11. 11
11
Colton
‘ W hatever you’re thinking, don’t!’
I rolled my eyes, turning away from where Beau’s ute had just disappeared up the driveway in clouds of dust, and looked to my dad. His eyes were narrowed in suspicion. I’d been getting that look since my nappy-wearing self was caught cuddled up to a dangerous stallion years ago.
‘You’re going to be the death of me, son.’
Only, it hadn’t been my dad to die first. And my rebellious attitude hadn’t put my mum in a premature grave, it was the blows to the head she’d accumulated over years of horse-riding accidents.
My dad’s glare suddenly turned to a wince as he clutched the shoulder I’d just changed the dressings on.
‘You alright? Have I done the sling back up too tight?’
Dad shook his head, his teeth gritted. ‘Just a bit sore. Get me the painkillers, would you?’
I moved fast, snatching the bottle from the benchtop and shaking the prescribed amount into my palm before giving them to him with a glass of water. He swallowed them down in one large gulp.
‘Maybe we should take you to the hospital before your next appointment. Something might not be healing right,’ I said warily.
‘It’s fine,’ he grumbled, smacking the empty glass onto the kitchen table. ‘My arm was nearly bloody torn off. Of course I’ll have some pain every now and then. I bet you don’t go rushing off to the hospital every time one of your old injuries plays up.’
I held up my palms in surrender. ‘Alright. Just … let me know if it gets worse.’
Dad gave a brisk nod, leaning on his cane as he shuffled around. ‘I’m heading back to bed. I’ll read that book until I drift off. Good writer, that Fleur is.’
I chuckled, putting his empty glass in the sink. ‘So you keep saying. Well, if you need me, call me. Gonna head out.’
He stopped shuffling, turning around to give me those suspicious eyes again. ‘You said you didn’t wanna be seen while you’re back.’
‘Yeah, well being cooped up with you is making me claustrophobic.’
‘If you go to Tailgates …’
‘I’m going to the bar to get a drink. Is that a crime?’
‘It is when the bar —’ I rolled my eyes at his impersonation of the slight twang I’d developed. ‘—is in the same place as where your brother and ex-girlfriend are having a date to try get their relationship back on track!’
‘I’m not going to cause trouble.’
My dad gave a harrumph as he resumed his cane-enabled shuffle back to his bedroom. ‘Yet you always manage to.’
***
I knew what I was doing was wrong. I knew I should have turned my ute around, but I only accelerated towards town faster. I should have more respect for my brother. For Honey. Beau was finally happy with someone after living a life of solitude, although it sounded like there’d been some bumps in the road. Honey was moving on from the heartbreak I’d left her with. I was being stupid and selfish. One of the reasons why I’d vowed never to return to Gumtree Valley was because seeing her, looking at what I’d let go, was too painful.
Now I wanted to spy on her starting new with my brother.
It was too late to turn around. Beau was picking her up, and when I’d pass them heading the other way, it wouldn’t have taken him long to click on, especially since he already had his hackles up for me. Maybe getting out for a drink was exactly what I needed. I couldn’t help that Gumtree Valley only had one place to do that. Being cooped up in that house, alone with Dad, nothing but past memories circulating through my mind, must be driving me crazy. I mean, I was crazy—to an extent. I voluntarily lowered myself onto the backs of bucking bulls. Getting tangled up over a girl, to a point I wanted to stalk her, just wasn’t what I did. But those girls hadn’t been Honey. All I had to do was sit at the bar discreetly in the furthest corner, have my counter meal of steak and chips and leave without them seeing me. Then I would head home, berating myself for how ridiculous I’d been.
I flicked on the indicator when I reached the crossroad at the end of the road—not that it was really needed in these parts. With a small breath of relief, I pulled onto the bitumen and booked it towards town. No tyre tracks meant I was ahead of them. I did not want them seeing me walk in. I cruised past streets of houses, some of them the childhood homes of my old school friends. I’d had many a birthday party in their backyards; a pinata on the Hills Hoist, Freddo frogs in jelly cups. Going home with a party bag, fascinated with the novelty toys everyone got, only for it to wind up discarded and forgotten under my bed.
Those were the days.
The residential part of town rolled on by, houses merging into small shopfronts. There were the standard stores every small Australian town had; the grocery store, post office, shire offices—which always had to be the grandest building in the street—library, and servo where a truckie now jogged over the road back to his truck with his dinner wrapped in white paper. My stomach rumbled with the thought of a crumbed chicken and cheese sausage. It’d been too long.
I looked down at my fuel gauge, the red needle pointing to half. When it was time to fill up, I would make it a priority.
Aside from the essentials, there was also a small café, which Dad had told me continued to make the best bacon and egg rolls. Another priority. There were the three hairdressers, why a town so small needed three, I never knew, but they were always busy. There was the bank, a rarity made of brick and mortar these days, but as Gumtree Valley was mostly populated by elderly, they’d had to stay open to process their cheque books. There was the butcher, the newsagency where all school kids went to get their supplies for school projects, and a fish and chip shop. Nestled amongst them, with a bright yellow sign on its roof with a drawing of a bee reading a book was The Honey Pot.
Dad had been right, calling me idiotic for not linking the shop’s name and its owner’s together, even though he’d been the one to send me there. A strange burst of pride ignited in my heart when my ute’s reflection wavered in its windows. Bright and colourful displays sat inside. She’d done it. She’d set out to prove she was more than where she’d come from. I always knew she’d had it in her, but her lack of confidence had made her second guess anything she tried. I wondered if my departure had been the nudge she’d needed to be fearless. If that was the case, a tiny bit of me was glad I’d left. I’d never wanted to be the one to hold her back. It’d been wrong of me, expecting her to choose a life she hadn’t always wanted. I knew that now.
I kept driving until I reached Tailgates, parking my ute in the furthest corner huddled by dusty four-wheel drives. I climbed out, blipped the doors locked and walked with the speed of someone on the verge of shitting themselves to the bar. The smell of beer and steak flowed from the air-conditioned building as I opened the doors. There was the sound of balls breaking on a pool table, loud voices battling to be heard over one another. I side-stepped a young family on their way out, already having their family dinner before the place got busier. I didn’t miss the way their eyes lingered on me, starstruck recognition in their eyes.
‘How’s it goin’?’ I gave a nod of acknowledgement.
‘Good, thanks.’ The mother beamed.
‘Mum, is that the bull rider?’ asked the boy as I left them behind for the crowds. I couldn’t help but smile a little.
In fact, as I moved my way through the pub, I noticed nearly all eyes fell on me before flitting away, getting back to their hushed conversations.
‘I thought the rumour of him being back was a load of shit.’
‘Bet the Ebr aren’t happy. The finals are just ‘round the corner.’
‘Yeah, well his old man had that accident, remember? Ambo flew past our place.’
‘It’s sad that it takes something tragic to bring someone home.’
‘After how he left Honey, he probably thought he’d be greeted by torches and pitchforks.’
‘Poor Honey …’
I sighed. Why did I think I could hide from Beau and Honey when half the town’s eyes were on me? Maybe a crumbed chicken and cheese was the way to go after all. I went to turn on my heel, knowing I had to make my break before Beau and Honey walked through those doors, acting all gross and lovey, only to stop myself from fleeing. I frowned at the bloke sitting at the bar, childhood memories tugging at a bell of familiarity. Racing our bikes over the BMX track we’d built at the Montgomery farm, being collected in Sarge’s paddy-wagon when we’d been caught with a backpack of beer on our way to the graduation after party. I cast a glance to my escape route behind me, gave a grimace, and moved toward the bar.
A quick hello. That’s all.
‘They let you out in public?’
Riley quickly ceased his conversation with the farm-looking bloke he was talking to. As he slowly turned on his bar stool, I couldn’t stop the grin that slipped across my face. Even as a kid, Riley Montgomery was an absolute chonker. A typical country boy packed with fat and muscle. When we played footy as teenagers, he was like a road train flattening the opposition. The NFL teams I followed in the States would’ve scouted him. As I looked at him now, watching the shock register on his face, he hadn’t changed a lot since we were teenagers. Still a bear with a mop of bright orange hair.
‘Fuck me! If it wasn’t for your rides being blasted all over the internet, I would’ve thought you were dead, Hayesy!’ Riley slid from the stool, wearing a dirty work shirt and footy shorts with steel cap boots. A meaty hand was quick to clasp mine in a firm handshake.
The guy he was sitting with gave me a nod in acknowledgment before meandering off towards the pool tables in the back corner.
I nodded to Riley’s mullet with a smirk. He’d always wanted one but his mother would’ve been ropable if he dared to sport such a hairstyle under her roof. ‘You look like you sleep in a piggery.’
He gave a dramatic shake of his copper locks. ‘The mullet is an Australian icon. It represents authenticity, freedom and—’
‘Low grooming?’ I put in with a grin.
Riley gave me a flat look. ‘Tease the mullet all you want. The ladies love it.’
‘To hang onto when they’re riding you from behind, perhaps.’
I was given a middle sausage finger before we were both chuckling. Despite there being seven years between the last time we’d seen each other, it felt like no time had passed at all. I’d kept in contact with Riley when I’d first left Australia, but eventually the business of my new career caught up and he’d been slaving away at his agricultural contracting. Riley had never been one to hold a grudge, or get upset about much at all, and I was glad that hadn’t changed. I was sure he was the only one in Gumtree Valley who didn’t have a vendetta against me.
‘Come sit with Uncle Riley for a bit.’ He patted the vacant bar stool and flagged down the young barmaid.
I inwardly groaned, checking the doors which Honey and Beau were yet to come through. It was meant to be a quick hello. But could anyone really have a quick hello with friends they hadn’t seen for seven years? The decision was made for me when a frothy beer was placed in front of the empty seat. Catching up with a friend like Riley was worth the gamble of getting my arse kicked by my older brother, I supposed.
‘I can’t believe you’re really back in town!’ Riley joined me in taking a sip of his own beer when I took the stool next to him.
‘Yeah, well, the old man needs a bit of TLC at the moment, so I thought I’d better remind him what I look like.’
Riley’s face merged from glee to sorrow. ‘Yeah, I was in the header when it came over the two-way he’d been airlifted out. Sorry to hear, mate.’
I waved it off. Country blokes didn’t really get into their emotions, let alone talked about them. Plus, I’d come here to try and escape my rocky home life.
‘Hey, we’re here for the weekly pool tournament with the footy team. Wanna join?’ asked Riley, his moustache—or ferret, more like—turning up with his grin.
‘Uh …’
I hoped I was subtle in suddenly slouching down as far as I could. The sight of Honey and Beau entering the pub, looking as chummy and in love as I’d dreaded, reflected in the huge mirror behind the bar. If I made my escape now, they’d see me leave. I looked to one of three pool tables in the furthest part of the building. I would blend in with every other bloke in here tonight wearing a good t-shirt, jeans and boots topped with a cap. Surely I could slink around the pool tables out of sight until they’d left.
‘Yeah alright. I’m in.’
Riley grinned, that monstrosity of facial hair on his upper lip curving up even further. ‘Sweet! I’ll get us another round. My shout. Least I can do for my childhood buddy. The fellas are already over there racking up!’
I managed to get to the pool tables undetected by Beau, who had his back to me ordering drinks at the bar. Talk about cutting it close. But when I made the mistake of looking to the table I’d seen them moving towards last, I somehow forgot how to breathe. Blue eyes drilled into me, narrow and annoyed, made even fiercer by the clean ponytail she’d styled her hair into. Honey had caught me red-handed.
Shit.
I sent her a silent pleading look with my eyes, hoping that after all the years we’d spent together she could see the message I was screaming. Don’t tell Beau . Her lips pursed and she gave the smallest nod. I tore my gaze away from her, wishing I hadn’t noticed just how beautiful she looked in a summer dress with cowboy boots.
I eventually reached the pool tables and I didn’t waste time in skulking to the furthest corner where the lights didn’t seem to reach. What looked to be most of the footy team already stood around, nursing an array of beers. Some wore the team’s polo with jeans and thongs while others who’d obviously come straight from a Saturday of work wore dirty hi-vis shirts and steel cap boots.
‘Whoa! Colton Hayes! It’s been ages!’ A tall and lanky bloke came up to me, slapping me on the shoulder.
‘Oh yeah! Uh, hey …’ My mind drew a blank. I knew I’d played footy with him back in the day. Back pocket. His sister was the same year as Beau. Shit.
‘Josh! Josh Braxton!’
Memories from the footy field swarmed me. ‘Oh, yeah! I broke your nose when we ran into each other on accident. Sorry about that, mate.’
Josh’s welcoming demeanour shifted slightly, his light green eyes narrowing and nostrils flaring slightly. ‘Yeah, I missed three games because of that. Cost me player of the year.’
‘Oh, shit. I don’t remember. Blame that on the bulls. Again, I’m sorry.’
Touchy subject?
I almost hugged Riley when he sauntered up with two handfuls of beers. I took one gratefully, taking a large swig.
‘Oi, calm down, Hayesy! You and I still have a lot of catching up to do.’ Riley gave me a good-natured nudge.
I titled my head back slightly to grin up at Riley’s face. ‘Oh, I’m just getting started.’
Everyone moved about. A scoreboard was drawn up on a chalkboard. I didn’t miss Josh’s icy gaze follow me.
‘Josh, you’re up against Hayesy.’ One of the footy players scrawled our names onto the board with chalk.
Josh’s mouth twitched as he continued to glare at me. ‘Ready to have your arse handed to you?’
I gave a cocky grin, taking my time in chalking my pool cue as the first competitors moved to the table. I moved closer to Josh and blew the dust from the tip of the cue. ‘Game on, mole.’