Page 35 of Where the Wattles Bloom

‘Okay … wow.’ She wandered into the centre, which was occupied by a ping-pong table, and turned around a couple of times as Lachlan and Red watched. ‘I was not expecting this.’

It wasn’t big but the high walls and ceiling gave it a real sense of space and it was well cared for—neat, clean and tidy. At the far end sat six single beds, all set apart to give each their own space. They were made up, ready to go, each with one of Reggie’s colourful crocheted blankets on top, making them even more welcoming. Off to one side of the ping-pong table sat three old but comfortable leather couches arranged in a u-shape around a coffee table and in front of a wood heater.

Next to the heater was a TV on a stand, with a DVD player and a host of movies stashed in the cupboard beneath. The old wardrobe beside the TV was chock full of board games.

‘What were you expecting?’

‘Nothing this … cosy? More rustic, I suppose.’ She glanced around her again. ‘This looks really … homey.’

Lachlan smiled. ‘Reggie will be pleased to hear that.’ His grandmother had been going for the home away from home feel. He supposed bunkhouse conjured up more basic conditions but they’d never called it anything else. Maybe it was time to change that? Maybe guest accommodation was more fitting.

‘There’s a shower and a loo through there,’ Lachlan continued as he pointed at the shut door on the wall opposite the lounge area. ‘And of course the kitchen is well equipped because Reggie would have it no other way.’

Rowena wandered to the galley kitchen, which had been made by Albert from spotted gum slabs felled not far from where they stood. He’d lovingly sanded and polished the wooden benchtops until they shone glossy under the overhead lights. He’d done the same with the dining table, which sat just off the kitchen.

Running her hands along the bench, she tapped the coffee percolator and murmured, ‘Nice.’ Opening a couple of cupboards, she gave them the once-over.

Producing a corkscrew from one of the utensil drawers, she brandished it with a smile. ‘Very well equipped.’

Lachlan grinned. ‘That’s not even the best bit. Wait till you see this.’

He strode to the double glass sliding doors that shared the same wall as the kitchen, Red sticking close to his heels. Yanking one open, he tipped his head to the outside.

‘Come on.’ He stepped onto the deck, flicking on the lights and standing near the door as Rowena followed him out.

‘Oh, wow,’ she murmured.

It was a wow. The deck ran the length of the quarters and extended out considerably. ‘Albert and I built it together.’ They’d done it when Gabby had first come to Blairgowrie, to give them a private place to hang out that would be the envy of even the most diehard city dweller.

High railings formed a border around three-quarters of the deck. They were more hitching posts than anything else and had been used as such on more than one occasion, but twining a bunch of fairy lights around the rough-hewn posts had loaned the sturdy construction a touch of whimsy.

Rowena wandered to the bowl of the firepit. He’d made it from an old plough disc and half sunken it into the middle of the deck, making it the focal point. Not that it had been used much, given shearing normally happened in the summer, but there’d been a few night-time yarns and tall tales told around it over the last few years.

The bowl was full of wood, ready to go, and he contemplated offering to light it so she could get the full effect, but she wasn’t done exploring. Turning away, her gaze fell on the other wow feature.

‘Oh, I like that.’

She moved towards the old claw-foot tub he’d found for sale through the local Facebook page. It had been plumbed into the bunkhouse water system, so there was no problem with filling it up other than the usual mindfulness regarding the ever-changing water situation.

Affixed diagonally across the right-hand corner of the deck, it was free of railings so as not to obstruct the one-hundredand-eighty-degree view over the bushy landscape. There was nothing like a tub for two at the end of a long dusty day on the farm, watching the sun set or the moon rise.

Unfortunately, an outdoor bath, a firepit and some fancy twinkles hadn’t been able to make up for a marriage pretty solidly on the rocks. Tonight was the first time he’d turned the fairy lights on since Gabby left, but he still occasionally took a bath out here at the end of a long day, beer in hand, watching the sunset.

‘This is amazing.’ Rowena ran her hand along the bath’s rolled edge, before making a beeline for the nearby railing.

‘But wait,’ he said with a smile. ‘There’s more.’

Once she’d settled her elbows on the horizontal post, Lachlan ducked back to the door briefly and extinguished the inside and outside lights, plunging the deck into the still, inky black of an outback night.

Not for long, though.

Lachlan waited for his eyes to adjust before heading to where Rowena stood. ‘Look up,’ he said as he claimed the spot beside her.

Dutifully, she tipped her head back, her hair fanning out behind her. ‘Ohhh.’

For a moment Lachlan wasn’t sure if she’d said it or breathed it, but her face was alive with wonder as she took in the celestial display, breathtaking on this cloudless night.

‘It’s magnificent,’ she murmured.