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“Oh.” Understanding flared in her eyes. Was that a flash of disappointment, as well? “I’m not sure I want you tracking me,” she replied darkly, but there was relief in the easing of tension from her shoulders. Then she held up a hand to forestall any of his arguments. “But, yes, I will put it on if you think it’s completely necessary. Although I’d never in a million years wear something like this.” The last sentence was muttered under her breath. Aaron might beg to differ. While Julie had never owned much fine or intricate jewelry back when he’d known her—she’d always said there was no point wearing expensive jewelry, it’d just end up lost or damaged with her work on the farm—he’d bought her a delicate gold necklace a few weeks before he’d left Dalgety, with a tiny diamond dangling on a charm. She’d worn it with pride, tucked beneath the collar of her shirt every day after he’d given it to her. He wondered if she’d kept it.
The anklet was standard issue, Jake had them made specially for any of their female clients who might be at greater risk. It was a simple sliver chain, with a single heart charm. For their male clients, there was a choice of a lapel pin or a men’s ring. This was purely for practical use only. There’d been no deeper meaning behind his offering. Not this time. He hoped Julie understood that.
Julie had refused his offer to help her put it on, and he stood back, watching her fasten it around her ankle, an indecipherable look on her face. A flash of guilt speared through him, but he quashed it quickly. These old emotions rearing their ugly head were only going to complicate things between him and Julie. He needed to keep reminding himself she was a client. A paying customer.
“Right, I think we might be ready to leave.” Steve’s booming voice brought Aaron back to the present. Julie had opted to drive; she said she’d travelled the road a few times before and was familiar with it, and Aaron was happy with that. It left him open to keep an eagle eye on everyone else around them, and what they were up to.
Steve and Dale were also driving a Toyota Land Cruiser, but they were towing a long trailer with two quad bikes and one motorcycle tied on tight, along with a whole raft of other equipment squeezed in next to the bikes. It was a tangle of swags and folding chairs, a portable barbecue, large containers of fuel and all other sorts of odds and sodds. Steve gave the trailer one last quick glance while Daisy dashed over to give Dale a kiss goodbye.
Wazza and Bindi were in a third vehicle, towing a big, slab-sided horse trailer, onto which Steve and Wazza had just finished loading five horses. All sorts of gear was crammed into the front of the trailer—saddles, bridles, feed for the horses, blankets, buckets, farrier equipment in case one of the horses threw a shoe. The list was endless.
Aaron watched Bindi lean in and check on the horses one more time, then expertly shut the doors, fastening the latch with one last thump. Her long, dark hair was tied up into a plait beneath her battered straw hat. Aaron had learned that while Bindi was employed as Skylar’s assistant cook, she loved spending as much time as she could with the horses. Skylar had agreed to let Bindi go on muster, but it meant she’d rope in Sasha to help over the coming week, as the lodge was over half-full, and the guests still expected their gourmet meals. Aaron was now intimately acquainted with all the Stormcloud staff, after having read up on their backstories. He glanced over at Bindi, who was hopping into the passenger seat, while Wazza got into the driver’s seat. She was originally from New Zealand, but had moved over here with her family when they’d had to sell their farm. Bindi didn’t say much, but she seemed to be far wiser than her twenty-five years. Blending in with the rest of the crew in her jeans and light-pink, long-sleeved shirt, Bindi seemed at home here on the station.
Aaron was quietly glad that Sasha would be staying behind. There was nothing in her background that raised any red flags in regard to an association with the stalker, but he still didn’t trust her one hundred percent. While he was getting Julie away from all the familiar people and places on the station, he might also be breaking her away from any mole that could potentially be watching her.
The last vehicle in the lineup belonged to a mustering crew who’d arrived yesterday afternoon. Mick Scanlon, Scanner to his mates, and his three daughters, Sue, Beth, and Maddie; Aaron couldn’t remember who was the eldest, they all looked so similar. They were already packed up and waiting, watching the commotion from beneath their battered hats with world-weary eyes. Julie had filled Aaron in on them last night over dinner. It seemed there were quite a few of these roving muster crews who went from one station to the next during the muster season. They could easily find work for eight to nine months of the year. Then they’d spend the rest of the year on their own farms or properties. It was a rough sort of life, but Aaron could see the advantages, as long as you weren’t afraid of hard work. A life of freedom, with not too many responsibilities, spent out in some of the most beautiful country in the world.
Aaron already had Lance check them all out as soon as he’d decided they were going on the muster. He’d garnered a list of names from Steve and handed them all over to HQ two days ago. Lance had given the all-clear on the Scanlon contract crew, as well as clearing all the other riders coming in from around the country. This was the first year the Scanlons had worked for Stormcloud, but the other ringers would all be returning from previous years. The rest were due to meet up at the stock camp. Aaron had made a point of talking to each one of the Scanlon team, making his own impression of the girls and their father. They were all country people, through and through, with the slow, country drawl, and the roughened hands and dirt-encrusted nails to prove it. Aaron highly doubted they had anything to do with Julie’s stalker, but he’d learned never to discount anyone. So, he’d keep an eye on them all.
Skylar, Daisy, Daniella, Sasha, and Alek stood together by the stabling yard fence, watching everything with practiced eyes. They’d be left to run the resort for the next week on their own. It was part of the harsh reality of living in the outback. Everyone just mucked in and got on with the job. Daniella and Alek could cope with operating the guest activities, which would run at a scaled-back version for the next week. Daniella was a highly capable woman, skilled in horsemanship, as well as being able to drive an ATV. Daisy had said she’d help out with the horse rides and a planned trip to the old, abandoned, gold mine later on in the week, as well. Daisy technically didn’t work at Stormcloud; she had her own job, on a contract for a gold-mining company, finding ways to implement a more sustainable process at their mine site in North Queensland, as well as setting up a collaboration project with a local indigenous group, growing bush tucker. But being engaged to Dale made Daisy practically family, and she’d said she would juggle her commitments so she could spend more time at Stormcloud.
Aaron’s small handgun was tucked safely into the glove compartment of the Land Cruiser, within easy reach if he needed it. Once he got to camp, he’d make sure he wore it at all times. The rest of his gear, including his larger SIG, was in his go bag in the back seat of the four-wheel-drive.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” shouted Steve.
Julie let out a whoop of joy, and the other staff followed her lead, until the air was thick with their excited calls. A shiver of anticipation ran through Aaron. Even though he hated to admit it, a small part of him was looking forward to this. He was a professional, and not for an instant would he allow anything to prevent him from doing his true duty; of protecting Julie. But a small part of him was also excited to be going on his first cattle muster. The seasoned part of his brain acknowledged that the setting—the middle of the isolated outback—might cause some difficulties, make it harder for him to do his job. Throw him a few curve balls, even. He hoped that wasn’t the case, but he believed he was up to the task.
He let out his own whoop of exhilaration and jumped into the passenger seat.
