Page 60 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

He took his own sweet time answering her. ‘Something I’ve been wanting to do since the day we met.’

He shifted closer and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. The warmth he always brought to her soul unfurled and circled throughout her. She gave in to the temptation to be comforted and treasured by this incredible man and lay her head upon his bare chest. Her cheek to his warm skin, she could feel him, deep down in her soul, as if he had climbed inside of her and was soothing her broken parts from the inside out.

Ever so gently, he ran fingers through her hair. His touch was magic and made her tingle. No words were spoken – none were needed. His actions were speaking way louder than words ever could. She really had to start believing that good things could happen. She had to find a way to move away from her past and trust in love again.

She needed to heal, and heal fully, to be able to love Ty Parker the way he deserved to be loved.

Tipping her face to his, she pressed up a little, to meet his lips …

… and it was only then that she awoke in the dead of night, all alone, still in her underwear and in desperate need of a shower, cold this time.

CHAPTER

17

It was four days after the rodeo, but it felt like weeks. Between Leah fussing over him, Rose worrying about him doing anything that required an ounce of strength, and his bid to try to hide his pain so they didn’t fuss and worry any more than they already were, Ty was itching to be back to his robust self so he could get back to the grindstone. Which he was planning on doing tomorrow.

Right now, he had bigger fish to fry. He couldn’t believe Rose had hidden the fact that today was her birthday. He would’ve felt terrible if it had passed them by without celebrating her life – she deserved to feel special – which was why as soon as Leah had told him, he’d driven to town in search of a gift.

The little bell overhead jingled, announcing his arrival in the Narnia-like bookshop Leah loved. Myriad scents hit him.

Holy moly, this place is a woman’s seventh heaven.

The owner looked up from the book she was reading and graced him with a warm-hearted smile. ‘Well, look at who the cat dragged in.’ She placed the book down as if it was made of the frailest glass. ‘I never thought I’d see you in here, Ty Parker.’

‘Yeah, me either.’ He acknowledged his old high school English teacher, who had moved here from the big smoke when she’d retired, with a grin. ‘Mrs Smith. Long time, no see.’

‘You don’t say, love, although it only feels like yesterday that I was reprimanding you for talking in class.’ She chuckled softly. ‘I saw your ride at the rodeo on the weekend, how are you feeling after that terrible scare?’

His ribs still sore, Ty shifted uncomfortably beneath her motherly stare. ‘I’ve had worse injuries.’

She tutted, then reached out and patted his hand. ‘You’re not a spring chicken anymore, Ty. When are you going to say enough is enough?’

She sounded like Leah. ‘I don’t know. I haven’t really thought that far.’ He had, repeatedly, and it was doing his head in, but he really didn’t want to get into it all now, again. ‘How’s Mr Smith these days?’

‘He’s still the same, grumbling about everything and anything.’ Her eyes rolled behind thick-rimmed glasses. ‘But I love him, so I don’t mind listening.’ She tittered. ‘Or at least pretending to.’

Ty chuckled. ‘Show willing, as they say.’

‘That’s it, love.’ She tipped her head. ‘So, what brings you into my shop?’

‘I’m looking for a birthday present for a friend.’

‘Oh, how lovely. Well, you shout out if you need a hand with anything, love.’

‘Will do. Cheers.’

Staring at the shelves of candles and bath oils, Ty felt like a fish out of water. Only days ago, he’d ridden one of the wildest bulls on the Australian rodeo circuit and defied death; today, he was in the town’s only gift shop, trying to figure out what scent Rose would like best. Talk about from one end of the spectrum to the other.

He decided on a candle and diffuser set called Tropical Island, with scents of pineapple, coconut and lime, then also grabbed a glow-in-the-dark copper bookmark with a dainty butterfly swinging from the end. Wandering back to the counter, he handed both over.

Mrs Smith shifted her glasses up her nose. ‘Nice choices. Would you like me to gift wrap these for you?’

‘Oh, yes, please. That would be tops, thanks, Mrs Smith.’

‘Call me Delilah, love.’ Digging beneath the counter, she resurfaced with patterned paper, scissors and gold ribbon. ‘So, who’s the special lady?’ She wiggled her brows to hit the question home.

Ty watched in amazement as she wrapped the candle. ‘Why does she have to be a special lady?’ If it were him doing the wrapping, it would look like he’d just scrunched the paper around it, and whacked the tape on in the hope it would keep the mess somehow intact.