Outback Dreams by Rachael Johns

half-accomplished.’
    â€˜What’s the rest of the mission?’
    She wriggled her eyebrows at him and hissed in his ear, ‘To get one of them to ask me back to his place.’
    A muscle at the side of his neck twinged as he thought about the prospect of one of the guys taking Faith home. Yes, they were all mates, but were any of them good enough for her? Would they respect her, treat her right? Or would they simply take advantage of her current mental state?
    â€˜You don’t know what to say, do you?’ Faith was clearly amused.
    That wasn’t strictly true. He wanted to tell her to be careful. That the way she looked now made her a danger to herself in a room full of red-blooded males. ‘Sure I do. I was just thinking about which of these blokes could actually handle you.’
    â€˜Don’t you worry your pretty little head.’ She waved her index finger in front of his nose. ‘I’ll be the judge of that.’
    With that promise, she turned on her impressive heels and entered the circle of men waiting with drinks. Within seconds, someone had given her a glass of wine, but it looked out of place in her grasp, considering her usual drink of choice was beer.
    â€˜So, Faith,’ Curtis said, leaning much closer than was necessary. ‘Adam’s been telling us about this big ball you’re organising. Where do we get tickets?’
    Monty rolled his eyes. Since when had any of his crayfishing mates been interested in dancing? He glanced at the door: if Ruby showed, at least he’d have her to himself. Most of the blokes had already tried flirting with Ruby Jones to no avail. Unlike him, they’d all given up, but Monty reckoned she was more than worth a little extra effort.
    â€˜They’re not on sale yet, but I’m glad you’re all so enthusiastic.’ She named the date. ‘Be sure to find yourself a suit before then and come ready to open your wallets for a good cause.’
    â€˜And pray, sweet lady, what might that cause be?’ Curtis was laying it on a bit thick, but Faith only blushed and smiled a little wider.
    â€˜A fabulous charity called Dogs for Autism. They breed and train dogs to assist autistic kids. The dog becomes a companion that not only offers friendship but also looks out for the child.’
    â€˜What’s autism?’ asked one of the fishermen.
    â€˜Isn’t it that rocking thing?’ asked another.
    â€˜Monty’s brother has a form of it,’ Adam informed them, nodding towards him.
    All heads turned towards Monty. He took a long swig of beer and nodded. He tried to smile but it turned out more a grimace. ‘Yeah.’
    When nobody said anything, he realised he was going to have to give an overview to the uninformed. Reluctantly, he put down his beer. He racked his brain for a way to explain it that wouldn’t prolong the conversation, but that was easier said than done. In the end, he chose the textbook definition, hoping he’d bore his listeners into a change of topic.
    â€˜Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability. People on the spectrum can have problems interacting socially, communicating with others, and some also have behavioural challenges.’ He made it general, not wanting to talk specifically about Will. ‘Although autism is different for every person who has it, life is different for those with the disorder. People with autism don’t think like you and me. The world is black and white to them and—’
    Curtis slapped him on the back. ‘Definitely sounds like a good cause. I trust there’ll be alcohol to help us support it.’
    Monty let out a breath of relief. Curtis’ words were shallow, but his lecture had been a success. Everyone had heard enough and no one asked any more about Will.
    â€˜Of course.’ Faith smiled. ‘But we’re not here to talk about the ball, we’re here to celebrate Monty’s success.’ She lifted