Page 122 of Stockman's Showdown

Ryder nodded.

‘Bree was the same when she shot that mongrel in the bum, that time. Warning them fellas she’d aim for their heads, before you mob bought this place.’ He finished pouring out his billy tea into three cups. One was his battered enamel cup that went everywhere with him. One was Bree’s. Charlie pushed the third cup across the wooden counter to Ryder.

The gesture made his day.

‘You’re a good man, Ryder. But you’ll have your hands full with that one.’

‘I know.’

‘Nah, I don’t think you do. Bree’s had to fight for everything. At school, the kids picked on her when they found out about herparents. Of course she fought them, but it became that thing her and Finn had in common.’

‘They met in school?’

‘Boarding school.’ Charlie sighed, hands on his hips, with his head slowly shaking from side to side. ‘I wished she’d finished school, but when my beautiful Bea passed away, Bree quit to come home and take care of me. None of us expected Finn to show up looking for work soon after. And, well, you know the rest…’ Charlie gazed at the locked door.

‘Is that Liam’s room?’

‘It is.’ Charlie sighed. ‘All I want is for Bree to be happy. As a kid, she was happy, then lost her parents. As a married woman with a family, she was happy, then lost everything. All that heartache does something to a person, that she’s learned not to get close to anyone. But then you came along, son. You took her brassiness and showed her it was okay to be herself and not change. I liked that about you. Hell, son, you shot up the neighbours to rescue us, and for that…’ He held out his hand to Ryder. ‘You have my respect, my gratitude, and I’d like to welcome you to the family.’

He shook Charlie’s hand, grateful for it. ‘You don’t need to be so formal, Charlie. The cuppa is enough.’

‘It’s what Bree wanted.’ Charlie gave a coy wink as he tapped the side of his temple. ‘I know you two have been sneaking around.’

‘You do, huh?’

‘Back in the day I would have chased you out with the shotgun, but then I saw how much Bree smiles with you. It’s like there’s this weight lifted off her shoulders, like she’s finding her happiness, again.’

‘I hope so.’

‘You’ll know it when you see it. Coz when that girl opens her heart, Ryder, it is a beautiful thing. That’s when she’ll tuckyou under that protective wing of hers, where no matter what, she’ll always have your back. But if I know that girl, she’ll be wondering if she’s scared you off.’

‘She hasn’t.’

‘I hope not. There aren’t too many men strong enough to handle a strong woman like Bree. Finn had his shot and lost it. Leo thought he could, but he would have taken her down a dark path. For you, it’s the other way around. It’s Bree who is bringing you out of that darkness, and she’s just hitching a ride that’s helping both of you.’

What the?Ryder double blinked. Was Charlie right? Bree had not only been teaching him to play, but she’d also softened up a lot herself since they’d first met, bickering with each other.

‘I’m not gonna ask, but I’m guessing it’s something you did in your army days, coz, son, you didn’t even flinch shooting Leo. But then, neither did Bree. Never be afraid of her, Ryder, coz that girl has a bucketload of love to give.’ Then with cup in hand, Charlie pushed open the back door. ‘Be sure to give my granddaughter her cuppa. It’s a rare thing for her to have a cuppa in bed.’

‘I will.’

‘Well, I’ll get out of your hair, boss. You have a station to run where that to-do list never ends.’ Charlie slid on his well-worn stockman’s hat, tapped the brim, and walked out the back door carrying his tin mug.

Ryder carried the other two mugs into the bedroom to find Bree getting dressed. ‘What are you doing? I thought we could stay in bed.’ He held out the tea mug. ‘Charlie made me a cuppa.’

‘I see that.’

‘And he welcomed me to the family.’

‘Really?’ Her eyebrows lifted as she sipped from her cup.

Outside the big shepherd barked, and Ryder pulled back the curtain to spot the police car rolling in.

‘Marcus is early,’ murmured Bree over his shoulder.

‘Or he’s stopping in on his way home. I’ll go see. We’ll be down in the boardroom. Come find me later?’

‘Pfft. I’m not running after you. Not when I have horses to feed, and Charlie will cook breakfast soon.’ She gave a coy grin. ‘Now you’ve got the welcome, that old man will save you a plate, you know that.’

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