Coming Home (27 page)

Their creamy hides
gleamed in the late afternoon sun. The calves skittered around their mothers
while they chewed contentedly on the long grass. They watched the humans with
bored interest and little or no fear.

"They look great.
What is it that you have to catch up on that's stressing you out so much?"
Cade rested his chin on her shoulder, a stray hair blowing against his cheek.

"These guys have
to come in and get tagged and all the usual things, worming and vaccinations.
As you know, it’s more than a one man operation with animals that size. I have
the boys working on repairing that long line of fencing." She smiled,
glancing at the herd. "Then there is the paperwork which is piling up and
maintenance on the farm machinery. I really need to be two or three
people."

"Hmm, not sure if
I could cope with that many of you. I think I might have my hands full with one
Kate."

She blushed.
"About that..."

"Yes, let's talk
about that, Kate. Let's clear the air." Cade got off the bike and stood
beside her, hands on his hips as he gazed over the farm. "I know I was a
typical brat when I was a kid. You didn't deserve to be ignored." He
turned to her. "I apologise for that. I know there is something between us
and so do you. I can almost hear the flutter of your heart when I'm close and
it makes me happy."

"Why would that
please you?" She licked her lips and looked down at her fingers.

"Because it means
I get to you in a way I want, and that makes me happy."

Kate laughed, a shaky
sound Cade took as insecurity.

"I don't find it
funny, Kate. You are a stunning woman I want to know more about."

"Don't play with
me, Cade. I couldn't stand it." She looked at him with solemn eyes.

He stepped over and
cupped her cheeks in his hands, brushing his lips over hers. "I promise I
won't."

She lifted her arms and
wrapped them around his neck, placing her lips on his. Tentatively at first,
Kate kissed him, then bolder as she devoured him. He stood, stunned at the
intensity of the feelings rushing though him. Little Kate, the kid who used to
follow him around with hero-worship in her eyes, would be the undoing of him.

"Wow." Cade
ran his hands down over her back, cupping her butt in his palms. "That was
pretty hot."

"Sorry, I didn't
mean to attack you like that. It kind of built up over the years." A soft
pink tinge fluttered over her freckled cheeks.

"I'm not complaining,
not by any means. You just surprised me."

"Yeah, well. Look,
if you’re on the level, I may as well be too. I admit it, I adore you. I always
have." She paused, waiting for him to react. "When you came back home
I was expecting the Cade we all knew from the news. I know you said it was
media hype, but you did treat me like crap when I was a kid. I had to see if I
could trust you enough before I let you know my feelings."

He kissed her nose.
"I was an awful teenager, I admit it. I won't hurt you, Kate, I promise.
When I first hurt my leg, I knew what was happening. Deep inside, I knew I
wouldn't play again. It took me a bit of time to deal with that and I made an
arse of myself."

"It's
understandable, Cade."

"Yes and no. It's
something I should have dealt with behind closed doors. You didn't need to be
giving a lashing of my lousy attitude. That’s something I should have kept to
myself. Fact is, you were doing things to me I didn't want to acknowledge. I
didn't know if I was ready for a serious relationship."

"A relationship or
me?"

"Relationship.
You, I could never turn away from, as a friend or a lover when the time comes.
You are special to me, Kate. I hope you know that." He squeezed her butt
again before conceding they still had things to do. "Let's get this tour
over so we can work out what I'm going to do in the morning when I start
work."

Her laugh rang out over
the meadow as they got back on the bike.

Stevie offered to carry
Rooney upstairs.

"I can walk. I'm
not helpless." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she cringed.
"I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't beat
yourself up over it. I know what you meant, but I really think you should go
and have a shower. Then I can tuck you in." Stevie brushed the hair from
her forehead, a sad smile on his face.

"If you need any
help, may I could..." Kate stopped, the heat racing up her cheeks when
Stevie turned to frown at her. "Sorry."

"Thanks anyway,
Kate." Rooney squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him. She threw the
blanket back and swung her legs down from the couch. Holding onto Stevie's
hand, she stood up. Rooney let him lead her from the lounge. Together they
walked up the stairs to her room. She glanced inside the open door of Tam's
room and smiled, happy her baby sleeping peacefully without the demons that
were bound to invade her own dreams.

He shut the door behind
them and flicked on the light before heading into the bathroom to turn on the
shower. When he came out, she stood at the foot of her bed, pulling at her
hair, trying to undo the clasp around her twisted knot. She tore at it,
impatient now to get it undone.

"Honey, calm down.
Let me get it for you." Stevie took her hands in his, soothing her with
his voice. When she relaxed against him, he let go of her hands and undid the
clip, throwing it on the bed cover.

Rooney raised her
hands, running her fingers through her hair. She panicked when they encountered
a sticky glob. "No, get it out, get it away from me." Her breath
hitched and she started to shake uncontrollably.

Stevie grabbed her and
walked to the bathroom, peeling her clothes off as soon as he stopped.
"Shush, it's okay. I've got you, Rooney."

He threw her clothes on
the floor and quickly stripped his off too before walking into the shower with her
in his arms. Rooney trembled in his arms and he held her until she calmed. She
wrapped her arms around him and let herself be protected by him, the warm water
running over their bodies as she shut out the rest of the world.

"Thanks. I didn't
mean to freak out." She lifted her head and gazed at him. His face was
dark and a frown pinched the skin between his black eyebrows. White lines
around his lips showed her just how much this was affecting him. After all,
he’d been the one to shoot Stubbs in an attempt to save her. The poor guy was
stressed enough over what happened without her breaking down too. She would
have to try harder to be brave so he didn't worry unnecessarily over her.

"Anyone would
after what you've been through. It's normal to feel this way. Russ warned you
what might happen and I'm here to see you feel safe." He leaned down and
the water trailed down his cheeks, dripping from the day’s growth of beard on
his chin. "How about I wash that stuff out of your hair and dry you off before
tucking you in?"

"Sounds like just
what I need." She turned around and let the water run over her head and
face.

Stevie reached for the
shampoo and spent the next five minutes massaging the blood from her hair.
Immediately after the shooting, Rooney had blocked out the blood spray covering
her face and head. It was too much to take in at the time. The nurses had wiped
her face but the mess in her hair was forgotten until now. Stevie pushed her
under the spray to wash away the bubbles, smoothing her wet hair down her neck
and between her shoulder blades in a wet blanket.

"That should be
cleaner now." He reached for the shower gel and a cloth and with gentle
hands, washed every inch of her body. By the time he turned off the shower and
reached for a towel, Rooney was almost asleep on her feet. She let herself be
pushed toward the bed, sleepily climbing under the blankets and closing her
eyes. When the bed dipped she reached out, wrapping her arms around Stevie and
fell into a deep sleep.

***

She woke to a terrified
scream. Throwing off the blankets, she glanced around. Stevie was still asleep
beside her, snoring softly, his arm thrown over the top of his head. She
reached out to shake him, calling his name but he mumbled and rolled away from
her.

The scream came again
and she ran to the bedroom door, listening at the keyhole.

A manic laugh sounded
followed by the gut searing scream of her daughter.
Tam, no!
Rooney
opened the door, and ran down the carpeted hallway to her door. It was shut, and
Rooney felt a moment of panic, knowing she hadn't done it. She gripped the
handle and turned.
No, it's locked.

"Tam, open the
door." Her screams rang loud in her ears and she slammed her palm on the
door screaming. "Open the door, someone please open the door."

"Mummy, help
me." The voice coming from inside the bedroom was clearly terrified and it
clenched at her heart.

She kicked and punched
at the door, the tears streaming down her face. There was a metallic click and
the handle turned. She stepped back. The door creaked and opened.

Rooney tried to enter
the room but something blocked her way. She looked over at Tam on the bed, her
hands tied to the bedposts and the blankets thrown on the floor. Her small body
was pale in the moonlit room.

"No." A cold
shiver ran down her spine.

A dark shadow of a man
was standing over her, a knife with blood dripping from its point. Her daughter
lay in a pool of blood.

"No, please
no."

"Should have
thought of that before you stuck your nose in my business. Now it's revenge
time." He stroked the point of the knife down Tam's arm and smiled as the
blood welled and dripped onto the bed, staining the white sheets. With a laugh,
he stepped to the door waving the knife in Rooney's face. "She’s coming
with me. I lose, you lose."

"No, please. I'll
do anything, anything. Don't hurt her." She clawed at the invisible
barrier keeping her out of the room.

Stubbs wiped his mouth
with a dirty sleeve. He flipped the knife in his hands, as if pondering his
next move. "Anything?"

"Yes."

Her body jolted and
Rooney fell into the room. It was cold and the air smelled musty and hurt her
lungs when she breathed.

"Drop your
hands."

Rooney let her hands
fall to her side, exposing her nakedness to him. He walked closer, the spittle
running down his chin as he paced around behind, his gaze roaming over her.
Swallowing the nausea threatening to choke her, she focused on her child.
This
is for Tam.
I will do anything for Tam
. Still the chill covered her
skin with a sheen of icy goose bumps. She shuddered at the leery gleam in his
eyes.

The first cut brought
tears to her eyes and she gasped for breath, the cold sinking into her belly
making her tremble. She glanced down and groaned, breathing through the pain. A
line of blood ran from just above her left nipple to her right hip. She watched
the red fluid seep from the wound, her heart pumping in her ears. The second
cut opened the side of her arm and blood ran down her hand to drip onto the
floor, the splashback staining her bare legs. Rooney lifted her gaze and
watched the mad changes on his face.

"Enjoying that,
are we?" He cackled and rolled his eyes, his mouth working soundlessly to
the tune in his jumbled mind.

If she could take the
knife from him, they might both stand a chance. Tam stirred and threw her head
from side to side, whimpering. "Mummy."

Rooney leapt, ripping
the knife from his hand. He retaliated with a back hand, sending her skidding
to the floor. She shook her head to clear it, realising she held the knife in
her hand. She crawled to her knees as he advanced on her, a murderous rage in
his eyes.

"You fucking
bitch, I'll kill you both for that."

Rooney crouched, ready
to pounce and push the knife home, knowing she would only have one chance. She leapt,
a primal scream ripped from her throat and she brought her hand down, driving
the knife deep into his fleshy gut.

The blood streamed over
her face, warm and salty. Gagging, she rolled to one side, her stomach heaving.
A gurgling sound reached her ears and a cold steely vice grabbed her ankle,
pulling her toward him.

"No. No more,
please, no more."

***

"Rooney, honey,
shush, It's okay, I've got you. Wake up, baby." Stevie clutched her to his
chest, stroking her hair as he held her tight. "It was just a nightmare,
baby, I promise."

"No, he has Tam,
he cut her."

Stevie pushed her back
to gaze into her face. "Honey, it was a nightmare, I promise." He
kissed her softly on the lips, brushing his cheek against hers. "Just
relax."

She pushed him away and
threw back the blankets. "I have to see." Rooney grabbed a dressing
gown from the end of her bed, wrapped it around herself and ran to the door.
Flinging it open, she ran toward her daughter’s room. At the doorway, she stood
gazing at her child sleeping peacefully, the small puppy at the end of her bed.