Page 21 of Stockman's Sandstorm

‘City girl.’ Bree filled her basket with radishes, shallots, moving on to the strawberries and passionfruit that grew near a massive banana plant loaded with baby green bananas.

‘I’m from the land of dial-up deliveries. But this place, I’d never …’ Harper wandered around the yard devouring her tomato. No lawn grew here, just raised beds and the curvaceous stone paths like a secret garden. There were arched trellises that created shady walkways where beans and snow peas dangled like Christmas tree ornaments, along with butternuts and melons too.

‘How come you can’t cook?’

‘Um …’ She wiped the tomato juice from her chin. ‘I just never had the time to learn. May I?’ She pointed to the cucumber. ‘I’ve never seen them grow like that.’

‘That one’s not ready yet. I’ve got some in the fridge. Come on, I’ve had enough vitamin D for the day.’

‘How do you not burn?’

‘Sunscreen. Wide-brimmed hat. Long-sleeved shirts. Don’t worry, I’ve put plenty of sunscreen on Mason, too.’

Who was having a fat time digging up a dirt bed with the dog.

‘I must add sunscreen to my shopping list.’

‘I make my own sunscreen. You’re welcome to try it.’ Bree put a small tin on the quaint mosaic table, shaded beneath a pergola covered in grapevines. It created a wonderfully dappled shade over the unique crazy stone paving that ran along the back of the house, leading to an entertainment area containing an outdoor kitchen, complete with a sink, pizza oven, and a built-in barbecue. ‘Take a seat. I’ll get our brunch together. Nothing fancy.’

‘This is fancy, believe me. It’s like we’re in Tuscany …’ Harper waved her hand at the yard where tall cornstalks and large sunflowers gently waved on the breeze. They hid the corrugated fence line that barricaded two sides of the yard like a windbreak that cleverly concealed this wonderland.

But the open country view beyond the garden was divine. It was a lush green paddock that ran to a thick cluster of trees, overshadowed by an enormous rocky red escarpment.

The caretakers definitely had a better deal than the brothers with their farmhouse.

In the outdoor kitchen, Bree effortlessly worked on their lunch in between checking on Mason, who was still playing garden gnome. A rich fragrance of fresh basil filled the air as Bree sprinkled the herb over luscious slices of red tomatoes and cucumber. It was an effort to not drool with hunger.

‘You’re in luck. We made a stack of stone baked panini bread rolls this morning.’ Bree placed a bread basket on the table.

‘You make your own bread?’ She was salivating at the crusty rolls.

‘Charlie does.’ Bree pointed to the pizza oven. ‘He makes a mean pizza too.’ Bree served up a platter of assorted cheeses, sliced Italian sausage and tender chicken strips, along with her sliced salad and herbs. ‘Help yourself. I’ve got some wine somewhere, we could really make a day of it.’

‘Do you know how tempting that is?’ Harper practically wolfed down her food. ‘I can’t remember when I sat and ate a meal and actually looked at what I was eating. And how amazing this food tastes. And this yard.’ She pointed her thick cucumber slice at the scenery. Cucumber and salt, and she was in heaven. How simple did life feel right now.

‘My grandmother built this garden with Charlie. They were into permaculture long before they called it that.’ Bree poured a tall glass of iced tea and passed it to Harper.

Harper sipped the tea, enjoying the vibrant peach flavour, delicately blended with black tea and vanilla, it was like summer spooling across her tongue. ‘This place is so civilised.’

‘Not after sunset, it’s not.’ Bree gave a wry grin with a devilish shine in her green eyes.

‘I’ve heard you partying. Who with?’

‘It’s just Pop and me. We have the TV out here, where we cook, dance, and sing like morons at the moon some nights.’

‘I’ve heard the singing. You know, I rarely see a sunset.’

‘Sunrise?’

‘I hardly ever saw the sky until I came back to Australia.’

‘Where have you been?’

‘Belgium.’

Bree arched her eyebrows. ‘Doing what?’

‘I work for the Australian Ambassador to Belgium, who was previously the Deputy Secretary for National Security and International Policy for the Australian Government. Before that I worked for the Minister for Defence.’

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