Page 54 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

‘Thanks, Rose, for being the wonderful woman you are.’ He closed the gap between them and cupped her cheeks. ‘I’m a very lucky man, to be able to call you my dearest friend.’

As she placed her hands over his, a wispy smile claimed her lips and her heart. ‘Ditto, Parker.’

They got settled back on the mattress, but this time, Rose rested her cheek on his chest, and he hugged her in tight. She waited for what felt like ages, until he drifted back to sleep, before she allowed herself to do the same.

She woke four hours later to an empty bed, a note saying Ty would catch her back at Wildstone Station … and an epiphany. Ty wasn’t looking for a commitment from her; he was searching for a connection, a friendship with substance, someone to believe in him. A person who could open their eyes to the sheer depth of his soul. And she could most certainly give him that.

He was a good man. No, actually, he was a great man, and she adored so much about him. Just like the three special men already embedded in her life – her dad, Heath and GG – Ty was all honesty and sincerity, with morals and a whole lotta heart. And by god, he’d seen so much war, and suffered so much adversity, it tore at her soul to even begin to imagine what demons he carried upon his big, broad shoulders. If she could lighten the burden of them just by genuinely being there for him, she would do everything in her power to do so.

Stretching herself to life, she tugged her boots on, pulled her hair into a messy bun, stepped out into the blinding morning sunshine, and climbed behind the wheel. Over half the partygoers had left the camping area, and she could see Ty’s LandCruiser was gone from where it had been parked last night – Leah had obviously headed home at some point. But she did wonder how in the heck Ty had made his way back to Wildstone Station, given the fact he’d got a lift there. Maybe he’d caught a lift with the same mate home? She hoped to god he hadn’t walked, because it would have taken him hours.

Worried about him, she grabbed her mobile and dialled his number. He answered in three rings. ‘Howdy doody, Jonesy. Did you just wake up?’

‘Yeah, sort of.’ She rested against the steering wheel. ‘Are you back home?’

The revving of a quad bike sounded. ‘Yup, I’ve been here for a little while.’

‘Is Leah there, safe and sound too?’

‘She is, yes.’

‘That’s good.’ Starting to melt from the heat, she revved the Colorado to life. ‘How’d you get back there?’ The air-conditioning whirred to life, and she moved the vents towards her face.

‘I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to clear my head, so I walked.’

‘My god, Ty! How long did it take you?’

‘I know a bit of a short cut, so just over an hour, give or take.’

Switching the call to Bluetooth, she carefully backed up. ‘You should have woken me.’

‘No way. You looked so peaceful, and besides, the walk did me the world of good.’

‘Well, that’s good then.’ The four-wheel drive and trailer bumped down the track. ‘I’ll be home soon, so I’ll catch you there.’

‘All good.’ The sound of cattle bellowing mingled with his voice. ‘I was going to ask you if you’d like to come on a little muster with me around three-ish, just for a couple of hours. I’ve got to move some of the cattle into another paddock.’

‘Yeah, sure, I’d love that.’

‘Righto. Catch you soon, Jonesy.’

‘Bye, Parker.’ Ending the call, she smiled to herself. It was going to be nice to do what she did best beside a man she had so much respect for.

Arriving back to the cottage a little worse for wear, she headed inside for a couple of paracetamol, a nice long shower, some brunch and then, hopefully, a bit of a nanna nap. A strong, sweet cup of tea was going to make everything okay again.

Ha, strong and sweet – those words summed Ty up nicely.

By midafternoon, she was feeling much more human, and eager for a muster. Striding towards the adjacent paddock, she stopped at the rustic fencing and called to her boy.

Buck lifted his head and trotted towards her. Resting her chin on the timber railing, she admired his gait – he was a magnificent horse, not that she was biased, she thought with a grin.

‘Ahoy there, Jonesy.’ Ty’s husky voice made her jump and she spun to see him striding across the driveway, looking handsome as hell.

‘Hey, Parker.’ Considering he’d had a big night, he looked fresh as a daisy.

Ty neared her and stopped just short. ‘Cor, after a late night, you’re looking a million bucks.’

‘Ha! Thanks. I don’t feel it.’ She grabbed the back of her neck. ‘I think I slept weird – my neck is killing me.’