Scruff was wanting to do no matter she wished to, and his nails clipped the timber boards as they traipsed in the direction of the place a rainbow stretched from one aspect of the water to the opposite. After which, with nowhere left to go, she and her mate sat aspect by aspect, each staring into the gap. By the point she determined to show her Jimny round and head again to Riverside Acres, it was virtually two hours later.

Wandering over from the stables, Jarrah met her as she pulled up. With darkish rings beneath his eyes, a slight stoop to his shoulders and in want of a shave, he appeared completely worn out. She felt for him, in all probability method an excessive amount of. And she or he wished to nurture him, to by some means make him really feel higher. Identical to he’d completed for her. In so some ways. However she couldn’t.

Scruff leapt by means of the window in his pleasure to greet his grasp. ‘Did you take pleasure in your journey to the seaside, mate?’ Chuckling, Jarrah ruffled his floppy ears.

‘He certain did.’ Tossing her tote bag over her shoulder, Millie hopped out and went to Jarrah’s aspect. ‘He even sat and contemplated life with me for a few hours.’

Footfalls approached, and he or she caught the stench of alcohol as Tommy stomped previous her. Swaying just a little as he approached Jarrah, he was evidently drunk. This wasn’t going to go properly. Not within the slightest. Hooking her fingers into Scruff’s collar, she held him beside her and held her breath, praying she was flawed.

‘So what are you pair as much as, huh?’ Folding his arms whereas making an attempt to face on unsteady legs, Tommy eyed them. ‘Is there one thing I ought to find out about?’

It was a loaded query. One which Jarrah very clearly wasn’t within the temper to reply. And he didn’t. ‘Go house and sleep the booze off, Tommy.’

Scowling, Tommy snapped in response, ‘Why don’t you go and get stuffed, Jarrah.’

Jarrah scowled again. ‘I’m completed speaking, Tommy.’

For a cut up second Tommy appeared as if he was about to seize Jarrah’s collar. ‘Yeah, righto, no matter.’ He staggered away, and again in the direction of his room. ‘I’m watching you two.’

Trying to Millie, Jarrah held his fingers up within the air, a gesture that stated I’m at a loss.

She felt for him, a lot. ‘You good?’

‘No, however yeah.’

She couldn’t go away him like this. ‘Do you wish to have a beer and mull it over with me?’

‘I don’t really feel like mulling it over, however as for the beer, yeah, why not.’ He took off his Akubra and ran a hand by means of his hair. ‘Your home or mine?’

‘I believe yours, my neighbour’s just a little cantankerous.’ Referring to Tommy, she grinned, making an attempt to ease the heavy air he’d left behind.

‘Agreed.’ Jarrah returned her grin. ‘Executed deal.’

Grabbing them each a beer from the skin fridge, after which heading inside to activate the stereo – Garth Brooks’ honky-tonk voice quickly rang out – Jarrah reappeared, clicking his fingers and singing the lyrics to ‘Lengthy Neck Bottle’ as he plonked down beside her on the day mattress. He bouncily bumped shoulders together with her, catching her eyes and making an attempt to encourage her right into a sing-along. It was the closest she’d been to him in days, and an avalanche of feelings crashed down upon her. Swigging her beer, she did her finest to shake off heart-wrenching sentiments as she laughed at his antics. They had been buddies. And that was that. She wanted to understand this truth. Though she longed to understand him.

Cease along with your schoolgirl nonsense, Millie …

Midway by means of the music, Jarrah leapt to his toes and bopped back and forth. ‘Dance with me.’

‘Pfft, no.’ She planted her butt additional into the day mattress. ‘I’ll keep spectator, thanks.’

‘Oh come on, Millie, don’t be a spoilsport.’ He circled round after which held out his hand. ‘It’s a enjoyable music, and it’ll make me really feel higher when you dance with me.’ His eyes implored her. ‘Pleeeease.’

‘Oh, for goodness sake, I’ll, however provided that it’ll cease you being so rattling annoying.’ Leaping up, she spiritedly held out her hand, and he took it. ‘Woooh,’ she squealed, as he country-style rocked and rolled her throughout the verandah.

Millie misplaced herself of their merriment as they loved the music. Scruff joined in too, playfully nipping at their heels along with his tail spinning in excited circles. As soon as once more, it was simply the three of them, dwelling their finest lives whereas dwelling within the second. Jarrah had this knack of bringing her proper into the current and holding her there, good and tight, so she couldn’t concentrate on the rest however every passing second spent with him. The whole lot they’d been battling pale into the background, and he or she was proper again the place she’d been the night time of the rodeo, earlier than they’d torn one another’s garments off – helplessly, head-over-heels, falling for him. Then the music modified, as did the tempo, and ‘The Dance’ echoed. Jarrah stored maintain of her and positioned a hand within the curve of her again. Relieved to not be trying him within the eyes, for concern of dropping all self-control, she rested towards him. She knew each phrase of the shifting music just like the again of her hand. And the way becoming it was. It was all about it being finest to not know the way issues will finish, as a result of when you did, then chances are you’ll deprive your self of among the most stunning experiences – she may miss the ache, however then she may additionally miss the dance. And she or he didn’t wish to miss dancing with Jarrah, as a result of he made her really feel as if she was floating on air.

As if studying her ideas, he smiled down at her, and the earth shifted beneath her gliding toes. Electrical energy arced between them, settling in her abdomen like 1,000,000 butterflies’ wings as she felt herself slipping again into him, changing into one like they’d that unforgettable night time beneath the celebrities. However this time they had been totally dressed, they usually’d be remaining that method.

CHAPTER

16

Gripping her buying trolley tight, Millie tried to disregard the eerie sense that somebody was watching her. On the finish of every aisle, she paused and glanced over her shoulder, her suspicions not justified. Even so, panic prickled her scalp and had the hair rising on the again of her neck. Drawing in a breath, she wiped her sweaty fingers on her shorts and instructed herself to relax. However two aisles later and the creepy sensation nonetheless wouldn’t go away her alone. Pausing in entrance of the dairy fridge, she might see the mirrored define of what she thought-about to be a person a few metres behind her. She spun on her heel, able to catch her stalker, however there was no one there. Turning again to the fridge door, the silhouette had gone. A shiver ran down her backbone.

She wasn’t dropping it.

She wasn’t seeing issues.

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