The Lost Man(98)

‘Still, we should’ve –’

‘What? What could anyone do with a bloke like him?’ Bub looked over. ‘Anyway, it was as bad for you.’

‘It wasn’t, though. Not really,’ Nathan said. ‘Me and Cam always had each other.’

They sat and drank and stared out together through the windscreen for a while. It was so dusty by now that it was hard to see through.

‘I don’t like living here,’ Bub said eventually. ‘It reminds me too much of some stuff. That’s why I was baiting those dingoes. Trying to get some money to go to Dulsterville, after Cam wouldn’t help. That’s why I’ve been such an arsehole about this place as well.’ He sighed. ‘It’s nothing personal, mate, but the thought of staying here and answering to another one of my bloody brothers for the next ten years does my head in. I just need to be somewhere else.’

‘Roo shooting in Dulsterville, hey?’

‘Yeah.’ Bub had a faraway look in his eye. ‘It’d be so great there. Get my own place, meet some people. There’s chicks living in Dulsterville, you know? Heaps more than here.’

‘Yeah.’ Nathan gave Bub a small smile. ‘I’ve heard.’

‘And then when Cam died, I thought that was my chance. If I couldn’t leave, then maybe running this place wouldn’t be so bad. Could make some changes, but then –’ Bub broke the ring pull off his can. ‘It was bloody obvious that no-one thought I could do it. They’re all flat out hoping you’re going to come back and help Ilse, and it pissed me off.’

Nathan frowned. ‘I don’t think that’s what they want. Ilse will get a manager or someone.’

‘Mate,’ Bub said, ‘that’s exactly what they want. I’ve heard Harry say it, and Mum. Ilse as well, I reckon. They’re waiting for you to say you’re interested.’

‘Seriously, no-one’s mentioned it.’

‘I know, because they’re all shitting themselves about putting too much pressure on you after, you know, what happened to Cam. And the fact you can be a bit . . .’

‘What?’

‘Like I said.’ Bub tapped his head.

‘I’m not.’ Nathan suddenly felt very aware of the ransacked car. ‘Not always. Anyway, I can barely run my own property.’

‘Yeah, ’cause it’s complete shit. No-one could make money running that place. Harry says that all the time. Even Cam used to say that. You’re doing well to have kept going as long as you have.’

Nathan said nothing for a long time. He reached over and opened another beer. It was a little cooler this time thanks to the air con. Slightly above room temperature. ‘What about you?’ he said finally.

‘Nate, I don’t want to run things. Too much paperwork. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have minded being asked, that would have been the bloody polite thing to do, but never mind. I just want to free up some cash and go to Dulsterville.’

‘Roos and chicks, hey?’

‘Exactly, mate. Exactly.’

Nathan smiled. ‘Well. It’s good to have a dream.’

‘Yeah. So you’ll talk to Ilse for me? See if she’ll buy me out? At least partly?’

‘You could talk to her. She wants to know what you think.’

‘Yeah, I know. But when I walked past the living room at about three this morning, it looked to me like that sleeping bag of yours wasn’t getting much use.’ Bub shot Nathan a sideways glance and grinned. ‘So, I reckon it’s fair to say you know how to talk to Ilse better than me.’

Nathan suppressed a smile and said nothing.

‘Or hey,’ Bub went on. ‘Maybe you could buy me out? Slowly would be okay, I don’t need that much at first. If you ever get off your arse and work out what you want.’

Nathan looked through the dusty windscreen. He could barely make out what lay ahead. ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘Maybe. Look, either way, we’ll work something out for you.’

‘That’s great. Thanks, mate.’ Bub glanced over. ‘I’m sorry about your face too, by the way.’

‘Don’t worry about it. Are you all right?’

‘Yeah.’ Bub laughed. ‘You didn’t even graze me. And I was pretty hammered.’

‘Good to know.’

‘So, are we okay?’

‘Yeah. We’re okay.’

‘Awesome. Thanks, mate.’ Bub opened the door to get out. ‘I’m heading back in. You all done here?’

Nathan looked around at the interior of the car. There was nothing to be found.

‘Yeah.’ He opened the door. ‘I’m done.’





Chapter 37



‘I can’t get it.’

‘It’s like this.’

Nathan repositioned Sophie’s hand on the neck of the guitar and moved one of her fingers on the string. She tried again and the chord rang out, a little disharmonious still, but closer. Sophie’s sling lay by her side on the verandah step. Steve had given her permission to take it off for a couple of hours a day, she’d said, and she was making the most of it. Nathan shifted, the late-morning sun warm on his back, and adjusted her hand on the strings once more.