White Gum Creek

by Nicole Hurley-Moore

  ***

  The following Monday morning as Tash was restocking the wholemeal dinner rolls, the bell on the front door sounded. She turned around and smiled as Nick walked into the bakery. There seemed to be something different about him. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  ‘Morning, Tash.’

  See, different. He usually waited for her to greet him.

  ‘Hi Nick, how are you?’

  ‘Fine. The dinner at Matt’s was good, wasn’t it? Did you enjoy yourself?’

  ‘Yeah, I did.’

  ‘You took off pretty early, though.’

  ‘Oh, I was just tired. You know, getting up early with the bakery and everything. Joey was off sick and I had to pick up the slack.’

  At least he realised that she’d left—that was something, wasn’t it? Did she sound like she’d just stepped out of high school? Could she be more clueless? God, when did talking to men become so bloody hard?

  ‘That’s bad luck,’ Nick said. ‘Hope it’s all back to normal now? Anyway, I’m just back from Bendigo and I thought I’d grab one of your salad rolls and maybe some sort of sticky bun. Maybe if I eat the salad I won’t feel so guilty about the bun?’

  Tash laughed as she headed towards the other end of the counter.

  ‘All I have left is salad and cheese in a wholemeal roll, or the same again in an olive roll with salami.’

  ‘I’ll take the olive roll. And that,’ he said as he pointed to the stickier collection in the centre of the display case. ‘The apple and walnut one, thanks.’

  Tash bagged up the food and Nick handed her the money.

  ‘I hope you enjoy your lunch.’

  Nick gave her a smile.

  ‘I’m sure I will. See you, Tash.’

  ‘Bye,’ she said as she watched him walk out of the shop. He seemed to be carrying himself a little straighter and there was a new sort of confidence in his step.

  Tash leaned against the counter. Maybe she should just look at the other night as a mishap. She had overreacted and given up before anything had begun. He’d even smiled. It had been a long time since Tash had seen that. The dark melancholy that always surrounded him had lifted, and that was a good thing. Now that Nick had a different outlook to life, maybe there’d be room for something else—like me, thought Tash. She picked up a cloth and started to wipe down the glass counter.

  ***

  The next morning, Nick went out to the middle paddock just as the sun began to rise. Winters Hill was divided into three large paddocks with the house site at the very top. The bottom paddock had a few old sheds that had been the targets of the vandals, as well as a large, deep dam. The middle paddock housed the shearing shed, sheep pens and a smaller dam on the eastern side. The top paddock was for grazing.

  At the very top of the hill were the house, garden and caravan. He and Sophie had lived in the caravan while they were building their home. His plan had been that once the house was built, it would have views of both the farm and the magnificent vista of the countryside.

  But that dream was gone. It belonged to the past and, as of today, Nick wanted to look to the future, which was why his ute was filled with new fencing and the post-hole digger. There was a section of fence that needed replacing. It had needed replacing years ago, but as Nick had walked around the farm the other day, he’d noticed the damn thing had come down.

  Money was tight, but there was enough to get by. All those years ago, Nick had managed to buy Winters Hill with a combination of his savings, his share of his grandfather’s estate and a helping hand from his dad. In the beginning, he’d worked hard to get the farm up and running and slowly his efforts had started to pay off. In recent years, the farm had just ticked along. Nick didn’t need much to survive. He had a veggie patch, half-a-dozen chickens and the yearly wool cheque. It wasn’t a huge amount, unlike the sort of return that Bec Duprey’s family got from Bluestone Ridge. Nick could only imagine what an operation like Bluestone Ridge was pulling.

  To boost his income every winter for the past four years, Nick had been helping Ned Pettigrew with his firewood business. Pettigrew was an old man of few words, so he and Nick got on well. They could work side by side all day and only have a handful of things to say. They had met when Ned turned up one afternoon on the caravan’s front step. He’d said he didn’t want to intrude but had noticed that the big old gum that had come down in the bottom paddock last summer was still there. He wanted to cut it up for his wood business—the nights were getting cold and many people in the area had open fires or wood burners. Nick had gone down with him to look at the tree, whereupon he spent the next few hours helping Ned cut it up into neat little blocks. And that was that. He’d been doing the wood ever since.

  Nick rolled back his shoulders as he stepped out of the ute. He’d need to replace the section of fence right up to the gate. He felt a twinge of guilt when he looked at the state of it. It was only recently that he’d opened his eyes and saw how far Winters Hill had fallen. Every day he noticed that something else around the farm required attention. Parts of the boundary fence needed replacing, there was a leak in the main shed and as for the shearing shed—well, the truth was it probably needed pulling down altogether. And that was just the start.

  The only way he could tackle it was going one day at a time. So that meant this morning was all about fencing.

  Nick was at the fencing caper for most of the day. He broke for lunch, and by three he was ready to throw in the towel. The afternoon sun had a bite to it and digging wasn’t his favourite pastime. He stood back and inspected his handiwork. The posts were in and straight, which was always a bonus. He just had to finish off attaching the wire, but the sun was hot and he could feel the sweat running down his neck. All he wanted was a cold drink and a shower. Decision made, he chucked his tools and the digger into the back of the ute.

  After a cool shower Nick sat down on the couch and put on a movie. He took a mouthful of his orange juice and settled down for a bit of high-powered action and a decent car chase. He rubbed at his aching shoulders. There were things to do around the farm before dark, but Nick reckoned he deserved a break from all the damn fencing. So he told himself he’d watch the first half hour and then get back to work. But it didn’t turn out that way.

  As Nick began to wake up he became aware of a weight on his chest, pinning him to the couch. He opened his eyes and saw Tabitha’s green ones staring back at him. For a moment Nick was disorientated, the room was dark, and the only light came from the television running the loop of the DVD’s menu.

  ‘Come on, Tabs, off,’ he said as he tried to sit up. ‘Did I miss your dinner?’

  She meowed as she jumped down beside him.

  ‘I screwed that up then,’ Nick said as he thought of all the things he should have done. ‘I guess work will just have to wait for the morning.’

  ***

  Nick was up extra early to make up for yesterday’s lost time. The sun was just beginning to rise when he went outside and checked the chickens. As he rounded the coop, he let out a sigh of relief when he found all five ladies still nestled on their perches. Each day they were allowed to wander wherever they wanted, but at night Nick would shut the door to keep them safe from foxes. He’d been lucky this time.

  He gave the chickens some seed and an extra scoop of pellets just to make up for it.

  ‘Sorry, girls. It won’t happen again.’

  After that he grabbed the quad bike and drove up to the top paddock to check on his sheep. It wasn’t until Nick was driving back down the hill that he noticed something was off. He narrowed his eyes as he drove further down the property. The fence he’d been replacing wasn’t how he left it.

  He bit back a curse as he pulled up the bike. His new fence had been ripped out of the ground and left in a tangle of wire and posts. All his work yesterday had been for nothing.

  ‘Bloody hell!’ he shouted, running a hand through his hair as he glared at the damage. Why would anyone do this?
/>   Chapter 7

  Nick found himself turning up at Matt’s place more often. He swore he didn’t plan it, but every week, when Saturday rolled around, he’d be pulling up outside the cottage in the mid-afternoon. Matt always seemed happy to see him. They’d have a drink, hang out and sometimes watch a movie. As Nick’s visits continued, Matt gave him a knowing look and a grin every time he turned up at the door, which seemed to indicate something going on in his head, only Nick couldn’t for the life of him work out what it was.

  This afternoon’s visit was no different. Matt’s dog, Boxey, let out a bark as Nick knocked.

  ‘Hey Nick,’ Matt said as he yanked open the door.

  ‘I just thought I’d swing by and say hello.’

  Boxey jumped up and rested his paws on Nick’s leg, waiting for a pat. He was a Border Collie Cross, although no one really knew what the cross was. Boxey was not quite a year old and had a black coat with splotches of white dabbed over his chest and paws.

  ‘Glad you did. Come in. Coffee?’

  ‘Yeah, thanks,’ Nick said as he followed Matt into the kitchen. He glanced at the office door as he passed. Matt’s desk was covered in notebooks, highlighters and books. How the man could get any work done in that chaos was beyond him. He sat at the wooden table. ‘So how have you been? Got much writing done?’

  ‘Not too much, I’m kind of at the thinking and plotting stage.’

  ‘Plotting—sounds dangerous,’ Nick said with a laugh.

  ‘It can be,’ Matt said as he turned on the kettle.

  ‘And how’s Bec?’

  ‘Brilliant, yeah everything is great. Her parent’s new house is coming along nicely. Hopefully they’ll be out just after Christmas.’

  ‘Which means?’

  ‘That Bec and I are taking the next step and moving in together.’

  ‘Into the manor?’

  ‘It’s not a manor, just a big old house,’ Matt said.

  ‘Ah huh, a big old two-storey house with balconies and iron lacework and attics—which just happens to sit on fifteen hundred acres. You know that the locals refer to it as the manor, don’t you?’

  ‘Well, maybe they do but it’s still just a house. Anyway, that’s the plan. I know the town will say I’ve romanced my way into the most successful sheep run in the area,’ Matt said with a slight frown.

  ‘Nah, they won’t.’ Nick watched Matt’s face clear.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘No, really they won’t. Everyone knows how easily you fit into country life,’ Nick said with a wink.

  ‘Hey, I resent that. I can hold my own…Well, sometimes.’ Matt grinned. ‘I never said that I was any good at this farming caper.’

  ‘Yeah, we figured that one out. Anyway, we all know that you and Bec are mad about each other. The last thing anyone would be thinking is that you’re trying to get your hands on Bluestone Ridge. But I do reckon the town will want to know when the wedding is!’

  ‘Hell Nick, I don’t even know that. I figure let’s just take one step at a time. The last thing I want to do is spook her, or me,’ Matt said with a smile. ‘I think we’re all a bit wary when it comes to opening up and commitment.’

  Nick nodded.

  ‘So what are you going to do with the cottage, if you’re moving up into the big house?’

  ‘Not a hundred per cent sure yet. I guess I’ll hold on to it for a while and see what happens. But Bec would skin me alive if I sold it to anyone whose surname wasn’t Duprey.’

  ‘Fair point.’

  Nick turned as the back door opened and Jules walked in carrying several shopping bags.

  ‘Hey, Jules.’ Matt walked over to take one of her bags and kissed her on the cheek. ‘I keep telling you, you don’t have to shop every time you visit.’

  ‘Just making sure that you’re well stocked.’

  ‘What for—nuclear winter?’

  ‘Very funny.’ She dumped the other bag on the counter and gave Nick a smile. ‘Hi Nick, it’s lovely to see you again.’ She grabbed a glass and some juice out of the fridge. ‘Hmm, just as well I ordered some more orange juice.’

  Matt rolled his eyes.

  ‘I’m quite capable of getting my own juice, you know.’

  She patted his cheek before she sat down.

  ‘Yeah, I know you are.’ She turned to Nick. ‘So Nick, how have you been?’

  ‘Good. Just been working around the farm—trying to fix it up a bit.’

  ‘Lots to do?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Yeah, I kind of let things slide over the past few years.’

  ‘You should get Matt to give you a hand. It’ll do him good to get out in the fresh air. He’s always chained to his computer.’

  ‘I do get out in fresh air, just ask Bec. I helped her move sheep down from the top paddock to the shearing shed the other day.’

  ‘And how did that go?’ Nick asked with a smile tugging at his lips.

  ‘Not bad,’ Matt said as he handed Nick a coffee and sat down next to his sister. ‘But just don’t ask me about getting the sheep to go into the actual holding pen.’

  ‘That bad?’ Jules asked.

  ‘Terrible. I sent the sheep in the opposite direction. They may seem sweet and docile, but they’ve got a stubborn streak. Bec nearly fell off the quad bike laughing her arse off, though the other hands didn’t see the funny side of it. And the worst thing was that her parents had just driven up so they witnessed the whole thing.’

  Jules rubbed his arm.

  ‘I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.’

  Matt grinned. ‘Yeah, it was. Jack Duprey’s face was a mix of disbelief and shock and I swear you could see him thinking, of all the men in the area, why the hell did Bec have to settle on him?’

  ‘I’m sure it wasn’t quite like that,’ Nick said with a laugh.

  ‘Well, at least Bec sees my other virtues.’

  ‘You have other virtues?’ Jules asked and Matt purposely ignored her.

  ‘Is there a problem with Bec’s dad?’ Nick asked.

  ‘Nah, we get on just fine. He likes to point out that I have no business on a farm. I’m helping him out with the family history, so you could say we’re bonding over that. I guess I should be grateful for small mercies.’

  ‘I never know when you’re joking,’ Nick said. ‘Jack Duprey always seemed like a pretty reasonable sort of guy.’

  ‘He is, it’s just that we all know he’d rather have a potential son-in-law that’s a farmer rather than, well, me.’

  Jules and Nick glanced up at each other.

  ‘Hang on a minute. What did you say?’ Jules said with an expectant look on her face. ‘You heard that, didn’t you, Nick?’

  Nick sat back in his chair and grinned.

  ‘Oh yeah, I heard it alright.’

  Matt looked blank for a moment.

  ‘Well, what can I say?’ he said. ‘I’ve had a few ideas running through my head over the last few weeks.’

  ‘So you haven’t discussed this with Bec yet?’ Jules asked.

  He shook his head.

  ‘I just needed to get it straight in my head first and work out a way to broach it with her. I reckon she’ll say yes, but it might take her a bit of time to come around to the idea. As I’ve said before in some matters, she can spook easily.’

  ‘I think you’re imagining trouble. Bec loves you—we all know that,’ Jules said.

  ‘How can you tell?’

  ‘Intuition, and the fact that she actually lets you help out on Bluestone Ridge. She’s including you in one of her greatest loves. I think that’s pretty telling, don’t you?’

  ‘When did you get so smart?’

  ‘Natural selection. I had you for a brother,’ Jules said with a wink.

  ***

  Tash walked into the kitchen of The Gumnut and did a slow twirl in the middle of the floor.

  ‘So, how do I look?’

  Alex slid another tray of bread rolls into an oven before turning to look at her
.

  ‘Not like my sister—you’re not covered in flour,’ He said with a smile.

  Tash blew out a breath as she adjusted her tailored jacket.

  ‘Well, that’s comforting. You’re meant to tell me how professional I look. I’m trying to inspire confidence, enough so the owner of that swish restaurant gives us the contract.’

  ‘You’ve negotiated contracts before.’

  ‘This is different. Sinclair’s is the finest restaurant in the whole area. If we can get our bread in there it will be beneficial, even prestigious, for the bakery. It’ll mean that we can take on another baking assistant and maybe even a delivery person.’

  ‘Well, that’d be great. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, but the demand has grown in the past few months. Joey and I are still run off our feet most mornings.’ Alex leant back against the stainless steel bench and crossed his arms.

  ‘I know. We’ve been trying to do everything between us, but we’re almost there, Alex. The business is beginning to shore up and the standing orders are building us a strong foundation for the next few years.’

  ‘Hey, I said I wasn’t complaining,’ Alex said with a grin. ‘Anyway, why are you here so early? I didn’t think your meeting was until eleven?’

  ‘Nerves.’

  ‘Nothing to be nervous about. Either they want our bread or they don’t. It’s their loss if they don’t,’ Alex said with a shrug.

  ‘That’s one way to look at it…’

  ‘The bakery will survive with or without Sinclair’s. We’ll just carry on and do what we do best.’

  ‘I suppose you’re right.’ Tash smiled as she walked over to the table. A large wooden tray sat covered with a cloth. ‘Are these the samples?’

  ‘Yep. With the ones we talked about.’

  Tash lifted the cloth and saw a selection of rolls: wholemeal, olive, white bap, seeded dark rye and a small rounded brioche loaf.

  ‘They look good.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m happy with them. As long as you don’t drop them or eat them on the way, we should be good.’

  ‘I know what you’re doing.’