Page 15 of Return of the Outback Billionaire

‘Do I blame Bridie for my sullied soul? No.’ He didn’t have a sullied soul. Not yet, and he aimed to keep it that way.

For the first five years of his incarceration he’d stuck steadfastly to the idea that it was nothing more than his duty to protect the weakest link in his world. Damn right he could still look at himself in the mirror and know he’d done the right thing.

His resolve had faltered somewhere around the seven-year mark when his mother died.

When his father had followed not two months later, passing so swiftly they hadn’t even been able to arrange prison leave for Judah to say goodbye, Judah’s resolve had faltered some more.

He’d missed so much. Left his parents alone out here, then left Reid to fend for himself. Reid, who for these past six months had been in charge of thirty-odd thousand square kilometres of some of the most dangerous and inhospitable grazing land in Australia. A property Reid didn’t even have a claim to because Judah as firstborn son had inherited the lot. But not one scrap of that was Bridie’s doing or Bridie’s fault. ‘I don’t blame Bridie for any of that. My actions, my responsibility.’

‘Hero.’

‘In your dreams.’

‘Yep. Big hero.’

‘You keep thinking like that and I’ll only disappoint you. I don’t want to disappoint you, Reid. I want to get to know you and for you to know me.’

A sentiment that silenced his brother completely.

‘Bridie mentioned last night about you wanting to build tourist lodges up on the ridges,’ Judah continued carefully. ‘Care to share?’

His brother nodded, his eyes brightening. ‘I want to build a couple of luxury eco-tourism lodges up above river bend. Fly-in fly-out, a minimum five-day package, with fishing, sunset cookouts, stargazing, sunrise wellness yoga or something, I don’t know, and day trips out to Carper’s Ridge. This is my home and I love it, but it’s lonely, and that won’t change unless we change it, you know?’

‘Or you could move to where the people are.’

Reid held his gaze. ‘Is that what you want me to do? Go? Firstborn takes all when it comes to land, I know that. And I can set down elsewhere if you want me gone. But you asked me what I want, so I’m telling you. I want to stay here. I want to fly interesting people around and find out how this place inspires them. I want a home of my own, one day, on Jeddah Creek land or nearby, and if you buy the Conrad place, maybe I could go there. Eventually or something.’

‘Definitely.’

‘Yes!’ Reid flung his arms in the air and did a lap of the kitchen island, every inch the teenager. ‘Yes! My hero.’ Reid came at him from behind, wrapping his long arms around him and kissing him on the side of the head. Whatever discomfort with physical contact Judah had with people, Reid clearly hadn’t inherited it.

‘Don’t make me lunge for the kitchen knives, man,’ Judah protested. ‘Get off me.’

‘I love you.’ Hug. ‘My brother the land baron.’ Kiss.

‘Okay, that’s enough.’

‘Mate, we need to work on your people skills,’ said Reid, returning to his side of the counter, thank God. He was like an overgrown puppy. ‘But apart from you buying all the land, and me wanting in on that deal in any way I can, what do you think of my eco-tourism idea?’

‘Would you like a silent, cashed-up brother for a partner?’

‘Hell, yes.’

‘What about a concerned neighbour for a partner? One who wants a say in how things will be run?’

‘Tom?’

‘Bridie.’

Reid frowned and scratched his head. ‘Bridie wouldn’t be silent.’

His take as well. ‘Correct. But if we’re going to have a tourist area we need a development plan. Set limits that won’t be crossed and have happy neighbours, Bridie in particular, and make sure she doesn’t feel threatened by you bringing strangers onto their land.’

‘You’re protecting her,’ said Reid with a sigh.

‘Would you prefer I didn’t?’

‘No.’ Reid scratched his hair and left a peacock’s ruffle in the dark mess. ‘Or yes. Maybe I want her to push on more than she does.’ He shrugged. ‘Maybe we can do three lodges. One for your use, one for mine, one for Bridie and her photography. She could run courses. Teach.’

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