Page 63 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

‘The road train will be in tomorrow morning to load the bulls, so we got ourselves a big day ahead.’ He revved the bull buggy to life. ‘You good to go?’

‘Ready as I’ll ever be.’ She gripped the Jesus bar, ready to hang on for dear life. ‘Let’s do this.’

‘FYI, the bigger bulls are worth a couple of grand each, so the more we can catch, the bigger the pay cheque.’

She nodded. ‘Got it.’

Slamming the gearbox into first, Ty put pedal to the metal and they were off, bouncing across the open paddocks. With him totally focused on the scrubby path ahead, the buggy slid left and right as he avoided everything in their path. The three local guys he’d hired on four-wheelers joined them and in no time, they were in the thick of the chase. The thrill of it sent a flood of adrenaline through every single one of Rose’s veins. Sliding this way and that, her grip tightened until her knuckles were white. The wild micky bulls acted like they owned the joint, trotting arrogantly as they death-stared everything and everyone.

Catching a glimpse of a glossy dark bull, Ty veered towards him. Branches scraped ear-piercingly against the metal of the buggy. The bull spun and halted, as if challenging Ty to dare try to catch him. Applying the brakes, Ty stared back. Rose chuckled to herself; two alpha males weighing each other up in a game of cat and mouse. Breath-held seconds ticked by, then the bull snorted and turned, retreating into a thick of trees, and the chase was on. Crashing down a dry creek bed, they bounced over rocky terrain and, after doubling back, swiftly got the upper hand over the tiring bull. It flashed a sidelong glance, eyes bewildered. Ty leapt out and Rose’s breath caught as she watched him muscle a beast ten times the size of him. After Ty secured the bull to a tree, they parked beneath a towering paper gum and waited. A mustering chopper hovered overhead, the whop-whop of its blades reverberating through her bones. Suddenly, two massive bulls burst from the trees and charged onto the flats. His eyes on the biggest one, Ty worked through the gears, swerving through the trees and colossal anthills. With the flick of a switch, the hydraulic arm cogged down and over the beast’s brawny neck. Slowing the buggy, Ty walked him to a tree then, jumping out, he barely avoided being struck by the bull’s lethal horns. Her breath caught in her throat, and Rose had to quickly remind herself to draw in a desperate dust-filled lungful of air.

Hightailing it back into the driver’s seat, Ty gave her a pride-filled grin. ‘Everyday mustering is like a rodeo out here.’

‘Damn straight it is. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. We tend to muster on horseback at Jacaranda, and sometimes on motorbikes. This is a whole other ball game.’ She put a hand to her pounding heart, drawing in a breath. ‘So, what do you do with the bulls now?’

‘They’ll have their horns tipped, then get branded and tagged before being trucked back to the holding yards at the homestead, where the truck will pick them up for the saleyards.’

Her eyes widened. ‘Holy moly. It’s a massive process.’

‘Sure is.’

Commotion halted their conversation, and Rose looked on in shock as the chopper all but dropped from the sky to hover just above the ground. A mammoth bull was pawing the dirt, eying the chopper like it was an equal opponent. She was sure as hell it would have hooked its long horn over the rotating blades and pulled the chopper to its side, given half a chance.

The day continued in this way, until the sun began its descent.

‘Would you like to join me for a bevvie, Jonesy?’

‘Does a duck waddle?’ she replied with a sassy grin.

‘Ha, I’ll take that as a hell yeah.’

As much as she loved Leah’s company, Rose wanted a little time on her own with Ty, seeing as she’d be heading home in a few days’ time. ‘How about we share some drinks at the cottage, though, for a change of scenery?’

Ty graced her with a knowing smile. ‘Perfect.’

Weary but still high on adrenaline, Rose tucked her hands in her back pockets as she and Ty made their way from the shed to the cottage. ‘I have to say, that was one of the most hell-raising experiences of my life, and I loved it so much. I’d seriously do it all over again tomorrow.’

‘I love that you love it so much, Rose.’

Rose followed him up the stairs and over to the little bar fridge, grabbing two beers from the icy depths. ‘It’s been so wonderful, spending time here,’ she said as she passed him one. ‘I’m going to miss it.’ She refrained from adding the ‘and you’ that she felt in her heart.

Sitting side by side on the top step, they watched the sun drop from the sky, quiet until the sparkling arc of a shooting star had them turning to one another, both with magic in their eyes. ‘Did you see that?’ Rose asked.

‘Uh-huh.’ Ty sighed. ‘I like to collect moments like this and store them away for a bad day, so I can remind myself there will be better ones again.’

‘I really like that.’ She stole another sideways glance at him, her heart skittering. ‘It’s such a nice way to explain the ebb and flow of life’s ups and downs.’

‘I like that you think so.’ Ty took her by the hand and his voice softened. ‘I appreciate you, and the time we’ve shared here, so much. I hope you know that.’

Rose tried to ignore the electric current flowing between them. ‘I appreciate you too, Ty, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every second here.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’ He paused for a few seconds before standing. ‘I should let you get inside.’

Rose almost told him to stay, but thought better of it. ‘Okay. Night.’

‘Night, Rose. Sweet sleep.’

She watched him disappear around the side of the cottage, and only then did she go inside. The adventurous day had left her feeling bone-tired. Reaching the bathroom, she stripped from her clothes and turned the shower on, waiting until it was warm enough to step beneath. She sighed in pleasure as she closed her eyes, the heat from the spray relaxing her aching muscles. Soaping herself up, she rinsed the suds off while imagining Ty in the shower with her, his strong, hardworking hands roaming the curves of her body. She envisioned his wet hair and the rivulets of water running down his chest, and could almost feel his lips upon hers. Pressing her back up against the cool tiles, she wished his arms were slipping around her waist, holding her to him as he slowly slid inside her. Her breathing quickened as the longing she already felt for him built to an aching need.