Page 16 of Secrets of Riverside

‘Oh my gosh, really?’ Stopping next to the railings, Millie rested her chin on one and her foot on the lowest. ‘Why would someone want to do that to her?’

‘Her previous owner thought that a heavy hand would train her, and she wasn’t having a bar of it.’ His jaw momentarily clenched with the anger that fired through him. ‘And that, in my opinion, makes her a victorious survivor of animal cruelty.’ He glanced towards Millie, loving the way she was looking at him, as if he was a hero. ‘So you’re all settled in?’

Nodding, she held her hand up to shade her gaze. ‘Pretty much, yes.’

‘Great.’ Her slow smile warmed something deep within his soul. ‘Make sure you let me know if there’s anything else you need, okay?’

‘I think you’ve done enough for me already, but thanks for the offer.’ Her smile stretched wider. ‘And I’ve decided to take the job, if that’s still okay with you?’

Jarrah had to fight from fist-punching the air. ‘Great, yes, of course it is,’ he called back, as coolly as he could. ‘I’ve got the ex-cook, Mary, ditching her retirement for a day and filling in for tomorrow, as a favour, and Sunday we’re closed, so you can start on Monday if you like, give yourself a couple of days to settle in.’

‘Great,’ she echoed back to him. ‘Monday it is then.’

She continued to watch him as he made use of the last ten minutes of daylight, before the sensor floodlights would kick into life and he’d put the mare to rest for the night. And he liked the fact that she remained at the railings of the house paddock, instead of wandering back across the drive to the homestead, because from where he stood, as the mare trotted past him, he caught glimpses of her dreamy face and wistful smile. If it were peacefulness she was feeling, it suited her. And if so, he valued that he had possibly played a part in that. Uniquely pretty, with delicate features, shambolic wavy blonde hair that hung past her shoulders, and a feisty personality, Millie, whoever she was, fascinated him. And the more he snuck secretive glances in her direction, the more he liked what he saw. But as much as that lit little fires inside him, it was also a hazardous place to be, because anything other than a platonic connection was the last thing on his agenda. Getting close to anyone meant his entire life could be unravelled. And in a small town like Banshee Bay, gossip spread like wildfire.

He had secrets to keep.

He couldn’t afford the luxury of falling for this striking woman.

Steering clear of the temptation that was Millie would have to be a top priority.

CHAPTER

6

Listening intently to Ebony’s fantastic advice, Millie looked to where she knew her bag was, wondering if she should find somewhere other than her secret compartment inside it for the letter and photograph. Once she got her Jimny back, she would pop both back beneath the driver’s seat. Until then, she’d just have to wing it, like she was doing with everything else.

‘So, it sounds to me like you’ve landed on your feet, Mills.’ Ebony’s voice carried down the line. ‘Which I’m happy to hear.’

‘Yes, for now.’ Swapping her phone from one ear to the other, Millie made sure to keep her voice hushed. ‘We’ll see how the next week pans out.’

‘And that Tommy guy, you really think he has something to do with the letter, huh?’

‘I kind of do, yes.’ Millie sighed. ‘But who knows, it could be Jarrah for all I know.’

‘Yes, true. Mills, just be super careful, okay? I’m so worried about you.’

‘I promise I’m being careful, Ebs.’

‘Good, I’m glad to hear it.’ A beep echoed in the background. ‘I’m sorry, hon, but I have to run, my microwaved scrambled eggs and baked beans are ready, and I only have ten minutes to eat it before I have to get back to work.’

‘Yes, you go eat, and we will talk again soon.’

‘We most certainly will. Love you, Mills.’

‘Love you too, Ebs.’

Millie popped her phone back onto the bedside table. Propped up on her pillows with her nails almost chewed down to the quick, she felt restless, edgy and uncomfortable in her own skin as the new day entered the bedroom through the crack between the blackout curtains. Having retired in there not long after Jarrah had come home – her excuse being that she was feeling beat after a long drive – she’d lain awake half the night, worrying about what was going to come next. And with the dawning of her first day at Riverside Acres, reality was hitting, real hard. Coming here might have been a mistake of epic proportions. It could end up being a major disaster. But Ebony was right: she wasn’t about to run back home with her tail between her legs, and not only because she was a strong-minded pain in the butt at times, but also because it would leave her forever wondering what she would’ve found out if she’d stayed. She may be closer than she’d ever been to discovering the truth of why she now roamed this earth without her family to share it with, so she wasn’t about to throw in the towel.

You’ve got this!

Climbing from the bed, she straightened her skew-whiff pyjamas. She wandered over to the window and drew the curtains so she could take a few moments to admire the untainted views before heading downstairs for the hit of caffeine she was going to need to face the day. As she pushed open the bay windows, crisp fresh air greeted her, as did the lovely scent of recently mowed lawn. Her eyes followed the winding driveway that led to where a tractor trundled along the fence line of well-manicured horse paddocks. Her heart did a weird pitter-patter as she visualised the man behind the wheel of the green John Deere. Jarrah had mentioned he was going to be up early to start his day out yonder. From what she could tell, he worked hard and had a heart of gold. And she admired both traits. They made him even more believable, likeable, innocent of anything to do with her tainted past.

Turning her gaze to the warm-hued sky, she blinked into the absorbing hues of sunrise as she pondered the last twenty-four hours. Over their early dinner of leftover spaghetti and cheese toasted sandwiches, washed down with a glass of Coke, Jarrah had offered for her to move into one of the motel rooms with a kitchenette when one became available, seeing as she’d be staying on for the job. Apparently it was a perk of the position for anyone who was from out of town, and she hoped so, because she didn’t want to owe him for any favours. He’d even agreed to pay her cash, when she’d told him she needed to stay untraceable for a private reason. He hadn’t blinked an eyelid or asked for an explanation – it was as if he understood her request wholeheartedly. It was all just too easy. She still found it hard to believe how fate had brought her straight to the place she needed to be. To stay with a man that was as handsome and kind as Jarrah. But hey, she was going to run with it, because what other choice did she have?

Inhaling deeply, she stepped away from the window and tried to focus on the positives. She had a really nice place to stay. She’d finally scored a job she’d quite possibly enjoy, as short-lived as it would be. And, to top it all off, her boss was extremely easy on the eye. Today she was going to spend time familiarising herself with Riverside Acres and its surroundings. Sitting around the homestead twiddling her thumbs would do her no good. Her overactive mind would send her crazy. Heading into the great outdoors of tropical Far North Queensland would be a welcome distraction from her uncooperative internal thoughts about everything that could possibly go wrong. And the fresh air would do her the world of good, too. She hadn’t had the pleasure of inhaling country breaths for way too long.

Pausing at the dresser mirror, she stripped off her pyjamas then dressed in denim shorts and a T-shirt. She grabbed her brush out of her bathroom bag, ran it through her long hair, and then twisted it into a bun at the nape of her neck. After padding to the bathroom, she cleaned her teeth and washed her face before heading downstairs in search of a coffee, which she made from instant granules, instead of using the espresso machine – she had no idea how to work it.

---