The Outback Cattleman's Hired Wife by Natalia Elder Read Free Book Online Page B

called her yet? ’
    ‘ No. I haven ’ t had time to make any calls, ’ he said, his eyes suddenly turning to steel. ‘ But I will. ’  
    Jared opened the door and hopped out. His shoulders
squared, he strode around in front of the vehicle and opened her door thrusting
out his hand to assist her down. ‘ Hold on. ’
    ‘ I can manage, ’ she insisted,
annoyed with herself how much she ’ d revealed
and inadvertently, getting off on the wrong foot!
    Rain sprayed into the cabin. In an instant, water
slicked off her oilskin coat and onto the running board.
    ‘ Stand back, ’ she ordered.
Placing her hand on the door, she jumped down with an almighty splash.
    Jared ’ s hands fisted his
hips. ‘ A stamp of independence, hmm? ’ he admonished, then gave a short, sardonic laugh.
    ‘ And why not? I ’ m used to
looking after myself. ’
    ‘ So you say, ’ he mocked. ‘ We ’ ll see how long
your independence lasts today with the dairy cows that also have a will of
their own, shall we? Come. The cows are waiting to be milked. ’
    Kirra ’ s oversized
gumboots sloshed beside his, as they headed towards the dairy.
    ‘ You mean the cows know when they want to get rid of
their milk? ’ she said, astonished.
    ‘ Yes. It ’ s a lot of
extra weight to carry around the paddock in their udders. They quickly become
used to the routine once their calves have gone. ’
    Kirra looked horrified. ‘ Oh the poor things. I ’ d be devastated if
someone took away my baby soon after birth. ’
    Jared flashed his eyes towards her, as they walked
beside each other. ‘ It ’ s part of modern
farm life. The demand for fresh milk is high today due to a marked increase in population
and the great variety of dairy products. ’
    ‘ I keep the heifers, the female calves, ’ he continued, ‘ to increase
the herd. The young bulls become dinner-table veal or beef most of the time,
unless they ’ re accepted into the A.I. program. ’
    ‘ A.I? ’ she asked, her
interest piqued, as he pushed open the door and led her into a side room. She
thought it stood for Artificial Intelligence, like the sci-fi movie.
    ‘ Artificial Insemination. Magda comes out and injects
the cows with - ’
    Kirra held up her hand to stop him immediately. ‘ I know. ’ Her cheeks
flushed crimson.
    It reminded her too much of the I.V.F. program she ’ d looked into, when she couldn ’ t seem to fall pregnant after trying for two years
with Zac. The memory of the frustration and stress of that time coursed through
her veins and she met his eyes with a sadness she couldn ’ t hide.
    His face sobered. He grimaced, clearing his throat. ‘ Put these on, ’ he said quietly and handed over her the overalls and
straw hat she ’ d
worn last night. ‘ The cows seemed okay with you in them. ’
    Kirra couldn’t speak. She felt a great ball of
emotional wool jammed down her throat. She quickly changed her clothes, before
he guided her into another part of the milking shed.
    ‘ What are these? ’ she asked,
when the emotion cleared and she trusted her vocal chords to work. She pointed
to two huge stainless steel cylinders that filled up most of the area.
    ‘ They ’ re storage vats
for the collected milk. They ’ re sealed to
prevent bacterial contamination, ’ Jared
explained in his element, as he checked the temperature gauge. ‘ A tanker driver from the Dairy Co-Op comes out every
second day to take it away. ’
    ‘ What happens to the milk if he doesn ’ t come? If the bridge is out? ’
    ‘ Mm. That ’ s a worry, ’ he said, grimacing. ‘ Some will be fed to the heifers in buckets, but most
of it will have to be tipped out. I ’ ll show you the heifers later if we make good time
milking. ’
    She gave him a genuine smile. ‘ I ’ d like that. ’
    ‘No problem,’ he said, guiding her back into the
milking area. ‘ If you like, today I ’ ll teach you how to take the cups off the teats. ’
    ‘Really? Unbuckling straps is so