The Road Home (17 page)

LARA spent the following week working like a robot. There was always something that needed doing on the farm. And in the spare chook pen, she had six lambs, not including Gretel, that needed constant feeding. They bleated like mad whenever they saw her and she couldn’t wait to put them back in the paddocks.

On Saturday she decided to wash Millie, as the dust was stuck to her like chewy to a shoe. She took the garden hose out through the gate and it just reached the car. Before she’d even started with the bubbles, she’d managed to get herself wet, half soaking her shirt. Holding the bottom of it out and off her skin, she got to wondering. She did need to do something about her mismatched tan lines … Ah, what the heck, she thought. She stripped off her shirt and instantly started to enjoy the early-morning sun on her skin. She looked down at her cream bra – the cause of even more tan lines. Oh, well, that would have to go too. She giggled as she hung it over the fence with her shirt. Already she felt closer to nature.

She never would have done this in the city; her neighbours’ two-storey house gave them the perfect vantage point to see into her yard. But not today. Today she was on her own and loving it.

Lara picked up the soapy sponge and scrubbed till Millie shone. Ten minutes later she heard a vehicle approaching and looked up to see an unfamiliar ute heading her way.

‘What the hell?’ she yelped as she turned and sprinted inside the house, her arms across her chest. Frantically she got dressed, then headed back out and met a man inside the gate.

‘Don’t worry, I turned off the hose for you, Miss,’ the man said with a straight face, but there was a glint in his eyes. He was tall and wore a polo shirt and slacks with work boots. He held out his hand, and she noticed the gold wedding band on his finger. ‘Hi, Lara. My name’s Rhylee. I’m the local chem provider.’

Lara wondered how long it would take for this tale to get around town. With a brave face, she thrust out her hand to shake his. ‘Hi, how are you, Rhylee?’ The smile was plastered on her face.

‘I won’t hold you up. I just wanted to drop by and introduce myself. I sold Noah all his chemicals and he told me you were taking on the farm. I won’t bombard you with things, but when you’re ready for an order, give me a call,’ said Rhylee, handing over his business card. ‘Or even better, drop round the shop for a drink and a chat.’

‘Oh, okay, thanks.’ She walked him to the gate, right past where her wet shirt and bra were hanging. She was sure she’d laugh about this later … just not today. ‘Noah’s given me a list of the chemicals he’s after so I’ll give you a call sometime soon.’

‘That’d be great. Have a nice day,’ he said with a teasing smile.

‘Thanks. Bye.’ She waved. As he left down the driveway she decided to finish washing Millie with her shirt on.

By mid-afternoon she had taken the tractor out of the shed, hooked up the seeder bar and was checking everything well before seeding started. She’d done it all on her own as Noah still wasn’t taking her phone calls, even though he was supposed to be turning up at the farm tonight for his bucks’ night. As far as Trent knew, it was still on. She really hoped he would show up. She was desperate for the chance to try to talk to him at last.

She picked up a new point for the seeder bar and looked up at the sky. She just needed some good rain, which they were expecting at the end of April or start of May, and then she’d be planting her first-ever crops. Just a few weeks away now. When that happened, she’d be able to call herself a real farmer – but it all depended on the rain. At the moment it was still dry. The fire bans had even been extended.

She moved to the far side of the huge seeder bar, where she needed to repair some hoses and put on some new points to replace the ones worn away from digging into the ground. Sliding under the bar, she found the missing point and banged on the new one. She’d lost count of the times she’d hit her knuckles doing this, as she was still getting used to using a hammer with force, but thankfully this time she managed not to take out a finger. She knew it took her twice as many hits as your average bloke to get there, but working this farm all on her own was the most amazing feeling. Without doubt it was the most rewarding thing she’d ever done. She felt like she was climbing mountains, and not just any mountains – this felt like the Himalayas.

By five o’clock she had the seeding gear as ready as she could and still Noah hadn’t turned up. She’d expected him by now. Surely he’d want to tidy up the shearing shed? If he’d been talking to her, he’d probably have asked her to set it up. He was cutting it fine for the party, but he couldn’t avoid her forever. She’d given him some breathing space, but she’d never give up on him completely.

She drove down to the shearing shed, which shone golden in the afternoon light, hoping that Noah might have snuck in somewhere. There was no sign of him, but Jack’s ute was parked nearby. Heading inside, she almost collided with Jack as he was coming out. His chest pushed against her outstretched hand and she could feel every muscle, along with his heartbeat. Shaken, she stepped back and saw that the shed had been cleaned and set up with lights, a bath full of ice and drinks, and bale bags hanging up for the empty cans. Wow.

‘Gee, when did you get here?’

‘About twenty minutes ago. Noah asked me to come set up.’

Oh, that figures. ‘I never saw you come in, or heard you, for that matter.’

‘Probably ’cos you had your head under the seeder bar, banging on points.’ He almost smiled.

‘Oh, yeah.’ Lara wiped her hand across her forehead, shifting some loose strands of hair.

‘So, what’s going on with you and Noah?’ said Jack frankly, taking her by surprise. Lara hesitated, gazing up into those stormy green eyes.

‘Well?’

‘Don’t know what you’re talking about.’ She could play games too, but Jack kept staring her down. ‘Why don’t you ask Noah?’

Jack rested his arm against the corrugated tin wall. ‘I have. He says it’s nothing. But it’s not nothing if he’s staying with me for the night, is it?’

Lara’s wide blue eyes revealed her dismay. ‘He’s what? Is he staying with you?’

He grimaced. ‘Yeah, that’s what I thought. You didn’t even know, did you? He told me it was so he didn’t wake you up after the party. But I could tell something was up.’

Bloody Noah. This sort of nonsense wasn’t going to fix anything.

‘Have a good night,’ she said and turned to leave the shed.

Jack grabbed her arm and her body tingled from his touch, paralysing her legs.

‘Lara? What about Noah?’ His eyes were so intense, trying to read her.

She took a deep breath, shook her arm from his grasp and smiled. ‘Tell him to enjoy his night.’

Jack watched her leave, her back straight and her walk determined, her long plait hanging down the middle of her back like a rope of spun gold. Damn his male thoughts. He tried to think about Noah. He knew he shouldn’t get involved, but he couldn’t think what could be bad enough for Noah to fight with Lara. He knew how close they were. Was she planning to do something unconventional with the farm? Plant some weird crop? Start a city retreat? Was it something to do with the marijuana she’d found?

Jack found himself thinking of Lara again. He was so determined to keep her at arm’s length. When she got too close, it did
things to his body and mind. He could only fight that attraction with anger. To give her credit, he was a little impressed she’d lasted this long. Jack shook his head. Maybe she was a little tougher than he’d given her credit for. Maybe she wasn’t the only one to have jumped to conclusions.

Lara’s mind was made up. She’d talk to Noah whether he wanted her to or not. She snuck back down to the shearing shed, where Birds of Tokyo blared from the portable CD-player. It was still early, about eight o’clock, and only Noah’s ute was there, with two swags on the back. He and Jack must have come together.

‘What are you doing here?’ Jack’s voice came from behind the ute. He walked over, carrying a box of beer, and she caught the smell of intoxicating aftershave. Her knees went a little wobbly. Who knew big, irritating Jack could smell so good?

‘Ah, I live here. At least, I did last time I checked.’ She actually saw Jack crack half a smile. ‘I’m looking for Noah. Is he inside?’ She hoped it was dark enough for Jack not to notice what she was wearing – blue tracky pants and an old shearing singlet of her dad’s.

He nodded. ‘It’s his bucks’ night. Go easy, okay?’

She gave him a salute and headed up the steps into the shed. Noah was over by the music and didn’t see her until she was by his side.

‘No girls allowed, remember?’ he almost growled.

‘You won’t talk to me, but I’m your sister and I love you.’

Noah’s eyes softened a little as he glanced to the door. ‘You haven’t said anything to anyone, have you? You know how rumours
go out here, even if they aren’t
true
!’ he stressed, turning the music down a bit.

Lara was about to say something but Jack walked back in with a carton of beer. ‘Just don’t freeze me out. I don’t want to fight, Noah.’

‘You guys okay?’ Jack asked as he put the beer on an old chair near the bath tub.

‘Yep, just catching up.’ Noah smiled and pulled her into a hug. ‘Me neither, Larz.’

Lara got the feeling this was mostly for Jack’s benefit. She kissed his cheek and whispered, ‘Go easy on Mandy. It’s not her fault. She just loves you.’

‘Yeah, I know.’

Lara got the idea: as long as they pretended the ‘gambling talk’ hadn’t happened, they could play happy families.

‘So, how’s Jack been lately?’ asked Noah, watching Jack head back outside.

Lara raised her eyebrows. ‘Well, I think he doesn’t like me at all.’ She picked up a CD cover and flipped it open. ‘Has something happened in Jack’s past to make him dislike women? Or is that just a Jack thing?’

Noah laughed and glanced to the door. ‘No, you hit the nail on the head. Jack’s last girlfriend ripped his heart out and stood on it with her high-heel shoes.’

‘What’s that got to do with me?’

‘She was a city girl, couldn’t handle it out here.’ Noah cut it short as Jack came back in with another carton. Lara watched him carefully. Was that why he kept his distance? Was he afraid she’d hurt him too?

Noah cleared his throat. ‘You better get out of here before the lads turn up and think you’re the entertainment.’

She held his shoulder. ‘Will you come and see me before you head home tomorrow?’ She needed to talk to him about the crop she’d found growing on their land.

‘I’ll try.’

The look in his eyes said otherwise, but it was the best she could do. At least he was talking to her. Noah returned his attention to the music as she left, but Jack was watching her as she crossed the wooden floor. She could feel his eyes trying to read her and the situation, so she turned to him and smiled, looking as carefree as she could. ‘Have a great night, Jack.’

‘Um, Lara?’

She paused on the top step.

Jack leant over and whispered in her ear. ‘We have a stripper coming, all the boys put in for it. And um, I just wanted to let you know in case she heads to the house first to get set up.’

‘Oh, Jack, really?’

He nodded and then shrugged. ‘It’s not a real bucks’ without entertainment.’ He smiled and she was won over.

‘Just don’t let it get outta hand.’ Lara pointed a finger at his chest. ‘I’m counting on you, Jack. I will hold you responsible if anything goes wrong.’

‘All right.’

She gave him one last serious look and stepped down the rest of the stairs. She glanced back when she reached the bottom but he’d already gone back inside.

‘This is the best bucks’ party ever, Jack,’ Noah slurred. He clinked his beer with Jack’s.

‘Let’s hope it’s your only one,’ said Trent, taking another step to steady himself.

‘I’m glad my father-in-law declined to come.’

The boys all laughed. Jack stepped back, treading on an empty Emu Export can. He kicked it towards the makeshift bin in the corner, his aim slightly off. He glanced around the shearing shed, the coloured lights affecting his eyesight a fraction. The shed was quite full with all the mates Noah had made over the years. Rhylee was over talking with Kim, the mechanic from town. The publican was here, a few shire boys, and a lot of farmers from the district, young and old. In all, there were about thirty guys. But Noah was a likable bloke.

‘So, Trenty, rumour has it you’ve been skylarking with my sister?’

Noah’s words snapped Jack out of his thoughts. He turned to watch Trent, his breath caught in his throat.

‘Why? You got a problem with that?’ Trent asked carefully as he opened the neck on his striped dress shirt.

Noah hooked his thumb into his jeans pocket and clicked his tongue. ‘I don’t know. Depends what your intentions are?’

It was like two dusty cowboys squaring off at each other, but only shooting blanks.

Trent shrugged and smiled. ‘I like her a lot. She’s got spunk.’

Jack’s gut dropped, as though he’d been drinking lead, not beer. As if to wash the unwelcome feeling away, he took another swig and turned, unable to face them any more. That’s when he saw
her face – or, more correctly, he saw her hair hanging down as she peered around the corner of the shed door. Lara spotted him and waved him over before disappearing. Oh, she did things to him in all the naughty places.

He snuck away from the boys and their talk about Lara. He didn’t really want to know what Trent and Lara were getting up to. It was none of his business … yet it didn’t sit right in his chest.

Outside, the light from one of the windows illuminated the area at the bottom of the steps. Lara stood just at the edge of the light so he could see her. He put his hand against the corrugated wall to steady himself as he stepped down, watching each foot position. At the bottom, he raised his head and saw another woman with Lara. The stripper, going by her PVC outfit and bag of tricks.

‘She’s ready to go,’ Lara said. Her hair was out, hanging down over her chest. It was so captivating. Had she been up watching TV, or reading a book? Maybe she’d been in bed, as it was getting late. She wore the same track pants as earlier, and it looked as if she’d just thrown on the long-sleeved shirt, as it sat open at the front, revealing a white singlet. If her hair hadn’t been covering most of her chest he’d have sworn she wasn’t wearing a bra.