Page 49 of Secrets of Riverside

Scruff was eager to do whatever she wanted to, and his nails clipped the timber boards as they traipsed towards where a rainbow stretched from one side of the water to the other. And then, with nowhere left to go, she and her mate sat side by side, both staring into the distance. By the time she decided to turn her Jimny around and head back to Riverside Acres, it was almost two hours later.

Wandering over from the stables, Jarrah met her as she pulled up. With dark rings beneath his eyes, a slight slump to his shoulders and in need of a shave, he looked utterly worn out. She felt for him, probably way too much. And she wanted to nurture him, to somehow make him feel better. Just like he’d done for her. In so many ways. But she couldn’t.

Scruff leapt through the window in his excitement to greet his master. ‘Did you enjoy your trip to the beach, mate?’ Chuckling, Jarrah ruffled his floppy ears.

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

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

‘So what are you pair up to, huh?’ Folding his arms while trying to stand on unsteady legs, Tommy eyed them. ‘Is there something I should know about?’

It was a loaded question. One that Jarrah very clearly wasn’t in the mood to answer. And he didn’t. ‘Go home and sleep the booze off, Tommy.’

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

Jarrah scowled back. ‘I’m done talking, Tommy.’

For a split second Tommy looked as if he was about to grab Jarrah’s collar. ‘Yeah, righto, whatever.’ He staggered away, and back towards his room. ‘I’m watching you two.’

Looking to Millie, Jarrah held his hands up in the air, a gesture that said I’m at a loss.

She felt for him, so much. ‘You good?’

‘No, but yeah.’

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

‘I don’t feel like mulling it over, but as for the beer, yeah, why not.’ He took off his Akubra and ran a hand through his hair. ‘Your place or mine?’

‘I think yours, my neighbour’s a little cantankerous.’ Referring to Tommy, she grinned, trying to ease the heavy air he’d left behind.

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

Grabbing them both a beer from the outside fridge, and then heading inside to turn on the stereo – Garth Brooks’ honky-tonk voice soon rang out – Jarrah reappeared, clicking his fingers and singing the lyrics to ‘Long Neck Bottle’ as he plonked down beside her on the day bed. He bouncily bumped shoulders with her, catching her eyes and trying to encourage her into a sing-along. It was the closest she’d been to him in days, and an avalanche of emotions crashed down upon her. Swigging her beer, she did her best to shake off heart-wrenching sentiments as she laughed at his antics. They were friends. And that was that. She needed to grasp this fact. Even though she longed to grasp him.

Stop with your schoolgirl nonsense, Millie …

Halfway through the song, Jarrah leapt to his feet and bopped from side to side. ‘Dance with me.’

‘Pfft, no.’ She planted her butt further into the day bed. ‘I’ll stay spectator, thank you.’

‘Oh come on, Millie, don’t be a spoilsport.’ He circled around and then held out his hand. ‘It’s a fun song, and it’ll make me feel better if you dance with me.’ His eyes implored her. ‘Pleeeease.’

‘Oh, for goodness sake, I will, but only if it will stop you being so damn annoying.’ Jumping up, she spiritedly held out her hand, and he took it. ‘Woooh,’ she squealed, as he country-style rocked and rolled her across the verandah.

Millie lost herself in their merriment as they enjoyed the music. Scruff joined in too, playfully nipping at their heels with his tail spinning in excited circles. Once again, it was just the three of them, living their best lives while living in the moment. Jarrah had this knack of bringing her right into the present and holding her there, nice and tight, so she couldn’t focus on anything else but each passing second spent with him. Everything they’d been battling faded into the background, and she was right back where she’d been the night of the rodeo, before they’d torn each other’s clothes off – helplessly, head-over-heels, falling for him. Then the song changed, as did the tempo, and ‘The Dance’ echoed. Jarrah kept hold of her and placed a hand in the curve of her back. Relieved to not be looking him in the eyes, for fear of losing all self-control, she rested against him. She knew every word of the moving song like the back of her hand. And how fitting it was. It was all about it being best not to know how things will end, because if you did, then you may deprive yourself of some of the most beautiful experiences – she might miss the pain, but then she might also miss the dance. And she didn’t want to miss dancing with Jarrah, because he made her feel as though she was floating on air.

As if reading her thoughts, he smiled down at her, and the earth shifted beneath her gliding feet. Electricity arced between them, settling in her stomach like a million butterflies’ wings as she felt herself slipping back into him, becoming one like they had that unforgettable night beneath the stars. But this time they were fully dressed, and they’d be remaining that way.

CHAPTER

16

Gripping her shopping trolley tight, Millie tried to ignore the eerie sense that someone was watching her. At the end of each 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 back of her neck. Drawing in a breath, she wiped her sweaty hands on her shorts and told herself to calm down. But two aisles later and the creepy sensation still wouldn’t leave her alone. Pausing in front of the dairy fridge, she could see the reflected outline of what she considered to be a man a couple of metres behind her. She spun on her heel, ready to catch her stalker, but there was nobody there. Turning back to the fridge door, the silhouette had gone. A shiver ran down her spine.

She wasn’t losing it.

She wasn’t seeing things.

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