Page 38 of Stockman's Sandstorm

‘Simply by spending time with him. Don’t be like me, where you suddenly wake up in a place and feel like everything is gone because you were chasing time. Time spent with family, and with friends is more precious. The memories you create will last a lifetime.’

‘You have a thing for time, don’t you.’ He tapped on his wrist. ‘I noticed you’re not wearing your watch anymore.’

He noticed her. Why did that make her tummy swirl with giddy glee? ‘Bree made me take it off. I still keep it in my pocket.’ They mirrored each other’s grins. Only this time it came a little easier.

He was so close his manly aroma filled the air. He smelled so heavenly, like someone had taken every one of her secret dreamy desires, to then bottle it into an exclusive cologne that only her perfect dream guy would wear. Ash was that guy.

The only thing was, he knew he had some power over women and her. Especially the way his eyes dropped to her lips then rose back up to her eyes.

She headed for the safety of the door, but could feel his eyes tracking her across the room. ‘And Ash?’

‘Yeah?’ He tilted his head, the soft light highlighted the bristles on his chin, accentuating his cheek bones. But his eyes were intense. Almost hungry.

‘You will make a good father.’

He frowned at her, like she’d lost her marbles, instantly dousing that hunger in his eyes, as he stood straighter with hands in his pockets. ‘How can you say that?’

‘Because you still know how to play. You play on your drone, or your computer games. But you also understand what adult responsibility means.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘It’s why you’ve been getting that constricted feeling in your chest. It’s stress. And if you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be stressed with worry for your son, which is completely normal.’

Ash stared at her with widening eyes and slack jaw. He then cleared his throat. ‘You won’t say anything to my brothers about what I just said?’

‘No. They don’t talk to me.’

His frown shifted as if embarrassed for them.

‘Hey, you must remember, they’re not fathers, they’re uncles. You’re the father. And I know, deep down in my gut,’ she said, patting her own stomach. ‘You’ll do great at it, too. You just have to try.’

‘What if I fail? Make mistakes?’

‘Every father does. My dad did. Didn’t yours?’

Ash nodded. ‘I like the man, but I don’t want to be like him. Is that wrong to say?’

‘No. It’s the most honest thing I’ve heard you say.’

He reached out and gently stroked her hair, she almost sighed at the tenderness of his touch. ‘I know.’ He pulled his hand back fast. ‘Boundaries.’

‘Yeah, boundaries.’ The boss-to-employee kind of boundaries, that were getting harder to maintain.

‘Thank you, Harper.’

‘You might hate me later, so hold your thanks for now, and focus on you and Mason.’ She closed the door behind her, hoping, just hoping, he’d connect with Mason before it was time for her to leave.

And then she’d come clean with her secret.

Seventeen

Sitting on his bed, as the first sign of sunrise barely breached the escarpment, Ash slid on his jeans, then his boots. He stamped the floor, a lifelong habit to ensure they were on tight, and grabbed his shirt lying over his gamer’s chair. He sniffed at it. Meh, it was clean enough to wear another day.

His computer screen came on with the movement, and he scanned over the emails and messages. He’d been up late last night, watching his kid sleep. His. Kid.

He shifted the mouse and put the PC to sleep. He was lucky if he’d had a few hours’ sleep himself. Of course, he could play all night, and he’d still show up for the job he loved as a stockman, with the hope of sneaking in a nap sometime during the day.

But his brothers were having a meeting with Charlie this morning, to prepare for their first muster as the new owners of Elsie Creek Station. It was enough to create an excited energy to bristle through his veins like the ultimate sugar rush.

---