The Round Yard

by Alissa Callen

  Maya looked at Neve and she gave her a nod. The two girls sprinted across the lawn towards the house. Patch followed before wandering off to sniff around the vegetable garden beds. Neve glanced at Tanner. Since the day he’d taught her to lunge, they hadn’t again been alone. But if Tanner was aware they were by themselves, it didn’t register in his body language or his voice as he shut the paddock gate.

  ‘I’ll bring Arrow next week and pony Bassie off him, just to make sure he’s okay to be led. Then the girls can have their first ride.’

  ‘They’ll love that.’ Neve looked over at the veranda, but there was no sign yet of Maya and Kait. ‘Would … you like to come inside … for a cool drink? The girls have something for you.’

  Tanner folded his arms even before she’d finished. She ignored the way the blue cotton tightened around his biceps and his rolled-up sleeve cuffs inched higher on his tanned forearms. ‘I’d better head back.’

  Neve linked her fingers together to stop herself from taking hold of his arm as he half turned. The tight line of his jaw reassured her it wasn’t indifference that made him want to make a quick getaway, just uncertainty.

  ‘The girls won’t be long.’ She lowered her voice as the front door slammed. ‘Tanner, you don’t have to do anything when they give their pictures to you … just smile and say thank you. That will make them happy.’

  She didn’t miss the relief that relaxed his mouth as he turned back to her. ‘Thanks … I’m not very good with kids.’

  She didn’t have time to reply before Maya and Kait raced over, stopped in front of Tanner and thrust out two pieces of paper. Kait’s paper was now filled with blue squiggles, which explained why they’d stayed inside.

  Tanner accepted the drawings, studied each picture and then said a quiet, ‘Thank you. These are … great.’

  Neve took Maya’s hand just as the five-year-old went to launch herself at the drover to give him a hug.

  ‘You’re very welcome,’ Neve said and both little redheads nodded.

  The tanned skin of Tanner’s throat moved as he swallowed. ‘I … like my hat in this one. And I like all the blue in this one.’

  Maya giggled. ‘That’s because blue’s your favourite colour.’

  Tanner glanced at Neve, his eyes unsure and brow creased.

  She gestured towards his shirt. ‘Your shirts and your ute are blue.’

  He didn’t immediately reply. ‘I guess the baling twine’s blue too.’ He nodded at the girls, a grin crinkling the corners of his eyes. ‘Blue obviously is my favourite colour.’

  As if conscious he’d stepped too far out of his comfort zone, his smile died. He looked around for Patch, who, body low to the ground, slowly approached a magpie. At Tanner’s whistle the dog sped to his side. ‘We’d better get back. Denham has a truckload of cattle arriving.’

  ‘Okay. Thanks for your help today.’

  ‘No worries. See you next week.’

  Too late Neve saw Kait step forward and hold her arms up to Tanner to be picked up. He froze, the light in his eyes dimming to a troubled blue.

  Neve let go of Maya’s hand and scooped Kait up to sit her on her hip. Kait rested her head in the crook of Neve’s neck and waved at Tanner.

  He lifted a hand and waved in return before also waving at Maya. Then without looking at Neve, he turned on his boot heels and strode away. Just like they usually did, Neve and the girls watched until his ute disappeared through the front gate and Patch’s barking could no longer be heard.

  Neve only half listened to Maya and Kait’s chatter about what they could make Tanner that was blue as they walked along the paved garden path. With every meeting, Neve glimpsed a little more about who Tanner was and unearthed a little more about him. Instead of helping assuage her curiosity and disengage her interest, each new discovery only drew her to him more.

  Today he’d admitted he wasn’t good with kids. Yet he’d gone above and beyond what he’d needed to do to thank the girls for their presents. He’d put aside his own fears to make sure he didn’t hurt their feelings. She stifled a sigh. And now it would prove even more impossible to stop thinking about him.

  ‘So this is where you’ve been hiding?’ Hewitt’s voice sounded before his boots rang on the concrete of the workshop that occupied a section of Claremont’s machinery shed.

  Tanner straightened to wipe his oily hands on a rag. ‘My ag bike needed an oil filter change before I head out droving again.’

  ‘I hope you’re not heading off to the long paddock anytime soon. Denham’s going to need some nights out at the Royal Arms.’

  Since Hewitt had moved into Bundara with Fliss, he’d become a good mate. Tanner, Denham and Hewitt had all bonded over their mutual love of horses, cold beer and country life.

  ‘I’m sure he will.’ Tanner left the question about when he’d head off droving unanswered. ‘He won’t be the only one.’

  Hewitt bent to pat Patch, who’d left his favourite corner of the shed to greet the pickup rider. ‘You can say that again. Once Cressy and Denham tie the knot the focus will be on Fliss’s and my wedding. I’ll need just as many visits to the pub as Denham.’

  Tanner ignored the ache of a long-ago pain. He too had once had a wedding on his mind.

  ‘Count me in.’

  Hewitt passed him the socket wrench. ‘Have you got time for a ride? Garnet’s going stir crazy.’

  ‘I’m taking Arrow over to Neve’s Monday afternoon so can call in on the way back?’

  ‘Great. We can head up to the ridge before it gets dark.’ Hewitt paused and the expression in his grey eyes turned serious. ‘I wish I could do more to help Neve. It’s tough having to adjust to a new life.’

  Tanner’s hands stilled as he fitted the replacement oil filter.

  ‘New life?’

  ‘Yes, she lost her mother last winter. It turns out her mother grew up at Bundara, so we have Neve over as often as we can. She hides her loss well, but it’s only when she’s there that she looks at peace.’

  Tanner focused on finishing fitting the new oil filter. His adoptive mother might have passed away while he was at university, but the anguish associated with losing her remained. It had required a great deal of time to accept the new direction his own life had taken after her death.

  When he replied he made sure his voice sounded casual. Hewitt was a man of few words, but he read people as easily as he did the rodeo bulls and buckjumpers. ‘I can understand why Neve’s moved close to a place that she connects with family.’

  Hewitt nodded and Tanner didn’t miss the way the pickup rider’s stare stayed on him. The phone in Hewitt’s shirt pocket vibrated and he checked his messages.

  ‘Fliss wants to know if you need a ticket for the small-hall festival tomorrow?’

  ‘No, I’m all good.’

  A smile twitched on Hewitt’s lips. ‘No, as in you’ve got one, or no as in you’re not setting foot in the same room as Edna?’

  ‘No, as in I haven’t given it any real thought.’

  Hewitt raised a dark brow. ‘You know if you don’t go, Denham and I might take a wrong turn and end up in his man-cave.’

  Tanner’s laughter caused Patch’s tail to thump on the floor. ‘Do I have to remind you the last time you got lost Fliss and Cressy turned up at the shed, took your ute keys and personally chauffeured you to the book-club Christmas party?’

  Hewitt groaned. ‘I’ve never eaten so many mince pies in my life. At least if I was eating I wouldn’t have to talk. Denham and I were the only males there.’

  ‘So next Christmas, whenever book club is on, I’ll pencil you in for a week away camping and fishing?’

  ‘For sure.’

  The sudden ebb of the amusement in Hewitt’s eyes let Tanner know that even a few days away from Fliss would be too many.

  Tanner returned the socket wrench to its position on the shelf. He’d told a half-truth. While he hadn’t given the small-hall festival any real consideration, he had thought about it enoug
h to decide not to go. His constant vigilance to avoid having his name connected with anyone single had worn thin. There also seemed to be a baby boom in Woodlea. Everywhere he looked there were either babies or women who were expecting. He avoided Hewitt’s gaze as he faced him.

  Most of all Neve would be there. It was hard enough being around her while working with Dell and Bassie, let alone engaging with her in a social setting. All eyes would be on them and he couldn’t trust in his ability to hide his awareness of her. This morning when she’d recaptured Bassie, his respect for her determination to not let the pony win had deepened his voice.

  ‘You’re not going, are you?’ Hewitt’s solemn words sounded.

  ‘Sorry, mate. You and Denham are on your own.’

  ‘If you change your mind, you know where we’ll be.’ Hewitt moved forward to clasp Tanner’s shoulder. ‘See you on Monday.’

  ‘Will do.’

  Long after Hewitt had left, the knowledge of why Neve had come to the bush weighed upon Tanner. No wonder her smile didn’t always last for long. No wonder she was kind and patient with the girls. She knew exactly what they were going through. Instead of losing her way in an unfamiliar world, Neve had opened her arms to children who needed her. And the knowledge humbled him. Neve possessed a depth and generosity that went beyond words.

  The loneliness that was never satisfied with staying in the background coursed through him. On edge, he swept out the workshop and then, with Patch by his side, headed for the stables. He needed to feel the wind on his face. He needed the rhythmic sound of Arrow’s galloping hooves to fill his head so he couldn’t think of anything else.

  He hadn’t reached the shed when his mobile rang in his jeans pocket. His grip on his phone tightened as Neve’s name flashed onto the screen. She usually only texted.

  ‘Hi.’

  ‘Hi, sorry to bother you, but Bassie’s stuck in the fence. I can’t get him out.’

  He turned towards where his ute was parked beneath the jacaranda tree. ‘You’re not bothering me. I’m on my way.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  Patch jumped into the ute trayback and Tanner clipped the short chain onto his collar. As he drove the back road to Rosewood, he reminded himself that Neve’s request wasn’t personal. For her to ask for his help, Bassie must be well and truly stuck. Despite such a rationalisation, a hum of happiness refused to subside. He hadn’t missed the warmth and relief in her voice when he’d said he was on his way.

  Just as he’d suspected, Bassie had got himself into trouble. At the far end of the orchard an old iron gate had been used to reinforce the fence where the wire had once been cut. Somehow, greedy Bassie had wriggled between the fence and gate to reach the longer grass. He didn’t appear to be in distress, which Tanner suspected was because his very round stomach was full. Neve stood inside the paddock next to him while the girls sat outside on two pink camping chairs. Dell grazed down by the lemon tree.

  Tanner parked, let off Patch and collected wire cutters from the ute toolbox. He smiled at the girls as they patted Patch. Their serious little faces broke into grins.

  Maya pointed at the taffy pony. ‘Bassie’s stuck like Winnie-the-Pooh in the honey tree.’

  He nodded, despite only having a vague idea that Winnie-the-Pooh was some sort of bear. ‘He sure is, but he’ll be out soon.’

  Kait gave him a thumbs-up sign he’d once seen Neve use.

  Neve’s strained expression didn’t change as he approached. A faint blush bloomed in her cheeks. ‘Thanks again for coming to help.’

  ‘No worries.’ He looked away to hide how much her appreciation touched him. ‘Bassie’s done a good job.’

  ‘He can’t move forward as there’s nowhere to go and when he moves backwards his stomach gets stuck. I also don’t have anything with which to cut the wire.’

  Tanner reached over the fence to rub Bassie’s forehead as he lifted his head. After assessing the pony for any injuries and finding none, Tanner bent to cut the wire that attached the gate to the fence. With each snip the tension holding the gate to the fence decreased.

  Neve took hold of the rusted metal and carefully pulled it towards her, creating space for Bassie to back out. He did so as though he had all the time in the world. Then, once free, as if he hadn’t created any drama, he peered at Tanner and Neve from beneath his long forelock.

  Neve shook her head as the pony then wandered over to the fence in front of the girls in the hope of a treat. ‘So much cuteness and yet so much mischief.’

  Tanner laughed softly. ‘You must admit, life without Bassie would be dull.’

  For a moment he thought Neve wouldn’t respond and then she too laughed. Her green eyes sparkled. ‘You’re right … it would be.’

  Tanner busied himself with cutting the last of the tie wire securing the gate to the fence. He didn’t want to examine the need to keep making Neve laugh until all the shadows were banished from her face. He lifted the gate over the fence so he could reattach it on the outside. He wasn’t going to give crafty Bassie a second opportunity to wedge himself into a similar position.

  Using a wooden post for leverage, he vaulted over the top fence wire. As he bent to reposition the gate, footsteps sounded behind him. The girls had left their chairs. As difficult as it was being around them, if he was honest, he no longer felt quite as panicked. But when a small hand tapped his shoulder he couldn’t stop himself from tensing.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Maya asked as she stood close by him. He caught the scent of strawberries.

  ‘Doing?’ Kait echoed, standing beside her sister.

  He slowly straightened. Even with their hats, the day’s heat had turned their pale cheeks pink. The plaits that fell over their shoulders were the colour of campfire flames.

  He looked for Neve, but she had her back to him, her attention on where Patch was barking over in the rose garden.

  Mouth dry, he said, ‘Bassie-proofing the fence.’ At their blank expressions, he tried again. ‘Fixing the fence.’

  Both nodded.

  Maya said, ‘I want to help.’

  ‘Me too,’ Kait said.

  Tanner hesitated. ‘Sure …’

  He thought hard. There wasn’t anything for the girls to do that didn’t involve sharp wire. Last month when he’d bent over a water trough, his phone had taken a dip.

  ‘Maya … maybe you could hold this for me?’

  He pulled his phone out of his shirt pocket and passed it to the five-year-old. Then he took off his hat and handed it to Kait. He wasn’t prepared for the brilliance of their smiles or the joy in their eyes.

  Unsure if he’d done the right thing by giving them something to make them feel useful, he concentrated on reattaching the gate.

  Neve approached and smiled when she saw what the girls had in their hands. ‘Looks like you’ve got two little helpers.’

  He nodded without making eye contact. He couldn’t risk her seeing how much he enjoyed her rare, full smile.

  When he went to his ute to get some new tie wire, Maya and Kait followed. And when he returned to the fence, they remained by his side. He made sure he angled his body so they could see what he was doing. The more their attention was on the wire he twisted, the fewer questions he’d need to find answers for.

  Once he’d checked the finished fence for any potential pony hazards, Maya handed him his phone, and Kait his hat.

  ‘Thanks.’

  Both girls grinned but didn’t move away. He settled his hat on his head and pulled the brim low. He opened his mouth to say he’d see them on Monday, but Neve spoke first.

  ‘Tanner … the girls have made you some cupcakes. They were supposed to be for next week, but maybe you’d like to come inside for a cool drink or a cuppa and have one now?’

  The word ‘no’ formed in his head, but there was something about the hope that lit up the sisters’ faces and the way they jiggled from one foot to the other in their tiny cowgirl boots that held him quiet. The sun burned through the
cotton of his blue shirt.

  ‘A cool drink sounds … good.’

  Before he knew what Maya was doing, she slipped her hand in his and before he could recover, Kait took his other hand. The girls’ fingers felt so delicate and fragile and yet their grip was surprisingly strong.

  His eyes met Neve’s. An emotion he couldn’t define was quickly replaced by one of reassurance. She gave him a small nod.

  He swallowed. ‘Okay, then. Let’s go inside.’

  Careful not to walk too fast for the girls’ little legs, Tanner followed Neve and Patch through the leafy garden. He was already regretting saying yes even before he climbed the veranda steps. The aroma of fresh baking greeted him along with the impression of warmth and cosiness. The white-painted hallway with its pale polished floorboards was decorated in pretty floral prints, and on a small table sat a cluster of candles.

  His feet dragged as the girls led him into a kitchen that overlooked what had to be a small child’s paradise. A large plush patterned rug was surrounded by boxes of toys and shelves of books. Even without a white picket fence outside, Neve had created a home that embraced whoever entered and reflected her own inner warmth. He focused on the blue cupcakes on the kitchen bench. He didn’t need to notice any more details. He already admired her far too much.

  The girls must have sensed his unease as their hold on his fingers tightened.

  ‘Why don’t you go and wash your hands with Tanner?’ Neve said as she filled a jug with water.

  When Tanner and the girls returned from the bathroom with their hands smelling of something fragrant, Neve had set a plate of cupcakes out on the veranda table. Tanner masked his sigh of relief as he walked out the front door. He still couldn’t relax, but at least not being surrounded by walls meant that the pressure constricting his chest would ease. A light breeze carrying the fresh scent of eucalyptus played over his skin. The tense line of his shoulders lowered.