Page 10 of Return of the Outback Billionaire

This wasn’t a prison yard. Bridie hadn’t been looking to screw him over. She’d had no beef with him at all, although she probably did now. He needed to apologise.

‘I’m sorry.’ Those words came easier than expected. ‘I overreacted when you said you weren’t selling the land. I didn’t let you finish. I didn’t listen and I put you in a bad position.’

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at a stuffed goshawk, with its delicately striped breast feathers and sharp yellow eyes.

How a dead bird’s glare could shame him into wanting to be a better man he did not know, but that was exactly what it was doing. Or maybe it was the undeniable goodness of the woman who stood quietly in the shadows. Giving him space. Doing her level best to see to his needs.

‘I can make another public statement later this evening and break the engagement,’ he offered. ‘You don’t have to be there. People can think what they want.’

Another rash, split-second decision.

Just what he needed.

Bridie trailed her fingers lightly across the carvings on the back of a chair. ‘What about the Conrads’ offer?’

He’d barely registered that. But he did want their land and he hoped to hell they’d still be interested in selling it to him once he’d called the engagement off.

‘I mean, it’s not as if you don’t have the money,’ she continued quietly. ‘But they mostly seemed interested in selling it not just to you but to us.’

There was that.

‘I’d like to hear about your conservation plans too,’ she murmured.

He stared.

‘And I’m thinking that if we stayed engaged for a while we could both save some face. You could buy the Conrad place, and I could have a fiancé for when I’m in Sydney next. That’d be good.’

She was doing a better job than he was of planning their way out of this mess. ‘What’s in Sydney?’

‘A gallery exhibition of some of my landscape photographs. Part of the agreement is that I be there in person on opening night. You could come too and be my...’ Her words tailed off as if she didn’t know how to finish that sentence.

‘Cattle prod?’ he offered.

‘That too. You can be my notorious muse if you like. I’m sure the gallery’s publicist would be thrilled.’

‘When’s it on?’ He hadn’t left Jeddah Station since leaving the correctional centre. Given tonight’s performance in public, that was probably a good thing. Was he ready for Sydney? He didn’t know. But if he didn’t go he’d never know. ‘When’s your exhibition?’

‘Two weeks this coming Thursday. The gallery is at The Rocks and I’m staying at the Ocean View, near the bridge. I’ll book another room for you; we wouldn’t have to share.’

The thought of sharing a room with her brought forth a whole new set of problems he didn’t want to admit to. ‘I can do that.’ His need to negotiate and control what was happening took hold. ‘In return we commit to one month’s fake engagement.’

‘There’s more.’

‘More gallery openings?’

‘More that I want from you in return for committing to this fake engagement.’

He spread his hands and waited.

She took a deep breath. ‘Reid’s been talking about building some eco lodges up on the ridges between Jeddah Creek and Devil’s Kiss. He wants to bring tourists in. Give them a taste of red dirt and endless skies. Helicopter rides. Quad bike tours. I hate the idea but if it’s going to happen, I want to be part of it. Financial investment, a voice when it comes to what type of tourists to target, the lot. It’s not that I don’t trust Reid, but he’s young—'

‘And you’re not?’

‘And enthusiastic,’ she continued doggedly. ‘And you’re talking about putting strangers on my doorstep, and privacy and safety is a huge concern for me. I want a say in how it’s done.’

He had no idea what she was talking about. His little brother hadn’t yet seen fit to mention those plans. ‘I can’t promise anything without Reid’s input.’

‘He looks up to you. He’ll follow your lead.’

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