her well enough to ask such personal questions.

She shrugged. Hell, Cody, why stop now?

He shook his head, completely lost as he tried to understand what she had told him. Where’s home? He imagined she would mention a large South Island town. Or she might even be heading north, the ferry is not that far…

Louise flinched. Eade.

He looked at her, incredulous. The Maniototo?

She nodded, a spark of defiance on her face.

We’re nearly back at the shed. He paused. And if you want to take one today, we’ll sort something out tomorrow. And Friday. Her face flamed, although she made no attempt to pull away from him.

Let’s get out of this rain. He continued to make small talk as they walked across the paddock. She remained silent, but her step faltered as they neared the gate. She stepped in a large patch of mud and almost slipped over; he held her upright. What’s that, another townie manoeuvre? You don’t really belong in Eade then. He was unprepared for the look she gave him.

That was a joke. He raised his hands in mock surrender. Just calm… He stopped himself just in time, sensing how profoundly upset she was. At least tell me what it is so I can help you get back to the shed. I thought it was the cows… Is it the weather? The mystery meat for lunch? A smile flickered on her face. Me? he added.

The gates, she said in a subdued voice. And…

He hid his shock, wondering what else she had been about to say. But she was on the verge of crying, and he knew he could not press her. I’ll do the gates, he said. Don’t worry about them. We have two more to go through and that’s it. She gave a brief nod.

He wrenched the gate open and almost pulled her through into the next paddock. He elected to remain silent rather than risk any kind of conversation as they walked.

Last one, he said as they reached it. He undid the chain and pushed it open to guide her through. He shut it behind them, and she looked back anxiously. He urged her forward through the rain and down the track towards the shed.

Cody pushed open the door, deliberately shielding Louise with his body. He called out to the other students, acknowledging their greetings, but focused on getting Louise to a more private area without causing comment.

Looking like a packhorse there, Cody, Ben called.

Feeling like one too. Just as well I had mystery meat for lunch to keep my strength up. Derisive comments greeted his reference to the cheap pressed rolls of sandwich meat that were a geology field trip staple and had assumed cult status within the department. Cody kept up the banter until he and Louise were close to the door that led to the basic shower facilities.

Ladies first, he joked, deliberately speaking loudly enough for the others to hear, in case they were still listening. He glanced at Louise and she glared at him. Gender roles, remember? he said under his breath. Especially muddy ones.

Louise frowned as he raised his voice again. But I’m not—

For Christ’s sake, Louise, get in the shower, he said in an undertone. Unless you want to stay out here. I’ll chuck your stuff around the door. Suddenly Louise realised he was covering for her, pretending she had fallen over to explain away the fact she had not stopped to talk to anyone. She opened the door and disappeared behind it without thanking him.

Louise sat back on the old sofa in the shed, still upset at Cody finding the tablets and seeing through her facade. She’d sensed he’d been impatient in the small farm shed, and afterwards, clearly reluctant to baby her along after her admission of weakness. This would be the start of a gradual distancing, with the knowledge of her vulnerability always between them. She barely knew him and doubted she could trust him to maintain her privacy.

She’d spent some time talking with Ashley, a student who had made a point of including her over the past couple of days, but had also been careful to contribute to other conversations. Hopefully, I’ve said enough to deflect any comments from the other students. Listening to the carefree conversation and jokes around her, she felt old and jaded, unable to relate to the younger students in the close-knit group.

But I’m not even thirty yet. I thought I was doing well, that I could make something of my life after all. But if I’m going to be like that… She pushed those thoughts aside. Cody made some comments…but he doesn’t know me, he wouldn’t know what he was saying. She tried to think of her successes instead – and convince herself that the afternoon had just been a collection of unfortunate coincidences.

Familiar terms from her geology studies rose in her mind as she tried to stop dredging up memories. She glanced at the other sofa as she continued to repeat the names under her breath. She belatedly noticed Cody was watching her, his expression questioning. Great. She glanced down at the plate on her lap. Cody had not said anything to her over the evening, and it had been Gemma who’d politely knocked on the shower room door before passing Louise her gear.

Just then Gemma laughed, a girlish, feminine sound that made Ben look around, his feelings evident on his face. You’re a bit too late there, mate. Cody and Gemma are the beautiful people, with their whole charmed lives planned out in front of them. Gemma’s rich blonde hair was the colour of caramel in the low light as she leaned against Cody on the sofa; his hand rested on her knee. Getting quite good with colour there, Louise. Should have been an artist. At least artists don’t need to deal with gates.

Her emotions spiralled uncontrollably. The Rotokohu Coal Measures… She started to panic again as her thoughts veered back to the impact her past was having on her present hopes and dreams. A science degree with a major in genetics and a gate phobia is not going to work. Or anything that means I’ll be outside. She took a deep breath in an attempt to prevent hyperventilating. And whatever Cody thinks, I can’t take another tablet tonight. I have to be able to drive on Friday without the risk of side effects.

She knew from the comments the others had made during the field trip and at dinner they were expecting to leave early on Friday. They were even talking about taking a detour to Punakaiki and still arriving in Dunedin later Friday evening. When Ashley had asked about her plans, Louise had reluctantly invented a family event as the reason she couldn’t afford the time to travel in convoy with them down the West Coast. She’d implied that she would be leaving Friday morning to travel straight through to her family. Cody had made no comment. He’d seemed immersed in talking with Ben and Simon about their plans for tomorrow.

I’ll try and rest on Friday morning. Depending on the traffic I might need to stay overnight somewhere, but I don’t want to risk driving earlier after the doctor’s warning. And as for tomorrow… Troubled by her thoughts, she mechanically collected everyone’s plates and helped