“Don’t go anywhere near the snake. They can still bite hours after they die.” Bluey nodded toward the snake as he spoke.
“Have no fear about that, Bluey. This is as close as I want to be ever again unless you plan on turning it into a pair of stilettos for me.” She glanced over her shoulder at the nasty thing, shivering once again.
He put the gun back behind the seat and walked to the horse. “Try and keep out of trouble for the rest of the afternoon—if you can help it.” He winked at her before mounting again. He turned his back and cantered away from them, sending a trail of dust up behind him.
A tiny hand crept onto her arm. Delilah looked down at the small face watching her. Without thinking, she gripped Lilly in her arms, kissing the blonde head. “Thank you so much, honey. You are such a brave little girl.”
“It’s all good. I know about snakes. We get them lots out here. Dad is going to teach me how to shoot them myself when I get bigger. He teaches Royce sometimes.” She glanced over at the snake. “That was a King Brown. It would have killed you if it bit you, you know.”
“Really? A King Brown? That’s…um…really scary.” Del wiped a hand over her brow and turned back to watch the boys working. “Wow. Just wow.”
Lilly leaned into her and together they sat soaking up the sun, waiting for the guys to come through with the sheep. Despite her earlier misgivings over going on holiday in the Outback, she was learning a lot. A thrill went through her as she reviewed her accomplishments over the last few days. Pride swelled in her chest quickly. She was proud of the way she had managed to make a meal from scratch, a task far removed from her normal cooking style…after her first abysmal attempt that filled the kitchen with the acrid smell of burnt vegetables. Proud also of the way she was handling the changing emotions that involved not only a gorgeous hunk of a man, but his children as well. To leave them now would rip at her heart; she knew it would. From learning to bottle feed the lambs, to playing mother to two needy children, her life had changed for the better.
Enjoying being part of bringing in the sheep was not something she would ever have seen herself doing but here she was, resting on top of a bale of hay with a small girl snuggled into her side. The only downside was the snake, but the quick reaction from Lilly had surely saved her life, or at least from a nasty bite. She’d been scared, no doubt about that. In the city she would have run a mile at seeing a mouse, yet out here she’d turned that icy terror into an easy quip. Jokes were not her style normally, but the thought of King Brown stilettos—well, it had made Bluey smile and that warmed her heart.
The old scuffed runners she wore now, left behind by the last nanny, were so far removed from her usual stilettos. Delilah would have balked at wearing someone else’s shoes if it was suggested a few weeks ago. A girl had to remember her style at all times—that had always been her mantra. Style was no longer the most important thing on her mind. Her makeup case lay unopened in her bathroom, the fancy clothes and shoes pushed to the back of the wardrobe in favor of hand-me-downs. The man who’d held her while she’d freaked out earlier—and the way she’d grown to love his family already—was foremost on her mind. Fighting for first place though, was the feeling she was throwing out all her insecurities regarding having a family…her own or someone else’s.
At this moment in time when she was so dissatisfied with the city and her job, it would be easy to stay here at the farm, but how long would that last? Would the glow of being “mum” to Lilly and Royce wear off? And if it did, how would she feel letting them down? What if they were the ones who decided they didn’t want her? How would she cope with rejection yet again? Being a full time mum was a scary thought, even scarier than facing a King Brown. What if I can’t be the kind of mum these kids need?
The quiet lull of the countryside was wonderful now, but there was the possibility that the city would tug at her heart again at some stage. How would she manage those feelings? It would be so easy to ignore the pull of the family circle and her place in it, but her inner voice was throwing spanners in the works, leaving small specks of doubt in her mind.
Chapter 8
“Night, sweet girl. You did a great job today.” Blake swept back the hair on Lilly’s forehead and kissed her again. Her eyes had already drooped closed and she lifted her hand, tucking her thumb inside her mouth as she rolled onto her side. Blake straightened her blanket and flicked off the bedside lamp. He patted the edge of her covers again and tiptoed out, leaving the door ajar in case she woke.
Royce had fallen asleep earlier before he could even say goodnight. Blake walked out to the kitchen where Delilah was curled up on the couch. “Bluey gone to bed too?” He dropped into a chair and rested his head back.
“Yes. Everyone is a little bit shattered after today.”
He grinned, looking up. “How are you feeling? Not every day you encounter a King Brown and live to tell the tale.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? I thought Lilly was joking when she said it would kill me.” She grimaced, and Blake had to hold back the laugh bubbling in his throat at the
