Page 20 of Stockman's Showdown

Dammit, if he didn’t speak, the redhead would get mad at him, and he wanted to talk to her, when normally he didn’t talk. He had to say something, because Bree was waiting for a response. ‘It’s how I made my money.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘I sold the patents for certain weapons I’d designed for the military.’

‘So, you didn’t steal from some diamond mine?’

‘No.’ The chuckle burst from his lips. She amused him so effortlessly, always surprising him. ‘After I retired from the outfit, I saw an opportunity and went to work on a diamond mine, and I did some offshore oil rigging, too.’

She arched an eyebrow at him, before flinging her saddle onto her horse. ‘But you were an officer.’

‘Getting my hands dirty never bothered me.’ He slid on his gloves, well-worn from being a stockman, not like some overseer. ‘And those places came with uniforms, meals and accommodation—just better pay.’

‘Yeah, but…’ With her playful green eyes sparkling, she wiggled her finger at him as if peeling back his shields. ‘There’s more to that story, isn’t there?’

He adjusted his stockman’s hat, fighting the temptation to brush the fine stray hairs from around her face, that had worked free from her thick plait. ‘I worked at the mines while waiting for the patents to come through. I made more money out of the department as a civvy, selling them the patents on the weapons I’d designed, which I learned to reinvest.’

‘Which is how you knew all about the patents for Ash’s tech gear.’

He nodded.

‘Clever.’ She turned her back on him to tighten her saddle straps.

‘Any other questions?’

‘Oh yeah, stacks. But I’ve got horses to saddle, and a dust-stirring muster to start. But I’ll have all day to think about the questions I want to ask.’

A full wattage smile broke the seal of his steel facade, and his chest felt so light and free as it filled with crisp morning air.

‘Wow, look at you, cupcake. You look like you’ve swallowed the sun.’

He felt like it too. Only Bree did that for him. ‘I’ve told no one, not even my brothers, how I made my money.’

‘I won’t tell anyone.’

‘I know. That’s why I told you.’ He kissed her cheek, then whispered in her ear, ‘By the way, if we’re opening a dialogue and being truthful, I hate being calledcupcake.’

Her abrupt laugh rang out like a melody, clear and bright, filling the air with a contagious warmth that made him smile. ‘I know. That’s why I say it.’

Together they saddled all the horses they’d need for the day. Working in silence alongside Bree was both comfortable and companionable. He was hoping today was the day they didn’t argue with each other. He also wanted to continue the conversation with her, and yet he couldn’t think of a damned thing to say.

‘We were coming to help,’ said Ash, approaching with handheld radios tucked securely into their halters, along with Dex, stuffing his face with the last of his steak sandwich.

‘All done. Thanks.’ Bree took a radio from Ash and clipped it into her shoulder holster like a cop with their gun. Her stockwhip on her hip, sliding on her riding gloves, she was ready to ride. ‘I’ll go help Charlie.’ It was so typical of Bree to walk away. Normally she’d keep her interactions to a strict ten-minute limit, where she’d dump some information bomb then leave.

‘You can unsaddle them when we get home,’ Ryder said to his brothers, as he clipped on his radio and stockwhip, watching Bree share a joke with her grandfather, ‘if we make it to the drafting yards today.’ The other women were slowing them down by playing tourists, while he was ready to climb into the saddle and take advantage of the cool morning before the outback’s hostile sun blazed down on them like the wrath of a thousand firestorms.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

‘SNAKE! SNAKE!’ It was Sophie running through the tall grass while trying to pull up her jeans with one hand and holding her camera in the air. But her scream was so high-pitched it was as if a dozen banshees were howling in the air, the noise echoing as if it was coming from all directions.

‘Sophie!’Dex ran after her.

‘At least it’s not bird spiders this time, like Harper,’ said Ash with a chuckle. ‘Was Sophie taking photos while peeing?’

‘Looks like it.’ Ryder tilted his head as Sophie tripped over her jeans to roll in the grass, with Dex chasing after her. Surprisingly, her screams still shattered the morning air, like a sonic boom, ricocheting everywhere across the open plains as if surrounding them.

‘Oh, no.’ Bree’s voice instantly set off alarm bells for Ryder.

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