Hello again: Already a new chapter. Can't stop myself at the moment. The story wants to go on and on. I really love to work on this story. Please R+R.
Thanks: As usually I want to thank, Isi. Best beta in the whole wide world.
Disclaimer: Not mine
8. Going Home
"I'm home." Alex thought while he passed the gate to Drovers Run. He had read the sign once more: McLeod ◦ Ryan - Equine Services - C.L. McLeod & A.M. Ryan. Alex remembered the day when he and Claire made their plans official to theirs families and friends. He couldn't imagine to do this with anyone else. It was Claire's and his thing. After Claire had agreed to their own business he thought Peter was out of the picture forever but Claire thought about another chance for that bloke when she had noticed that she was pregnant with Peter's baby. But Claire made the right decision. When the news about her pregnancy had spread after her riding-accident she wanted Alex to tell that the baby is his not Peter's. She made her decision once and she made it again yesterday. Alex just needed one more sign that she felt the same way he did.
Alex drove the last meters to Drovers Run and parked his car in front of the house.
He got out of the car and got the stuff of the ute he took from Killarney for the renewing of the spareroom, his upcoming room. Alex went into the house and looked for Tess. Instead he found Meg in the kitchen preparing lunch.
"Hey Meg. Have you seen Tess?" Alex started.
"Yeah Alex, Tess is outside drenching the sheep with Jodie and Becky." Meg said and thought once more what it would mean to have Alex on Drovers Run. After all he was a Ryan and Claire hadn't the best experiences with the Ryans although Alex was more a friend than a Ryan to Claire. She needed to talk to Claire about this.
"Thanks Meg." Alex answered and went outside to look for Tess.
"Hey you three, need a hand?" Alex talked to the girls when he saw them drenching the sheep at the shearing-shed.
"No Alex, we're nearly done here." Becky answered.
Tess looked who came to them. "What do you want, Alex?" She asked when she saw Alex.
"I want to talk to you." Alex said seriously.
"Wait a few minutes and I will be with you." Tess answered.
Alex waited at the fence until Jodie, Becky and Tess finished their work.
"We get something to drink." Becky said after they had finished and went back to the house with Jodie. Tess went to Alex.
"So let's talk. What's up?" Tess asked.
"Uhm, I want to suprise Claire with my room. We have agreed that I can have the old guest-room which you use as spare-room at the moment. I took some materials from Killarney and want to start the work on it right now. Is that ok for you?"
"Alex, shouldn't we talk about your arrangement first and then decide what to do with the room? Do you really think, this is the way you wanna do this. Do you really want to marry Claire? Do you?" Tess asked as seriously as Alex spoke before.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I want to marry her. It's the right thing to do. It's the best for little baby-boy."
"Alex, you know what that means. You have to be there for the baby and for Claire."
"Yes Tess, I know what I do", Alex started, "and it feels so right." Slurred out of his mouth. Alex went silent immediately and looked away.
Tess couldn't believe what she just heard. "Alex Ryan are you in love with my big sister?" She asked herself. For a long time she thought that there was more than friendship between them but she never thought they would find a way to work it out, especially when Claire had planned to marry Peter. Although Alex' anger at Peter whenever he saw him had been a sign, a sign that Claire never noticed. While she thought about this she remembered once more how she arrived at Drovers Run 3 years ago and met Alex and Nick Ryan. Alex and Nick were friends to Claire and became friends to Tess too. Tess dated both brothers, Alex and Nick, but it didn't work out with one of them. She and Alex were too different and she lost Nick because of her stupid and childish behaviour as well as her anger to bond with someone. It was a totally different story with Alex and Claire. They were made for each other but they didn't realize it. They fought, they became friends again. He was jealous at her boyfriends and she at his girlfriends. But they never got the hints right. Both sended lots of them. Nick noticed and Tess noticed too. Tess came out of her thoughts and started to answer. "Alex, are you in love with Claire?" She asked directly.
Alex looked away. He didn't want to look into Tess' eyes. He couldn't tell her the truth. It was something between him and Claire, none of Tess' business. "Tess, you got something wrong. It's just for the baby's sake. I want him to grow up in a family." Alex knew it was a lame excuse and Tess wouldn't buy it. Actually Claire and Tess would be the best family the baby could get. They didn't need him.
Tess noticed the excuse and she noticed that Alex didn't really want to talk about this. "How do I get you two stubborn heads to tell each other the truth?" Tess thought about a solution and decided to leave Alex alone for the moment and to get back to the topic. "It's ok Alex, you can start to work on the store-room but first you have to remove the stuff into the basement. I have to go to Nick because of the wheat. I will help you when I'm back."
"Thank you Tess." Alex said relieved because Tess hadn't mentioned his words.
"No worries. Everything ok with you?" Tess asked again just to be sure that Alex didn't want to talk about it.
"Yeah, yeah. Go to Nick. I will do fine." Alex answered and went back to the house to start the work.
Tess watched him walking away. After that she went to her VW and drove off to Nick.
To be continued ...