Page 26 of Road to Rosalee

For one second, and then another, they all could have heard a pin drop on the red earth beneath their feet. Looking from Stan’s witty expression to Zai’s flushed one – Melody would have laughed if she could rein her galloping heart in.

A mound of boxes in his arms, Stan closed the distance between himself and Zai. He passed the leaning tower of cardboard over. ‘You would have thought Georgia would’ve had enough of internet shopping by now. She’s so much like her mother,’ he offered, rolling his eyes. ‘We never had all this internet malarkey in my day, I tell you. And if we had, with the way the missus likes to shop, we would have been bankrupt.’

‘It does make it easier, I suppose,’ Zai replied as he piled the boxes into the four-wheel drive.

Leaning into the cockpit, Stan re-emerged holding a Tupperware container. ‘I brought you one of the wife’s passionfruit sponges. Just make sure you don’t keep it all to yourself, Zai, because I know how much you love them.’ The crow’s feet at the corners of the mailman’s eyes creased from smiling so much. ‘Lesser men have been put to death for such a crime, you know?’ He offered a good-humoured wink. ‘Slim’s always pretty keen on a hefty slice.’

‘I wouldn’t dare do such a thing, Stan.’ Zai scrunched his handsome face up. ‘That’s death by hanging out here, for sure.’ His expression turned to one of absolute seriousness, although the hint of a charming smile lingered beneath.

‘Oh yeah, and plenty of place to bury a greedy body out yonder, too,’ Stan chuckled, pointing towards the hazy horizon.

Witnessing the men’s obvious respect for one another, and their delightful banter, Melody chuckled as Zai’s deep baritone voice skittered over her senses and helped to warm her tattered soul. She could seriously sit and listen to him all day. And those penetrating blue eyes of his, subtly glancing her way as he and Stan yakked about the usual – weather, the cattle, flies. Oh, lord help her. Zai was the kind of distraction she really didn’t need, especially out here, where everyday distractions were clearly going to be few and far between. Although, she had to admit, after everything she’d been through, Mister Wellstone was a breath of fresh air. Air she could breathe in, but not hold in for too long – he’d make her way too giddy. Already did, to be fair.

Stan took a wider stance, his hand rubbing his chin as though the conversation was becoming more serious. ‘How are you and Slim going holding up the fort while Pat and Georgia are away?’

‘Yeah, we’re keeping all the ducks in a row, so pretty good.’

‘That’s great to hear.’ Pausing, the two men shared some sort of silent manspeak before Stan nodded. ‘Well, then, must be off. I’ll catch you in a week’s time.’ He slapped Zai on the back much harder than a man of his age should have been able to. ‘Keep on keeping on, won’t you?’ He looked in Melody’s direction. ‘And make sure you take care of this gorgeous girl. She’s very precious cargo.’

‘Yup, I most certainly will, old mate, you can be sure of that.’ Zai shook Stan’s outstretched hand. ‘Safe travels.’

Honoured to feel so cared for by these two heart-of-gold men, Melody slipped into the conversation like Cinderella and her glass slipper. ‘Thank so much for the lift out here, Stan.’

‘My pleasure, love. Anytime.’ He offered her a spirited salute, and then climbed back aboard.

Melody and Zai stood at a safe distance as they watched him get settled. Then, after a brisk wave, he taxied away from them and, seconds later, was vaulting towards the bright blue sky and out of sight.

Ear-piercing silence settled in his wake.

Melody found herself a little speechless in Zai’s presence.

Zai shot her a disarming look. ‘So, how was the ride out here?’

‘It was …’ She cocked a brow at him. ‘Invigorating.’ The low rumble of his responding laughter was satiating, so much so she wanted to indulge more of it.

‘Ha, yeah, I suppose that’s one way to put it.’ He offered a knowing look, one that spoke of all the times he’d been in the passenger seat of the Cessna.

Melody laughed, then quickly swallowed a snort – there was no way Zai was going to hear that embarrassing trait of hers. Fidgeting, her gaze fell on the faint show of tattooed chest peeking out of his shirt and she instinctively licked her lip as she imagined what it would feel like to rest her cheek there.

My god, what the heck is wrong with me?

As if reading her mind, his eyes briefly dipped to where her hand played over the curve of her breast. ‘You ready to head?’

Sweet baby Jesus, were her responding nipples evident? She cleared her throat, fanning her face. ‘Mm-hmm.’ Dang it, why was she feeling so damn hot? It was just this heat, surely.

Zai grabbed her suitcase from beside her. ‘Holy moly, you got the kitchen sink in here?’

‘Almost,’ she said playfully. ‘Goes with being a chef.’

‘Lucky us.’ He winked over his shoulder before throwing the bag over it as if it were weightless. Placing it in the back of the old trayback four-wheel drive, he quickly made his way round to open her door. ‘Here you go.’

Melody was not used to be looked after like this, especially by a man. ‘Wow, thank you.’ She climbed up, hoping she did it with a little grace.

‘All part of the service,’ he said, closing the door and then offering her a charming smile through the window. ‘There’s no aircon in this old girl, so we have to leave the windows down, I’m afraid. Just be careful with breathing in too deep, or you’ll inhale half the countryside.’

Oh, she was going to struggle with being around Zai. She watched him make his way around to the driver’s side, slide in and rev the four-wheel drive to life. Then off they went, bumping along the earthen track, the pile of bolts, wire and tools bouncing around on the dash. Fine red dust rolled into the cab, and she blinked against it. As she gazed out at the land she’d witnessed unfolding from the sky, they chatted about general stuff, the background music humming from the radio filling the few silences nicely. In the weeks she’d been totally focused on getting to know her dad, Sarah and Beau, she’d gone and forgotten just how alluring Zai was. His sexy scorch-her-clothes-off stare made her feel naked, and very vulnerable to his mischievous charm. Boy oh boy she needed to rein in the wild urge to dive across the seat and kiss him – it wasn’t like her to be so reckless, lustful. She adjusted her v-neck T-shirt, wishing she’d chosen something with a little less cleavage – she didn’t want to give him the wrong impression – and had thought about the fact that it was white amidst a sea of red dirt, and now quickly gathering sweat too.

Diverting her attention out her open window, she tucked strands of flyaway hair behind her ears as she drank in her jaw-dropping surrounds. They rolled past a holding yard chock-full of cattle, quickly followed by a huge shed jam-packed with all sorts of machinery. At the approaching vehicle, chooks dashed this way and that, and a lone duck made a beeline for the shade, turning just as the ute passed to give them the eye. She quietly chuckled with its audacity – it reminded her of Makka back at her dad’s place. Weeping bottlebrush hung over the side of the dirt track, the brilliant red flowers startling against the dusty backdrop. Then she spotted the sleek bodies of five stockhorses, heads down as they grazed on paddock grass. To the right of impressive stables was a bucking arena, chutes and all – she knew it would have been somewhere her father had trained his bulls in days gone by, along with the nerves-of-steel riders keen to learn the art of staying on the bull’s back. Pride filled her – her father was proving to be an awesome man, one she had no trouble connecting with, finding comfort in, loving. If only she could say the same for Antonio, but the further she got away from him, the more she understood just how far apart they’d grown.