Right As Rain (12 page)

“This is the kind of site you should be looking at.”

Patrick's voice brought her eyes back to the computer. She moved closer. A page with colour and a crisp modern font with constantly changing pictures filled the screen. It was for a sheep stud interstate.

“They're not Corriedales but it's just to give you an idea.”

Patrick flicked through the menu. There were several pages with information about the history of the owners and the stud, genetics and a map with contact details. Everything looked very smart.

“It's exactly the kind of site I'd love us to have, but it costs a lot to set up.” Mackenna went to the fridge for a drink. “It's just not a high priority.”

“In today's world it should be.” Patrick spun on the chair to look at her. “Trust me, I don't know as much about sheep farming as you do but I do know a bit about marketing. Not only should you have a web presence, you should be using social media.”

“Someone has to create it and manage it. I can't see Mum doing it, and she'd be the only one with a small window of opportunity. We can't afford the time or money.”

“Maybe we can.”

“How?”

“I've got a few connections.” Patrick had a strange look on his face. “Bartering works well for some people. Leave it with me.”

Mackenna opened her mouth to speak and he grinned at her.

“No point badgering me. That's all I can say for now. Any chance of some lunch?” He spun back to the computer and started typing. “I didn't get any breakfast this morning.”

She watched the back of his head a moment longer then pursed her lips. She looked at her watch. It was late for lunch but she hadn't eaten either. She tugged open the fridge door. There were a few bits and pieces she'd noticed earlier that would make a good pasta dish.

By the time she'd finished preparing lunch her father and Cam were back. She made the bacon and mushroom carbonara stretch to four.

“Is the truck being used tomorrow?” she asked after they'd all tucked in.

“Don't think so, why?”

She ignored Cam's response and looked at her father.

“I've managed to get a second-hand kitchen at a really low cost. Only drawback is it's in Mount Gambier and I have to collect it tomorrow.”

“Should be okay,” her father said. “Does it include everything?”

“Not all the cooking items.”

“What's it for?” Patrick asked.

“The kitchen in the old house,” Lyle said, and scraped up the last of the sauce with his fork. “That was delicious. Thanks, Mackenna.”

“I can rearrange my day to drive you,” Cam said and lazed back in his chair with his arms behind his head.

“No need,” Mackenna said as she collected the plates. “I have a truck licence.” She was pleased to see the smug grin falter on Cam's face.

“Cam should go,” Lyle said. “You'll need help to load up.”

The grin was back as she carried the plates to the sink.

“There'll be someone there to help me,” she said. The last thing she wanted was to be cooped up in a cab with him all the way to Mount Gambier and back.

“I'll go,” Patrick said.

Mackenna shot a grateful glance at her brother but his face was turned towards Lyle and she could see colour spreading across his cheek.

“I want to look at cars.” Patrick paused and tapped the table with his fingers. “I might need some help funding a new one.”

“Really?” Lyle said. “What's wrong with the old one?”

“I'm afraid it's on its last legs.”

Mackenna wanted to say it had been that way when he bought it but she thought better of it. She and Patrick were sharing some rare moments of harmony and she didn't want to spoil it. His car was an ancient BMW, probably about fifth-hand when he took it on. Not practical at all, but it had been his childhood dream to own a BMW. Still, she thought, her car was old as well and it got used for farm business more often than not. She'd been hoping to trade it for a ute in the near future. There'd be no chance with the renovations to the old house and Patrick needing a car.

“There seems to be a lot of money going out for non farm-related expenses at the moment.” Lyle looked from Patrick to Mackenna. There was a brief silence before they heard Louise at the back door. “Your mother's the one to speak to,” he said.

Mackenna looked at her father. He was such a dodger when he didn't want to make a decision, but surely he didn't mean the kitchen. He'd already said to go ahead. Louise wouldn't know anything about it till the bills arrived.

“Speak to me about what?” Louise asked.

“Money matters,” Lyle said.

“I wouldn't mind a cup of tea first,” Louise said.

Mackenna flicked on the kettle. She really didn't think they should be discussing finances with Cam here. He wasn't family. But he looked settled in his chair with his ears flapping.

“Thank goodness my afternoon meeting was cancelled. That first meeting dragged out past lunch. Mavis Pritchard asks the most irritating questions.” Louise let out a large sigh then looked around. “Have you all eaten? I filled up on sandwiches.”

“Mackenna looked after us,” Lyle said.

“Oh, that's good.” Louise turned to look at Cam and Mackenna thought her smile was so sweet it was almost sickly. “Cam, I've brought home a couple of bags of chook pellets and one of urea. They're in the back of the car. Would you be a dear and take them to the shed for me please?”

“Sure, Louise,” he said but didn't move from his position.

Mackenna kept an eye on her mother between pouring cups of tea. Louise held Cam's gaze. Finally he sat forward.

“Would you like me to do it now?” he said.

“That'd be good, thanks. We don't want to forget and have another smelly boot.”

Once the screen door shut Louise turned to her husband. “I know Cam is almost like one of the family already but I do think we should keep our finances between ourselves.”

Mackenna settled at the table with a grin. At least she and her mother agreed on something.

“You're probably right, love,” Lyle said. “Patch says his car's on the way out and he needs some help financing a new one.”

“I'm sure we can work something out. He's been such a help these last months and Mackenna's had some funds for holidays. I think it's only fair.”

Mackenna opened her mouth and closed it again. She'd saved her wages for her holiday. The farm had contributed to some of her New Zealand expenses but that was because she was there on business. It was a tax deduction.

Her parents focused on Patrick who had brightened up and started talking replacement cars. At least what he was suggesting were more practical than the old BMW had ever been. Mackenna seethed quietly until she couldn't sit still any longer. She got up to start stacking the dishwasher. She didn't care if the farm paid for Patrick's bloody car but she resented her mother suggesting her holiday had been covered by the business. She should have asked Patrick to suggest the kitchen for the old house. If he'd made the request she was sure their mother would have been happy to go along with it.

“Excuse me folks, but I need to get on with what you're paying me for.”

They all turned to see Cam with his head stuck around the door. His face was serious, rather than the grin he usually had in place.

“Which paddock are we putting this irrigator in?” he asked.

“The shorter one at Murphy's place,” Lyle said and pushed back from the table.

“Let one of the kids go,” Louise said. “Remember not to overdo it.”

“I've been sitting in a truck half the day and now lunch. If I keep going like this I'll be overweight and have a heart attack from lack of exercise.”

There was a note of irritation in his voice. He tugged on his hat and followed Cam out. Louise turned back to Patrick.

“When will you need the money by?” she asked.

Mackenna shoved the dishwasher shut and pushed the start button.

“And would you like cream or ice-cream with that?” she muttered under the roar of the machine starting its work.

“One hundred and fifty per cent lambing.” Mackenna high-fived her dad. “That's not a bad result considering we weren't expecting them for another month.”

“Corriedale Dorset crosses have always done well for us,” he replied. “Of course they're not at the market yet so we can't get too far ahead of ourselves, but we should do well from them.”

They were sitting in the cab of the tray-top looking out over the paddock of ewes with lambs frolicking in all directions. Alfie the alpaca was standing guard under the shade of a tree.

“Now that we've got more space we should consider staggering two mobs on purpose,” Lyle said and drove the vehicle forward to follow the fence line. “That way they're not all going to market at the same time.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Sometimes mistakes are just opportunities to try something new.”

Mackenna studied her dad's profile. They'd had a good morning, just the two of them doing paddock inspections. Lyle was looking well and he was pleased with the way things were going on the property, in spite of the lack of rain. Mackenna thought it an ideal opportunity to suggest another of her ideas.

“Dad, now that we've got Murphy's place across the road, I think we should keep all the crosses there.”

“That property was in a bad way when we bought it. It's taken some work but the pasture there is much improved. That new irrigator's made a difference already. We must plant those replacement trees soon,” Lyle said.

“It's crazy we have to plant five trees to replace one spindly gum.”

“That spindly gum had five branches coming out from its stump. That's classed as five trees we've removed to put in the pivot irrigator. Anyway, once we get some good rain I was thinking we should shift our best Corriedale ewes over there.”

“We have more Corriedales than we do crosses.” Mackenna tried to keep her voice level but she was excited by the prospect of taking Woolly Swamp one step closer to a top class business. “It makes sense to keep them all here and now that we've got the two extra paddocks adjoining, we can utilise them easily.”

Lyle eased the vehicle to a stop at the gate and gave Mackenna his full attention. “So you think Woolly Swamp should be exclusively Corriedales?”

“It's a good marketing ploy.” She flicked her hand back towards the sheep. “And we can be guaranteed there won't be any future little accidents to interfere with the bloodlines we're building.”

“We'd still have to bring the crosses back here for shearing.”

“Yes, but we can control what sheep are where.”

Lyle stared off into the distance, thinking. Mackenna decided she'd said enough for the time being and jumped out to open the gate. He drove through and she joined him again. His face was creased in a frown.

The ute moved forward and she waited anxiously for him to speak. They drove all the way to the next closed gate before he did.

“I like the idea,” he said.

“But?”

“But what?”

“It sounded like there was going to be a but.” Mackenna smiled at him but his face was still creased in the frown.

“Don't get too far ahead. It's just that . . .” He paused.

Mackenna watched him closely. He looked like he was struggling for the right words.

“Is there a problem, Dad?”

He tapped his hands on the steering wheel. “We've been spending a lot of money buying land, doing up the old place, employing a working man. We need to take stock before we go any further.”

“Shifting some sheep won't cost us money. In fact it should only improve things.” Mackenna was surprised by his talk of expenditure. They had stretched their finances but they were set to see good returns.

“I know love, it's just that . . . well . . . your mother . . .”

Mackenna waited for him to continue but his silence stretched on. What was going on with Mum? She'd been acting strangely but Mackenna had put it down to concern over Lyle. Could there be more to it?

“What about – ”

“Your mother – ”

They both spoke at once and then stopped and looked at the other.

Lyle pulled his lips into a grin. “I think your idea is a good one. We'll give it a go.”

“What were you going to say about Mum?”

“Mum?” He shook his head. “No, nothing, it doesn't matter.”

“Are you sure?”

“What I am sure of is, if we shift these beggars to Murphy's place we'll have to do regular fence checks. One's dug out again.”

Mackenna looked over the closed gate to the next mob of crossbreds. She could see one standing on the wrong side of the fence.

“Damn it,” she muttered. That meant there'd be a hole under the fence somewhere. “I'll fix it but I'll be marking her for a trip to the abattoir.”

As she opened the gate Mackenna could see where the sheep had dug. The bottom wire was bent and there was wool caught on it.

Lyle drove through and called from the window. “I'll go round the perimeter in case there's any more damage then I'll open the other gate.”

Before he drove off Mackenna took a shovel and let King off the back. The pup gave an excited bark.

“Not you this time, Prince.”

The young dog sank to its haunches and cocked its head to one side giving her a soulful look. That's all she'd need, to have the sheep scared off by him.

“You bring her in, King,” Mackenna indicated to the older dog. He was on the job straight away, moving the sheep up to where Lyle would soon have the gate open. She turned her attention to filling the hole.

Her father's disjointed conversation replayed in her head as she worked. It almost seemed as if he was worried about Louise. Mackenna thought over the recent conversations she'd had with her mother. They'd been few and far between, and were mostly something to do with another member of the family or Cam. She hadn't really had a long personal conversation with her mother since she'd returned from holiday. The household was busier with Patrick and Cam around. Mackenna hadn't thought about it till now, but she hadn't got around to showing her parents her holiday snaps. They were still on the camera.