by Karen Wood
‘I don’t know.’
Jess took a deep breath. ‘Thanks, Lawson,’ she said. ‘For getting the vet, for not letting her go yet. I know you’re trying to look after her,’ she paused, ‘and me.’
He nodded.
She turned back to Wally and led her away.
‘Hey, Jess,’ said Lawson.
She spun around.
‘Ride Marnie this arvo, hey?’
‘Here, take this over to your boyfriend,’ Mrs Arnold told Jess, holding a large plate of bread and meat out to her. ‘He never bloody stops, that kid.’
She was right. Luke never stopped. Jess felt totally wrecked after six hours in the saddle in the hot sun, while he was using his lunchbreak to shoe horses.
She filled a one-litre water bottle from the tank and took it over to Luke with the plate of food. He was busily filing Wally’s hind foot.
‘Are you gonna have some lunch?’
‘Yep, thanks,’ he said. ‘Nearly done, just put it on the ground there.’
Jess could see sweat rolling off his temples. The whole back of his shirt was soaked. She twisted the lid off the water bottle and held it over his neck, letting it trickle onto his skin and run down between his shoulder blades.
He stood up and took the bottle from her, draining it in one long guzzle and blissfully inhaling a lungful of air. ‘You’re so beautiful,’ he said, as he wiped his face along his arm.
Jess couldn’t even begin to believe how beautiful he was right then. His skin was golden from the sun and the dust, and his wet shirt clung to every contour of his shoulders and chest.
He reached for the sandwich. ‘Thanks.’
‘Wish I had some tomato or something fresh to go with it, but it’s all gone,’ she said, slightly breathless. ‘We’ll all get scurvy.’
He tells me I’m beautiful and I start talking about scurvy?
‘No asparagus?’ he said, taking another hungry bite.
She laughed. ‘You’re the only other person I know who eats asparagus.’
‘You’re the only person I know who grows it.’
‘It’s good for your heart, apparently, and it stops you getting cancer.’
‘You’re good for my heart,’ he said matter-of-factly, seating himself on the ground to finish his lunch.
She smiled and sat next to him. ‘Hey, guess what! Lawson told me to ride Marnie this afternoon.’
‘Marnie?’ He finished one sandwich and grabbed another. ‘Wow, he never lets anyone ride her. Do you know how much that horse is worth?’
‘Yeah. Hope I don’t break her.’
‘That’ll be like looking into the future – it’ll give you an idea of how Opal might turn out.’ He paused. ‘Have you heard from the homestead? How is Opal?’
‘Doesn’t sound good,’ she answered quietly. ‘Maybe I should just let her go.’
‘Nah. Don’t give up on her.’
‘I shouldn’t let her suffer. She must be in pain, to be behaving like that.’
Luke took the last bite of his sandwich and ran the back of his hand up and down her bare arm.
‘You’re gonna make me cry doing that,’ she warned him.
He ran his hand down to her hand and played with her fingertips, saying nothing.
‘Are you gonna come back over to the trailer for a while?’ she asked.
‘Nah, got two more horses to shoe. I could do them tonight or tomorrow, but I’d rather get it done now so I can hang out tonight. It’s our last day out here. We’ll reach the saleyards tomorrow.’ He held his plate up hopefully. ‘Wouldn’t mind another sanger, though?’
‘Sure,’ she said, taking it from him. ‘Want another drink?’
He stood up and stretched his legs. ‘Thanks.’ He held out his hands and pulled her up.
She was in his arms again and he was kissing her. She didn’t want it to stop, ever.
25
MARNIE JUMPED SIDEWAYS and snorted at Jess when she tried to pull the girth up. Jess let it fall from her hand and kept hold of the mare’s head while the saddle tumbled to the ground. She bent over, picked it up with one hand and somehow shuffled it back onto her arm. ‘Whoa, Marnie,’ she said quietly, walking after her.
Lawson leaned smirking against the ute, arms folded over his chest. ‘She’s a cold-backed mare; fine once you get her going, just doesn’t like the girth.’
Stan, Ryan, Lindy, Mrs Arnold and Luke all stood alongside him watching. Jess glanced over to the trailer. Shara, Grace and Rosie were looking on as well.
‘What, am I today’s entertainment or something?’ She looked over to the horse break and saw Bob leaning on a tree, observing from a distance. ‘Yes, I think I am.’
‘Got a good-quality helmet?’ Stan called out.
‘Why? Am I gonna need it or something?’
Stan just grinned and shrugged, making Jess feel even more suspicious.
She looked anxiously to Luke. He winked at her, which didn’t do much to reassure her.
Jess decided to ignore them. She pulled Marnie back towards her and started again, rubbing her neck as she placed the saddle on her back. The mare stood quietly enough. Jess gently pulled her nose around to her belly and held it there. Marnie fidgeted, snorting some more.
‘Easy, girl,’ said Jess. ‘You be nice to me and I’ll be nice to you, okay?’ She eased up the girth slowly. Marnie stood as still as a statue.
Jess looked at her big, soft eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief and let the mare’s head go.
Marnie instantaneously erupted, leaping off the ground into an explosive bucking episode. She reefed the reins through Jess’s hands, pulling her off-balance and making her stumble forward.
Jess managed to keep hold of one rein while the mare stuck her head between her knees, brought all four legs off the ground and hammered out another couple of bucks. Jess heard Lawson howl with laughter, while Stan yelled out, ‘Bring her head around!’
‘Don’t let go of my good mare,’ Lawson yelled and hooted with laughter again.
Jess held on for another few big humps before she managed to get her other hand on the reins and plant her feet into the ground. She then pulled sharply at the mare’s head, yanking her sideways and off balance, the way Harry had taught her. The reins ran through Jess’s grasp and the buckle on the end ripped a chunk of skin off one of her fingers. Marnie came to an abrupt stop and stood with her tail clamped firmly between her legs and her back bent upwards like a banana.
Jess shook her hand and flicked blood onto the ground, mouthing a word that would have earned her a fortnight’s grounding from her parents back home.
‘You okay?’ Luke called out.
‘Fine.’ Jess glared at Lawson. ‘Is she gonna do that again?’
He held up his hands and shrugged, grinning.
Jess put both hands back on the reins and pulled the mare abruptly to the side, bringing her off balance again. She walked around to the other side and gave Marnie another big tug, pulling her off her feet once more. When the mare stood still and loosened her tail a bit, Jess walked towards her hindquarters and waved an arm at her rump. Marnie moved around her in a tight circle, mostly trotting with just a few bunny hops.
‘One more time, girl,’ she said. ‘And don’t look at me with those big doe eyes!’ She held the horse’s nose tight this time and pulled the girth up good and firm. Then she pushed Marnie’s hindquarters around and got her feet moving before slowly letting her out into a bigger circle. ‘Steady,’ she soothed.
Marnie walked around her calmly. Jess led her out into a bigger circle, looked at Lawson and poked her tongue out.
‘You haven’t got on her yet!’ he called out.
Luke reached into the ute and tossed her a helmet.
‘Thanks,’ Jess said shortly. She buckled it firmly onto her head and looked at her audience. Everyone was still watching – even more intently than before, it seemed.
She jammed Marnie’s nose into her ribs, grabbed a stirrup and swung her leg ove
r. Without mucking about, she kicked Marnie into a tight circle, trotting her for a couple of rounds, then swung her back the other way, clicking and clucking, kicking her sides and keeping her feet active. She trotted her out into a bigger circle and changed direction a few more times.
Then she glared at Lawson. ‘Show’s over.’
He pulled himself off the ute, looking mildly disappointed. Marnie was like no other horse Jess had ever ridden. She was big, muscular and bouncy – supple and athletic with powerful movement, yet soft, so light she would respond to a feather’s touch. The mare made Jess feel as though she were in a boat at sea, rocking gently and rhythmically, but with the power of the ocean beneath her.
Lawson rode up beside her on Slinger. ‘Like her?’
‘She’s beautiful,’ Jess gushed.
‘Take her for a canter,’ he said. ‘Try some spins.’
He was gloating, she knew, but Jess wasn’t going to argue. She put one leg behind the girth and the mare popped from a walk straight into a steady canter. She brought her seat down in the saddle and the mare slid to a halt with such grace and ease, Jess hardly felt it.
‘Roll her back,’ Lawson called out.
She barely looked to the left, and Marnie sucked back and spun about in a 180-degree turn, straight into a canter. Jess pushed her out a bit faster and slid her to a halt again, reined her about and galloped off. With the touch of the rein on her neck, and the slight shift of Jess’s seat, the mare changed lead legs, then three strides later, changed again. Jess brought her back to a walk and side-passed her across the open country, halted, then side-passed the other way. Marnie was like putty in her hands.
‘Take her for a spin,’ said Lawson.
Jess halted the mare and looked at him blankly.
‘Ask with the outside rein,’ he said, holding a rein against Slinger’s neck. ‘Show with the inside rein.’ He opened his other hand out and clucked. Slinger planted one hind foot and pivoted around on his hindquarters for 360 degrees, stopping abruptly to face Jess again.
Jess copied him and laughed out loud as Marnie spun about on her hind foot for three rotations before she asked the mare to stop.
‘Other way,’ laughed Lawson.
She reined Marnie in the other direction and squealed with delight as the mare spun about.
Lawson winked at her. ‘Come on, let’s move some cattle.’
Jess moved Marnie off at a walk, smiling from ear to ear.
The others were all saddled and Mrs Arnold was putting up the tailgate of the trailer. Luke waved as he headed off to the east with Grace.
Lawson rode with Jess for a bit and told her how cattle like to walk into the wind so they can smell predators, and showed her how to ride back and forth in big, sweeping arcs to keep them moving steady and calm. Lawson let Jess canter after the strays and bring them back to the herd. After four hours on Marnie’s back, Jess felt charged, alive, addicted, fixed.
As they let the last small mob onto the bore to drink late that afternoon, Lawson rode up beside her. ‘You know, Jess, if that filly of yours doesn’t make it, we could always embryo this one,’ he offered, nodding at Marnie. ‘You can have another foal from her, even to Biyanga if you want. ET’s expensive but you could pay it off by breaking in some horses for me.’
‘ET?’
‘Embryonic transfer; put her embryo into a donor mare so Marnie doesn’t have to be out of work,’ he explained. ‘Have a think about it.’
As Jess unsaddled Opal’s mother at the end of the day, she couldn’t help thinking of her filly, lying listlessly in the station yard. Lawson’s offer was generous, but she didn’t want a new version of Marnie. She wanted Opal.
She couldn’t let her die.
26
THAT EVENING, as Jess rummaged in the back of the trailer, looking for something clean to change into, Shara banged on the door. ‘Come on, Jess. We’re giving you a belated birthday party!’
Jess pulled on a Craig Fairley special, rolled up the roomy sleeves and tied the front shirt tails into a knot. ‘I’m coming,’ she said, opening the door and jumping out. Lawson was playing some bluegrass tune that filled her with the urge to do some boot scootin’ and thigh slappin’.
Shara carried the ‘cake’ – a large damper – on a plate. In the middle she had shoved a camping candle that was ten times the size of a regular birthday candle. ‘Blow it out and make a wish,’ said Shara.
‘Just one?’
‘How many do you need?’ asked Shara.
‘I have two,’ said Jess.
‘Rosieee!’ Shara yelled. ‘Get some more candles. The birthday queen wants multiple wishes.’ She lowered her voice to Jess. ‘Considering the state of this cake, I think that’s a reasonable request!’
‘It looks delicious,’ said Jess.
‘Made by my own fair hand,’ said Shara proudly.
Rosie came over with some more white candles and shoved them unceremoniously into the crust of the damper. ‘Who’s got a match?’
‘Here.’ Grace held a stick in the fire and caught some flame, then lit the candles one by one. ‘Happy birthday to you,’ she began to sing and the others joined in for another round of the song.
‘Make your wishes,’ said Shara.
Jess blew from candle to candle until they were all extinguished.
I wish Opal gets better.
I wish these guys are my friends forever and ever.
As plates of warm damper with butter and golden syrup were passed around, Shara sidled up to her. ‘So, best bestie,’ she said, in a secretive whisper. ‘We all want to know what’s going on with Luke.’ She nudged Jess.
‘We saw you kissing,’ teased Rosie as she sat down next to them. ‘Told you he was totally in love with you.’
‘Gross, I’m never having a boyfriend,’ said Grace, tearing open her chunk of damper and watching the steam come out.
Jess smirked and took a bite of her damper without answering. ‘This is disgusting!’ She searched for somewhere to spit out her mouthful.
Shara spat hers onto her plate. ‘I think I used salt instead of sugar!’ she moaned.
That night, Stan showed Jess how to play a few chords on a guitar.
‘I think I have two left hands,’ she said, picking up her index finger with her other hand and forcing it back down to where it was supposed to be. Her fingers were as stiff as pencils, seemingly severed from any connection with her brain. Maybe if she stared at them a bit harder they might do as they were told.
Stan plucked clumsily at Harry’s banjo, pausing to adjust at each chord change. ‘Yeah, can’t say I was born with any real talent either,’ he said. ‘Not like them Blake boys.’
Jess found the G chord and triumphantly hammered the strings. ‘Dah nahhh!’ she sang.
‘Ah, you’ve got the voice of an angel,’ said Stan, sounding pleased for her. ‘Nearly brings a tear to me eye.’
‘It’s bringing a tear to my ear,’ said Ryan from the other side of the fire. He walked over and held out his hand for the guitar. ‘Mind?’
Jess gladly handed it over.
‘Oi, Luke!’ Lawson yelled, loud enough to make Jess jump. ‘Stop working and get over here.’
‘I’m packing up the horse gear,’ Luke called.
‘Do it tomorrow!’
‘Nearly done,’ Luke called back. ‘Legs lost a shoe. Just gonna peg it back on.’
Lawson groaned and pulled himself up off the ground. ‘I’ll do the horse, you get the gear.’
Lindy sat next to Jess with a bowl of steaming lamb stew. She took a mouthful and as she chewed, she looked over to the ute where Lawson and Luke worked alongside each other in the dimming orange light. She sighed. ‘What is it about farriers, Jess? I never met an ugly one.’
Jess looked at Lawson bent over under the horse. ‘That’s because you never look at their heads.’
Within a few minutes, Lawson and Luke walked back to the campfire. Lawson squatted down next to Jess. ‘I was just talkin
g to Luke. There are some more youngsters back home you can break in next holidays if you want,’ he said. ‘Earn some pocket money. You and Luke can work together. You make a good team.’
Luke looked at her and grinned.
‘Okay.’ Jess beamed. The next holidays were the Christmas holidays; six whole weeks of Luke and horses. She couldn’t wait!
Lawson turned to Stan, who was still playing the same three chords over and over. ‘Better give me that thing before you spook the cattle.’
Stan held it out to him. ‘Me fingers are bleeding anyway.’
Luke plonked himself behind Jess and wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘I’m stuffed.’
‘I was beginning to wonder if you ever got tired,’ she said, leaning her head back into him. She stared into the fire. Its tongues lashed greedily around the dry mulga timber and rose tall into the windless evening.
‘What was Marnie like to ride?’
‘Like a six-hundred-kilo ballerina.’
A wave of blinding light flashed over the trailer and there was an uproarious whining and howling that set off every other dog in the camp.
‘Who’s that?’ Grace asked, shielding her eyes with her arm.
Jess heard Luke laugh behind her. He gently pushed her forward and then stood up and whistled.
Two dark shapes, howling and barking, came barrelling into the fireside light and launched themselves onto Luke, sending him staggering backwards and onto his bum. ‘Hey buddies,’ he yelled, as he rolled around with Filth and Fang, laughing. The dogs growled and whined playfully.
‘Filth!’ Luke screamed as the black dog mouthed his arm and shook it playfully. ‘Gentle!’
The lights flashed over them again and the sound of a car’s tyres rumbled along the ground. A horn honked.
Luke stood and took the two dogs by the collars, struggling to hold them. ‘It’s Tom!’ He squinted into the lights. ‘And someone else.’
Jess felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around. Grace stared back at her with a look of utter panic.
‘Jess, quick,’ Grace hissed, motioning for her to follow.
‘What’s wrong?’ Jess asked, as Grace pulled at her sleeve. ‘Hey, watch the flannie!’
