Page 17 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

Rose bathed in his rapt regard – it made her feel seen, and her opinions appreciated. If it were Finley, he’d be telling her to stop being ridiculous, because animals were bred for food and it was all about costs and business. The fact she was able to passionately converse with Ty about a subject she’d learnt to zip it on with Finley, just to save having another argument, meant the world.

Heading back towards the homestead, they made their way past the recently renovated stables. Squinting into the sunlight bouncing off the corrugated roof, Rose gazed at the home of her mum’s three horses. The two buckskins had their heads down and their contrasting black tails languidly swished pesky flies away. The lively, hot-blooded Arabian that her mum had saved from being sent to the meatworks six months earlier strutted his stuff along the fence line, his long arching neck and chiselled head as striking as his pure white coat. His proud, graceful temperament had only been brought about by her mother’s dedicated training routine and endless, unconditional love.

Pausing to take in the surrounds, Rose couldn’t miss the play of Ty’s muscles beneath his well-worn jeans, or how the rolled-up sleeves of his plaid button-up Ariat shirt showed off his tanned, tattooed forearms when he rested them on the railings of the training yard. She had to steal her eyes away from him and take a quiet breath – so much about him made her heart pump double time. Head to toe, Ty Parker was very easy on the eye and incredibly easy to like. She really needed to tread carefully around him or risk falling into something she was not ready for. Fling-worthy or relationship material, men were totally off her radar. She needed to heal her heart before she let anyone near a mile of it. As the saying went, hurt people hurt people, and she didn’t want to hurt a hair on the head of a man like Ty.

‘This place is absolutely stunning, Rose.’ Ty tugged the brim of his hat down as he gazed out and over the land then to the outbuildings. ‘And these stables, wowsers. Talk about mighty impressive.’

Rose’s insides shivered – man oh man, his smile was lethal. ‘Yeah, this is basically Mum’s office.’ She smiled as soft as the breeze stirring wisps of dark hair about her face. ‘She’s just had them renovated a few months ago. Before that, they were still the same ones the fire had basically gutted.’ Memories of the night she’d almost lost her life, and her mother for that matter, flashed before her eyes. ‘GG, Heath, Trev and Kenny refurbished them, but they’ve needed a total rebuild for years.’

‘There was a fire in the stables?’ He lifted his sunnies, and she saw concern whirl in Ty’s eyes. ‘When?’

‘I was seven, so almost fifteen years ago.’ Rose shuddered with the nightmarish recollections. ‘If it wasn’t for Heath saving me and my mum, I probably wouldn’t be here to tell the story.’

Ty sucked in a sharp breath as his hand came to her shoulder, gently yet protectively reassuring. ‘Shit, Rose, that would have been terrifying. I’m so sorry you and your family went through something like that.’

‘Thanks, Ty.’ His touch was comforting, and she almost grabbed his hand and put it back when he dropped it back to his side. ‘It was really scary. We’re very lucky all the horses got out safely, too, thanks to the quick thinking of the guys.’ She could still see the flames licking at the walls and feel the overbearing heat and the pressure of the beam she was pinned beneath like it was only yesterday. ‘Mum was in a coma for a week. We all thought we’d lost her, but her fighting spirit helped her pull through, thank god.’ She blew a relieved breath. ‘It’s amazing what a family’s love and support can do.’

Ty’s regard of her was poignantly reverent. ‘So that’s where you get your fighting spirit from, hey? Your lovely mum.’

‘Ha, yeah.’ She tried to push away the echoing sounds of the horses rearing up and trying to kick their way out of the fiery depths of hell – her darling Buck had been one of them. ‘We Jones women tend to have a little fire in us. My great-grandmother, Elizabeth, was the same.’ She hated having to speak of her great-grandma in the past tense, and it must have showed on her face because Ty shocked her by grabbing her and pulling her into a consoling hug. She resisted a little at first, but within seconds she melted into the safety and security of him.

‘I’m so sorry you’ve been through so much, Rose,’ he said, his chin resting on top of her head. ‘I reckon it’s high time you got a break.’

Rose didn’t know what to say to Ty’s open display of empathy – it wasn’t something she was used to after Finley, who was so cut off from his emotions. So, to save seeming unappreciative, she just said exactly what came to mind. ‘Thank you. That means a lot.’ As his arms loosened, she took her cue to step out of his embrace. ‘You’re a real good bloke, Ty Parker.’

He held her eyes spellbound with the depth in his. ‘Thank you, Rose. That means a lot.’

Needing to clear the thickening atmosphere before she burst into tears, Rose grinned through trembling lips and gave his arm a friendly slap. ‘Come on, then. Let’s move it or you won’t be home until dark.’

Snapping from the trance they were sharing, he nodded and flashed her that charming dimple-clad grin. ‘You lead the way.’

And before she gave into some crazy notion of planting a kiss on his oh-so-kissable lips, she did. Even so, her heart beat in excitement at just the notion of it being a possibility. She was single. He was single. They were two consenting adults. They wouldn’t be doing anything wrong …

She mentally slapped herself. She was not going to have even a momentary lapse of self-control. No way, Jose. What in the hell had gotten into her? And how did she know Ty felt the same way? He might just see her as a mate, like how she should be seeing him. Step after step, she tried to shake the lustful feelings off, to no avail.

Pausing at Buck’s horse paddock, Ty greeted the gelding as the horse stretched his head over the railings. ‘Howdy, mate.’ He ran a hand over Buck’s neck. ‘You’re looking good, buddy. Your owner here clearly takes real good care of you, huh?’

As if understanding, and agreeing in full, Buck nodded then flashed Ty a toothy grin.

‘What a champ,’ Ty chuckled. ‘As well as being a handsome boy, you’ve got an awesome personality to boot.’

Rose’s already buoyed heart soared higher as she watched man and horse bond instantly – it wasn’t like Buck to connect with a stranger so quickly, especially a male. Going off first impressions, Buck appeared to like Ty quite a lot. ‘He’s a clever boy, my Buck. I’ll give him that.’ Rose gave him a kiss on the muzzle. ‘I love ya, mate.’

With Buck whinnying his response, Ty looked to her with a smile from ear to ear. ‘I think it’s fair to say he loves you too.’

She drank in his smile, one just for her, as she graced him with one of her own, made only for him. ‘Well, I’m afraid to say, that’s the tour, done and dusted.’

‘I suppose that means I need to think about heading off and leaving you in peace.’

Rose wished she could tell him how much peace he was bringing to her tattered heart, but she was afraid it would sound weird, so instead she said, ‘Right you are.’

Reaching the homestead, Ty followed her through the gate and down the pathway lined with lemon and orange trees. ‘Would you like another cuppa before you head off, Ty?’ she asked over her shoulder as they climbed the steps. Anything to keep him here that little bit longer.

Please say yes …

‘I wish I could, but I’d better hit the road.’ His footsteps fell closely behind her. ‘I’ll take a raincheck, though, if that’s okay with you?’

Although disappointed he wouldn’t be here for the length of time a coffee would take to make and drink, Rose liked his reply. ‘Yeah, sure. Sounds good.’ A natural smile settled on her lips as she turned to face him, her restless hands once again going to the confines of her pockets. ‘Raincheck it is.’