Page 65 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

She levelled her gaze at him. ‘What kind of fun?’ The images of them ravishing each other in the shower popped up again.

‘That’s for me to know and you to find out.’ A sexy grin made him even more appealing. ‘But I know you’ll have a blast. Trust me.’

If only he knew what kind of fun she was deliberating right now. ‘Okay, what the hell? You only live once.’ Ty jogged around to the passenger side and shoved the door open for her, and she climbed in.

Half an hour later, Rose watched Ty line the tins up along the top rung of the fence. Off in the distance, the mountains stood in silhouette against the heat-hazed sky. He joined her back near the four-wheel drive and grabbed the firearm from the tray. She’d never shot a gun in her life – that was GG or Heath’s prerogative if the need ever arose at Jacaranda Farm. This was going to be interesting.

‘I’ll go first,’ he said eagerly.

She watched him brace his arm to steady his aim, and then … wham. The sound of the bullet exploded, and reverberation echoed all around them as a tin pinged through the air.

‘Bullseye,’ he hollered, his expression proud as punch. ‘Your turn now.’

She sucked in a breath. ‘I’m actually a bit nervous.’

‘You’ll be right. I got you.’ He drew a line in the dirt with his boot tip. ‘Step up to this, and I’ll help you get your aim.’

She drew in a steadying breath as she lined up her sight. His body pressed up against hers, Ty rested his chin on her shoulder as his arms came around to rest over the top of her hands. The heat that he created every time she was around him multiplied, tenfold. How was a woman meant to think straight, let alone shoot straight, with him right behind her?

She pulled the trigger. The shotgun smacked into her shoulder as the boom echoed. ‘Holy crap! This thing has some kickback.’ She hadn’t hit a tin, but at least she’d been close. ‘That was bloody fun.’

Still hard up against her, Ty turned his face to hers. ‘I told you.’

‘Can I have another go?’

‘Of course you can.’ He helped her steady again. ‘Go when you’re ready.’

She took a few more seconds to ground herself and hone her sight, then fired. And bam, a tin went flying. ‘Oh my god, Ty! I got one!’

‘Go you good thang, you!’ He remained behind her. ‘Want another go?’

‘Yes please.’ She wanted to shoot, but she also didn’t want him to move from where he was. It felt so good, being so close to him.

An hour passed before they ran out of bullets. ‘Should we go for an afternoon ride, or a dip in the dam?’ Ty asked as he packed everything back into the LandCruiser.

Rose shrugged. ‘I don’t mind.’ And she didn’t, as long as she was with him.

‘Neither do I.’ He pulled a twenty-cent piece from his pocket. ‘How about we flip a coin to see who decides our fate for the arvo?’

She chuckled. ‘Are you serious?’

His expression turned mock-solemn. ‘Deadly.’

She closed the distance and stopped just short of him. ‘Flip away, Parker.’

He looked to her with spirited eyes. ‘Heads or tails, Jonesy?’

‘Heads.’

She watched the coin spin into the air as if in slow motion, then land in the palm of Ty’s hand, his other covering the outcome.

Ty peeked. ‘Tails. I win.’ He gave her a drop-dead gorgeous grin.

She smirked at his audacity. ‘I call rigged.’

He revealed the coin. ‘How in the hell can I rig that?’

She beamed all the way from the depths of her heart and soul at this steady, reliable man who knew his place in this occasionally cold, hard world and, in his own distinctive way, made it better, safer, warmer and a lot more fun than she’d ever found it to be. She wanted to be in his sphere, now. And in the future.