Moonstone Promise (4 page)

‘Dunno,' Luke grinned, ‘only one way to find out.'

‘What if he bucks?'

‘I s'pose we'll fall off.'

Jess climbed through the fence. ‘I'm game.'

He held out an arm, and she grabbed it, springing up behind him. Legsy instantly lurched sideways. Jess squealed and clung to Luke's waist, nearly dragging him off.

‘Get your feet out of his flanks,' he said, pulling the colt around.

‘They're not
in
his flanks,' cried Jess.

‘We just got to get him used to us both. Give him a pat on the rump.'

Jess leaned back and gave the colt a loud slap on the rump, making him startle and jump forwards. ‘Whoa!' she screamed.

‘Not like that!' said Luke, grabbing at Legsy's reins.

‘I thought this horse doubled,' laughed Jess.

‘I thought you could ride!' he answered.

‘Who told you that? It's a vicious lie!'

He felt two hands push into his back, then turned to see her somersaulting backwards over Legsy's rump and landing on her feet on the ground.

‘Yeah, right.' Jess could ride all right. She was small and agile and brilliant at vaulting; she'd ridden in mounted games with her best friend Shara for years. Luke could tell she was stirring Legsy up on purpose.

‘Try again?' she asked, climbing up onto the fence. ‘Back him up.'

Luke reined Legsy's rump towards the fence. Jess patted him, more gently this time. ‘Easy, fella.'

Legsy snorted and shifted about, unsure.

‘Gee, he's nervous,' said Jess. ‘Who broke him in? They did a crap job.'

‘Me,' said Luke, indignant. ‘You getting on, or you just gonna do clown tricks all day?'

Jess leapfrogged onto Legsy's rump and wriggled up onto his back.

Luke let the colt's head go, and they set off towards Mossy Mountain.

As they passed the Pettilow property, Legsy began nickering and prancing about beneath them. He let out a loud squeal. Out beyond the trees a brilliant white horse grazed along the river flats.

‘Chelpie's out
again
,' said Luke. He had lost count of how many times he'd come across the mare and led her back to Katrina Pettilow's place. He had even fixed the fence a couple of times, without so much as a thank you from the Pettilows.

‘She's always out,' said Jess. ‘If I had my phone on me, I'd ring the ranger.'

‘She just wants some green-pick,' said Luke. ‘There's hardly any grass in her paddock, poor thing.'

‘Katrina should look after her better,' said Jess. ‘Look at her big wormy belly. She needs a good stomach-drench.' He felt Jess shudder behind him. ‘Ugh, she's so . . . nasty, and weird. I don't know what it is about her.'

Like Jess, Luke couldn't quite put his finger on what it was about Chelpie. She was always on the outer. Other horses didn't like her and she didn't like them. But he had a soft spot for the little mare.

‘She's been nicer lately,' he said, wondering what had brought about the change in the little horse. Maybe she just liked having so much grass to eat. ‘She came up for a pat when I rode past the other day.'

‘Yeah, well, she better not come near me,' said Jess.

‘You hate her too.'

‘She killed my horse, what do you expect?'

It was true. Chelpie had chased Jess's horse, Diamond, into a cattle grid and got her killed. Jess had every right to hate the mare.

‘May as well leave her there,' he said, changing the subject. ‘She'll only get out again.'

‘Let's ride up along the creek.' Jess reached through from behind and took one of the reins. She turned Legsy back towards the river. ‘We can swim at Hell's Hole on the way.'

They left Chelpie and followed the creek up a cool gully, through low-growing ferns. The colt's hooves sank into wet sand as they followed a narrow track along the side of the creek, ducked under low-hanging branches and squeezed through narrow passes. In some sections of the creek, they crossed wide flat stretches of river pebbles; in others they waded through deeper water. Then they left the creek and traversed the side of a mountain, scrambling over rocks and crossing fallen trees covered in moss. As they climbed the hill, the trees became smaller and the forest more open.

They rode in silence. It was like that with Jess. She and Luke seemed to slip so easily into the same rhythm and pace. When she was around, Luke found the world an easy place to be.

At the top, they came to a clearing and stopped. The view caught Luke's breath every time. Dark gullies and mountains tumbled down into the valley, which was green and wide and flat. The Coachwood River, like a long ribbon, coiled and slithered in big loops, carrying life to the bordering properties. Farms, patched in all sizes and shapes, ran along the sides of the valley for as far as the eye could see.

‘There's my place,' said Jess, pointing west along the valley. ‘Dad's slashing the paddock – look, I can see him!' She waved and laughed. ‘Hi, Dad!'

Luke looked out over Coachwood Valley. It was the first place in his life that had ever felt like home – the people, the different farms, the little bunch of shops and the huge freight trains that rattled through so often he barely noticed them anymore.

‘There's mine,' he said, pointing in the other direction. Harry's place was easy to see: a perfect rectangle, cut into neat paddocks.

But it didn't look right. There were cars all around the house. Lawson's ute, Ryan's truck, Mrs Arnold's four-wheel drive, an ambulance, two other cars he didn't recognise. They were parked at strange angles all over the front grassy stretch, as if they'd pulled up in a hurry. Stanley Arnold's little brumby ute drove in and Luke could see him running towards the house.

The day around him went still.

‘Something's wrong,' he said.

5

LUKE STOOD IN FRONT
of the mirror in the hallway and tried to work out his tie. He was tall now, and lanky, despite trying his best to get some meat onto his bones. He ran his hands through his thick rusty hair, trying to smooth it down.

Lawson appeared in the mirror and held his hand out for the tie. Luke ripped it off and passed it to him.

Ask him. Ask him now.

No one had said anything about his future. Everyone was too devastated by Harry's sudden heart failure to think of anything else. Annie had barely surfaced from the bedroom. Lawson had been busy with funeral arrangements.

Through the mirror, Luke could see Ryan talking to Harry's sister, Mrs Arnold, in the kitchen. There was always tension in the house when Ryan came home. Lawson was only helping with the tie as an excuse to stay away from him, Luke was sure. He wasn't normally the attentive type. If Ryan and Lawson got through the wake without a punch-up, it would be a small miracle.

‘Want Annie to take the rug, or are you going to carry it on the horse?' Lawson asked as he folded the tie into a knot and handed it back to Luke.

‘I'll carry it on the horse,' said Luke, noosing it up under his collar and tucking his white shirt into his moleskins.

It was Annie's idea for everyone to put something special on the casket. Luke was going to put Legsy's prize rug over it. Without Harry, they never would have won it. He took a deep breath and felt as though he was going to his own funeral.

Lawson looked him over and nodded. ‘You look pretty snappy.'

Luke looked at himself next to Lawson. Neither of them got dressed up very often. With the same moleskins, shirt and tie, they could almost pass for real brothers. ‘Wish we were going to a B and S instead.'

Lawson smiled. ‘Yeah.'

Annie emerged from her bedroom, wearing black. She looked shaky and pale. ‘It's time to go,' she said quietly.

The showgrounds were full of people; there were hundreds of them. Luke sprang onto Biyanga's back and joined Ryan and Lawson, who were already mounted and waiting by the main gates. As he took his position at the front, the stallion pulled and snatched at the bit, agitated by all the commotion. It took some strength for Luke to hold him steady while he looked back along the long lines of horses and people, searching for Jess.

She was riding her good horse, Dodger, who had a special boot buckled over his bad hoof. Shara, Grace and Grace's older sister, Rosie, rode next to her. Luke waved to try to get Jess's attention. Grace saw him, he was sure, but she turned away. She'd be jealous that he was riding the stallion.

‘Hey, buddy.' Tom rode up beside him on Nosey.

‘Hey,' said Luke. ‘You made it!'

‘Wouldn't miss it,' said Tom. He looked sharp, as always, in black moleskins and a cobalt-blue shirt. Tom always looked sharp. His parents had way too much money. It was the root of all his supposed problems. Luke had met him at Harry's horse-gentling program, and despite their different backgrounds they had clicked. Tom was a shit-stirrer, but he was also generous. Luke had been the benefactor of all his excesses: clothes, saddles, technogadgets. He was wearing one of Tom's shirts today. Sometimes it was embarrassing how much stuff Tom gave him.

Before they had a chance to catch up, the hearse rolled slowly around the corner. The sight of the casket covered in flowers in the back of the vehicle tore at Luke's heart. Biyanga screamed, shuddering violently, and broke from under him, rearing, tearing the reins from his hands and nearly knocking him from the saddle.

‘You okay?' Tom reached out to grab the stallion's reins.

Luke shook his head.

‘You can let go, I got him,' Tom said quietly.

Luke heaved in a few raspy breaths and wiped angrily at his eyes.

‘I'm okay,' he said, taking back the reins. ‘All right, Biyanga,' he soothed.

He saw Lawson and Ryan ride towards the hearse and take their positions. Lawson waved him over. ‘I better go. I'm s'posed to ride up the front,' he said to Tom.

‘Catch up later, ay?'

‘You bet.'

He rode up to Ryan and Lawson and took his position between them. This was how Harry wanted it: Luke, on Biyanga, flanked by his two sons. It struck him that Harry's request had more purpose than just giving him the honour of riding the stallion. He hadn't wanted any fights on this day. Luke eyed his two foster brothers. They were both big blokes and he wouldn't want to get stuck in the middle of them, that was for sure. But so far, Lawson seemed to be taking the lead and Ryan seemed to be keeping his mouth shut.

‘Up this way,' said Lawson, reining his horse away.

Luke loosened the reins and let Biyanga take the lead out in front of the hearse. Lawson and Ryan rode up either side of him.

‘There must be two hundred riders here,' Luke said to Ryan. ‘There aren't as many riders as this at most drafts we go to.'

‘He had a pretty long history with horses,' said Ryan. ‘But yeah, I didn't expect this many.'

And he was at the very front. That was a big honour. That was pretty cool. Luke took up the reins a bit and asked Biyanga to arch his neck and walk proud while he sat a little straighter in the saddle.