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Three more weeks passed slowly. The screams still echoed throughout the darkness each night as unseen predators made their way round The House. It had got so bad Brett now locked his and Frog's door by stuffing a chair under the knob to wedge it shut from the outside. The days were just as torturous. Forty degree heat had left sunburnt skin red, raw and peeling, and tempers stewing. Luckily, the two week suspension had finished and Sam had arranged with the local pool to let the guys go for a one-hour swim each evening under heavy supervision.

Tyson had kept a low profile in that time — if it was possible for him to do such a thing. After another open day for friends and relatives, the kid called Jamieson had been caught with a stash of
drugs under his mattress during a routine search. As a result, he'd been sent back to Sydney to face a magistrate too. He'd been unlucky. Only ten minutes earlier, Tyson had sold him the stash after it had been smuggled through the front door by Tyson's brother.

Brett had run into the big inmate a couple of times but usually in public. All he could do was call Brett a Pretty Boy, which Brett despised more than anything here. He didn't see himself as either pretty or Tyson's boy.

Come eleven thirty one Wednesday, Brett was thinking that exact thing when he saw Sam walking over to his ute. He was obviously heading into town — the same place where Caitlyn was at school. Brett handed Michael Lydell his hammer then ran over to the ute. Sam knew what Brett wanted before either of them opened his mouth. The old man said no, but Brett persisted until he finally gave in. ‘Just this once,' he said.

They cruised by Mungindi Central School first but everyone was inside, which only gave him heart-burn. They stopped at Thompson's store next — the one where Caitlyn worked. But it was a school day so Brett didn't expect to see her there. Finally, they stopped at the post office to pick up some mail. Outside in the heat again, Sam flicked through a wad
of letters held together with a rubber band. ‘Mr Brett Dalton,' he read out loud.

Brett tore the letter open as he and Sam walked back to the ute. Once again, it was from his mum.

 

Dear Brett,

Or should I say uncle Brett? Yes, your sister has finally had her baby! And it's a girl! You should see her. She's the most adorable thing. She has blue eyes just like the rest of the Daltons and big hands and feet. Jody and Neil have called her Claire.

You'll be able to see her when you come home. How many more weeks is it now? Seven? You're nearly into the last half of your stay. It will be good to have you home again. We can try and work things out. The separation was hard on all of us. I guess your father and I got so wrapped up in our battles that we forgot about you and your sisters. We promise that things will change from now on.

Thanks for the letter. We're happy you have settled down and are keeping busy. I've been worried about you, especially after seeing on TV the other night how horrible those places can be. It's good that you are helping build the stables. You can get some practical experience and maybe try taking up carpentry when you come back to Sydney. It's a good career.

Sorry to keep this short but I must go. Your dad says hello.

Will see you soon.

Love Mum.

 

‘So are you an uncle yet?' Sam asked.

‘Yer,' Brett said. ‘My sister had a baby girl.'

‘What's her name?'

‘Claire. I guess I'll be able to see her when I go back home.'

‘Yes, and help change her nappies.'

‘Not likely,' Brett groaned.

Sam laughed, started the ute and drove back onto the main street. He was in a friendly mood so Brett asked him if they could stop off by the takeaway shop for lunch. Brett was dying for something salty and unhealthy to feed his junk food addiction. Sam wasn't too keen on the idea, however. ‘There's a free lunch back at The Farm,' he said. But after Brett pestered him some more, he finally gave in. They parked in front of the takeaway shop and filed in through the front door.

Like every takeaway it was hot. You could scrape the greasy steam off your skin. Brett ordered fish and chips before he and Sam squeezed into a booth. They drank Cokes as they lazed back on
the new red vinyl under a large ceiling fan to talk.

‘I saw you walking out of Josh's room that night after the rodeo. Is everything okay between you two?' Sam asked, straight-to-the-point as usual.

‘Yer. I had to talk to him for a few minutes, that's all.'

‘About what?'

‘Nothing really.'

‘Was it about that fight at the rodeo?'

Brett paused mid-bite. ‘You're still not carrying on about
that
are you, Sam?'

‘I'm not carrying on about anything. I'm still trying to find out what you two were fighting over.'

‘Nothing, okay? Like I told that cop, the guy was hassling Frog. Just ask Robbie himself or Josh.'

Sam frowned. ‘I have,' he said. ‘And they told me the same thing more or less. I'm not convinced that's the whole story but that cowboy's been through town before. He seems to get into trouble every time he does. Kenny's picked him up a couple of times. I'm just disturbed you boys were involved this time.'

‘It wasn't our choice, Sam.'

‘I know. Just don't get into any other situations like that while you're here. Kenny is a good man but if you do something illegal —'

‘Yer, I know.'

The topic dropped, they talked some more — this
time about a planned horse ride and the new stables — as they finished off the chips. Brett glanced up as the shop's door opened and there was Caitlyn! She was with three friends. They paid for a couple of Cokes then sat in a corner booth, talking among themselves. She hadn't seen him yet.

‘Carpentry
is
a good career option,' Sam continued. ‘People will always need carpenters.'

‘Mmm,' Brett mumbled.

‘You'll never be a millionaire but you'll be able to see your work at the end of the day.'

‘End of the day, got you.'

‘And you
are
good with timber.'

Brett nodded, his attention on Caitlyn and no one else.

‘It's a pity you're sick all the time though.'

‘Sick, yer.'

‘Lovesick for Caitlyn Douglas sitting over there, I believe.'

Brett shook himself free from his daze. What did the old man just say?

‘You haven't heard a word I've said since she walked in, have you?' Sam teased.

‘Yer, sure I have. You said something about going on a ride with all the guys in a couple of weeks.'

‘Yes, about five minutes ago.'

Brett blushed and Sam grinned. The old dog. He was onto him all right.

‘I just remembered something,' Sam said, a glint in his eyes. He rose from the booth and pulled his hat on. ‘I've got to go outside for a second. I'll meet you back in the ute in say —'

He paused and looked at Brett for an answer.

‘Twenty minutes?' Brett offered, a grateful but embarrassed grin on his face.

‘Make it fifteen. It's hot outside.'

Sam left smiling and Brett laughed. The old bloke was definitely all right.

Swallowing the last of his drink, Brett stood up. His nerves steeled themselves and he sucked in a few deep breaths. One step. Two steps. He was away. He tried to look as cool as possible but was worried he looked more like a dropkick.

Caitlyn's friends saw Brett before she did. The conversation stopped as they watched him approach. Caitlyn had her back to him and turned when one of her friends didn't answer her. She was only half-interested in the distraction at first, but when she saw him, she forgot what she was talking about.

‘Hello,' she said, smiling. ‘What are you doing here?'

‘Having lunch. You walked straight past me.'

‘Sorry, I thought it was just a man and his grandson passing through town,' she laughed. ‘I saw Sam's ute outside but thought that this would be the last place I'd find him.'

‘Yer, well “grandad” needed some pushing. He might like eating beans all the time, but I don't.' They laughed at their ongoing private joke. ‘No, seriously, we needed some supplies from your store. I thought you might be working later so I tagged along.'

‘Not until much later. It's a school day.'

‘Yer, I can see,' Brett grinned, looking round the table at the four girls. ‘School finish early today?'

They all grinned sheepishly. Caitlyn pursed her lips and glanced at her friends. ‘Yes, and it's such a shame. We've all got one of those' — she coughed — ‘summer flu's. You know the type.'

Brett matched her grin. ‘Oh, of course. I used to get them all the time. I found the best cure was to go to the local pool.'

‘River,' Caitlyn corrected him.

They shared a smile before suddenly pausing, realising the small-talk had all dried up. Brett stood there, trying to think of things to say, when one of Caitlyn's friends said, ‘Well aren't you going to introduce us?' She had this big smirk on her face as if she knew something.

‘I was getting to that,' Caitlyn said, defensive all of a sudden. She introduced everyone round the table. ‘Brett, this is Nikki, Natalie and Joss.'

‘Short for Jocelyn,' the last friend, a girl with a nice smile, said. ‘Hi.'

Brett answered each of them with a g'day.

‘So you're the guy Caitlyn keeps talking about?' Natalie asked.

‘Nat!' Caitlyn elbowed her friend under the table.

‘What?' Natalie said with an ouch.

‘Do you want a seat, Brett?' Caitlyn asked, quickly trying to change the subject. She pointed at the spare spot next to Joss — furthest away from her, he noticed.

He looked round the table. Nat, Nikki and Joss were all smiling at some secret they held. Normally, he felt uncomfortable round friends of a friend but these three seemed okay. They were making Caitlyn feel ten centimetres tall but hopefully he could make her laugh.

‘Yer, okay,' he said. He expected Joss to shuffle over but she said it was time for her to leave.

‘Sorry, but I have to buy a birthday present for my sister,' she said.

‘And I have to return a book to the library,' Nikki said.

They stood up and looked at Natalie who was still sitting at the table. ‘What?'

‘Don't you have to be somewhere?' Joss said.

‘No.'

‘Yes you do.' Nikki hoisted Natalie up by the arm. ‘You have to buy new shoes, remember?'

‘No.'

Nikki elbowed her. ‘
Yes you do
.'

‘Oh,
those
new shoes!' Natalie said. ‘I remember now.'

The three girls waved goodbye, leaving Caitlyn red-faced and Brett grinning at their hasty exit.

‘Subtle, aren't they?' he said when they were alone.

‘Sorry about that,' Caitlyn said. ‘They're normally not like that.'

‘That's okay. I just hope it wasn't because of me.'

‘No, no. They just had —'

‘— things to do?'

‘Yes, things to do.' Caitlyn was getting more flustered so Brett wasn't surprised when she changed the topic. ‘You want a drink?'

‘I just had one but I'll go another one.'

‘What do you want?'

‘A Coke. Here, I'll pay.'

‘No, my shout. You can buy the next one.'

Caitlyn paid for two Cokes and offered him one.

‘I'm glad you're here,' she started. ‘I'm, uh, sorry about what happened at the rodeo. Dad's not usually like that.'

‘It's forgotten,' Brett shrugged. ‘Calling me a criminal kind of made me mad, that's all. I'm trying to do the right thing here and it weighs on me, y'know, when someone pays me out like that. I don't need reminding. I know what I'm doing time for. I'm not proud of it. What's worse, it affects my family too. They're good people. They don't deserve my bad reputation.' He smiled. ‘I've never told anyone that before.'

Caitlyn didn't laugh, like he expected her to. She nodded knowingly instead. That was cool.

‘Hey, what time are you working this afternoon?' he asked quickly to cover up the uncomfortable silence.

‘From three-thirty to five-thirty as usual.'

‘Even though you're “sick”?'

‘It's just one of those couple-of-hours bugs, you know. A few hours of swimming and I'll be fine again.'

‘You going down to the river with your friends?'

‘No, they're going over to Nikki's to watch some videos later. Her parents are away for a couple of days so she has the house to herself.'

‘So you're going swimming by yourself?'

‘Not if anyone wants to join me,' she said, with a sly smile.

Brett answered with a sly smile of his own. Him. Her. Alone. Forget the sly smile. Grin a mile wide, boy! He might have something real to brag about to the guys this time! But Brett dropped the grin. There was no way Sam would let him go swimming unsupervised. And Brett would only go unsupervised.

He was going to answer with some smart remark when Caitlyn spoke first.

‘Don't look,' she said, distracted by something outside. But Brett did and saw her three friends peeping through the window at them, giggling and elbowing each other. They realised they'd been caught out and quickly scrambled away. He couldn't help but laugh. It was just a bit too obvious.

‘I heard a couple of guys were expelled from The Farm after the rodeo,' Caitlyn said, changing the subject faster than the colour of her blushing face! ‘What happened?'

Brett told her about Darren and Paul and how the cops had busted them. He left out the part about the fight with Smiling Joe, though.

‘What about your friend? The girl with red hair? What was her name?'