page_386

< previous page | page_386 | next page >

Page 386

| He gripped her shoulders gently with his fingers. "You haven't said which you would prefer," he reminded her. "A pub or the outback." |

| She winced at the thought of either. The aroma of the pub wafting through the floorboards of this room was enough reminder of how unpleasant it was to be around groping, drunken men from morning to night. |

| Yet the memory of all that she had been through in the outback sent a shiver of fear up and down her spine. |

| But could all of those tragedies happen again? Surely fate would not have it so! |

| "The outback," she said, without much further thought. She squared her shoulders and looked proudly up at Ashton. "If at all possible, we must return to the outback. We can't be beaten all that easily, Ashton." |

| But still, she was afraid that they had already been beaten. Getting a loan would be the deciding factor in whether or not they had a decent future together. She placed a hand to her abdomen, fearing for her unborn child. |

| "Then the outback it will be," Ashton said, fastening his gunbelt around his waist. He placed his arms around her and drew her into his strong embrace and kissed her before making a quick exit. |

| Sasha went to the window and, drawing back the sheer curtain, watched Ashton cross the street, his stride filled with confidence and pride. |

| Choking back a sob, she turned away from the window and hung her head. When Ashton returned, would his gait be so confident? |

< previous page | page_386 | next page >