Her Outback Christmas: A Romantic Adventure

By Rose Celeste

New Yorker, Tess Finlay, craves escape from the city for Christmas. The Australian outback seems like the perfect choice. Or not. She can cope with super-sized spiders and kamikaze kangaroos. The real danger is enigmatic chopper pilot, Matt. He's rude and irritating, but there's vulnerability under the tough exterior and hot body. A fatal combination she vows to steer clear of. Matt Carter doesn't do commitment, for very good reason.  Which makes Tess a problem.  Sparky wit wrapped in a delectable body is hard to resist, but he knows how to keep his distance.

It should be easy to avoid each other for a couple of weeks.  What could possibly go wrong?

A light holiday romance, give or take a bit of mortal danger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Knowing Happiness Pty Ltd
• Release date: Dec 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386466130

Rose Celeste

Rose devoured books at an alarming rate since she first learned to read.  As a teen, she discovered the joy of a great romance, well told.  Eons (well, a lot of years) as a psychologist forged a deep understanding of people and the messes they get into, especially when it comes to love.  Writing and adventure are her passions. She wrote her first romance while sailing around Australia.  She has belly-danced with Berbers in the Sahara, unintentionally abseiled upside-down, narrowly escaped an unpleasant fate in the middle-east, and stayed sane through an imminent ultralight plane crash in Zimbabwe. Romance is perhaps her greatest adventure.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

The stark, white airport lounge was almost empty.

Tess's stomach dropped. Had she been scammed? The house-swap site was legit and Donna had seemed so genuine when they were trading emails. Tess couldn't contact her now, they hadn't done a direct swap. Donna was somewhere in the wilds of Alaska and her friend Val was supposed to meet her at the airport with Donna's car. She'd said it was a half-hour drive from Kununurra to her house. Tess had the address but no way to get there. And from what she understood about the remote Kimberley region, she couldn’t just grab a cab or bus. Crap.

Tess, Tess.

A slender woman with long dark hair ran across the room, almost colliding with her as she came to a sudden stop. She threw her arms around Tess and hugged her tight. Tess cringed. They didn't do hugs in her family.

The woman finally let go and stepped back. I'm Valentia, Val for short. Sorry I'm late but the mechanic hasn't finished with Donna's car yet. She put it in for a service to make sure it was okay for you, but he found a couple of things that needed fixing. I had to grab a lift from Matt.

Tess took advantage of Val's pause for breath. Hi. I'm glad you made it. Will we be able to get to her place from here?

No problem. Matt will give us a lift. Then I'll drop you at the mechanic's to pick the car up tomorrow. We'd better get going. Matt's not known for his patience. I'll take your bag if you like. Oh. Val's brow furrowed.

What is it? Tess was losing patience. The long flight from the US to Perth had been trying enough. A sleepless night in a noisy airport hotel in Perth and the flight to Kununurra today hadn't done her mood any favors.

Didn't Donna warn you about white clothes?

Tess looked down at her crisp white linen shirt and pants. Donna had told her it would be hot, these clothes had seemed perfect. No, she didn't. What's wrong with white?

The red dirt around here gets into everything. It'll stain your clothes orange and they'll be ruined. Matt's work truck is full of it. Have you got something dark and casual in your luggage?

I guess so.

Val glanced towards the entry to the terminal. I'll tell Matt we'll be a few minutes longer, while you go into the loo and change.

Loo?

Toilet. Bathroom. Over there. Val waved in the general direction of the women's bathroom sign, already moving.

Tess walked to the loo at her own pace. This Matt must be an ogre. She had no time for entitled, impatient men. New York was full of them. She took her time to change into black travel pants and tank top.

Val was waiting for her when she emerged. This way. He's out front. He'll get a fine if he parks there too long.

Tess gasped as she followed Val outside. This wasn't hot, it was an inferno. Surely her skin would blister and peel off any second. Val seemed not to notice.

Tess followed her guide to a dust-covered four-seater work truck. Val wheeled Tess's suitcase to the drivers' side of the car and tried to lift it onto the back seat.

Give us a hand Matt. This is heavy. Val's tone said 'now'.

Matt got out of the car with a sigh. He was at least six feet three. Clear gray eyes stood out against his tanned face. There was no welcoming smile, the wide mouth remained set in a line above the square, chiseled jaw. Just a minimal nod of acknowledgment.

I can do it. Tess knew she probably couldn't. She'd packed some hard-copy books as Donna had said the Internet could be temperamental here. Her bag was heavy, and the truck seat was a long way off the ground. But she didn't want to give this man the satisfaction of feeling superior. Crap, my nail. Pain shot through Tess's finger as her nail broke, stabbing into the sensitive area underneath it.

Matt lifted the case with ease. Don't worry, princess, it's all part of the service. Wouldn't want to ruin your manicure. Sarcasm dripped from every word. Get in the car before the inspector gives us a ticket.

She and Val went back to the passenger side of the car.

Sit in front Tess. You'll have a better view. Val climbed up onto the rear seat next to Tess's suitcase.

Great, she'd have to endure a half hour next to the taciturn piece of granite masquerading as a man.

Val was right, there was plenty of dust in the car. She settled her handbag on the floor between her feet. Just as well she'd opted for red leather, it wouldn't show the dirt.

Matt tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Seatbelt.

What a charmer. She did as she was told. Anything to get this trip over and done with as soon as possible. She coughed as he turned up the air-conditioning, blowing more dust her way.

Val leaned forward. You'll be right for food for a few days. Donna bought some in for you. But you might want to pick up some fresh stuff when we come in for the car tomorrow. There won't be any new deliveries over Christmas and the shops hardly open for a week during the holidays. There's only a pub, a roadhouse and a tiny general store at Dunarra.

Thanks.

And I booked you in for the Orphan's Christmas lunch at the pub.

What? Jeez. She'd come here for peace and quiet in total isolation.

Donna said you wanted time out but nobody should be on their own for Christmas. There's a tradition that all the singles in the district without family come to the pub for Christmas lunch. They put on a courtesy bus so everyone can have a few too many drinks without worrying.

I don't think it's my thing. Making small talk with a bunch of strangers wasn't on her agenda.

Please say you'll come. We'd all appreciate having someone new to talk to. Besides, you might meet a nice man. Donna said you were single.

I'm single but not looking. She didn't need a meaningless holiday fling.

Val reached forward and touched her arm. Please. Come for my sake. I'd love to hear about New York from a local instead of through TV cop shows. It wasn't so much a wheedling tone in Val's voice, but a sad one.

Tess relented. Okay, I'll come. Thanks.

Yes!

Matt maintained a stony silence, looking steadfastly at the road. He reminded her of an Easter Island statue. Better looking, she supposed. But just as cold. He turned on the car stereo and an eclectic mix of music filled the cabin.

Tess took the opportunity to survey the countryside. The road ran straight towards an empty horizon, shimmering in the heat. Flat, orange-red earth, dotted with scraggly shrubs, stretched out on either side and the clear cerulean sky went on forever. It was awe-inspiring. She'd wanted somewhere totally opposite to New York and it looked like she'd found it. The mass of buildings and people at home had begun to feel claustrophobic. The constant noise from sirens, car alarms, traffic and music made it worse. Here, there was literally nothing. Bliss. 

CHAPTER TWO

The township of Dunarra was a few buildings on the main road, with a couple of streets of houses behind it. They passed a two-pump fuel station, a small general store and what was obviously the pub. It looked like every picture she'd ever seen of classic Australian country hotels. Set on a corner, two stories, a wobbly veranda upstairs and wooden steps leading to wide double doors on the ground floor. There were half-a dozen cars, covered with red dust, parked out front.

They continued for another ten minutes until Matt turned off the bitumen onto a gravel road. A few minutes later, he took a smaller dirt track, that split into three. He took the middle one, which led straight to a bungalow. He stopped the car under the shade of a tree and got out. Without a word, he took Tess's case from the back seat, carried it up the three steps to the veranda and deposited it next to the cottage's front door.

Val was already on the veranda by the time Tess's feet had hit the ground. Scorching heat assailed her.

Here it is. Keys are inside, Val gestured vaguely at the front door.

Tess raised her eyebrows.

There's not much need to lock anything here. But keep the screen door closed or you'll get visits from the local wildlife. You probably don't want to find a snake in your bed.

Oh, crap. She wasn't ready for this.

Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You've gone white as a sheet. Val frowned. Snakes generally avoid people but if there's nobody around they can get curious. Some of the spiders are quite big too.

Tess let out the breath she'd been holding. She could probably handle snakes, but the thought of a big hairy spider made her shudder. Okay.

Donna has plenty of insect spray and a big fly-swat. For snakes, you need to call Matt or the pub. I'll give you their numbers

This just got better and better.

But if you yell loudly, Matt or I will hear you if we're home. Where the track forked back there, the left one goes to Matt's place, the right one to mine. We're both only about five minutes' walk away. Just follow the tracks. Val pointed out two trails leading away from the house.

The Easter Island statue spoke. I guess now is as good a time as any for your safety talk.

What? Tess looked to Val.

Matt's in the volunteer emergency service. He feels pretty strongly about people who get into trouble unnecessarily.

Great. Well, in that case, can I get us some drinks? I could certainly use one.

Yes please. Val opened the front door. Follow me. Donna left some beers and white wine in the fridge. We may as well go inside and turn on the air-con.

Thank God for that. They all trooped into the house. Matt took Tess's bag with him and dropped it next to the couch in the living area. Val gathered drinks and glasses. Wine or beer Tess?

Wine please.

Of course. Matt muttered under his breath.

Tess had good hearing, so she didn't miss it. What was his problem? She'd done nothing to him except need a lift from the airport, which wasn't her fault, and make him wait for five minutes.

Val shut the front door and flicked the air-conditioner on with the remote control. She poured a wine for Tess, and put two small bottles of beer into rubber holders for her and Matt. The famous Australian stubbie, Tess assumed.

Matt took one sofa, Tess sat on the other, next to Val. Matt's broad shoulders dominated the room. His long, lean legs stretched out in front of her, the fabric of his khaki pants outlining the muscles beneath. Best focus on something else before he noticed her attention. The last thing she wanted was to give him the idea she was interested. He had a big enough ego without her adding to it.

The house was basic, as Donna had told her. An open plan kitchen, dining and living area. A small corridor with three doors in it. Presumably the two bedrooms and bathroom Donna had mentioned. She knew the laundry was out back. The couches were shabby and faded but comfortable. The long one Matt occupied would be good for lying on to read, a major part of her holiday plan. Thankfully, the air-conditioner was a modern, quiet one. She hoped it would start having an effect soon. At least, being shaded by trees, the house was a bit cooler than the outside temperature.

Exactly how hot is it today?

Val smiled. Forty-five degrees. Typical for this time of year.

That couldn't be right. Forty-five degrees was cold.

That's around one hundred and thirteen farenheit, princess, Matt smirked.

No wonder she felt as if she'd been baked. She'd assumed 'hot' meant the same as it did at home, maybe eighty degrees. The air-con was going to be her new best friend. Tess sipped her wine. Wonderfully cool and crisp. She must buy some more.

Matt drained half of his drink in one gulp, then fixed her with a stern gaze. There's a few things to watch out for if you want to have a safe holiday. One, is snakes. As Val said, they usually avoid humans. If you make a bit of noise as you walk it'll be enough to scare most of them off. But some snakes are aggressive, or hard to see and you could accidentally step on one. So, whenever you're walking in the bush, wear boots. That includes the track from your place to either of ours.

I brought my walking boots, so that's fine.

Matt nodded. Really? She wasn't a child and didn't need his approval.

This is a much more remote place than most people are used to. You can't count on passing traffic if you have car problems and there are plenty of areas where mobile phone reception is dodgy or non-existent. So never go driving without plenty of water - much more than you think you'll need. If your car does break down, stay with it. Don't be tempted to walk for help. You can die from heat stroke, or get lost. A car is much easier for rescue services to spot than a lone person. As you're a visitor here, it's best if you let Val or I know if you're going touring. Then we can raise the alarm if you're not back when expected.

The thought of reporting to him or Val was anathema to her. This was supposed to be a holiday, not a prison camp. But she had to admit, it made sense. She wouldn't want to be lost in this harsh country, knowing that nobody would come looking for her. Okay. I get that.

If you're driving in the early morning or from dusk onward, kangaroos on the road can be a problem. If you hit one, it'll do a lot of damage to your car and possibly to you. It's better to drive slowly, even if the road seems clear. They can jump into your path before you've noticed them.

Jeez. This was starting to sound like a dangerous place. At home, all she had to do was hail a cab.

Anything else? It was late afternoon now, and she longed to lie down. Her body thought it was the middle of the night.

Don't go swimming unless you've checked with a local whether it's safe.

Why? Her patience was wearing thin. And she didn't like being told what she could and couldn't do.

Crocs. Never swim at the beach or in the rivers. Some freshwater creeks and waterholes are safe.

Matt and Val finished their drinks and stood up.

You look done-in Tess, Val said, large brown eyes conveying kindness. We'll get going and leave you to it. There's a torch in the second drawer in the kitchen. Make sure you bring it with you if you come to visit at night - it's pitch-black out here after sunset. There's also candles and matches in that drawer in case of power failure. I'll put our phone numbers in your mobile phone now. And you can put yours in ours. If the signal's not good, text messages often get through better than voice calls.

They exchanged numbers and Tess walked them to the car. Thanks very much for picking me up today.

Granite-man nodded.

I'll come and get you at ten o'clock tomorrow. In the meantime, yell out if you need anything. Val giggled. Literally yell, if the phone reception's no good.

They climbed into the truck and left, dust billowing behind them.

Absolute silence descended. Or that's what it seemed like compared to home. There were a few birds chirping, and the sound of leaves moving in the breeze. Peace.

She returned to the now-cool shelter of the house, firmly closing the screen and wooden doors behind her. She wheeled her case down the hall and found the main bedroom.