Deadman’s Track

by Sarah Barrie

  Whatever temper that had simmered in his voice disappeared as he placed a light kiss on her nose. ‘But I’m not a beautiful young woman.’

  ‘No, you’re definitely not,’ she said, letting go of her growing edginess.

  A grin slid onto his face as he pulled her back against him. ‘Let me prove it.’

  Tess wasn’t sure he’d really proved much at all. As she stood in the stables the following morning, stroking a brush over her mare’s glowing coat, she wondered again if the fault was with him or with her. Perhaps they wouldn’t ever be a good match in that department. And then there was the discussion about how she ran her hiking business. They didn’t seem to be on the same page with that, either. She’d turned Aaron’s words over and over in her head. Could he have a point? After the accident at Fedder, she was beginning to question her competence and decisions. It was an uncomfortable track to walk.

  She unzipped her jacket as she began to warm. The day was shaping up to be clear and cold, perfect for the ride she and Indy had planned. Tess was looking forward to it, but she couldn’t quite shake her mood.

  ‘You’re very broody this morning,’ Indy said, grooming her own mount. ‘You sure you’re up to this?’

  ‘Feeling better every day.’

  ‘Physically maybe, but the emotional stuff might take longer to get over.’

  Tess stopped brushing. Huffed. ‘It’s not the accident—it’s Aaron. He doesn’t think I should take groups of male hikers out into the park.’

  ‘What? Why? Because of Charlie?’

  ‘Not entirely, though my ability to control a group of young men came into it. He’s worried some of them might be tempted to take advantage of the situation.’ She dropped the brush into the grooming bucket and picked up another to remove the knots from Flash’s tail.

  ‘Are you worried?’ Indy asked, jumping straight into cop mode. ‘Did something else happen out there?’

  ‘Huh? No. No. Nothing like that has ever happened.’

  ‘So what’s the problem?’

  Tess shrugged. ‘It’s more of a “just in case”. It never even occurred to me. Perhaps it should have. It’s annoying me.’

  ‘He certainly seems to have a lot of opinions on what you should and shouldn’t be doing.’ Indy stroked the brush over her mare’s dappled coat several more times before asking, ‘What did you say to him?’

  ‘I told him I could take care of myself. And before you ask, he told me that’s what everyone thinks, until they find out they can’t. Maybe he has a point.’

  Indy’s expression became doubtful. ‘The Tess I know doesn’t let anyone tell her what she can and can’t do.’

  ‘Which is a big reason why my relationships don’t work,’ she said, frustrated. ‘I’m used to doing things my way. I always have. And I don’t like being told what to do. I never have. But I nearly got myself killed. So … I don’t know.’

  ‘Yeah, you did. And I would never suggest I’m comfortable with you risking your life like that, but the fact is, you think you feel bad now? Just imagine how you’d feel if Charlie had died and you hadn’t tried to save him. Hadn’t done a thing to help. Logan has seen me risk my life more than once while doing my job and it terrifies him. You don’t think he wants to keep me safe? But he’s never once asked me to stop, never questioned my need to do it or told me what I can and can’t do. He knows it’s who I am, and he loves me enough not to try and change me. That’s why we work.’

  ‘Trying to figure out how much compromise needs to be involved in this relationship deal is driving me nuts. But Aaron’s a good guy, Indy. I think he’s worth it.’

  ‘Hmm … I hear doubts creeping in,’ Indy teased, then smiled wickedly. ‘How’s the sex?’

  Tess hesitated, then shrugged. ‘It’s okay.’

  Indy pulled a horrified face. ‘Call it quits. Now.’

  Tess grinned at that. ‘I’ve decided we need to work at it.’

  ‘You’re—what? A month into this relationship? This is supposed to be the fun part.’

  ‘But that so-called fun part wears off, right? Then you’re left with the rest of it. That’s what you’re supposed to worry about. The forever part.’

  Indy shook her head in disgust. ‘Sometimes you’re too practical for your own good.’

  ‘I’m thirty years old and looking for a life partner not my next crush. Except I don’t feel very adult. I think I’m actually sulking.’

  ‘He’s treating you like a child, so maybe that’s appropriate.’

  Tess dropped the brush back into the grooming kit. ‘I’ll talk to him about it. Come on. Let’s get saddled up or we’ll never get our ride in.’

  ‘And then you’re going to help me vaccinate and drench Monte, remember?’

  ‘Yeah. Is that before or after you fix the mower and I work those breakers Logan’s too busy getting ready for his campdraft to get worked?’

  ‘How are you riding breakers today? I can see how stiff you still are.’

  ‘Riding’s helping with that.’

  ‘Lucky,’ Indy said, heading to the tack room for her saddle. ‘Got to love our lazy days off.’

  They rode up onto the mountain trails, raced along stretches of the colourful, heath-covered ground that bordered Mount Field National Park and ambled along steeper, heavily wooded areas complete with crystal-clear streams, tree ferns and towering swamp gums. They were riding back down to the stables before they’d spent half as much time up there as Tess would have liked.

  ‘Rory needed this,’ Indy said, pulling her big brown mare up next to Tess’s as they dismounted. ‘She hasn’t been up on the trails for weeks. And it’s fun, riding together.’

  ‘We rarely hit a day off at the same time,’ Tess said. ‘You want to put the girls away and do Monte now?’

  ‘May as well.’ They glanced up as Aaron’s car crawled to a stop. ‘Unless someone else has other ideas.’

  ‘Shut up,’ Tess murmured, rolling her lips together so she didn’t grin.

  ‘Tess, there you are!’ Aaron said, climbing out of his Prado. ‘I thought you said you had the day off.’

  ‘I do. Sort of. I just have to ride a couple of horses for Logan and help Indy—’

  ‘I’ve been calling you.’

  ‘Oh, sorry. I left my phone at the stables. What’s up?’

  His mouth twisted in exasperation. ‘I’d planned to take you out. You’ve had a rough few days. I wanted to spoil you.’

  ‘Sorry,’ she said again. ‘You should have lined it up with me.’ Some of the irritation left his face as she put her arms around his waist and dropped her head back to smile apologetically.

  ‘Doesn’t matter.’ Then he dropped a kiss on her forehead and bundled her close under his arm. ‘And sorry for snapping. I was worried when I couldn’t get hold of you. Are you free now?’

  ‘Not quite,’ Indy said. ‘We still have a couple of things to do. Hi, Aaron.’

  ‘Hi, Indy. Enjoy your ride?’

  ‘We did.’

  He beamed at Tess. ‘You do what you need to do. Then how about we go out to dinner tonight?’

  ‘Sounds perfect.’

  Indy didn’t say much as they got the equipment together and headed for Monte’s yard, but Tess could almost hear her thinking. ‘What?’ she asked eventually.

  ‘He’s quite possessive, isn’t he?’

  ‘You too? Callie said the same thing.’

  ‘It’s something to think about. Some women like being smothered in attention. Others prefer their own space.’

  ‘I thought we were supposed to want to be in each other’s pockets at this stage. Are you sure you don’t want to run Monte across to the crush?’

  ‘For one little jab and a pour on? Nah. He’ll be fine.’

  Monte walked to the fence when he saw them coming and called out in greeting. Indy’s hand-raised baby might be close to half a tonne but he didn’t know it.

  ‘I suppose you want me to do it so you can remain his favourite pers
on?’ Tess asked Indy.

  ‘I’ll always be his favourite person,’ Indy said with a grin. ‘But yes, please. I feel horrible jabbing him.’

  They went into his yard and Indy gave him a scratch. ‘Hi, bud.’ Monte rubbed his head into her chest with enough force to send her back a step, then licked her arm. ‘Sook,’ she crooned.

  ‘Spoilt brat, more like,’ Tess teased. She reached up high on his neck and quickly injected the vaccine. As a surprised Monte stepped sideways, away from the short, sharp sting, one hoof landed squarely on Indy’s toe.

  ‘Ouch! Monte, get off!’ Indy shoved at the steer, who took some convincing to move before burying his enormous head back into her chest for another rub. Despite the look on her face and the words being muttered under her breath, Indy hugged him before hopping to the fence and clutching her foot.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Tess dropped the used needle into the box and closed the lid.

  ‘I am. My foot, however …’

  ‘Steel-capped boots,’ Tess reminded her with a pained expression. ‘And the cattle crush. Both were designed for good reason.’

  ‘I thought my riding boots would be fine. He wasn’t being naughty, exactly. It was just bad foot placement.’

  Tess laughed at that. ‘Yours or his?’ She helped Indy through the gate, where Indy pulled off her boot and sock with a relieved sigh. Tess cringed. Indy’s big toe was already turning purple. ‘We’d better get some ice on that. We’ll leave the drenching for later.’

  ‘It’s not that bad,’ Indy grumbled, and limped to the ute. When they were buckled in she said, ‘Guesthouse. Bar. I need a cold drink as much as that ice.’

  ‘All right.’ Tess parked in the staff carpark and walked Indy slowly up the steps through the side entrance, a shorter walk to the bar. The area was only sparsely dotted with guests at this time of the day, so they sat by the window in the corner. ‘Wait here.’

  She asked Callie to get Indy an ice pack, then went behind the bar to get them a jug of lemon squash and some glasses.

  ‘Here you go,’ Callie said.

  ‘Thanks,’ Indy said and gently placed the ice on her toe, grimacing. ‘Stupid big baby he is.’

  ‘You think it’s broken?’

  ‘Looks like it,’ Tess said.

  ‘I’ll tape it up, it’ll get better,’ Indy said. Then to Callie, she said, ‘Monte hasn’t been through a crush in his life. He’d stress more about that than the injection.’

  ‘Yet you don’t seem to have told him climbing into your lap is no longer an option.’

  Indy grinned into her glass. ‘He didn’t mean it.’

  Logan walked in and pulled a chair next to his wife before leaning forward and lifting the ice pack to examine her toe. ‘Ow. Tess getting too much sympathy, was she?’

  Indy slapped at him playfully. ‘Monte was being a sook.’

  ‘Anyone for steak?’

  ‘Not funny.’

  Logan smiled. ‘Put the ice back on.’

  She did so reluctantly. ‘What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be packing for the campdraft?’

  ‘On my way back to the house. Spotted you limping in.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She kissed him briefly. ‘Go pack. I’m fine.’

  ‘It’s so easy with you two,’ Tess complained as Logan headed out again.

  ‘Easy? Mostly it is. We drive each other nuts occasionally, have the rare but sensational argument, disagree from time to time. But mostly, yeah, it’s better than easy. It’s amazing.’

  ‘Hmm.’

  ‘Is this about Aaron?’ Callie asked.

  ‘He’s telling her what to do.’

  Callie’s brow lifted. ‘And you’re what? Listening? Wow, must be love!’

  ‘I’m not so sure,’ Tess said. ‘I’d like it to be but …’

  ‘Well, that’s easy. Does he tie you up in knots?’ Callie asked breathily. ‘Make you pine for him when he’s not around?’

  ‘Think about him when you’re supposed to be thinking about other things?’ Indy continued sweetly. ‘Make you weak when he looks at you a certain way?’

  ‘Okay, stop.’ Tess laughed. It sounded as though they were just getting warmed up. ‘My life is not a cliché. That stuff is all exaggerated rubbish.’

  ‘She can’t be serious?’ Callie asked Indy.

  ‘Miss Practicality, over here? Don’t be so sure. Logan told me once that Murphy Atherton took one look at Rosalie and decided that as she had a strong constitution, a good face and knew how to brand a steer, she’d do. So, who do you think this one takes after?’

  ‘Oh, rubbish,’ Tess scoffed. ‘Dad was head over heels for Mum.’

  ‘Yeah, but unless your brother is lying, that was how he did the looking. You’re doing the same thing. What did you say before? Compatible, solid, dependable?’

  ‘Do you ever forget anything?’

  ‘Not in my line of work.’ Then to Callie, she said, ‘And the sex is no good.’

  ‘Would you shut up?’ Tess said with another laugh as she checked to make sure no one had heard.

  Callie shook her head. ‘Tess, you have a whole family of solid and dependable people around you. You can afford to fall head over heels for someone, practical or not. When I first came down here, I was never going near a man again and then Connor walked into the staff room and every cell in my body just about—’

  ‘Okay! Seriously! Stop! I don’t want to hear about my brothers’ love lives. To be honest, it sounds a bit flaky. I don’t think it’s in me.’

  Callie’s eyes danced. ‘I’m tempted to say you could very easily have come across as flaky the way you looked at Jared the other day.’

  ‘Jared?’ Indy asked. Then she said with a secretive smile, ‘Interesting.’

  ‘Oh, please, would you drop that?’ Tess begged Callie.

  ‘What time is dinner with Aaron?’ Indy asked.

  ‘You know what? I didn’t ask. I’ll find out.’ She opened her phone and frowned. ‘Hey, he really did try to call me. Like, twenty times.’

  ‘Hmm,’ was all Indy said.

  Tess got to her feet, not wanting to analyse the number of missed calls because it really was a bit over the top. ‘You rest that toe. I’d better go get Logan’s horses worked.’

  CHAPTER

  8

  Jai paced the small space of his kitchen, chewing his fingernails. Pax had said he’d pick him up at midnight to have some fun and put some cash in his pocket. It was already midnight, wasn’t it? Why hadn’t he said no right there and then? He should have backed out while he had the chance. This wasn’t going to be good. He wanted to believe that whatever Pax had planned was somehow legal, but he wasn’t naïve enough for that. If he’d had a phone number for Pax he would have called it and stumbled through an excuse. Everything was telling him not to go through with it. But he’d booked Pop’s agency carer for next week and had no idea how he was going to pay for it. None. And the week after that there’d be another bill, and another, and the damn hike—he needed stuff for that. He had to do something. And that was why, deep down, under all the excuses that he should have, could have, would have gotten out of this, he hadn’t.

  He checked on Evan and found him snoring soundly in bed. Going out with Pax was risky on more than one count. Jai had given his grandfather just a touch more whiskey than usual so he was almost certain to sleep through. But what if he didn’t? What if he woke up and did something stupid?

  Light outside caught his attention, so he went back to the kitchen window and peered through. Pax had pulled up.

  Shit. Jai’s stomach sank. He didn’t break the law. He never broke the law. What was he doing? He scratched at his back where nervous sweat was running from the base of his neck and seriously considered hiding in the house, pretending he wasn’t here.

  I need the money, he reminded himself. Whatever this is I have to pay for Pop’s care. He slowed his breathing, fought down the nerves bouncing in his stomach. He could do this, because he had
to. Before he could change his mind, he grabbed his jumper and stepped outside, quietly locking the door behind him.

  ‘Hop in,’ Pax said. ‘Hurry up.’

  Jai walked around to the passenger side and slid in. Pax was dressed completely in black: jeans, jumper, jacket. Scrunched together in the centre console were what looked like a beanie and a pair of gloves.

  He barely had the door closed before Pax edged back out onto the road. ‘Any reason ya decided on a white shirt?’

  ‘I have a dark jumper,’ Jai said. ‘I don’t know what we’re doing.’

  Pax tossed him a sideways glare. ‘Shit, man. Ya can’t be that stupid. We’re not packing shelves at Woolies.’ The car abruptly pulled over. ‘Ya want to go home?’ he asked, as though reading Jai’s mind. ‘Back to Grandpa?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I don’t have time to help out a gutless wonder that wants cash for nothing. Ya can go home and cry poor me, or ya can make some serious money. But make up ya fucking mind. Now.’

  ‘I—I just can’t afford to get caught,’ Jai said more bravely than he felt. ‘Pop needs taking care of.’

  ‘Fuck me! Pop, Pop, Pop! Can’t you just dump him in a home or something?’

  Dump him in a home? ‘It’s not that simple. They cost so much money and there’s never enough beds—’

  ‘Would ya shut up?’ Pax snapped in frustration. ‘I don’t care. I couldn’t give a flying fuck. I just need to know if you’re in or out.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I’m in.’

  Pax jerked his head in a nod. ‘Ya do what I say, when I say and it’ll be sweet. Easy money for Pop or whatever ya want, got it?’

  ‘Okay.’

  They drove for a few more minutes, through some gates and down a couple of dimly lit streets. Then Pax pulled the car up behind a shed on the side of a small road. ‘Let’s go,’ he said, and climbed out of the car. ‘Close the door quietly.’

  Jai took a moment to pull himself together then stepped out, looking around. ‘Where are we?’

  ‘At the uni.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Plenty of ways in and out, plenty of cover. Here.’ He opened the back door and took out a backpack, tossed it at Jai. ‘Take this.’