Rosalee Station

by Magro, Mandy

  ‘Of course you can. I was hoping you would. I thought maybe you’d like to give it a bash too, Daniel, if your ribs can handle it,’ Matt said, eyebrows raised.

  ‘Count me in!’ Daniel replied eagerly.

  ‘I reckon I’d like to give it a go too,’ Liam said.

  ‘Me too!’ Patrick said, clapping his hands in the air.

  ‘Oh shit. Does this mean I have to as well?’ Slim asked, fear written across his face.

  ‘Of course not, Slim! You can help me out at the chutes,’ Matt replied. He directed his gaze towards Liam and Patrick. ‘Since neither of you have ridden before, why don’t you start with something simple? I’ll need one of you to be the rodeo clown and one of you to work the eight-second blower for me.’

  ‘No worries. I’ll be the rodeo clown!’ Patrick said, grinning.

  ‘And that leaves me to play with my blower – oops, I mean do the blower!’ Liam joked.

  Sarah rolled her eyes and grinned. ‘You need to get your mind out of the gutter, Liam!’

  Matt slapped his hand on his leg. ‘Great! It’s a done deal. We’ll do it tomorrow arvo.’ He stood up. ‘You wanna come and have a look at the bulls when you’re finished, Greg?’

  ‘My word I do, mate. Maybe tomorrow we can buck out the ones I like so I can see how they perform in the arena.’

  ‘No worries. Come find me at the homestead when you’re ready. The missus is cooking me lunch.’

  Stumpy raised his eyebrows. ‘Gee whiz, Matt. That’s a change. Good to hear, buddy.’

  ‘Tell me about it!’ Matt called back over his shoulder.

  Sarah felt deflated. She quickly stood from the table, not wanting the others to notice her sudden change of mood, and picked up a few plates to take into the kitchen.

  Lily followed suit and went after Sarah. ‘You okay?’

  Sarah rinsed the plates and cutlery off under the tap, shooting Lily a wry glance from under her brows. ‘Boy, Lily. I can’t hide anything from you, mate, can I? I’m okay. I just, I … um … I’ve really got to know Matt well in the last couple of months out here, and I really like him – a lot. More than as a mate, if you get my drift.’

  Lily put her hand on Sarah’s shoulder. ‘Oh, mate. Can anyone blame you? He’s a nice bloke and gorgeous to boot. Try not to let it get you down, though. Life always has a way of working out for the best.’

  ‘I know, Lily. It’s just … I wish things could be different.’ Sarah smiled weakly.

  ‘Dan and I will take your mind off it! Let’s have some fun!’ Lily grabbed Sarah by the hands and started spinning her around the kitchen. Sarah giggled. Lily always knew how to make her feel better.

  By midnight, Lily and Sarah were still raring to go, while the men were heading off to bed. Daniel gave both girls a kiss and joined the men in the general exodus, leaving the girls to spend a bit of time together. Sarah and Lily had danced like a pair of drunken teenagers in the lounge room to a country music greatest hits CD until they couldn’t stand any longer, falling in a laughing, gibbering heap on the floor, tears rolling down their faces. ‘I haven’t had this much fun in ages,’ Sarah slurred between hiccups, red wine staining her lips bright red, her wild blonde hair all over her face.

  Lily wiped the tears from her cheeks, trying to catch her breath. ‘Me neither! When are you gonna come home, buddy? I miss this.’

  ‘I’ll be home for Christmas, Lil. And then I’ll figure out whether I want to come back here for another season or not.’

  Lily clapped her hands with glee. ‘Yay! Home for Christmas! And then I’ll convince you to stay.’

  ‘We’ll see, Lil. And you know what? I’m actually looking forward to seeing Brad. I never thought I’d say that again, but we’ve had a couple of great chats on the phone since he got back to Mareeba, and I think we can still be good mates.’

  ‘Aw, that’s great to hear,’ Lily said. ‘I’ve seen him around town and he’s looking much better. He and Dan are back on friendly terms too.’

  ‘Hey, that reminds me, I’m so pleased for you and Dan,’ Sarah said, smiling. ‘You both seem so happy!’

  Lily smiled warmly. ‘We’re head over heels for each other. I never thought I could feel so in love, but I do. We’re even talking about moving in together.’

  ‘Oh my goodness, that’s great, Lil!’ Sarah felt tears prick her eyes and she tried to quickly wipe them away.

  ‘Oh mate, what’s wrong?’ Lily wrapped her arm around Sarah’s shoulder.

  Sarah sniffled. ‘It’s just I wish I could be with the man I’m head over heels with, but that will probably never happen. Oh, what am I going to do, Lil? It’s driving me insane not being able to touch him.’

  ‘I don’t know what to tell you. You have to let things take their course and believe in your heart that if you are meant to be together, fate will somehow find a way.’

  ‘Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s just so damn hard seeing him with Brooke. She doesn’t deserve him!’

  Sarah flopped back on the rug, slightly dazed. She was beginning to feel a little sick from all the booze and the room had begun to spin. ‘I think I better go to bed. I’m not feeling too good.’

  Lily lay down beside Sarah. ‘Me neither. Can’t handle my red wine like I used to. Shall we carry each other to bed? I don’t think I’ll be able to walk on my own.’

  The two girls helped each other up off the floor, cackling like a pair of chooks as they staggered around. It took three attempts before they made it up, leaning on each other for support. They wobbled their way down the hall, looking like a pair of penguins, sniggering quietly at the snores coming from the men’s rooms.

  ‘This is my stop, Sarah,’ Lily announced as she fell against the guest bedroom door.

  ‘Night, my bestest friend!’ Sarah whispered, before sliding her way unsteadily down the hallway wall to her bedroom. She stumbled into the dark room and fell flat on her face on the bed, asleep before her head had even hit the pillow.

  Jimmy fidgeted tensely while Greg, Slim and Matt loaded the first bull into the chutes for the day. It was a whopping one-tonne beast, looking very unhappy to have been pulled from his paddock.

  ‘God, Jimmy. Anyone would think you’ve got ants in your pants!’ Daniel said as he buckled up his own chaps.

  ‘Strewth, Daniel, I can’t help it! Have you seen the size of this bugger?’ The whites of Jimmy’s eyes were growing larger by the second.

  Daniel gave him a slap on the back. ‘You’ll be right, Jimmy. Patrick’s out there doing clown duties and I’m sure he’ll look after you when you hit the dirt.’

  Jimmy nodded, clearly unconvinced. He looked over at the small huddle of onlookers. Lily and Sarah waved to him eagerly from their fold-out chairs, and he gave them a quick wave back, lifting his hat for good measure.

  ‘This is exciting, isn’t it, girls?’ Judy chortled as she set up a fold-out table next to them, stacking it high with baked goodies. She gave Steve a quick, playful slap on the wrist as he nicked a lamington.

  Georgia laughed. ‘Pass us one while you’re at it, please, Dad!’

  Steve looked apprehensively at Judy.

  ‘Oh, go for it, you silly old duffer. The food’s here for eating, not for looking at!’ Judy said, hand on her hip.

  Steve grinned lovingly at his wife and wrapped an arm around her waist.

  ‘Will you two get a room?’ Liam called cheekily from his front-row chair.

  ‘I should be so lucky,’ Steve replied mischievously.

  ‘Dad! Going visual! I really don’t want to picture it.’ Georgia pulled a face.

  Sarah watched Brooke as she headed in their direction from the homestead, clutching a bright-pink folding chair.

  ‘Here comes the missus,’ Lily whispered.

  ‘I spotted her a mile away. That chair is hurting my eyes it’s that bloody bright!’ Sarah pretended to shield her eyes.

  Brooke parked her chair in between Chris and Liam, saying a fleeting hello to Sarah and Lil
y over her shoulder.

  ‘Hey, Brooke. There’s room here if you like,’ Sarah said, moving her chair over so Brooke could sit next to her. Being friends with Brooke was not exactly her idea of fun, but she told herself to get over it. After all, Brooke had made an effort, and so should she.

  Brooke waved her red fingernails in the air like she was swatting at flies. ‘Nah. I’m right here, but thanks anyway.’

  Sarah was taken aback but recovered quickly and smiled broadly. ‘No worries. You’ve got front row there with Liam and Chris anyway.’

  ‘Do we smell or something?’ Lily hissed at Sarah.

  Sarah smothered her grin by shoving a bite of lamington in her mouth. ‘Ssh, Lily.’

  Her attention was drawn to the rodeo, where Patrick had walked out comically and was now standing in the centre of the ring, wearing a pair of bright shorts and an even brighter shirt. He also had on an odd pair of footy socks pulled right up to his knees. The girls had helped him paint his face with make-up this morning in an attempt to make him look more like a clown. He had somehow managed to get half of the lipstick up the left side of his face, making him look even more ridiculous. He smiled mischievously at the audience, lifting his Akubra and revealing a bright orange wig.

  ‘The rodeo is about to begin!’ He ran to position, ready for the incoming bucking bull.

  Slim flung open the gate and the first bull came bounding out, snorting and bucking like a demon. Jimmy was clamped on its back, clinging to the rope, his arm flinging about like it was broken. Liam counted down the eight seconds for the spectators from the front row. Jimmy was bucked off at five seconds, landing on the ground heavily, dust surrounding him for a few seconds. Patrick immediately ran in from the side and diverted the bull’s attention as Jimmy scrambled to safety. Sarah cheered his effort along with everyone else, genuinely impressed.

  She pulled her Akubra off and swatted at the flies, cooling her face at the same time. Her singlet was stuck to her back and she wriggled in her seat, trying to free it from her skin. With Lily’s gentle nudging, she had opted to wear denim shorts, which were a refreshing change from her normal attire of jeans. She felt good in them, too, and wondered whether she’d imagined the double take Matt gave her when he saw her earlier.

  Patrick ran to the rails and grabbed a water bottle from Liam, taking a quick guzzle. ‘Daniel’s up next, ladies.’

  Lily clapped and wolf whistled. ‘Go, you good thang!’

  The gate burst open and Daniel came out, hanging on for dear life as the bull tried its hardest to buck him off. Daniel’s body swayed with every shuddering kick, like a feather in the breeze. His perfect form would’ve put most bull riders to shame. Liam honked the blower at the eight-second mark and Daniel jumped from the bull, landing firmly on his feet before making a break towards the rails. Patrick danced and weaved about, directing the bull towards the ring exit, trying to avoid its massive horns. Once safe, Daniel dismounted the railing and threw his hat up in the air, bowing to the lively audience.

  Sarah and Lily squealed madly, cheering him for his brilliant ride. Brooke shot a sideways glance at them, and Sarah saw a tight, fake smile on her face before she turned back and whispered something to Chris. What was her problem? Sarah had to bite her lip – it wouldn’t pay to say anything she might later regret.

  Matt walked out in the ring next, asking Liam to go behind the chutes and help Greg. Sarah shot a look at Lily and beamed like a lovesick teenager. Lily leant over and whispered in her ear, ‘This is only going to make you fall for him more, Sarah. A sexy man riding a grinding, gyrating beast – what woman could resist!’

  Sarah felt her gaze transfix on the ring, waiting for Matt to appear. She could just see the top of his head behind the chutes, and she saw him nod, high up on the bull’s back, letting Slim know he was ready to go. Slim swung the gate open and the bull came out, bucking like there was no tomorrow, creating clouds of hovering dust above the ring. Matt was moving his body in perfect rhythm with the bull, one hand on the rope, the other up in the air to balance himself, anticipating the bucking animal’s next move with precision. Sarah couldn’t take her eyes of him – it was man versus beast in the most dangerous sport around, and Matt made it look easy. The eight seconds ticked by brutally as Sarah held her breath, watching on in awe as the bull spun in circles, its aggression palpable. Liam yelled from the chutes that Matt had reached the eight seconds and the crowd stood, clapping and cheering, but Matt stayed glued to the bull, seemingly determined to outdo the eight-second glory. Sarah began counting under her breath, adding the extra seconds to his already dazzling ride.

  At ten seconds Matt released the rope from his hand and jumped from the bull, running directly for Sarah as he dodged the charges the bull was aiming at him, scarcely missing a horn fair up the date. With her heart in her mouth, Sarah looked over at Brooke. She wasn’t even watching. Instead she was deep in conversation with Chris. Sarah’s brow furrowed as she pulled her gaze back to Matt, who was now throwing himself over the rail as the bull headbutted the fence directly in front of Sarah and Lily. The girls jumped back with fright, almost knocking over their chairs. Even though there was no way the bull could get to them, it was still very confronting to have it snorting and kicking only a metre away.

  ‘Good ride, Matt!’ Sarah gasped.

  Matt found his feet and stood up. ‘Thanks, mate. I just wanted to see how long I could last on the bugger. He’s a corker, isn’t he?’

  Lily clapped her hands. ‘You boys know how to entertain a crowd.’

  Matt gave a little mock bow. ‘That’s what I aim to do. Please you guys.’

  Judy gave Matt a quick slap on the thigh. ‘Don’t scare me like that again, my boy! Eight seconds is plenty long enough for me to hold my breath!’

  They watched as Patrick, Liam and Slim jumped around like farts in a bottle, trying to get the irate bull out of the arena. Georgia laughed as Slim and Liam ran full pelt for the exit, then threw themselves over the rail as the bull passed through the exit gate, Patrick slamming it shut behind it, then collapsing on the ground to catch his breath.

  Matt turned to Brooke, who hadn’t said a word yet. Sarah knew she’d missed most of Matt’s performance anyway.

  ‘What did you think of the ride?’

  Brooke looked a little lost for words, then clapped her hands softly. ‘Brilliant, Matt! Just brilliant!’

  Matt gave her an angry look and marched off to the back of the chutes.

  Judy hadn’t only baked, she’d cooked lunch as well. Soon everyone’s plates were groaning with food as they sat in the shade beside the ring, now quiet and still.

  ‘What time are you guys heading off in the morning?’ Sarah asked sadly as she crunched on a piece of pork crackling.

  ‘I reckon we’ll hit the road around six. Matt’s meeting me down the yards at five so we can load up the bulls I’ve bought, and then we’ll be on our way,’ Greg replied.

  ‘I can’t believe how fast the weekend has gone!’ Lily sighed, shoving a spoonful of peas in her mouth.

  ‘Time flies when you’re having fun!’ Liam said wryly.

  ‘Tell me about it. It feels like you guys only just got here, and now you have to go again,’ Sarah protested.

  ‘Hey, where’s Chris?’ Stumpy asked, chomping on a mouthful of roast potato.

  ‘He reckons he’s not hungry. I don’t get that bloke. Sometimes he’s nice as pie and other times he doesn’t wanna know you,’ Patrick said.

  ‘Well, he’s missing out on a good feed!’ Jimmy dipped his bread in the thick gravy.

  Three hours later everyone had moved back to the cottage and the stereo was pumping with Brooks and Dunn. Daniel had the tomato sauce bottle and was using it as a microphone, and the girls leant in and sang along with him. Slim, Jimmy and Greg were doing the best rendition of the chicken dance Sarah had ever seen, and every time she looked at them, she cracked up laughing. True to form, Stumpy was dancing like Peter Garrett on the sidelines. Patrick w
as swinging Georgia around the patio, bumping into Duke, who was barking and dancing along with them. Sarah had noticed something between those two, but wondered if they’d ever do anything about it.

  Suddenly Sarah heard a crash behind her, and found Lily lying on the floor in fits of laughter. Daniel lay next to her with his shorts around his ankles, chuckling like crazy. Liam stood behind them, beaming like a naughty child. ‘I dakked him!’

  Sarah buckled over in laughter just as Matt walked out onto the patio with a beer in hand.

  ‘God, look at you lot. Looks like I’ve missed out on a ripsnorter of a party.’

  Sarah tried unsuccessfully to regain her composure before giving up and falling to the floor, laughing. ‘Where’ve you been? We missed you. I missed you.’ She was shocked to hear the words come out of her mouth.

  Matt smiled down at her. ‘Here, give me your hand, princess, and I’ll help you up.’

  Sarah gazed back at him, warmed by his answer, and reached out her hand. He took it, never taking his eyes off her face, and helped her up. Once on her feet she looked around for Brooke. ‘Where’s your missus?’

  Matt shook his head. ‘Don’t ask. She and I had a massive argument and she’s stormed off somewhere. I’m really over it all at the moment.’

  ‘I thought you guys were doing better lately.’

  ‘Yeah, well, me too, Sarah. But enough about my dramas. Do you wanna dance?’ He didn’t wait for a reply. Before Sarah knew it, he’d grabbed her hand and was pulling her out to the middle of the patio. They pushed in between the others and Matt slipped his arm around her waist. Most of the time he kept her at arm’s length, but every so often he’d bring her close, and electricity would shoot through her feet as his body brushed against hers. They laughed and twirled, bootscooted and waltzed their way through song after song, with Lily and Daniel joining them.

  By one a.m. only Sarah and Matt were left standing. Everybody else had made their way to bed, drunk as skunks and in need of some shut-eye.

  ‘I better be off, Sarah,’ Matt said, holding her hand. ‘Thanks for a fun night, mate. I’ve had a blast dancing with you.’