Page 68 of Stockman's Stormcloud

‘You won’t need my visits, as soon as you stop using those tanks.’

He didn’t like the sound of that. Even if he was ready to return those oxygen tanks today, and donate Bree’s oxygen cart to the hospital, he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Nurse Kitty just yet.

‘I’ll make you an appointment to see the doctor in a few days.’

The back screen door opened, and Charlie and Bree strolled inside, as a vehicle started out the front of the cottage. Dex peered through the window to spot Lenny driving away.

It was showtime.

‘Where did you come from, Charlie?’ Dex hadn’t heard the Razorback.

‘Round the back, Bree radioed me in. Have you finished your check-up, lad?’ Charlie asked, while sliding his hat onto the long hat rack that took up the entire wall of coats, hats, leather aprons, stockwhips and rope.

‘We’re done,’ replied Sophie.

No,we are not done!He scowled at his nurse.

‘What’s going on?’ Charlie put his thermos and a roll of maps on the kitchen bench. ‘Are we really being accused of being a couple of poddy dodgers?’

‘What?’ Sophie asked.

‘Dirty mongrel duffers,’ Charlie sneered as he spoke.

Again, Sophie shrugged her shoulders, looking at Dex for the answer.

‘Cattle rustlers.’ The word also made Dex’s blood boil, just like Charlie’s. ‘For the record, I’m sticking up for you guys. We knew you were out fossicking with Lenny.’

‘I said they weren’t accusing you, Pop.’ Bree placed two plastic containers on the bench, dumping her large leather witchy sack that doubled as a handbag. ‘Oh, look, it’s the nurse. And she has a cat.’ She gave a wicked grin at Dex. ‘Now I get the name Nurse K—’

‘Be nice, Bree.’

‘Why? Are you going to have a go at me, too?’

‘Ryder was wrong.’

‘Oh hell, yeah.’ Bree even chuckled. ‘That man is so wrong on so many levels.’

Something wasn’t right. Dex was expecting Bree to be chopping wood, shouting, or something. Her calmness was spooky.

Charlie gawked at Bree. ‘I hope you walloped him for that.’

‘Bree slapped him, hard.’ It had to have stung, leaving the handprint from a strong blacksmith on his brother’s cheek. Dex’s smile fell. ‘I have to ask, Bree. Where were you?’

‘You know where.’

‘You dropped me off at two, then…’

Sophie gasped, staring up at Dex as if he’d done something wrong. What for? His relationship with Bree was purely platonic. He’d told Sophie this many times already.

‘I went and saw a mate.’ Bree lifted the lid on one of the plastic containers she’d arrived with, unleashing a rich vanilla aroma in the air. It was filled with cupcakes, where sheoffered the sweet treats to Charlie. ‘If you must know—and as I would have told Ryder, if he had bothered to ask me nicely—I was at Lucy’s place.’

‘Who gets visitors that early in the morning?’ Was that where Bree hid her still?

‘They work bakers’ hours.’

‘The Station Hand’s daughter runs the food van in town at the train station. Good tucker, too,’ explained Charlie, plucking up a cupcake. ‘They make the best stockman’s brekkie for all the ringers loading the cattle for the train.’ Charlie paused to wolf down his cupcake. ‘Gawd, these are good. You should eat one, missy.’ He grabbed a napkin and a cupcake, pushing it into Sophie’s hands. ‘I’ll put the billy on.’

‘Let’s begin shall we…’ Bree raised her cupcake in the air. ‘We are all gathered here today to join these four types of sugars in the holy art of cupcake making. May our cholesterol and blood pressure remain steady for another day.’ Bree bit into her frosted cupcake, her eyes rolling with pleasure.

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