On the Down Low

By Renae Black

‘Warm-hearted and authentic...this debut will take you to the heart of the outback’ — bestselling Australian author Alissa Callen

It’s hard to hide love in the outback...

Hallie Harris has gone as far away as possible to escape the city and the humiliating revelations of her last relationship. Love is the last thing on her mind when she arrives at Karilga, a remote cattle station in outback Queensland, to take on the post of teacher to eight lively children. That is, until she locks eyes on aerial mustering pilot Ryan Walker. But how could a highly skilled pilot who lives and breathes the land ever fall for this hot-mess city girl?

Quiet and reserved, Ryan’s used to chasing down wayward cattle and flying his helicopter in the dangerous dead man’s zone. But when it comes to the beautiful girl from the city, he's out of his element. When country larrikin and Ryan’s best mate, Jackson, pursues the new teacher first, Ryan buries his head - and his feelings - in the red dirt. What’s the point when Jackson always gets the girl?

But the spark between Hallie and Ryan can’t be ignored. In the small tightknit community of Karilga Station, can they keep their feelings on the down low? Or will everything the outback has to throw at them destroy any chance of building a home together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Feb 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781867272533

Renae Black

Renae Black lives in Queensland with her husband and two young bookworms. By day she works as a social worker within the child protection industry. By night, she escapes to the romantic fictional realms of rural Australia that transport her back to her childhood home, a large property that bred cattle and hosted the odd ostrich sale. Find Renae on her website, renaeblack.com, and on Facebook and Instagram. Photo credit: Carlie Wheeler Images

Book preview

Chapter 1

The light aircraft tipped viciously to the left. Hallie Harris’s stomach lurched. Her grip on the edge of her seat tightened, her knuckles turning white. She hissed a string of profanities under her breath which did nothing to quell the fear inside her. But it did earn her a pointed glare from the old lady across the aisle who had suspiciously sharp hearing.

The plane drew level, yet the bouncing continued. Hallie’s gaze darted up, looking to the heavens for someone to get her out of there.

A disharmony of loud gasps rang through the cabin masking Hallie’s expletive as the plane swooped low before the pilot found a smooth pocket of air. Beads of sweat ran down her spine at the reprieve of choppy movements and she released the breath she’d been subconsciously holding.

If she’d known that heading to the outback would entail a nail biting forty-minute ride in the world’s smallest plane, she may have reconsidered. It wasn’t that she hated flying, her trip from Sydney had consisted of two flights already, but they had been on much larger commercial aeroplanes. This tiny Cessna 208 had single-lane seats, was equipped for only ten passengers at a time and was old. The way it seemed to ride the wind instead of commandeering it, had her fear of plummeting from such a height entirely consuming her.

She gazed out the tiny square window beside her before training her eyes on the back of the chair in front. The wide expanse of wilderness below her, filled with nothing but rocky outcrops and clumps of trees, made her dizzy. She’d be squished like a bug if this plane couldn’t stay in the air. A pancake between the dry arid ground below and this old hunk of metal. A shudder passed through her. Even if she did survive the crash, who the hell would find her out here? One more glance out the window proved true that there was no sign of civilisation.

For as long as Hallie could remember, she’d hated heights. Her earliest recollection of the fear was when she was four years old and became stuck at the top of the giant oak tree that sat in the front yard of her house. Her body had frozen. She’d been so focused on the challenge of getting as high as she could that once she took stock of her position amongst the leaves, the sharp prick of fear from being so far from the solid ground had her screaming out for her father’s arms. He’d come running, of course and gallantly lowered her to safety, like a true knight in shining armour.

‘Just a bit more turbulence as we come into land, folks,’ the pilot announced. ‘Nothing to worry about.’

Sure, it isn’t. Hallie gritted her teeth and scrunched her eyes closed as the plane was sent to-ing and fro-ing in its descent. By the time the wheels finally bumped against the rough tarmac of the runway, she was sure there would be permanent marks left from her fingernails in the cracked leather seat.

‘I made it,’ she breathed, opening her eyes as the aircraft came to a complete stop. Her gaze was met by the same older lady across from her who gave her a wry smile.

‘Welcome to the middle of nowhere,’ the other woman said before standing and shuffling down the narrow aisle. Hallie was left unsure if she was being sarcastic or not.

As the other passengers started moving from their seats, Hallie peered out of the tiny square window next to her. She took in the view of the flat red dirt stretching out far beyond the chain wire fence that encased the small airport. It was as though a red film had been placed over the world. With her gaze still focused out the window, Hallie rested back in her seat, giving herself a few more minutes to collect herself. Leaving everything she’d ever known behind to take on this new adventure deserved a bit of breathing space. Especially with the mess her love life had ended up in. But with the plane quickly emptying, her reprieve was short-lived. With a deep breath, she bent down to retrieve her bag that had spent the flight clenched between her legs before sliding from her seat. She wasn’t even off the aircraft and already she could feel her short blonde hair sticking to the back of her neck.

Hallie slung the long strap of her bag over her shoulder and stepped out into the blinding glare of the Birdsville sun. She quickly scrummaged around for her oversized sunglasses before making her way down the plane’s stairs. The assistant pilot grinned widely at her as he handed over her guitar case and single suitcase that, luckily, had wheels. She’d crammed as much as she could into it but still shook her head sadly as she thought of how much life had changed that she could now fit her most important things in one bag. Along with her guitar, of course.

Hallie followed the small group of passengers on their way to the lone building at the break in the fence. Her head swivelled as she walked, taking in her desolate surroundings. What have I gotten myself into? As she neared the small brick building, the glass doors pushed open and a woman with a friendly smile aimed right at her stepped from inside.

‘Hallie?’

Relief flooded her as the woman came closer and Hallie recognised her face from the Skype interview she’d had only days ago.

‘Yes. Angela, right?’ she asked, holding her hand out to the older woman.

‘Call me Ange.’ She grinned, accepting Hallie’s hand with a firm shake. ‘I’m so glad you made it.’

‘Did you think I wouldn’t?’ Hallie shifted the strap of her shoulder bag.

‘Let’s just say that if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have been the first.’ Ange nodded towards the near empty carpark where a big white ute with a no-nonsense bull bar was parked. Its aluminium tray was stacked high with a tarp covering the load and the trailer it towed was equally as full. Hallie fell into step beside Ange and tugged her suitcase along behind her as they headed for the ute.

‘I keep my word,’ Hallie stated.

‘That’s a good trait out here and all the same, we sure are glad to have you on board. The kids are excited about having a teacher again.’

‘How long have you been without one?’

‘About three months,’ Ange answered as they reached the car. ‘Alice, one of the other mothers and workers on the station and I have done our best with the assistance of the School of Distance Education, but we’ll be more than happy to hand the reins, so to speak, over to you.’

The familiar bubble of happiness rose within Hallie at the thought of teaching, eradicating the doubt surrounding her choice to come to the outback. She’d needed a change and she’d definitely be getting one with this new job, teaching a handful of children of all different ages on a remote cattle station in western Queensland.

The driver’s door opened and a large man, as tall as he was broad, stepped out. Hallie would’ve been taken aback if she hadn’t also recognised him from her computer screen as Ange’s husband and property owner, Marcus Brady. Regardless, Ange made the introductions as Marcus took her bags in his giant skin-cracked hands.

‘Climb on in, Hallie,’ he said, gesturing to the back door. His voice was much deeper than she remembered. She never wanted to be on the receiving end of it when the man was in a bad mood.

With her bags secured under the tarp, Hallie hopped into the back seat and waited for Marcus to pull out of the carpark.

‘So, this is Birdsville,’ she commented, peering out of the window as the ute navigated the wide empty streets. The drive past the handful of buildings that made up the main part of town seemed to last only seconds before they were travelling along an open stretch of highway.

‘That was Birdsville,’ Ange confirmed, shifting around in the passenger seat to look at Hallie.

‘And how far away is Karilga Station?’

‘Three hours.’

Hallie’s jaw dropped. She wanted to groan at how long this day was becoming.

‘It’s the biggest town we’re close to, but we still don’t come in too often.’

‘That’s why we make the most of it when we do,’ Marcus added. ‘We pick up as many supplies as we can. We truck in any other big items and use the airmail drop for everything else.’

Hallie nodded, impressed at the idea of how much planning seemed to go into a trip to town.

‘So now that we’ve got you here,’ Ange began, making Hallie suddenly feel like a captive, ‘why did you decide to apply for the job? Not that we aren’t happy you did. Just curious.’

The muscles in Hallie’s shoulders tightened. It was a fair enough thing to ask; the position had been listed for a number of weeks before she’d seen it. But while she had warmed quickly to the crinkles around Ange’s kind eyes and her ready smile, she still knew nothing about this lady or her husband and it was too soon to reveal the embarrassing details of why she’d clicked to apply.

‘I was really just ready for a change,’ Hallie ventured. ‘And what’s more different from the city than the middle of nowhere?’ She echoed the words from the old lady on the plane.

‘You’ve definitely got that right.’ Marcus chuckled as Ange gave her a wink and turned back, leaving Hallie to gaze out the window. As the tyres turned taking them farther from Birdsville, she stared out her window. There was no real shade from the harsh heat of the outback sun bouncing off the rocky outcrops in shimmering waves. It was supposed to be winter. It was so dry and dusty. Nothing to see here, folks.

Hallie pursed her lips. She wasn’t generally such a pessimist. This isn’t anything like I’m used to. Her brow creased as she forced all expectations and preconceived notions from her mind. She closed her eyes and a weight seemed to lift from her when she opened them again to take another look. This time, she was able to see the rich tapestry of varying shades of reds and browns of the landscape with splashes every so often of a very dry green. There were spaces of bare ground featuring only sporadic clumps of Mitchell grass and rocks before dense shrubbery of the bush filled her view.

It was beautiful, but with an air of wildness. Her mind shifted to the many breeds of well-adapted and deadly wildlife that were bound to be hidden in the ground cover and foliage. Nature ruled out here, not man, and she wouldn’t be so naïve as to get in its way.

The hours slipped by unnoticed as Hallie kept her gaze glued out the window on the unspoiled beauty of the land that was to be her new home. Marcus slowed the ute to turn off the road and under a giant wooden arch that stood strongly across the dirt drive, announcing with steel letters that she had finally arrived at Karilga Station. Her heart raced in her chest. This was what she had left everything she’d ever known behind for. Her new life. Her big adventure. Hallie sat forward, straining the seat belt across her chest.

‘Welcome to our slice of delight.’ Ange grinned over her shoulder at Hallie.

‘Tell me about it?’ Hallie requested, unable to hide the fascination in her voice. Husband and wife shared a look over the centre console.

‘Karilga has been in my family for generations,’ Marcus began as dust billowed up and around the windows. Hallie shifted her gaze to the front windscreen. ‘It covers eleven thousand square kilometres making it one of the largest cattle stations in Queensland. The Diamantina River runs through our property in what we call channel country.’

‘It gets that name because of the numerous intertwined rivulets that cross the region,’ Ange added.

‘All up we have ten workers including you and over twenty-five thousand head of prime cattle,’ Marcus continued. Hallie was glad she had her sunglasses on to cover the widening of her eyes that so many cows could exist in one place. The slow spread of astonishment filled her when she tried to picture such an immense area.

The driveway dipped and the ute crossed a low-lying bridge over a flowing creek. The water lay a few metres below it, and Hallie’s gaze followed it out to the wider river. A shudder passed through her as the image of crocodiles lurking beneath the water sprang to mind. Don’t be silly. Hallie looked back out the front window as the road ran along the high banks of the river and a cluster of buildings came into view. Set some yards back from them were several giant silver sheds. There was an array of vehicles and machinery in them. But what really caught her attention were the long blades of two helicopters that sat on a patch of grass with covers on the bodies of the aircrafts.

How often could they use those death traps? The only other kind she’d seen were the ones on the television that newsreaders sat in to report on the morning traffic. These helicopters seemed to be much smaller. More dangerous. Did they have that many emergencies out here that two machines were necessary? She gulped. She would need to be extra careful to avoid needing a ride to hospital in one of those. She was sweating at the thought.

‘Home sweet home,’ Ange declared from the front seat as the ute came to a stop. Hallie clambered out, keen to stretch her legs and found herself in the middle of a courtyard lined with buildings. Ange came to stand next to her and pointed to the big house in front of them. Hallie could see, through the unshielded large windows, it was a modern, open plan home. Bitterbark trees marked the river behind it.

‘That’s the main house,’ Ange confirmed of the sprawling homestead.

‘Where you and Marcus live?’

‘Yep, with our three rug rats and Jackson, Marcus’s adult son,’ she explained. Hallie filed the information away for later as Ange shifted her arm to the long weatherboard building that flanked the left side of the main house, its verandah facing out to a set of yards.

‘That’s the bunkhouse,’ Ange continued. ‘Your quarters are in there. I’ll show you them in a bit, but we’ll start with the most important room on the station.’ She moved off towards the building to the right of the homestead and Hallie fell into step beside her.

‘What are those houses?’ Hallie asked, gesturing towards the small Queenslander homes that sat a few yards away from the sheds. There was a flat open area in front of them which separated the houses from the building they were walking towards. Hallie immediately fell in love with their wooden eaves, pitched roofs and wrap around verandahs.

‘They belong to the other families that work here. They were the original workers’ cottages, but the families expanded them as needed. We knocked down the old wooden homestead a few years ago after a bushfire got too close and rebuilt. You’ll meet everyone at dinner tonight.’ Ange paused at the door of their intended building and pointed down the walkway beside the main house. ‘There’s a long open shed down the slope in front of our house near the river with a pool and the classroom is in the enclosed end.’

‘I’d love to check it out,’ Hallie said ready to head straight down to see the classroom she’d get to call hers.

‘Right after this,’ Ange assured her before sweeping out her arm and holding the door open for Hallie. ‘The dining room and kitchen—the heart of the Karilga community.’

Hallie stepped inside. Her gaze swept across the length of the room taking in the long tables and galley-style kitchen.

She spotted a man standing by the smaller table at the front of the room. Heat filled her body as she drank in his tall, lean figure clad in dusty jeans, and broad shoulders swathed in an equally dirty work shirt. She stilled, finding his light brown eyes focused on her. She was captured by his gaze.

‘Ryan, can you head out and give Marcus a hand unloading the supplies please?’ Ange’s voice sounded so distant to Hallie. She could scarcely breathe under the intensity of the man’s stare from beneath his mop of curly brown hair.

The connection was severed when his eyes left hers.

‘No problem,’ he told Ange.

‘Where are my manners?’ she laughed. ‘Hallie, this is Ryan Walker, one of our wonderful station hands. Ryan, meet our new teacher, Hallie Harris.’

Ryan grabbed an apple from the bowl before moving towards the door.

‘Pleased to meet you.’ He nodded as he squeezed past her. A smile touched his lips and any words Hallie had died when matching dimples appeared in his cheeks. All she could do was offer a smile of her own in return. Her gaze followed him out the door but the slamming of it behind him gave Hallie a mental slap. She was here to give her heart a break. Not to go melting for the first good-looking guy to cross her path. She needed to make it work out here because going back to the city wasn’t an option.

Chapter 2

‘You should’ve seen the look on his face!’

Ryan glanced up from his spot at the end of one of the long tables at his best mate, Jackson Brady. The dinner event welcoming Hallie to Karilga Station was wrapping up and from his position, Ryan had a good view of the new blonde. She was across the table from him, closer to the other end with a patient smile on her face as she entertained Jackson’s stories. It’d been a long time since he’d struggled to keep his eyes off a girl. But her near shoulder length honey-coloured hair and baby-blue eyes had literally halted him in his path. Ryan had been so distracted from the mere memory of her beautiful face while he’d been putting the supplies away that the task had taken twice as long. He’d earned himself a scolding from Marcus before he’d had to move the new hoses to the correct shelf. Luckily, his boss had refrained from the lecture Ryan had already heard half a dozen times about putting things where they belonged.

‘Alright, Jackson,’ Marcus said gruffly, rolling his eyes at his son’s dramatic retelling of the muster they’d been out on a few days ago. Ryan didn’t blame the boss for his response. The story seemed to get more elaborate with each telling, particularly tonight’s, with Hallie as his intended audience.

‘But Hallie hasn’t heard the best part,’ Jackson said, looking every bit like a proud peacock, puffing out his chest and ruffling his tail feathers in an attempt to impress the teacher. He’d barged his way through to the seat next to her and Ryan had been left watching on from the outskirts. While he generally preferred being able to take it all in from a distance, he wouldn’t have minded switching places.

‘Probably because there is no best part,’ Marcus retorted. Ryan worked at smothering the smirk on his lips.

‘Can I have your attention please? I have some housekeeping updates to share with you all,’ Ange announced, climbing to her feet. She shot a look over to where the children were seated along the bench seats, quietening her eldest, twelve-year-old Lucas, from his continued conversation with his friend, Kaiden.

Kaiden’s parents, station manager Charlie and his wife Alice, glared at their son. Ryan admired the couple who worked hard all day while raising Kaiden and his siblings. Those two are always up to mischief. Ryan gave a slight shake of his head.

‘Right, now that I have your attention,’ Ange continued with a smile on her face, ‘I have reworked the washing up roster—’

‘Yes!’ Kaiden and Lucas let out twin cheers.

‘For dinner,’ she added. Ryan chuckled as the boy’s smiles fell to scowls. They were responsible for the breakfast dishes each morning while their younger sisters had to do the lunch ones in amongst their other chores. Everyone pitched in on the property, no matter what age. The adults divided up the evening dishes between themselves.

‘And I’ve split Jackson and Ryan up so they’ll be done properly. Jackson will now be with Cookie and, Ryan, you’re with Hallie.’

Ryan bit the inside of his cheeks, trying not to look too excited at that news. Judging from the devastation on Jackson’s face and the deep scowl on Cookie’s, Karilga’s cranky old cook, he was the only one happy with the change.

Or maybe not. He caught Hallie’s eye and the rising tilt of her lips.

‘I also have new laundry baskets for you all, to separate your darks and lights, so keep an eye out for that and don’t forget about soaking your stained clothes, particularly those with grease stains. Danni does us a huge favour by taking on the washing so let’s make it as easy for her as possible.’

‘Thank you in advance,’ Danni called out from the next table where she sat with her partner and Ryan’s fellow pilot, Jonno. Between them, were their four-year-old twins.

‘And the final thing. Marcus has found the gate to the river in the pool yard left open a few times,’ Ange said, casting a stern eye over the children. ‘No one should have the need to venture out there so stop or I’ll be purchasing a padlock for it.’

Lucas whispered something to Kaiden, and the boys dissolved into childish giggles. Ryan didn’t have to take another guess as to the culprits.

‘You won’t be laughing when Barnabus makes the pool his new home,’ Marcus growled at the kids. The laughter died from their lips.

‘Right, dishes in the sink for Charlie and Alice then off to bed for my lot,’ Ange said closing the night.

***

Ryan was walking along the bunkhouse verandah when he heard a string of profanities coming from the large, shared bathroom at the end of the building.

As another expletive flew, he knocked on the slightly ajar door, pushing it open wide enough to see in. Hallie was standing at the sink playing with the taps, wearing a frustrated frown.

‘You right?’ he asked, leaning against the doorjamb.

‘Is it just me?’ she questioned. ‘Or do these taps not work?’

Ryan chuckled and moved farther inside. ‘They’re old. You’ve got to make sure one is off super tight or the other won’t work.’

‘What?’ She looked up at him with a confused frown. Her purple toothbrush was in her hand and a loaded toiletry bag sat on the windowsill. Tiredness was etched into her eyes. What a journey she must’ve had today.

‘The taps don’t work at the same time,’ he explained. ‘If you want the cold then you have to shut the hot off until you can’t turn it anymore.’

He showed her what he meant and she gave a small cheer when the cold water spurted out, which Ryan found endearing.

‘Thank you!’

‘You’re welcome.’ Ryan grinned at her before turning it back off. They stood in silence for a moment.

‘The shower isn’t like that too, is it?’ Hallie asked.

‘No both taps work well,’ he assured her. ‘Just be careful of the hot water; it takes its time to kick in but once it does, it’ll burn your bum if you have it too high.’

‘I’ll remember that,’ she replied, with a light laugh that tinkled like the most delicate wind chimes.

‘Can I help with anything else?’ he asked, hopeful for a reason to stay longer.

‘Just one last thing. Who’s Barnabus?’

‘He’s the twelve-foot croc that hangs out in the section of river out the front of the pool.’

Ryan laughed outright at the shock radiating across her face.

‘Crocodile?’ she repeated. ‘I didn’t think there were crocodiles in the Diamantina.’

‘They’re extremely rare but I guess Barnabus has thick scales.’

Hallie visibly swallowed. ‘And the gate they were talking about?’

‘It’s part of the six-foot fence that separates the pool from the river,’ he explained. ‘Don’t worry. I’ve never seen Barnabus anywhere near the fence. It’s too far up the bank for his liking.’

‘Okay,’ Hallie said slowly, a shudder shaking her small frame.

‘No croc’s going to get you on land.’

‘I’ll hold you to it,’ she retorted.

‘You do that,’ he shot back with a grin. Was she really flirting with him? Whatever this banter was, it felt good.

Hallie bit her lip and her glance passed between him and the door. She obviously wanted some privacy.

‘Oh, I’ll leave you to it,’ he said quickly.

‘Thanks for your help.’ She closed the door behind him.

Already, he knew he’d like sharing the bathroom with this new teacher a whole lot better than the last. His last housemate had been a thirty-six-year-old Home & Away addict who had been open in her disclosures that she’d taken the post as part of an early midlife crisis. Her adventure in the outback hadn’t lasted longer than a handful of weeks when it became apparent she missed the creature comforts of her high-rolling city life, and she couldn’t handle the children’s wild behaviours. Not that they’d made it easy on her.

They were a handful, Ryan conceded. He was glad he wasn’t their teacher.

His thoughts turned back to the girl behind the bathroom door now. What’s her story? How long would she last out here? The outback wasn’t for the faint-hearted. An unsuspecting surge of hope that she had what it took rose within him.

‘Oi, Walker. Are we checking on this mob or not?’ Jackson hollered from where they’d left one of the farm utes earlier.

‘Yeah, yeah.’ He jumped down into the dirt, not bothering to take the few steps. With Jackson already occupying the driver’s seat, Ryan slid into the passenger side, and they set off down the bumpy road to where they’d left the last mob of cattle penned. They’d need to get on with drenching and marking tomorrow.

‘She’s like a bloody breath of fresh air round here, isn’t she?’ Jackson said.

‘What’s that?’

‘Hallie. Young, beautiful and I bet she’ll be a bit of fun once she gets to know us all,’ he raved. ‘Do you reckon she’ll come to the races?’

‘Probably but it’s only July,’ Ryan replied.

‘Plenty of time to lay the groundwork then.’

‘Groundwork?’

‘Yeah. Don’t you think she’s something else? I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my head when I saw her. If ever I was going to commit to a girl, it would be one like her.’

Ryan’s heart sank in his chest. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard those words, and of course Jackson would feel that way. She was beautiful.

‘What do you think?’ Jackson asked, not cluing on to his best mate’s turmoil.

‘I think you should just wait and see if she’ll last out here,’ he responded, burying the truth about how he really felt.

Chapter 3

Hallie’s exhaustion from the long day of travel meant she slept well during her first night on the property. For once, her dreams had been clear, and she actually felt rested when she rose. Her room was nice, if a little basic, consisting of a small closet, table that doubled as a desk, a wider than average armchair and small kitchenette with a bar fridge and a microwave. There was a new queen size bed that didn’t fit with the room’s older décor but as soon as she’d sunk onto the mattress it hadn’t taken long for her eyes to close and sleep to claim her. Hallie planned on contacting her sister to get her to send a few things to really make the space hers; not just a place she stuck the label onto but one that really felt like home.

She was lucky enough to be given the next day to settle in and get used to the way the property ran.

‘If you’re free after lunch, maybe I could give you a tour of Karilga?’ Jackson asked her as he slipped into the seat next to her.

‘You’ll be busy at the yards,’ Marcus cut in before Hallie had a chance to reply. ‘Ryan can take her up in the helicopter.’

Hallie’s gaze flew to the man who was rising from his chair across the table as her heart lodged itself in her throat. He willingly went in those death traps?

‘I’d be happy to.’

‘A-actually.’ Spit it out, Hallie! ‘After being stuck on those planes yesterday I’d prefer to keep my feet on the ground, if that’s okay?’

Ryan ducked his head and continued on his way to the sink with his plate in his hand.

‘Understandable,’ Marcus said, with a curt nod. ‘I’ll take you out in the ute. Won’t see the whole station, obviously, but enough to get the lay of the land.’

Hallie gave him a tight-lipped smile as her heart descended back to its original place. Ryan stalked out the door, grabbing his hat from the hook as he went.

***

Not long later, Hallie stared out the window with wide-eyed amazement at the open land and amazing number of cattle in the paddocks. She’d been shocked to learn they still had a couple more mustering trips planned to bring cattle in from the furthest points of the property for