by Maree, Kay
He was thankful that he’d found a way to get them to the bus without Callie having a tantrum or crying, but he was also thankful that his friend, Darren, who lived two farms away, had a little sister starting school today, too. It meant that the little girls could sit together near the front of the bus, and he and his friends could sit towards the back and nearer to the high school kids. They were cool, and Adam, Shane, and Darren really wanted to be cool, too.
The closer Adam got to Macquarie Downs, the more his mind was flooded with memories of the years he’d spent growing up there. As he considered each one, he soon realised that somehow Callie was in all of them. He remembered her as a little girl, determined to prove to him and everyone else that she was strong enough and brave enough to do everything they said she couldn’t, prone to moments of tears and hot rage as she dealt with the loss of her mother when she was only four. He remembered her as she entered her early teens and how she’d tried to keep up with the other girls at school by experimenting with the hairstyles, clothes, and makeup which made them look cheap and tacky, and which she never needed.
While these memories were firmly embedded as parts of his younger life, and always brought a smile to his lips, there were memories which made him uncomfortable, both physically and with the choices he’d made. Living in a house just metres from her, and spending hours together every day, he’d somehow missed her emergence from child-wanting-to-be-teen to teen-on-the verge-of woman. He’d also not acknowledged how his feelings towards her had been gradually changing until the day when his friends had forced him to look at her through their eyes…
Finally reaching Year 12 had occupied Adam’s thoughts through most of the summer holidays. Unlike his best friends, Shane and Darren, and most of their counterparts in the district, his future wasn’t secured on a family-owned farm. Instead, as the son of the property manager and housekeeper, to stay on at Macquarie Downs after he finished school, he’d have to rely on Mr. Saunders and his father agreeing that there was sufficient workload to warrant employing him for more than school holidays. Although he would like to stay where he was comfortable, with his friends and working the Santa Gertrudis cattle and property he’d known as his home for the last ten years, he knew the chances of him being asked to stay were slim, at best.
The days of Adam slowing his pace to allow Callie to keep up as they made their way to the front gate had long passed. If he was to be honest, there were days when he could barely keep up with her, but that was a secret he’d choose to keep to himself. The boys would never let him live it down if they knew that.
As he followed Callie onto the bus for their last first day at school together, Adam couldn’t miss the odd look that passed between Shane and Darren, or the way they whispered to each other as he made his way towards the back row of seats to join them. Their bright red blushed cheeks and darting eyes alerted Adam that something was off.
“What’s the matter with you two?” he questioned them as he swung his backpack off his shoulder and sat down.
“Nothing,” they blurted out in unison, glancing at each other then quickly looking out the windows nearest to them.
“Seriously? You’re acting weird. Is my fly undone or something?” Usually, he had no trouble reading his friends and they never kept him in the dark on anything they were thinking…usually.
“No.” “Nope.”
“Oh, come off it.” Adam was starting to get frustrated with them. “What have I missed?” When Shane and Darren looked at each other again, Adam fought the urge to knock their head together. “The way I see it, you two have about twenty kilometres to tell me what’s going on.”
“What?” Shane asked, obviously defensive.
“Because if you haven’t told me before we get to school, I’m going to have to find a way to force it out of you.”
“You won’t need to do that,” Darren spat out quickly. He always gave in first when they tried to plan things. Shane was a little tougher to crack, but he always gave in eventually.
“So?” Adam focused his attention on Darren. “Spill…What’s going on?”
“Don’t tell us you haven’t noticed?” Darren asked, his blush deepening as his eyes darted around the bus.
“Noticed what, exactly?” Adam replied. “From where I’m sitting, the only thing that’s different this morning is that we’re finally the big cheeses in this mouse trap.”
“Don’t play dumb with us, mate,” Shane burst out. “There’s no way you’ve missed what’s happened.”
Adam hadn’t caught up with the guys since school broke up back in November. Between them going on vacations with their families and him working with his father at Macquarie Downs almost every day, there just hadn’t been a chance for more than occasional Facebook messages, but somehow, in the space of half a bus ride to school on their first day back, these two had seen something he hadn’t. He wracked his brain and glanced around him, searching for anything that was even a little different to last year.
“You’re going to have to spell it out for me, buddy,” he admitted. “I can’t see anything.”
“You’re kidding?” Darren seemed blown away by his admission. “How can you live with her, see her every day, and not see what we’re seeing?”
“What the hell are you talking about? Callie? What’s wrong with her?”
“Dammit, Adam. You must need your eyes checked,” Shane answered, then looked in Callie’s direction. “There’s nothing wrong with her. Trust me, there’s nothing wrong with her, at all.”
“Well, what is it then?”
“You must have spent too much time with those cows over the holidays. Either that, or you’re just pretending you don’t know what we’re talking about,” Darren put in.
“Fill me in… I have literally no clue what you’re talking about,” Adam begged.
“Alright… here goes,” Darren started. “Just take a moment and do what I say… okay?”
“Okay,” Adam answered. “But hurry up. The bus is moving and the clock is ticking.”
“Chill out and listen to him, okay?” Shane butted in.
“Okay,” Adam answered, turning his attention back to Darren.
“So, here’s the thing,” Darren started again. “I want you to take a minute and do what I say… Don’t say anything until you’ve done what I tell you to do… Better still, don’t say anything else until we get to school.” Darren paused and looked at Adam, a serious undertone just below the surface of his words. “Deal?”
Adam blew out a deep breath. “Deal.”
Darren took a deep breath of his own and began his instructions. “Right, I want you to look at Donna… forget, for now, that she’s Shane’s sister and just look.” He paused. As Adam was about to protest, Darren interjected, “No… shut up, you made a deal.” He gave him a stern look before continuing. “Now, look at her friend, Sharon, sitting beside her.”
Adam did as he was told, but had no idea what he was supposed to be seeing.
“Okay, now I want you to take a look at Tracey. Yes, I know she’s my sister, but bear with me a little longer.” He cast Adam a look which told him that he knew he’d been about to protest again. “Have a quick look at the other high school girls on the bus… really look at them… forget that we’ve known them pretty much our whole lives and especially since they were annoying little brats… see them as they are now for a minute.”
After what seemed like much longer than a minute, Shane jumped in. “Now, look at Callie… take your time… we’ll wait here for you.”
Initially, Adam had no clue what they were talking about. Then, suddenly, Callie turned and looked towards the rear of the buss and he knew he was seeing exactly what his friends were seeing. How had he missed this happening? Somehow, while he’d seen her for hours every day for the last eight weeks, Callie had transformed from a gangly teenager into something he wanted to protect and hide away from his friends and every other teenage boy in the district.
Adam wasn’t aware that his mouth had gaped open until Darren reached over and used his index finger to push his lower jaw up.
Shane ran a finger over his own lips. “I think you’re drooling a bit there,” he remarked with a chuckle.
“What the hell, guys,” Adam said in a low voice, looking from one to the other. “How long has she looked like that? How did I not see this and why didn’t you tell me?” His questions were coming out so quickly his tongue nearly got tangled.
“It’s been coming for a while, trust me," said Shane. “I figured there was no way you wouldn’t have noticed. I mean, you virtually live with her."
“Jeez, Shane.” Adam felt a little uncomfortable knowing that his best friends had been looking at Callie this way. “She’s like my sister – I can’t be seeing her like this.”
“But she’s not your sister, Adam. That’s the point I’m trying to make," Shane explained. “And if we’ve seen the change in her, you can bet that every other clown in town has seen it, too.”
As he watched Callie share a short exchange with the girls sitting two rows behind her, Adam was able to take in her appearance undetected. Her long blonde hair was swept up into a messy bun, exposing the graceful line of her neck, which he’d seen thousands of times over the last ten years without actually taking any notice of until this morning. Her lightly tanned face, in profile as it was now, had taken on a soft glow in the early morning sunshine and took his breath away. In a moment of clarity, Adam could see himself living a long and happy life with Callie. He also knew he’d have to keep his friends away from her.
Darren cut into his thoughts. “Are you alright?”
“I will be,” he answered, still focused on Callie.
“What do you mean?” asked Shane,
“As long as you two knuckleheads keep your eyes and hands off Callie, we’ll all be alright.” He gave them both a look which left Shane and Darren with no doubt as to how serious he was. “Are we clear on this?” he asked.
“Crystal,” replied Shane.
“Oh yeah, I’m clear,” answered Darren.
Adam really hoped they were, because he’d hate to have to hurt one of his best friends if they weren’t.
When Adam pulled over about an hour short of his destination, he sent his dad a text alerting him that he was almost there. Mick Connors’ short reply of ‘Good’ didn’t surprise Adam; his dad had never been one for texting. He also wasn’t surprised when his phone started ringing before he got it back in his pocket.
“Hey, Dad,” he answered, knowing who it would be without needing to check.
“You pulled over, son?” Mick’s drawl and concern was expected.
“Yes, Dad,” Adam replied, affecting a tone of mock-frustration. “Just stretching my legs before the last part.”
“You’ve made good time, then. We should have you both settled in before dark.”
“Definitely looking forward to a hot shower and a good sleep,” Adam remarked. “What’s for dinner?”
“Nothing flash; you know me,” Mick answered.
“As long as it’s hot, Dad.”
“It will be, as long as you get here soon.” Adam could hear him chuckle quietly at his own joke.
“Okay, okay. I’d better stop chatting and get moving then,” he joked back.
“Take it easy, son. There’ll be plenty of ‘roos around.” Mick paused for a moment. “It’ll be good to have you back with me, Adam. It’s been too long.”
“I know, Dad. I’m looking forward to it, too.” It was Adam’s turn to pause. “You haven’t told her I’m coming, have you?”
“No, I haven’t. Of course, I told Tom, but all Callie knows is that I’ve found someone to come and help out.”
“Good… Maybe I’ll get in a good night’s sleep in before she realises…or maybe a day’s work if we get out there early enough,” Adam thought out loud.
“We’ll see…she’s a smart young woman these days and not much gets by her.”
“Fair enough.”
“But, just to be safe, park on the bottom side of our house, by the barracks, and we’ll unpack your gear from there, hey?’
“Simon’ll be looking for a feed and a sleep by then, too, I should imagine.”
“Not sure how Bruce will feel about sharing quarters with another body after all this time alone, but I’m sure they’ll come to some sort of an understanding.”
“I’m sure they will.” Adam chuckled a little at the image of Simon butting heads with the others until they got comfortable with each other. He wasn’t worried, though. After all, at the end of the day, everyone loved Simon. Maybe he should keep him close by until he knew if Callie was going to be okay with having him at home again or not. Simon could be a good ice-breaker, or shield, if things went badly. He’d just have to wait and see.
“I’m going to get moving again, Dad,” Adam announced.
“Don’t get lost, will you.”
“I’m sure things haven’t changed that much, Dad.”
“Well, let’s just say that the roads haven’t changed and you can decide on the rest for yourself when you get here.” After stopping only long enough to take a breath, Mick ended the call by saying, “Now, hurry up and get here before the news starts.”
Adam laughed as he put his phone in his shirt pocket. He remembered that his dad always sat in the same chair each night as he watched the news on the television in the lounge room after dinner. Obviously, some things hadn’t changed at all, no matter what his father’s cryptic clue had been hinting at.
As Adam got closer to Macquarie Downs, memories of his last year there came to mind thick and fast. He’d been mentally distancing himself from them for so long, he thought he had them neatly locked away in a box they couldn’t escape from. Now, as the minutes and kilometres until his return ticked down, he was forced to revisit some of the happiest, saddest, and most confusing times in his life.
He and his friends had made a pact to grab every chance they could to have a great final year at school, and for the most part they had. Even though they’d pushed themselves to do well in their studies, giving them the best chance of more opportunities after school, they didn’t take themselves too seriously. At least one weekend each month they made time to hang out at one farm or another, watching movies, riding and camping out, or studying together. Somehow their differences helped them bond together; each of their strengths complemented the others and they were a formidable combination.
Of course, the guys had given him a hard time about his attraction to Callie. Not so much because he was, more so because it took him months to do anything about it. It took him weeks to work up the nerve to tell her she looked pretty one morning as they waited for the bus, then another couple weeks to offer to carry her bag as they walked bag up the long drive one afternoon. For some reason, he was worried about moving too fast with her and always figured they had all the time in the world, so taking things slowly made sense.
Lucky for Adam, he and Callie had been spending lots of time alone together around the farm since they were old enough to do their chores unsupervised. They also spent time riding their horses around the property on the weekends and working with them in the yards most afternoons. Both he and Callie had been competing at local camp draft and rodeo events since they were old enough to convince their respective parents that they would be safe to do so. It had taken Callie a couple years to win her dad over as he’d always been protective of her after her mother’s passing. Once he agreed, Tom Saunders soon saw how brave and competitive she was, and they all marvelled at how she quickly moved through the rankings in the world of barrel racing. She and her horse, Xena, had been virtually unbeatable by the time Callie reached her mid-teens.
***
The hours they’d spend out riding on the premise of checking stock or fences, had really been spent searching for new picnic, camping, and swimming spots they could bring their friends to whe
n they visited. On one of these outings, they came across a particularly peaceful spot. It had some shady trees surrounding a small clearing, and was beside a spring-fed waterhole. That day had been quite warm, considering it was almost Easter, and he’d been able to talk Callie into taking a swim while their horses had a rest. After stripping down to their underwear, they made their way into the chilly water, laughing and splashing each other, neither of them uncomfortable about wearing so little around the other.
Naturally, it wasn’t long until the cold water chilled their bodies to the point where they were beginning to shiver and they had to sit in the sun to dry off and warm up.
While Callie’s attention was drawn to some small birds playing a sort of game in a bush nearby, Adam had a chance to study her. He wasn’t concentrating on her breasts and thighs, although he’d have been lying if he said he hadn’t noticed them. As they sat there, far away from any other people, barely dressed, and with only their horses for company, he could see the real Callie – a young woman with a natural beauty and an air of easy confidence about her.
“Callie,” he spoke quietly, not wanting to startle her or the birds she was still watching.
“Mmm,” she hummed in reply.
“Can I talk to you about something while we’re here?” Here goes nothing, he thought to himself.
“Sure,” she answered and turned to face him, combing her fingers through her long hair as she did. “What’s up?”
“Well…here’s the thing…” Suddenly, faced with the very real possibility of rejection, his tongue nearly tied itself into a knot inside his dry mouth. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, squeezing his eyes shut for a second to gather his thoughts before continuing. “Callie, I like you…a lot,” he said in a quiet voice which didn’t sound much like his usual self.
“I like you, too, Adam,” she replied. “We’ve been friends since…well, forever.” She was still combing her fingers through her hair which was drying quickly in the warm sun.