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‘He unclipped himself. Only cowboys unclip themselves.’ Chook sighed, the wrinkles shifting downward as his voice lost all its humour.

Only to wipe his nose and stare across the river.

‘Ever seen a muster chopper dance with cattle during a muster? It’s a dance on the air.

And watching a croc wrangler dancing with a feisty croc—it’s the stuff of legends. ’

‘I’m hoping I might get the chance one day.’ And being able to keep that film footage would help, too.

‘Keep hanging out with Stone, and I’m sure you will.’

Didn’t that make her stomach flutter, making her turn away from Chook, hoping he didn’t notice her growing attraction to Stone.

‘Am I seeing that right?’ Romy double-blinked, shifting in her stance. ‘Some of those crocodiles have moved.’ In their place were large slide marks across the muddy banks leading into the water.

‘That’s a good sign.’ Chook pushed off the stool. ‘It must mean fish are comin’. Get ready, Roman.’

She felt her rod tap, tap, tap. ‘Something’s knocking on my line.’

Chook delicately held her line as if reading Morse code. ‘They’re nibbling. By the feel of that you’ve got a good one, too.’

‘What do I do?’

‘Wait for it, let ‘em take the bait. Be patient, Roman.’

‘It’s Ro-meee.’ Then her line went zing, and it curved over. ‘What is happening ?’ It was like someone had strapped her hook to the back of a speeding submarine.

‘You’re on, Roman. Reel it in .’

Seconds felt like hours as she reeled in the fishing line, sweat pouring down her face. Her shirt clung to her skin, her eyes widening as she yanked the handle, fighting to bring it in. Then a large silver fish broke free from the water. It made her pause. ‘It’s beautiful.’

‘It’s a barra. Reel it in faster. You’ve gotta beat them mongrel crocs, or they’ll pinch it off ya.’

Her arms ached from using muscles she didn’t know she had, turning the handle like an old-fashioned eggbeater, as Chook coached her how to use her body weight to haul in a fish that seemed miles away in the water.

‘Where did the crocodiles go?’ None of them were on the banks anymore.

‘They’re trying to steal our lunch. Come on, Roman. Faster.’

She tried, but it was never-ending. ‘How much line is out there?’

‘Don’t you worry about that, you just keep going. It’s time to take down that empire, Roman, and reel in that trophy.’ Chook hobbled along the side of the boat and soon returned with a large net on a long pole. ‘Keep going and don’t stop until I tell you.’

‘It’s all over the place.’

‘Which means it’s got you dragging it one way while trying to beat the crocs behind him. Faster .’

The reel burned in her hands as the fish fought against the tight line, threatening to snap it. Then, just as the large silver fish leapt from the water again, a crocodile lunged after it.

‘Where is my camera?’ She was missing out on some magnificent footage.

‘Don’t worry about that.’ Stone stood at the corner of the back deck, taping her with his phone. ‘Keep reeling it in, shortcake. Big game fishermen pay a lot of money for the privilege of hauling in a barra. And in the Territory, it’s a rite of passage when you catch one.’

‘What Stone said. Keep your eyes on the prize, Roman.’

She tried, yet it felt like forever before she dragged it closer to the houseboat, where it skimmed over the lush, tall water grasses.

As Chook leaned down to scoop it up, a crocodile snatched at it.

She screamed.

‘This is the Roman’s fish, you mongrel.’ Chook whacked the crocodile on the head with the net. ‘Pull, Roman. Pull .’

She yanked the rod hard, sending the fish flying out of the water—where it smacked against the side of the houseboat with a heavy thud

‘MOVE.’ Stone dropped his phone, and yanked Chook aside before diving across the deck to tackle Romy, shielding her against his chest as his body slammed into the far wall.

Right behind him, a crocodile launched from the river, crashing through the railing that shattered into pieces before landing on the deck with a heavy thud, making the houseboat rock violently.

Stone seized the wooden stool and wielded it like a sword, to fend off the crocodile. ‘Get off.’

The beast hissed, its snout snapping and snarling, as its claws scratched the deck desperate to get its bulky body onboard, with its long scaly tail dangling over the side.

‘Get up, old man.’ Stone managed to get past to help Chook, while the barra flapped on the deck, as Stone used the stool to fight back the crocodile.

A crocodile.

A live, nasty, snarling, snapping crocodile with a huge mouthful of teeth. On the boat!

‘GET OFF!’ Stone wielded the stool like a sword, forcing the croc back off the deck.

With one last lunge, it snapped—and Stone smashed the stool down across its snout.

The wooden legs splintered, leaving the crocodile to drag the remnants as it fell back into the water with a colossal splash. The houseboat rocked with the impact.

Romy’s heart hammered in her chest as her mind tried to catch up. Those animals were deadly dangerous. And she’d just seen Stone fight one off with a wooden stool , to save her.

‘You okay, Romy?’ Stone lifted her up, but her legs felt like jelly as she struggled to stand. ‘Easy now, I’ve got you.’ Stone held her to his chest, his heartbeat surprisingly steady. ‘We’ll get you to the back deck.’

‘Land.’ She gripped his shirt, burrowing her head into his warm chest to avoid seeing that river. ‘I want land. Now.’

‘We can do that.’

‘What about your fish?’ Chook scooped up her fish. It had lost its tail fins, leaving a clean outline of a crocodile bite.

‘Give her a moment, Chook. It’s Romy’s first time with a crocodile lunging at her.’

Her eyes widened as her pulse spiked through the roof. She shook her head, still gripping his shirt. ‘That was the only time that’s ever gonna happen.’

‘Good. So now you understand when I tell you they’re dangerous.’

‘I thought I was safe on the boat!’

‘They jump.’

‘I saw that…’ She gripped his arm. ‘Is Chook safe living here?’

Chook winked at her. ‘Don’t you worry none, Roman. That snapping handbag was just showing off for you, that’s all.’

‘I’ll be back for that croc, Chook.’ Stone’s tone meant business.

‘Nah, leave it. He’ll cop a hiding from the older ones for doing that. There’s a pecking order over who steals my fish with that mob.’

‘You mean it happens all the time?’ Her shrill voice was unrecognisable. Who were these people? And what kind of madman lived among man-eating crocodiles?

‘Makes it more of a sport, don’t you think?’ Chook winked at her again.

Crazy didn’t quite cut it.

She walked on jelly-like legs across the floating boardwalk that was lined by grass, only now realising it was the same grass that grew in the water. It was croc grass.

She stumbled on the path, trying to race for that large tree.

‘Easy does it.’ Again, Stone caught her. His powerful hands were firm, yet gentle on her hips as he righted her, helping her to the shade of that massive tree.

‘I’ve got it.’ She shook him off at the trunk of the tree, free from that boardwalk.

‘Are you sure?’

‘I need a moment.’ To breathe.

She pushed on, aiming for the strange wooden door in the middle of the paddock, beyond that the helicopter waited in the sun.

At the helicopter, she heaved in the warm, clean outback air, desperately trying to shake the tremors out of her hands.

This is why she never got involved. If she’d been filming, she would never have been that close to the action, avoiding any chance of ever being at the mercy of kissing a crocodile chasing a fish.

This world was far too dangerous.

It was only then she heard raised voices coming from behind her. It was Stone shouting at Chook.