Page 79 of Whispers of Sweetwater

They fell into silence for a moment, the clatter of cups and distant hum of town life filtering in from outside.

‘I still get jumpy,’ Molly finally admitted. ‘Every creak, every car door. But it’s getting better. Knowing they’re all locked up, that helps, quite a lot.’ She gave a small sigh. ‘Trev and Joe too. I still can’t believe how deep they were in it. They always seemed like harmless blokes, not criminals.’

‘And Sharon,’ Tilly added quietly, shaking her head. ‘She fooled all of us. I mean, I trusted her. We all did.’ Cursing, she blew a weighty breath. ‘And your wonderful dad?’ she asked next, tilting her head towards Brianna. ‘How’s he doing?’

‘He’s soldiering on, like he always does,’ Brianna said. ‘He helped put everything to bed, and now he just wants us to start living again, instead of looking over our shoulders.’

Molly gave a soft, grateful smile. ‘He’s a good man. You’re lucky to have him, and Nina too. I adore both your parents so much.’

Brianna nodded. ‘They are awesome, hey. I’m very lucky indeed.’

Outside, the breeze carried the rustle of native leaves and the faint call of magpies. Brianna glanced towards the café door, her mind drifting. Hayden would be going about his work right now, probably checking on something at Sweetwater Acres or lending Gavin a hand with the fences, and for the first time in weeks, the thought of seeing him didn’t carry tension.

It brought warmth.

Hope.

Butterflies.

She’d never forget how he saved her father’s life. That single act of courage had wrapped itself around her heart and anchored her feelings in something deeper than attraction. It had made her fall harder, faster. When he was near, her pulse softened. The way he laughed, quiet and low, often with a hand rubbing the back of his neck, gee whizz, it made her stomach flip. And when he looked at her, it was as if he saw all the versions of her – the exhausted vet, the anxious daughter, the woman making a life for herself – and to her heart’s delight, it appeared he liked every one of them. He made her feel safe, but not because he promised it. Because he was dependable, thoughtful and loyal to a fault. Drawing in a slow, contemplative breath, she couldn’t help but wonder what he felt deep down in his big, beautiful heart when he looked at her. There were moments when his gaze lingered, when his fingers brushed hers, when he stood just a little too close, that made her think maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way as she did. That maybe, hopefully, he wanted to see if they were more than close friends. But she also understood, from what Molly had told her, that he had deep wounds from losing his darling Casey, and that it might take him longer than she hoped for him to love again. She didn’t know what was next, not exactly. But she was still standing. So were all of them. And that, in Sweetwater, meant everything.

Molly’s voice broke through her thoughts like a spoon tapping gently against a teacup. ‘So, girls, how about a change of topic to something more fun. You four young ones are finally doing that dinner you planned over a month ago, right? No more rainchecks?’

Tilly grinned. ‘Yes, tomorrow night, and thanks for offering to babysit, Molly.’

Molly waved a hand like it was nothing, but her smile was fond. ‘You lot deserve a night to kick back, let your hair down and relax. I’ll keep the little ones in line. Besides,’ she added, lifting her mug again, ‘I’ve got a stash of fairy bread and frozen chicken nuggets. I’ll be the favourite babysitter before bedtime.’

They all laughed gently, and the conversation shifted to plans for the upcoming dinner. Menus, who was bringing what, and the rare opportunity for them all to just relax and be together without shadows hanging over their heads. When the chatter lulled, Brianna found herself staring out the café window again, her heart beating a little faster at the thought of spending an evening with Hayden, without tension, without secrets. Just them. She was excited, maybe even giddy, in a grown-up sort of way. It wasn’t just the setting, the company of friends, or the food she looked forward to. It was the idea of sitting across from him, of hearing his voice in the low glow of the campfire that Tilly had spoken about, of knowing this wasn’t about danger or crisis anymore. It was just them, and the possibility of something real. She didn’t know exactly what would happen between them. But she wanted to find out. And in a surprising twist of events, so did her mum and dad. They both seemed as quietly smitten with the idea of her and Hayden becoming a couple, eventually, as she was.

Ahh, this weekend was going to be so much fun!

* * *

Later that afternoon, Hayden stood out on the front verandah of his homestead, nursing the last of his coffee, the late sun catching the tips of the grass in gold. Although, as picturesque as Mother Nature’s spectacle was, his mind was miles away – on Brianna, on what he needed to say, on whether she’d ever want to speak to him again – and he was trying to fight off the ache of what that would feel like, when he heard the familiar sound of tyres on gravel, and he looked up to see Tilly’s troop carrier pulling into the drive.

She climbed out, squinting into the sun, and offered him a small wave as she approached. ‘G’day,’ she said, her boots thudding up the wooden steps.

‘Hey,’ he replied, straightening. ‘I didn’t expect to see you this arvo.’

‘Yeah, about that.’ Her smile was a little weird. ‘Other than wanting time away from the craziness of my house, I thought we could maybe have a word.’

Hayden raised an eyebrow, already bracing. ‘Okay, sounds a bit serious; is everything okay?’

Tilly hesitated a moment, her hands sliding into her back pockets as she looked up at him with a gentleness that didn’t soften the gravity in her eyes. ‘It’s about Brianna. About that dare or bet, or whatever it was, that you and my silly husband made, Hayden. I think it’s time she found out about it, don’t you? Before it becomes way more of a drama than it should be.’

Hayden’s shoulders tensed, and the easy warmth in his expression slipped as he looked past her, and out towards the paddocks, before slowly meeting her shrewd gaze again. ‘I know, you’re right, Till. She deserves to know, and sooner rather than later.’

Tilly finally climbed the step beside him, the boards creaking gently under her weight as she leant on the verandah railing. The silence stretched for a moment, companionable but heavy.

Hayden pushed off the post and walked over to the drinks fridge. ‘Beer?’

Tilly smiled faintly. ‘If you’re offering.’

He cracked open two stubbies, handing one to her, then dropped into a chair with a sigh. Tilly settled beside him.

‘It’s funny,’ he said after a long pull from the bottle, ‘how one stupid moment can tailspin into something this real. This big. And I kept thinking I had time. Time to earn her trust before wrecking it.’

Tilly took a quiet sip. ‘That’s the thing about time. It runs out when you least expect it.’