That's all it is. Any red-blooded male would be feeling the same attraction that he was. He would have to be careful, that's all. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her off.
Even though Jemima said she didn't want anything, Ned vowed that when the year was up, he would find something that she wanted, and he'd show his gratitude for what she was doing for his family.
"Ned. A coffee?" Angie caught his attention as she carried out a tray with a cake on it. He dragged his gaze away from Jemima.
"Thanks, but no. I'll get these kids home." He glanced across at Jemima. "We've got an early start tomorrow."
"Daddy, can we pwease have some cake before we go?" Ryan tugged on his shirt.
Ned looked down, groaned, and held his hand out. "You can as long as you wash those hands first. Come on."
"I'll take him, Daddy. If I wash my hands, can I have some cake, too?" Gwennie asked.
"Of course, sweetie. Kelsey, I suppose you want cake?"
"Of course I do, and I was going to ask Jemima if she'd teach me how to make it."
Liam and Lucy burst out laughing, and Ned looked at them curiously. "What's so funny?"
Jemima folded her arms and glared at them, but her glare was softened when her lips lifted in a half smile.
"Oh dear," Liam spluttered. "Ned, maybe you didn't do your homework well enough."
"Homework? What homework?"
Lucy nudged Jemima. "It's a well-known fact in our family that Jemmy can't even boil water. She obviously hasn't done any cooking at your place yet."
"No, she hasn't," Ned said slowly. "I didn't think it was fair when she had the house to organize, and the laundry, and looking after Ryan until I came in."
Liam slapped his thigh. "And I'll bet you didn't insist, did you, Jemmy?"
Ned's lips twitched as Jemima drew herself to her full height and glared at her brother.
"You have no idea what I've learned over the past five years, Liam Smythe. For all you know, I could be a gourmet chef now."
Liam chuckled and batted away Jemima's finger as she poked it into his chest.
"So you can cook now, can you, sis?"
"Sort of," she said with the glimmer of a smile.
Lucy turned to Kelsey. "You can come over to our place. Kelsey and I'll teach you how to bake cakes, if you like."
"I might come, too," Jemima said before she turned to Ned. "Don't worry. I can do the basics. No one will starve."
"Any cooking is an improvement on mine," he said with a laugh. "The kids will vouch for that."
Lucy grinned. "Liam could teach you, too. Did you know he won the blue ribbon for the ‘cake of the show' at the last Spring Downs show?"
Jemima's peal of laughter made Ned smile. "Oh, is that for real, Liam? I wish I'd known that."
"It was only because Lucy was in hospital having James. It won't happen again," Liam said. "Gran's record was at stake. You can do it this year, Jemmy, if Gran and Pop are still tripping around."
Ned leaned over and nudged Liam. "I'm impressed, mate. ‘Cake of the show,' hey? The only cake my poor kids ever get these days is from the bakery. So I might come to Lucy's kitchen and learn, too."
Gwennie frowned and looked up at him. "But you won't need to, Daddy. When you and Jemima get married tomorrow, she'll be there to make the cakes and cook our tea."
Jemmy grinned at him and leaned down to hug Gwennie. "And I'll be there to teach little girls … and boys … that a woman can do anything a man can do and vice versa."
After the cake was eaten, Ned gathered up his three children. "Time to go home, kids."
He thanked Liam and Angie for the invitation over and said good-bye to Garth and Lucy, who insisted that the next get together would be at their farm.
Jemima walked over to the car with him and held open the door while he lifted a sleepy Ryan into the car seat in the back. After Gwennie planted a smacking kiss on Jemima's cheek, Kelsey asked shyly whether Jemmy would mind if she kissed her good night, too. He smiled.
"Of course, you can." He waited as Jemima hugged Kelsey, and his eldest followed her sister into the car.
Ned turned to Jemima, feeling awkward for the first time. "I'll bring Ryan over as soon as the girls catch the bus in the morning. About eight-thirty?"
"That sounds like a plan. It's a good two hours to Dubbo, and the appointment is for noon, isn't it? Better allow for road works."
"Yep, noon it is." It seemed strange to be discussing a marriage as prosaically as though it was the weather. They stood there awkwardly for a while, and then Ned opened the car door. "See you tomorrow, then."
"Yes. Tomorrow. Bye." Jemima leaned down and waved to the kids through the window. Ryan was already asleep. "See you tomorrow afternoon, girls."
Jemima stood and watched the car until the tail lights disappeared around the curve just before the cattle grid.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow she was marrying Ned McCormack and becoming a part of his life and the lives of his children.
What was marriage to Ned going to be like?
Am I making a mistake? Is it a knee jerk reaction to not getting the job at the school?
Apart from helping both of them achieve the outcomes that they each needed, they were going to be living together twenty-four-seven.
Jemima shook her head and turned back to the house with a smile.
It was going to be fine. There was nothing to be gained worrying about the unknown.
Chapter Nine
The following morning dawned bright and clear. Jemima stood in front of the small wardrobe in the spare bedroom at Gran and Pop's, trying to decide what to wear. All of her really good clothes were still in her unit at Mosman on the harbour in Sydney. She'd thought about selling the unit, but until she knew what the next year was going to bring, it was a bit of security for her. And she didn't need the money, from either a sale or rental income. If no local teaching jobs came up, maybe she'd have to go back to Sydney to pursue the career she had her heart set on. And it was there if she ever needed to visit Sydney-or get away.
She stood there for a few minutes before her gaze settled on the outfit at the far end of the wardrobe. Not too dressy, but suitable for an occasion such as today. She swallowed as she thought of what was ahead-her wedding.
Perfect.
Jemima nodded and laid the clothes out on the bed while she headed for the shower.
Years of quick changes and being made up had made her a whiz at getting ready quickly, and it was only ten minutes later that she was putting the last touch of mascara on her eyes when she heard the rattle of a diesel engine pull up outside. With a deep breath, she smoothed down her silk top and walked into the living room.
Angie's eyes widened, and Liam whistled. "Very nice, sis."
Jemima frowned. "I'm not too dressed up, am I?"
"No. You look lovely. I've hardly seen you in anything but jeans and T-shirts since I met you." Angie held her arms out for a hug. "It's perfect for a business meeting or a wedding."
Ned lifted Ryan from the ute and carried him up the steps. Ned was quiet, and his only greeting to Angie was a brief nod and a quick good morning as he handed over the bag of spare clothes and toys for Ryan.
Ryan seemed happy enough to stay with Liam and Angie. Angie had taken the day off from her surgery to help out. As Ned held the door of the ute open for Jemima, the little boy waved good-bye. Jemima swallowed and put her hands on her lap as they backed out of the driveway. For the first time, in a long time, she was tempted to chew her fingernails.
The trip to Dubbo was silent at times, apart from comments about the weather or the occasional comment about a particularly lush paddock of pasture. Jemima was lost in her thoughts, and Ned seemed just as preoccupied.
She jumped when he spoke as they slowed down for road works.
"When did you want to bring your gear over?"
"My gear?"
"Your clothes and stuff."
"Oh. Tonight, I suppose."
Silence again and then they both spoke at the same time.
"What-" she said.
"Where-" he said.
Jemima glanced over him. "Are we going to spend a year doing this?"
"Doing what?" Her heart kicked up a beat as he took his eyes from the road briefly and smiled. A simple smile from Ned made it so much easier for her to talk to him. Most of the time she didn't know what was going on in his head. He always looked so damned serious.
"Being awkward with each other. Hedging around each other, being polite. It's going to be a very slow year if I have to think about what I say before I speak every time."
"I know what you mean."
She glanced down at his hand as he felt for the water bottle he'd put on the seat. Before he found it, Jemima picked it up, popped the cap, and passed it over.
"Thank you." He tipped it up, and she watched as he drank, keeping his eyes on the road. He passed the bottle back over, and she put it in the console between the seats.