Page 9 of Stockman's Sandstorm

‘Fine.’ She plonked her hands on her generous hips and took a few steps closer to the light. ‘Besides threatening to bash my grandfather within an inch of his life, they poisoned Charlie’s dogs, wrecked the dam, and cut the fences. They also slashed the tyres on our bull catcher, the Razorback. Started a bush fire, and damaged the truck Dex is trying to fix.’

‘Is that why you keep a loaded shotgun under our porch?’

Again, she nodded, with none of her sassy humour. This was a whole new side to Bree. ‘The last time, I caught two men holding Charlie over the bonnet of their fancy car, determined to get him to sign some documents. They didn’t stick around long, not after I let off a warning shot.’

‘Jeez, Bree, why didn’t Charlie say anything when we bought the place?’ Nervously, Cap raked fingers through his hair.

‘Because Charlie didn’t want to scare you off. He really wanted you boys to buy the place. He believes you’ll do the right thing by this station.’

‘Bree, are you going to tell me if there are any more guns stashed on this property?’ Ryder asked. ‘As the owners, we’re liable.’

‘Charlie and I keep all of our registered firearms in a locked cupboard in the cottage. As for the others …’ She turned to walk away, then hesitated as she spoke over her shoulder. ‘Just so you know, Charlie is here until he dies. It’s what he and Darcie said they’d do together, just that Darcie went first. It’s my job to look after Charlie. As I would dearly love to have that man outlive me, I’m doing everything in my power to make it so. But he has a tricky heart and won’t let them operate. It’s his choice, his life. So, lemme make this perfectly clear, I do not work for you boys, and I certainly do not work for this station. As soon as Charlie passes, the caretaker’s caveat will be over, and I’ll be gone.’ Bree turned on her heel and disappeared into the thick darkness cloaking the outback.

‘I’d really like that woman, if she didn’t scare me so much,’ muttered Dex.

‘Yeah.’ Cap nodded, sipping on his coffee mug.

Ryder frowned in the direction Bree had disappeared, pushing away from the porch rail. ‘I knew that damage to the dam looked suss. Tomorrow, we’ll think about setting up some security. In the meantime, I’m going to get a few hours shut-eye while that stuff is working on Mason. Ash, tomorrow you go get that kid whatever it is Bree recommends. A nanny would be good, too. See you at sunrise.’

‘Can we afford a nanny?’ Ash asked Cap and Dex.

‘Probably not,’ said Dex, opening the screen door to the house. ‘But if it means I get some sleep, I’ll chip in.’

‘Me too,’ said Cap, following Dex inside, leaving Ash alone with the baby.

All day he’d been in a numbed state, fighting the tight grip around his lungs and the weight on his shoulders, every time he looked at the boy.

Fatherhood. It was the biggest burden that came in the smallest package. How was he was going to make the next twenty-eight days when he’d barely made it through the first night?

Six

Ash stumbled through the creaky front door, blinking at daylight while slipping on the T-shirt he’d plucked from the bedroom floor. Yesterday was a nightmare. Had to be.

‘Morning.’ Like every morning since they’d moved in, Ash found his brothers watching the sunrise from the table on the front porch, where the smell of rich, aromatic coffee greeted him. He dropped into the chair he’d claimed as his own, as Cap slid over a coffee cup. ‘Smells strong.’

‘It is. We all need it after last night.’

‘Oh, man, tell me yesterday was just a nightmare.’ Ash roughly scrubbed his palms over his face. Then he glanced back and there was the kid, seated inside a fly-netted contraption, playing with some toys.

‘You can thank Cap for feeding Mason,’ said Dex.

‘And it was Dex who set up the toys.’ Cap grinned.

‘I don’t believe it. You, Dex?’

‘I’m not doing it every day.’ Dex pointed at Ash. ‘He’s your responsibility.’

‘I’m thinking of doing a DNA test.’ Ash didn’t sign up for this, so best to do it now and not get too attached.

‘Save yourself some money, daddy,’ said Dex, scrolling through his phone. ‘Mum emailed us some photos this morning. This one in particular … It’s you at the same age as Mason. You’re the spitting image of each other.’ He slid the phone across the table.

‘I could have told you that,’ mumbled Ryder in his deep voice. ‘I remember you at that age and when that photo was taken, too. It was Mum’s new Kodak camera that came in the post with a bunch of knitting wool.’

‘Yeah, well, Mum wants lots of photos to add to the wall,’ said Dex.

Ash frowned at the phone’s screen. Their family-photo-loving mother had put two images side by side. One was of Mason only yesterday, the other photo he recognised from the wall of photos at his parents’ place. The resemblance was uncanny.

‘Morning, all.’ Charlie, the old caretaker, approached. ‘How’d you sleep?’ He grinned, with a sparkle in his grey eyes, as the men grumbled.

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