The Peppercorn Project (24 page)

He pulled away too soon and his eyes searched hers. She could see he was desperate to know he hadn’t overstepped any unspoken boundaries. She smiled at him, standing on her tiptoes, tilting her face back, and closing her eyes. Their lips met again and this time she responded, slowly at first, then with building passion. Her veins caught fire and her skin pricked beneath his delicate caress. When they finally broke apart, her mind raced faster than her beating heart. She’d never kissed another man except Dan.

‘Mietta.’ She whispered the name, fearful of seeing her daughter’s reaction. She needn’t have worried. Mietta clapped and cheered and Isabelle relaxed. If Mietta was okay seeing her kiss another man, maybe everything would work out.

*

Just after seven o’clock that night Isabelle opened her front door to Matt’s light knock. She’d been standing at her bedroom window, waiting for him. Fletcher and Mietta were already over at the primary school, and afterwards they were spending the night at the farm with Fran and Jim, which meant Isabelle, and Matt potentially, would have the house to themselves later that night. Maybe she was being presumptuous, but she had changed the linen, and scented candles stood ready to be lit on both bedside tables. The photo of Dan had been replaced by one Leah had snapped of Matt and the kids. Feeling strangely shy, she opened the door wide and her knees turned to jelly. He looked incredible in his suit, pale blue shirt, striped tie and silver tiepin.

‘Very nice!’ she said after taking a second and then a third look. She inhaled deeply. ‘And you smell amazing, too.’

He didn’t seem to hear her. His eyes darkened as he looked her over.

‘Oh wow, Belle. Wow. You look … incredible.’ His voice was husky and full of desire. ‘Wow,’ he repeated.

‘I thought I’d spoil myself.’ Isabelle took a step back and smoothed her hands down the front of her dress. ‘I hope it’s not too over the top for Stony Creek.’

Matt cleared his throat. ‘Oh no, it’s perfect,’ he stammered. ‘I mean you’re perfect. With you on my arm I’m going to be the most envied man at the ball.’

A rush of pleasure went through her and she blushed. ‘Do you know what Mietta said when she saw me dressed up?’

He shook his head and smiled. ‘I can only imagine.’

Isabelle fingered the beautiful new earrings dangling from her lobes. ‘She said I looked like Belle from
Beauty and the Beast
.’

‘When I first saw you, that’s exactly who you reminded me of. A beautiful, tiny Belle.’

He ran one finger gently down her bare arm and Isabelle’s skin tingled as goosebumps exploded over every inch of her flesh. She trembled, swallowing and searching for words. She found none.

‘If you’re Belle, I guess that makes me the Beast,’ he said.

Isabelle chuckled. ‘Mietta did make a comment to that effect.’

Matt leaned in and whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending shivers shooting down her spine. ‘I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour and I won’t growl at you.’ He held out his arm and Isabelle accepted it, tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow. ‘So, Isabelle Cassidy, will you be my guest?

‘I’d love to!’

Fingers entwined, they walked slowly through the deserted streets from her house to the Institute. Storm clouds had gathered during the afternoon but the heat hadn’t left. If anything, it felt hotter.

Isabelle was grateful for the support of Matt’s hand as he helped her navigate in her high heels. She stumbled once and Matt put an arm around her waist.

‘Sorry, perhaps I should have driven you and dropped you at the entrance.’

‘It’s fine,’ she assured him, looking up into his eyes. ‘It’s not like we’ve got far to walk. I’m just not used to walking in such high heels.’

He looked down at her feet. ‘I must admit, I almost expected to see you wearing flat shoes just to annoy Leah.’

Isabelle opened her purse and pulled out a pair of thongs, holding held them up triumphantly. ‘I bought these for later.’

‘Smart girl. You’ll probably need them too.’

They entered the hall and Isabelle shouted over the din. ‘Am I getting old?’

The music could probably be heard on the other side of Mount Remarkable. The bass beat thumping through the soles of her feet and up her body was so loud. Once the initial shock of the volume of the music wore off, Isabelle looked around, getting her bearings. She spotted Leah making a beeline for them.

‘Whoa, chickie babe.’ Leah’s eyes were wide with surprise.

‘Look! No flat shoes,’ Isabelle said, sticking the toe of her heels out from under the fabric of her floor length gown.

‘You’d give Pippa Middleton a run for her money in that little number. Turn around,’ Leah commanded. Isabelle twirled and Leah whistled. ‘Matt have you checked out her—’

Matt coughed behind his hand. ‘Um, yes, Leah, I might have had a look or two.’

Rather than feeling embarrassed, Isabelle’s confidence was buoyed and she swept into the sea of people on a cloud, ready to enjoy herself.

Matt introduced her to other district police officers and to the St John’s Ambulance and CFS volunteers.

As they made their way around the marquee, smiling and nodding and chatting with people, it appeared to Isabelle every single person in Stony Creek had turned out for the ball. Like Leah had said, it was the biggest event of the social calendar and all of the locals were dressed up for the occasion.

Isabelle was pleased to see Joe and Jane, although they weren’t planning on staying long. Joe looked unusually tired, but he smiled warmly at Isabelle and the hug he gave her was strong.

Alison and Geoff were sitting with Fran and Jim and they smiled when Matt and Isabelle approached, hand in hand. Isabelle checked Fran and Jim were still good to take the kids back to the farm later that night. With a wink, Fran assured her it was all good.

All of the other Peppercorn Project families were there, and judging by the huge smile on Rachel’s face, it was clear she believed she was personally responsible for helping these families get back on their feet.

Kim and Andrew Bailey looked stunning – like they’d stepped off the social pages of a glossy magazine. Kim was pregnant, and rumour had it they were expecting twins again – boys this time. Her tiny bump was hidden beneath a flowing black gown. Still, no one knew their story and why they’d needed a Peppercorn lease, but the sadness that they’d carried when they first arrived now appeared to be gone. The town had been good for them and their family.

Kuda and Rumbi were there too – Kuda looking handsome in his tuxedo, Rumbi sensational in a traditional African-inspired outfit. Her headgear was drawing curious gazes, but it was clear by the number of people standing around chatting with them that they had been widely accepted by the entire community.

Even Neil and Karina had put in an appearance, although Karina’s huge baby bump meant she spent the whole night sitting down in a corner, fanning her flushed face and rubbing her swollen belly. Of all the families, they were the ones who hadn’t really fitted in and it was expected they wouldn’t stay in town at the end of their lease.

Dot Wettenhall, Pat Wallace and Edith Patterson were giving Queen Elizabeth a run for her money in the fashion stakes, going as far as wearing long gloves and hats. Isabelle smiled. They were such funny old ladies, but she’d fallen in love with them and their quirky behaviour. She sensed their eyes upon her and knew their tongues would be wagging in over-drive the next day. She was tempted to kiss Matt in front of them, just for the reaction it would bring. Since Hugo had been arrested and charged with dealing drugs, they’d talked of nothing else, so maybe it would be good to give them something new to gossip about.

Hilary had been desperate to attend, but she’d been having funny dizzy spells and in the end decided it was best to stay at home. When Isabelle had called her after Christmas, Hilary had made her promise to visit with photos.

As Isabelle and Matt circulated through the crowd, Matt refused to take his arm from her waist and every now and his hand slipped lower, smoothing the fabric across the top of her buttocks.

‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’ Isabelle said as she pulled his arm higher for the tenth time. She loved the feeling, but they
were
in public.

‘Very much so,’ he replied, leaning forward and nuzzling the spot behind her ear. ‘But what I’m looking forward to is what comes later.’

Isabelle squirmed as heat tore through her. ‘You might need to stop now or we’ll be the subject of some very juicy gossip tomorrow. They’ve run out of Hugo stories.’

Matt chuckled. ‘Trust me, they’ll be talking about Hugo Thompson for years. Maybe I should make sure they have something more juicy to talk about than him.’

‘Surely you’d have to do something more risqué than just touching my bum,’ she teased.

‘What did you have in mind? A passionate kiss in the middle of the dance floor?’

‘Something like that,’ she said, lowering her eyes and taking in his body.

Matt groaned. ‘Don’t do this to me, Issie.’ He leaned closer and lowered his voice. ‘Please tell me you’ve organised someone to look after the kids tonight.’

‘I have.’

He nuzzled her neck and kissed her ear while his hand slid down her back and across her backside again. This time she didn’t stop him. He murmured in her ear. ‘Good, because you can expect another birthday present from me when this part of the night’s over.’

Isabelle tilted her head back as his lips brushed her neck. ‘Mm, I’ll look forward to that, but you might need to step away from me now or I’m going to drag you out of here right now. If we did that, there’d be even more gossip.’

‘Oh, I’m all up for that,’ Matt replied, his breath still warm in her ear. It sent another tremor of pleasure through her belly. ‘You just let me know when you’re ready to leave.’

‘I will.’

‘Oh stuff it. Can we just pretend you’re Cinderella and it’s nearly midnight?’ Matt said with a laugh.

She kept her eyes locked with his. ‘I thought you said I was Belle.’

Matt stepped away from her and drew in a ragged breath. ‘Is it hot in here or is it just me?’ he asked, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt.

Isabelle laughed. ‘It’s hot everywhere. There’s no way the air con can cope with this crowd.’

‘Perhaps we should go outside, check if the cool change has come through.’

‘I doubt it.’

‘He shucked off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. ‘If we’re going to stay, let’s get this party started, birthday girl. Wanna hit the dance floor?’

Isabelle grinned. ‘You know that makes you sound old, don’t you?’

He shrugged. ‘It is what it is. I’m a nearly forty-year-old bachelor.’

Matt grabbed her tightly and steered her into the middle of the room. He moved with a natural rhythm and within seconds, Isabelle figured out he was an excellent dancer.

‘I thought you’d said you didn’t dance.’

‘I didn’t say I
couldn’t
dance,’ he said. ‘I just don’t do it often.’

‘Why not? You’re good,’ she replied as he spun her around. She loved dancing but Dan’s two left feet made him better on water than land.

‘Because dancing is something that should only be done between two people who both enjoy it.’

She fixed him with a questioning gaze.

‘My ex,’ he explained. ‘Simone didn’t like to dance.’

That was Simone’s loss. Isabelle loved the way Matt held her and led her through the steps. He was tall, but their bodies fit together perfectly. For the first time, she was glad Leah had convinced her to buy heels.

As the music swirled around her, Isabelle gave herself to the moment, conscious of nothing – not even the smiling glances of the locals. All she felt was Matt’s arms around her, holding her close and keeping her safe and protected.

She never wanted the feeling to end.

*

‘Does this mean you two are finally together?’ Leah asked, looking from Isabelle to him. The band had taken a break and they were able to talk without having to shout. He and Isabelle had been about to head outside to the creek to escape the heat and noise when Leah intercepted them.

Isabelle was looking up at him, waiting for his reply. Everything inside him wanted to shout, yes, they were a couple, but Isabelle needed to be the one who made that decision. He was just waiting. He draped his arm loosely across her shoulders. Her skin was so perfectly smooth that it took him a second to gather his scattered thoughts. Their earlier flirting almost had him scooping her up in his arms and taking her home immediately, regardless of how inappropriate it might be and how many tongues would be set wagging.

Looking at Leah he said, ‘I haven’t asked her out properly yet.’ He then turned to Isabelle with a cheeky grin, ‘Well, what do you reckon, Issie? Wanna be my girlfriend?’

‘I—’ Isabelle began.

‘No way!’ Leah interrupted, holding her hands up like a stop sign. ‘That was
the most
unromantic offer ever.’ She shoved Matt in the arm. ‘You need to get down on one knee or something. Go and ask her out properly. And make it memorable!’

Matt winked at Isabelle. ‘Let’s go for a walk, birthday girl.’ He leaned in closer so only she could hear. ‘Perhaps a long walk via the creek back to your place?’

‘I’d love to,’ Isabelle said lightly, accepting his hand.

Matt grasped her hand, lacing their fingers together, loving the way her tiny hand fit so well into his much larger one. They walked outside and he sighed. It was still as hot as an oven.

‘The cool change can’t be far away,’ he said, dropping her hand to roll up his shirtsleeves. He vaguely recalled leaving his jacket somewhere inside, but going back to look for it was at the bottom of his current list of priorities. Getting Isabelle home was at the top. Anticipation tore through him faster than a bushfire.

Isabelle pulled a hair tie from her bag and piled her hair on top of her head. Loose curls still framed her beautiful face, but Matt wanted to pull the band out and let her hair tumble down around her face again. Then he wanted to kiss her and never stop.

She bent over, giving him a perfect view of her perfect backside. She pulled off her heels and slid the thongs onto her feet.

He groaned softly. ‘Do you have any idea what that does to me?’

She grinned, indicating she had every idea. She held the heels up in the air by their straps. ‘Much better,’ she exclaimed. ‘But don’t tell Leah.’

Lightning lit the sky and Isabelle dropped her shoes in surprise, squeezing his arm tightly. Pleasure coursed through him. He inhaled deeply and drew her around so she faced him. Without her heels, she was tiny, the top of her head barely reaching his chest. He traced his fingers slowly down the length of her spine. She sighed with pleasure and pressed her body closer. He nearly came undone. In the distance, thunder rumbled. Ignoring the building storm around them, Matt inhaled again, drawing in her sweet fragrance and blocking out everything else. As he leaned closer to kiss her, a movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye and he pulled away.

‘What’s wrong?’ Isabelle asked.

‘I’m not sure.’