Page 15 of Whispers of Sweetwater

His casual question hung between them, simple yet meaningful. She instinctively knew it wasn’t the idle curiosity of small-town gossip, but the genuine interest of a man whose life was deeply rooted in the wellbeing of this community. Wanting to give a thought-out reply, she took a tentative sip of her drink before answering, with her gaze locked onto his over the rim of her glass. There was something disarmingly earnest in his manner, a directness that spoke of long days facing the elements where pretence was worn away like soil in the rain.

Far out, he’s so … mmm!

Lord help her.

Find your voice, Brianna. ‘It’s … a little different to Huntingvale,’she finally admitted with a smile. ‘But there’s a certain charm to Sweetwater, a sense of connection to everything around you that’s hard to ignore.’

‘Ah, you’ve noticed that too?’ Hayden’s grin broadened, and he leant back comfortably in his chair, arms crossing over his chest as if her observation had bridged a gap. ‘It’s the heartbeat of this place, I reckon, and once you feel it, you’re pretty much a part of it.’

‘Is that so?’ Brianna asked with interest.

‘Absolutely,’ he continued, earnestness shining in his eyes even in the dimly lit room. ‘It’s in the whisper of wind through gum leaves, the rolling hills on the horizon, and the stars shining brighter than anywhere else.’

‘Stars shine pretty bright in other places too,’ she said with a soft smile.

He tilted his head, eyes holding hers. ‘Maybe. But out here, you notice them more. Slower nights. Fewer distractions. Makes it easier to see what’s been shining all along.’

Brianna glanced away for a moment, then looked back at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. ‘That’s pretty poetic for a bloke who wrangles horses for a living.’

‘Maybe,’ was his simple response.

But even as she teased, she couldn’t ignore the way his words sat with her, quiet and thoughtful, like the man himself. She liked that. The depth in him. It was unexpected, and it tugged at something in her that had been too long neglected.

Their meals arrived, just two of them, and she glanced to where Molly had disappeared to almost half an hour earlier. Now sitting with three other women around her age, Molly gave a little wave back. In front of her was her just-delivered plate of food. Brianna’s belly somersaulted. Looked like she and Hayden were being left to their own devices, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. After collecting her cutlery from the metal bucket in the middle of the table, she was about to tuck in when a chorus of chuckles erupted from a nearby table. Gavin, now sitting with a group of blokes, watched on with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. She flashed him a smile and he lifted his glass in a silent toast. Hayden, now chewing his first mouthful of food, shook his head at his mate, his eyes still rolling when he returned his gaze back to Brianna.

‘Too many drinks for that one,’ he said with another shake of his head.

‘Oh, I don’t know, it looks like he’s just having a bit of fun,’ Brianna replied as she watched Gavin lift his glass again, now apparently toasting a joke only he understood.

Hayden smirked. ‘Fun is his default setting. He’s harmless … mostly. Just don’t let him near a karaoke machine or a bottle of Bundy past ten.’

Brianna grinned around her bite of steak burger. ‘Duly noted. So, karaoke and rum are where you draw the line?’

‘Absolutely. Man has the voice of a tortured cat and the moves of one, too.’

She laughed, biting into a chip slathered in gravy. ‘Now, that I want to see.’

Hayden leant back, watching her with a look that was both entertained and quietly assessing. ‘I’ll remember that. But if he starts singing Jimmy’s “Working Class Man”, you’ll regret those words.’

She shook her head playfully. ‘Not at all. I thrive on chaos.’

‘Is that right?’ he said, raising an eyebrow. ‘You don’t strike me as the chaos type.’

‘Oh, I have layers,’ Brianna said, pointing a chip at him. ‘Vet by day, thrill-seeker by night.’

‘Is that so?’ he replied, his voice lowering slightly, the teasing edge giving way to something more genuine. ‘And what kind of thrill are you seeking here, of all places, on this fine night?’

The playful question hung between them.

She paused, met his gaze. ‘Not sure yet. Ask me after dessert.’

Hayden chuckled, rubbing a hand over his jaw. ‘You’re quick.’

‘Trust me, I’ve had to be.’ She chuckled. ‘Life doesn’t really wait for you to catch up.’

Something flickered behind his eyes then, like he understood exactly what she meant. His smile didn’t fade, but it changed. Became softer. ‘No, it doesn’t wait, it just keeps on ticking.’

There was a beat of quiet, one that was completely comfortable this time. The kind that didn’t press or push, and instead just stretched between them like a hammock strung in late-afternoon sun. Then he smiled again, that same easy, grounding smile she was quickly beginning to associate with warmth and steadiness.