"I still can't believe you did that." Her features softened, and the gratitude in her eyes hit me harder than it should have.
"Maybe we're both crazy," I said, resisting the urge to pull her closer.
"Yep. I agree." She giggled, and the sweet melody stirred a warmth in my chest I didn't want to think about. I snatched her boots from the ground, tied the laces together, then slung them over my shoulder. "You ready?"
"Yep. Which way?"
I pointed north. We left the tree, but with every step, I felt her stiffen, and tiny gasps escaped her lips.
A lock of hair was stuck to her cheek, and it took everything I had not to reach over and brush it away.
What the hell's wrong with me?
"You okay?" I asked, then immediately wanted to kick myself. Of course, she wasn't okay. She was in agony.
She heaved a massive breath. "Yep. I'm fine." Clenching her jaw, she looked at me, and I was struck by how golden her irises were. I'd never seen eyes that color before, like liquid honey.
"What?" she said.
I snapped my gaze away. "Nothing."
Out of the corner of my eye, she nodded as if she’d expected that answer.
We walked in silence. The landscape was brutal in its emptiness, sunburned earth and the occasional cluster of spinifex grass. The sky was enormous out here, so blue it hurt to look up. This remote place was beautiful and deadly in equal measure.
"Hey, Mitch... tell me today is going to be a better day."
The question was impossible to answer, especially as we had no food or water.
So, I didn't.
"At least you're not lying to me," she said, sighing. "I had enough of that with Doug."
As the sun's early morning rays warmed the land, we walked parallel to the ravine. It wasn't long before Charlie's pace slowed to a shuffle. Her limp grew more pronounced with each step, and her face was twisted in pain.
Barely visible in the distance, I spotted another cluster of coolibah trees, but it was the tiny lumps that moved in the nearby scrub that captured my attention.
Thirty feet from the trees, Charlie grabbed my arm and pointed forward. "Look, rabbits." Her eyes lit up.
"Yep, and they taste delicious." I unslung the rifle from my shoulder.
Her smile vanished. "What are you doing?"
"Getting some lunch."
"What? No!" She stepped in front of me. "You can't shoot them."
"Charlie, we need to eat. And I've only got one bullet, so I need a clean shot."
"But, they're cute."
I lowered the rifle. "You do realize Koolaroo is a cattle ranch, right? We breed cattle to be eaten. Where exactly do you think your steak comes from?" I paused. "Unless you're one of those vegetarian types?"
Her mouth fell open. "No, I'm not a vegetarian. I just?—"
"Just what? You're okay with eating meat as long as you don't know where it comes from?"
Her cheeks flushed. “Maybe."