Page 34 of Stockman's Stormcloud

Dex had never realised how busy their blacksmith business was that had Bree stoking the smithy’s forge almost daily. He’d bet his brothers weren’t aware of this operation either—especially Ryder who was all about business.

Charlie led him past rows of steel posts and sheets of steel. There were large bins with horseshoes, and even large railway spikes. It was like he’d walked into a hardware store for assorted scrap steel. ‘Did you work for the railway?’

‘My father did, with my grandfather. They had this mobile workshop they’d drag around by horse for a bit, setting up shop wherever the work was. Then we had the old truck that was home for a while, until I parked it up, out back, for good.’ Again, the old stockman pointed to the lush paddock with its view of the rocky red escarpment hiding the sunrise, as the impressive view from the shed.

It was just like Dex’s mechanic’s workshop, reminding him that he hadn’t been on the tools for a week. He missed his job, and his shed with its own view of the paddocks. It only made him more determined to ditch the dumb oxygen cart he was dragging around like a dog.

Charlie opened the shed’s side door, and led him to another large circular area, to find the beefy bull catcher:the Razorback. It was parked in the middle of the tarmacked area, where Bree was using the tractor to lower a large rectangularcage onto the back of a trailer.

Nearby, stood two other trailers, a flatbed truck, some horse floats, quads, an airboat, and a decent-size dinghy. They had all the boys’ toys, parked in an orderly fashion inside their large shed, with the yellow Kombi van right in the centre.

With all this well-ordered space, no wonder Charlie had the caretaker’s caveat in the contract of sale. They were set up better than the new owners—Dex and his brothers.

‘That yellow Kombi van is a shocker.’ That monstrosity of mechanical engineering just didn’t fit with the other toys in this shed. Its shocking bright yellow paintwork had to glow in the dark.

‘It belonged to my wife. Bree did it up. She plans to go on a long road trip when I’m gone. Then to Tahiti for a holiday to drink on some beach that’s got no crocodiles, before she goes to watch the Stanley cup.’

Which would mean the caretaker’s caveat would be over. What would happen to their blacksmithing business then?

Bree parked the tractor inside the large shed. She pushed the long door shut, then jiggled the keys in her hand as she approached, carrying her shotgun.

‘I’ve put cushions in the back for you, Dex.’ She slid her shotgun into the slot by the steering wheel. ‘No complaints about women drivers or I’ll push you out and make you walk back.’

He grinned on the inside. The woman was letting him come.

Plus, he loved the Razorback. It was like something out of a Mad Max movie, a vehicle so heavily modified it was a beast. There were no doors, no windows, mirrors, or glass windscreens. No seatbelts, and no roof. But it had a beefy engine, chunky four-wheel-drive tyres, and decent bucket seats in the front. In the back, wide bench seats ran down the walls of the beast made of steel. At the front, a large mechanical arm commanded space on the driver’s side. Along the front was a hefty bull bar, solid enough to take onanything the outback dished out, complete with a sturdy winch in case they needed it.

Yet Dex struggled to climb on board.

‘Here.’ Bree unclipped something from under the back lip of the Razorback and lowered some metal steps.

‘Did you make that for me?’

‘Pop made them for my grandmother. Here, don’t complain.’ She held out her hand, which he used to climb on board like some country lord. Normally he’d be jumping into the thing, to tap the side, shouting,let’s go. But not today.

Which sucked, especially when Bree hoisted his oxygen tank into the back, strapping them in for him, while he held the rail to catch his breath.

‘Mask on.’

He didn’t want to.

Bree arched her eyebrows at him.

‘Fine.’ He shouldn’t complain if he wanted to be included on this joy ride, so he unclipped it from the trolley and slid it over his mouth like a good boy.

‘For you, Stormcloud.’ Bree put a long cushion across the metal bench to create an outdoor lounge.

The mask hid his grin, even if he breathed like Darth Vader wearing a stockman’s hat. ‘Now, you have to say you made that cushion for me.’

‘You wish, jellyfish. Gran sewed those up. But if you want, I can tape a few of these cushions around your ribs and swap your hat for a helmet to protect that boofhead of yours?’

Damn, he adored the woman treating him like normal.

‘Have you got the bait, kid?’ Charlie lifted the lid of the spare seat opposite Dex and slid the water and food coolers inside. Every space had a purpose on this beast.

‘I almost forgot.’ Bree spun around to approach three big freezers that rested against the wall of the large shed.

‘Is that an ice machine?’ Dex pointed to the bulkymachine positioned on the far corner of the blacksmithing workshed.

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