Twenty-Six
They were up with the sun the next morning and Rowena was caught up in the buzz of what felt like a grand adventure. All hands—including three local ring-ins—were on deck for the muster of several thousand head of sheep from the far reaches of the property into the stock yards, for the drenching.
Rowena helped Reggie pack enough food for seven people for two days—tonight they’d be camping out under the stars—while the men did … well, she didn’t know for sure, but outside stuff that seemed very manly.
By six am they were setting out. Reggie and Albert were on horseback.
Two guys, one called Ryan, the other Brodie, were on dirt bikes.
Another called Shaun drove the old four-wheeldrive ute, which was stocked with various supplies, including the drone along with two eskies full of food and camping gear.
Also tagging along in the back was Blue.
Lachlan had gestured for Rowena to ride with Shaun, but no way did she want to be left out of the experience. Not when Lachlan was on a quad bike with room on the back.
She climbed in behind him, Red claiming the spot behind her, standing to attention. ‘Hold on tight, baby,’ Lachlan said as he started the engine, and damn if she didn’t like the way he said baby.
Her heart was beating like the clappers as the quad kicked into motion and she slid her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek to his back as it accelerated. He was obviously taking it easy as they cut across country, the horses, the bikes and the ute all well ahead of them.
‘You can go faster,’ she yelled into his ear once her pulse had settled and she got used to the vibration of the engine through her thighs and the rock of the bumpy, uneven ground under the wheels.
‘Speed demon, huh?’
Rowena smiled. She was the sideshow alley queen, right? ‘Show me what you’re made of, baby.’
She heard his laugh before the wind snatched it away and felt the moment he pushed the bike a little faster. Her arms tightened around his waist as her hair whipped behind her.
Rowena was hyper-aware of him, his arse firmly cradled between her legs, the beat of his heart thumping against her chest. It felt … elemental being out here with him like this, smooshed close, flying along with nothing but endless scrub in front of them and an infinite outback sky above.
She’d lain awake last night long after Lachlan had fallen asleep, thinking about their bathtub discussion. About how he wanted their daughter to be brought up out here. It hadn’t surprised her when he’d finally said it out loud—she’d have been more surprised had he not.
But today, out here, like this, watching this landscape he was so much a part of whiz by, she understood why. He wasn’t at Blairgowrie because he didn’t know any different. Because he’d been born with dirt in his veins and no other way would do.
This place hadn’t been his only life experience. He’d lived other places and done other things.
Blairgowrie was his choice.
And, with the sun warming her arms, a mob of emus kicking up dust as they ran in the distance and a dog panting in her ear, she could see why he wanted this wide-brown-land life for their daughter.
Right at this moment, she kinda wanted it, too …
*
At eleven they decided to take a break. Lachlan had told her it would be slow, dusty work and he’d been right. It was shaping up into a hot day and the drone had been working overtime helping them to locate the sheep that could be anywhere on the property.
They’d already found a few hundred and, between the quad and Red, who kept stragglers and breakaways in check, they were slowly walking them back—no need to stress them out, according to Lachlan—in the direction of the yards.
But there were many more sheep to find.
As they’d slowed to what felt like a crawl, Lachlan had given her the job of driving the quad behind the growing flock while he manned the drone and kept an eye on Red and the sheep, whistling commands if needed.
He also communicated via handheld radio with Albert, Reggie and the dirt bikes, directing them to sheep in the surrounding areas, which they rounded up and brought into the main flock.
Shaun, who had taken the ute to scout out the closest dams for livestock, joined them as they all converged on an area where a stand of gums made for a shady spot. It was obviously a popular place to stop, with two wooden picnic tables situated beneath the trees.
A large poly tank nearby stood in full sun. It fed several cement troughs scattered around, including one in the shade where the horses were currently slaking their thirst.
‘Reggie,’ Shaun announced as he removed one of the eskies of food from the back of the ute, ‘I’ve been fanging for one of your scones all morning. I swear I could smell them all the way into the cab.’
Reggie, preparing to dismount from Ace, let loose one of her crackly belly laughs. ‘Made ’em specially for you, darl.’
What happened next was over in a flash, and yet Rowena felt as if she was seeing it in slow motion.
Suddenly Ace snorted, shook his head wildly and stomped his feet.
Then he reared back with a chilling, petrified whinny.
Reggie lost her grip and fell, her back striking the hard, unforgiving concrete corner of the trough on her way down.
Somewhere someone said, ‘Snake,’ but it was mostly drowned out by Reggie’s cry of pain as she landed on her back a few feet from the trough.
‘Reggie!’ Albert cried, dismounting quickly, covering the distance in several strides and throwing himself down beside her. ‘Reggie,’ he said again, peering into her shuttered face as he removed his hat and picked up her hand.
Lachlan, who’d been behind the tank checking out the pump, bolted over. He reached his grandmother just before Rowena.
‘Reggie. Reggie!’
‘I’m awake,’ she whispered, coughing weakly as her eyes fluttered open, her gaze finding Albert.
‘Where does it hurt? Can you move? Are you having trouble breathing? What day is today?’
As Lachlan did a frantic head to toe, cold fingers clutched around Rowena’s heart and she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Reggie’s skin, always a weathered brown, was now an awful shade of pale. Her lips were pale too, her breathing slow and shallow.
Lachlan, who Rowena had never once seen out of his depth, turned frantic eyes on her. ‘Help her.’
Dread sank like a lead weight in Rowena’s belly. But she just nodded as she knelt beside him and calmly said, ‘Call the ambulance.’
It was as if she’d thrown him a lifeline. ‘Shaun,’ he barked over his shoulder, ‘grab the sat phone from the ute.’ Turning back to Reggie, his eyes blazed down at her. ‘Don’t you die on me,’ he growled. ‘Don’t you dare fucking die.’
He didn’t wait for her to answer, just pushed away, snatching the phone off Shaun.
‘Is he gone?’ Reggie asked, wincing a little, her voice low and raspy.
Rowena watched as Lachlan strode away into the full sun, yelling into the phone. ‘Yes,’ she said, returning her attention to Reggie, scooping up her other hand.
It was cool and clammy and the fingers around Rowena’s heart squeezed a little harder.
Reggie managed a small smile at Albert before she glanced at Rowena. ‘I’m done for.’
‘Reggie …’ Rowena shook her head, desperate for it not to be so. ‘The ambulance is on its way.’
But even as she said it, she could see that Reggie was right. It would take god knew how long for medical help to arrive, but even if there was a full emergency department at her disposal right now, it wouldn’t help.
Reggie was dying.
‘I can’t feel my legs,’ she said.
Rowena shut her eyes briefly. It wasn’t a surprise, given how she’d landed and the back-breaking noise of that crack.
‘I have the big C. Lung. Doc gave me a year.’
Everything fell into place then. The cough Reggie hadn’t been able to shake. The weight loss she’d hidden. Rowena glanced at Albert. He was staring at the woman he loved, his eyes glistening, his expression a mix of devotion and stoic resignation.
He knew she was dying too.
She looked at Reggie again. ‘How long have you known?’
‘A few months.’
‘Could they not treat it?’
A feeble laugh escaped those pale lips, followed by a paroxysmal cough that seemed to weaken her even further.
‘Not here,’ she said as she recovered. ‘And I’m not … going to the … city.’ She was panting between words now. ‘Too many people of … my age go there and … don’t come back. I was going to see … the baby, that was … enough for me.’
Her hand moved, groping for Rowena’s abdomen. Blinking back tears, Rowena placed the clammy palm on her belly.
A smile touched Reggie’s mouth. ‘You’re going to be … the best mama.’
Reggie’s faith that all would be well with the baby had always been unshakeable. Rowena wished she’d had a fraction of the older woman’s confidence. As if reading her mind, Reggie smiled. ‘Don’t worry … everything’s going to be just … fine.’
Rowena swallowed against a hard lump and nodded. Reggie shouldn’t be wasting precious last words on assuring her, but her certainty meant a lot nonetheless.
‘Where’s … Lachy?’
‘He’s calling the RFDS.’
Reggie shook her head slightly. ‘Tell him to … call them off … tell him … to come … it’s close now.’
Rowena wanted to argue. To yell at her to not die, as Lachlan had done. To tell her she could get through this. But even if that was remotely possible, she’d be in hospital in the city for a long time.
No Blairgowrie. No Ace.
By refusing treatment for her cancer, Reggie had already decided how and where she wanted to go.
Placing Reggie’s hand gently on her stomach, Rowena stood, her legs shaky. She forced them to move, to go to Lachlan, who was pacing back and forth, shouting into the phone. Telling them to hurry.
‘Stop asking me dumb fucking questions and get here,’ he was yelling when she reached him.
‘Lachy,’ she whispered.
He spared her a quick glance before turning to pace in the opposite direction, gesticulating wildly into the air as he roared, ‘She doesn’t have ninety goddamn minutes.’