BEFORE

Chapter 18

JACK

"Sorry kids, I can't come." Reid slung his arms over my shoulder and Jess's. "Conference call with my boss and a hotshot from the cattle council tonight that I can't get out of. But you two go and have fun."

If I didn't already feel like a bastard for having constant lascivious thoughts about Jess, knowing that Reid trusted me to take his little sister camping made me feel worse.

"You're a workaholic, mate." I elbowed him and he grunted. "Sure you can't get out of it?"

Reid shook his head, while Jess stared at me with wide brown eyes. Was that a flicker of triumph I glimpsed?

"No can do. Politicians never sleep." Reid fake-knuckled his eyes.

"Yeah, that's because they're too busy sucking up to people." Jess smirked.

"Easy, Sis, or I'll ground you and stop you from going camping." Reid bumped Jess with his hip and I envied their closeness. The Harpers were genuinely nice people and for a guy like me who rarely established ties with anyone, I'd miss them.

"You ground me?" Jess snorted. "Like to see you try." She elbowed Reid from the other side and he let out another grunt. "What time are we leaving, Jack?"

"In thirty minutes," I said, the beef pie and pumpkin scones I'd consumed for afternoon tea churning in my gut.

I needed that much time to weasel my way out of this camping caper, because no way was I spending a night under the stars with Jess. Alone.

"Okay, I'll meet you back here then." She practically skipped into the homestead and if I didn't know any better, I'd almost say she'd planned this.

Not that she could've, considering Reid's boss needed him to work, but did she have to look so damn chipper about it?

Her overt enthusiasm sparked an idea...I knew just how to get out of this.

"Reid, you're one of the most upfront blokes I've ever met, and you've done me a huge favor in securing that apprenticeship for me, so I think you should know—"

"My sister has a crush on you." Reid chuckled. "It's pretty obvious."

"Really?" I swallowed my trepidation, hoping my reciprocal crush wasn't quite so noticeable. "And you're okay with me taking her camping alone?"

Reid nodded. "'Course. You looked out for her while I was away and I trust you." He mock frowned. "Unless there's some reason I shouldn't?"

Damn, so much for getting out of this. Having Reid's approval once he knew of Jess's feelings wasn't something I'd banked on.

"I'll look after her," I said, worrying about just how well I'd like to look after her.

"Good man." Reid hesitated, as if he wanted to say more and wasn't sure how to approach it. "Jess is an amazing kid. She lived in Craye Canyon with Mom until she got accepted into UNLV and has always done the right thing. I sometimes wish..."

"What?"

Reid blinked, as if caught up in memories. "That she'd step out of her comfort zone a little. Shake things up. Take risks. How do we learn unless we make mistakes?"

If that were the case, I'd be a frigging genius, I'd made so many of them.

"She's a nice girl," I said, hating how trite that massive understatement sounded.

Jess wasn't just nice. She was amazing. Sweet and sexy, fire and ice, sassy and cool.

I'd give my left ball to have one debauched night with her.

"Anyway, thanks again for taking her camping, Jack." Reid stared off in the distance. "Can't believe we leave tomorrow. This place has felt like a real home away from home. I'll miss it."

And I'd miss Jess.

The thought of not seeing her every day, even when she was strutting around with her nose in the air pretending to ignore me, made me sadder than I could've imagined.

I'd never grown attached to any woman. Ever. Mum abandoning me had seen to that. But the inexplicable bond I shared with Jess? Something I would definitely miss.

"We'll be back late morning, plenty of time to reach Cairns for your evening flight to Brisbane."

Reid grimaced. "Followed by a fifteen hour flight to LA with Jess snoring like a grizzly the whole way."

I laughed, wondering if I'd get the opportunity to hear Jess snoring tonight, and wishing I wasn't so damn happy by the prospect.

Reid shook my hand. "Thanks. I'll head in and rustle up Jess."

"No worries."

But as Reid headed into the homestead and I hoisted my swag onto my shoulder, I knew that spending the night under the stars with Jess would give me plenty to worry about.