Page 73 of Stockman's Stormcloud

‘Dammit.’ Ryder tore off his hat and slapped it against his thigh. ‘Where are they now?’

‘Gone off in the Razorback,’ replied Dex.

‘To where?’ Ryder asked bluntly. ‘It is still our property. We have the right to know where they are going and what they’re doing on our land.’

Sophie agreed.

‘They’ve gone to check out the crime scene that Charlie calls Drinkastubbie Downs.’

‘They won’t find anything. The police found nothing, and neither did we, other than Ash’s cattle tags.’

‘You need to make this right, Ryder. Bree and Charlie have done a lot for me. Look at what Bree has done for Cap and his kennels, and the dogbox.’

Oh, that didn’t sound like a nice place to the cat-loving Sophie. Was her cat safe back in the cottage?

‘Bree was there to help out when Mason came here,’ continued Dex. ‘In fact, Bree has helped us all out at one stage or another.’

Sheesh, was Bree a saint or something? Sophie still couldn’t see the big deal. Not when Bree was so bossy and mean to Dex.

‘We all know Bree would never have stolen the cattle. Not from us.’ Dex stabbed at his chest and didn’t even wince.

‘Sowhere were you last night with Bree?’ Ryder asked, crossing his big arms over his chest.

Dex paused to peer over his shoulder at Sophie.

She quickly pretended to focus her camera lens on a wildflower poking out of the red rubble beside the fencing rails. But her ears were wide open, desperate to learn more.

‘You said Bree was with you,’ said Ryder. ‘Until when?’

‘Two.’

That spike of envy was like a fire lashing up her spine. What was Dex doing with Bree until two in the morning?

But it also concerned her that Dex had only had a few hours’ sleep. The silly man was meant to be recovering, it wasn’t healthy.

‘You weren’t on the couch in the cottage that whole time, were you?’ demanded Ryder.

‘No. We were hanging at the shed, where Bree spoke about doing a makeover on this old tack roomfor you.’ Dex poked in the direction of Ryder’s chest. ‘You need to make this right.’

Ryder scowled as another vehicle approached, creating a plume of red dust into the air. ‘Can we forget about the caretakers and get back to work? We’re paying that vet by the hour, just like I’m paying your nurse.’

Sophie slow blinked at Ryder, as if she’d been busted for stealing cookies from the kitchen and had lost her ability to speak.

‘Sophie is off the clock.’

‘So why is she here, then?’

‘She’s here because I want her here.’ Dex’s voice echoed across the railed yards. Loud and clear.

Sophie could hardly breathe from the look Dex gave her that made it seem so real. He wanted her, the same way she wanted him. When, honestly, she was just babysitting his oxygen tanks.

Twenty-four

Dex used his anger as a powerful motivator, doggedly pushing himself into becoming well again. And today’s events fuelled his anger. But Sophie knew he’d feel the consequences of his actions later today. It was the reason why she was sticking around, in case his lungs had a relapse.

Plus, Dex had given her permission to play tourist, to watch the Riggs brothers do their cowboy thing from behind her camera lens. And she wasn’t going to miss a second, not when she had a ringside seat to the action.

It was an outdoor experience so far removed from the urban landscape she’d left behind, it was like she’d stepped back in time, to a world of swirling red dust that created a haze over the large group of white Brahman cattle.

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