Jillaroo from Jacaranda, page 20
‘Great job, Jonesy.’ Ty’s slow smirk was sexy as hell. ‘Told you he’s a bit of a bastard.’
‘Oh yeah, he is,’ she exclaimed with a grin. ‘But he’s nothing I can’t handle.’
‘I didn’t doubt that for a second, Jillaroo from Jacaranda.’ His lips quirked, and he tipped his hat to her. ‘Best get back to it, then.’
Jillaroo from Jacaranda, huh?
Rose liked the sound of that.
It was close to sunset when they pushed the last of the cattle into their new paddock. Rose breathed a weary sigh when she closed the gate behind the last one.
Ty rode in beside her. ‘That’s a good job, done and dusted, Jonesy. Cheers for the help.’
‘I really enjoyed it. Thanks for inviting me along, Parker.’
‘All good. I really enjoyed the company.’ Allowing the horses to make their way, they moseyed back towards the homestead. ‘You want to join me for a beer once we’ve got this pair back to their paddocks?’ He said it as casually as he could, but there was a hesitancy that had never been there before.
‘Does a bear poop in the woods?’ she replied with a smile, wanting to put him at ease.
‘Ha, I’ll take that as an affirmative hell yeah.’
And just like that, everything felt normal again.
Well, as normal as it could be after experiencing the most mind-blowing kiss of her life.
* * *
Ty matched Rose’s stride, closing the gap between them so his arm occasionally brushed up against hers as they made their way down the path that led to the homestead. He stamped his boots on the welcome mat, strode over to the beer fridge and retrieved two icy-cold ones from the depths. Wandering back to where Rose had settled herself on the top step, he admired all that was her. He didn’t just want her; he craved her. This woman stirred him, deep down in the parts he’d long ago closed off. He couldn’t quite explain it. All he knew was that she made him want to take chances again, and to live, and love, more than he ever had before. And that was something he was finding incredibly hard to ignore.
‘Here you go.’ He handed Rose her beer, plonked down next to her, then held his beer up to clink. ‘Cheers to a brilliant arvo.’
‘Cheers.’ Rose’s braid had loosened from their day out riding, and now hung in tendrils around her pretty face. She took a long glug, then sighed in pleasure. ‘Oh yeah. That’s hit the spot nicely.’
He did the same and nodded. ‘Uh-huh. Nothing better than a cold one at the end of a long, hot day.’ He watched the sun beginning its descent behind the mountains. ‘I never get tired of the sunsets here. There’s just something about them that soothes my soul.’
Rose leant back a little, her gaze dreamy and her smile wistful. ‘I totally agree.’
They sat in their usual companionable silence as the sun finally disappeared and the first star appeared in the darkening sky. Ty couldn’t help but wonder if she made love like she rode, with all her heart – wild and free.
As if sensing his attention, Rose angled a searching glance towards him. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’
He feigned witlessness. ‘Like what?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Righto, Parker. Whatever.’
He couldn’t help but smirk at her play of indifference.
Turning her gaze back towards the blanket of stars making a glimmering appearance, her body softened and the hint of a smile twitched her lips, as if she were drawing the tranquillity of Wildstone Station deep into her soul. Ty knew exactly how that felt – he did it every single day.
The wind picked up, stirring the branches of the tree and scattering leaves across the verandah. The sudden breeze caught the locks of her loose hair, sweeping them across her face, and in that moment, she turned to him with so much written in her gaze, it took his breath away. It was as if she was seeing into the deepest, darkest parts of his soul. Reaching out, he tucked the loose strands behind her ears. He didn’t speak – words would be superficial right now.
Biting her bottom lip, Rose shifted a little, angling herself towards him. Ty had to remind himself to breathe, slow and steady. She was close, so very close, that when he dared a look into her eyes again, he lost himself. Every part of him wanted to slip his fingers into her chaotic hair and kiss her into tomorrow …
Which was when Leah burst through the back door. ‘Hey, you two. How was the muster?’
Rose’s slight smile hinted at a tinge of regret at the interruption, but she turned to Leah and beamed from ear to dainty ear – ones that still wore the earrings he’d bought for her Christmas present. ‘Hey, Leah. It was great.’
‘Yeah, what she said.’ Looking at his sister, Ty tipped his head to Rose.
‘Hmm.’ Leah stopped in her tracks, looking from Ty to Rose then back to Ty again. ‘I can go back inside, if you pair like.’ Her slight smirk told Ty she’d picked up on the electric atmosphere.
‘Oh god, no.’ Rose’s eyes were somewhat convincing, and her tone steady. ‘Come sit, and tell me all about your night at the ball.’
Ty shifted over, allowing Leah to sit between them. He listened to the two of them chatting like a pair of old friends, which made him adore Rose even more. She’d slot right into life here at Wildstone Station, of that he was certain. He just had to somehow find a way to get her to be sure of that too.
CHAPTER
16
The rodeo grounds simmered beneath the glowing ball of scorching heat. Dusty air swirled as the bulls shifted in the stock pens, the crowd whooped and hollered, gasped and cheered, and the flies were bloody relentless. Behind the chutes, bull riders waited for their turns – some paced, some stretched, others prayed.
Ty had gone and drawn another foul-tempered bull, this one called Rocket, and was doing his best to steel himself for another ride of his life. The prize money would really take the strain off when he had to hand over Kelly’s payout in two weeks’ time.
Eight seconds.
That’s all he needed. Then he could be rid of Kelly for good.
Darius Rucker’s ‘Wagon Wheel’ bellowed from the speakers, and the two thousand–strong crowd sang the lyrics to the catchy country tune at the tops of their lungs. Ty hummed it to himself as he zipped up his protective vest. As he strode down the catwalk high above the holding yard, he felt himself slipping into the zone where nothing else mattered, if only for the eight seconds. The song ended and the announcer introduced the match-ups of riders to bulls. His next ride was closing in.
He got himself settled on the top rung at the back of the chutes, where the mood crackled with anticipation and testosterone. Searching the sea of people in the grandstands, it didn’t take him long to find Rose’s beautiful face staring back at him from the VIP area. He gave her a wave and she waved back, as did Leah. It buoyed his heart and soul to know that the two most important people in his life were here to cheer him on.
He couldn’t believe it had been a week since the ball. Time was going too fast for his liking. One more week and Rose would be heading back to Jacaranda Farm, and his heart was going to ache like buggery.
Turning his attention back to the show, he watched on as, one at a time, the riders flew out of the chutes. Some made the eight seconds, some didn’t; some walked out of the arena, others crawled. Ty cheered all of them on, because that’s what bull riders did. They never pitted against each other – it was them against the bucking bulls, and the ticking clock.
Then, it was his time to shine.
Pressing his wide-brimmed hat low over his brow, he scaled the gate of his chute with the help of his fellow riders. Bracing himself, he peered into the wicked eyes of his rival as he climbed over, keeping his boots on the metal rungs, just out of harm’s way. Taking a deep, calming breath, he eased down and straddled the snorting, stomping beast. There was only one thing on this brute’s mind – to roll him. And the bull hit that fact home by shouldering the railings and pawing at the ground. The three other riders stood at the ready by the chute, hovering over Ty, ready to pull him up and out if the bull lost its temper and let rip. Which was very much on the cards with a bull such as this one.
‘Bring it on, buddy,’ Ty growled at his adversary. ‘Let’s see what you’ve got.’
As if rising to the verbal challenge, his hide hot and sweaty, the bull jerked his head, wild eyes almost rolling back in his gigantic skull. In a shady move, he shifted all his weight sideways, slamming Ty into the side of the chute. Ty bit back a pain-fuelled roar as agony shot through his knee and radiated up to his thigh. With all his might, he shoved the bull, moving him a few inches to the left, freeing Ty. Making use of his short-lived reprieve, he shoved his right hand through the rope with his palm up and wrapped it hard before yanking it real tight. This was his grip, it was what kept him on the bull, and it was also what could hang him there if he didn’t free himself in time.
‘This bull hasn’t let a cowboy stay on his back for longer than three seconds, let alone the eight Parker needs to qualify,’ the presenter bellowed.
‘Tell me about it,’ said the second announcer. ‘Boy oh boy, have I seen some trainwrecks with this bull at the helm. Let’s just hope we don’t see a repeat of that today.’
One of his fellow riders slapped his back. ‘You got this, Parker.’
He responded with a grim grin.
Big & Rich’s hit song, ‘Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)’ pounded from the speakers, building the already pumped crowd to feverish anticipation.
Ty gave the signal he was good to go.
The gate flew open.
The bull exploded into the arena. With all four hooves off the ground, he twisted one way, then the other. Two seconds passed. The bull veered to the left, then crashed forward, bucking his rear end, and Ty, into midair. With his legs wrapped nice and tight, Ty kept his seat, his free arm held high in the air giving him the balance he so desperately needed. Vaulting one way then catapulting the other, he hung on for his life.
Five seconds. Six seconds.
Ty held his centre.
Seven seconds.
The crowd were on their feet, roaring, hollering, clapping. The buzzer sounded.
Eight seconds.
Ty tried to release his hand as he threw his legs and feet over the bull, but realised with a thrill of terror that he was hung up. The bull dragged him along the dirt like a ragdoll. The bullfighters rushed to his rescue. One struggled to free his hand while the others tried to divert the bull’s attention from demolishing Ty to charging them instead. With his body jerking alongside, Ty fought tooth and nail to stay on his feet – sliding beneath the bull would be lethal.
Seconds ticked by like hours. He tugged and yanked his hand as hard as he could. The bullfighter on the opposite side was fighting for Ty’s life, and his own. The bull threw his head back, connecting with Ty’s jaw. Excruciating pain seared through him … and that was the last thing he remembered until he woke up out the back of the chutes, with two paramedics staring down at him.
Or was it just one paramedic? Could it be that he was seeing double?
Nausea rose in his throat. Groaning, he choked it back, trying to bring a hand to his spinning head.
‘Hey, Ty. You’ve had a pretty hard hit to the head.’ The paramedic shone a torch into his eyes. ‘Can you tell me what day it is?’
Ty’s head pounded and his mouth was cottonwool dry. ‘Yeah, Saturday.’
‘Good.’ The bloke brought his hand closer Ty’s face. ‘How many fingers am I holding up?’
‘None.’
The paramedic shook his head. ‘Try again.’
Ty tried to blink past the concussion. ‘Two?’
‘Bring a stretcher and hurry the hell up,’ someone yelled.
Everything whirled and blurred then went suffocatingly black.
Next thing Ty knew, he was on a hospital bed. Railings held him in place and a quick glance beneath the sheet alerted him to the fact he was naked except for a blue hospital gown. The curtains were drawn all around him, and he could just make out three shadows on the other side. He could tell one was Rose’s and another was Leah’s. The unfamiliar silhouette must be a doctor. Honing his hearing, he tried to listen in on the conversation.
‘How is he, doctor?’ Rose sounded exhausted and scared.
‘Is he going to be okay?’ Ty heard his sister ask.
‘He should make a full recovery, of sorts, but he does have a serious blood clot at the base of his head.’ The doctor exhaled loudly. ‘I’m afraid to say, but any more bull riding and he’s playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette.’
No more bull riding? Is this doctor for real?
Ty closed his eyes against the thought.
‘Will he still be okay to work and ride his horse?’ Leah knew him well.
‘Yes, as long as he’s not riding one that will likely buck him off,’ the doctor replied.
Eager to put his two cents’ worth into the conversation, Ty tried to sit up, but pain shot through his lower back and he shouted out in agony. The curtain whizzed open and three sets of eyes peered at him.
The doctor rushed to his side. ‘Hi, Mr Parker.’
Ty tried to smile but grimaced instead. ‘G’day, doc.’
‘How are you feeling?’
‘A little sore, but otherwise pretty good.’ He finally rustled up a grin. ‘How ’bout you?’
‘Don’t try and make light of this, bro.’ At his bedside, with Rose close behind, Leah tutted and shook her head. ‘You’ve had a number of head injuries over the years, Ty, and the time’s come when you need to stop and assess the risk you’re taking every time you get on a bull.’
Ty wasn’t sure if he was frowning, but he sure as hell felt like he was. ‘Over my dead body am I giving it up.’
Leah sighed exasperatedly, exchanging anxious glances with Rose.
‘Sorry, but I’m just going to jump in here.’ The doctor placed a firm hand on Ty’s arm. ‘It might very well be over your dead body, Mr Parker, if you come off like that again.’
Oh lord, he wasn’t in the mood for another lecture about the risks he took with bull riding. ‘I’m still here, aren’t I?’
The doctor looked at him sceptically. ‘You’ve had a really serious fall, Ty, and your scans have raised some concerns, so you need to listen to what I’m about to tell you.’
He was silent for a beat, but then nodded. ‘Righto, hit me with it.’
‘I’m going to put this bluntly, so I know you understand.’ The doctor frowned. ‘If you have another bad fall like the one today, there’s a big chance you’ll go home in a body bag.’
In union, Leah and Rose sucked in a sharp breath.
Ty huffed, his headache ramping up a couple of notches. ‘Yup, got it. I’ll make sure to have a long hard think about it all when my head’s not pounding.’
The doctor nodded. ‘Good.’ He turned to Leah and Rose. ‘I’ll be back in about half an hour to check on him. Please try to make sure he stays put until I do.’
‘Okay, will do. Thanks, doctor.’
Ty waited for the white-coated bloke to leave the room before asking what was at the forefront of his mind. ‘What did I score?’
Leah remained silent, as did Rose.
Ty could tell from the looks on their faces that he hadn’t won anything. ‘Damn it.’ He sucked in a sharp breath as pain seared through his head. ‘How close was I?’
‘Fourth,’ Leah replied.
‘Which is good, considering you got hung up,’ Rose added quickly.
‘Maybe, but not good enough.’ He took a breath. ‘Damn it. I really needed that money.’
‘Money isn’t everything, Ty.’
‘It is when I’m hanging onto the station by a thread because of what I have to hand over to Kelly next month.’
‘Yeah, I get that.’ Leah regarded him with absolute compassion. ‘We’ll sort something to get her off your back, because you’re not getting on another bull.’
‘I can’t draw blood from a stone, sis.’
Leah sighed loud enough to echo off the walls. ‘You’ll be the bloody death of me, bro, I tell you.’
‘Right back at you, little sis,’ he retorted.
Lean tucked her hands beneath her belly protectively. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘Now, come on you two. You both love each other to bits, and you’re just stressed, that’s all.’ Rose stepped in like a referee, looking from one to the other. ‘You scared the bloody hell out of us, Ty.’ Her voice was as shaky as the hand she’d just rested on his arm.
