Summer Down Under

by Pensy, Alison

  “Will this do?”

  Sam smiled and gave him a nod.

  Daniel filled each glass and pushed one to Sam.

  “Down in one?” he asked.

  “Is there any other way?”

  Sam had almost forgotten what it felt like, the warming sensation trickling down her throat until she could feel it warm her stomach. She very rarely drank after what happened. If she did, it was usually the odd glass of wine, nothing this strong. She made a face and blew out a breath.

  “Another?” Daniel asked, holding out the bottle.

  Sam hesitated. She looked at Daniel, then down at her empty glass.

  “Oh, go on, then.” She held up her glass for Daniel. The warm feeling it gave her felt comforting, and her instincts told her she was safe. The woozy feeling she had a few minutes later reminded her that they hadn’t had anything to eat all day, and this was going straight to her head.

  “We need to eat something,” she stated before getting up to see if she could find anything in the kitchen that wouldn’t need to be cooked. Luckily, there was a piece of pie from the day before in the fridge. Daniel rummaged around some more to find some tinned vegetables that Sam opened and put in pots on the Aga. That much she could manage.

  Daniel looked over Sam’s shoulder as she stirred the pots. Without realizing it, she leaned back, enjoying the warmth of his chest against her back. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she stirred the contents. The spicy scent that was so unique to him wafted under her nostrils. She breathed it in, wanting it to seep into every cell in her body.

  About ten minutes later, they had prepared a feast, albeit not haute cuisine, but edible, nonetheless. They carried it through into the dining room. As usual, Daniel did his Pride and Prejudice routine with her chair.

  They chatted through dinner, careful to avoid mentioning anything remotely to do with the shearing that would be upon them in just a week. Before she knew it, they were laughing at each other’s jokes. Sam suddenly felt a tad tipsy.

  Realizing this, she tried to hold onto her control with every fiber of her being. She got up with every intention of getting her drunken butt to bed as quickly as possible, but as soon as she stood up, she got a head rush and her legs buckled underneath her. She unceremoniously flopped back down in her chair.

  “Oops,” she giggled, with the girlish laugh you only acquired after one too many units of alcohol.

  “Okay, missy,” Daniel chortled. “It’s off to bed with you.” With that he scooped her up in a very gentleman-like manner.

  Sam nuzzled his neck, he smelled so good. Daniel carried her up the hall and kicked open the door to her room. Once inside, he laid her on the bed and pulled off her boots.

  He sat down beside her on the bed and pushed an errant lock of hair behind her ear. He pulled a blanket over the tipsy jillaroo and kissed her on the forehead. His lips lingered for a moment before he pulled away.

  “Good night, beautiful,” he whispered.

  Sam was asleep before he left the room.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sam awoke the next morning to the sound of pots clanking in the kitchen. She wondered if Mrs. Miller really did leave the night before, or if that was a figment of her imagination.

  She pushed her blanket aside and saw that she was still fully dressed. A smile crept across her face as she remembered what had happened the previous evening. Her heart swelled with happiness when she realized that Daniel had every chance to take advantage of her, tipsy as she was, which, she admitted was a stupid loss of control on her part. Instead, he had seen her safely to bed and tucked her in.

  That action alone showed Sam that he could be trusted, he had proved it last night. She drew her arms above her head and stretched out languidly, enjoying a long yawn as she did.

  Luckily, Sam did not have the hangover from hell she was expecting. Rather, she felt refreshed and at peace with the world. She hopped out of bed and took a quick shower. After towel drying her hair, she left it damp, hanging in soft ringlets down her back and rushed down the hall to the kitchen.

  What she saw when she appeared in the doorway made her stop dead in her tracks. Daniel was wearing his mother’s apron and was cooking bacon and eggs. The smell was delicious. Sam was ravenous. If she were completely honest with herself, it was not just for the bacon and eggs, either.

  He obviously didn’t notice Sam watching him from the doorway, he made no move to turn and acknowledge her. Her estimation of him was growing by the second. Not only was he the kindest, most caring individual she’d ever had the pleasure to meet, but he could cook, too. What a concept, especially in a man. She continued watching for a few more moments as he deftly handled the cooking utensils to whip up a wonderful breakfast.

  Eventually, he sensed Sam’s presence and turned around. A big smile crept across his lips.

  “G’day, gorgeous.”

  Sam couldn’t help herself. She ran across the kitchen and launched herself at him, nearly knocking him backwards. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist. She kissed him within an inch of his life. After Daniel got over his surprise, he reciprocated the attention her lips and tongue were giving his.

  He moved them over to the wall and leaned her against it. A little shudder ran through her as she felt her breasts being pushed against his chest.

  She took his lower lip between her teeth, remembering from the day before how good it had felt when he had done it to her. She nibbled on it for a moment before easing off and pulling away so she could catch her breath and admire the beauty of his features. His eyes shone so bright she could swear they had been replaced by precious stones.

  “What was that for?” he whispered, turning so he could balance her on the counter top. His breathing was ragged and Sam felt a distinct bulge on the part of his anatomy where men are prone to bulge, if given the right encouragement.

  “Last night,” Sam replied, cupping his jaw in her hands and planting feather light kisses on his lips.

  Daniel’s eyebrows creased. “But I didn’t do anything last night.”

  “Exactly,” Sam stated and kissed him again. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He smiled. “I think?”

  Daniel took hold of either side of her waist and lowered her to the ground.

  “Breakfast is ready,” he announced.

  “Excellent. I’m starving.”

  He divided up the eggs and bacon and handed Sam her plate. They wandered through to the dining table.

  “Morning, Lucrecia,” Sam quipped as she walked past. Lucricia gave Sam her usual greeting.

  “So, what’s the plan today then, boss?” Sam asked.

  “Oh, don’t give me that,” Daniel laughed. “I am not your boss. But, since you ask, we have to muster the sheep in House paddock and get them ready for lamb marking. There aren’t as many sheep in that paddock, and we have the pens already over there. It shouldn’t take us too long.”

  Sam nodded.

  After they’d finished their breakfast. They gathered up the empty plates, carried them to the kitchen sink and put them in to soak.

  “We can do that later,” Sam said. Daniel agreed, and they headed out to the bikes. As they strolled down the path, Daniel’s hand sought Sam’s and took it in his. As soon as his fingers laced through hers, she felt little tingles climb up her arm. She liked the feeling. It felt good there, entwined between strong fingers. Like it belonged.

  “Daniel?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Can you teach me how to ride a proper bike?”

  “You want to learn?”

  “Absolutely. You maneuver about on that thing much easier than I can on the four-wheeler. I think I would be better with the sheep if I could ride an ordinary bike instead,” Sam explained.

  Daniel glanced down at Sam with the look of a parent whose child had just got an A on their report card. He started up the bike next to his. “Hop on,” he said.

  Sam did as he asked, watching i
ntently as he showed her where the clutch and the gears were, and how to use them. The throttle was the same as on the four-wheeler so the whole process was a little easier.

  “Ready to give it a try?” he asked. “Ride up and down the airstrip a few times, until you get the hang of it.”

  “Okay.”

  Sam cranked the bike into first gear like he had shown her. She was a bit jerky with the gears at first, but after her second turn up and down the airstrip, she had gotten used to them. Changing gears was becoming a breeze. When she was satisfied she knew what she was doing, Sam rode back to where Daniel was watching her.

  “Good job,” he said and planted a kiss on her nose. “You got the hang of that quickly.”

  Sam smiled back at him. She reveled in the praise she received for little accomplishments like that. She was so used to being made to look like a fool, it was a refreshing change.

  “Follow me, then.” Daniel instructed.

  “Wait,” Sam said. “Can we take Jess with us?”

  Daniel let out a small groan.

  “Oh, go on. Please? I’ve been working with her and I think she deserves another chance.”

  Daniel paused, then a look of defeat washed over his features.

  “Oh, alright then. But she’s your responsibility.”

  “Yes.” Sam pulled a fist down in triumph as she put the kickstand down and swung her leg over the bike. “Thanks, you won’t regret this,” she called over her shoulder as she ran towards the kennels.

  Daniel pushed his hat up to scratch he head. His mouth quirked to one side, and he gave a little shake of his head as he watched Sam round the house to where the kennels were.

  Jess got up from where she was laying and started wagging her tail as she saw the young English girl approach. When Sam reached her, she bent down to unclip her from the leash.

  Sam held the young dog’s face in her hands just inches from her face. “Don’t let me down, girl,” Sam whispered. “You know what to do.”

  The excited sheepdog licked Sam’s face and careened off in the direction of the bikes. No sooner had Sam gotten on her bike, did Jess jump on the back. Sam kicked it into gear and followed Daniel across the paddock until they got to their destination.

  The human and hound team found the sheep pretty quickly. The paddock they were in was much smaller than the first one Sam had helped muster. It was only a couple of thousand acres this time, instead of ten thousand. It was closer to the homestead, too. She could still see the house in the distance.

  Jess jumped off the back of Sam’s bike before they had even slowed down. She started running around the sheep, herding them into a manageable flock. Sam watched with pride as the young dog moved the flock towards them without making a single mistake.

  Daniel looked over at Sam and raised his eyebrows. “Wow. You did that?”

  Sam huffed a breath on her fingernails and rubbed them against her shirt. She had to admit at that point, she was feeling just a tad pleased with herself. The rest of the rounding up continued without consequence. Jess kept the flock tight and stopped any stragglers from breaking ranks. There were fewer sheep in this paddock, and Sam was becoming quite adept at working with them now. Once they had all the sheep in the pen, Jess’s job was complete and she went to lie down by the bikes to rest for a while. If Sam didn’t know any better, she would say the young dog looked like she was pleased with herself, too.

  Sam got to the job at hand and started lifting the lambs into the cradle. Daniel did the more gruesome tasks, leaving Sam to pierce their ears with a station identification tag. That way if they ever crossed boundaries because of a broken fence, the neighboring station owners would know who the sheep belonged to. All the stations had their own tags. There was also a different color for each year so anyone could easily see how old the sheep was. It was a simple but effective way of identifying them.

  Sam didn’t mind doing her task because humans got their ears pierced all the time. She remembered having hers done when she was younger. It was relatively quick and painless, the same was true for the sheep. What the poor little creatures had to go through for the rest of the ritual was quite another matter. It made Sam glad she wasn't one. Sam winced, as she always did, for the first few times Daniel cut the tail off a lamb.

  When Sam was first shown what lamb marking was all about, she had protested most vehemently on the lamb’s behalf. After she’d calmed down enough to listen to reason, Daniel had explained to her that it was actually necessary for their health and well-being. A little pain now, he told her, was nothing compared to the pain they would go through at the hands of the blowflies.

  Apparently, if you didn’t cut their tails off, it made the perfect breeding ground for blowflies, huge metallic blue colored flies that lay their eggs around the sheep’s backside. When the eggs hatch into maggots, the maggots feed on the sheep, literally, eating them alive. After having witnessed a flyblown sheep first hand, Sam conceded to the fact that it was hideously gruesome. She acknowledged that it was probably better to cut their tails off while they were still young enough to forget the pain quickly.

  The two had gotten about half way through the flock when the landscape around them grew dark. Sam looked up to see clouds had moved in and covered the sun. In the distance, the clouds that loomed were an ominous shade of dark gray. They both kept an eye on the sky while they continued with the lamb marking. As each moment passed, they noticed the storm clouds moving closer and closer, until, eventually, they were almost overhead. Out of the blue, a loud crack of lightning lit up the sky before hitting the ground a few miles ahead. It sounded like it had literally torn a rift in the sky.

  Sam jumped out of her skin and let out a shriek. She looked up at the sky, certain that the lightning had torn a gaping slash through it.

  “Flippin’ heck,” she gasped. “That was brilliant.” Sam loved watching lightning. She didn’t get many thunderstorms to watch in England. Where she lived there wasn’t much of a horizon either, so to experience lightning strike the ground in such a powerful display was awe inspiring. The thunder then took its turn and roared so loudly it shook the ground.

  Daniel raised an eyebrow at her exclamation. “Sam, it’s dangerous for us to be out here. We need to get back to the house. Fast.”

  They lifted the lambs out of the cradle and placed them on the ground, then undid the gate to the holding pen and let all of the sheep free.

  “We can finish this tomorrow,” Daniel shouted above the roar of another thunder clap.

  He ran over to his bike just as another bolt of lightning hit the ground a short way ahead of them. Sam froze to the spot, mesmerized by the beauty of the lightning display.

  “Sam!” Daniel cried. “Come on, we need to get out of here.”

  “But it’s so pretty,” Sam said in dismay as Daniel ran back to her, grabbed her by the arm and tugged her towards her bike.

  It started to rain, the odd splat at first. Then the raindrops grew in quick succession, until, after just a moment, they were hammering down on the two of them so hard it was painful. Within seconds, they were soaked to the skin.

  Sam looked at Daniel, recognizing the worry in his beautiful eyes. She realized then the precarious situation they were in and looked around her. They were out in the middle of an open plain, making them the tallest object for quite a distance, and now they were soaking wet. They made great lightning conductors.

  Sam’s eyes widened. She ran over to her bike, the ground becoming slippery under her feet with every step she took. The sheep had eaten the paddock almost down to the ground and the exposed dirt was turning to slippery mud with every raindrop that fell.

  “Jess! Up!” Sam cried. Jess ran over and jumped onto the back of Sam’s bike.

  Kicking her bike into gear, Sam carefully followed Daniel as he picked his way through the paddock and headed for the house. It had turned very dark, almost like nighttime. As each minute passed, the thunder and lightning increased in regularity, and the ground
became boggy with mud.

  They were struggling to keep the bikes moving. The bikes started to slide around unpredictably, and Sam, being very inexperienced, was having trouble keeping hers upright. Eventually, it got to a point where they could ride the bikes no further.

  Daniel stopped in front of her and lowered his motorbike to the ground. The sanctuary of the house was still off in the distance.

  “What do we do?” Sam cried over the deafening sound of the thunder, which now seemed like it was directly above them. Daniel lifted Sam off her bike and grabbed hold of her hand.

  “Run!” he shouted, dragging her towards the house.

  Adrenaline coursed through Sam’s veins, enabling her to keep up with Daniel, much to her surprise. The ground was so slippery by now that she couldn’t understand how she was able to keep herself vertical.

  She could see the house up ahead, but it was still a fair distance away, especially on foot. Thunder and lightning crashed around them. Sam’s fascination with it was quickly replaced by fear and a respect for something so powerful.

  The rain was beating hard on their bodies. It was so heavy she could hardly see through it. Her face stung as she forced herself onwards. The air had turned very cold since the storm arrived. Being soaked through to the skin, the soggy jillaroo was feeling chilled to the bone.

  After what seemed like a marathon, they finally reached the edge of the homestead.

  “We should be okay here,” Daniel shouted over the sound of the rain and thunder. He stopped, allowing them to rest for a moment. “There’s a lightning pole over there so it should hit that if it’s going to make contact anywhere near.”

  Sam couldn’t say anything. She bent over bracing her hands on her knees. Her lungs burned with the exertion of trying to get to safety. She could feel every rasping breath as it heaved in and out of her lungs.

  “Come on,” Daniel said, grabbing hold of one of Sam’s wrists. “We still have to get inside.”