Rosalee Station

by Magro, Mandy

  He smiled at her, raising his eyebrows cheekily. ‘Wonder what we could get up to in front of that?’

  Sarah winked mischievously. ‘Just what I was thinking! Great minds think alike.’

  Lily rolled her eyes. ‘Come on, you two. Let me show you the bedrooms then.’

  The house was very impressive. The views from every room were out of this world, and the place was full of charm and atmosphere. After they’d had the tour, Sarah and Matt stood on the verandah and whispered excitedly about how they would spend their evenings outside enjoying the sunsets. It was all they had hoped for, and more.

  Next stop was the land itself. The sheds, yards and equipment were all well looked after and in good working order. Sarah realised they would be able to basically walk in and take over from where the owners had left off. Most impressive of all was the cattle. They had big round bellies, no doubt full from the endless green fields surrounding them.

  Lily went back to the house to talk to the owners about the details, leaving Matt and Sarah gazing out across the paddock of healthy cattle.

  Matt looked enthusiastically at Sarah. ‘What do you reckon?’

  Sarah grinned. ‘I love it, Matt. We’ll have a really happy life here.’ She took a deep breath and looked back at the miles of green, imagining the secluded and peaceful existence they would lead here, tucked away from the wider world.

  Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Sarah turned to see Lily smiling at them both.

  ‘How about we buy you guys a house?’ she said, raising her eyebrows.

  Sarah grinned back at her, holding Matt’s hand firmly. ‘Let’s talk figures, Lily.’

  Chapter Thirty

  SARAH felt her heart leap with joy as Matt drove the truck through the front gates of Rosalee Station. She gave the puppy on her lap a scratch behind the ears and the little cutie tried to lick her hand. Judy had told Sarah a dozen times how much she missed having Duke around, and when a mate of Matt’s in Mt Isa mentioned he had a few puppies for sale, Sarah knew a puppy would be the perfect gift.

  Sarah glanced at the workers’ cottage as they passed and felt a little pang of sadness. None of the blokes were there. They had all moved on to different jobs, filling in the time until they met back here again for the beginning of the new season. Sarah had a sudden flashback to just a few months before, when she had driven away with Jimmy in floods of tears at the thought that she would never set foot here again. Now here she was, with Matt and Duke by her side, returning to help Matt pack up and get ready for his move into their new home. It had been tough for Matt to break the news to his family, but once they’d got over the surprise, they’d accepted Matt’s decision. Judy and Steve were delighted for Matt and Sarah, and Georgia couldn’t have been happier – she’d been dying to run the station for years.

  Judy appeared at the front door of the homestead the minute Matt and Sarah pulled up. Duke spotted her and started jumping around the Cruiser like a fart in a bottle, his tail slapping Sarah in the face. She pushed him away, laughing. ‘Oh, get out of it, you bloody bugger! That tail of yours is lethal.’

  Matt opened the driver’s side door and Duke went tearing towards Judy, trampling Matt in his haste to get out. When the dog reached Judy he almost licked her to death. Judy gave him a cuddle and then stood to greet Sarah and Matt, spotting the bundle in Sarah’s arms. ‘Oh my goodness! What have you there, love?’

  Sarah passed Judy the tiny staffy puppy, smiling. ‘She’s for you, Judy. She hasn’t got a name yet but I’m sure you’ll think of a good one for her.’

  Judy’s eyes filled with happy tears as she took the little black bundle from Sarah’s arms. ‘Oh, she’s beautiful! Thanks, both of you. Now let me give you a cuddle, Sarah. It’s been too long!’

  Matt took the puppy from Judy before the little thing got squashed, and Judy gave Sarah a good old-fashioned country squeeze. Matt smiled as he watched the two women hug. Anyone could see how much they adored each other.

  Judy finally pulled away from Sarah and gave Matt a cuddle and a kiss on the cheek. ‘All right, you two. Steve and Georgia won’t be back for an hour or so, but I’ve got a kitchen full of food and a bowl of meat ready for Duke. I’ll make another bowl up for this little sweetie!’ She scratched the puppy’s soft belly as she carried her inside.

  As they stepped through the front door, Judy suddenly stopped dead and put her finger up in the air as if an idea had come to her. ‘I’m going to call her Stella. Yep. I like that. Stella.’ She nodded her head.

  ‘I love it!’ Sarah exclaimed. ‘That’s one of my favourite beers!’

  ‘Oh, you!’ Judy gave her a friendly slap on the butt. ‘I’m not naming her after a beer, my love; I’m naming her after my great-grandmother.’

  Steve and Georgia came out to the back verandah an hour later, and when Sarah saw them she jumped up to give Georgia a hug, stopping in her tracks as she spotted Patrick standing behind her. ‘Oh, wow! What a surprise – Patrick!’

  ‘Thanks, Sarah! Just bypass me then!’ Georgia said, laughing.

  ‘Sorry, mate. I just wasn’t expecting Patrick to be here, that’s all.’

  Georgia smiled widely in response. ‘Patrick finally asked me out.’

  This time Sarah gave her an uninterrupted hug, and then stood back, her arms still around Georgia. ‘That’s fantastic! About bloody time, you two.’

  Patrick leant in to give Sarah a friendly hug and a kiss on the cheek. ‘It’s good to see you, mate. And don’t pick on me for being a bit slow in the love department. I got there eventually, didn’t I? I was always afraid that Georgia would tell me to rack off if I asked her out, but hey, she didn’t. Stranger things have been known to happen, I s’pose!’ He looked over at Matt. ‘And now you’re moving to the land of green rolling hills, Matt, I can be here to help out. Assuming Georgia wants me to.’

  Georgia smiled affectionately at Patrick. ‘Of course I want you to be here, you dork!’

  ‘Come on then, you lot. Two, four, six, eight, bog in, don’t wait!’ Judy sang out as she brought the first of many plates of food to the table.

  They all followed her orders enthusiastically and dug into the feast.

  ‘You want to go on a star-gazing date tonight, babe?’ Matt asked as he licked icing off his fingers.

  ‘I’d love to,’ Sarah replied. It was such a simple idea, yet so romantic.

  Sarah had never been on a star-gazing date before. It was the most romantic setting in the world, and she couldn’t help smiling with delight at the dazzling beauty of it all. Matt had spread a blanket on the bonnet of the Land Cruiser and she cuddled into him, enjoying his warmth in the chilly night air. The sky above them sparkled like a swathe of fabric encrusted with diamonds, the blackness of the night surrounding them and making her feel as though she was on the planet all alone with Matt. He pointed out all the different stars and constellations, and she was amazed by how many he knew. Snuggling closer still, she breathed in his fresh scent. He smelt so good, and she loved the way her body seemed to mould to his when they snuggled. It was as though they were made for each other.

  With only moonlight to guide him, Matt pushed a ringlet of blonde hair off Sarah’s forehead and kissed her gently on the lips, savouring the taste of her strawberry lip gloss. Running his hand softly down her face, he looked deeply into her eyes. ‘I love you, Sarah Clarke, with all my heart and soul. I can’t wait to begin the rest of our lives together.’

  Sarah smiled back at him, her eyes luminescent in the faint light. ‘I love you too, Matt. This is the life I’ve always dreamt of, and I’m sharing it with the most amazing man in the world. We were on different journeys in life a while ago, and now we’re lying here together in each other’s arms. It’s absolute bliss!’

  A peaceful silence descended, and they gazed at the stars for a few moments, lost in their thoughts.

  ‘Hey, how about a song?’ Matt said. ‘Any requests?’ He slipped gently out of Sarah�
�s arms and slid off the bonnet, his boots stirring the dust as he landed. ‘Hmm … I’m in the mood for some Garth Brooks.’

  Matt flicked through his CD case and found the album he wanted. He put the disc in the car CD player and skipped forward to the song he knew would be right: ‘To Make You Feel My Love’. It made him think of Sarah every time he listened to it.

  ‘Oh, I love this song!’ Sarah called out into the night as the first bars rang out softly. She sang along to herself as she waited for Matt to join her again.

  Matt walked back to Sarah and held out his hand. ‘Can I have this dance, princess?’

  Sarah didn’t think the night could get any more romantic, but it just had.

  ‘Yes, you may,’ she replied with a gentle smile.

  She slid down off the bonnet and into Matt’s arms, resting her head on his chest, lost in happiness as she listened to his heartbeat. Matt took the lead and waltzed her gently around, one hand cupping the slender curve of her back while the other tenderly held her hand. They danced, their boots sliding across the red earth beneath them, the moon spilling its silvery light across their faces.

  I have found the love of my life, Sarah thought to herself. And above millions of stars shone down from the beautiful country sky.

  Acknowledgements

  FIRST and foremost I would like to thank Penguin for believing in me. To my publisher, Belinda Byrne, and my editor, Arwen Summers – thank you so much. You helped me make Rosalee Station the book I wanted it to be.

  To my amazing husband, Drew, thank you for supporting me all along the way and encouraging me to follow what seemed an unreachable dream. You fill my life with fun and make me laugh; for all these things I love you very much.

  To my beautiful little girl, Chloe Rose, thanks for allowing me to see the world through your eyes – it makes the world such a magical place. Your smiles bring so much warmth to my heart and you light up my each and every day.

  My brilliant mum, Gaye, you are my rock and my best friend. You never stopped telling me that I was going to make it. Thank you for reading my very first draft and giving me loads of advice. I am so fortunate to have such a marvellous mum and I love you dearly.

  My wise and loving dad, John, you were my inspiration in so many diverse ways. Your country blood has made me the rural woman that I am today.

  Edie, my cherished nanna, you kept telling me to write a book. I finally listened to you and you were so proud of me becoming an author. I wish you had lived to see the book in print, but I know you are with me in spirit. I miss you everyday and I love you with all my heart.

  To my fabulous sisters, Karla, Talia, Mia and Rochelle, you all gave me support in so many different ways. I am so blessed to have four beautiful sisters! And to my two brothers, Johnny and Kain, for being the most adventurous brothers anyone could wish for. Your crazy antics give me ideas for my writing.

  To my in-laws, Sue, Rich, Sharon and Roy: you are all so fantastic. Thank you for your inspirational emails and phone calls, all the way from the UK. And thanks to my brother-in-law, Ollie, for happily chatting with me about my writing on many occasions.

  Aunty Kulsoom, thanks for being there throughout my endeavour. I look forward to the day you decide to retire and move closer, so you can put your teacher’s eye to work on my drafts.

  Jo darling, my forever friend, you are the most inspiring woman I have ever met. You have lifted my spirits whenever I was worn out, driven me forward when I found myself staring at the keyboard completely lost for words, and most importantly, are the most motivating soul in my life. I love you.

  To all my incredible mates (in alphabetical order, ladies), Gail, Katie, Kirsty, Lorelle, Tia and Vanessa. Thank you for being there for me throughout my first experience in the publishing world.

  Fiona Palmer, you are the best! You have made me laugh so many times with your emails and I reckon if we lived closer we would be around at each other’s place all the time. Thank you for reading Rosalee Station and allowing me to put your thoughts on the front cover.

  To Talia and Mika Eriksson of Heaven and Earth Photography, thanks for my fantastic author photograph.

  Thanks to all those unique, memorable and remarkable country souls I have met in my life. You all know who you are; the unforgettable experiences I have shared with you have contributed to making Rosalee Station what it is.

  And last but not least, thanks to you, the reader, for picking up Rosalee Station. I hope I’ve given you a taste of the outback, from the dust on your face to the country sun on your skin. Anyone for Vegemite on toast and a cup of Bushells?

  MICHAEL JOSEPH

  Published by the Penguin Group

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  First published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2011

  Text copyright © Mandy Magro 2011

  The moral right of the author has been asserted

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

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  ISBN: 978-1-74-253343-8