Country Roads

by Nicole Hurley-Moore

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘We all are. It’s been a tough few years,’ Bec said before taking a sip from her mug. ‘Anyway, my dad and I used to butt heads pretty much over everything, but since the accident I’ve tried to hold my tongue and let him have his way. Sometimes it just gets to me that he never seems to be open to any new ideas. Bluestone Ridge belongs to him, and I get that, but every now and then I wish he’d cut me a bit of slack.’

  ‘But you’re running the farm, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes, from dawn to dusk and then into the night – but Dad has the final say in everything.’

  ‘I guess that would be frustrating.’

  ‘Yeah, it can be. I know that he’s trying to hold on to control, and I understand why, but it doesn’t make things any easier. Sorry – I shouldn’t go on about it. I offer you coffee and then bend your ear with my whingeing.’

  ‘You’re not whingeing, and you’ve got every right to feel the way you do. We all need to get things off our chests every now and again.’

  ‘Thanks – I appreciate it.’

  Matt gave her a look over his mug.

  ‘No, I do. I don’t talk about it much – well, never, actually. It feels good to get it off my chest.’

  ‘Ah, then my work here is done,’ Matt said with a quick smile.

  ‘Not quite. It’s your turn. You haven’t said why you moved here.’

  ‘’Course I have. I’m here to write my next book and enjoy the quiet rural way of life.’

  Bec pinned him with a stare. ‘Yes, but there’s something more to it. You’re hiding out here for a reason; want to tell me why?’

  Matt looked down at his mug on the table.

  ‘I told you. I was in a car accident.’ He paused, then continued, ‘And I need to move on from it, if I can. It’s taken me a long time to get to this point.’

  ‘I’m sorry – I guess it was my turn to pry . . . but obviously I shouldn’t have.’

  He shook his head. ‘No, it’s okay. I try and put it out of my mind but it’s always there in the background. But there’s a little more to the story. What I didn’t tell you was that the driver was my fiancée, Leanne. Our car veered off a road during a storm. It fell and rolled down a steep slope until it was stopped by a copse of trees. I was knocked unconscious; I came to when the emergency workers were getting me out. I was pretty beat up with cuts, breaks and compound and comminuted fractures to my leg.’

  ‘Oh God, Matt – I’m sorry. I had no idea.’

  ‘How could you? I haven’t really told anyone.’

  ‘What do you mean by comminuted?’

  ‘My femur was shattered.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘But what was worse was that my fiancée . . .’

  Bec swallowed as she listened to Matt. She remembered that he’d told her the driver had perished in the accident. ‘You don’t have to go on.’

  ‘Yes, I think I do. Leanne didn’t make it – her injuries were catastrophic. The paramedics tried, they did everything they could, but she was too far gone. She died while being airlifted to the hospital.’

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ Bec reached out and took his hand in hers. ‘I shouldn’t have asked.’

  ‘I’ve had it bottled up ever since the accident. My sister, Jules, wanted me to talk to someone about it but I just couldn’t bring myself to. She thought that I blamed myself for Leanne’s death – and maybe I did – but I don’t anymore. It took me months to get to that point. I guess I felt guilty that I survived and she didn’t, but finally, eventually, I realised that it was just an accident. Shit happens, and sometimes there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.’

  Bec squeezed his hand a little tighter. ‘I don’t know what to say.’

  He looked up and gave her a smile. ‘There’s nothing to be said. I didn’t lie when I said that I moved here for the peaceful life. It’s all I really want – a little peace – and then maybe I might even start to rebuild my life and be Matt again.’

  ‘Who are you now?’

  ‘Damned if I know.’ He let out a sigh. ‘For a long time, I was someone I didn’t even recognise. I guess I’m beginning to see flashes of the old me, but I get the feeling it can never be like it was – I’ve been through too much. That guy just doesn’t exist anymore.’

  ‘It’ll get better, it has to.’

  ‘Yes, I believe it will. In the last few months I’ve found myself looking to the future more often than over my shoulder into the past. It’s a good start.’

  A crack of thunder echoed around the kitchen and Boxey let out a whine as he huddled closer to Matt’s leg.

  ‘Hey, it’s alright, boy – you’re safe in here.’ Matt bent down and scooped the dog up onto his lap.

  Bec stood up and walked over to Boxey, bent down and patted him. ‘It’s okay, the storm’s not going to get you.’

  She grinned at the little dog as she ruffled the fur behind his ears but then she made the mistake of looking at Matt. Something in the air changed as they stared at each other – both suspended, not really knowing which way to go. It was crazy, they had been talking about their lives and the death of Matt’s fiancée and now . . . now everything had the potential to change in a second. Her face was only a few centimetres away from Matt’s and she found herself inching closer.

  He closed the distance between them and kissed her. It wasn’t what she expected – not that she’d expected anything. But that was just it, there had been a couple of times when she’d thought she felt a connection between them. It had been a fleeting flash of possibilities that neither of them had considered, but in both cases they hadn’t acted on it – until now.

  His lips were firm and warm and soft at the same time. Bec felt the first flicker of heat unfurl in her body. It had been a long time since she’d been kissed and she’d forgotten just how much she liked it.

  Perhaps it was a mistake, but for those few precious seconds Bec was going to live in the moment and savour Matt Harvey – because it had just occurred to her that he deserved to be savoured. She kissed him back and with each moment the need inside grew.

  Matt teased her with his mouth, his tongue and his hot breath. He spun a spell well and Bec found that she was becoming entangled in it. He reached out and ran his hand behind her neck, pulling her closer, and she didn’t resist. She wanted more, she wanted his touch and to run her hands over his taut body. They were getting closer, heading towards God only knew what, when Boxey let out a bark and shattered the mood.

  ‘You lied.’

  Matt frowned. ‘What?’

  ‘You promised that you wouldn’t kiss me today.’

  Matt’s frown eased when he remembered his words at the school fete. ‘I guess I did. I suppose I should apologise for the onion breath.’

  ‘It’s okay, I won’t tell Ken Riley if you don’t,’ Bec said as she pulled back. ‘But I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t mean to go and complicate things.’

  Matt placed the dog on the floor as he stood up. ‘I think I kissed you, and I’m not the least bit sorry.’

  ‘Maybe, but this isn’t a good idea, Matt. I like you, I really do. But we’re two very different people who have no business kissing each other.’

  ‘Yeah, well maybe you’re wrong. There’s a connection between us – and don’t tell me you haven’t felt it before.’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

  ‘Never thought of you as a liar.’

  Bec narrowed her eyes. ‘What the hell do you mean by that?’

  ‘Hmm, how about the night we went to dinner and the movies in Bendigo? You know, when you couldn’t keep your eyes off me?’ Matt took a step towards her and paused for a second, as if to see if she’d back away.

  As if – no matter what, the Dupreys never retreated.

  ‘I think you’ve got that wrong. I didn’t—’

  ‘Yeah, you did, and I stared back. You might not want to admit it, but there’s an attraction there, and that kiss jus
t proved it. Hell, I’m still trying to get my blood pressure under control.’

  Bec went to open her mouth to deny it but he was right – she wasn’t a liar.

  ‘Okay, let’s say that you’re right about this. It doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea. We’re from two different worlds, and let’s face it, sometimes we can rub each other up the wrong way.’

  Bec felt the heat in her cheeks as she realised what she’d just said. Bad choice of words – bad because all she could picture now was wrapping herself around Matt’s body.

  He stared at her, watching her squirm in embarrassment. One corner of his sexy mouth quirked up at the corner and Bec just knew that the picture in her head was pretty much the same as the one in his.

  ‘I think we could find the positive in that.’

  ‘Oh, shut up – you know what I meant.’ Bec turned away, trying to put some distance between them, but Matt latched on to her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

  ‘Hey, just think about it. It could be good if you let it.’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  He let go of her hand and walked past her, Boxey at his heels.

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘Back to my place.’

  ‘It’s still raining,’ Bec said as she glanced out the kitchen window.

  ‘Yeah, but the storm is moving on and so should I. Thanks for finding Boxey and for the dry shirt. I’ll return it tomorrow.’

  She waved her hand as she followed him down the hallway. ‘Keep it.’

  ‘Thank you – it’ll remind me of the storm . . . and you,’ he said as he reached the door.

  ‘Look, Matt – it’s not as if I didn’t enjoy kissing you, it’s just I don’t think—’

  She didn’t have time to finish her sentence as Matt caught hold of her and kissed her again. Instantly, the heat began to burn, and Bec hung on to his shoulders as his arms held her close. The faint scent of his aftershave enticed her and drew her in, just like his arms.

  Matt broke their kiss and stepped away. ‘You can’t deny what’s between us. Think on that, Bec – you know where to find me,’ he said as he opened the front door and walked away. ‘Come on, Boxey, it’s time we went home.’

  The man and dog walked out into the drizzling rain, leaving Bec with the fading scent of spice and a longing she’d never really felt before.

  Chapter 12

  Bec was sitting at the kitchen table reading the local paper. The house was quiet as her parents had gone to Bendigo for one of Jack’s doctor’s appointments. It was a fight to get him to go because basically he’d given up – both she and her mum knew that. He kept saying that he was in a wheelchair for good and no amount of medical intervention was going to change that now. There was no way that her mum was going to let him not go. She badgered, cajoled, poked and prodded until he gave in because he’d get no peace until he did. Maggie Duprey was a formidable woman, that was for sure. And when her mum put her mind to something, no one got the better of her, including her husband.

  Bec had spent the morning moving the flock down from the high paddock to the sheep pens in the east paddock near the shearing sheds. The rest of the day was going to be more of the same, as she intended to start line backing the whole lot of them with drench the next day. Once that group of sheep was done, she’d start on the mob from the western paddock. It was hard work and Bec was glad to take a break. She’d sent the farmhands off for lunch and they were all going to meet back at the sheep pens at one o’clock. Which meant she had enough time to grab a coffee and a sandwich and skim through the local rag, The Golden Nugget. The newspaper incorporated not just White Gum Creek but the other small towns in the area as well. Its name was a nod to the old goldfields on which many of the towns sat. As she looked through the different articles, adverts and sports scores, a listing for a farm closure caught her eye. A small farm out the other side of Violet Falls was being sold along with all the farm equipment – including a small tractor. There was a contact phone number at the bottom. Bec tore the ad out of the paper. It would be worth her time to see if the tractor was any good, she thought.

  Bec had access to the farm accounts, both the records and the bank account. And even though she could use the account, she always had to clear the big purchases with her dad. For years this arrangement hadn’t annoyed her because it was just the way things were – and it had never caused problems, because they had never before clashed over the big decisions the way they had over the blasted tractor.

  For all their sakes, Bec knew that sometime soon things would have to change; she just hoped her father would come to see that, too. She didn’t want to challenge or aggravate him, but the truth was that if she didn’t assert herself soon, she knew she’d be lost. Perhaps that sounded dramatic, but it was what it felt like. If she didn’t take back her power then she would forever be Jack Duprey’s farmhand. She needed to feel that her opinion mattered, that she mattered, and at the moment it didn’t feel that way at all.

  Bec tapped her finger on the advert, thinking. Then she made a decision.

  ***

  ‘So what do you reckon, Pearl? Is it alright or have we wasted a trip?’ Bec asked the woman next to her. Pearl Lancaster was somewhere in her sixties but she’d never tell anyone just how far. She had grown up in White Gum Creek, and what she didn’t know about tractors wasn’t worth knowing. Pearl shook her head and her teal-coloured hair swung against her shoulders. She had told Bec on more than one occasion that if she was going to dye her hair she wasn’t going to pretend she didn’t. Pearl was partial to bright, happy colours, which was why for the last fifteen years her hair had been through the entire spectrum of the rainbow.

  ‘No, we haven’t wasted a trip. It looks to me that this tractor is in pretty good nick. I’ve started her up and had a peek inside and she looks great. It’s a decent buy.’

  ‘Okay,’ Bec said slowly as she pondered her next move. ‘Okay then.’

  ‘I was talking to the owners a few minutes ago. They have to sell up rather than want to. It’s a shame, apparently they’ve been here quite a while.’

  ‘That’s a pity. Are the new owners going to farm the land?’

  ‘Nah, the new owner has no intention of farming or running sheep. He’s a developer of some sort. Because this farm is so close to the town there’s talk about it being divided up and sold off bit by bit or turned into an estate.’

  ‘That’s kind of a shame.’

  ‘Yes, it is. But when you’ve got this much land near a thriving town – well, it’s going to happen. You know that Violet Falls is a much bigger concern than White Gum Creek. More shops, more amenities, and basically just more people. Besides, the owner was just telling me it got a write-up in one of the big newspapers recently – Violet Falls is apparently the best kept secret in the state.’

  Bec glanced at the man standing over by the paddock fence. He had a weather-worn face and silver hair. He was silent as he stared across what once had been his. There was an air of despair and despondency about him and it tugged at Bec’s heart. She could only imagine what it would be like to lose Bluestone Ridge; it would almost kill her, and it would certainly bury her father. Generations of hopes and dreams gone in an instant. How did people come back from that? How was it possible to live with the guilt of being the one who has lost the family’s land? Bec swallowed hard and blinked away the mist which was gathering in her eyes.

  Pearl nudged her arm. ‘Hey, are you alright?’

  Bec gave her an embarrassed sort of smile. ‘Yeah. So . . . you think I should get the tractor?’

  ‘Absolutely, although you might have some trouble with your father. Are you prepared for that?’

  ‘I know, but we need a new tractor and, well, Dad is just going to have to come to terms with the fact that I’m just as much a part of Bluestone Ridge as he is.’

  Pearl stared at her for a second. ‘And what about Maggie? Doesn’t she have a say in the place?’

  ‘Of course she does
. Mum loves the land just as much as the rest of us. Although she’s never been overly fond of the house.’

  ‘Oh, I know.’

  ‘She’s talked to you about this?’ Bec was surprised.

  Pearl shrugged. ‘You know we’ve been friends since way before you were born. In fact, when I was a teenager, I used to be her babysitter – there, I bet you didn’t know that, did you?’

  Bec shook her head and found it hard to imagine Pearl being young. ‘No, I didn’t know that.’

  ‘Well, it’s true. I also know that she loves your father more than he deserves but if she had her way she’d have an ultra-modern house with sleek furniture. Unfortunately she knew from the very beginning that being with Jack Duprey meant living in that old mausoleum of a house.’

  ‘Hey, I love that house – well, parts of it anyway.’

  ‘Which just proves that you are your father’s daughter,’ Pearl said with a laugh.

  Bec grinned back. ‘I guess I am,’ she said as she started to walk away.

  ‘Where are you going, kiddo?’

  ‘To buy a tractor, of course.’

  ***

  Maggie Duprey swung into a parking spot just outside the general store. She pulled on the handbrake and switched off the ignition.

  ‘What are we doing here?’ Jack asked.

  ‘I just wanted to grab a couple of things,’ she said with a smile.

  Jack sighed and shook his head. ‘Maggs, we were just in Bendigo – I thought we’d already done the shopping.’

  ‘Oh, stop whingeing. I’m supporting our local businesses. Do you want to come in?’

  He gave her a smile. ‘I’m not whingeing, but I reckon I’ve had enough outings for one day. I think I’ll just stay here.’

  ‘Suit yourself – I’ll be back in a tick,’ Maggie said before she headed into the bakery. Maggie was longer than she thought she’d be. There was a short wait in the bakery and then old Mrs Donnell had the chats. She spent a few minutes in small talk as she edged her way out of the shop, much to Tash’s amusement. Unfortunately Mrs Donnell didn’t take the hint and followed her outside, regaling Maggie with her grandson’s latest misadventure. As Maggie walked back to the car with Mrs Donnell by her side, she saw Mick Turner leaning in the passenger window talking to Jack.