Driftwood (20 page)

Taylor swallowed down the last of her bacon as Fang finished his story about losing his false teeth out on a muster, leaving them all in stitches.

Adam pointed at Fang, finding it hard to speak between his chuckles. ‘Yeah, I remember that. You put them on a rock while you were rinsing off in the river one night and then forgot to put them back in. You only remembered when we sat down for breakfast the next day and you had no teeth to chew your bacon and eggs with. Did you ever find them, mate?'

‘Nup, they must've washed down the river somewhere overnight. I got myself a new pair but I only stick 'em in when I'm eating, keep 'em in the back pocket the rest of the time so I don't bloody lose 'em again. With my luck I'll smile and they'll drop right outta my mouth and out the door of the chopper one day,' Fang said, grinning stupidly so he showed off his gleaming white false teeth, enticing more laughter from around the timeworn table.

‘That's the same year I got thrown off that bloody horse about a million times too. Thank Christ, Jay sold him off to the horse trainer he knows at Jacaranda Farm — the bastard of a thing hated me,' Graham said, chuckling. ‘I still remember coming back to camp after weeks out in the saddle, feeling sore and sorry for myself after the amount of bucks I'd suffered and the bloody thing did it again, right near the stables. He skidded to a complete stop on four stiff legs, catapulting me right outta the saddle. I landed so bloody hard I jarred my teeth and I could barely walk for days.' Graham rolled his eyes, and then frowned menacingly, smirking as he dropped his voice so everyone had to lean in to hear him. ‘Then the bastard whickered like billy-o, as if he was laughing his head off at me.'

‘Right then, sorry to be the party pooper but enough jabbering, it's time to get to work, I'm afraid,' Tom said when the laughter died down. He wandered over to the sink and began packing the last of the plates into the dishwasher.

The scraping of chairs was followed by the switching off of lights and the gathering of last-minute items. Taylor's belly somersaulted as she envisioned Jay mustering alongside her in his jeans, boots and Akubra on his big bay horse. He was going to look damn sexy, as always.

The group made their way outside and towards the stables. It was a gorgeous time to head off to work as dawn slowly gave way to twilight, the magical moment before sunrise, neither complete darkness nor filtered light from the sun.

With Floyd sniffing the ground beside her, Taylor watched the blokes wandering ahead, the bantering already beginning, as loud chuckles filled the silence perfectly. She was grateful for being part of such a wonderful group of country people. All of them had made her feel so very welcome, even Adam, who'd insisted on making her two cups of coffee this morning. They'd been strong enough to stand her spoon up in.

They walked into the stables and the first thing Taylor noticed was that Patty wasn't there. ‘G'day, my merry band of men — and woman,' Jay said, placing the reins in his hand over his horse's neck, his warm gaze coming to rest on Taylor. Their eyes locked momentarily and then he turned to pack his saddlebags. ‘Mum's all ready to go. She's just waiting for you to throw Floyd in with her, Taylor. She's parked up around the corner, behind the shed.'

Taylor released the breath she'd been holding after thinking Patty hadn't shown for work. ‘Fabulous. Come on, Floyd. You get to ride in with Buster.' She strolled past Jay, her arm brushing against his, his freshly showered scent mixed with the spiciness of his deodorant making her giddy. He smelt so manly, so moreish — so Jay.

An overzealous Buster greeted her through the Toyota's window, his tail smacking against everything in sight. Patty clambered across the seat to grab him, laughing. ‘Come here, you little bugger.' Patty held him to her chest as he wriggled in her arms and licked her face madly. ‘Hey there, Taylor, ready for the big day ahead?'

Taylor motioned for Floyd to jump up, smiling as he obeyed. ‘Sure am. Are you?'

Patty winked. ‘Ready as ever.'

Taylor leant on the windowsill, trying to avoid being licked to death by Buster, who'd escaped from Patty's clutches and was now chewing on the door handle. She gave him a hearty scratch on the head. ‘Great, we'll see you tonight when we pull into camp.'

‘You sure will. I got a yummy dinner planned for you all, too, my famous slow-cooked goulash with damper and coal-baked potatoes.'

Taylor licked her lips. ‘Oh don't, you're making me hungry again and I've just eaten breakfast! Anyways, better run. Don't want to keep the blokes waiting and I still have to meet Boomerang. I hope he likes me.'

‘Okay, toodles, oh and, Taylor, thanks love, for everything.' Patty sniffed, then pulled a tissue from her bra to dab her wet eyes, her hands shaking. ‘I couldn't have done this without you. It's going to be hard without the drink for a week. You know, going cold turkey. But it's nice to know I have a female friend to talk to along the way if it all gets too much.'

Taylor swallowed a rush of sympathy for Patty and blew her a kiss. ‘No need for thanks, Patty, that's what mates are for. I'm here any time, for anything. Okay?'

‘I know you are. Thanks, Taylor,' Patty said, smiling through her tears. ‘And by the way, don't worry, love, after a bit of time out mustering, he'll love you to bits. How could he not?'

Taylor scrunched her eyebrows, momentarily confused, and then she giggled. ‘Oh, you mean Boomerang. Yeah, hopefully.'

‘No, silly, I didn't mean Boomerang. I was talking about my overcautious son.' Patty raised her eyebrows, grinning, as she started the LandCruiser and drove away, leaving a trail of dust and a gobsmacked Taylor in her wake.

Basking in the morning sunshine, Taylor directed a hassle-free Boomerang towards the water's edge, zigzagging between trees and shrubs. She allowed him enough rein to make his own way across the rocky creek bed, the water splashing around his ankles. Taylor was enjoying some time with Jay while the men cantered ahead, the conversation free and flowing. ‘I hope you don't mind me asking, but has anything ever happened between you and Zoe?'

Jay glanced sideways, warily, the shade of his wide-brimmed hat creating shadows across his handsome face. ‘What do you mean? What's Zoe told you?'

‘Oh, nothing important, she only warned me to stay away from you because apparently you're a heartbreaker,' Taylor said matter-of-factly, trying desperately to hide her eagerness for his reply.

Jay smirked. ‘Oh, is that so. I reckon she's just pissed off because I knocked back her advances at the New Year's party they had at the pub. She hasn't been the same with me since. She still gives subtle hints but I pretend I'm oblivious to it. I think it drives her mad but I don't care. I'm not interested in her in that way. Sad really — she and I used to be good mates.'

Taylor was pleased to hear Jay had turned Zoe down. Zoe was gorgeous, the type of woman most single blokes would give anything to jump into bed with and Jay had chosen not to. ‘Wow, so there you go. There are always two sides to every story. Not that Zoe let on that she'd hit on you, but I gathered something must have gone on with the way she's been acting. She's really shitty at me for taking the job here, reckons I'm stealing her boyfriend.'

Jay laughed, his eyes wide. ‘She
what
? Bloody hell, I've never been her boyfriend and I'm never going to be.' He shifted in the saddle to face Taylor, his smile replaced with a look of sincerity. ‘The most important thing to me, though, Taylor, is do
you
think I'm a heartbreaker?'

Taylor exhaled slowly, making him wait even though in her heart she knew the answer. ‘No, I don't believe it for a second.' She gave Boomerang a light tap, encouraging him out of his easy walk and into a canter as they approached the edge of the creek. ‘And I'm hoping you don't prove me wrong, Jay Donnellson,' she called over her shoulder, smiling softly.

Reaching the top of the rise and leaving the tree-lined creek behind, the land stretched out before Taylor like it had been ironed flat, trees few and far between. The sun had now risen to its rightful place in the blue sky, the heat already scorching as sweat began to roll down her face and back. Overhead, Fang roared in with a flash of rotating blades, the sound similar to that of a gargantuan mosquito, and up ahead, Graham, Tom and Adam were beginning to push the first mob forwards. In the blink of an eye the casual ride to the first site of the day was over. The muster was about to begin.

Cattle scampered in different directions, shaken abruptly from their usually carefree days as the group descended upon them. A booming crack reverberated across the rocky flats as Jay flicked his stockwhip back in one smooth movement then whacked it to the ground. Dust hovered above the organised chaos as cattle bellowed, chopper blades whooped, men hollered and hooves thundered. The atmosphere was electric, making Taylor feel gloriously alive as she turned Boomerang on a threepenny bit and chased after a defiant group of cattle, her heart in her throat.

Up ahead a mickey bull broke free of the ranks and Taylor watched awestruck as the Robinson helicopter whooshed out from behind a towering row of eucalyptus trees and zoomed up a sharp embankment. A group of reluctant Brahman cattle ambled out from underneath the overhanging branches and lumbered across the flats towards the mob, all thanks to Fang's aerial acrobatics. In seconds, Fang was once again above the herd, nimbly dancing his chopper overhead. Then, as abruptly as he'd arrived, Fang changed directions to face off the strong-willed brute that had broken free of the ranks, the mickey bull making a mad dash towards a matted jungle of rubber vines off to the east. The chopper nosedived for one gut-turning second, then Fang flew it forwards but the massive bull stopped and turned, defiant, ready to defend its position, even with the roar of the chopper close behind it.

Watching wide-eyed while also keeping her cattle in order, Taylor's heart raced as Fang manoeuvred his chopper only metres above the dust-swirling ground and right up to the back end of the one-tonne beast. He nudged it with the helicopter's starboard skid, making it crystal clear that he was the boss, as the belligerent bull finally ran back towards the safety of the mob. Other disobedient bulls stood steadfast on the sidelines, beneath a canopy of ironbarks, nostrils flaring as foam dripped from their mouths. Taylor gasped as Fang leant out of the cockpit, clutching a shotgun while still flying. He fired off a round of rubber bullets at the rumps of the defiant stragglers. It worked perfectly as the bulls ran back towards the mob.

Adrenaline filled Taylor as Boomerang followed her cue and broke into a gallop, the rumble of Jay's horse not far behind her. Finally, she was doing what she loved best, her experience on the station in Victoria rolling back to her like it was only yesterday. This was the life!

2012 — Far North Queensland

Humming while placing the tin plates, cutlery and pannikins on to the fold-out table in readiness for dinner, Patty was struck by a familiar uneasiness. She squeezed her eyes shut, the sudden piercing headache making her buckle over. Her body trembling, she slowly eased herself to the ground, sweat prickling her brow. She hugged her knees to her chest and begged the sickness in her stomach and the blinding pain behind her eyes to vanish. An overpowering urge to vomit gripped her, and she quickly came onto all fours, crying for all she had lost, and also all she had to gain for giving up the grog. She was determined to get through the shocking withdrawals, and knew it was well worth all the mental and physical agony she had endured. But how much more of this did she have to take? Rolling onto her back, she stared towards the setting sun, breathing a sigh of relief that everyone would be back at camp soon. Being the cook meant long days at camp on her own and although that was time well spent meditating and soul searching, the company at night around the campfire was a godsend.

Off in the distance, tall blond grass swayed in the subtle breeze, the golden light as the sun began its descent behind the mountains so bright it made Taylor blink. She allowed herself a few moments of silent contemplation smiling — this amazing land never ceased to steal her heart.

At last, the long day out in the saddle was coming to an end. Taylor sighed as the last of the fourteen hundred head of cattle lumbered into the permanent holding yards, positioning Boomerang so she could shut the gates behind the gathering mob. She rubbed her temples, her head throbbing like it had never throbbed before. The heat had been a killer throughout the entire day, the humidity so high it was as if she'd had a hot towel draped around her for the last ten hours. She took some relief in knowing it was now the eleventh day, only three to go and they would be back at the homestead, where she could sleep for a week. She had never felt this tired in her life, not even when mustering in Victoria.

Feeling herself dozing off, Taylor jolted upright, gripping the reins that hung loosely in her hands for leverage. Steadying a startled Boomerang, she lightly shook her head to try to snap herself out of it. The landscape around her wavered, like water disturbed by a stone. Hopefully there were some strong painkillers in the first aid box back at camp; she was desperately going to need them when she got back. She licked her dry, cracked lips, the constant application of lip balm not having done much good. Thank goodness they were on the home stretch now, only another fifty miles and they would have all the cattle at the final holding yards, ready to be loaded onto the road train and taken to the cattle markets.

The
thump thump
of the chopper blades drew her attention to the sky, their downward force covering her in dust. She could feel the grit between her teeth and the dust sticking to her sweaty skin. It would be heaven to dunk her body in the river tonight. Fang hovered above the pen to make sure no cattle broke free before dropping to within an inch of the fence and edging closed a gate that had been left open on the far side with his skid, saving them all from disaster. The entire day would have been a waste if the cattle had just lumbered out the other side of the holding yards. Taylor hated to think how long it would have taken them to round the cattle back up again.