Page 78 of Stockman's Stowaway

‘To network.’ Ryder responded curtly, while nodding at Bree.

‘Good to see someone’s got their thinking cap on. But you can skip the tent, Dex, you’ll scare the children. The beer tent is your playground to mingle. They’ll have the cars there.’

‘See, you do love me.’ Dex grinned at Bree, as Ryder scowled.

‘What else can we expect?’ Ash asked.

‘You’ll get to meet your other neighbours, who could be future customers for the ideas you guys have. If you’re going to talk about your cattle tags, Ash, I’d suggest you have Harper create a sheet for customers to leave their names and email addresses for future sales. You can use it for Mia and Cap’s commercial native nursery, too. Oh, and for the guardian dogs and the dog school. Plenty of customers will be there.’

Ryder growled as he looked back at his brothers. ‘How is it Bree knows all about this before me?’

The three of them shrugged.

Shaking his head, Ryder crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at Bree. ‘What’s it gonna cost me?’

‘Pfft, nothing, cupcake.’

‘Everyone has a price for doing favours.’

‘Like I said, I get a tent every year.’ She barked out at him, her horse shifting beneath her, but she remained steady, matching Ryder’s scowl. ‘It’s no skin off my nose if you don’t want it, cupcake. I’ll just pretend I don’t know you, if you’re going to be like that.’ She went to ride away.

‘Fine!We’ll take it.’

‘I’ll scribble out a mud map for you. Charlie can deliver it to the farmhouse later. He’ll gladly fill you in on the gossip. Ash, I’d suggest you take the drone to tape Cap at the muster dog trials. Harper can then spin it for a social media campaign.’

‘Good idea.’ Ash nodded with a grin. Cap widened his eyes; he’d been living so far off-the-grid he had nothing to do with social media.

Meanwhile Ryder’s scowl just got deeper.

‘See, cupcake, not everything has to have an ulterior motive.’ She gave Ryder a filthy look, then rode off, not even glancing back.

‘That woman can be so irritating.’ Ryder gripped the rail so hard it groaned as if about to crack under the pressure.

Dex patted Ryder’s shoulder. ‘Easy brother, Bree is only helping us.’

‘So why was Bree riding out here when she normally rides in the mornings? What were those saddlebags full of? And how is it that she knows more about this station and your ideas than I do? When that redhead takes great pleasure in constantly telling us she doesn’t work for us!’ Ryder pointed angrily in her direction, mumbling a set of expletives under his breath, as if to expel the hot air.

Cap side-glanced his brothers. No one ruffled Ryder quite like Bree did.

‘That irritating, sassy-mouthed redhead is right, though…’ Ryder exhaled heavily, dropping his hands to his hips, and lowering his head. ‘The campdraft isn’t just a social event for us like it used to be. We’re station owners now, which means it’s a place of business.’ Ryder turned and faced his brothers.

Cap instantly felt the pressure land heavily on his shoulders, noting Ash was the same.

‘But I don’t want you lot to think of it that way, because we’re not just investing in a business, we’re investing in a lifestyle and a legacy. So, right here and now, I want you all to speak openly about any ideas you have for the future of this place. Say it now, free from judgement. So I’m not hearing it second-hand from someone who has no investment in this place.’ Again, Ryder scowled in Bree’s direction. ‘Agreed?’

They all nodded, and that afternoon, long after the sun had set, they discussed many ideas for a long-term future, standing on the high boards of the drafting yards. But they knew the real test was to come at the local campdraft, where they’d hopefully make a name for themselves as the new owners of Elsie Creek Station.

Twenty-eight

Normally, Cap wasn’t bothered by nerves. But today prickly nerves quickened his bloodstream as dust kicked up from his boots as he entered the shade of Mia’s native nursery. Coarse gravel crunched under his boots, and the heavy humidity rose, but the shade was cooling. It’s where he found Mia in the centre of the many tables filled with flourishing seedlings that rested across the racks.

The kelpie trotted over to greet him.

‘G’day, girl.’ He gave the dog a hearty pat. ‘Mia?’

‘Oh, hey.’ Her smile was pure dynamite that made his heart ka-thump in his chest. ‘I’ve got the boxes sorted for the seedlings we’ll be taking tomorrow, to load up the Tojo tonight. And I stored all the information pamphlets Harper and I made, in my old room.’ She giggled at the wordsold room.

It was their in-house joke because, even though the first stages of the renovations to his demountable had finished weeks ago, Mia had never slept in her room, and Cap had never slept more soundly than he did with Mia’s warm body against his, with her silky hair brushing against his chest. It’s where he’d tuck her close against him to let her know that she was in a safe space, as his most precious gift.

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