Mountain Ash Read Online Free

‘I mean light hurting her eyes. And she needs someone to keep an eye on her, at least for the next twenty-four hours.’
    Mue was nodding. ‘Right. Done.’
    Jodie could have kissed the woman. Except she was still strapped down. ‘And the strapping?’ she said to the doctor.
    Brian finally gave a small smile. ‘It can come off. I’ll organise a nurse to do it right now.’ He swung to move away then turnedback. ‘And remember what I said. Take it easy. You’re going to be very sore tomorrow. Rest up a bit.’
    Jodie gave a small reassuring grimace of her own. ‘Okay, I will.’
    As if. She had a million things to organise – but she wasn’t going to tell Dr Brian that.

Chapter 3
    She’d been giving Nathaniel the come-on look all week, and those big brown eyes were playing hell with his libido. He shifted in the saddle, trying to get more comfortable. The girl shouldn’t have been let loose on the ringers, that’s for sure. He looked behind him towards the dissipating mob of cattle and could see the final stragglers coming towards the yards. Thank God for that. He could get out of here real quick.
    He glanced at the new governess again. She’d arrived at Mount Elizabeth station on the bus from Alice Springs. The boss’s wife’s niece apparently, from Melbourne’s inner east. Why the hell he remembered that, he had no idea. Guessed it was because that was a lot closer to his own childhood home, Glenevelyn, far, far east of the capital of Victoria, than they were up in the territory. Glenevelyn was a sprawling mansion in a remote valley, surrounded by thousands of acres of bush – also vastly different from the dust of Mount Elizabeth.
    He glanced at Danielle once more. Those scraps of clothes showed off a figure that was so good it was insane to think anything could look that perfect.
    He shook himself. He was thirty-four years old. The girl barely nineteen. This place was playing with his head. Women like Danielle weren’t exactly common out on a cattle station in the Northern Territory. He took another look down the paddock. He could see the top of Wally Price’s high-topped Akubra hat. Good. That meant a cold shower was at least within reach. Maybe another fifteen minutes and he’d be there …
    A soft hand clasped his forearm. He jumped slightly before turning to look down into what even he thought was an indecent amount of cleavage. What did teenage girls do these days to get knockers that big?
    â€˜You look hot and bothered, Nate.’
    And how did they do that ? Pout those full lips just so …
    â€˜Perhaps you need a bit of cooling down? I can be waiting by the homestead swimming pool in ten.’
    Nate managed to lift his eyes from the decadent bosom and stare at the girl. ‘Staff aren’t allowed in the boss’s pool.’ That wasn’t strictly true but it would do for now.
    â€˜Oh.’ Danielle looked momentarily beaten. She stroked his arm with her long nails. ‘Where do you go to cool down then?’ she asked.
    Nate threw out an arm, waving vaguely towards his donga and the river. ‘A shower, the waterhole, wherever.’
    The girl stood up straighter and leaned into his stirrup leather, a swinging fender setup that threatened to be swallowed by her bust. He tried not to think about how it would feel to be that slip of leather in all that cushiony warmth.
    â€˜I could scrub your back?’ There was a whisper of a smile, enough to make you want more …
    Fuck it! ‘Errr, I don’t think that’ll be necessary,’ he said, forcing a grin and glancing wildly around. He needed to exit this conversation pronto. ‘Plus it seems like the missus is looking for you.’
    Together they turned to the right, away from the cattle-yards and pens of bellowing cattle.
    He stuck up a hand, waved and yelled real loud towards the homestead grounds where he could