Page 24 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

‘Well, Rose Jones.’ Ty swung his arm in a wide circle. ‘Welcome to your new home for the next month.’

She followed his gaze over the far-reaching countryside. ‘Thanks. It’s an awesome spot, Ty.’

A sudden commotion of hooves hitting steel had her rushing to the horse trailer. ‘Sorry, Buck, you’ve had enough of being in there, haven’t you, buddy?’

Ty’s footfalls were close behind her as she flung the back door open.

‘Hey, buddy,’ Ty said over her shoulder. ‘We meet again.’

Nickering, Buck glared at her, as if saying how dare you leave me in here, waiting for you to stop flirting. Well, that’s what she imagined, anyway. ‘Is the paddock he’ll be going into within walking distance, Ty?’

‘Sure is. I’ve given him his very own pasture, right beside your place. It’s got some real good feed in there.’ Ty pointed to the big field beside the pretty cottage. ‘It’s the best horse yard here, and he can perv on Gretchen in the neighbouring paddock too.’ He looked from one softly whickering horse to the other. ‘Going off first impressions, I reckon they might become quite fond of each other.’

‘Hmm, yeah, they seem keen on each other already.’ Rose had the feeling she’d become quite fond of Ty in the coming weeks too. ‘Thank you so much for making Buck and me feel so welcome.’ She attached the lead rope to Buck’s halter, silently squealing at the news that the pretty, picturesque cottage was where she’d be staying, and that her beautiful boy would be right beside her. ‘Did you hear that, Buck? You and I are very spoilt.’ There was the addition bonus of having a man as hunky as Ty next door to perv on, too. Talk about winning.

Tossing his head, Buck pranced down the ramp, showing off in front of Gretchen, his keen eyes considering the mare.

Ty rested a hand on her shoulder. ‘Come on, then. Let’s get him settled.’

Heat shot through her from his touch. ‘Yup, let’s.’

Ty led the way and opened the gate for her. She walked Buck in and freed him. Head held high, Buck strode along the fence line, back and forth, eyeing off the horses in the rear paddocks. A few whinnies were followed up with a couple of bucks, kicks and farts. With a new kid on the block, the pecking order was already at play.

His boot heel hooked on the bottom rung of the rustic timber fence, Ty grinned towards Buck. ‘He’s certainly not shy in making himself at home.’

Rose saddled up beside him. ‘Ha, yeah. He’s a bit of an alpha, my boy.’

‘That’s a good thing. It means he’ll settle in real quick.’ Turning, he inclined his head towards the homestead. ‘How about I grab you a cold drink and show you around my place a bit, and then we can check out your abode?’ He glanced towards the sky as if reading it intently. ‘Then I better get back to it before the day gets away from me.’

‘Sounds like a plan.’ Not knowing what to do with her hands as she followed him, her gaze glued to his perfectly jean-clad butt, she quickly shoved them into her pockets.

They kicked their boots off at the back door, where five sets of Ty’s boots were neatly lined up. Entering the house, Rose immediately noticed the clean, fresh scent and gleaming polished hardwood floorboards, each plank a slightly different shade to the next. It gave the place old-school charm and character. Ty showed her all the way from the entrance hall, proudly pointing out photos of his bull-riding years hung in the hallway, through the spacious lounge room with a massive cowskin rug in front of a modular black leather couch dotted with Native American–designed cushions, all of which faced a huge flatscreen television and impressive sound system. Bay windows allowed the outside to come in, offering unstoppable views. Add in the Western sculptures of horses and bucking bulls and the wagon-wheel coffee table, and masculinity dripped from every single inch of the country-inspired home.

Passing the laundry, next on the grand tour was the heart of the home: the bright, airy galley kitchen with timber-top white cabinets, an Aga stove and the most exquisite butcher’s block Rose had ever seen. Copper pots hung above this pièce de résistance, black Smeg appliances dotted the tidy benches and a matching black retro Smeg fridge added to the vibe, which was that the man who lived here knew how to cook. She was beyond impressed.

‘So, what do you think of my bachelor pad?’ The pleased expression on Ty’s face told her he could see exactly what she thought.

‘It’s not too shabby,’ she said playfully. ‘Just kidding, Ty. Your place is absolutely amazing.’

‘It’s taken a lot of work to get it up to scratch, so I’m glad you think so.’ Heading to the fridge, he tugged it open and flashed her a playful glance over his shoulder. ‘Beer, OJ or sarsaparilla.’

She shot him a bemused look. ‘Oh my gosh, you like sarsaparilla?’

‘Love it.’

‘You’re seriously the first person, other than my great-grandparents, I’ve ever met who likes it.’ She pulled up a breakfast stool at the stone bench and sat. ‘Everyone reckons it tastes like medicine, but I think it’s amazeballs.’ Rose noted the abundance of fresh food stacked neatly on each shelf – was this man from Venus?

‘Amazeballs, huh? Sarsaparilla it is then.’ He plucked the bottle out and poured them both a glass. ‘Are you hungry? I can whip us up something.’

‘No, I’m all good, but thanks.’

Parched from the heat, Rose didn’t take long to drink it, and before she knew it, between light conversation and a bit of laughter, they were heading over to her place. Wandering down the garden path lined with hardy native shrubs, they reached the front steps. Ty gave her a hand up. It was such a simple gesture, yet the feel of his hand wrapped around hers sent another flash of heat skittering from her head to her toes. How in the hell could he set her on fire with the simplest of touches? For a few fleeting moments, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have him pick her up and carry her over the hearth, as if they were newlyweds. A fresh swarm of butterflies took flight in her belly as his smile deepened and spread to his dazzling blue eyes. Damn her and her enchanted notion of a happily ever after – it was very clearly not how life worked.

Opening the pretty leadlight timber door, Ty stepped back to allow her past. ‘Beauty first.’

She smiled as soon as she stepped inside and, almost instantly, a strange sense of connection filled her, as if she’d just arrived home after a long while away. Maybe it was the country charm, or maybe it was the smell of timber polish and potpourri. The open-plan space was wonderfully light and airy and smelt a little like the landscape surrounding it – timeless, earthy, leathery even. The timber kitchen was devoid of clutter and seamlessly flowed into the lounge and dining room, all of which had matching rustic furniture. A hallway led to what she guessed were the two bedrooms. Relief and excitement filled her – she’d taken such a huge gamble coming here, yet this little house already felt like her home away from home. As for the mesmerising man beside her … well, it felt like she’d known him for a lifetime, and then some.

‘You like it?’ Ty stepped in front of her, his gaze hopeful.