Page 39 of Cinderella and the Outback Billionaire

‘Don’t do me,’ Ari protested quickly. ‘I’m a hot, sweaty mess!’

‘Nope, you look beautiful. Very authentic.’ Bridie took aim again. ‘They’ll be perfect for your website bio. I’m a website whizz if you need any help setting one up.’

It was on her list of things to do. Later. ‘I need to do a good job first, otherwise the best landscape-design website in the world isn’t going to help build my business.’

‘I’ll mock one up. I’d be happy to. Photos speak.’

Bridie Starr’s landscape originals sold for thousands. ‘I know what your pictures are worth. I can’t afford you,’ Ari stated bluntly.

Bridie pointed the camera right at Ari and the camera took a dozen or so shots in rapid succession. ‘I’m doing it for free.’

‘Why? I don’t even know you.’

‘Yeah, but I know Reid. He’s one of my favourite people. Which, by the way, I’m so glad I get to speak with you in private, because I want you to keep an eye on him. He’s been told to rest and take it easy. No bright sunshine in his eyes.’

‘And you brought him here?’

‘Sunglasses,’ said Bridie, waving Ari’s protest away. ‘He even has goggles; provided you can get him to wear them in public. Not too much physical exertion for him either. And maybe some of these outdoor areas could be developed with shade cloth and roofing. Deep, deep shade and sensory stuff. Scents and textures and the like.’

‘You mean a garden for the blind?’ That definitely hadn’t been in the brief. ‘Just how bad is his eyesight?’

‘Reid’s guarding that knowledge pretty closely. He’s so good at adapting that it’s hard to catch him out, but I think it’s worse than he’s letting on.’ Bridie offered a quick smile. ‘Most of all I wanted to warn you that he’s grouchy, frustrated with the slowness of his recovery, and don’t be surprised if he disappears into the darkest bedroom every now and then because his head or his leg or his arm is killing him. Not that he’d ever dream of mentioning it. He’s Outback tough.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘Judah’s the same—weakness must never be shown.’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘And here comes my darling man now.’ Bridie looked to the sky. ‘He’s early.’

‘How long is Reid planning to stay? You said something about being here overnight?’

‘That was his original plan. A quick trip to see how you were getting on, little bit of fresh-food delivery, a little bit of flirting if I know Reid, although Gert’s given him strict instructions to behave. It’d be great if you could keep him for a week. A week of rest would do him the world of good.’

‘You want me to keep a grumpy billionaire occupied here for a week when he thought he was staying a day?’ The woman had way too much faith in Ari’s powers of persuasion.

Bridie’s smile turned into a beatific grin. ‘Everyone needs a challenge. And I can’t wait to see the new landscaping you come up with. It’s going to be brilliant.’

‘You don’t know that,’ Ari protested as Bridie turned and headed back the way they’d come. ‘This is the first real landscape I’ve ever been let loose on.’

‘Yeah, but I have the best feeling about you. You’ve got this, Ari. I’m a believer.’

Reid watched the helicopter rise with a sharp pang of envy as Bridie and Judah flew away. He’d taken the freedom of being a pilot with an endless supply of aircraft at his disposal for granted and now he was grounded. Couldn’t even drive a farm ute, according to Bridie, never mind that he’d had this particular work truck kitted out with the latest self-driving features. He’d been all for testing its off-road capacity this morning on a solo run to visit Ari, but once Bridie had got wind of his intentions she’d invited herself along for the ride.

She’d come in handy, though, he had to admit. Getting bogged in loose sand twice within the first five kilometres of the trip hadn’t been encouraging.

The self-driving system hadn’t been able to navigate a vaguely visible track through loose dirt and sand with any degree of clarity.

Bridie had insisted on driving them after that second off-road adventure, while Reid had to sit there and mime being okay with not being able to contribute in any meaningful way. He’d been so very patient when it came to his rate of healing, but as improvement slowed his confidence had started to erode.

With Ari, in particular, he wanted to stand before her as a vibrant, physically robust man who could see every little bit of the world around him. How could he read her emotions when he could barely recognise a smile at twenty paces? If he wanted to read the expression in her eyes, he had to get within kissing distance, and what if she didn’t want him to smash through her personal-space boundaries?

But if he didn’t get close enough to see her expression, how could he know whether Ari was glad to see him?

She’d kept contact with him to a minimum during the time she’d been out here.

Was she simply a doggedly independent soul or actively avoiding him?

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