Stockman’s Stormcloud (Stockmen #3)

Twenty-four

Dex used his anger as a powerful motivator, doggedly pushing himself into becoming well again. And today’s events fuelled his anger. But Sophie knew he’d feel the consequences of his actions later today. It was the reason why she was sticking around, in case his lungs had a relapse.

Plus, Dex had given her permission to play tourist, to watch the Riggs brothers do their cowboy thing from behind her camera lens. And she wasn’t going to miss a second, not when she had a ringside seat to the action.

It was an outdoor experience so far removed from the urban landscape she’d left behind, it was like she’d stepped back in time, to a world of swirling red dust that created a haze over the large group of white Brahman cattle.

A team of agile muster dogs danced around the large cattle hooves, as they shifted the beasts through a network of railed corridors. There the vet checked them over, before they were separated into different paddocks.

The network of rails, chutes, corridors, and gates sorted out the cattle as if playing a life-sized game of Snakes and Ladders . Each gate represented a decision point, where the stockman would send the cattle down one path or another, just as players in the game moved their pieces up ladders or down chutes based on the roll of the dice, ready for their next stage in the process. Today, their focus was on the veterinarian examinations.

When she’d had her fill of watching the Riggs brothers or when the yard dust got too thick, she turned her camera on the landscape. Through the lens she followed the cragged crevices, the peaks and troughs and other gorgeous geological formations of the red-orange rock faces that formed part of the picturesque frontier.

To the south, a soft sea of green tree canopies attracted various birds that flew in flocks. Various varieties of birds would disappear and reappear in the treetops, the same way different people walked in and out of a grocery store.

Then her medical interest was piqued as she watched the vet conduct pregnancy testing on the cows, along with various other medical tests.

When they took a drink break, she quizzed Dex on the terms she’d heard. She learned the difference between a coacher (a calm beast that had been tagged and branded, and somehow coached others during the mustering process) and a cleanskin beast (one that bore no brands) when it entered the chutes. Dex told her cleanskins were also known as scrubbers or ferals and to be extra careful around them because they had little to do with humans and were practically wild. She’d learned her lesson well, especially when the gigantic animal bucked and bashed against the rails, it worried her that the rails were going to break.

That’s when the brothers called it a killer, sending it off to stand in its own yard. Leaving her to wonder if that animal was really a murderer?

It was soon joined by a few others they’d called fats , which meant they were going to be fattened for market.

As she zoomed in for a close-up of their operations, it was clear that those harsh stockmen were incredibly gentle with the calves. There were moments where they’d all pause, allowing the dust to settle, giving the mother and her calf time to find each other in the paddock of other cattle. It was the sweetest thing to witness the reunion, it had her sighing with so much sentimentality she forgot she was there to take photos.

Every now and then one of those angry and argumentative brothers took the time to pat one of the many cattle dogs so keen to roust the herd on command with their wagging tales and big doggy smiles.

Most of all it was how the brothers would pat each other on the back, even sharing a joke or two. The Riggs brothers worked like a well-oiled machine, backing each other up, especially when a massive bull entered the chute.

The big brown Brahman was a muscular mass of beef with a terrifying set of horns. She’d heard them say it weighed over a tonne.

Yet, for something so big, the bull was surprisingly calm as the vet gave him a thorough examination. He then calmly strutted off to join his ladies in the paddock and pick at the bales of hay on offer, as if it was just another day in the office.

All afternoon, she’d witnessed how hard the Riggs brothers worked, and the teamwork that went into beef production, especially in such a remote location. It gave her a sense of intimacy, as she took her many photos, until the sun hung low on the horizon and the last beast was sent to bellow with his pals in the paddock.

‘Do you want to stay for dinner?’ Dex asked Sophie as he approached her, peeking through the rails to take photos of the grazing cattle.

‘Where?’ Was Dex finally going to ask her out on a date?

‘Up at the farmhouse.’ He nodded at his brothers driving away.

That didn’t sound very romantic at all. ‘Aren’t you staying at Bree’s place?’

‘Nah.’ He tossed his thumb back to the drafting yards. ‘If I could do this job today, I’m almost healed. I can feel it. And I’d rather not get in the middle of Bree and Ryder’s feud.’

Good. Brotherly blood was thicker than the fancy filtered water at the caretaker’s cottage.

‘Does that mean…’ Sophie swallowed hard. ‘I’ll be taking the oxygen tanks back?’ Which meant no more visits.

But she liked it out here. And she was dying to see the sunset stretch across the horizon and to take more photos of cattle and the men working with the cattle, and Dex. Lots of Dex.

‘How about you drive me back to the homestead and stay for dinner? But first, we’ll swing by my place. I want to see what those girls did to it.’

Girls? Who else lived out here?

Back in the work vehicle, she drove them down a red dusty trail with Dex seated in the passenger seat. ‘So, you said you made something new?’

‘I modified the cradle and reorganised the drafting yards.’

‘What is a cradle, and what is it used for?’ She had no idea what Dex was talking about, but he sounded so proud of himself she had to hear more.

‘A calf cradle, also known as a cattle crush, is a metal cage or a trap, that safely restricts the calf in a position via a set of bars. Its job is to protect both the beast and the stockman so they can work on the beast. And I redesigned the layout of our cradle to minimise the stress on the cattle to allow for easier movement, as well as to cut down on our processing time.’ Dex grinned with pride that heightened an adorable shine in his eyes. ‘Normally we’d be coming back tomorrow to finish off the job, when we did it in half a day—and I can’t even have a beer to celebrate.’

‘You only have a few days to go on your meds, Dex.’ She patted his arm. ‘And you’ve had quite a big day.’ With likely only two hours’ sleep, if that.

‘Yeah.’ He seemed pleased to have his hands dirty again.

‘So, what happens now about the stolen cattle?’

His scowl returned. ‘I don’t know. Sure, it happens a lot, but it’s the first time for us as owners.’

‘How common is cattle rustling?’ She couldn’t believe she’d said that word, like they were in the wild west. Although, glancing out her driver’s window at the passing scenery that stretched endlessly into a wild landscape that surrounded her, it was an apt comparison.

‘Some cattle stations are so big, it’s hard to keep watch on everything. Which is what we’re trying to do with the cameras, the hi-tech ear tags, and the drone flyovers. We haven’t started on the back block yet. And there is a stack of stock on the other side that’ll need mustering, and…’ Dex sighed, while holding his sore rib—but the good thing was that he could sigh. ‘We can only work on one paddock at a time.’

It sounded like a lot of work. ‘You haven’t had the place long? Not if Charlie was telling you the names of the roads and areas.’

‘We’ve only been here six months. Before that we were working all over the country until we got the call to help our baby brother with Sandlot Station.’ He pointed out the window. ‘It’s the property to the west of us.’

There it was again, that proof of their strong brotherly bond, coming together to help each other.

‘Have you dealt with rustlers before?’

He gave a brief nod. ‘They’d normally steal between two and ten at a time. But not eighty where they were organised enough to remove the ear tags.’

‘Which means?’

‘We’ve only got the Elsie Creek Station cattle brand to prove they’re ours. But luckily, Charlie’s family designed one that is almost impossible to switch up. It’s a legacy brand—that the old fool still owns,’ he said with a scowl. ‘The police reckon it’s well recognised.’

‘Are you saying that you may find the cattle?’

‘I’m not holding my breath, if that’s what you’re thinking.’

Again, she patted his forearm. ‘How is your breathing?’

‘Good. But I don’t want to give up the oxygen tanks just yet.’ He tenderly squeezed her hand.

Even if her heart wanted to maintain the contact, she pulled her hand free to steer the car along the dusty trail past the sheds and into the main homestead area with the farmhouse ahead on the left, and the cottage on the right. It was like driving through a suburban street, where the neighbours were warring with each other, that was eerily quiet. ‘I should grab the cat and go.’ She parked at the cottage’s front gate. ‘And you should get some rest.’

‘No. You stay right there.’ Dex left the passenger door open, as well as the front gate, to disappear inside the cottage. He soon returned with the cat, his pills, and a duffel bag that he dumped on the back seat. Letting the cat lie across the dashboard, he sat heavily in the front seat, closing his door. ‘Let’s go.’

‘Where?’

‘To my place. Turn the car around and head back to the sheds.’

She followed his directions, turning right behind the long shed that sheltered lots of machinery, a big workshop, and an assortment of utes sitting inside separate bays like a horse stable.

‘Damn, Bree took Pandora already.’ He shook his head at the empty car space.

‘Is that black ute yours?’ She pointed to the sleek vehicle at the end.

‘It is. I won that in a fight.’

‘So you do fight?’

‘Bare-knuckle champion. But you won’t find that in any of the record books.’ He said that so coldly.

‘I’ve never heard of it. Is it like boxing?’

‘Without the gloves, the ring, or rules…’

There had to be some sort of rules in an organised fight. Right? ‘Your poor hands.’

Ignoring her as per normal, Dex pointed ahead. ‘That’s my place.’

She drove to the simple rectangular dwelling. It stood on a raised slab of concrete with its corrugated roof extending into a carport that contained a boxing ring and a stack of gym equipment.

‘How long has it been since you’ve seen the place?’

‘Nine days.’

It was a simple enough dwelling. A black front door was flanked by large windows on either side, and a verandah that only held a doormat and some boots. There were no pot plants, or wind chimes, not even a comfy cane chair like at the caretaker’s cottage to give it that lived-in look.

Dex pushed open the front door. ‘No flipping way…’

Carrying the cat, Sophie closed the door behind her and put the cat down on the polished concrete floor. ‘This is nice.’ She could still smell the paint, but it wasn’t irritating among the other floral scents trying to disguise it.

‘Are you flipping kidding me? This is awesome.’ Dex spun around, his eyes ablaze, as if taking in all the details.

It was an open room, with exposed brick walls painted black. That’s right, black with white grouting. She’d never seen anything like it.

The kitchen had stainless steel benches with corrugated iron sheeting for cupboard doors. Whiskey barrels made up the side tables that stood like bookends to a large leather couch. A huge TV commanded one black wall, with bourbon bottles used like teardrop light shades on either side. There was an empty bookcase made entirely out of steel plumbing pipe. There was even a tall floor lamp that featured welded tools as the base, while its yellow lampshade matched the cushions on the couch.

But on the far end wall stood a full-sized black-and-white retro image of the yellow Kombi van. The only colour on that life-size picture were the bright yellow panels of the van, that somehow made the yellow pop for the cushions, the lamps, even the yellow in the black-and-white striped mat on the floor.

‘The witch.’ Dex chuckled, inspecting the wall mural. ‘She’s lacquered that in.’

‘You really must like her van?’

‘No, I hate it. Which is why Bree did it.’ He laughed louder.

‘That’s not nice.’ Why was Bree so intent on infuriating the man, who’d been standing up for the redhead all afternoon?

‘It does look good there.’ Even if she hated to admit it, Bree’s photo of her Kombi suited the room.

Hold on. Who would put a photo of their own vehicle on a man’s wall—unless there was an ulterior reason for it.

‘I can hear Harper and Mia agreeing with you.’ Dex disappeared down the corridor. ‘What the flip?’

‘What’s wrong?’ Sophie rushed to his side, only to skid to a stop just inside the doorway. She blinked a few times, while her brain busily processed the strange lining of the small bathroom wall. ‘Are they numberplates for cars?’

‘They are.’ He ran his hand over the metal plates. The entire wall behind the vanity basin was lined with numberplates from places all over Australia, with a round mirror that had an oil drum for a frame that overshadowed a big sink. The rest of the walls, including the shower stall, had matching black tiles, cleverly offsetting the colours within the numberplates. It suited Dex, who was mechanically minded and looked sinfully good in black.

‘What was this place like before?’

‘A mess.’ Dex walked back into the kitchen and opened the retro fridge and laughed. ‘Do you drink gin?’

‘Why?’ She peered over his shoulder to find a dozen large clear glass bottles occupying the bottom of the fridge. On the top shelf stood a large container of fruit and vegetables. ‘Is that all gin?’

‘Bree makes it.’

‘Isn’t that illegal?’

He arched an eyebrow at her, giving her that look that clearly said he wasn’t going to answer that question. It was a classic example of another one of his secrets, and he had so many.

But she’d bet Bree knew them all.

Tucked into the corner of the kitchen stood a round dining table, complete with some authentic-looking retro chairs from the seventies. On the tabletop stood a wrapped parcel.

She pointed to the present. It was big. ‘What’s this for? It’s not your birthday.’ She knew when Dex’s birthday was from his medical records.

‘No.’ Dex eagerly ripped open the paper and laughed again.

His laugh was infectious, making her wish she understood the joke. ‘What?’

‘It’s a juicer. From Bree.’

Another inside joke. And another secret.

Dex was looking at the place with pure admiration. It was a modern man cave, with its stylish blend of retro masculinity. It was all things Dex. Which clearly demonstrated how well Bree knew the man, who was still practically a stranger to Sophie.

It reminded her that she had no right to judge Bree, or anyone on this station. This wasn’t her world.

‘What did this place look like before Bree…’ Got her claws into it.

She pinched herself, to stop being such a mean girl. She hated being like this about Bree, and that Dex was bringing out the worst in her.

Dex checked out the dark curtains framing the windows, then gazed around the room, which reminded her of the house inspection the vultures from the bank conducted when they’d foreclosed on her house against her will.

‘It was a mess. I couldn’t use the kitchen. The plumbing was buggered, and the doors were rotten. At least the fridge worked enough to keep my beer cold.’ His hands slid into the pockets of his jeans, as he took in the details of the room decorated just for him. Dark, mysterious, and sexy.

‘When I moved in, possums were nesting in the bathroom. The front door was off the hinges, so I used an old bedsheet to cover it. There was a lot of junk, some broken furniture and a stack of old newspapers were stashed in here.’ He pushed open another door. ‘It was a lot like that.’

She peeked into a hot musty room where the walls were a grimy, dirty red brick. Thick cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and a torn curtain hung from one side.

Why would he choose to live like that ?

‘Where did you sleep?’ Not in that room, she hoped.

‘On my swag, on a camp bed in a tent so the bugs didn’t bother me.’

‘Shower?’

‘There’s an outdoor shower at the farmhouse where I’d take a dip before dinner.’

Dex poked his head into a small corridor that led to the back door. ‘Huh. I’ve got a washing machine and a back door.’ He pushed open another door in the hallway. ‘Hello, I believe I found the bedroom. Come and check this out, Soph.’

Commanding attention was a low, king-size slat bed covered with the softest of charcoal grey linens. They complemented the headboard made of sturdy rust-coloured iron, which ran from floor to ceiling, giving it an industrial appearance. There were more exposed brick walls, this time whitewashed, leading to a cupboard made with steel doors. She loved the thick rug under their feet.

‘Now this is me.’ He lay back on his bed.

‘You should have had a shower before you lay down.’

‘Shh, I won’t tell anyone.’ He dragged her by the hand to lie next to him.

‘Is this your furniture?’ Was this where he was going to kiss her?

‘Nope. All I have is some boxes with my tools, swag, tent, and my ute. I’ve already unpacked my gym equipment to work out.’ He looked out to the main room. ‘Bree did a good job.’

‘Why? It’s a lot of work.’

‘Bree enjoys doing makeovers. She did a good job at Cap’s place, so Mia could move in there. Mia was crashing on Bree’s couch for a bit, too. Bree said the only reason she did up my place was to get me off her couch. And I approve.’ He patted his stomach, as if fully satiated after a big Christmas feast.

‘So where did all the stuff come from?’ They were in the remote outback that didn’t have a shopping mall anywhere, and everything took two weeks before it got delivered by mail plane, train, or truck.

‘Bree said there’s furniture stored in one of the back sheds from people who’ve come and gone over the years. And I’m pretty sure my brother paid for some of it, too.’

He frowned, struggling to sit up on his elbows. ‘I’ll have to see Ryder about paying him back. He’s the type to just hand his credit card over to Bree, and she’ll give him the receipts.’ That made him frown harder. ‘Ryder really stuffed up with Bree.’

‘Do you think she stole those cattle?’

‘Hell, no!’

‘But there is a secret between you and Bree, isn’t there? Something happened last night.’

Dex pushed off the bed. ‘I’m not ready to give up all my secrets, when I know nothing about you.’

‘What do you want to know?’

He shrugged as he walked back into the main room. ‘No way, I’ve got a water filter, too. Want some?’ He began opening cupboards to find cups, plates, and other cooking utensils.

‘Sure.’

At the water cooler that stood on the kitchen counter, he poured her a glass. ‘Hey, I’m all grown up now. I’ve got a kitchen full of junk and a couch.’ He chuckled.

‘Can you cook?’

‘Nothing fancy. Lots of steak or spag bol. You should stay for dinner tonight. Mia’s cooking.’

‘That’s Cap’s girlfriend?’

Dex nodded. ‘Mia’s not a bad cook. Her meals remind me of our mother’s cooking.’

‘So, you all work together and eat meals together?’

‘We have a cooking roster at the farmhouse, which has a huge kitchen.’ Inside his own small kitchen, he opened more cupboards and drawers.

‘Do Bree and Charlie go to the farmhouse for meals, too?’

‘No.’ That killed his smile. ‘I wonder if Ryder has seen what Bree has done to this place. ’

‘Why would he?’ She tightened up her ponytail, then pointed to the walls. ‘It’s just paint. And a couch, and Bree’s Kombi van, so you’ll remember her forever. It smells like a guilt trip to me.’

Dex arched his eyebrows. ‘What is wrong with you?’

‘All I hear is Bree this and Bree that .’

‘Holy crap, Bree was right.’

She flicked her hand at him. ‘See!’

‘You’re jealous of Bree!’

‘Am not.’

‘Oh, sweetheart, you are. Which means you like me.’ His grin was cheesy and evil and sexy all at the same time. How was that possible?

‘No, you’re a patient, and I’m your nurse.’ Desperate to walk away from the man who took her breath away, she fumbled with her car keys that fell to the floor.

She scooped them up, spotting her cat by the front door, but Dex’s hand pressed on the door with his chest pressed to her back, stopping her from leaving.

‘Want to know a secret?’ His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending shivers across her skin. ‘I like you too.’

She closed her eyes at those words, barely breathing.

Dex turned her around, his hooded eyes lingering on her lips, where the world positively sparked, alive with charged electricity. It only worsened when his fingertip tenderly ran down her cheek, then under her chin to lift it as his warm, hard lips found hers.

She was helpless to resist his kiss.

His tongue opened her lips to ignite her passion, turning her desire into a language only her soul understood, in a kiss that was so hot it’d make the stars blush and the sun smile.

Her tongue glided over his, and he unleashed a growl, pulling her body closer. She had to grip onto something warm, almost forgetting about the ribs, but instead gripping his soft, thick hair, as she melted into his lean body.

Then he winced, pushing back with his eyes blacker than outer space, his breath coming every bit as fast as hers.

‘I’m sorry.’ She pressed her palm against his heart, which was hammering as loudly as hers, but also his lungs were expanding. He was breathing properly. She could feel it. ‘We’re not ready.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because of your health.’

‘Is that your excuse? When I know you were getting into that kiss, just as much as me. You’ve been waiting for it.’

The arrogant arsehole. ‘You have your secrets. I have mine.’ She scooped up her cat. ‘I need to take Mr Purrington home.’ It wasn’t nearly as fancy as this place. ‘And you need to take a shower and get something to eat.’

‘Are you working tonight?’

This time she didn’t answer him, just like he’d ignored her many questions. Ha, two could play that game of secrecy.

Dex grabbed her wrist. ‘Hey, did I do something wrong?’ His concern was so genuine it made her drop her head in shame at her pettiness.

But she had to protect herself, and her cat, who was purring in her arms. ‘Remember I told you Mr Purrington was a therapy cat?’

‘I do.’

‘I found Mr Purrington behind these industrial sheds. It was pouring with rain, on a cold and miserable autumn night. The poor thing was a starving kitten, shivering under a dumpster.’ She cuddled her cat closer. ‘I’d been living in my car for a month when I found him. And he was the only thing that made me smile when I was going through such a terrible time in my life.’ Back then she suffered every day, and having Mr Purrington to cuddle up to at night had been a blessing.

‘How did you end up living in your car? You’re an ER nurse.’ Dex stepped back, his shoulders rigid. But he was listening.

‘My ex was a gambler, who had emptied our joint bank account, which was supposed to pay our mortgage. He’d regularly lied to me that everything was okay, while hocking things from the house, that he said he’d sent out for repairs. And I’m pretty sure he screwed around on me, just like my ex did before him.’ Men sucked! So why was she even telling the guy who owned a cattle station, when he’d just turn his nose up at her. If not, his family would.

She tenderly stroked the cat that snuggled into her chest, just like it did those long and cold nights huddled in the back of her car in fear of someone smashing a window to break in, while learning the art of stealth camping.

She was a survivor who’d camped in rock bottom’s basement, to fight inch by inch just to feel the sun again.

‘All I have left fits inside my crappy car, along with this cat, some cheap second-hand camera equipment, and my job where I came out here to escape the southern winters, and to start again.’

‘Didn’t you have a good job in the city?

‘I worked at the same hospital for almost ten years, first as a radiologist until I moved to their busy inner-city ER, where I was a nursing shift supervisor. And they fired me, just like that.’ She clicked her fingers, still fuming that they’d done that to her.

‘Why?’

‘Because my ex and I caused a scene in my ER.’ She heaved air, hating what that man had done to her. Frowning harder at the man standing before her. ‘Thankfully, now I have a new job that gives me somewhere to live.’

‘Where?’

‘In the nurses’ accommodation, behind Elsie Creek Hospital. And I have a fantastic boss, Jenny, and I work with an amazing team of people.’ No way was she going to put herself in jeopardy for anyone—and certainly not another man.

Yet this man was making her jealous, and she hated that jealousy she felt over Dex, especially when it came to Bree. When she’d never been like this before. It wasn’t right.

‘Did your ex abuse you?’ He watched her, as emotionless and cold as Ryder. Or was this the real Dex, who she was only now starting to see?

‘No. He just lied to me and used me. He. Kept. Secrets. From. Me.’ She glared at him.

Dex arched an eyebrow at her like she was nothing more than a flea on a dog’s collar. ‘As an addict?’

She nodded.

‘And you think I’d do that to you?’ His eyes narrowed at her.

‘No. You’re the type of man who’d break my heart.’ In a way she’d never recover from! She needed to save herself, her sanity, and her soul, and slipped out to her car with her cat and never looked back.