A Changing Land(101)

Toby Williams flicked off the headlights and shrugged on his fleecy-lined jacket. ‘Damn cold out here.’ He slammed the car door, setting the dogs off barking and Bullet growling. ‘Friendly, that mutt of yours.’

‘Protective,’ Sarah answered. ‘You should have called. I would have fed them for you.’

Toby pulled a hessian bag off the vehicle’s tray and lugged it to the stables over his shoulder. ‘Ahh, but they’d pine. My girls never did take to being apart from me for long periods of time.’

‘Yeah, right.’ Sarah stood back as Toby began pouring feed into a bucket. One by one he fed each of his charges, Sarah listening to his man–horse conversation. Soft murmurings to one, a reprimand to another, an acknowledgement of a good day’s work to the third and then a noise that sounded strangely like a kiss. Sarah rolled her eyes. She knew drovers liked their horses and dogs, but …

‘So now that the girls are settled, it’s time for us.’ Toby sat down on the cement step and patted the cold stone beside him. ‘I’m quite friendly you know. Of average intelligence, but I am house-trained.’

‘Comforting to know.’ Sarah sat beside him.

He looked in the direction of the homestead. ‘Must be lonely living all the way out here in that mausoleum.’

‘I’m not alone.’

‘Ah, the jackeroo. That’s right, I forgot about Anthony.’

Somehow Sarah doubted that.

‘But it means there is hope for the rest of us busted-arse cowboys.’ He pulled out a packet of cigarettes, offered her one.

‘No thanks.’

‘Yeah, thought you looked too dewy to be a smoker.’ He lit the cigarette and took a few deep puffs. ‘So I hear you’ve got a few probs with a half-brother roaming the streets?’

Sarah wanted to tell Toby to mind his own business. ‘Something like that.’

‘Well we’ve all got our crosses.’

‘What’s yours?’

He stood, ruffling her hair. ‘Women that don’t have a head on them like a packet of half-chewed minties.’ He stretched out his back, making a show of leaning from one side to the other. ‘Something else you should know. ’Bout Boxer’s Plains.’

God, Sarah thought, don’t tell me the development is still going.

‘Not my bees wax, I know, but,’ Toby took a drag of his cigarette, looked at the glowing end of it and then stubbed it out on the bottom of his Cuban heeled riding boot. ‘Long ways ago there were problems out on that block.’ He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket. ‘There’s an old wreck of a house out there in the middle of the ridge: Fenced off. Your grandfather wanted it left that way, but if those dozers get in there … Well, just thought you should know. Most people have either forgotten about what happened back then or they don’t believe it. The thing is nothing was ever proved. I’d reckon it’s better if things stayed in the dark.’

‘Know what?’

‘Look, it’s no big deal. I just reckon people like to keep their family stuff private. Anyway, kiddo, I’ll be seeing you.’

‘Hang on, Toby, you can’t start telling stuff like that and then leave. What else do you know and who told you?’

Toby gave a crooked smile. ‘I had a great uncle who worked out here on Wangallon. Not a real family favourite from what I hear although I never met him myself. Seems there were a few shenanigans going on and there was a fight with a neighbour. From what I hear it was pretty messy, but your family would know more.’ He tipped his hat.

‘Wait.’

He walked up to her, close enough to go beyond the boundaries of her personal space. ‘You’re a good woman, Sarah. You need someone by your side that’s going to support you; who understands the old ways.’

‘And you’d be that person I suppose.’

‘Well, I don’t spend my time at the local pub playing up, girl.’ Toby put his hand on the back of her head and kissed her flatly on the lips. She had the distinct impression a branding iron had just been seared into her skin.

‘I’ll do your droving job and then I’ll be back. Not for the bloody land either.’

‘Look Toby, I –’

‘One day you’ll need me and I’ll come,’ he said confidently. ‘You can rely on that.’

Bullet took Toby’s position on the top step, as Sarah sat heavily beside him, both of them watching as he drove away. ‘Strange.’ Her voice sounded inordinately loud. Bullet turned towards her, for once silent. She touched her lips as the tail-lights of Toby’s truck vanished through the trees. She retied her hair, played with the zip on her jacket and wondered at the uniqueness of having only the third man in her life kiss her. Jeremy had loved her and comforted her after Cameron’s death; Anthony was the man who’d been in her soul for years, and Toby? Toby was a man’s man. He was tough, in his forties and … Bullet nudged her in the arm and huddled closer. Well, Sarah decided, I won’t think about this now. Bullet snapped at something unknown in the air, the sound of Toby’s truck dwindling in the distance.