Page 4 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

Sitting opposite her at the dining table, his garlic Moreton Bay bugs barely touched, Finley shrugged. ‘I just think it would do us good to, you know, see how we really feel when we’re apart, before we go committing our entire lives to each other.’

For goodness sake, he’d been her first date, her first kiss, her first … everything. And now he was worried about commitment?

He pushed his salad around the plate with his fork. ‘Maybe we’re not as compatible as we first thought we were.’

‘Not compatible?’ She blinked faster – she was not going to cry. She’d done enough of that, especially since losing her beloved great-grandma. Besides, Finley didn’t deserve her precious tears.

He lifted his gaze to hers. ‘Come on, Rose. We aren’t on the same page about a lot of things. I think all our arguing lately has proven that.’

‘Couples are meant to work through their differences, Finley, not just shrug and give up when the going got tough.’ Instead of replying, he once again shrugged. It was as if he’d already given up on her, on them. ‘I don’t understand the sudden change of heart.’ She sniffled, blinking away instant tears. ‘Has something happened to make you like this?’

‘Nothing I can pinpoint. It’s just a feeling.’ He sat back and folded his arms. ‘I honestly don’t know if I’m in love with you anymore.’

Shell-shocked, heartbroken and so damn angry, Rose couldn’t summon a reply that wasn’t filled with expletives so, in the vein of not saying anything if she had nothing nice to say, she remained silent.

As if becoming impatient with her, Finley drew in a breath, held it, then huffed it away. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay here while we figure things out either.’

Rose shot to her feet, tugged off her engagement ring and thumped it on the table. ‘Then I’ll pack my things and be out of your hair.’ She shoved her chair back, and it tumbled as she stormed off down the hallway. Thank god she’d left Buck over at Jacaranda Farm – it meant she didn’t have to hitch the trailer and load him before getting the hell out of here.

‘Rose.’ Finley’s voice carried after her. ‘I’m sorry.’

After she packed what little she could claim as her own, the drive to her childhood home flashed by in a tear-hazed blur. Her relationship was in tatters, but so was the business she’d put so much time and effort into – her students weren’t going to drive the forty-five minutes to Dimbulah for their lessons. And it wasn’t like she could move the riding arena she’d had built at Cole Estate to Jacaranda, even if they would. Talk about everything blowing up in her face. At least she still had her writing and jillarooing. Thank goodness.

With her mind all over the place, Rose slammed on the brakes when she almost missed the turn that she’d taken countless times before. The back end of her Holden Colorado fishtailed as she took the corner and her tyres left the bitumen, meeting with loose gravel. Glancing in her rear-view mirror, she was thankful there’d been nobody behind her.

Pulling to the side of the road, she heaved breaths in. Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel as she fought not to shatter. She had to find a way to deal with this. Giving herself a firm pep talk, she pushed the despair down as best as she could and pulled back out, her high-beam headlights making it look as if it were daylight. Heading down the long dirt road, she felt a wave of relief when she turned into the front gates of Jacaranda Farm. Pulling up beneath a towering paperbark, she killed the engine, kicked her door open and jumped out.

Her mum’s border collie, Ralph, dashed to her side, his big brown eyes seeming to know she was upset. ‘I’ll be right, buddy.’ She loved the fact he was a pup of Mack and Sasha, who’d been gifted to her as puppies by her great-aunt, Cheryl. It made him all the more special.

Trev and Kenny, who’d worked on the farm as long as she could remember, were sitting on the patio of their workers’ cottage – their usual spot for the evening – with beers in hand. They both grinned and waved and she tried to do the same, but with her smile faltering, she quickly turned away. She needed her mum, now.

‘Hey, is everything okay, kiddo?’ Trev called out to her.

‘Not really.’ She called over her shoulder. ‘But don’t worry, I’ll be fine, Uncle Trev.’

‘We got your back,’ Kenny hollered.

‘Thanks Kenny,’ she shouted back to him, their show of support choking her up even more.

She kicked her boots off at the back door, then strode into the homestead to the cheery chatter of family and the smell of her mum’s midweek roast – it had become a tradition over the years to have a roast twice a week, to bring them all together more often. The only reason she hadn’t come tonight was so she and Finley could try to sort things out.

She followed the scent down the hallway, past the line-up of family photos, and into what her great-grandmother had always called the heart of the home: the kitchen. Happy conversation halted. Five sets of eyes looked up at her from the table – Mum, Heath, Angus, GG and Lizzy. She didn’t need to say anything – they could all tell she was upset, with the tears now pouring down her cheeks.

Molly was the first to her feet. ‘Oh, sweetheart, what’s happened?’ She dashed to her side and took her into her arms. ‘Are you okay?’

‘No.’ Rose clung to her. ‘Finley just broke up with me.’ The sobs she’d been keeping at bay escaped.

‘Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.’ Molly hugged her tighter. ‘He doesn’t know what he’s giving up.’

‘He’s a damn fool,’ GG firmly stated. ‘Our girl deserves better.’

‘Do you want me to go and kick him in the nuts?’ Angus groused.

Lizzy gasped. ‘Angus, don’t talk like that. It’s rude.’

‘My heart hurts so much, Mum,’ she finally said, as she untangled her arms and looked into her mother’s kind eyes. ‘Even though we were having a bit of a rough time, I thought he and I were going to be forever.’

‘Oh, darling, I know you did.’ Reaching out, Molly cupped her cheeks. ‘Somehow, everything will work out exactly as it’s meant to. You’ll see.’