Page 97 of Stockman's Sandstorm

‘Harper tidied up the lounge, bro. She’s getting us organised.’ Cap nodded at the house. ‘First-aid kit, fire blankets, antivenene, and a big whiteboard to put up our to-do list.’

‘The place looks good.’

Did he hug Harper, disturb the boy for a hug, or just eat? ‘How’s Mason?’

Harper gave a shy shrug. ‘Good— I, um, need to tell you about the snake.’ She gave him a quick rundown, answering all his anxious heart stopping questions.

‘Bree said you’d be tough enough to handle it.’ And smiled at her, proud for her. What a woman!

‘She didn’t kill it,’ said Dex. ‘Don’t worry, brother, we’ll hunt it down. Unless you’ve got a good snake dog in your pack, Cap?’

‘I don’t have hunting dogs.’

‘You have heelers. They’ve always been a good snake deterrent.’

‘Is it okay if I visit for a bit, fellas?’ It was Charlie, carrying his hat in his hand.

‘Sure, Charlie, pull up a pew.’ Ash sat dragging Harper back to her seat. Obviously he was going with the idea of food first, then shower, then a load of hugs with the boy and then the nanny—or could he just skip to the good bits and hold Harper first—even if he was filthy.

‘I’ll go.’ Harper went to leave.

Ash gripped her thigh, keeping her in place. ‘Stay, Harper. I like you seated at the table.’ He didn’t care what his brothers thought, Ash wanted her here. ‘Do you want some tucker, Charlie?’

‘I’m sure Bree’s got some waiting for me back at the humpy. I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to bring my brother’s car back, like you did, Ash. I know it took you away from mustering.’

‘Is it really your brother’s car?’ Cap asked.

‘It is. Rego papers were in the glove box.’

‘What’s the story, Charlie?’ Ryder tore chunks off his bread to dab at his stew. ‘For you to come over with hat in hand, it must be big.’

‘Well …’ Charlie gingerly sat down, his voice laced with pain. ‘My brother and I came here over sixty years ago. We were staying where you are, Dex, in the stockman’s shack. While I worked here full-time, my brother, Harry, did a stint as a linesman, maintaining the telegraph line, with dreams of being a footballer.’

‘Did he get that game?’

‘Harry got a few games, down south. Then in the off-season he’d come back to this station and do the musters. Until he hooked up with a girl.’ Charlie frowned.

‘What’s wrong with that?’ Ash couldn’t look at Harper. Yet he could feel her body heat, dying to touch her, but not with his brothers watching.

‘She was married to the head stockman.’

‘The scandal.’ Dex gave a low chuckle.

‘Happens too many times,’ mumbled Ryder. ‘Wrecks a place after that.’

‘I didn’t know. I swear it. If I did, I would’ve told him to quit it. But according to the coppers—’

‘Why were the police involved?’ Ryder dropped his spoon into his empty bowl. Cap and Dex stopped eating.

‘Because of the murder. But my brother wasn’t no murderer, Harry wasn’t like that.’

‘Are you saying your brother is wanted for murder?’ Ash asked. Why hadn’t Charlie or Bree mentioned this earlier? He’d been working with them all day, to drag that old Holden back to the shed.

‘No wonder he ditched the car in the Stoneys.’ Dex scraped the last of the stew from the pot onto his plate. ‘But do give Bree our compliments on her tucker.’

‘Oi.’ Ryder frowned at Dex before speaking to Charlie. ‘Where was this murder?’

‘Um, well, here. At the station. In one of the sheds.’

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