Page 110 of Stockman's Sandstorm

‘Why? Do you have a station that’ll lose their water, too?’

‘No. But my best mate owns Danbunnan Station.’

She shrugged. ‘I think Ryan mentioned it?’

‘Danbunnan Station is the largest family-owned cattle station in the Territory, and they’re about to sell their fancy bottled spring water to the southern markets.’

Didn’t that tug on her memory strings, along with the pain of missing Ash and Mason, because she knew how amazing the water tasted out here, especially at Grass Tree Creek, and then at Cascades Spur. And that amazing time they’d shared together. Ash had been right, that muster was a story to share for the rest of her life, one that would bring tears.

‘My concern is, if they can claim a stake in the water from Elsie Creek Station, what’s stopping them from doing the same to all the other stations in this region?’ Craig wasn’t being flirty, he looked worried.

‘Oh, wow.’ She finally found her spine to lift her head from the brass railing, to face Craig.

She glanced around the bar where other groups of stockmen were busily talking, showing the same look of concern that Craig had. And she’d been oblivious to it all, when she used to have such a well-trained ear for reading the room.

Maybe there was a reason she was here.

She’d read that government letter, then emailed a stack of queries as research back when she’d been so worried about poor Ruby. Again, her heart ached, pushing back her tears, missing Mason. Missing Ash.

She hadn’t opened her laptop to see if there had been any responses.

She dug around for her phone in her bag and switched it on. She had to do something to fix this mess.

It wasn’t just Elsie Creek Station involved, this involved an entire industry that included all the people of this town. She had to do something.

The phone came alive, and it dinged, and kept dinging—not with phone messages but emailed responses. This was a good start.

‘Hey, Craig? Do you know any water specialists? Someone who’d know where to find the historical data concerning the water for this region?’

‘I reckon I might …’ Craig adjusted his white hat, giving her a smile filled with hope. ‘It just so happens Ryan and I are best mates with the Federal Government’s leading water analyst in charge of the Top End’s extensive artesian water basins.’

‘I need to speak to him. Today.’

Forty-nine

‘Boys, I brought this over.’ Charlie lumbered up the front steps with a child’s booster seat for the car, dumping it on the spare chair at the table where the four brothers had sat down for the evening. ‘Where’s the lad?’

‘Inside, watching TV.’ Ash pointed to the open doorway where the childproof gate gave him a clear view of his son, happily playing with his toys. He’d just fed and successfully bathed the boy, who was now ready for bed.

It wouldn’t take much for Mason to fall asleep. He’d been outside all day with Ash as he worked on his new ideas for his paddock, working on the troughs, then helping his brothers work on the drafting yards.

He was proud to have survived day one as a single dad doing it on his own, without … Her.

‘Where did you find this car seat?’ Ash checked over the chair that looked well used. ‘I could have used it today. Harper stole mine.’

‘She did not. None of you gave Harper a chance to take it out of her car.’ Cap effortlessly flicked off the caps from the four beer bottles and handed them out to the brothers. ‘Charlie?’

The old stockman shook his head.

‘Stop sticking up for her.’ Dex scowled, taking his beer to lean back and rock in his chair. Dex then pointed his beer at Charlie. ‘Did you know Harper was Mason’s aunt?’

‘No. Swear it, fellas.’ Charlie stood firm. ‘I’d wondered if she was something to the boy. She might not be a nanny, but she truly cared for that kid like he was her own.’

‘That’s what I keep telling them.’ Cap rubbed at the lines across his forehead. ‘Just that these morons won’t listen.’

‘Stop sticking up for Harper. She betrayed us, the deceiving little wench.’ Again, Dex scowled.

‘Or you didn’t give her a chance to talk. None of us did.’

---