Page 119 of Stockman's Sandstorm

‘Well, you should have received an email from the Territory Government retracting that letter, with an apology because they should have never legally sent it. So, someone in that office is about to lose their job.’ Harper checked the watch strapped to her wrist. The watch Bree had made her take off to stop clockwatching. ‘I warned them that if they didn’t send that email to you, by the close of business today, I was sending in a team of environmental lawyers and the Cattlemen’s Association’s team of lawyers to create a class action to sue their arses off.’

Ryder pressed his thumbprint on his tablet, waking it up. His eyes moved as he scrolled over the emails.

‘Well? Don’t leave us in suspense,’ demanded Dex.

Ryder held up the tablet and read, ‘It is with deep regret that we inform you of an interoffice error over the water rights for Elsie Creek Station … any previous correspondence pertaining to this matter should be disregarded, effective immediately. We are sorry for any inconvenience …’

‘Does that mean it’s over?’ Cap asked.

In a rare moment, Ryder nodded and smiled. ‘It’s over. We won. Harper, you did it.’

‘Yes!’ Dex high-fived Ash, Ash high-fived Cap, then Ryder, then back to Dex.

‘I say we pop some bubbly and celebrate, you mob.’ Charlie patted the brothers’ backs. ‘You lads won. Elsie Creek Station is safe.’

‘Hey, you guys should know that they can change the law and—’

‘Let them enjoy this victory, blossom.’ Bree put her arm around Harper’s shoulders and squeezed. ‘Today, they won the battle, tomorrow they can focus on the war.’

Cap, Ash, and Ryder re-read the email, while Dex came back to the table with arms full of beers. ‘Who wants one? Because I plan to party.’ He flicked open the lids and handed out bottles.

‘Hey, you’ll wake up Mason, you lot.’ Ash turned to talk to Harper, but she was walking away.

‘I’ll get the little man. In the meantime, snowflake, you go speak to Harper before she drives away.’

‘I’m sorry, Bree, for what I said about—’

‘Let’s not ruin the party mood. Go.’ She pushed him towards the front steps. ‘Don’t let her get away.’

Fifty-three

Harper juggled her keys to the sounds of a celebration behind her and opened her driver’s door. She needed to leave before she collapsed and howled in misery at losing everything.

‘You’ve had a really rough few weeks, haven’t you.’ It was Ash, right behind her. ‘What with your parents, your sister, but also how me and my brothers treated you too, which was rude of us and not fair to you.’

She couldn’t respond or even look at him.

‘Where are you going?’

‘Back to town.’ She inhaled deeply, and forcefully turned to face him, trying to pretend that everything was okay.

‘Then what?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go back—’

‘To Belgium?’

‘I quit that job.’

‘Why?’

‘After being out here, and speaking with the locals, I saw a whole different side to life. I learned to step off the hamster wheel of politics, away from the stress of my job, and the anxiety that went with it.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘But you usually have a plan.’

---