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Brett couldn't breathe!

A hand was holding his nose and another was covering his mouth. He opened his eyes but couldn't see his attacker in the darkness. He kicked violently and screamed and struggled — anything so as he could breathe again!

‘Boo!' the attacker said, hotly in his ear.

The hands let go and Brett quickly gulped down lungfuls of air. He swallowed so much that he started coughing.

‘Scared you, did I?'

‘
Rebecca
?'

‘Who else would break into your room at night?'

Brett switched on the lamp next to him. Sure enough it was her and not Tyson. The red hair was unmistakable, not to mention the voice. She was
smiling. At him. She thought smothering him was funny!

‘What are you doing here?' he hissed.

‘I came to see you,' she said, sitting next to him on his bed.

‘I can see that. What do you want?'

She gave Brett that cutesy girl smile of hers and traced a single finger down his chest. ‘To see if we can finish what we started the other night.'

‘Don't,' he said, swatting away her hand. ‘I don't want to.'

‘Sure you do.'

He shivered at her touch then grabbed her hand before she got any further. ‘Don't, I said.'

He let go and angrily pulled on a T-shirt. Digging through the mess of clothes on the floor, he searched for a pair of shorts.

‘You could have left that off, you know,' Rebecca said, wrapping her arms round him from behind. She grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt and started taking it off.

‘Rebecca, stop it! I said no.'

He shouldered her off him then stood up to get away, found his shorts and quickly hopped into them.

‘What's wrong?' she asked, standing up too. ‘If it's
that kid you room with, he won't mind. We could probably teach him a few things.'

‘I'm not interested, okay?' He slipped away from her again then opened a drawer. He found his pack of smokes and shook it. Empty. He threw it away.

‘You
were
the other night …' Rebecca said, keeping her distance this time. Her voice had lost its perkiness.

‘Nothing happened the other night.'

‘I know. That's why I'm here. I want to know what the other night was all about. You pick me up then drop me off in the middle of nowhere just when we got started.'

‘It was a mistake, okay?'

‘It didn't seem like one to me.' And when Brett didn't answer, she added, ‘It's got something to do with that brunette, hasn't it? She stood you up, huh?'

‘She didn't stand me up.'

‘Then what did she do? Tell you it was over? Say she'd found another guy? Say you weren't up to her standards? Or didn't she put out?'

‘Leave Caitlyn out of this,' he snapped.

‘That's it, isn't it?' Rebecca said, walking over to the window. ‘Couldn't get it on with her so you tried it with me. I don't know whether I should be flattered or offended.'

‘You better leave.'

‘No. I don't want to.'

‘I'll call Sam. If he finds you here, he'll phone the cops.'

‘Go ahead,' she answered, sitting on the drawers. ‘Call him. See if I care.'

Brett glared at her, hoping she'd get out of there, but it didn't work. She just looked smugly back at him, knowing that he wouldn't.

‘It looks like you're stuck with me then.'

‘Oh no I'm not. You're going home.'

She stood up again. ‘Not till I get what I came for.'

She grabbed Brett and kissed him. She tried to pull his shirt off again but he quickly broke free and shoved her away.

‘I said no! I'm not interested!'

It didn't matter. She tried it again. This time she ripped his shirt.

‘Get away from me!'

He backed out of reach and looked at her, his heart pounding in his throat. His body was saying “yes” but his conscience “no”. Sleeping with Rebecca would be a mistake. Just like Caitlyn thought sleeping with him would be.

Caitlyn.

So this was how she felt. He was all over her and
she was terrified. He wanted sex but she didn't.

‘Don't you care about your boyfriend?' he said, nearly shouting.

‘What about him? He probably sleeps round as much as I do.'

Brett caught himself, not wanting to believe what she'd just said. He'd been her boyfriend once too.

‘You're disgusting,' he said.

‘And you're not?'

‘What do you mean?'

‘Picking me up the other night and leading me on. You were just as faithful to your brunette as I am to my man.'

‘No, there's a difference. I realised I was wrong and stopped us from going any further. You keep on running round behind his back.'

‘So does he.'

‘But that doesn't make it right.'

‘Says you. As long as we love each other —'

‘That's not love. It's — it's pathetic.'

‘And what? You're some big expert on it now? You think after falling in love with some country chick you can now tell me how to treat my boyfriend? The same chick you dumped for me?'

‘I didn't dump her for you. You were just there at
the time. And funnily enough, that doesn't surprise me.'

‘What's that supposed to mean?'

‘You know.'

‘No, tell me.'

Shaking his head, Brett looked away. ‘C'mon. Don't play dumb. Everybody knows about you here. It's a small town. People talk.'

Rebecca paused, anger reddening her cheeks. ‘I think I might leave after all,' she said finally.

‘Good. About time.'

She stopped at the window, one leg outside already. ‘You can't get away with using me, Brett. I'll tell my man about what happened the other night.'

‘Which man?' he shot back.

Rebecca's eyes burned with the same disgust Brett had for her.

‘Go!' he said.

She wouldn't.

‘Get out of here, Rebecca!' he shouted, nearly pushing her out the window. ‘I don't want to see you ever again, you hear me?'

‘You'll regret this.'

‘Yer, yer, that's what they all say. Now get out of here.'

Rebecca walked a good twenty metres before she turned round for one last attack. ‘I was right about you! They've changed you! You're not tough anymore, Brett Dalton. You're gutless!'

‘And Caitlyn was right about you! You're nothing but a whore!'

He slammed the window down!

He watched her freeze before marching back into town. He himself was shaking as he stood at the window, knowing that to go back to bed was out of the question because Sam would be kicking down the door at any moment. Already the homestead's lights had blinked on. He heard the shuffling of sheets to his left and a held-in breath finally let out. Brett turned from the window to the noise, slightly startled. ‘Frog,' he said, realising the kid had probably been awake through everything, ‘whatever you do: don't ever fall in love. It's not worth it.'

The empty mess hall was silent except for the slow swishing of a wet mop. Squares of light retreated across the floor and over the chairs and tables emptied only half an hour earlier. The coldness of the shadows was gradually being warmed by the morning heat. The smell of fried tomatoes, sausages, poached eggs and French toast was still strong in the air.

Brett moved the bucket another couple of metres and plopped the mop's head on the ground. Water went everywhere and he reached out to soak it back up again. While he did, he looked out the window at the paddock closest to the stables. All the guys were assembled there, dressed in checked shirts, jeans, boots, and hats or baseball caps. They were throwing blankets then saddles over horses they'd been
allotted, and making sure that everything was strapped and buckled. Satisfied, they mounted and smiled goofy, triumphant grins.

They were readying themselves for the big Ride. It was the same ride Sam had been promising for months now. The one where everyone drove cattle across the countryside and back, just like he had in the old days. The guys had grown more and more excited over the past weeks. It was the last big event for some and the first for the handful of newcomers. They'd even got up at four o'clock as Sam had told them to. The saddlebags were packed. The canteens full. And the horses warmed up. The only thing that was stalling them was the word to move out.

Wiping his brow, Brett went back to his mopping.

A few minutes later, he heard boots clomping down the empty hallway and looked up.

‘I've been looking everywhere for you,' Sam said. ‘What are you still doing here?'

‘Mopping, like you told me to.'

‘No, why aren't you outside with the other guys?'

‘I didn't know I was going,' Brett shrugged. ‘You said I was grounded till I go back to Sydney.'

‘You are, but the ride is part of your stay here. C'mon. I want you saddled up in two minutes.'

‘But I haven't had a shower yet.'

‘I'm sure the horse won't mind the smell.'

‘I haven't packed either.'

‘All you need is a canteen, a hat, sunscreen and a few clothes. You don't need anything else. I've got the rest of the supplies. It'll only take you a minute to pack.'

‘How about sheets and pillows?'

‘You won't need them. I'll give you a sleeping bag. Now hurry up. Everyone's waiting for you.' He turned and started walking back down the hallway.

‘I don't think I should go,' Brett called after him. ‘I don't feel too well.'

Sam pulled up short, hung his head and sighed impatiently. ‘Look, I don't care what your excuse is. Get your gear and meet me outside in ninety seconds. Got it?'

‘But I said I don't feel well.'

The old man spun round. ‘Meet me outside, understand?'

‘Yer,' Brett spat, looking away.

Sam left and Brett threw the mop against the floor with a clatter. He kicked over the bucket filled with dirty water then did what he was told.

Half the guys had left before he walked outside. They were whistling and whooping, trying to keep the herd of cattle everyone was driving in line. Sam,
Josh and a couple of the other guys stayed behind, loading essentials like a first aid kit, food, toilet paper and lanterns onto their horses. Brett walked over to them as slowly as he could. There was no need to rush. He hoped he could annoy Sam enough to make him change his mind about making
everybody
go.

‘Josh, is Piper saddled up?' Sam called out. ‘Can you bring her over here then?'

Josh walked the chestnut-coloured horse over to Sam and Brett. It was the same one Brett had spooked in the stables the night he and Caitlyn had …

Whatever. It was the same horse.

She recognised him too because she shied away at the sight of him, forcing Josh to rein her in. A few seconds later, she was steadied but kept looking round as if she didn't want to be there. She wasn't the only one.

‘That's your horse,' Sam said matter-of-factly. ‘Mount up.'

‘You sure you don't want anyone to stay back and watch The Farm?' Brett asked.

‘Mary's here. It'll be fine. Now hurry up. The others are waiting for us.'

So that was it. He had to go. He walked over to Piper and tried to put his things in the saddle bag
and a rolled-up blanket on her back. No luck. The horse pivoted away from him again.

‘I don't think she likes you,' Josh said, holding onto the reins and trying to bring the animal under control.

‘That's good because I don't like her either.'

He stuck his foot in one stirrup and tried to climb onto the horse's back. Bad idea. He lost his balance then flailed about, trying to grab onto something. The next thing he remembered was being flat on the ground, sucking in dirt and his nostrils burning with dust. That, and everyone round him having a good laugh.

Gritting his teeth, he got as far as lifting his face to shout everyone down before being hauled off his belly by Sam. ‘Now try it again, except like this.' The old man used the stirrup and saddle to swing himself onto and off the horse again. It looked easy but Brett wasn't going to go anywhere near that thing now that he'd fallen off.

‘Son, you're going to get on that horse if I have to glue you to the saddle myself!' Sam said to that idea.

With a disgusted look, Brett again moved towards the horse. He put his foot in the stirrup, wobbled a bit, managed to hang on then swung over the way Sam showed him. He landed in the saddle with a
bounce, which Piper didn't like. She pranced around even more nervous now that he was on her back.

‘You set?' Sam asked. ‘Good. Now hold onto the reins like this and keep the balls of your feet pushed forward. That's it but sit up straight, don't lean. Now gently tap the horse's sides with your boots. That'll tell her to start walking.'

‘Like this?'

Brett banged Piper's sides hard and she shot out of the stockyard! They raced across the paddock, her big hooves thundering against the ground, and her big muscles rocking back and forth beneath him. He leaned forward to pick up more speed. The wind blasted over him and he gave a war cry. This felt fantastic!

He glanced over his shoulder. Sam and the others were scrambling to get on their own horses. The old man was forming a lynch mob.

Brett stopped when he met up with the lead group. A couple of guys had to chase after him to bring Piper to a stop. And she wasn't happy. She was huffing and whinnying and circling all the time. The other guys looked at her big wide eyes and asked, ‘What happened? Did she see a snake or something?'

It didn't take long for Sam and the others to catch
up. ‘What do you think you're doing, charging your horse like that?', ‘You could've killed yourself!' and ‘I should send you back to The Farm except that's what you want!' were sentences Brett could make out from all the shouting. Whatever, one more dumb stunt like that and Sam would drive him back to Sydney himself. That night.

When the old man was finished, he ordered the guys to break up into three groups to start the ride. The main pack consisted of the riders circling the herd with their horses. Three guys rode ahead as scouts. And two others followed the rest to make sure any straggling cattle kept up with the main herd. Brett and Josh were given this last task. ‘And Josh,' the old man said, looking at Brett, ‘whistle if you get into any trouble.' Great. The last thing Brett needed was a babysitter.

The green grey bush, yellow grass and clouded sky surrounded the riders as they continued eastwards. Brett and Josh didn't say much to each other, preferring instead to listen to the cattle moaning, the occasional ‘Yar!' from one of the guys, the crack of a whip and the
beet-beet-beet
of an insect chased by a bird. Brett mainly looked down at the ground, watching Piper's hooves march forward. One long knobby leg strode forward after the other. Brett let
her steer mainly because he didn't know how to himself. His ears were still burning and he wasn't in the mood for riding a horse, looking at the scenery or enjoying this dumb cattle drive. He just wanted it to end so he could go home to Sydney and forget about this dump forever.

Suddenly, Piper stopped.

‘Hey! Whoa!' Josh said, just behind Brett's ear. The stablehand held Piper's reins while trying to steady his own horse at the same time. ‘You better watch where you're going.'

Brett didn't understand until he looked up. Dead ahead and only half a metre away was a grey tree branch. It was poking out at head-high level. If Piper had gone any further the branch would have knocked him unconscious. And then he would have had another reason to hate the world.

‘Thanks,' he mumbled, snatching back the reins. ‘I must've dropped them.'

‘You okay?' Josh asked, waving away flies.

Brett looked up at him blankly. ‘Yer, I'm fine.'

‘You sure?'

Josh stared a while longer, waiting for him to open up or something, before shrugging and focusing back on the trail. Brett guessed he was trying to be friendly but this wasn't the time. Despite all the bad blood
between them, they'd come to respect each other — not as friends, but as two people who had to work and live together. Josh covering for Brett the day that cop came asking questions about the fight with Smiling Joe had proven the stablehand wasn't such a loser after all. And letting him drive the ute was pretty cool — even though Josh got into a lot of trouble until Brett copped all the blame by lying he forced Josh out of it. He owed Josh more than a brush-off. It was probably going to be a long ride for both of them.

‘Where are we headed anyway?' he asked after a deep breath.

‘Boomi. It's a small country town east of here.' There was a hint of happiness in Josh's voice. ‘There's good grazing country there. Quite beautiful too.'

‘You've been there?'

‘Lots of times. We go there every so often. It's tradition.'

‘I don't know why I had to come along.'

‘At least it gets you outside.'

‘What's that supposed to mean?' Brett asked, all defensive.

‘Nothing. It gets us off The Farm and away from chores for a while. What did you think I meant?'

Brett shook his head.

‘How long's this gonna take?'

‘A couple of days,' Josh answered. ‘Sam sometimes likes staying out here a day longer though. I think he gets all sentimental.'

‘Yer, well, when he starts crying about some tree or the good old days don't expect me to give him a tissue.'

An hour later, the herd and the riders stopped at a river they came across. Some of the guys steered their mounts into the water to drink while others stayed on the bank. Sam jumped down with a splash and used his hat to scoop up enough water to satisfy his horse. Finished, he put his hat back on and walked over to Brett and Josh.

‘Any problems?' he asked his stablehand.

‘No, none at all. Brett's been doing most of the work.'

Sam glanced at Brett, looking silly with water dripping down his sun-cracked cheeks. ‘Well, good then. We're moving out again. I'll keep you at the back until we get to Boomi. On the way home, you two'll be the scouts, okay?'

Josh nodded and Sam gave the call to leave. The stablehand left also to get back on his horse. Brett followed him.

‘You didn't have to cover for me.'

‘I thought you might like to get into his good
books again,' Josh said, his back to Brett.

‘Why would I want to do that?'

‘Because he's your friend.'

‘He's not my friend,' Brett said peevishly.

Josh glanced back then mounted his horse. ‘That so?'

‘Yer, why?'

With a double click of his tongue, Josh tapped his horse and rode clear of the river. Not wanting him to get away, Brett struggled to get back in the saddle and chase after him. ‘Hey, I asked you a question!'

‘Admit it. You respect him.'

‘Who? Sam? No I don't.'

‘You should then.'

‘Why? He's always hassling me.'

‘That's because you're always hassling him.'

‘Exactly. So we're even.'

Josh shook his head.

‘Oh and you know something I don't, right?'

‘I know the old man thinks of you as a friend, Brett. He didn't at first, but he does now.'

‘And why would he think that?'

‘Because of what you've done.'

‘That's good. He likes me because I've done nothing.'

‘Says who?'

Brett looked at him sceptically. ‘Everyone. Them. You. Sam —'

‘No we don't.'

‘Yes you do. I'm not good enough and that's why none of you talks to me any more.'

‘No one talks to you any more because you keep on telling everyone to leave you alone — so they do.'

‘Yer, well, I've needed some time to myself, okay?'

Josh shrugged.

‘You don't believe me, do you?' Brett said.

‘No, not if you're anything like me.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘When I tell everybody to leave me alone, it usually means the opposite: that I need someone to talk to.'

‘Well I don't. I'm happy by myself.'

They rode in silence for five or so minutes, Brett rewinding and playing everything they'd just said. He found the silence comforting but not his thoughts. He hit on a point to argue again, and challenged Josh.

‘Well go on then. You seem to know everything. Tell me what I've done that's so great.'

‘I don't know. You've done lots of things. You've turned your life round for a start. You came here some tough guy who thought he knew everything —'

‘And what? I don't know anything now?'

‘No, you've learned plenty. You just realised you didn't know everything.'

‘Like what?' Brett said, twisting his mouth into a sneer.