Stockman’s Showdown (The Stockmen #4)

Four

‘This place is amazing.’ Sophie clicked away on her camera, while swivelling in her saddle.

With mild amusement Bree grinned at Sophie, who was riding her horse like a drunk stockman leaving the pub long after last drinks had been called.

‘Welcome to Emu Plains.’ And what a glorious morning it was, where the sun had yet to breach the escarpment that made up Cattleman’s Keep, extending its shadow across Emu Plains. The sweet scent of sunrise made Bree lift her chin to the clear cobalt-blue sky as a salmon-pink haze chased the last of the night beyond the horizon.

This wide-open valley held some of the richest grazing grasses and was now home to a small herd of buffalo wallowing in the nearby billabong. Spread like a crochet carpet over the water’s surface, small wild lotus opened their white petals to greet the new day. Groups of ibis, a few ducks, and even some long-legged jabirus stalked along its edges. Elsie Creek Station was certainly putting on a show this morning—no wonder Sophie kept clicking away at her camera.

‘Are they buffalo?’ Dex rode alongside Bree, nodding at the beefy herd.

‘They’re not feral, if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘Charlie never mentioned them.’

Bree shrugged.

‘But I bet you know the plan for having them here?’

Of course she did. It was her idea. ‘We brought the buffalo in when Darcie’s son took all the cattle. They’re good for keeping certain grasses down that would otherwise become a potential fuel for bushfires.’ Once this valley used to be filled with cattle, like snowdrops across a painter’s canvas, now it was just a sea of grass.

‘So they’re there for a reason?’

‘Gold star to you, stormcloud. Don’t worry, we monitor their health, so they don’t become a pest.’ Remembering herself and her position, she shifted in the saddle to check on the four horses trailing behind her. ‘It’s something you’ll need to discuss with your brothers if you decide to keep the buffalo.’

‘Do you think we should?’

‘It’s not my place to say.’ Not anymore, that’s for sure.

‘Come on, Bree…’

She sighed, wiping her mouth with the back of a riding glove. ‘Perhaps you can use them until you get cattle grazing in this valley again. Then you could move them closer to Scary Forest to keep the edges clear around some of the billabongs, and as bait for any crocs lurking there, instead of them pinching your beef. They do fight against those snapping handbags, especially when they’re kept to a small herd.’

‘Good to know.’

She could practically hear Dex thinking from his horse. But would they do it?

So far they’d taken on most of her sneaky suggestions, dropped as part of a conversation. But lately, Dex and Cap were more forthcoming, as if they’d noticed her plans all along—which were always for the welfare of Elsie Creek Station.

She might not own Elsie Creek Station, but she couldn’t switch off her deep level of care for this land and all its inhabitants, which had been the only true home she’d known.

At the entry of Emu Plains, the dirt track wove through the flat and smooth structures, as tall as her while on horseback, yet they were barely as thick as her open hand. They looked like giants’ tombstones, a large cluster of grey ant mounds that followed the curve of the land like a graveyard.

‘What is this place?’ Again, Sophie played tourist, watching the world through her camera lens.

‘Tombstone Territory.’ Bree led her four horses, with Dex riding along her right side, leading the Riggs brothers’ much bigger horse plant overloaded with gear. What were they carrying for one night’s stay?

‘They’re magnetic ant mounds,’ replied Dex. ‘Looks like a graveyard for giants, doesn’t it, hon?’

‘Can we stop? I’d love to take photos.’ Sophie swayed in her saddle, barely holding the reins, confusing the horse.

‘You’ll have to speak to the boss.’

‘Ryder?’ Sophie asked.

‘Dex, you are part of management, aren’t you?’ If Bree could nudge him, she would.

‘I hate this part,’ he muttered quietly to Bree. ‘You tell her.’

‘She’s wearing your engagement ring, you tell her. Sophie and I are only acquaintances who live on the same property.’

‘You’re not friends yet, like you are with Mia and Harper?’

‘In case you hadn’t noticed, stormcloud, the only thing we have in common is you. So how about you put on those big-boy britches and act like the boss by telling your lady to get a grip of those reins.’

‘Um, hon…’ Dex cleared his throat as he adjusted his hat. ‘We’re on a deadline to get to the stock camp—’

‘Before Christmas 2031.’ Bree rolled her eyes. Seeing Dex like this was painful to watch.

‘But I’ll only be five minutes.’ Sophie didn’t even bother to look at them, with her eyes glued to her camera, zooming in on some scrappy wildflower.

Bree had to do something for the sake of Sophie’s poor stockhorse.

‘Dex? Why not make a date with Sophie and bring her out here with a basket of goodies and some wine, to watch the sunset? You could then let Sophie set up her tripod to take a trillion photos while you cook a barbecue, kicking back, drinking beer.’

Since when did she make romantic plans for stockmen? Especially when she’d unsubscribed from romance, cancelling her membership to the love library long ago. Yet here she was, playing Doctor Love for another one of the Riggs brothers.

‘That way, Sophie won’t have to worry about which termite mound her horse is going to headbutt first.’ Bree pointed to Sophie’s stockhorse.

‘Oh, sorreee.’ Sophie briefly looked away from her camera to grab the reins. ‘They don’t come with cruise control, do they?’

‘That’s a good idea.’ Dex nodded at Bree that pretty much said thanks for having saved his arse again. ‘What about we make it a date, hon? Camp out for the night in the ute.’

‘Oh, okay.’ Sophie put her camera away into her backpack—for a whole thirty seconds—before lifting it up again to take more photos of the rocky red escarpment rising from the earth.

‘Did you hide her camera batteries?’ Bree muttered to Dex.

‘I did. In Ryder’s saddlebags.’

They both chuckled, knowing the ever-gruff Ryder would tell Sophie no, and probably growl at her to get back to work. Sometimes it was handy having Ryder as the grumpy boss, who had ice water in his veins.

‘Did you hear?’ Dex said, ‘Ryder picked a paddock.’

Bree shrugged. The younger three Riggs brothers had each chosen a paddock as a place to work on their own unique farming trials and techniques, before implementing them on the rest of the station. Ash had turned his paddock into a clever place to test out his tech, managing his paddock and herd all from the comfort of his gaming chair. Cap had turned his neighbouring paddock into a revegetation experiment that had the cattle in Ash’s paddock straining the fence to chow down. And Dex’s paddock was now a reservoir. ‘How is Dead Dog’s Swamp going?’

‘Good. It’s not a swamp anymore.’ Dex’s lips barely shifted, but his eyes shone with pride from beneath the brim of his stockman’s hat. ‘Hemp is the easiest thing I’ve had to grow.’

‘Do you have any real weed amongst those weeds?’

‘If you tell me where you’ve hidden your gin still, I’ll tell you where my stash is.’

‘You know I can just take our resident drug dog, Scout, for a puppy dog playdate. She’d love the adventure.’ The loppy-eared beagle had played scout a few times for her. In fact, she’d borrowed many of Cap’s dogs for a job now and again, taking them for a spin in the Razorback. But she’d always given them back. After losing her own dogs in one cruel act, she didn’t have the heart to adopt another one.

‘So, um…’ Dex shifted his saddle. ‘I’d better tell you about the paddock Ryder’s chosen.’

‘Do I look like I care?’

‘I think you might.’ Dex rode closer as his voice lowered. ‘He chose Drover’s Rest.’

Bree didn’t respond, keeping her focus on the ride ahead.

‘Which includes Scary Forest. And he’s told Ash and Harper to do what they want with the farmhouse to make it their home.’

So where was Ryder going to live? The boardroom?

‘That farmhouse will end up being one big hat rack, you know that,’ complained Dex.

‘Harper wears hats for a reason.’ It hid the scar Harper had from a car-bombing incident in Belgium. You couldn’t see it, now the hair had grown back, but Harper was still conscious of it, fuelling her love of stockman’s hats to suit her stylish wardrobe. ‘Come on, you can’t tell me that Harper doesn’t look cute in her hats. Plus, she’s setting a great example for your nephew, always ensuring little Mason has his hat on, too.’ The small boy, riding in the harness strapped to his father’s chest, peeked around to wave at Bree.

Of course she waved back at the little big man.

Dex rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I’m sorry, Bree, but I think Ryder’s looking at taking the cottage when the caretaker’s caveat is over.’

‘When was this decided?’

‘Yesterday. Ryder’s going to tell Charlie today about using Drover’s Rest.’

Of course, that calculating businessman had waited to choose his paddock, just to make sure he had the best one on the property. ‘Do you know what Ryder plans to do with Drover’s Rest?’

‘No idea. But we all know Ryder would have some clever market strategy worked out.’

She shifted in the saddle, her hands gripping the reins a little tighter, as if trying to rein in the temper that was bristling under her skin. That prick was going to take control of her backyard, and her home, is what he was doing! And she couldn’t do a damned thing about it.

It’s why she refused to call herself a stockwoman anymore. And why she refused to work for the Riggs brothers. Especially when she’d been successfully running this place for years, while caring for an ageing Charlie and Darcie—who used to not only pay her but give her a share of the profits.

It had been heartbreaking when Darcie had died, only to watch Darcie’s son strip this station of all the cattle she’d helped raise.

She hated how her grandfather had never found the courage to leave and start somewhere fresh. Leaving her to battle with the neighbour, Leo, to protect her grandfather over the caretaker’s caveat. And then she had to bite her tongue when Elsie Creek Station was sold to strangers—and she couldn’t do a damned thing about it.

It was like everything she had ever loved was being taken from her, piece by piece. It was just another reason to despise Ryder Riggs, who’d set his sights on Drover’s Rest, as if boldly declaring his intention to take over the cottage—the only place she called home.