Country Roads

by Nicole Hurley-Moore

  ‘What the hell does that mean?’

  ‘Your guess is as good as mine.’

  ‘Are you telling me that he hasn’t even told you what he’s doing?’

  Maggie gave Bec a bright smile. ‘Nope. I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.’

  ‘But Mum . . . that’s crazy. Aren’t you worried, or at the very least concerned?’

  Maggie gave a shrug. ‘Part of me is, but then this is the first time since your father had the accident that there’s been a light in his eyes. I suppose I couldn’t bring myself to ask a lot of questions and dampen whatever he has cooked up. We just have to trust him.’

  ‘He didn’t hint at what he was doing?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘He’s being bloody high-handed if you ask me.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose he is, but all he kept saying was that everything was going to be alright – and I have to trust him on that.’

  ‘Even if whatever he’s doing could upend your life?’

  ‘Honey, stop being so dramatic. We don’t know what he’s doing. Why do you always have to jump to the worst possible conclusion? Your father loves us – why on earth would you think that he would purposely go out of his way to upset or hurt us?’

  ‘But Mum, it could be anything from buying stock to booking a cruise or buying a new house.’

  ‘Exactly – so there’s no point in wondering or worrying. I suppose we’ll know soon enough.’ The phone rang and Maggie walked into the lounge room to answer it.

  Bec stared after her as she went. Well, that was just great, wasn’t it? She started to turn away but what her mum said next sent a chill through her.

  ‘No, Jack’s not here. I thought he was meant to be meeting you for coffee. Oh, you’ve been waiting for almost forty minutes.’

  Bec gravitated towards the doorway. Okay, she shouldn’t eavesdrop on her mum, but somehow she just couldn’t bring herself to walk away. Why on earth would Mick Turner be ringing? It wasn’t as if he and her dad were best mates or anything.

  ‘I guess he’s just running a bit late. Yes, he told me that you had something you wanted to discuss with him. I’m sure he’ll turn up any minute now. Hmmm . . . what’s that? Yes, it is good that he’s out and about. No, I guess he must have his mobile turned off or he’s forgotten to take it with him. Anyway, he must have been held up but Mick, that being said – you know that he’ll never sell an inch of this place to you? Seriously, if that’s what you’re trying to do, you’ve got a snowflake’s chance in hell. No, I’m not being feisty, just truthful. I’m sorry, what . . . oh, he’s just arrived . . . okay. Yeah, bye.’

  Maggie turned around and gave Bec a smile. ‘Well, that was weird.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Oh, Mick Turner was looking for your dad. You know, it’s funny, we’ve hardly spoken to him for years, not since you and Zane broke up. Now, all of a sudden, he seems to be ringing every couple of weeks. I don’t understand it. Jack has never been that friendly with him – not even when they were at school together. Mick was always jealous of your father and I can’t see that ever changing.’

  ‘So what’s going on?’

  ‘Who knows? Although, if I know Mick Turner, he’ll be up to something.’

  ‘He wants Bluestone Ridge.’

  ‘Of course he does, but he’ll never get it. He must know that, so I’m not sure why he keeps on trying. It’s as if he has a need to prove himself.’

  The bad feeling that Bec had had before got worse all of a sudden. She remembered that her dad had mentioned that Mick had approached him more than once recently to try to get his hands on some, if not all of Bluestone Ridge. Oh, he wouldn’t, would he? He couldn’t sell the farm . . . especially to that scum bucket Turner. No, surely he would discuss it with her and Maggie. But the more Bec mulled it over, the more convinced she became. It made sense, all of a sudden. Jack had been secretive and had kept saying everything was going to be alright. God, what the hell had he done!

  ‘Mum, you know that Mick and Zane have approached Dad.’

  ‘What do you mean, sweetheart?’

  ‘That on more than one occasion they have asked Dad to sell the farm to them.’

  ‘He wouldn’t do that, Rebecca. He knows how you feel about Zane and how much he hurt you – your father wouldn’t sell to the Turners even if they were the last family in town. I don’t know what he’s up to but I truly believe that the Turners won’t have anything to do with it. Besides, Mick likes to let people think he’s doing very well and rolling in money but I don’t believe he is. Last year’s drought hit Cara Downs bad, and on top of that he bought all that new machinery and increased the herd by a couple of hundred head only to have to sell half of them off again. I certainly don’t believe that he would have the money to buy our place. Like I said before – you worry too much.’

  ‘But . . .’

  ‘Just have a little faith in your dad and stop looking for trouble. Everything is going be okay.’

  Bec opened her mouth to say something but closed it again as her mother gave her a pointed look. ‘I’ll try.’

  ‘Good. Listen, I’ve got a few errands to run so I’ll catch you later.’

  ‘Alright, I’m going to grab a sandwich before I drive in to town and pick up some stock feed.’

  Maggie gave Bec a bright smile. ‘I’ll see you tonight,’ she said before she snatched up her bag and headed out the back door.

  Bec wandered into the kitchen and nosed around for something to eat. Her mother was right; she really shouldn’t worry about what Jack was up to. Worrying never helped any situation and maybe she was blowing this all out of proportion. She opened the pantry door and forced herself to look past the packet of chocolate chip biscuits. She took out a loaf of grainy bread and then checked out the contents of the fridge, discovering a ripe tomato in the crisper and some goat’s cheese. All she had to do was pick some basil from the herb garden and her lunch was sorted.

  Just as she sat down at the table and took the first bite the phone rang. With a sigh she placed the sandwich back on the plate and walked over to answer it.

  ‘Hello, you’ve reached Bluestone Ridge.’

  ‘Oh, hello, this is George Patterson from Patterson and Grant. I was hoping to speak to Jack Duprey.’

  ‘I’m sorry, my father is out. I’m not sure when he’ll be back but I can take a message, if you like.’ Bec held the phone against her ear with her shoulder as she hunted around for something to write on.

  ‘Yes, that would be marvellous. If you could just tell him that I called and ask him to return my call once he gets home. If not, I’ll ring again in the morning. I’ve tried his mobile several times but it appears to be turned off.’

  ‘Um, yes – I’m afraid he does tend to switch his phone off.’ Bec found a pen and paper. ‘I’m sorry, could I have your name again?’

  ‘Sure. George Patterson from Patterson and Grant Solicitors. He’s got my number.’

  Her heart seemed to skip a beat as she scrawled the details down. ‘Okay.’

  ‘Great, thanks for your help. Goodbye.’

  ‘Bye,’ Bec said before the line went dead.

  She stood in the quiet room and stared at the phone for too long. God, Dad – what are you doing?

  ***

  The walls of the house felt as if they were closing in on her. Bec had to get some air. She walked out the front door and stood in the middle of the circular drive. All this tension as making her feel sick and she felt useless and unable to act. If it was her father’s idea to sell the property then there wasn’t much she could do about it. Bluestone Ridge was her family home, but on paper the entire run belonged to Jack Duprey.

  Bec started walking. She knew she had to clear her mind so she could think things through. She was so distracted with trying to work out what was going on with her father that she didn’t even realise that she was heading towards Matt’s place. However as the cottage came into view she found she wasn’t at all surprised. Unt
il this afternoon, Matt had taken up the majority of her headspace.

  Bec took a deep breath as she knocked on Matt’s door. Boxey’s frantic barking seemed to be the only sound in the cottage and for a moment she wondered if he was in. But just as she was thinking that she should leave she heard footsteps across the bare wooden floors.

  ‘Bec,’ Matt said as he opened the door.

  ‘Hi, Matt. I’m not disturbing you, am I?’

  He shrugged before running his hand through his hair. ‘I’m writing. Is everything okay?’

  ‘Not really. Could I come in for a minute?’

  Matt stepped away from the door to let her pass.

  ‘I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately,’ Bec said as she walked into the lounge room.

  ‘Oh yeah? About what?’

  ‘Lots of things, but mainly about you and me and Bluestone Ridge.’

  Matt gestured for her to take a seat. She sank down onto the couch while Matt took the old armchair opposite. ‘And what did you come up with?’

  ‘That what I thought was the most important thing in my life maybe isn’t.’

  ‘Well, that’s a bit cryptic,’ Matt said.

  ‘I suppose it is. I always thought that Bluestone Ridge was what counted, and being able to prove to the world that I was capable of running it. But now I’m not so sure. Dad’s up to something and I might be off base, but I think he’s going to sell it.’

  Matt’s head snapped up. ‘Shit, just like that? Wouldn’t he discuss that with you and your mum first?’

  Bec shrugged. ‘Maybe I’m wrong – I hope I am. But the idea has got me thinking. I know that I wanted to prove to my father that I could manage the farm just as well as he could. But perhaps I’ve spent too much time trying to prove things to other people, too – people who don’t count. My dad will never believe that anyone can run our place as well as he can, and I have to accept that. The question is – who am I outside of Bluestone Ridge, and if it’s gone, what then?’

  ‘Bec, if that’s the case – and you said yourself you’re not even sure it is – then you’ll rise to the challenge and deal with what’s thrown at you.’

  Bec gave him a small smile. ‘I’ve only ever known how to be on the land. I don’t know anything else. How can you be so sure that I won’t fall flat on my arse?’

  ‘Because I know you. Whatever happens, your arse will be safe.’

  Bec let out a little laugh. ‘Oh, I think you have more confidence in me than I do.’

  ‘That’s just because you’re a bit rattled. Seriously, you’re one of the strongest people I know, and Bluestone Ridge doesn’t define you. You’ll face whatever comes head on, even if it’s losing the farm, because that’s what you do.’

  A silence settled over them for a moment as Bec let Matt’s words sink in.

  ‘So what did you come up with?’ Matt prompted.

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘You said that you had realised that maybe the thing you thought was the most important thing in your life, wasn’t. So what is?’

  Bec took a breath and picked at the seam of her jeans. Now she seemed unable to choose the right words. She’d spent her life speaking her mind, but in this moment it seemed to be the hardest thing she’d ever done.

  ‘Did you mean what you said? I mean, you haven’t changed your mind about us?’

  Matt shook his head. ‘No.’

  Bec stared at him for a moment, thinking that he might add something more, but he didn’t.

  ‘You’re not making this easy.’

  Matt gave her a bright smile. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’ After another pause that in her opinion seemed to drag on for far too long, he said, ‘I love you, Bec – I already told you that. That feeling isn’t going to disappear just because it’s taken you some time to get your head around it. If it’s what you want, then I’m in it for the long haul.’

  His words wrapped around and warmed her. She smiled as she got to her feet and crossed the small distance between them. Standing in front of Matt she said, ‘It took a little while to work out what was important and what I wanted out of life. But I’ve got it sorted.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘I realised it all came down to you. I care about you, Matt, and if there’s a chance we can have a life together then I want to try for it.’

  ‘Good answer.’ His arm reached out and pulled her onto his lap. His lips sought hers and Bec leant into his kiss. It was in that moment that she realised how much she’d missed him. She’d been such a fool, limiting herself and denying herself this happiness. Happy was exactly what she felt when she was with Matt.

  She pulled away slightly. ‘Come on.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I reckon we need a bed rather than a chair,’ she said as she got up, grabbed his hand and started tugging him towards his bedroom.

  ‘Really, Miss Duprey, anyone would think you were in a hurry,’ Matt said with a laugh.

  ‘And they’d be right.’

  They touched, kissed and tugged at each other’s clothes as they made their way to the bedroom, before falling naked onto the bed. Bec reached over and after one failed attempt managed to open the bedside drawer. It would have been easy except Matt was kissing and nipping his way down her back. She felt around the drawer until her fingers closed over a condom packet. Bec pulled her hand out and he quickly took the packet from her. Before she could gather herself to ask if Matt wanted a hand with that, he was back by her side.

  His hands roamed over her body, leaving a sensitive trail in their wake. She sucked in a breath as his mouth lingered over her breasts. Need and want ignited deep inside her, and all Bec wanted was Matt. Bec caught the faint scent of his spicy aftershave as he rolled on top of her. His body heat burnt through her as she held him close.

  ‘I missed you,’ he said. ‘This place felt empty without you.’

  She cupped the side of his face with her hand. ‘I missed you too. I’m sorry it took me so long to work out where I was meant to be.’

  ‘You’re here now and that’s all that matters.’

  Bec arched against Matt as he slipped inside her. Each stroke heightened the warm tension that was beginning to build within her. Time seemed to stop as Bec focused on Matt and the delicious sensations they were creating. He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. They moved as one, centred in the moment. Just like they were meant to be, Bec thought as she rose up to meet him one last time.

  Later that night, Bec ran her hand gently over Matt’s thigh. There were several deep scars running down his leg from the knee. The skin was puckered in places and the whole lower section of his leg looked skinnier than the other one.

  ‘It’s not my best feature,’ he said with a shrug. He went to throw the quilt back over it but Bec stopped him.

  ‘It’s one of them,’ she said.

  ‘Yeah, right,’ Matt said sceptically.

  ‘It is. I understand that it’s brought you a lot of pain and loss but it’s given things too.’

  He stared at her as if he didn’t believe a word she said.

  ‘Just think about it for a second. You survived the accident and you’ve had the strength to go on. And even on the days you didn’t want to, you still did. You’ve turned your life around and found a new start. Maybe it’s a different path from the one you once wanted, but what you’ve got here is good, solid and full of promise. You’re stronger than you’ve ever been before – am I right?’

  Matt was silent for a moment. ‘Yeah, maybe you are. I guess I never thought about it that way before.’

  Bec nestled back down in the bed beside him. ‘Then perhaps you should.’

  Matt pulled her close. ‘So when you said that my future was full of promise, what exactly did you mean?’

  ‘That White Gum Creek seems a good fit for you. You’ve made friends and become part of the community, not to mention that you’ve found your writing rhythm again.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘W
ow, you just don’t let things go, do you?’

  ‘Nope, not when they’re important,’ he said with a smile.

  ‘Us, there’s us. I took me a while to appreciate what I had in front of me and yeah, maybe I’ll even admit I was an idiot. But, if you’re up for it, I think we’ve got something solid to build on.’

  ‘Not quite the response I was hoping for, but I’ll take it.’ ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘I was hoping for an I’m in love with you, Matt Harvey type of thing.’

  Bec let out a laugh. ‘Were you now?’

  ‘Well, a man can dream,’ he said before he leant over and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. As he pulled back, Bec noticed that the amusement had disappeared from his eyes. ‘Because the truth is, I’m in love with you, Rebecca Duprey, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.’

  A smile played across her mouth as she reached up and wound her arms around his neck. ‘Show me.’

  ***

  Later, Matt was lying beside her with one hand tucked under his head. At first she thought he was asleep but as she glanced up she saw that he was staring at the ceiling.

  ‘A penny for your thoughts.’

  ‘I was thinking about what you told me earlier. You know, that you’re so much more than Bluestone Ridge. I don’t know your father well enough to judge whether he’s going to sell the place or not. But what I do know is that no matter what happens, you’ll be fine.’

  ‘It’s just that I love the farm, I do. I’ve poured so much of myself into it – especially after Dad’s accident. I’m not even sure what I would do. I mean, what am I good at?’

  ‘Whatever you choose, you’ll do it brilliantly.’

  Bec smiled for the first time. ‘You don’t know that.’

  Matt pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. ‘Yeah I do. It’s just the way you are.’

  ‘You’re a charmer, Matt Harvey, and that’s the truth.’

  ‘Hey, I tell it like it is. Besides, I’m here if you need anything.’

  ‘Ummm . . .’

  ‘To throw your own words back at you – Sometimes, even when it almost kills us to admit it, we all need a bit of help.’