Eleven
Hair washed, a light make-up applied, and in clean clothes, Harper felt normal again. Well, as normal as possible when her surroundings were anything but normal. Here the sun was so bright, she could feel it biting into her skin, and the floating dust particles landed like gritty sandpaper against her damp skin. She wanted to hide indoors, like she normally did, and not deal with the Great Outdoors —which wasn’t really great at all. Whoever came up with that catchphrase should be sued for false advertising.
She strolled towards the caretaker’s cottage that sat on the far left of the sheds. At night, you could see the fairy lights, and hear music and laughter that sounded so much more inviting than the farmhouse with no furniture, but a lot of boxes. It was a place that echoed of rattly air conditioners and snoring men, with a mean-looking shepherd who watched over them.
The caretaker’s cottage was a rustic, squat-looking building made of river stone. She pulled back the metal rail that opened the wrought iron gate that matched the chest-high fence, hemming in a gloriously vibrant display of cottage flowers—gardenias, roses and fragrant lavender that grew among large clusters of daisies, globe-shaped purple alliums, cosmos, and so much more. It was a feast of flowers crammed into one location, where their sweet floral fragrance was heavenly. It was enough to raise her spirits as she dared to venture further.
She followed the wide stone path that weaved its way to the sturdy front door. Old windows made of stained-glass squares stood on either side of the wooden door, while wind chimes hung from the verandah’s roof, with not one cobweb anywhere.
The short verandah held a comfy cane chair, perfect for a reading nook. She was so tempted to collapse into that cane chair, to watch the flowers shift with the breeze, while listening to the delicate wind chimes, as they hypnotised her to sleep.
But Harper never sat still and did nothing, it was unheard of for her to waste time like that. Glancing at her watch, she pushed on.
‘Hello?’ Harper knocked on the wooden door. ‘Anyone home?’
Bree called out, ‘We’re around the back.’
Harper followed the stone path to the right side of the house, where a thin corridor ran between the house and a high corrugated fence that hid the outside world. It opened to a large area, where she stood, dumbfounded, staring at the backyard.
It was an entire universe of green.
Considering the dust bowl that surrounded the farmhouse, this place was loaded with assorted plants growing from raised beds made of corrugated iron and more rock paths. Amongst it was Bree, wearing a big straw hat and gardening gloves. Beside her, Mason wore a hat like a bonnet, happily digging in the dirt with a trowel. While Ruby, the labrador, wagged her tail, sniffing at everything with a big smile on her face as if in doggy heaven.
‘What is this place? Paradise?’
‘It’s a veggie garden, blossom. What do you think it is?’
‘I’ve never seen one this big.’ And she hadn’t expected to find it out the back of the cottage hidden behind a corrugated fence. ‘Do the brothers know this garden is here?’
‘Probably not. Their focus is on fencing and cattle.’
‘You have lettuce.’ Lush, plump lettuce heads grew among purple kale. Bright orange and juicy red cherry tomatoes grew like Christmas lights on a leafy vine, beside some deliciously vibrant capsicums and chillies. She pinched at a leaf and sniffed. ‘Spinach?’
Bree nodded. ‘I’m guessing you’re sick of the meat-only diet the boys have?’
Harper nodded. ‘Hell, yeah.’
‘You’re welcome to help yourself. I have plenty to share.’ Bree held out a plump tomato to Harper. ‘Try it.’
It was like forbidden fruit, tempting her growling stomach.
‘Thank you.’ Harper’s eyes closed as she bit into the tomato like an apple. Its firm flesh released a burst of sweetness, married perfectly with a tanginess and pulpy seeds to create a complex combination across her tongue. It was the best tomato of her life. ‘I’ve never eaten a tomato like this.’
‘City girl.’ Bree filled her basket with radishes, shallots, moving on to the strawberries and passionfruit that grew near a massive banana plant loaded with baby green bananas.
‘I’m from the land of dial-up deliveries. But this place, I’d never…’ Harper wandered around the yard devouring her tomato. No lawn grew here, just raised beds and the curvaceous stone paths like a secret garden. There were arched trellises that created shady walkways where beans and snow peas dangled like Christmas tree ornaments, along with butternuts and melons too.
‘How come you can’t cook?’
‘Um…’ She wiped the tomato juice from her chin. ‘I just never had the time to learn. May I?’ She pointed to the cucumber. ‘I’ve never seen them grow like that.’
‘That one’s not ready yet. I’ve got some in the fridge. Come on, I’ve had enough vitamin D for the day.’
‘How do you not burn?’
‘Sunscreen. Wide-brimmed hat. Long-sleeved shirts. Don’t worry, I’ve put plenty of sunscreen on Mason, too.’
Who was having a fat time digging up a dirt bed with the dog.
‘I must add sunscreen to my shopping list.’
‘I make my own sunscreen. You’re welcome to try it.’ Bree put a small tin on the quaint mosaic table, shaded beneath a pergola covered in grapevines. It created a wonderfully dappled shade over the unique crazy stone paving that ran along the back of the house, leading to an entertainment area containing an outdoor kitchen, complete with a sink, pizza oven, and a built-in barbecue. ‘Take a seat. I’ll get our brunch together. Nothing fancy.’
‘This is fancy, believe me. It’s like we’re in Tuscany…’ Harper waved her hand at the yard where tall cornstalks and large sunflowers gently waved on the breeze. They hid the corrugated fence line that barricaded two sides of the yard like a windbreak that cleverly concealed this wonderland.
But the open country view beyond the garden was divine. It was a lush green paddock that ran to a thick cluster of trees, overshadowed by an enormous rocky red escarpment.
The caretakers definitely had a better deal than the brothers with their farmhouse.
In the outdoor kitchen, Bree effortlessly worked on their lunch in between checking on Mason, who was still playing garden gnome. A rich fragrance of fresh basil filled the air as Bree sprinkled the herb over luscious slices of red tomatoes and cucumber. It was an effort to not drool with hunger.
‘You’re in luck. We made a stack of stone baked panini bread rolls this morning.’ Bree placed a bread basket on the table.
‘You make your own bread?’ She was salivating at the crusty rolls.
‘Charlie does.’ Bree pointed to the pizza oven. ‘He makes a mean pizza too.’ Bree served up a platter of assorted cheeses, sliced Italian sausage and tender chicken strips, along with her sliced salad and herbs. ‘Help yourself. I’ve got some wine somewhere, we could really make a day of it.’
‘Do you know how tempting that is?’ Harper practically wolfed down her food. ‘I can’t remember when I sat and ate a meal and actually looked at what I was eating. And how amazing this food tastes. And this yard.’ She pointed her thick cucumber slice at the scenery. Cucumber and salt, and she was in heaven. How simple did life feel right now.
‘My grandmother built this garden with Charlie. They were into permaculture long before they called it that.’ Bree poured a tall glass of iced tea and passed it to Harper.
Harper sipped the tea, enjoying the vibrant peach flavour, delicately blended with black tea and vanilla, it was like summer spooling across her tongue. ‘This place is so civilised.’
‘Not after sunset, it’s not.’ Bree gave a wry grin with a devilish shine in her green eyes.
‘I’ve heard you partying. Who with?’
‘It’s just Pop and me. We have the TV out here, where we cook, dance, and sing like morons at the moon some nights.’
‘I’ve heard the singing. You know, I rarely see a sunset.’
‘Sunrise?’
‘I hardly ever saw the sky until I came back to Australia.’
‘Where have you been?’
‘Belgium.’
Bree arched her eyebrows. ‘Doing what?’
‘I work for the Australian Ambassador to Belgium, who was previously the Deputy Secretary for National Security and International Policy for the Australian Government. Before that I worked for the Minister for Defence.’
Bree lowered her cutlery onto her plate and leaned back in her chair. ‘Now what is someone like you doing out here?’
‘I’ve been asking myself that same question.’ Harper stabbed at the lettuce that was so crunchy, the red onion peppery, mixed with a lush dressing. She’d be content to act like a goat, and munch on the food in this yard all day.
But Bree waited for an answer.
‘I needed a break. I just didn’t expect this kind of a break or that I’d end up here.’ Harper waved her empty fork at the garden bed, where Mason was happily playing in the dirt. ‘Is that dirt safe for him to eat?’
‘Trust me, they don’t eat it for long.’ Bree giggled at Mason, spitting it out, then wiping his mouth, creating a clown-like mask complete with a massive smile.
She’d never seen the boy so happy. Or Ruby, furiously digging a hole into the rich soil, showering Mason with dirt where his laughter echoed around them as if it was the best game on the planet.
‘He’s getting so dirty?’
‘Well then, Mason will fit right in with the rest of the Riggs brothers.’ Bree smiled at Mason, but then turned in her chair to face Harper. Her undivided attention was unnerving. ‘You were saying how you ended up out here?’
Harper dabbed at the crumbs left on her plate.
Yet, Bree’s silent treatment made her want to talk. ‘Sadly, due to Belgium’s homegrown terrorism and violent extremists, I’ve been living under a level-four terrorist alert for five years now.’
‘In Belgium?’ Bree arched her eyebrow. ‘Home of chocolate and waffles.’
‘The Australian Government constantly issues travel warnings for those visiting Belgium. And Brussels is headquarters to NATO, that is sixteen minutes away from the Australian Embassy.’
‘So, with you working for an ambassador—’
‘It makes us targets.’ She tried to make her shrug casual, but there was nothing casual about this topic. ‘All embassy staff are told the day they start that they are targets for terrorism. And we had a scare, a big one. My work colleagues were killed by a car bomb—the car I was supposed to climb into.’ Harper stared at her hands, so raw from cleaning. ‘The blast blew me out of my favourite shoes, ruining them.’
‘And you?’
‘I, um, was slammed into the side of the building and ended up with six stitches in my head, and a severe concussion.’ She still had a bald spot where the medical team had shaved her head, and she dropped her head to show Bree the scar. She’d never showed her war wounds to anyone before.
Honestly, she hadn’t been the same since she woke up from that bomb blast, living under a thick cloud of brain fog. She needed to talk about something else. ‘Ugh, what I’d give for a decent shampoo and conditioner. I ran out. I doubt the hairdressers in town would stock my brand.’
‘I haven’t bought shampoo in years.’
‘So, how…’ She pointed at Bree’s impressive mop of healthy red hair.
‘I make my own. I have a friend who makes organic soap that is positively to die for, I could just eat it.’
‘So you make things?’
‘Is that weird?’
‘All I use my hands for is to shuffle papers or reply to emails. But now they’re…’ She held up her poor, sore, dried out, bleached fingers.
‘Here…’ Bree reached over to the side and pulled out a small tube. ‘I swear by this hand cream.’
‘You make this too?’ Harper sniffed at the bottle, dabbing a small blob onto the back of her hand, and proceeded to rub it in. The cool relief was instant.
‘No. But I do stock up. Living on a remote cattle station, you learn to make do with things, and to stock up or become self-sufficient. You have to, especially when Leviathan Creek cuts off the road to town in the wet season.’
‘I can’t imagine this place in the rainy season.’
‘It’s pretty. And then, my friend, this place is one long summer holiday where you can sip on a jug of gin, while wallowing in an ice bath to watch the rain fall.’ Bree waved to the left of the paved area, where a long tin tub sat before the wide-screen TV with a superb view of the countryside.
‘You have a pool?’ Harper sat taller, thinking of Mason.
‘Don’t worry, the tub is empty.’ Bree nodded at Mason obsessed with digging another hole in the dirt. ‘Actually, it’s a cattle trough. But I own a brilliant ice machine and love my freezers that allow me to indulge in ice baths while I’m watching the ice hockey. You should come over.’
‘I know nothing about hockey.’
‘What’s to know? The players are hot, the game is fast, and its brutal fun. I also like to imagine how cold it is to go to an ice hockey match, especially when it’s sweltering here in the outback summer.’
‘So, um … Favourite team?’ Harper struggled to make small talk, considering she came from a world that didn’t do small talk. It was so much better than baby talk.
‘I have none. You?’
‘I don’t do sport. Or small talk.’
‘You’re doing okay.’ Bree unleashed a smile. It wasn’t a mean one, it was the smile of a friend. And Harper needed one.
‘So, you’re Charlie’s full-time carer?’
‘And business partner.’
‘Doing what?’
‘How about, when you’re ready to tell me the real reason you’re out here, I’ll share.’
Harper slammed back into her chair. No, it couldn’t be that obvious. Could it?
But Bree’s eyes saw everything. ‘Don’t stress, blossom. Eat up, and then I’ll give you a cooking lesson for your dinner.’
‘I’m happy to pay you to cook.’
‘Why? When you now have the time to cook.’
‘I never did, before. I lived under strict time schedules, racing to meetings, scoffing down whatever my assistant brought me, sipping on cold coffee. This is all new to me. Even conversation that isn’t part of a negotiation.’ Her shoulders sagged, tears suddenly forming. She sniffed hard, straightening her dress as if to compose herself. But it was a struggle. ‘I’ve never—’
‘Hey…’ Bree leaned over and squeezed her hand. ‘Just take it day by day. Especially after your horrific experience with a car bombing. That’s not normal, blossom, so you’re doing okay. Just know you’re safe out here.’
‘Why are you being so nice to me?’ What was Bree’s angle? Harper was so used to people bartering with her for political favours, with everyone having a hidden agenda.
‘It’s more pity than anything else.’ Bree snuggled back into her chair and gave another one of her devilish grins.
‘Excuse me?’ Harper didn’t want anyone’s pity.
‘You’re living with the Riggs brothers.’ Bree laughed, instantly lightening the mood.
‘They haven’t even bothered to connect a TV, and they have four of them.’ She pointed at the wide-screen TV attached to the wall. ‘They only use the inside of the house to sleep.’
‘If they did, they’d argue over what to watch.’ Bree playfully rolled her eyes. ‘Can you imagine it? Ash would hog it to play his computer games. Cap would have it on some wildlife documentary. Dex would have it on a boxing bout, the bloodier the better. Ryder would have a split screen, watching the news, the stock market and the business channel all at once.’
‘They’re so different.’
‘And they have a baby brother, Jonathan. The locals call him Rigsy. He’s got a little bit of all of them, and he’s a nice guy.’
‘Why isn’t Jonathan here?’
‘Jonathan lives with his future bride, Mandy Must, on Sandlot Station. They’re our neighbours to the west.’ Bree pointed to the side, Harper had no idea which way was north, south or west. ‘That’s why the Riggs brothers came to town—to help Jonathan with his first muster.’
‘Where were they before that?’
‘No idea. But Jonathan told me it was the first time they’d been together in ten years.’
‘That’s a long time to be away from family.’
‘Guess so?’ Bree shrugged.
‘So the family reunion must have been good?’
Again, Bree shrugged. ‘I think watching their youngest brother, Jonathan, buy Sandlot Station made them want to work for themselves, too. Jonathan wanted them to stay close, he was the one who was keen for Pop to agree to meet the boys. Which Charlie did, and those four brothers bought Elsie Creek Station almost a month now.’
‘Did they factor in their constant arguments?’ It was relentless, the snarls, grunts, and snarky snaps she’d hear from the outdoor table.
‘Dex and Ryder, right?’
Harper nodded. ‘I ignore them. Or they ignore me. But right now, I don’t care about the Riggs brothers … Is that wrong?’ She’d never talked badly about her boss to someone she’d just met. Where was the filter for her mouth? She was usually good at keeping secrets and being guarded with her reactions.
‘No.’ Bree giggled. ‘Listen, what’s said in this yard stays in this yard.’
‘Thank you, Bree. For everything, the shower time, lunch, conversation and just…’
‘Settle, petal. It’s obvious you’ve been living a pretty stressful life for a long time. Take a beat while I clear the table.’
‘I should—’
‘Sit and finish your iced tea and see how long you can sit still without doing anything.’
‘I’ve never …’ Harper stopped at Bree’s knowing expression. It was if Bree could see right through her, dishing out whatever Harper needed, even if she was clueless about what she needed for herself.
Bree swiftly cleared the table, leaving Harper to nestle back in her chair. She admired the large sunflowers bigger than her head swaying in the breeze. It was like she was enjoying a European summer, not the outback’s winter without a cloud in the sky that was so endless it was like looking into a deep ocean that floated above her. She’d never seen a sky so big and so clear.
Bree returned with a fresh jug of iced water with cucumber slices and a plate of sliced fruit and assorted nuts. Pouring a tall glass of water she handed one to Harper. ‘Did you meet the prime minister?’
‘Not the current one.’ The water was so crisp and the cucumber refreshing. It was the perfect palate cleanser. ‘Do you know why Cap is camping on the verandah?’
‘He’s training Sarge to be the guard dog. Cap’s demountable is airing out, and he wants to paint it before he moves in. Unlike Dex, who is squatting in the stockman’s shack, sleeping on his swag inside his tent.’
‘I’m glad Dex is out of the house. He’s betting on me to not last the week. Arsehole.’ She slapped her hand over her mouth. ‘I shouldn’t have said that.’
‘Listen, cucumber, just so you know—I’ve bet a hundred against Dex on you to make it.’
‘What? Why?’
Bree leaned in closer, her green eyes so clear. ‘Because I know you will.’
‘You don’t know me.’
‘No. But I can see it…’ She tapped on her ears.
Harper remained perfectly still, desperate to not react or give her situation away.
‘I won’t ask, and I won’t tell. Especially since Ryder told me to butt out of their business. And really, that’s your secret to share.’ She sipped her water, keeping her eyes on Harper. ‘The Riggs brothers are not dumb, so don’t ever underestimate them. Especially Ryder. He’s already suspicious of you.’
‘Ryder doesn’t talk to me. None of them do.’ She fiddled with her fingers in her lap. ‘I don’t know what to talk to them about.’ So maybe it was her fault, too. ‘I suck at this—conversation.’
‘No, you don’t.’ Bree scooped up her cane basket, sliding on her hat and gardening gloves. ‘In the meantime, let’s go shop for dinner, then we can go find you a dining table and some chairs to set up the farmhouse kitchen.’
‘Where? Not like there is a furniture warehouse out here.’
‘Close. We’ve got sheds. But you should take a hat, I have a spare one inside for you to try.’
‘I-I-I’m just helping them out.’
‘Who?’
She shrugged, unable to answer Bree.
‘Sometimes, keeping a secret can be good, which you’d know from your world.’
‘It was full of secrets.’
‘So don’t beat yourself up struggling to share. But if you ever need to talk, blab, dribble, or stumble over words and have someone to listen, I’m here.’ Bree gave a tender squeeze of Harper’s arm. ‘You should hear me after I’ve had a jug of gin, it’s not even English.’ She winked at her.
Such genuine kindness had tears blurring her vision. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not normally like this.’ Using the back of her hands, she brushed them away. ‘Thank you for coming and checking on me, and for lunch.’
‘All good. Honestly, I dropped off the fruit blocks for Mason more for my selfish need to ensure he didn’t scream down the place at midnight. He did that on his first night. Where is Mason sleeping?’
‘In the cot, supposedly, but he ends up with me. And Ruby.’ Her bed got crowded, but having them there stopped the loneliness and the nightmares.
‘You know why you have a nanny dog, don’t you?’
‘For snakes?’ She shuddered at the thought, with her eyes darting to the shadowy corners of the garden.
‘To protect Mason from you.’
‘What? I’d never—’
‘Petal, you’re someone who Ash picked up from the supermarket, driving a sleek black Audi, looking after their nephew.’
‘I’d never hurt Mason. I swear it.’ In her heart she’d protect the child at all costs.
‘I believe you. It’s the rest you need to convince.’
‘Then why hire me?’
‘Because they’re desperate.’
That hurt. Especially when Harper was in high demand, with plenty of high-paying jobs offered to her all the time.
‘Chin up, petal. There’s nothing I’d love more than to prove those boys wrong and win that bet from Dex.’
‘Got my vote.’ Pushing up from the chair, she straightened her dress. She was never afraid to work hard. But this job, this place, was way out of her comfort zone. ‘Do you know if Ash has advertised for a nanny?’
‘Why would he? You’re here now.’ Bree laughed as she opened the back door of the cottage.
‘I’m not a nanny.’
‘Well, what are you then?’ Bree returned with a hat for Harper.
‘Good question?’ But for now she was determined to beat Dex’s bet.