Page 13 of Stockman's Stowaway

Dex swivelled back to face Cap. ‘Were your dogs in there?’

Cap nodded. ‘She made it all the way to Leviathan Creek before we found her.’

‘We?’

‘Me and Charlie. Hey, did you know he’s put in a missing person’s report with Porter over his brother?’

‘Does Bree know this?’ Ryder’s deep voice was lower than normal.

Cap shook his head as Bree approached. ‘How’s Mia?’

‘She’s asleep.’ Bree stopped by the steps. Her red hair shone in the sun, but it did nothing to dampen the smouldering temper that made her green eyes darken. ‘That bastard did a number on her.’

‘All right, you two, what the hell is going on?’ demanded Ryder.

‘It’s what I was trying to tell you…’ Cap waited a beat, hoping Bree would step in, before he continued

But Bree arched her eyebrows at him to speak.

For fate’s sake.‘I found Mia hiding in the back of the ute with the dogs. She’s pretty banged up, got a black eye, a fat lip and I’m sure there’s more bruising on her back.’ It made him sick to think of someone doing that to a woman. He turned to Bree. ‘Did Mia tell you who did that to her?’

‘Her boyfriend did.’ Bree plonked her fists on her hips. ‘As this is your station, you boys have a right to know, so I’m telling you this now, so none of you demand twenty questions out of her later. Her name is Mia Dixon. She used to work at the mine on the far side of Elsie Creek. And, she’s grateful Cap gave her a job.’

‘You what?’ Ryder spun around in his chair and glared at Cap.

‘Mia’s a botanist who specialises in soil. I told you I want us to become carbon neutral with our beef and creating wildlife corridors is an important part of that.’

‘Only for the dingoes to come in and pick off our herd.’ Dex was such a dick.

‘There is enough wildlife around that they don’t need to touch our herd, and the guardian dogs will watch out for them.’

‘Pfft, at this rate we’ll just be producing pet meat to feedyour pack!’

‘For fate’s sake,I’m suggesting all this to put us in front of the competition, and to stop that neighbouring mine stealing our water by proving how environmentally sound we are. But you’re still stuck in the boggy bulldust—’

‘Oi!’Ryder slammed his beer on the table like a judge hammering his gavel in court. ‘First thing, is Mia okay?’

‘She’s going to be fine.’ Yet Bree’s jaw twitched with anger. ‘Nothing’s broken, but he put the boot into her, so she’s bruised all over. That sociopathic scumbag had better not come near me and my stash—’

‘Bree.’ Ryder raised his hand, cutting off her tirade. ‘How many shotguns do you actually have stashed around this place?’

She shrugged.

‘How many are registered?’

Again, she shrugged. ‘Let me put it this way, cupcake, if that degenerate shows up here, he won’t get within six feet of her before I’ll have a double barrel locked and loaded.’

‘Jeez, Bree, you’re scaring me,’ said Ash, poking up the brim of his hat.

‘It’s a good thing she’s on our team.’ Dex chuckled, rocking back on his chair.

‘Do we need to be concerned about this guy showing up?’ Ryder arched his eyebrows at Cap.

Cap shrugged. He hadn’t considered that. This was the first human stray he’d ever brought home.

‘No,’ replied Bree. ‘Mia said she lost him at the Elsie Creek Pub, where she climbed into the Tojo’s cage of dogs—and that shows how truly desperate she was.’

‘And brave,’ mumbled Ash, shaking his head. ‘But she must be alright for the dogs to let her in like that.’

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