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The sun bore down like a spotlight, making Romy blink a few times as she followed Craig, Stone and Lenora outside. The temperature was a cool relief from the hatchery’s intense humidity and from the dramas unfolding inside.

Romy skipped after Lenora, keen to ask a gazillion questions and maybe get permission to film the place. Of course, she wasn’t going to push it, because now was obviously not the right time. Still, she could play tourist. ‘How many people work here?’

‘Twenty. My brother Jed manages the tannery team, Mum does the admin, Dad watches over the pen-keepers. And I have the hatchery team.’

‘Sorry, I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I never knew crocodile farms like this existed until today.’ Oh, how she wanted to drag out one of her drones to swirl around the vibrant clusters of pawpaw trees that made up their long driveway, to then swoop over the low-lying structures as the introduction to the massive hatchery that towered behind them.

Romy could picture every scene to show off this place to its fullest potential.

No matter how much she wanted to, however, ethically it was the wrong time to ask.

‘I get it.’ Lenora shared a soft smile. ‘Normally we’re a lot friendlier, but this theft happened in my area. Poor Bastion is as devastated as I am.’

‘Bastion?’ Craig turned around, and she couldn’t help but notice his blue eyes and deep tan were stunning with that white hat and blond curls.

‘Sebastion Sterling. He was the one wearing the lab coat, upstairs.’ Lenora pointed back to the hatchery.

‘Bastion is the hatchery’s head technician.

Together, we watch over the eggs and hatchlings.

We’re at all their births, sharing champagne while calling out the number of eggs being hatched. It’s well worth the watch.’

‘I imagine it would be.’ Romy would love to leave a camera in a hatching bay, just once.

‘Can we get a map of the place?’ Craig dragged one cowboy boot over the dry dirt, as if studying the soil.

‘I’ll radio Mum. She’ll have one in the office.’

‘Don’t sweat it, Lenora,’ said Stone, ‘the Duchess is quicker.’

Craig grinned at Stone, as if sharing an in-house secret, as he tugged at his UHF radio clipped to his belt.

This guy was a real-deal cowboy with the hat, the boots, the big shiny belt buckle, but also the easygoing country charm that was all part of the package.

Along with his sultry masculine drawl, that was so smooth over the radio, he’d make a good voice-over artist for a certain kind of documentary or even audiobooks.

‘You there, Amara? Craig here. I’m hoping your keyboard wizardry can access a map of this place? ’

Stone sniggered, with Craig trying to keep a straight face.

‘Are you kidding me?’ Romy pointed at the beefy four-wheel drive, not even twenty metres away, where Amara occupied the front seat with the passenger door open.

‘It’s on the team’s digital file I created on the drive out here. I sent the link to Stone to access it on his satphone.’ Amara didn’t even look up from the laptop as she spoke over the radio.

‘Thank you, Amara.’ Craig grinned, clipping his radio back onto his belt, the fancy silver belt buckle displayed Northern Australian Champion Bronc Rider .

‘Told you the Duchess is a paperwork queen.’ Stone shared his phone’s screen with Craig.

‘So you’re the latest backpacker?’ Lenora asked Romy.

‘I’m not a backpacker.’ The words slipped out too fast, earning her a raised eyebrow.

Romy scrambled to backtrack—the last thing she wanted was for Lenora to think Stone was lying.

Especially when Romy had agreed to play along with whatever game he was running, even if she didn’t understand the rules yet.

‘I mean, I’m visiting from Sydney, where it’s freezing. This weather feels like a mild summer.’

‘I doubt I’d last long in that kind of weather.’

‘I can handle this weather, though.’ But enough of the chitchat when Romy had to know more about this place. ‘Your job is so unusual.’

‘Not really.’ Lenora gave a shy shrug. ‘It’s the animals that make it different. Otherwise, this place could be one big chicken farm.’

There was that reference to chickens again .

‘I do love it…’ Lenora sighed heavily, wrapping her arms around herself. ‘But with this theft, maybe it’s time I move on.’

‘Why? If you love it.’

‘Because this theft happened in my area. I’m the hatchery manager, responsible for those babies. They were stolen on my watch.’ Lenora looked back at the building with glassy eyes. ‘Once Dad tells the fashion house, they’ll demand someone gets fired and it’ll have to be me.’

‘This is not your fault.’

‘It is. Dad has already said so.’ Lenora wiped away the tear trickling down her cheek. This theft was really hurting the Rowntree family in so many ways. It was unfair.

‘Craig and I want to go for a drive along your fence line. He thinks he knows how they got in.’ Stone looked up from the phone. The cheeky pilot’s grin fell, replaced by someone who understood what Lenora needed. Empathy had never looked so good.

‘Are you okay, Lenny?’ Stone gave her arm a gentle pat.

‘I’m fine.’ She sniffed heavily.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Just tell me what you need, so you can catch these guys and get our stock back.’

‘Only your permission is all, then you can go and be with your family.’

‘Thank you.’ Lenora sighed with relief.

What was it with Stone? Every new interaction he’d do something to make Romy’s respect for him grow. From his open care for the Rowntrees, to bantering with bucketloads of cheek with his team.

Stone then gave Romy a sly look. ‘If it’s okay with you, Lenora, Romy’s got some drones taking up space on my back seat. It’d be handy to do a flyover as part of our investigation.’

It was like the man was reading her mind, because Romy was dying to do it. But wouldn’t that make Lenora wonder why Romy was carrying a custom-built cinematic aerial rig, engineered for professional filmmakers, and not found at any electrical store?