Page 39 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

‘Stop playing Cupid, sis. I don’t want that, remember?’ Ty said cautiously.

‘Oh, come on, bro. You deserve to be happy, and to settle down and get married to a decent woman this time round, and have mini-Parkers that can play with my mini-Parker.’ She tapped her belly to emphasise her point.

‘You’ve got it all planned out, have you?’

Leah looked at him with wide eyes. ‘Uh-huh.’

Ty leaned back in his chair and fixed her with a meaningful look. ‘Rose has just broken up with her fiancé.’

Leah set her cup down on the table. ‘And?’

‘She came here to get some breathing space from that, and to be able to catch up with her writing.’

Bracing her elbows on the table, Leah eyeballed him. ‘And tell me, brother, what if you’re the breath of fresh air she needs?’

She had a good point, but he wasn’t about to admit it out loud. Questions and thoughts barrelled through his mind like a stampeding of wild cattle. ‘Stop it, sis. I respect that she needs time to figure out her life, and I’m not about to complicate it by telling her I find her fascinating.’ Rising to his feet, he made his way to the sink, where he dumped his empty cup into the sudsy water.

‘So you are attracted to her.’

‘What man wouldn’t be?’ He gazed out at the cottage Rose had cocooned herself in.

‘Fair point, she’s a stunner, and she’s got her head screwed on too. Not to mention she’s hilariously funny.’

Turning back to Leah, Ty heaved a sigh. ‘Yes, she’s all of that, and more.’

Leah beamed. ‘My big brother is in lurve.’

‘No, I’m most definitely not.’ He shrugged off his sister’s look of disbelief. ‘Lust, maybe, but certainly not love.’

‘I beg to differ.’ Meeting him at the sink, Leah poked him in the chest. ‘I know how guarded you are, so I know you wouldn’t invite some woman you’d only just met out here if you didn’t have feelings for her.’

Leah had hit the nail on the head, and Ty heaved in a breath. ‘I’m going for a shower and when I get back, you and I are going to enjoy this awesome dinner you’ve made and talk about you for a change.’

‘Okey-dokey.’ Leah waved him off. ‘Enjoy your shower.’

Ty couldn’t stop thinking about Leah’s observations as he showered, dried and dressed in board shorts and a T-shirt. To be honest, he wanted to know all Rose’s hopes and dreams so he could figure out if he was ever going to be able to fill any of them, because he did like her, a hell of a lot, but he wasn’t about to tell Leah that. Being a woman who lived for love, she’d be like a dog with a bone, and that’s the last thing he and Rose wanted, or needed. They were both wounded, and therefore cautious, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to invest his heart. That’s why this time with her here was so precious. Unintentionally, there was method to his madness.

After dinner, he and Leah did their usual thing and retired out on the verandah, her with a hot chocolate and him with a beer this time round. Time ticked by when the brush of Leah’s hand touching his back made him jump. ‘Man, sis. I was a world away.’

‘No, you were just over there.’ She pointed in the general direction of the cottage. ‘Why don’t you actually take your body where your heart is and have a nightcap with her?’

‘I don’t want to make her feel like I’m going to be at her doorstep all the time, especially when I know she’s working.’

‘I’m guessing, after talking with her today, she’d probably like the company.’

Ty tipped his head. ‘You reckon?’

‘I’m a woman, so I’m going to go with a firm yes.’ She gave him a little shove. ‘Now go, before I drag you over there myself.’ She grinned. ‘And that won’t be a good look, trust me.’

Deciding to go for it, Ty stood. ‘Righto. Catch you in a little while.’

‘I won’t wait up,’ Leah called after him.

Chuckling, Ty wandered down the steps and into the night. He didn’t want to go diving in headfirst only to find himself drowning, but there was something about Rose Jones that rendered him helpless. And that same something made him want to drag her into his arms and make long, sweet love to her all night long, to hell with all the warning bells going off in his head. But he couldn’t – wouldn’t – be that stupid. He had to keep his wits and his self-control about him, especially for Rose’s sake. She didn’t need some guy coming on strong when she was in the midst of trying to get over her broken engagement. So, with that notion circling his head, he closed the distance between himself and the cottage, his heart lifting further with each step.

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