“Yes, Daddy.”
He smiled and walked away toward where Royce and Bluey were now riding behind a milling mob of sheep.
Del hobbled over to the shade and lowered herself down on a huge fallen log, stretching out her legs. She lay her crutches down and leaned back, her hands on the rough bark as she watched the dust rise over the animals. It was interesting being out here and she thanked her lucky stars she’d had the sense to get off the bus when she had. Things might not be ideal out here, especially since she’d twisted her ankle, but it was better than being pawed over by her seating partner.
The magnetism between her and Blake scared her more than she was willing to admit. Blame hard work and no time to make a commitment to a relationship. A one night stand every now and then might have taken the edge of her libido, but now the temptation to jump into bed with Blake was there, simmering under the surface.
As he rode around the mob of sheep, Del wondered how things would have panned out if they were out here by themselves. Would he have kissed her harder, let his lips trail down the hollow of her throat, his stubble raising goose bumps over her skin?
She imagined him undoing the buttons of her blouse, and letting it slip from her shoulders as the sun beat down on them. Her skin heated at the thought. The roughened calluses of his hands would skim over her naked breasts, before cupping them and lowering his mouth to taste her skin. Her nipples peaked as her imagination hurried toward the climax she so desperately craved and needed.
The sex would be welcome considering she hadn’t had any for some time now and she was more than tempted, but there was the issue of his children. Delilah had never thought she would get involved with a man who had kids after all she had been through. It threw out her rigid ideas of love and in what order things would happen.
Perhaps it was time to chuck out everything she had ever thought about life and the general direction she was going in. At least she was enjoying the warmth of the sun while she pondered life’s mysteries.
“Del, don’t move.” Lilly’s voice broke into her thoughts.
She looked up and made to move toward the girl. “What…”
“Don’t move! Don’t move!”
A chill crept down the back of her neck when something touched her right hand as it rested on the log. Resisting the urge to scream and bolt off the log she was sitting on, Delilah turned her gaze to the right. A brown-coloured snake glided over the fallen tree, sliding over the tips of her fingers as it made its way up onto the rough bark surface.
Panic rose in her throat and she closed her eyes, breathing hard. Snakes, what do I know about snakes? Damn, I knew this was a bad idea coming out here. Holy shit! Breathe, just breathe.
“Don’t move… I’ll get Dad.” Lilly jumped down on the other side of the ute and ran toward the men and sheep.
Del could hear Lilly screaming over the sound of blood rushing through her ears. Panic had her heartbeat firing rapidly and her breathe strained to fill tight, suffocating lungs. Her fingers cramped with the effort not to move. She looked down again, and saw the snake had stopped. It seemed content to rest on the top of her hand and the log, basking in the sunshine. It lifted its head leisurely and the flickering tongue tasted the air around it.
The thundering of hoof beats reached her ears and she raised her eyes, meeting Bluey’s worried gaze as he pulled up at the vehicle. He jumped from his horse, leaned down, and reached behind the seat of the ute. With fast movements, he drew out the gun Blake had placed there earlier. Holding up his hand, he signaled for her to stay still before crouching against the edge of the tray. He levelled the gun and took aim.
Her heart stopped and all coherent thoughts fled from her brain as she waited for the bullet to strike. The urge to move was paramount but she pushed it back, instead concentrating on freezing in position as he pointed the barrel of the gun her way.
Wood chips flew around her as the ricochet of the bullet rang in her ears. She threw herself onto the dirt face down, as far away from the log as she could. Shouts sounded and she lifted her hands to place over her ears, shaking with terror. Rough hands reached for her, pulling her up. She pushed down the urge to scream out loud.
“Shh, it’s okay. It’s dead, Del.” Blake rocked her against his chest and she clutched his shirt.
Tears welled and she let them fall. “S-s-sorry.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her face against his chest, and hung on.
* * *
“It’s okay.” He let her cry for a few minutes before pushing her back and looking into her eyes. “You alright now?”
Tears streaked down her cheeks mixed with dust. Blake wiped the moisture from her face with his thumbs as she hiccupped.
Delilah looked past him to where the snake lay on the fallen tree. It was dead and she breathed a sigh of relief. A shiver ran over her skin. “That was horrible. I’ve never been so damned scared in my life.”
“You did well. Luckily, Lilly knows what to do in times like these.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and grinned. “How about you sit up on the back of the ute for the rest of the afternoon, hmm?”
“Good idea.” She turned to the ute and hobbled over before putting her hands on the edge to lift herself up. Strong hands gripped her around the waist and Blake lifted her up. Once she was sitting on the hay bale with Lilly, he smiled and headed back
