I nod, silently giving him permission to tell what happened.
Aiden sighs. “He also came onto Holly too hard for my liking.”
Heath shakes his head, his upper lip curling in disgust. “What a cockhead.”
“You have no idea, bro. I wanted to kill him.”
Shaking his head, Heath purses his lips. “He’ll never learn.”
“Yeah, and Dad needs to stop expecting me to clean up his messes.” Aiden sighs. “Maybe us calling the police on him will help force him to change his ways. After all, look how it worked for me.”
Heath gives Aiden a wry smile. “Well, shit, if I only have you for another day, that kind of sucks. I wanted to take Holly out and show her the place.”
I hope we don’t have to go so soon. I’d like to get to know Heath more. He seems like he might be a good guy under that tough exterior.
Aiden clicks his tongue. “I can always come back up to help with mustering. It’ll be a great way to show Holly more about what we do in this family.” He winks at me.
Heath dips his chin and looks at me. “You think you could handle that?”
Smiling, I nod. “I’d love to try.”
“Good on ya’. I guess that’s a plan if you have to leave soon.” Heath sighs and looks at his watch. “It’s almost time for the Super Rugby matches. Let’s go inside, watch a few games, and hopefully, catch up on as much as possible.”
“Maybe the police will find Toddy, and we won’t have to leave tomorrow.” I try to sound hopeful.
Frustrated, Aiden scuffs his boots, knocking the dust off his heels. “Knowing Toddy, it won’t be that simple.”
THE NEXT DAY rolls around and as expected Toddy is still missing. We’re able to make the last flight out from Townsville to Brisbane, but by the time we get out to Hannaford, we are absolutely exhausted.
I sleep through the next morning almost until lunch. Waking up alone, I roll out of bed and see the sun shining through fluffy, white clouds.
So good to have a break in the rain.
I head downstairs and look around, but Aiden isn’t in the house.
Walking back towards the kitchen, Scout limps towards me with her leg in a cast. She wags her tail when I bend and scratch behind her ears. “I’m so glad you’re looking better, girl. Let’s go get you a treat.”
In the kitchen, I delight her with a biscuit then make myself a cup of tea. I take a sip and notice Aiden’s truck driving towards the house.
As I wait for him to come inside, I notice Rusty barking and circling near the shed.
What’s wrong with the dog?
Aiden comes inside, his face lighting up when he sees me in the kitchen. “Hi, Beautiful. Just woke up?”
“Yeah, after how late we were up, I could have slept right through the day. How are you?”
He throws his keys onto the island benchtop. “I’m exhausted.” His smile fades and a dark flicker runs through his eyes. “I went to see if I could find anything out about Toddy.” He leans onto the counter, his jaw tight as he stares downward. “The police still haven’t found him.”
Rusty’s bark steals my attention. “Aiden, something’s upsetting the dog.”
His shoulders slump. “I’m too tired to deal with anything right now. I’m going to take a shower. You think you could check on what’s bugging him?”
“What if it’s a snake?” I grimace, knowing I sound like a scared city girl.
I think I’ve been out here long enough to start handling a few things on my own. I don’t need Aiden to rescue me all the time. And I would like to show him that I can handle life here.
Before Aiden can say anything, I stop him. “Never mind, I’ll take a look.”
“You sure?” His hand rubs the back of his neck. “I can do it after my shower. I’m sure whatever it is can wait.”
“Yeah, I’ll look. But if it’s a snake, you’ll probably hear my scream from in the shower.”
Relief washes over his face as I put my mug in the sink and walk towards the back door.
“Thanks, hon.” He starts up the stairs, already unbuttoning his shirt.
Stepping off the veranda, my pulse quickens as I move closer towards Rusty. It’s the first time I’ve been inside the shed since the night Toddy attacked me. But I’m not scared. Reporting what happened took a weight off my shoulders. One that has been there for a long time.
Nearing the shed, I notice the door is slightly ajar.
Rusty continues to circle, whimpering and barking, but not venturing inside.
Clapping my hands, I call to Rusty. “Come here, boy.”
He circles my feet, continuing to groan as he once more runs to the door and backs away.
Pushing against the door, I peer into the darkness. I blink, trying to adjust my eyes. Scanning the floor, I don’t see anything, but as I glance upward, I gasp.
Oh, my God!
Toddy stands close to the edge of the workbench. His fingers are twisted around a rope noose he has tied around his neck.
“Aiden, come quick!” I shove open the door, trying to get more light inside the dark shed. There are a bunch of empty bottles scattered on the concrete floor.
Toddy murmurs, “Don’t come in here.”
Aiden runs up behind me, shirt flapping open, practically knocking me over as he darts into the shed.
“Get out of here.” Toddy stumbles over his words.
“I’m not going anywhere, mate.” Aiden stares at Toddy while pushing me back towards the doorway.
“If you come closer, I’ll do it, I swear.”
Using a calm tone, Aiden says, “Please come down.”
“No.” A tear runs down Toddy’s cheek. “My life isn’t worth anything.”
Aiden puts his palms up and takes a step closer.
“You were the last person who was willing to give me a chance, and I fucked it up.”
Aiden continues to stare into Toddy’s eyes. “Why don’t you come down from there and we can talk.”
“You don’t want to talk to me. I hurt Holly. How could you possibly forgive me for that?” His words come out slurred as he begins to sob.
“Anything is forgivable, Toddy.” Aiden moves another step forward, so slight it’s almost imperceptible.
Toddy shakes his head sluggishly. “Nah, nothing I’ve done is forgivable.”
“Look at what I’ve done in the past. People died because of me. Families were ruined. I made so many mistakes, but I learned to get through it. And you can, too.”
“But you had people that cared about you.”
“You do, too.”
“I don’t have anyone. You were the last one who cared about me and look how I repaid you. How could you possibly give a shit about me? I’m a useless prick.”
Aiden takes a step closer. “I care.”
“You don’t. You just say that shit, but you know what I’ve done. You deserve a better mate than me. All I do is cause you trouble.”
“Toddy, we can get through anything.”
“I don’t believe you. My own father knew I was worthless. That’s why he killed himself.” Toddy closes his eyes and teeters forward on the edge.
Aiden takes a step closer before Toddy opens his eyes. “What your dad did wasn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, it was. I was always being compared to you and your brothers. I was never good enough in his eyes. He told me as much in the days before he left me.”
“It doesn’t matter what he said. Let me help you.”
“You’re better off if I’m dead. You don’t want me around. I know I’m only here cause your dad told you to give me a job.”
“You were here because I wanted you here.”
“Aiden, I’m not a fool. I know you have to do what your dad tells you and I know he told you to give me a job. Even my mum said I was worthless and couldn’t find a job on my own and that she had to arrange for me to work here.” He stares downward as a bead of sweat drops from his brow onto the wooden workbench.
>
“That’s not true.”
“Fuck off. You know it is.”
Aiden holds his hands out towards Toddy. “I promise. I wanted you here.”
“But I bet you regret it now.”
Aiden sighs. “I just wish you had left Holly alone. Whatever issue you have with me from the past, she’s not part of it.”
Toddy meets Aiden’s eyes before he looks away again, his body heaving as he chokes back a sob. “I’m sorry.”
Aiden continues to stare at him.
Toddy peers at me standing in the doorway. “Holly, I’m…” He looks away. “I’m so sorry. I…I…” Tears weigh heavy in his eyes.
My stomach remains in knots. “Thank you for saying that.”
Aiden peers at me with grateful eyes then turns back to Toddy. “Please come down from there.”
Wiping his face, Toddy wobbles closer towards the edge of the bench. “It’s too late. People want to hurt me. I owe too much and can’t repay it.”
“I’m sure my dad and I can figure some way to help.”
“I can’t keep letting your dad bail me out.”
Aiden takes another step towards the workbench and talks through his teeth. “That’s what family’s for.”
“You’re not my family.” Toddy’s tone is peppered with anger.
Aiden peers at me over his shoulder with a pained expression. He then stares intently at Toddy and mutters through gritted teeth. “You’re my brother.”
Toddy sneers, shaking his head. “We’re mates, not brothers.”
“No, listen to me…”
Teetering close to the edge, Toddy’s foot slips and his body jerks forward.
A guttural scream echoes through the shed.
Aiden shouts as he lurches towards Toddy. “We are brothers!”
Find out what happens between Holly and Aiden in the next book of The Dusty Rider Series.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to all the beautiful souls that helped make my book a reality. You have truly shown me the power of words.
To all those who read my books, I hope I inspire you to break out of any prison you may feel stuck in. Follow your heart and live a life that makes you happy.
Lastly, I want to thank all the people that work hard in rural Australia. Without you and your tireless efforts, Australia would not be the amazing country I think it is.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stella Knights has lived in the Darling Downs region of Australia. After university, she travelled extensively and worked in several career paths, including as a Parole Officer. Stella has journaled her life experiences along the way and enjoys blurring the lines between what is real and what is fantasy. Stella hopes her stories will inspire others with her love of travel and living life the simple way.
Not too long ago, a dare gave Stella the courage to write a story that reflected her love of Queensland and those working in agriculture. Stella hopes that The Dusty Rider Series opens others to the resilience, hardship, beauty and eternal love of those living in the Australian bush.
If you like this story, you may enjoy reading some of Stella’s other works including a recently published short story and a travel romance series coming out soon.
CONNECT WITH STELLA KNIGHTS
If this story has stirred you in any way, Stella would love to hear from you at her email: [email protected]
Or through her Facebook page at:
www.facebook.com/stellaknightstheauthor/
Or Instagram at:
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Keep watching for other stories and novels by Stella Knights along with the next book in The Dusty Rider Series.
Leading Hand (The Dusty Rider Series Book 2) Page 29