Page 131 of Bodybuilders for the BBW

“Want to come too, boy?” Pa asked. “Well, up you get.”

“He’ll need…”

I was going to say a boost, but somehow he ran at the tray of the truck and threw himself up and onto it with a scrabble of his back paws. Pa nodded and locked the tailgate before getting in on the driver’s side, turning the key in the ignition. We drove past the house, up the hill, past some old cottages shearers used to use, and Pa’s shed, then out to the storage shed where all the hay was kept.

Bronson jumped down as we went to work, loading the bales up on the back, and that was far harder than any gym workout. Then we were off, the fence posts whizzing past until we got to the gate and I jumped out. Opening it, Pa drove through and the cattle came running. I clambered onto the back of the tray, fighting to keep my balance as Pa drove slowly forward, Bronson barking in excitement. The cows paid him little mind, eager for the hay. I dropped it in chunks behind us, creating a trail of feed and the cows creating a line, chewing on the dried grass. I worked and worked until my back ached and a strange kind of exhaustion set in, sitting down in the tray as the sun began to set.

“Beautiful place,” Pa said, leaning against the tray as he rolled himself a cigarette. Nan wouldn’t let him smoke anywhere near the house, hating the stink of it. “That old stone barn…” He gestured to the old buildings that had now become a black silhouette against the reddening sky. “Never could find a use for it. Pity really.”

His sidelong look, that sly smile, it got me thinking.

“What about…?” I didn’t want to voice my idea out loud, because as soon as I did, I’d cop criticism. What a ridiculous idea, Katie. How impractical. Thing was, I was done being the bitch of the voices inside my head. “What if we turned them into a shelter? That one could be the office.” I pointed to the smaller cottage. “And the barn could be turned into a series of kennels. That’d cost a lot of money though.”

“Makes no sense working on the land.” Pa nodded, then took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling a plume of bluish smoke. “Weather’s always against you, and you either have a good year and prices are down because there’s a glut, or you’re trying to keep the cattle alive during a drought but can charge a premium for the animals you bring to market.”

“So why do people do it, then?” I asked.

“Because they love it.” He watched me closely, the reddish orange of the sunset reflected in his eyes. “The head makes sensible decisions.” A finger tapped at his temples. “But the heart…? It’s all pie in the sky thinking, preoccupied by dreams, by visions. When they work together.” He winked at me. “Well, anything’s possible.”

As the air grew cooler, as the sun sank lower, I stared at those buildings and did something I hadn’t done since I got the news about my Year 12 grades: dreamed. Of the ruins of the stone buildings rebuilt better than ever. Of dogs coming to the property beaten down and broken, only for me to use every trick I knew to help them recover.

Just like I had with Bronson.

As if summoned by my thoughts, the dog went to the edge of the tray, his whole body tensing as his nose worked. A rabbit stood up on its haunches, and that was enough for Bronson. He launched himself off the tray and went barrelling after it, scattering cows in his wake.

“Get it, boy!”

Pa laughed, and the sound of it, the way Bronson sprinted after the rabbit, it had me laughing too, right as I jumped down.

“Bronson!” I called, hustling after him. “Bronson!”

Of course, he ended up empty-handed and panting in the remains of the stone buildings.

“What do you think, Katie?” Pa looked around at the buildings. “Reckon you could make something of this place?”

“But how…?” He smiled as I spun around. “And this is your farm…? My job…?”

He watched my hands rise and fall with a patient smile, just waiting me out as I turned back around. Being a vet was my dream, and it’d failed to come to fruition. Working as a receptionist? That was never what I wanted to do. I coasted along because it was easy, and what he was talking about? It would be beyond hard, but… If I closed my eyes, I saw shadowy shapes moving around the place, rebuilding the shed and turning it into something completely new.

“I put a roast on for dinner,” Nan said when we returned. “It’s going to take a bit, so we’ll have a late meal, but seeing as we have company…”

I thought she meant me and was going to protest that she didn’t need to go to this much trouble, when she nodded to the living room. Bronson went barrelling in, barking enthusiastically, which should’ve given me a hint who was here. I blinked as I walked in, seeing all three of the guys sitting there, cups of tea on the coffee table.

“Katie…?” Rhys was the first one to speak, to take a step towards me, but he stopped himself from going any further.

“What’re you—?” I started to ask.

“We’re here for you.” Rhett did close the gap between us, grabbing my arms and then giving them a squeeze. “As soon as I heard what happened, we got in the car and drove down here.”

“Pretty sure I just quit my job.” Garrett looked a little stricken by that admission, but when he approached, the fear faded away and was replaced by something far warmer. “And honestly, that’s probably a good thing. I fucked up.”

His eyes dropped down to look at my dog.

“You trusted me. Bronson trusted me, and I wasn’t there. The entire drive down here, I’ve gone over it in my head. How scared he must’ve been, left alone as that damn dog next door…” He shook his head. “I can’t go back and undo what I did. I thought I was doing the right thing, and it's really clear that wasn’t it, but…”

I watched his hands rise, as if he was going to reach for me, but at the last minute, they fell back to his sides.

“I swear to you, Katie, if you give me another chance, I will spend every damn day making sure neither of you feel abandoned again. And if…” He swallowed hard. “If that was the last straw, if I blew it for good, just say the word. I won’t try to talk you out of it. You deserve someone who shows up.” When he glanced at the others, my eyes followed his. “And I will do anything it takes to prove I’m capable of that.”

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