Page 53

After a long and emotionally draining day, Romy collapsed onto a deckchair at the back of Stone’s house. She let her spine sink into the chair as she sighed up at the blue sky framed by the exotic palm trees that made up Finley’s Pond.

‘Here, you look like you need this.’ Stone passed her a beer.

‘I don’t normally drink beer, but it feels like that kind of day.’ She sipped on the amber liquid, that was rather refreshing. ‘What will happen to the Rowntrees now?’

Stone leaned back in his chair and took a deep chug from his beer. ‘No idea. Finn said he’d try to get the charges against Lenora and Celeste reduced, but they are tied to the theft of a protected wildlife species.’

‘How are you coping after all that? They were people you liked, right?’

‘Hmph…’ He took another mouthful of his beer.

‘Are we back to drinking angrily again?’

‘Well, hell, shortcake, the last time we did that it ended up being better than imagined.’ He gave her a sexy smirk with his hungry eyes crawling all over her.

She inhaled, fighting her feelings for him, as she rubbed her sweaty palms over her cargo pants. ‘I spoke with Amara this afternoon.’

‘Uh-huh.’

She hated this, the nerves making her swallow hard. ‘I’m thinking of staying at the pub where Amara is staying.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I don’t want to take advantage of you. And today, you scared me. Like seriously scared me. I’m surprised I didn’t throw up everywhere.’ But she came close.

‘Look, I’m sorry about the helicopter ride. I didn’t want to lose Bastion and the livestock he had on board. And I’m sorry you got involved. I will pay for the repairs to your drone and your—’

‘It’s not that. You knew the risks when you looked back at me and dove into that river.’ That’s what bothered her the most. ‘You paused to look back. At me.’

‘I was trying to save Bastion.’

She shuffled in her seat to face him. ‘To me, that look said goodbye . And I’d never felt more scared for anyone in my life.’ Her heart still hadn’t recovered.

‘I’m not the type of person who’d hurt myself intentionally.’

‘But you do crazy things. Look at what your day job is! You wrangle crocodiles and you chase bad guys. And you dove into a river to save one, stopping to look at me and say goodbye beforehand.’

‘The only reason I looked back at you from the bridge, was so you’d know I was fully aware of the risks. I didn’t want you to live with the guilt for my own actions.’ He tapped at his chest.

‘Like the guilt you feel about Two-stroke. And Bastion?’

He sighed, picking at the label of his beer bottle.

‘Bastion chose his own path. And no matter how hard I tried to save both Two-stroke and Bastion, I couldn’t.

They made their own decisions. As much as I loved Two-stroke like a brother, he was the one who unclipped himself from the sling.

He knew the risk he was taking—even though I’d already offered to give him the money to help pay for his wedding.

But I can tell you this, I’ll think twice before I jump into a river like that again. ’

‘But you did it. And what’s to say you won’t do it again?’

He shrugged. ‘I help people, shortcake. It’s always been in my nature.

It’s who I am. My father hated that I’d waste my time getting a coffee for this beggar who lived on our street corner, and got him into a rehab clinic, that I paid for.

Or that I’d dump a stack of cash in the tip jar when I heard the café owner’s kid was sick. It’s what I do.’

‘That’s why you went back into that river to save those eggs. You know my ears are still ringing from Finn’s grenades.’ She poked her finger in her ear while opening her jaw wide, hoping to clear them out. It was like waiting for her ears to pop when on a plane.

‘Finn wasn’t taking any risks with his team.’

‘Because you had to save those baby crocodiles.’ She sighed, looking at the man who tried to save all creatures—the ugly ones, the small ones, even the guy who’d stolen them.

‘Before you think about leaving, I want to show you something. Wait there.’ Stone disappeared inside the house.

She sat back in her chair. A soft breeze made the palm fronds slowly shift their reflection across the pool that was so peaceful.

On the far side, the large shark fin shifted clumsily through the thick ferns, releasing an earthy fragrance mixed with jasmine, frangipani, and other divine aromas.

‘Are you getting your jungle on, Finley?’

The shark fin stopped, then rubbed against the base of a palm tree, making the palm fronds shake.

It was exactly what she needed—the one perfect thing that managed to make her smile after the day she’d had. A miracle, really.

‘I could make you a superstar, Finley. My camera and the world would love someone like you.’

‘I think Finley is as shy of public attention as I am.’ Stone strolled back outside.

‘But Chook isn’t, which is why he’s agreed to being filmed.

I’m planning on fixing up the side of his houseboat tomorrow, if you want to come.

You can keep him out of my hair by filming him.

Craig’s coming to help me, we’re using his new horse truck to cart the mesh. ’

Romy hesitated. She was supposed to be moving out, to work on her own script for the future. ‘I’ll come with, but first you have to tell me what your family company is.’

It was the first time she’d seen him hesitate. The confident, smiling crocodile wrangler paused to rub heavily over his eyes, with his face tight with tension. ‘You didn’t google me?’

‘No. You can tell me.’

‘Do I have to?’ Now it was his turn to whine like a child.

‘What is so wrong with it? Is it some mystery, or something against your beliefs, like do you have shares in a clothing factory that uses child labour?’

‘Aw, hell no.’ His frown said it all.

‘So…’ She shrugged, tight-lipped, toe tapping and waited for a reply.

‘The family company runs an aviation and transport service—you know, private charters, bulk freight, remote airstrips, even fuel supply.’

That explained the truckloads of avgas to create a private fuel station to help refuel his helicopter, which he flew everywhere like a car. ‘How big is this company?’

‘We own a few airports and refuelling hubs across the country, handling everything from medical evacuations to high-security cargo, and the odd VIP. I stayed on the board, because it’s the only thing I have left of my family. I’m it,’ he said with a sigh. ‘But it’s more than that—’

‘There always is with you.’ The man had so many layers.

‘I know how crucial aviation and transport services are for people in remote locations, especially out here. I make sure the company keeps things running efficiently to provide that service, but I leave the corporate crap to the suits.’

‘But you do work? That’s why you have the backpackers stay?’

‘Sure. Board meetings are monthly, but I don’t do the day-to-day dull stuff. I won’t—not after my father died behind a desk—that’s what the executives are for. If they need me, I can take a call or fly in. But I don’t live for that world anymore.’ He huffed as if to calm himself down. ‘Questions?’

She just blinked at him a few times. ‘Not right now.’ Not after that little bombshell. ‘What did you want to show me?’

‘This way…’

She followed Stone’s sexy swagger in those blue jeans, down the path that ran along the far side of the garden bed with a great view of the pond.

Stone unlocked a door and flicked on the lights. ‘It’s been a while since I opened this room.’

The room was empty.

‘What is this room for?’

‘An office. But I hate offices, and paperwork, and anything to do with files.’

‘Because of your dad?’

He nodded. ‘I’ll read emails and reports on a screen, but not on paper. And certainly not at any desk.’

‘You have a desk at the Stock Squad.’

‘Only so I can put my feet up on that desk to annoy the Duchess.’ He chuckled. ‘Mostly we’re out in the field, or we’ll sit at the round table. Amara and Finn are full-time. Craig and I are like consultants, who have a life away from the job, until Finn calls us in.’

‘What do you and Craig do when you’re not pretending to play police?’

His confident grin matched the shine of his eyes, highly amused.

‘Craig is a stock inspector, branching into farming with his lawyer wife, Izzy, the beekeeper. And I play with cuddly little crocodiles in between the odd conference call for the company. And I can see Finn having a quiet word with Big Daddy—’

‘Who?’

‘Andrew Drew Bannon. He’s this fancy Federal Agricultural Commissioner, who gets the funding for Finn. I can bet you and your drones will be added to the budget of the consulting team. If you want?’

‘Really?’ She hadn’t had a chance to assess the damage to her equipment yet, while still in that space between anger, frustration and annoyance with Stone—while fearful of his job.

Stone pulled on the cord to raise a series of wooden blinds, allowing the sunshine to stream inside. ‘This room has plenty of natural light and airflow.’

‘Why are you showing me this room?’ It was so big.

He grabbed one of her small hands and placed three keys in the centre of her palm. ‘Those keys are for the front door to the house, the four-wheel drive I have out the side, and for this room.’

‘Why?’

‘I want you to use this space as your film studio. You can charge all your video equipment as you store it here…’ He pushed open the cupboard doors in a concertina fashion exposing huge shelving space and lots of power points. Plenty of room to store all her camera equipment, and more.

‘And on this wall,’ he said, crossing to the other side of the room, ‘you can create your storyboard. Or whatever it is you guys do when planning documentaries.’ He then opened a smaller door. ‘We can renovate this area and fill it up with soundproofing panels to make a sound studio, too.’

Stone then approached Romy with that studious expression that was sinfully sexy on the guy. ‘What do you think?’

She was too stunned to think, as her fingers curled around the three keys to a car, a studio, and the house that was a part of paradise. ‘Why are you doing this?’

‘I think you’ve been filming life from the edges for so long now,’ he said with his voice steady but gentle, ‘it’s like you have one foot out the door, ready to take off but to only follow other people and their visions.

And I think you’re old enough now to move out of your parents’ house. ’ He grinned.

She frowned.

‘Plus, I figured if you had a real space to work—somewhere safe and yours—maybe you’d stay and take a shot at filming what you believe in, by doing it your way.

Because I think the world deserves to see your vision.

Hey, you could submit something for that same grant as Julian. You have a week-ish?’

She blinked up at him. ‘That’s impossible.’

‘Well, look at it this way, shortcake. If you fail, use it as a lesson to try again. What do you have to lose? Besides the chance to surprise yourself?’

Romy stared at the keys lying across the centre of her palm. Their significance powerful, yet unsettling. ‘You’re giving me a studio?’

‘I’d like to get my dining table back. I use it as a desk sometimes and for meals, but it’s covered with drones and cameras.’

She rolled her eyes, trying not to smile.

‘This space isn’t fancy, and you’re in a remote location, so it’ll take a period of adjustment, but it has everything you’ll need to at least make a start. And it’s yours, whether you decide to stay or go…’

‘And us?’

‘I know it’s only been a few days, and you have your room across the hall.

But if you want, you can always visit me in my sleep.

’ He stepped closer to tenderly tuck some stray strands of hair behind her ear.

‘But I’m hoping you’ll stay. And I promise to just take it day by day. No rush from either of us.’

Romy gazed into his striking hazel eyes. So clear and true. ‘Are you really giving all this… To me?’ He was giving her the chance to truly achieve her dreams. It felt so surreal.

Stone’s lips curved into a soft smile, the vulnerability in his eyes revealing just how deeply he cared for her. ‘I want to be part of your next story script, if you’ll let me.’

His sincerity touched her heart, which bloomed in new uncharted ways over Stone.

Caught up in the emotions, and the incredible gesture he’d given her, she reached up until their lips touched.

Softly at first, they kissed, until his warm hands cradled her face to kiss her deeper.

It was sweet, it was gentle. It was meaningful.

It was like they had all the time in the world to get to know each other better, in a kiss that was telling her things through his touch that they both could never say out loud.

Not yet.

Because it was a kiss that said they belonged to each other.

So let the adventure begin…