Page 107 of Stockman's Stormcloud

‘Um… What do I do with this?’

‘Keep it on until it falls off, as a reminder.’

‘I don’t get it.’

‘Every time you look at this string, I want you to think about what you want. And I bet once you figure that out, you’ll know where Dex fits in, and you’ll find all those answers to the questions you’ve been avoiding.’

The simple gesture was truly touching, as a wave of guilt washed over her shoulders that suddenly became heavy. ‘I’m so sorry I was mean to you.’

‘Were you?’ Bree chuckled. ‘I’m not that fragile, petal.’

‘No, I guess you’re not.’ She got it. Bree was tough, so said Dex, but Bree saw things, and she cared for people in her own unique way.

‘Thanks for the chat, Bree.’ Sophie stood, straightening out her nurse’s uniform. ‘I’d better get back to work.’

‘No worries. Tell me what you decide.’

‘I will.’ Her nursing shoes barely squeaked on the polished floor of the hospital corridor. She tugged on the simple brown string wrapped around her wrist, that question rolling around in her brain:what did she want for her future?

She’d never asked herself that, when she’d always been told what to do. To go to school, get a good job, become a radiologist, where she side-tracked into being an ER nurse, only to get told what to do all day long at work. And after her ex, she took a job that got her as far away from her past, and her bad credit rating, to a job that offered her accommodation while allowing her cat to stay.

But now that the dust had cleared, Bree was right, dishing out doses of medicine Sophie didn’t know she needed. With everything that had happened, Sophie had never taken the time to clean the camera lens on her own life to ask herself that question:What did she want?What was she willing to fight for? And did that future include Dex, who was so willing to risk everything on tomorrow night’s fight, a fight he might not survive.

Thirty-four

‘You didn’t have to come with me,’ said Dex, driving his sleek black ute into the dark and dusty outback paddock. In the distance, spotlights illuminated the main fighting arena like a mini city, as he wove through the many parked vehicles of those who’d come for tonight’s fights.

‘I’m not letting you do this without backup.’ In the passenger seat, Ryder peered out the window.

Earlier tonight, Dex had found his three brothers waiting for him by his ute. Cap and Ash gave their last pitch for him to not go—knowing they couldn’t change his mind, so they wished him luck.

Dex hadn’t wanted any of his brothers to come tonight, in case of the worst. But inside he was glad when his big brother climbed into the passenger seat, uninvited. Ryder was the type of guy you wanted behind you in a fight, in what felt like the biggest fight of Dex’s life.

‘I saw you fight once,’ said Ryder.

‘Where?’

‘In Kalgoorlie. I was passing through, and Mum mentioned you were in the area. I thought I’d check on you.’

‘I don’t need a babysitter.’

Ryder scowled. ‘I was feeling nostalgic for family. It’d been a while…’

Ten years in fact, until they all met up again to help their youngest brother, Jonathan, start his small station.

‘Your fighting technique was good, and I was proud ofyou when you knocked that bloke out cold.’

‘Why didn’t you say anything? Or come see me after the fight?’

‘The cops showed up and everyone bolted. I was going to tell you I’d won thirty grand on you.’

‘For real?’ Dex was waved through by one of the organisers, directing him towards the car park area saved for the prize-fighters. ‘Did you spend the money on some fancy bourbon?’

‘I sent it to Mum to pay off their mortgage. Just don’t tell Mum where the money came from, she doesn’t approve of gambling.’ Ryder’s chuckle was deep. It was rare to hear him laugh like that.

Dex parked the ute and turned off the engine, but remained behind the steering wheel. ‘I was always jealous of you.’

‘Eh?’

---