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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DALE WATCHED DAISY climb into the helicopter. He ducked away as the rotor blades swung faster, hanging onto his hat and shielding his eyes from the dust whipped up by the down-draught. The helicopter lifted slowly off the ground, then once it was away from the trees and into clear skies, it tipped forward, accelerating up and away. A bright flash of silver against the blue. Two of the guests were also leaving this morning, and so Dale had arranged for Daisy to join the flight. It was the quickest way to travel out here.
Daisy was gone.
Of course, she had to go. She needed to be with her brother. And she was meeting her parents at Cairns hospital this morning. Family came first. And with Daisy, her brother was the single most important thing in her life right now.
Or at least, he had been. A few of the things Daisy had said to him last night made him ponder that statement.
Steve stood next to the two ATVs parked beneath the big river gum. He walked over and slapped him on the back. “Come on, mate, no moping allowed. There’s still lots of work to be done.”
Dale bristled at his words. He wasn’t moping. Daisy had left, and that was the end. That heavy feeling in his chest would ease soon enough. Once he got his mind back on the jobs he had listed for today, he’d forget all about her.
He lifted his chin in Steve’s direction, indicating he lead the way. Then he jumped into his ATV and followed Steve in his own vehicle up the gravel road, away from the helicopter landing pad and toward the main huddle of buildings. Even though Julie had joined the staff temporarily, until they could find a replacement for Karri, there was still a lot to be done. Jobs that’d been put off over the past few weeks because of the floods and then the murder investigation were all clamoring to be finished.
Cicadas buzzed in the branches above him. It was going to be devilishly hot today. They’d planned a horse trek this morning for the guests, while it was still relatively cool. The guests would take a break during the hottest part of the day, where they could either take a swim in the pool, or read a book in the comfort of their air-conditioned cabins, or indeed, take a nap. Then they had a picnic dinner next to the billabong and a spotlighting tour scheduled for later on.
There’d be no such luxuries as naps for Dale today. Even though he needed one after last night’s activities. He was going to have to run on two hours’ sleep. But it was worth it. Every precious second spent with Daisy had been worth it.
Without conscious effort, his mind drifted back to last night. As soon as his bedroom door shut behind them, they’d begun ripping off each other’s clothes off like they were possessed. So desperate and hungry to have their arms wrapped around each other. Dale was no psychiatrist, but even he could figure out they were using sex as a form of release, a way to purge themselves of the hundreds of emotions they’d experienced over the past twenty-four hours. It was also an act of joy, of relief that they’d both survived.
He had luxuriated in the feeling of her coffee skin sliding against his, her taut stomach pressing into his own. He’d kissed her like she was the last woman on earth; and she’d returned his ardor like he was the last man. The first time they’d made love, they never made it to the bed. It was so quick and dirty; he had her up against the wall, barely remembering to put on the condom. Daisy had cried out so loud that Dale hoped Skylar couldn’t hear them from her room down the other end of the hallway. But then, as he reached his own crescendo, he stopped caring.
The second time, they made it to his bed, and it was less rushed, though equally filled with passion. He’d stroked her cheek and stared into her eyes as she climaxed beneath him, is if he could see right in to her very soul.
Afterward, she had cried in his arms. It was an unusual feeling. Dale had never had a woman trust him enough to break down in front of him before. It was as if he held a fragile, vulnerable bird in his arms.
“I feel like I did everything wrong,” she’d sobbed into his chest. “I feel like it’s my fault River got shot. And now, after all we went through, he’s probably still going to end up in jail.”
That might not be such a bad thing, Dale had thought to himself, although he’d never dare say it out loud. From the little he knew about Daisy’s brother, that boy had never taken responsibility for his own actions. It was time he grew up. Spending time in prison after he recovered from his gunshot wound would be a harsh reality check for the kid.
“I’m worried he won’t survive in jail,” she said, breaking into more sobs. It was a valid worry. It was true, indigenous people struggled when they were locked away. And the Australian justice system had a bad reputation for their lack of care when it came to Aboriginal people on the inside. Things were getting better, but it didn’t mean River would find it easy.
“Perhaps he won’t serve any time. I know he did wrong by running away; obstructing justice, I think it’s called. But maybe they’ll find him innocent, or at the very least, let him go on a good-behavior bond.” Dale said helpfully. Daisy nodded, but didn’t seem to be mollified.
“My mother isn’t helping,” Daisy said through her sniffles. Dale knew she’d taken more than one phone call from her parents this afternoon, and had looked increasingly downcast after each one. “She’s demanding to know how I let it all get this out of hand.”
Surely, her mother wasn’t trying to blame any of this on Daisy? Because if she was, Dale would have no problem marching over there and setting her straight. How could any mother put that much pressure on her own child? He caught himself on that thought and backtracked a little. Because he’d experienced something similar with his own mother. He suddenly felt more sympathy for Daisy; gleaned a little more understanding of why she was so desperate to protect her only sibling. From a deep, ingrained wish to please her parents.
“This is not your fault.” Dale stroked her hair gently, but his voice had an edge of steel. She needed to let go of this guilt. He wasn’t about to condone what she’d done, because technically, she’d been aiding and abetting a criminal. But she’d done what she had out of love, and a sense of duty. He respected her for that. She was one gritty, determined woman. “You did what you thought was right. And you can’t let your mother or anyone else blame you for how it turned out.”
Daisy stared at him, her large, green eyes wide as she pondered his words.
“Hmm,” was her only reply. Dale hoped she took in what he said. It might not sink in right now, but later, when she had the chance to dissect what’d happened, she might see this was all just a horrible string of coincidences, and there was nothing she could’ve done to change the outcome.
Secretly, Dale wondered how much longer Daisy and her brother would’ve gotten away with their subterfuge. They didn’t seem to have a coherent plan, and he thought the law would’ve caught up with them, eventually. That, or The Black Kings might have found them to dispense their own form of warped justice.
“I have to go back to Perth,” she said in a small voice.
“I know,” he replied. He desperately wanted her to stay, but there was no reason to keep her here. Her family, her culture, her study, all her friends were over there.
He brushed back her hair and stared into her face, tracing the familiar lines of her high eyebrows, her nose, the curve of her plump lips. He was going to miss her terribly. It’d hurt to let her go. A physical pain started beneath his breastbone at the mere thought of it.
Dale had never been in love. Not really. There’d been two or three girls in his teenage years. But the station had always taken all of his focus, and they hadn’t understood his commitment, drifting away to become a fleeting memory soon enough. And whatever it was he’d felt for Violet, back in Montana, had only been puppy love. He knew that now, because he finally understood what true love was.
Because, last night at the mine, he’d finally discovered love. All night, he’d been urgently trying to protect Daisy, both from herself and from those two crazy maniacs. Then it hit him like a physical blow, in those few moments where Daisy had been fighting with Sally. What would he do if Daisy died? If she was no longer in this world? His heart had literally stopped beating as he watched her wrestle with the other woman, while he lay helpless and gagged on the dusty soil. He was in love with this feisty, damaged woman. And tonight had only cemented how deep his feelings went for her. The way she felt in his arms, it was extraordinary. It was a feeling of sincerity. Could she feel it, too?
If he told her he loved her, would she stay?
