Page 62 of Clear Skies (Stormcloud Station)

Daisy made a sound halfway between a snort and a groan. “She’s not happy, but she’ll come around,” she admitted, laying her head on his shoulder. “She doesn’t get a choice, anyway. Because you are my choice.”

“I’m glad you chose me,” he said, and she gave him a smile so bright his heart might well have been trying to break out of his chest.

“What about your choice to change your degree and move over here? How did they take that news?” He could well imagine they weren’t happy about that, either. And they probably blamed him for their daughter moving all the way across the country. It wasn’t a good start. He hadn’t met his future parents-in-law, and they probably already hated him.

“Actually, not as bad as you might think. My dad has always trusted me to make my own relationship decisions. It was only my mother who had other plans for me. My father is especially ecstatic about my new pathway. I guess in some way, I can thank my parents for my new vision. They always instilled in me the need to take responsibility for my life, as well as helping others from our community do the same. I watched my father for so many years getting involved in our culture, volunteering his time, helping when he could. I’d go with him every weekend and watch the local Aboriginal AFL team he coached. He could’ve made a lot more money by coaching one of the state teams—a few of them asked him to come on board—but he chose to work at the grassroots level, where he could be of most help. He was a great role model, but it took me a long while to realize it.”

“I can see that in you,” Dale said. “Your father should be proud, he’s raised a daughter who’s strong and undaunted, but who also wants to give back.”

It was good that Daisy still maintained her independence. At one stage, he’d entertained the idea of asking her to come back and work at Stormcloud as a station hand. But deep in his gut, he knew that’d never work. She’d come to resent it here. She was the sort of woman who needed to determine her own future.

“Thank you,” she replied simply. “It’s taken a while for me to come to accept that, for me to stop blaming myself for everything that went wrong with River. But I’m getting there,” she admitted. “I still have hopes that one day, when River gets out of jail, we, as a family, can help him sort his life out.”

“You’re a brilliant sister, and you’ll be a wonderful mentor, if he lets you.”

“I hope so,” she answered quietly, as if she still didn’t quite believe it. “What about you? Are you going to stay on the station?” That’s right, he had tossed around the idea of leaving the station. He’d been unhappy and unsettled after he returned from Montana, not sure where his path truly lay. And right after Daisy left, he wanted to leave, too. Couldn’t face being reminded of them together every time he walked into his bedroom, every time he took guests to the gold mine, every time he walked down to the billabong. But after he’d helped his mother and Steve pick up the pieces and keep the Stormcloud Station’s reputation intact, he’d seen things in a different light. He loved it here, this place was in his heart. Even without Daisy, this was where he was meant to be.

He’d take over the running of the station one day, but that was a long way in the future. For now, he was happy to learn alongside Steve and his mother. Help them build this into their dream of being the best eco-resort in the whole of Australia. Because it was his dream, too. And now Daisy was here to share it with him. Life was perfect.

“Yes, I’m staying. I think this would be a great place to bring up kids, don’t you?”

“Whoa there, cowboy,” she giggled, reaching around and grabbing him by the waist, levering herself into his lap. “Even though I admit we would make beautiful babies together, I’m a long way off having a family, yet.”

That didn’t matter. The fact that she had even admitted she wanted a family with him was enough.

“But I wouldn’t mind if you kissed me again.” She captured his mouth, and he pulled her down into the bedclothes with him, lost in a tangle of limbs and hips and mouths.

Life was perfect just the way it was. He had Stormcloud. And he had Daisy. What more could a man want?