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“You don’t know.”
“I’m pretty sure I do.”
Doug then sauntered over to our group. “Rosie’s in fine form tonight. Not the first time I’ve thought about what it would be like to—”
My hand tightened into a fist. “No.”
Brayden stalked off, but Doug just frowned. “No what?”
“Do not finish that sentence.” At my terse statement, Doug raised an eyebrow. “Besides, you’re married.”
“Separated. Jane threw me out.”
“Oh. Shit, sorry.”
Doug shrugged, but his face was hard. “Been a few weeks. Staying with a friend. Might move into Brayden’s place for a bit until I get on my feet. You still need people to help with the muster?”
“Yeah. An extra set of hands would be good.”
“I’d appreciate the work.” Doug stared at the floor, waiting me out.
Christ knows we needed the help. “I’ll tell Ryan you’re keen.”
“Thanks.” Doug finished his beer and then clapped his hands. “Best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”
Pete, Benji and I exchanged a look as Doug strutted over to two women at the bar.
“He’s in fine form,” Pete muttered.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “He is.”
Still no sign of Rosie.
The pub was pumping for a weeknight. The owner, John, had a ten-dollar steak, chips and salad deal and had drawn a bachelor’s crowd for the special.
Two of the Duke boys of Dynasty Downs were also here and walked over. The eldest, CJ, short for Cameron Junior, caught my eye and then nudged his brother, Tyler to follow him towards our table. CJ was dressed in a starched white dress shirt with jeans, and Tyler looked like he’d just come from the rodeo wearing his champion rodeo belt buckle. Their father owned Dynasty Downs, a local cattle station second only to ours in size, on the other side of Ballydoon. Dad never had the time for their dad, and I never knew why, beyond the usual talk of Cameron Senior being a hard man to work with.
Pete and I looked like scruffy blow-ins compared to these two; me in my dirty farm clothes and Pete in sweats and an old footy jersey.
“Tom,” CJ said instead of hello, with a chin tip to Pete. “Heard you were buying a dog off Chooky Anderson.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged and sipped my beer.
CJ sniffed. “Also heard a rumour about Turner’s Creek.”
“Oh yeah?” I monitored the ladies toilets for Rosie, not giving Cameron any satisfaction of me reacting to his inquisition. “You going to say it or do I have to guess?”
“That’d you’d be selling soon.”
Pete coughed on his drink. Benji did a double take. I turned back slowly to face the Duke brothers. So, word has gone around about our situation with the bank, and the vultures were beginning to circle. To their credit, the Duke brothers’ faces were neutral. They weren’t here to gloat.
CJ looked away, affecting a casual stance with his hands in his back jeans pockets. “Just saying, if it’s not a rumour, Dad’s keen to talk.”
Rosie stumbled out of the ladies, adjusting her work shirt and jacket, and I stood, grabbing the bottled water on the table and stood. “You can tell your father there’s no reason for us to talk business.”
CJ nodded. “If that changes, you know who to call.”
The brothers exchanged a look and left as Rosie barrelled up, announcing, “I’m getting another drink.”
