Page 38 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

Wandering towards the sink so he could wash his hands, Ty chuckled. ‘Geez, thanks, sis. Don’t go sugar-coating anything.’

‘You know me, I say it how it is.’ Turning to face him, she balanced the wooden spoon on the side of the pot. ‘Sit down, put your feet up and let me get you a coffee.’

‘No way, you’re the one that should be resting with your feet up.’ He wiped his hands on the embroidered towel looped over the cupboard handle. ‘I’m quite capable of making myself a cuppa, and you one while I’m at it, if you like.’

‘Yeah, yeah.’ Leah rolled her eyes. ‘I know you can, but I want to do it for you, so do as you’re told for once in your life, and sit your butt down before I come over there and make you.’

‘I’d like to see you try.’ Pointing at her belly, he laughed. ‘Have you seen the state of yourself lately? I reckon you’d barely be able to wrestle a butterfly.’

Leah flashed him a challenging grin. ‘Don’t make me come over there.’

Ty held his hands up in surrender. ‘Okay, don’t get your knickers in a knot.’ He dragged a seat out and sat. ‘See? I can do as I’m told, sometimes.’

‘Ha, more like rarely.’ She bustled about, making Ty a coffee and a peppermint tea for herself, then joined him at the table.

‘Thanks, sis.’ Ty took a satisfying sip, sighing as he rested back.

Her elbows resting on the table and her cup cradled in her hands, Leah took tentative sips, watching him like a hawk.

‘What are you thinking about, sis? Because I can see the cogs turning from here.’

Leah took her time, placing her cup down and getting a little comfier in her seat. It was only then that she sucked in a dramatic breath. ‘You and Rose. What’s the story?’

Ty half-shrugged. ‘There isn’t one. She needed a place to get her life straight and get some work done on her book, and I just so happened to have a spare place for her to do that.’ Ty wasn’t about to tell Leah how much he wished there was more of a story between himself and the extremely mesmerising Rose Jones,

‘I see.’ Leah took another long sip from her tea, eyeing him over the rim of her cup.

Ty squirmed beneath her intense regard, which felt more like scrutiny. ‘What?’

‘You know exactly what.’ Her brows rose. ‘I see that dreamy look in your eyes every time we talk about her.’

He went still for a moment and almost told her what she was dying to hear but stopped short. ‘We only talk about her when you raise the subject.’

‘Stop deflecting, Ty Parker.’ She smirked. ‘You like her! Just admit it.’

‘Stop it.’ He shook his head and laughed her interrogation off. ‘I don’t need you playing Cupid, sis.’

Her mouth opened in response, but then she closed it again. Then, her gaze narrowing, she looked at him like she was trying to home into his thoughts with telepathy.

‘Will you stop gawking at me like some looney tune.’

‘I know you fancy the pants off her, and before you deny it, just remember this is me you’re talking to, big brother.’

‘Yeah, I can see that.’ Avoid altogether was his tactic of choice, and he was sticking to it.

‘Ha, you’re a bloody smartarse.’ She tipped her head, smiling like she knew his juicy secret. ‘She’s perfect for you, bro, but you already know that, right?’

‘Maybe, maybe not.’ He knew the latter was a big fat lie, but he wasn’t about to admit it. Then a realisation hit him. ‘Tell me this, little sis. How do you know she’s perfect for me when you haven’t even met her yet?’

Leah shrugged. ‘I met her today.’

‘You what?’

Her face remained a picture of absolute innocence. ‘Yeah, I popped in to introduce myself with some pumpkin scones. We sat and talked for over an hour.’

‘An hour? Oh my god.’ He would’ve liked to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation. ‘You’re one sneaky bugger, turning up at her place with your scones. We all know nobody in their right mind can say no to them.’

Leah grinned wickedly. ‘I know, which is why I went armed with a nice warm batch, fresh out of the oven.’