Rosalee Station

by Magro, Mandy

  Sarah couldn’t get a word out. She was completely focused on the sensation of Matt’s hand in hers.

  ‘Hey, do you wanna go drown some worms tomorrow?’ he asked.

  Sarah turned her head to the side. ‘Huh?’

  ‘Go fishing, Sarah; you know, like dangle a line. Sorry, sometimes my slang can confuse people.’ Matt laughed.

  ‘Oh! I’d love to. Bout time, too. I asked you about that months ago!’

  ‘Come meet me at the homestead around eight if you like.’ Matt leant in and for one heart-stopping moment, Sarah thought he was going to kiss her on the lips. But instead he brushed his lips against her cheek briefly, gave her a quick smile and was gone.

  Sarah’s cheek felt on fire. She gently placed her hand on it and grinned.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  DAWN drew near as the sun peaked over the horizon. Sarah grabbed Daniel and Lily and gave them both a massive hug. Greg tooted his horn outside. ‘I’m gonna miss you!’

  Lily wiped her tear-streaked face. ‘I’ll miss you too, babe. See you back home soon, hey?’

  Sarah nodded. ‘You sure will, mate.’

  Lily leant in and whispered in Sarah’s ear. ‘And remember what I said about Matt: if it’s meant to be it will happen.’

  ‘I hope it does, Lil,’ Sarah whispered back.

  Daniel picked Sarah up off the ground and gave her a huge squeeze. ‘Love ya, sis. Take care.’

  ‘Love you too, bro!’

  She waved them off, tears dripping down her face and spotting her pyjamas. She watched them drive away until the tail-lights had vanished into the vastness of the outback.

  Sarah, Matt and Duke piled into the Land Cruiser as Judy waved from the front verandah of the homestead. Matt was sitting next to Sarah, and as she turned a corner his leg pressed against Sarah’s thigh. His touch instantly sent waves of heat through her body. It was like she was leaning on a radiator, and it was going to burn a hole right through her jeans. She quickly moved her leg, scared he would somehow sense her feelings.

  Matt took his Akubra off and put it on the dash. ‘So, how’d ya feel this morning? I’ve got a wee bit of a hangover, myself.’

  Sarah kept her eyes on the dirt track ahead of them. The memory of dancing with him and his goodnight kiss was still overwhelming, and she knew it would show in her face. ‘I’ve not pulled up too bad. Got a bit of a headache, but nothing a few litres of water won’t fix. How are things between you and Brooke this morning?’

  ‘She slept in the spare room last night and she’s still there, so probably not that great by the looks of things,’ Matt replied, staring out the window.

  ‘It’ll all work out. Don’t worry, Matt.’ Sarah turned to look at him but he was still gazing out the window. ‘Now, where in the hell am I going? I need your directions before we end up in Alice Springs!’

  ‘Sorry, mate. I forgot you don’t know your way around as well as I do.’ Matt turned back to Sarah. His voice this morning was even huskier, like warm whisky on a cold winter’s evening.

  Sarah followed Matt’s directions, glad she was in her trusty Cruiser given the state of the dirt track they were taking. More than once, her head hit the roof as the tyres dropped into huge crevices on the track. It really did feel like an outback adventure. Duke had his head hanging out the passenger-side window with his tongue flapping around in the breeze, panting happily.

  Even though she’d been on Rosalee for months, Sarah was still amazed at how far they had to drive. The station was simply massive, and dotted with cattle grids that they rumbled over on their way to the fishing spot. For some strange reason the grids made Duke bark like a madman, and each time they crossed one Matt and Sarah cracked up laughing at Duke’s frantic barking.

  By the time Sarah finally saw the glistening water of the northern dam ahead, she’d driven through four gates and across countless grids, but the long trip was worth it. The dam was like a huge diamond encrusted in a sea of red earth. There were trees growing around every inch of the water’s edge as though clustering around a campfire, and the water was clean and cool.

  She parked the Land Cruiser up beneath a huge old jacaranda tree that was in full purple-flowering glory. It looked stunning against the red dirt terrain. Duke was so excited to have arrived he jumped out the window and was in the water before Sarah even had time to turn the motor off. She yelled after him, ‘You’re gonna scare all the fish off, Duke, you maniac! Get your bum back here now!’

  Duke obeyed his master and came running back, wet and ready to shake all the water off him. Matt and Sarah had just stepped out of the truck, and took cover behind their arms as Duke shook enthusiastically and wet them both. Pleased with himself, he then marched underneath the truck for a morning nap. ‘Geez, you have a hard life, Duke!’ Sarah said, laughing and rolling her eyes.

  She’d packed all the necessary equipment for a successful catch. One of the tricks she had used since she was a young girl was to pack an old sock full of dry dog food and place it inside the red claw pot. It worked a treat. She’d checked three times to make sure she’d packed her lucky fishing line, which had never failed her on fishing trips with her family. She was hoping she’d catch enough to give the boys a feed of seafood tonight.

  Matt started grabbing all the fishing gear out of the back of the Land Cruiser. ‘What’s with the socks?’ he asked, confusion written across his face.

  Sarah smiled proudly. ‘That’s my secret recipe for catching a shitload of red claw. You just wait.’

  Matt raised his eyebrows provocatively. ‘We’ll soon see, mighty fisherlady!’

  ‘Yes, you will! Chuck us my tackle box and I’ll set our rods up.’

  Matt slid the box over. ‘Tell you what, Sarah Clarke. You and I could become good fishing buddies. I’ve never seen a sheila come so prepared! I’m well impressed.’

  The two set off towards the bank of the dam. Matt seemed to know exactly where the best spot was, and Sarah followed, taking in the nice curves of his butt in his Wrangler jeans. She couldn’t help herself.

  ‘So do you have a name for this dam?’ Sarah asked as they dropped the pots in and sat down.

  ‘It’s called Ned Kelly dam – my grandfather was a fan of Ned Kelly.’

  ‘I like that; it’s a very Aussie name.’ Sarah paused and looked around, taking in the peaceful surroundings. ‘Ah, this is exactly what I needed. I love fishing. It’s the most fun you can have with your pants on.’ Sarah felt a blush rise on her neck at her words, but Matt didn’t appear to notice.

  ‘Yeah, I agree. I wouldn’t be dead for quids right now,’ he answered.

  ‘I can’t believe I’ve been at Rosalee for nearly four months now. Time has flown by.’

  ‘Crazy, hey? Life can pass you by if you aren’t careful. I reckon you just have to live life to the fullest. Do what it is that makes you happy because you only get one chance at it. Working and living on the land is what makes me happy, Sarah. I could never see myself doing anything else. It makes me the man I am, and I love the peace and serenity of it all.’

  Sarah smiled in response, a deep, genuine smile that brought out her sparkling green eyes. At that moment, with her curly blonde hair dancing in the breeze and that smile on her face, she’d never looked more beautiful.

  As Sarah put the bait on her rod, Matt thought about how Brooke would squirm at the idea of doing such a thing. And unlike Brooke, Sarah was a hard worker, and obviously had been all of her life – her body was fit and athletic. She was always willing to help, no matter how dirty or labour-intensive the job, and she did it with a smile. But what was the point in thinking like this? he wondered. He was with Brooke, and he wasn’t a cheater, no matter what he felt for Sarah. But what was happening with Brooke, anyhow? He couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that there was something going on that he didn’t know about.

  Sarah kept an eye on the red-claw pots, and as promised, she pulled out at least six red claw every time she brought the pots up from their
muddy hollow below. By the end of the morning they had nearly forty red claw. On top of that, Sarah had caught two barramundi big enough to feed the lot for dinner tonight. Matt had only caught one small barra that he had decided to throw back for next time.

  Once they were satisfied with their catch for the day they packed up and headed for the truck. This time Duke sat next to Sarah, and Matt got in the passenger side. Sarah turned the key in the ignition but nothing happened. There was not even a spark of life coming from beneath the bonnet.

  ‘Shit, Matt. The bloody truck won’t start.’

  ‘Don’t stress. I’ll hop out and have a Captain Cook at it. You got any tools?’ Matt asked as he jumped out of the truck and lifted the bonnet.

  ‘Yeah, there’s a toolbox behind my seat.’

  ‘Excellent. I’ll have us up and running in no time. Piece of piss!’ Matt called from under the bonnet.

  Three hours later Sarah had resigned herself to sitting in the shade of the trees with Duke whilst Matt poked and prodded his way through the motor, still trying to figure out what was wrong. She had tried to help but felt like she was just getting in the way.

  Matt looked up for a moment and Sarah burst out laughing. His face was covered in black grease, and the only white showing was the whites of his eyes. She tried to stop laughing but every time she looked up, the sight would set her off again. His comical facial expression made it even more hilarious. ‘What’s so funny?’ he asked, throwing his hands up in the air.

  Sarah pulled herself together enough to speak. ‘I think you should have a look in the side mirror, Matt, and then you might get what I’m laughing at.’

  Matt peered in the mirror and immediately cracked up. Laughing, he ran towards Sarah with his hands outstretched, ready to cover her in black grease. Sarah jumped up screaming and ran towards the safety of the water. A quick glance over her shoulder told her Matt was almost on her, and she jumped into the dam jeans and all in her haste to get away from the grease attack. Matt ploughed in straight after her, boots and all, and lunged for her in the water. She ducked, and they splashed around like a pair of schoolkids, Sarah trying to avoid Matt’s blackened hands. Finally, out of breath, they both fell back into the water.

  ‘Truce!’ Sarah said, before closing her eyes and letting herself float on the cool surface. It was nice to enjoy the silence and refreshing feel of the water.

  Matt floated near her, the temptation to touch her incredibly strong. He sat up abruptly, giving his wet hair a quick ruffle with his hand. ‘I better go and get this truck going, mate.’

  Sarah waved him off, deciding she was enjoying the water too much to get out just yet. It was the hottest part of the day, with the sun beating down in full force, and the water was a much better place to be than back on land. She watched Matt dry off in the sun, her eyes following him back to the truck, where he started to work on the motor again. She sighed inwardly. If only things were different.

  By the time she dragged herself out of the dam her skin was looking a bit prune-like. A few minutes standing in the sun soon fixed that, though. ‘How’s it going?’ she called to Matt.

  ‘I think I’ve finally found the problem. It looks like a few of the pipes going to the fuel pump are cracked. I can do a bit of a bodge job now to get us home, but we’ll have to order some new ones to be flown in on the mail plane with Stan next week. Give me ten minutes and I reckon we’ll be on our way. Brooke’s going to be right pissed off with me. It’s nearly three o’clock, and Dad and I are going shooting tonight, so I won’t have spent much time with her at all today. I’m already in the shit as it is.’

  ‘I’m so sorry the truck broke down, Matt. Brooke will understand, though – it wasn’t your fault.’

  ‘Oh, don’t be sorry, mate. I’ve really enjoyed fishing with you. We’ll have to do it again when we get the chance. I’ll even challenge you to a fishing comp to see who can catch the biggest barra!’

  ‘Deal!’

  Sarah watched over his shoulder while Matt connected the battery leads back up. She stepped forward to help him close the bonnet, tripping over a tree branch as she did so. He reached out and caught her, but she was already off balance and pulled him down with her, both of them falling to the ground in a heap. Sarah giggled and looked up at Matt, her blonde curls framing her face as she lay in his arms on the dusty ground. He smiled at her, and their eyes locked together.

  And then something happened that Sarah had only dreamt about: Matt leant over gently and touched her lips with his. The passion of the moment almost overcame her as she felt the heat coming off him. Sarah closed her eyes and felt her body come alive; she parted her lips and explored his warm mouth with her tongue. He responded, kissing her more firmly as he pressed himself against her. Tingles ran down her spine, the exhilaration of the moment taking her breath away. And then just as quickly as it had started, it was over.

  Matt pulled back. ‘I’m sorry, Sarah. I shouldn’t have done that.’

  Sarah tried to catch her breath, the electricity still jolting through her body. ‘No, Matt, I —’

  ‘No, Sarah. It was wrong of me. I’m with Brooke. Cheating goes against everything I believe in.’ And with that Matt gently shifted his body away from Sarah and stood up, leaving Sarah lying on the ground.

  She sat up quickly and tried to gather her emotions, feeling vaguely foolish. A few minutes ago she was living a dream, and now she was filled with panic at the thought of having ruined any chance of being with him. Matt’s sudden change of mood made it clear that he believed what he’d said. What had just happened between them was a massive mistake. She took a deep breath and stood up, taking her time to walk over to the driver’s side door. Matt was already sitting inside, staring out the window, with Duke planted firmly in the middle. Sarah started the Land Cruiser and they made the trek back to the homestead without a word uttered between them.

  The minute Sarah pulled up at the homestead, she knew things were bad. Brooke was tearing towards the truck like an incoming cyclone, anger contorting her face. Matt opened the passenger door and stepped out. Sarah went to speak but Matt walked away from the Land Cruiser with a simple wave of his hand. The silence between them was deafening. Sarah watched as Matt headed towards Brooke and the storm that was about to shower down on him. Sarah caught Brooke’s eye for a split second before she drove off, and if looks could kill she would have been dead.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  MATT concentrated on looking straight ahead out the windscreen of his truck, trying his best to push the confusion from his head. What a bloody afternoon. It had started when Sarah dropped him off at the homestead and Brooke had been storming towards him like a lunatic. He had felt the darkness of Brooke’s energy surround him like thick smoke when she got close enough to scream in his face. He was embarrassed that Sarah saw it all unfolding as she drove away.

  ‘Where the hell have you been, Matt? Your mum said you went fishing early this morning and were supposed to be back before lunch. I’ve been worried sick! And to make matters worse you pull up with a bloody worker, who as far as I’m concerned is a cheap floozy out to win you over! How do you think this looks to me?’

  She’d burst into noisy tears, but instead of feeling compassion Matt had been filled with anger. He couldn’t believe Brooke would call Sarah a floozy. He hadn’t trusted himself to say anything, so ignored Brooke and kept walking in the direction of the granny flat. Brooke ran after him ranting and raving about how selfish and uncaring he was, telling him he only thought about himself. She went for dig after dig in a bid to get him to react.

  ‘If I find out you’ve been out with that slut again I’ll pack my things and leave you, Matt!’

  That had been the final straw. Matt couldn’t take Brooke speaking about Sarah that way any longer. He’d turned to face Brooke and lashed out.

  ‘You don’t even know her, Brooke, so don’t talk about her like that. She’s had a couple of really hard knocks since she’s been out here, and I t
hought I’d show her a place she could go and fish when she wanted some time out. The Land Cruiser broke down, and I’ve just spent the last few hours trying to fix it. I’m sick of you always assuming the worst, and telling me what I can and can’t do all the time. I’ll spend my time with who I choose, and if you don’t like it, then too bloody bad, go ahead Brooke, leave! It’ll be your loss anyway.’ Matt threw his hands around in the air in frustration. ‘Talking to you is like pissing in the wind. I’ve got to get ready – I have to help dad shoot pigs tonight.’

  Brooke’s face had dropped and Matt noticed her shaking, whether with rage or shock he didn’t know. Did she imagine he’d drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness?

  ‘Oh, that’s just great,’ Brooke said, finding her venom. ‘So you can go around with other girls and I’ll just have to deal with it, hey? And now you’re going shooting, so I’ll sit here alone tonight again. I thought I came before everybody else, but obviously I’m the last priority around here!’

  She’d brushed angrily past Matt and into the house. He was happy to see her go. More than happy – he suddenly realised he had to get away from her. He followed her into the house and headed straight to the bedroom, where he pulled his overnight bag from the wardrobe and starting stuffing clothes in it. His dad would just have to understand him skipping shooting tonight – he wasn’t in the mood.

  Brooke came flying in and stared at him. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

  ‘I’m going to Mt Isa for a few nights. I need some time to think,’ Matt replied without looking at her.

  Brooke had tried to grab the bag out of his hands, but Matt pushed her roughly off. ‘Just leave me be before I say things I’ll regret!’

  She finally backed off, then marched out of the room and into the spare bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Matt had zipped up his bag and headed over to tell his paresnts that he was going away for a few days. And then he’d hit the road.