Page 16 of Road to Rosalee

‘I’m just going to pop outside,’ she said. ‘I’ll grab my suitcase.’

Halfway through peeling a potato, Matt paused and glanced over his shoulder. ‘Do you need a hand?’

‘Nah, I’ll be right, but thanks for the offer.’ She slipped out to the back verandah and inhaled deeply.

Sinking into a chair to breathe, she got lost in the stunning view until footfalls sounded and she turned to meet striking blue eyes set amidst dark skin. ‘Hey,’ she stammered.

‘Hey there.’ He stopped just short of her. ‘You okay?’

Sucking in a deep breath, she gave him a smile. ‘Uh-huh.’ She dropped her gaze from his broad shoulders to the big belt-buckle then, catching herself doing so, looked swiftly back to the dusky horizon.

‘It’s the best part of the day, sitting out here.’ He stepped in beside her, casting a long shadow across the timber floorboards. ‘Do you mind if I join you?’

‘Not at all.’ She shot her eyes back to his and shuffled over.

Zai sat, leaving a little bit of space between them. ‘They’re great people, Sarah and Matt.’

‘They sure are.’ Her burdened heart buoyed in agreement. ‘I just hope I haven’t upset the apple cart, turning up unannounced.’

‘I know it must all feel really strange, but take my word, they’ll make you feel welcome and do everything they can to make you feel a part of the family.’

‘They’ve already gone above and beyond what I’d expected.’ She offered a sidelong glance, totally amazed by the way this hunk of virile man cared enough to try to understand how she must be feeling. ‘I’m lucky they’re both so kind and accommodating.’

Telltale signs of heartache fleetingly traversed Zai’s rugged features. ‘Yeah, they’ve been there for me a hell of a lot, through all my stuff.’

Identifying with his slumped shoulders and sad smile, Melody’s heart reach for his. ‘What sort of stuff?’ she asked gently.

He met her stare. ‘I’ll save it for another time.’ His smile was slow. ‘I think you’ve had a big enough day without listening to all my dramas.’

She took a mental and emotional step back. ‘Fair enough.’ He had a point, and it wasn’t her place to pry either. ‘So how do you know them?’

‘Matt’s dad and my dad are old mates. And I’ve done a bit of work out at Rosalee Station as a stockman.’ He ran a hand through his short-cropped hair. ‘I sometimes muster in their chopper too, when they need me to.’

‘Oh, wow, how cool.’ She imagined him in the saddle, and at the helm of a chopper, looking all rugged and masculine – it suited him to a T. ‘You on a break at the moment?’

‘Yeah, just for a couple more days. I’m heading back out there bright and early tomorrow morning.’

Liking the sound of his slow, easy country drawl and wanting to hear more of it, Melody felt a pang of disappointment knowing his time here was short. ‘You driving there?’

‘Thankfully not.’ He stretched his faded-denim-clad legs out and crossed them at the ankles. ‘I’m catching a lift with Stan. He flies the mail plane out to the station once a week.’ Lacing his hands behind his head, he rested his head back.

Melody couldn’t help but notice how his biceps stretched the sleeves of his T-shirt, or the way the warm glint of the setting sun made his features all the more arresting. ‘Oh, cool. Do you like it out there?’

‘Damn straight I do.’ He shot her a disarming grin. ‘All that space is my kind of heaven.’

‘Hmm.’ Totally at ease in Zai’s company, she rested back too, finding herself engrossed in both the plush hues of crimson sky and the magnetism she felt with this compelling man. ‘It’d be nice to visit Rosalee Station one day, so I can meet the family there and see where my father is from, but I’m not sure I’d be able to live all the way out there.’

‘When you do, I reckon you’ll be surprised by just how much you like it.’ The huskiness of his voice complemented the richness of the sunset. ‘So what do you do for a quid, Miss Melody?’

‘I’m a fully qualified chef, down in Sydney. I part-own a hip little café.’

He turned to her, his gaze wide. ‘Wow, holy heck, now that’s impressive. Good on you.’

She basked in his praise, and smile. ‘Thanks, but it’s really not that remarkable. If I’d said I was a doctor, or lawyer, or something like that, I’d totally get your enthusiasm.’ He pulled an I-don’t-agree-with-you face and she sucked in a quick breath. ‘Although, I do have to say, I found my calling when I decided to turn my love of cooking into a career. Food is my everything.’

‘I totally get where you’re coming from, because I like to eat food, a lot. Probably a little too much.’ He patted his flat stomach. ‘Mind you, I don’t know where it all goes. Mum reckons I have hollow legs. I reckon it’s because I don’t sit still for long.’ He offered her a cheeky look. ‘Seriously, though, we need passionate cooks like you in this too-fast world filled with its fast food and microwave meals.’ He shuddered. ‘Which, for the record, are disgusting.’

‘I couldn’t agree more.’ Realising she was twisting her hair around her finger, she quickly tucked the strand behind her ear. What was this man doing to her?