The Outback Heart Read Online Free Page A

won a single game last year. Troy stepped away from them, lifting his hands to his head, and swore. Well, this would be a challenge. He didn’t want to let the team get away with such crap numbers – these guys didn’t know how lucky they were to be able to play. Clearing his throat, he faced them, choosing his words carefully.
    ‘Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. You can all run five laps of the oval and then I want you to go home and come back next Thursday with at least one person each. We cannot be a team with just seven of us. I don’t care who you find – old, new, novices, your dad or the bloody publican. You find at least one person each and meet me back here next week at six – and I mean six on the dot – and then we can do some training. I’m not wasting my time. If you want to play and if you want a coach this year, then come back with a team.’
    Troy turned and headed back to his ute.
    ‘Um, excuse me, Troy,’ said the girl. He could sense her behind him but he didn’t have time to stop and chat with her, he was trying to make a statement with the guys.
    Without a backwards glance he yelled, ‘Next Thursday at six.’
    Eight heads watched him leave the oval. He was sure they were all stunned, maybe wondering who the hell he thought he was, but he wasn’t about to train these blokes just to have them lose every game again. They needed someone to rattle their cages.
    His smile returned. No doubt this would cause some grapevine gossip, but that’s exactly what he wanted. He was serious about being their coach – he just hoped they were as serious about playing.

4
    ‘WHAT the hell was that?’ spat Louie, hands on his hips.
    ‘Was he for real?’ asked Spud as he lifted up his shirt and scratched at his round belly, revealing the top of his undies.
    Indi pulled a face and averted her eyes. ‘I reckon so,’ she said. The guys stared at each other in confusion. The new coach had certainly made a strong first impression. Not that he hadn’t turned Indi’s head already. When she first saw him get out of his ute, she was a little surprised that the new coach was so young. He had to be only a few years older then her. Definitely not the older, round-tummy version she had imagined given the level of coaching experience she’d heard about. No, this guy was a better version of Jasper. Same height but with shaggy dark hair that made him look ruggedly handsome and available. He had to be single, especially with the stubble across his strong jaw. The sleeves on his work jumper were bunched up, revealing tanned, strong forearms. It had given her goosebumps – the kind of reaction that lads around here never gave her.
    Yeah, he was all right, and was sure to stir up the single ladies in town. She wondered if she stood a chance.
    Tonight’s turnout was the best they’d ever had for a first training session – the boys were probably curious about the new bloke in town. Well, Troy was going about it all wrong if he wanted to make friends.
    Indi glanced at Spud and Limp, both staring blankly at the place where Troy had been, and broke into giggles.
    ‘What’s so funny?’ asked Patrick.
    ‘All of you. The looks on your faces. This whole situation,’ she said. ‘And he told you to bring someone, even our dads. As if!’
    Patrick pulled her hat off and belted her over the back with it, but he’d started laughing too.
    ‘Could you imagine someone dragging Kingy down here?’ Patrick said between chuckles.
    ‘You know he’d bloody come, too, if you offered him a carton of king browns,’ said Huey.
    ‘Yeah,’ said Limp. ‘We’d need Indi here to run in front of Kingy with a beer just to get him moving.’
    ‘So, now what?’ Jasper asked, tucking the football under his arm. ‘Who else said they were going to play this year?’
    Huey cleared his throat. ‘Well, Brick said he’d play when he’s not on the tractor.’
    ‘And Jaffa was gonna play. Just didn’t get here,’ added