Moonlight Plains Read Free

flick of her long blonde hair, she began an animated conversation with him.
    It was pretty clear she was flirting her head off, but while Luke didn’t rebuff her, his body language wasn’t exactly welcoming, which pleased Sally rather more than it should have.
    Of course Sally quickly switched her attention back to the photographs so he didn’t catch her spying.
    Moments later, he returned with her drink.
    ‘I’m guessing you’re not a local,’ he said.
    ‘Not quite,’ Sally agreed. ‘I’m from Townsville.’
    Luke acknowledged this with a nod, dropped his gaze to her hand. She’d taken off her rings so she wouldn’t have to explain about Josh, but she hoped he hadn’t seen the faint telltale mark. Her ring finger felt naked and exposed. She was so used to wearing the rings, even flashing them at times, to keep guys at bay.
    Now, though, Luke let out a little huff of breath that might have been relief. He smiled. ‘I probably should’ve asked you to dance before I grabbed these drinks. That dress looks like it’s designed for dancing.’
    Turning, Sally watched the couples on the dance floor swishing through an old-fashioned number with proper steps, not the usual nightclub shuffle. Many of them had obviously learned these old dances and they were swinging and spinning like professionals. ‘I’m not sure I’d know how,’ she confessed. ‘My dress might be from the forties, but I’m afraid my feet aren’t.’
    She wouldn’t admit it, but her high heels were already killing her. It was ages since she’d worn them. She couldn’t actually remember the last time.
    ‘Must admit I wouldn’t know which foot to put in front of the other.’ Luke grinned again and gestured to her dress. ‘But this is amazing. Did you hire it?’
    ‘No. It’s the real thing. It belongs to one of my grandmother’s friends. She actually wore it during the war.’
    ‘Wow. Must be one sexy grandmother.’
    His compliment made Sally’s cheeks heat. They were smiling at each other. Again.

2
    Sally Piper had blown Luke away, bowled him over, knocked him for six. From his first sight of her in the old-fashioned pink dress that skimmed and hugged her body in
all
the right places, Luke knew he was grinning like a shot fox.
    He supposed he should be cautious. He was already dodging the attentions of Kylie, the girl from the local hardware store who’d just cornered him at the bar.
    But hell, he might have taken Kylie out once, but he hadn’t come to this ball as her escort. He was here because he owed his grandmother a favour; more than one, actually.
    Now that he’d met Sally, Luke felt as if his indebtedness had trebled. Sally was beautiful –
a stunner
– with red hair – no, he couldn’t call it red. Auburn was the word, wasn’t it? And she had the fair skin that went with auburn hair, so soft and smooth a guy could only wonder what it felt like to touch.
    By contrast to her pale skin, her eyes were dark, a warm nut-brown. Unsettling . . . which was weird given that he was normally relaxed and confident around women.
    They found a small table with two chairs in a reasonably quiet corner of the dance hall. Sally took a sip of her champagne. ‘That’s lovely. Fabulous, thanks.’
    ‘So . . .’ Luke schooled himself to sound calm and casual. ‘I take it you’re here on your own?’
    ‘I am, yes. And you?’
    ‘The same.’ He smiled. ‘I’ve been trying to decide if you’re here for business or pleasure.’
    ‘Bit of both. I guess you saw me taking notes?’
    ‘And photographs.’
    Sally nodded. ‘I’m hoping to do a small story for one of the country style magazines.’
    ‘You’re a journalist?’
    ‘Freelance.’ Quickly she added, ‘What about you?’
    ‘Builder.’
    ‘Really?’ Those brown eyes of hers widened with surprise.
    ‘Wrong answer?’
    ‘No. Sorry.’ She gave a small laugh. ‘It’s just that I had you pegged as a man of the land; a cattleman, I guess.’
    Luke smiled.