and that gorgeous blond hair. There was something alluring and very feminine about a woman with long hair.
He cleared his throat, breaking the silence. ‘So, is he still going to sell up?’ he said, trying not to sound too optimistic.
Lara tucked a string of hair behind her ear. ‘I don’t know, Jack. I just want a chance to figure out a way he doesn’t have to. I don’t want to lose this place.’
Jack rubbed the scar on his arm. ‘Yeah. It’s always hard to lose something that’s been in the family for years.’ A gruffness came into his tone as he felt the pain of his past resurfacing. ‘Well, I suppose I’d better let you go.’ He leant over and kissed her cheek, then swallowed hard as he breathed in the scent of just-washed hair and intoxicating perfume. ‘Goodbye, Lara.’
‘Goodbye, Jack. Keep an eye on Noah for me.’
He gave her a brisk nod and opened the car door for her. She seemed surprised at his gesture, and looked at him curiously before getting into her car.
‘Nice car, by the way. Not something I would have picked a city girl to have.’
‘Ah, this one is special. I’m a bit sentimental,’ she replied witha smile. It just made Jack like her even more.
Lara reversed out of the shed. With a last wave she drove off, the dogs trotting beside the car.
Jack watched the Commodore disappear into the morning sun, which stretched yellow across the sky into the deep blue of the day. He hoped their paths would cross again some day.
7
AFTER they finished shifting in the next mob of sheep, Jack and Noah went for a quick cuppa in the shed while they waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. Noah sat in the old wooden chair, enjoying the stillness of the shed, the gentle
baa
of the sheep and the way the morning sunlight fell across the floor in the open doorway. They sat silently, sipping their hot drinks, letting their bodies rest before putting them through their paces again. Noah had loved watching his sister and his soon-to-be wife together yesterday. He was getting a family together again, and it felt long overdue.
Noah put his cup done on the grimy table. ‘It’s a bummer Lara left; she’s handy to have in the shed.’
‘And very nice to look at, too. Made shearing a much more pleasurable experience,’ said Jack with a smirk as he swung back on his chair. ‘Nah, she seems all right, hey. And so much like your mum.’
‘Yeah, tell me about it.’ So much so that seeing Lara had made Noah miss his mum.
‘Hey, mate. Can I have a word?’ asked Jack, dropping the front legs of his chair back to the floor.
‘Sure. What’s on ya mind?’ He saw a muscle pulse in Jack’s jaw and realised this was something serious.
‘You know I love this place, right? And you know how much I want land of my own.’ Jack’s gaze was fiery. ‘And if I’m not working hard for Jerry, then I’m here with you doing something …’ He took a deep breath and Noah wondered where this was leading. Jack worked mostly for Jerry Valeen on his farm while his own boys were at Ag school, but when Noah needed him he was always able to come and help him out. For the last seven years Jack had been the bloke he turned to, always. It was no wonder Jack thought of this place as home too.
‘Well, the thing is, you see … I think I’d like to buy Erindale.’
Noah’s jaw dropped.
‘Don’t get all excited yet. You know I don’t have the money. But I really don’t want to see this place going to some idiot or an overseas owner and I know you don’t want that either … so I was hoping you might be interested in sorting out an agreement with me.’
Noah slapped Jack on the back. ‘Oh, mate! I’m listening. What have you got in mind?’ Noah would love to see Erindale go to his best mate rather than a stranger.
‘I haven’t done anything yet – I just wanted to see if you’d be keen and what you’d be after, and then I could start asking the banks.’
‘I’d absolutely love to see that happen.
He cleared his throat, breaking the silence. ‘So, is he still going to sell up?’ he said, trying not to sound too optimistic.
Lara tucked a string of hair behind her ear. ‘I don’t know, Jack. I just want a chance to figure out a way he doesn’t have to. I don’t want to lose this place.’
Jack rubbed the scar on his arm. ‘Yeah. It’s always hard to lose something that’s been in the family for years.’ A gruffness came into his tone as he felt the pain of his past resurfacing. ‘Well, I suppose I’d better let you go.’ He leant over and kissed her cheek, then swallowed hard as he breathed in the scent of just-washed hair and intoxicating perfume. ‘Goodbye, Lara.’
‘Goodbye, Jack. Keep an eye on Noah for me.’
He gave her a brisk nod and opened the car door for her. She seemed surprised at his gesture, and looked at him curiously before getting into her car.
‘Nice car, by the way. Not something I would have picked a city girl to have.’
‘Ah, this one is special. I’m a bit sentimental,’ she replied witha smile. It just made Jack like her even more.
Lara reversed out of the shed. With a last wave she drove off, the dogs trotting beside the car.
Jack watched the Commodore disappear into the morning sun, which stretched yellow across the sky into the deep blue of the day. He hoped their paths would cross again some day.
7
AFTER they finished shifting in the next mob of sheep, Jack and Noah went for a quick cuppa in the shed while they waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. Noah sat in the old wooden chair, enjoying the stillness of the shed, the gentle
baa
of the sheep and the way the morning sunlight fell across the floor in the open doorway. They sat silently, sipping their hot drinks, letting their bodies rest before putting them through their paces again. Noah had loved watching his sister and his soon-to-be wife together yesterday. He was getting a family together again, and it felt long overdue.
Noah put his cup done on the grimy table. ‘It’s a bummer Lara left; she’s handy to have in the shed.’
‘And very nice to look at, too. Made shearing a much more pleasurable experience,’ said Jack with a smirk as he swung back on his chair. ‘Nah, she seems all right, hey. And so much like your mum.’
‘Yeah, tell me about it.’ So much so that seeing Lara had made Noah miss his mum.
‘Hey, mate. Can I have a word?’ asked Jack, dropping the front legs of his chair back to the floor.
‘Sure. What’s on ya mind?’ He saw a muscle pulse in Jack’s jaw and realised this was something serious.
‘You know I love this place, right? And you know how much I want land of my own.’ Jack’s gaze was fiery. ‘And if I’m not working hard for Jerry, then I’m here with you doing something …’ He took a deep breath and Noah wondered where this was leading. Jack worked mostly for Jerry Valeen on his farm while his own boys were at Ag school, but when Noah needed him he was always able to come and help him out. For the last seven years Jack had been the bloke he turned to, always. It was no wonder Jack thought of this place as home too.
‘Well, the thing is, you see … I think I’d like to buy Erindale.’
Noah’s jaw dropped.
‘Don’t get all excited yet. You know I don’t have the money. But I really don’t want to see this place going to some idiot or an overseas owner and I know you don’t want that either … so I was hoping you might be interested in sorting out an agreement with me.’
Noah slapped Jack on the back. ‘Oh, mate! I’m listening. What have you got in mind?’ Noah would love to see Erindale go to his best mate rather than a stranger.
‘I haven’t done anything yet – I just wanted to see if you’d be keen and what you’d be after, and then I could start asking the banks.’
‘I’d absolutely love to see that happen.
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