Novels 01 Blue Skies (10 page)

Chapter 22

‘On the channel, Amanda?’ Damo, Adrian’s workman, called over the two-way.

‘Yep,’ she answered as she held her breath and slowly manoeuvred the tractor and large green chaser bin through the gate. She was heading for the silver silos full of barley, her fifth load for the day, but still got nervous going through gateways. She was petrified that she’d hit the strainer post, or damage the bin somehow. She’d only just started to use the throttle to its fullest in the last two loads, much to Damo’s frustration.

‘You’re too slow – any slower and you’d bloody stall!’ he’d said earlier in the day.

‘I’m still learning,’she’d shot back at him. He’d turned away, muttering something about ‘the boss’s girlfriend’. Amanda had bitten her lip and concentrated so hard on increasing her speed that she was exhausted now.

‘Are you nearly back here?’

Amanda smothered a sigh of frustration. ‘No, Damo, I just left. I’ve still got to get to the silo and unload. I can see Tom on his way back though,’ she said, as she saw the other chaser bin rumbling towards her. ‘Okay, Tom?’

‘Yep. I’m about three minutes away, Damo, so keep yer hair on, would ya?’ Tom suggested. ‘It’s not going to rain for the next few days and we’re all working as hard as we can.’

Silently, Amanda thanked Tom for stating the obvious but she also knew how everyone turned into ogres when harvest was on. Bit like shearing really, she thought ruefully, thinking of her dad.

She let out her breath in a whoosh as she trundled slowly through the gate. Once she was in the laneway, she upped her speed and headed off to the gravel turnaround, where five huge silos sat waiting to be filled with the yellow grain.

She still wondered how she’d managed to con Adrian into letting her drive a chaser bin this harvest. He was determined that she wouldn’t, then the early November rains had put his program back and caused a fly-wave throughout the district. Amanda had spent days jetting sheep and treating the ewes that were struck.

Then one of Adrian’s employees had resigned when his father had taken ill in Victoria. Adrian had searched high and low for someone else, but all the seasonal employees seemed to have been snapped up, so, reluctantly, he’d agreed Amanda could have a go.

The minute Amanda had got into the tractor, she’d wondered if she’d finally picked on something she couldn’t do. This new John Deere tractor was so big compared to her twenty-year-old one, the chaser bin rumbling behind the tractor like a thunderstorm, when empty, and when it was full, the bin pulled every time she hit a bump, making her think she had a flat tyre, let alone something worse, like a wheel had fallen off or an axle had snapped. Of course Adrian’s warning that chaser bins could tip over if you hit a large dip had left her with sweaty palms, a lump in her throat and butterflies in her stomach. Then there was Damo’s insistence that she drive faster than she felt comfortable doing. And it wasn’t just that! It was the forward and reversing, trying to line the auger up with the open hole at the top of the silo and letting the grain flow in, making sure the silo wasn’t so full that the grain overflowed. There were so many things to think about! But she also knew she wasn’t a quitter, so here she was the second day with all the signs of nervous anxiety, about to unload the golden grain. Tom had assured her it would get easier as she got more experienced – she was looking forward to that day!

Looking at the finger controls that would bring out the auger to unload the grain, she had a brain freeze. Which one did she push first? She berated herself for getting so worked up that she’d forgotten simple instructions. Glancing at her hand, where she had the instructions written, she confidently pulled the middle control and watched with satisfaction as the auger groaned out from where it was tucked in neatly along the side of the bin. She inched the tractor forward until the end of the auger was over the gap in the silo’s roof and pushed forward the empty control. Watching the grain flow into storage, without losing a single grain onto the ground, she did a mental fist clench with a loud
yeah!
Afterwards she decided she must be really sad to get so excited about getting grain into a bin!

Reversing out of the tight spot she was in, she turned the tractor and headed back towards the paddock, her thoughts full of the coming few days.

Hannah and Jonno were coming for Christmas and Amanda would be picking them up off the plane in three days’ time. She’d ordered a huge chicken roll, stuffed with onion, apricot, parsley and garlic, as well as a pork roast. She had eggs to make a pavlova, and on the way back from the airport, they would call in to the bottle shop to pick up their drinks supply. It would be so great to see them both. Adrian would join them on Christmas morning.

She was also excited that her fire-fighting gear had turned up yesterday. The previous winter she’d done a course so she would be able to protect Kyleena if there was ever a lightning strike. She’d also decided that the volunteer services had done such a wonderful job when she’d needed them that she needed to give something back.

As she pulled back into the paddock, Amanda opened the window of the tractor to get a gauge on the temperature, shuddering as a blast of heat shot through the air-conditioned cab. She was thankful now that she was in Adrian’s tractor and not her own – hers didn’t have air-con!

Scanning the paddock for the harvester, she found the large machine on the far side of the paddock and drove towards it, noticing as she did that the auger was out, the sign that the header box was full and the chaser bin needed to take the grain away.

Amanda groaned as she saw Adrian turn into the paddock. He checked on her at least twice a day. She supposed he’d heard the two-way exchange. Taking the load of grain from Damo, she swung the tractor around and headed towards the gate. When she saw Adrian was driving towards her, she slowed and finally stopped, the chaser bin banging behind her. Summoning up a big smile, she watched as he bounded out of his ute with the energy of a twenty-year-old. He jumped up the steps and ripped open the door with a huge smile.

‘You’re off the hook! I’ve found another driver. He’s on his way out here now, so if you want to empty this load out, you can head home.’

‘Oh.’ Amanda was taken aback. ‘Are you sure? Where did you find him?’

‘A bloke popped into the John Deere agency in town and asked if there were any jobs going. He’s just driven across the Nullarbor to spend Christmas with his wife’s family. He wanted a few days of work – doesn’t get on with the in-laws apparently. Joe thought of me immediately, quizzed him about his credentials, spoke to an old employer and here we are. So now you can go get the house all ready for Christmas!’ Adrian looked so pleased with himself that Amanda couldn’t help but laugh.

As she plumped up the last of the pillows on Hannah’s bed, Amanda felt a welling of excitement in her stomach. Grabbing the pillow to her chest, she let herself fall backwards onto the bed and gazed at the ceiling, trying to imagine what it would be like to be a housewife in Adrian’s big manor house.

So much had happened since the twins had been here last and she was desperate to see them. She laughed as she thought about Hannah and her fly-away hair and Jonno, with his big grin and well-muscled arms. Remembering all the fun times they’d shared together, she had a chuckle. Then she heard the garden gate creak. ‘Bloody thing,’ she thought, trying to ignore the nervousness that shot through her stomach, at the noise. ‘I must oil that!’ It had scared her late one night when she had woken from a deep sleep to hear an eerie creaking, squeaking sound. She’d lain in bed, frozen, until she had finally worked out what it was.

There was a funny growl before a pair of paws landed on her legs and Mingus looked down at her.

‘Mingus! You scared me!’ said Amanda sitting up and fondling his head. ‘Are you telling me I’m slacking on the job? I thought you’d be used to that by now! Housework is not my favourite way to spend the day.’

Putting the pillow back, she looked at her watch. ‘Shit, I’d better get on with it; the twins will be here in a couple of hours!’

Chapter 23

Hannah sat cross-legged on Amanda’s bed with a glass of wine in her hand, while Amanda lay back against the pillows. After five hours of non-stop talking and cooking in preparation for tomorrow’s Christmas lunch at the beach, they were still at it. Jonno had held up his hands in defeat about two hours ago, called it quits and gone to bed.

‘Hey,’ Amanda said, ‘you know how I told you about the hut I found in the remnant vegetation block? I still can’t find anything to do with it on the maps I’ve got. It’s really weird because the fire maps they gave me when I did my training cover every square inch of land in the Esperance shire. The bush there is documented, but there’s no mention that it’s Kyleena’s land or that there’s a hut on it. It’s really got me stumped.’

‘Have you asked any of the old-timers around here? Surely someone has to know something.’

‘I haven’t actually, I’ve been too busy, but I know that it’s Kyleena land. Dad told me ages ago.’

‘Well, its Kyleena’s then,’ Hannah said briskly. ‘We’d better go to bed, Mandy, or we’ll sleep through Christmas lunch.’

‘Yeah, you’re right. It’s just so good to have you here – I miss you guys so much. It’s not like I don’t have any other mates around here, but they’re all older than me – more Adrian’s friends, I guess. Him and the bloody dinner parties that he puts me through!’ She grinned. ‘There was one that I thought was meant to be a barbeque, but when I got there it was all these toffy-nosed women decked out in jewels and shiny tops and makeup. And guess what I wore? Jeans, my boots and a rugby top. At least I felt comfortable, but I think poor Adrian was a bit jacked off with me!’

Hannah giggled then said, ‘I wish you hadn’t cut your hair though. As much as I hate to tell you this, you do look like a guy.You need to fem up a bit.That’s probably all Adrian is thinking. Hey, maybe you need breast implants!’

Amanda blinked. ‘Implants? Well now, there’s an idea – but not a very good one! You’ve obviously had too much to drink – get yourself off to bed, woman!’

Hannah stood up and backed towards the door. ‘Think of it: large, voluptuous bosoms.’ She jiggled her hands under her own breasts. ‘Ha! We’ll get you a makeover! Dye your hair blonde . . . Ouch!’ Hannah had backed straight into the doorframe.‘Mmm, I guess that’s what you think about that. Night!’

‘Yep, you’re about right. The sheep wouldn’t appreciate them. Night.’

‘Where’s the drinks esky?’ Jonno asked as he heaved out a large esky full to the brim with yummy eats for Christmas lunch. ‘It’s so hot, we’re going to need it before lunch. And where’s the sunshade?’

‘It’s been packed,’ Amanda called back as she wiped the sweat off her face and once again rechecked the fridge to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind. The pasta salad had been made this morning and, while Hannah groaned about her headache, Amanda had thrown together a green salad and a Waldorf salad. That, she had decided, would have to do. The pav was being saved for the cool of the evening, when they got home.

‘Adrian’s here,’ yelled Jonno from outside.

Amanda looked through the window to see Adrian pull up next to the ute in a cloud of dust.

‘Jonno! Merry Christmas. Great to see you.’ Amanda watched as Adrian offered his hand as he got out of the car. She could tell from his large smile that he was genuinely pleased to see Jonno.

‘Hi, Adrian,’ Hannah jumped down the steps and kissed his cheek.‘Merry Christmas.’

‘And to you, Hannah. You’re looking as lovely as ever.’

‘Merry Christmas.’ Amanda walked down the steps and gave Adrian a hug.

‘Presents are in the back.’ Adrian walked around and opened the car door.

‘Presents?’ Amanda cried. ‘Let’s leave them until we get home. I’m dying to get to the beach and have a swim. What about you guys? Aren’t you dripping with sweat?’

‘Yeah!’ Jonno said. ‘Let’s head off.’

As they pulled onto the deserted beach, Amanda knew they’d made a good call.The waves gently lapped at the beach, while the white sand shimmered in the heat, a group of gulls flew into the air squawking and a sea eagle glided casually above them.

They fell out of the car, talking and laughing, Jonno with a beer in his hand and Adrian reaching into the esky.

Once their camp site for the day was set up, they all sat and talked for a while until Amanda decided she was going for a swim. As Hannah rubbed sunscreen on her back, the smell catapulted Amanda back to her childhood. Her parents had taken her to swimming lessons at the town beach where, come rain or shine, the kids were tossed into the water and taught to brave the elements, as well as swim. Some days it was so cold that, with her teeth chattering and goose bumps on her blue-tinged skin, her mum would usher her into the car after her lesson and whisk her away to a small cafe on the foreshore, where they would eat hot chips with tomato sauce and drink hot chocolate. Unexpectedly, tears threatened and she swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in her throat.

‘Ta, Han,’ she said, and quickly ran down the beach and dived into the waves to wash her feelings away.

She lay on her back, floating, looking at the vivid blue sky, thinking how lucky she was. She had wonderful memories from her childhood, good friends, a farm that was going well and Adrian. She didn’t know what to call him really. He wasn’t really her boyfriend – she still hadn’t come at kissing him yet – but . . .

She spluttered as something slimy grabbed at her feet and pulled her under. Thrashing about she finally got her feet on the bottom and pushed to the surface, gasping for air and looking around wildly. Then she saw Adrian’s grinning face.

‘Hey! You scared the crap out of me!’ She swam over to him and tried to wrestle him under the water. Hannah arrived and had her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him down. The screams and splashes brought Jonno out of the sunshade, diving in to help Adrian.

In the midst of it all, Amanda, who had been pushed under again, thought she felt a pair of lips graze hers. But by the time she’d spluttered to the surface again, the other three had moved away in a frenzy of splashing and she had no idea if she’d imagined it, or if someone had actually tried to kiss her.