Craig grinned at Stone, as if sharing an in-house secret, as he tugged at his UHF radio clipped to his belt.This guy was a real-deal cowboy with the hat, the boots, the big shiny belt buckle, but also the easygoing country charm that was all part of the package.Along with his sultry masculine drawl, that was so smooth over the radio, he’d make a good voice-over artist for a certain kind of documentary or even audiobooks.‘You there, Amara?Craig here.I’m hoping your keyboard wizardry can access a map of this place?’
Stone sniggered, with Craig trying to keep a straight face.
‘Are you kidding me?’Romy pointed at the beefy four-wheel drive, not even twenty metres away, where Amara occupied the front seat with the passenger door open.
‘It’s on the team’s digital file I created on the drive out here.I sent the link to Stone to access it on his satphone.’Amara didn’t even look up from the laptop as she spoke over the radio.
‘Thank you, Amara.’Craig grinned, clipping his radio back onto his belt, the fancy silver belt buckle displayedNorthern AustralianChampion Bronc Rider.
‘Told you the Duchess is a paperwork queen.’Stone shared his phone’s screen with Craig.
‘So you’re the latest backpacker?’Lenora asked Romy.
‘I’m not a backpacker.’The words slipped out too fast, earning her a raised eyebrow.Romy scrambled to backtrack—the last thing she wanted was for Lenora to think Stone was lying.Especially when Romy had agreed to play along with whatever game he was running, even if she didn’t understand the rules yet.‘I mean, I’m visiting from Sydney, where it’s freezing.This weather feels like a mild summer.’
‘I doubt I’d last long in that kind of weather.’
‘I can handle this weather, though.’But enough of the chitchat when Romy had to know more about this place.‘Your job is so unusual.’
‘Not really.’Lenora gave a shy shrug.‘It’s the animals that make it different.Otherwise, this place could be one big chicken farm.’
There was that reference to chickensagain.
‘I do love it…’ Lenora sighed heavily, wrapping her arms around herself.‘But with this theft, maybe it’s time I move on.’
‘Why?If you love it.’
‘Because this theft happened in my area.I’m the hatchery manager, responsible for those babies.They were stolen on my watch.’Lenora looked back at the building with glassy eyes.‘Once Dad tells the fashion house, they’ll demand someone gets fired and it’ll have to be me.’
‘This is not your fault.’
‘It is.Dad has already said so.’Lenora wiped away the tear trickling down her cheek.This theft was really hurting the Rowntree family in so many ways.It was unfair.
‘Craig and I want to go for a drive along your fence line.He thinks he knows how they got in.’Stone looked up from the phone.The cheeky pilot’s grin fell, replaced by someone who understood what Lenora needed.Empathy had never looked so good.
‘Are you okay, Lenny?’Stone gave her arm a gentle pat.
‘I’m fine.’She sniffed heavily.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Just tell me what you need, so you can catch these guys and get our stock back.’
‘Only your permission is all, then you can go and be with your family.’
‘Thank you.’Lenora sighed with relief.
What was it with Stone?Every new interaction he’d do something to make Romy’s respect for him grow.From his open care for the Rowntrees, to bantering with bucketloads of cheek with his team.
Stone then gave Romy a sly look.‘If it’s okay with you, Lenora, Romy’s got some drones taking up space on my back seat.It’d be handy to do a flyover as part of our investigation.’
It was like the man was reading her mind, because Romy was dying to do it.But wouldn’t that make Lenora wonder why Romy was carrying a custom-built cinematic aerial rig, engineered for professional filmmakers, and not found at any electrical store?
Nine
Finally, Romy got to play with her latest toy as Craig, Stone and Amara crowded around the drone’s ground control unit, watching the live feed flicker on the tablet-sized screen in crisp, stabilised, 4K footage, streaming straight from the aerial rig’s gimbal-mounted camera.
But it was more than that.
