Outback Dreams by Rachael Johns Page A

to scribble away rainy afternoons. She ripped off a poster-sized piece, dug for markers in the bottom of a drawer and carried it all back to the kitchen table. It felt good to finally have something to sink her teeth into. Something productive that would have positive effects well beyond the realms of Forrester’s Rock.
    She was deep into an impressive mind map of every area that needed to be organised when the front door slammed and boots pounded down the hallway towards her. Cringing, she imagined the mud marks on her clean floors.
    â€˜Once upon a time you guys took your boots off on the verandah,’ she yelled, and then sighed under her breath. ‘Once upon a time a lot of things were different around here.’
    Ryan appeared in the doorway, grinned the smile that let him get away with anything and everything with the ladies and said, ‘And then what would you do with your time?’
    Faith tightened her grip on a thick, black marker, restraining herself from throwing it at him. She knew he didn’t mean any harm, but she was sick of being taken for granted.
    â€˜Nice of you to join us again,’ Ryan continued, crossing the floor and pulling out a chair. ‘How was Perth?’
    Before Faith had a chance to answer, her father entered the kitchen. He took one look at her chart on the table and frowned. ‘Where’s lunch?’
    She gestured to the bench where the basic ingredients for a sandwich were laid out. ‘Right there, Dad.’ Daringly, she took a bite of her own barely touched lunch and waited.
    Frank raised his eyebrows. Ryan turned his head and his eyes widened as he took in the spread of ingredients. Both of them appeared speechless. Hiding her smirk behind her sandwich, Faith took another bite.
    â€˜You expect us to make it?’ Ryan finally asked.
    Keeping a straight face, she nodded. ‘I’ve been quite busy this morning but it’s all there, ready to throw together.’
    Shaking his head, Ryan made a noise—she wasn’t sure whether it was amusement or annoyance—but then he washed his hands and started assembling bread and cheese.
    Her dad, however, turned his glare on her. ‘Is something wrong?’
    â€˜Actually, it’s never been better. I had an awesome weekend in Perth, and I’ve decided it’s time to do something important with my life. To start with, I’m organising a big ball in town to fundraise for dogs for autistic kids. Kids like Will Montgomery was.’
    She’d added that last bit because she knew they both had a soft spot for Monty’s brother.
    Silence reigned until Ryan scraped a chair across the tiles as he sat down. He wrapped his mouth around a chunky cheese sandwich made with still-frozen bread and winced as he bit in, then looked at her as if she’d changed into an alligator right before his eyes.
    â€˜And how much time will this fundraising malarkey take up?’ grunted her dad. ‘Are we going to be expected to make our own lunch every day? What about dinner?’
    She swallowed. Thinking about standing up for herself was one thing, but actually doing so…
    â€˜Well?’ Frank spoke calmly but there was thunder in his eyes.
    â€˜Sometimes.’ She nodded, garnering courage. ‘And I don’t think it’s too much to ask. I never asked to be a slave to you two, but somehow that’s what I’ve become. My life is slipping away while I cook scones and stews and God knows what else for you. Well, I’m sorry, but I’m taking it back. If you won’t let me take on some actual farm work, then I’m going to look for something else. A job outside of Forrester’s Rock.’
    Frank and Ryan gaped at her.
    Needing to fill the silence, she continued, ‘Just think about it. If you respected my wishes to be part of this place, then I might be too busy to look elsewhere. But I’m not. I’m bored senseless. Mum may have done