Driftwood

by Mandy Magro

  Cattle scampered in different directions, shaken abruptly from their usually carefree days as the group descended upon them. A booming crack reverberated across the rocky flats as Jay flicked his stockwhip back in one smooth movement then whacked it to the ground. Dust hovered above the organised chaos as cattle bellowed, chopper blades whooped, men hollered and hooves thundered. The atmosphere was electric, making Taylor feel gloriously alive as she turned Boomerang on a threepenny bit and chased after a defiant group of cattle, her heart in her throat.

  Up ahead a mickey bull broke free of the ranks and Taylor watched awestruck as the Robinson helicopter whooshed out from behind a towering row of eucalyptus trees and zoomed up a sharp embankment. A group of reluctant Brahman cattle ambled out from underneath the overhanging branches and lumbered across the flats towards the mob, all thanks to Fang’s aerial acrobatics. In seconds, Fang was once again above the herd, nimbly dancing his chopper overhead. Then, as abruptly as he’d arrived, Fang changed directions to face off the strong-willed brute that had broken free of the ranks, the mickey bull making a mad dash towards a matted jungle of rubber vines off to the east. The chopper nosedived for one gut-turning second, then Fang flew it forwards but the massive bull stopped and turned, defiant, ready to defend its position, even with the roar of the chopper close behind it.

  Watching wide-eyed while also keeping her cattle in order, Taylor’s heart raced as Fang manoeuvred his chopper only metres above the dust-swirling ground and right up to the back end of the one-tonne beast. He nudged it with the helicopter’s starboard skid, making it crystal clear that he was the boss, as the belligerent bull finally ran back towards the safety of the mob. Other disobedient bulls stood steadfast on the sidelines, beneath a canopy of ironbarks, nostrils flaring as foam dripped from their mouths. Taylor gasped as Fang leant out of the cockpit, clutching a shotgun while still flying. He fired off a round of rubber bullets at the rumps of the defiant stragglers. It worked perfectly as the bulls ran back towards the mob.

  Adrenaline filled Taylor as Boomerang followed her cue and broke into a gallop, the rumble of Jay’s horse not far behind her. Finally, she was doing what she loved best, her experience on the station in Victoria rolling back to her like it was only yesterday. This was the life!

  CHAPTER

  19

  2012 — Far North Queensland

  Humming while placing the tin plates, cutlery and pannikins on to the fold-out table in readiness for dinner, Patty was struck by a familiar uneasiness. She squeezed her eyes shut, the sudden piercing headache making her buckle over. Her body trembling, she slowly eased herself to the ground, sweat prickling her brow. She hugged her knees to her chest and begged the sickness in her stomach and the blinding pain behind her eyes to vanish. An overpowering urge to vomit gripped her, and she quickly came onto all fours, crying for all she had lost, and also all she had to gain for giving up the grog. She was determined to get through the shocking withdrawals, and knew it was well worth all the mental and physical agony she had endured. But how much more of this did she have to take? Rolling onto her back, she stared towards the setting sun, breathing a sigh of relief that everyone would be back at camp soon. Being the cook meant long days at camp on her own and although that was time well spent meditating and soul searching, the company at night around the campfire was a godsend.

  Off in the distance, tall blond grass swayed in the subtle breeze, the golden light as the sun began its descent behind the mountains so bright it made Taylor blink. She allowed herself a few moments of silent contemplation smiling — this amazing land never ceased to steal her heart.

  At last, the long day out in the saddle was coming to an end. Taylor sighed as the last of the fourteen hundred head of cattle lumbered into the permanent holding yards, positioning Boomerang so she could shut the gates behind the gathering mob. She rubbed her temples, her head throbbing like it had never throbbed before. The heat had been a killer throughout the entire day, the humidity so high it was as if she’d had a hot towel draped around her for the last ten hours. She took some relief in knowing it was now the eleventh day, only three to go and they would be back at the homestead, where she could sleep for a week. She had never felt this tired in her life, not even when mustering in Victoria.

  Feeling herself dozing off, Taylor jolted upright, gripping the reins that hung loosely in her hands for leverage. Steadying a startled Boomerang, she lightly shook her head to try to snap herself out of it. The landscape around her wavered, like water disturbed by a stone. Hopefully there were some strong painkillers in the first aid box back at camp; she was desperately going to need them when she got back. She licked her dry, cracked lips, the constant application of lip balm not having done much good. Thank goodness they were on the home stretch now, only another fifty miles and they would have all the cattle at the final holding yards, ready to be loaded onto the road train and taken to the cattle markets.

  The thump thump of the chopper blades drew her attention to the sky, their downward force covering her in dust. She could feel the grit between her teeth and the dust sticking to her sweaty skin. It would be heaven to dunk her body in the river tonight. Fang hovered above the pen to make sure no cattle broke free before dropping to within an inch of the fence and edging closed a gate that had been left open on the far side with his skid, saving them all from disaster. The entire day would have been a waste if the cattle had just lumbered out the other side of the holding yards. Taylor hated to think how long it would have taken them to round the cattle back up again.

  ‘Thank Christ for Fang!’ Jay hollered, cantering in beside her, his face completely covered in dust.

  Taylor grinned, imagining that hers probably looked the same. ‘Yeah, that man can fly like there’s no tomorrow. I’m blown away by the way he can manoeuvre the chopper only centimetres from the ground. I’d never seen anything like it until I started working here.’

  Jay gave his horse a rub on the neck so lovingly that Taylor wished it were her under his strong hands. She could use a massage to get rid of this damned headache.

  ‘Didn’t they use a chopper down in Victoria?’

  She blinked, feeling a little dizzy, quickly pulling herself together so she didn’t worry Jay. He’d had a long day too. ‘No . . . um . . . just quads, horses and dogs.’

  Jay smiled as he removed his hat, banging it on his leg to get rid of the dust. ‘You did a brilliant job today, as always. You work extremely hard out there, so much so you give the blokes a damn good run for their money! I’m impressed by your skills, Taylor. A woman of many talents!’

  ‘Cheers, Jay, I really love working in the saddle. And you blokes are great to work with, too. You all know your stuff — I feel very blessed to be working here.’ Taylor beamed, luxuriating in Jay’s praise. It made the tough work all the more worth it. ‘It’s been my dream to work as a jillaroo for a very long time and thanks to you, that dream has come true.’

  Jay’s face lit up, his dimples appearing on grubby cheeks. ‘That’s really nice to hear. Cheers, Tays. It means a heck of a lot to know that I’ve helped one of your dreams come true.’

  Taylor nodded and both of them fell silent, their eyes holding one another’s. The atmosphere around them sizzled with heat even though the sun had now sunk down beyond the horizon, an orange, peach and apricot glow left in its wake.

  Jay cleared his throat, breaking the spell as he turned his horse and enticed it into a steady measured trot, calling out over his shoulder, ‘Anyway, let’s get back to camp. The blokes have headed there already. The temperature’s going to drop big-time now the sun’s gone, so we’ll want to be by the campfire.’

  Taylor slowly followed him on Boomerang, wishing she could tell Jay that he could warm her up, without the need of a fire. But she couldn’t. And not only because it was an inappropriate thing to say — she couldn’t physically speak, her tongue suddenly feeling heavy in her parched mouth. She reached for her bottle of water in the saddlebag as a rush of sick
ness gripped her and she leant over the side of Boomerang.

  With the entire contents of her stomach now at Boomerang’s feet, Taylor tried to sit back up, her head woozy and her balance feeling off. The world began to spin beneath her and she tried to fight back the urge to vomit again. She could hear the approaching clomp of horses’ hooves and Jay hurriedly calling her name but she found it impossible to answer him as her hands went slack on the reins and her limp body slipped from the saddle. The last two things she remembered were hitting the ground hard and a shooting pain that struck like a lightning bolt in her head.

  ‘Taylor, Taylor, come on, beautiful, open your eyes. I need to know if you’re okay. Speak to me, please . . .’ Jay’s voice was shaking, his heart still pounding from the terror of seeing Taylor fall from Boomerang. He’d thought, at first, that she was dead, her body unmoving as she’d tumbled from the saddle and slammed to the ground. He’d never leapt from a galloping horse and was surprised he hadn’t injured himself, but all he could think of was getting to Taylor. Once he’d knelt down beside her and felt her heart beating beneath his shaky fingertips, he was shocked to find hot tears stinging his eyes. What would he have done if he’d lost her, never told her he was in love with her? He had to get over his shit; life was too short for self-doubt, and Taylor’s fall proved how everything could change in an instant.

  He watched as Taylor tried to open her eyes, her hand gripped tight in his trembling own.

  ‘Jay?’ She tried to lick her lips. ‘What’s . . . what’s happened to me? Am I all right?’

  Jay exhaled loudly, as though he’d been holding his breath for a lifetime. ‘Oh, thank God. I’m not really sure yet, Tays. You’ve come off Boomerang and hit the ground pretty hard. I haven’t moved you because I don’t know if you’ve hurt your back or neck. Can you feel any numbness anywhere, or sharp pains?’ Jay gently pushed her hair from her face as she finally found the strength to open her eyes.

  Along with Jay’s careful guidance, Taylor very slowly scanned her body, from head to toe, moving and wriggling everything along the way. Jay felt along her limbs with his fingertips, gently applying pressure to see if there was anything broken. They did it slowly, making sure they were one hundred per cent sure it was safe for her to try to sit up.

  Taking hold of Jay’s strong hands Taylor slowly eased up to sitting. Gashes and grazes dotted her arms and cheeks but the bleeding was only minor, nothing to really concern themselves over.

  She turned to face Jay, still holding his hands for support. ‘I’m thinking I may have dehydration, Jay. Could you grab me some water before I try and stand up?’

  ‘Sure thing.’ Jay jumped to his feet, running to his saddlebags, his horse happily munching away on a patch of grass near a water trough. Boomerang stood off to the side, staring at Taylor as if he was worried about her.

  Jay skidded back in beside her, water bottle at the ready. ‘Here you are. How much have you drunk today, then?’

  Taylor took a few big gulps, allowing the water to dribble over her face. ‘I’ve drunk three bottles of water today but with the heat I reckon I should have probably drunk twice that amount.’

  ‘You gotta keep up the water intake, Tays. Dehydration can be deadly out here.’ Jay gently assessed her elbow, gravel and dirt clinging to the places where skin used to be. Taylor flinched and Jay yanked his hand away. ‘Shit, sorry. Did I hurt you?’

  ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Taylor smiled. ‘Thanks for coming to my rescue for a third time, Jay. Firstly from being deserted in the middle of nowhere, then from a possible croc attack, and now this — where would I be without you?’

  Jay blushed as he began fumbling with the rim of his hat. ‘I could say the same thing about you, Tays.’ He held her eyes for a few moments before reaching out and helping her up. Standing, he held Taylor in his arms, savouring the feeling of her luscious body pressing against his own and rolling the words he’d just spoken around in his heart.

  Jay slowly unravelled his arms from around her waist, stepping back to look at her. ‘I don’t want you riding back to camp in your state. You can hop up with me and we’ll lead Boomerang back. And when we get back to camp I’ll help wash your wounds out and get you some painkillers. Then you can sit back and relax while I take care of you. No ifs, buts or maybes.’

  ‘Okay.’ Taylor’s reply was a whisper, the intensity of the moment stealing her ability to breathe.

  Jay gently lifted her up from the ground, kissed her on the cheek and carried her over to his horse, the entire time their lips only centimetres apart. He could have easily leant in and kissed her, every part of him craving to. But he didn’t want his next move to be while she was ill. Even if it damn near killed him to do so. Because he knew if he opened his heart to her in his own time, the end result would be one worth waiting for.

  CHAPTER

  20

  2012 — Far North Queensland

  The loud crack of the shotgun ricocheted off the surrounding mountains. The tin can Taylor had been aiming for was flung backwards off the mound of dirt Jay had piled up and tumbled along the dusty ground.

  ‘Fark me! That was mad!’ she said, beaming at Jay as she passed the gun back. She rubbed her shoulder where the gun had recoiled, feeling like a bruise was emerging already. It would add to all the other bumps and bruises she’d endured two days ago in her fall. Mustering for thirteen days straight, coupled with dehydration and coming off Boomerang, her entire body ached, and even though she’d enjoyed the two week adventure, she was glad it was almost over. After the fall Jay had tried to make her spend the last few days of the muster back at camp with Patty, but Taylor had bluntly refused. She had come to do a job, and she was determined to do it. And she could be proud she had.

  Jay reached for her shoulder and tenderly placed his hand over where she was rubbing. ‘Are you right, Tays? It’s got some kick, hasn’t it?’

  ‘It sure does. Even though you warned me, I wasn’t ready for it.’ Gathering her breath, Taylor grinned bashfully, enjoying the sensation of his warm skin on hers.

  ‘Holy shit! That’s not bad for a first timer!’ Graham bellowed from the safety of the sidelines, where he, Tom, Fang, Adam and Patty were relaxing in the camp, a pannikin of tea in hand. The last load of cattle had just driven off in the longest road train Taylor had ever seen and now they were all kicking back, enjoying the remaining few hours of daylight.

  Tomorrow morning they’d commence the six-hour journey to return to the homestead and Taylor couldn’t wait to submerge her body in a warm bath overflowing with lavender-scented bubbles. It would be absolute bliss.

  ‘Yeah, I wouldn’t want to mess with you if you had a gun pointed at me,’ Fang chimed in as he stubbed his cigarette out under his boot and left it there. He received a firm smack on the arm from Tom as he commanded him to pick the stub up and throw it in the smouldering campfire. Fang followed orders, protesting the entire time.

  ‘My turn,’ said Patty, bouncing towards them. ‘I haven’t shot a gun in years. Your father always reckoned I was good at it.’

  Jay carefully checked the safety was on and then handed it to Patty.

  Taylor quietly strolled off, wanting to allow Jay and Patty some quality time. It was wonderful to see them getting on so well. Besides, she was hanging for a dip in the creek and thought she’d be able to steal a few moments to herself, seeing as everyone’s attention was on the slaying of the tin cans. It was rare that she got privacy out here and she wanted to take full advantage of it. It would be nice to be able to strip off and have a proper wash for once. She grabbed her towel and tiptoed off, taking in the serenity of the bushland as the rhythm of crystal clear water tumbling over rocks lured her towards Stoney Creek.

  The campfire crackled and fizzed, the coals glowing a brilliant red in the dark of the moonless night. Taylor sat mesmerised by the flicker of the flames, wedged between Tom and Jay on a log, licking the last of the sticky golden syrup from her fingers as she listened to Adam singing
‘There Will Be Love’.

  What a magnificent way to spend a Saturday night, she thought. Sitting around a campfire in fabulous company, being entertained by Adam Brand, with the star-studded country sky above and the man she was madly in love with sitting right beside her.

  Finally, her life was starting to feel complete, and yet there was still a large piece of it missing — the heartache of never knowing her father always lurked beneath her happiness and threatened to engulf her if she let it. When she was busy with life, she could ignore it, but in the quietness of the vast bushlands she found much more time to think and as soon as she crawled into her bed at night she would privately grieve for his loss, his photo clutched to her chest as she drifted off to sleep. Grace would hit the roof if she knew she had the photo. The only reason she did was because she’d found it stuffed away in some old boxes in her grandma’s loft. After Taylor’s relentless pleading, her grandma had given in and allowed her to keep it, but had made Taylor promise to keep it hidden from Grace. Bless her grandma; she was the closest thing to a proper mum for Taylor, her own too busy attending the next social gathering to look after her own children. It had been two years since her grandma had passed away after a major stroke and Taylor missed her immensely. Her grandad, well, he was a different kettle of fish, a ruthless businessman who only cared about himself. Grandma was a warm and loving soul, who always seemed fearful of her husband, tiptoeing around the house. It had been heartbreaking to watch. Taylor prided herself on being more like her grandma than anyone else in her family.

  She sighed. On this muster, her father’s presence was so strong she could have sworn he was riding beside her. Out here, among the dust, eucalypts and bellows of the cattle, she felt the closest she had ever been to him, and yet he would forever be out of her reach. It was such a bittersweet sensation.