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chapter 9
Sam
Waru patted me on the back. “You’re a stubborn son of a bitch, but you did good today, Sam. Scottie wouldn’t have minded if we waited for their help to get all the firewood back though.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s nearly all done now. One less thing for him to worry about when he gets home.”
Ma smiled at us from the doorway. “He’s here now.” She waited for Waru to walk out before she spoke again. “You’ve outdone yourself these last couple of days, Sam. In case Scottie doesn’t say it, you handled things better than we could ever have hoped. You cared for those cattle like they’re your own.”
Her words made my heart swell, pride taking its place in my chest. Craig was a little star-struck by the woman who’d given the middle finger to the haters and run Pearce Station better than her father before her. To me though, she was more like the mum mine had been before everything went down. My ma hadn’t been the same after we’d lost the farm—her spark had disappeared. After ten years of hating that my family’s place was gone, I suddenly didn’t feel so lost at sea anymore. This station was starting to feel like home.
I smiled. Yeah, home. “Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that.”
I looked at the door and grinned when I heard the four-by-four stopping. “Go.” She laughed and I was sure I was blushing. Suddenly, there were two people I really wanted to see.
I jogged out of the shed towards the Landcruiser reversing up to the sorting yard. That meant one thing—Scottie had gotten the bulls he was after. He’d been aiming for two. I wondered if he’d managed to get both.
Ally was behind the wheel and she jumped out as soon as she stopped moving the car. “Come round to the back. You have to see this.” She grinned and grasped my hand, tugging me to the fence.
Craig stepped between two rails in the fence holding a basketball. Scottie and Jono unlatched the gate on the float and pulled down the ramp. As soon as it was done, Scottie nodded at Craig and he bounced the ball. The dull thud sounded and there was a responding snort. “S’at the bull?” My gaze pinged between Craig and the trailer. My best mate wasn’t a bull fighter, so what the hell was he doing?
Footsteps sounded on the metal ramp as the bull backed itself out. His faded gold colouring was striking against the red dirt between the patches of grass growing in the yard. Wide and square, the bull was massive. Easily broader than two men standing shoulder to shoulder, the bull was as tall as Scottie—when he was standing on the first rail of the fence. The bull snorted again, and alarm bells went off. Craig was in the paddock, with nothing between him and the massive beast except a basketball.
“Craig.” The panic in my voice was obvious as I gripped the fence with both hands ready to vault over it. Ally laid her hand on my arm and I peeled my gaze away from my best mate to the beautiful woman standing beside me.
“Watch.”
I swallowed, forcing my jaw to unclench. I managed it, barely, but I couldn’t let go of the fence. I couldn’t pull my foot off the bottom rail. Everything in me screamed to go to him and protect him from a bull that could easily charge. What the hell was Scottie thinking? I respected the bloke, but I wasn’t comfortable with having Craig act as bait to get the bulls out of the float.
“Relax, Sam. He knows what he’s doing.”
I huffed, not entirely sure that Scottie did know what he’d set Craig up to do. But what I saw blew my mind. Nan and Ma’s surprised laughs from behind me registered in my mind, but I couldn’t turn my eyes away from the sight before me.
Craig bounced the ball and the bull’s attention was immediate and unwavering. It trotted over to him, lumbering with each step until Craig was face to face with him. He laughed and bounced the ball, spinning it around his back. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. With every one of Craig’s moves, the bull bobbed his head and stepped to the side following it. He was… playing with it.
Dribbling the ball, Craig passed it to the bull and he ducked his head, butting it back before he wiggled his arse end and bounced on thick legs like he was excited.
“What the?” I laughed. Craig was playing basketball with the beast. They met each other move for move—Craig stepped to the left and the bull shadowed, defending the ball. He huffed and bounced, kicking out his back legs. Lumbering forward, the bull stopped directly in front of Craig, looking down at him before he dropped his head. I held my breath. If he charged forward, Craig would be thrown. God only knew what injuries he’d have.
“Oh you big boof.” Craig’s voice was warm, filled with affection. He dropped the ball and scratched behind the bull’s big ears with both hands. With arms outstretched, Craig was practically hugging him and all I could do was stare as the bull shoved him gently out of the way and nudged the ball forward. “You little shit.” Craig laughed and charged after him, kicking the ball away before grabbing it and dribbling it along as he jogged back to us.
Ally motioned to them and I couldn’t help my disbelieving laugh. “The bull apparently has a favourite toy—the basketball. The owners gave the ball to Scottie to get him in the trailer. Scottie tried for half an hour to get him to move, but he wasn’t interested. Jono and I tried and nothing either. As soon as Craig had the ball, Blond couldn’t get enough. They were playing together for an hour before Craig walked up the ramp and the bull followed him straight in. Funniest thing you’ve ever seen. The other bull got a slap to the arse and walked straight up, but Blond wanted to do things his way.”
“So you got two bulls?” I shook my head at both the ridiculousness and genius of playing basketball with the bull.
“Yep, Pure Blond—this guy—and Zeus.” Ally pointed to the other bull Scottie was easing out of the trailer.
“Out of the paddock, Craig.” Scottie nudged the bull and he turned just as Craig jogged over to the rail I was standing on. He clambered over it effortlessly and our gazes caught and held for a long moment. My heart beat hard and my breath caught in my throat as I felt myself step closer. He did too, wavering towards me, our stare never breaking. Tension coiled in my gut and my fingers itched to reach for him. The heat from his body pulled me closer. Need was driving me, everything inside me crying out to wrap him in my arms and reassure myself that he was safe. Someone behind me—Ally—cleared her throat and I blinked, shaking myself out of my stupor. What the hell was I thinking?
He grinned then and clapped me on the shoulder in the ultimate blokeish move and this time my gut churned uncomfortably. His cheeks flushed and he was a little out of breath. “G’day. That gets the adrenaline pumping, hey?”
Scottie walked over to us from where he’d let the bull go and pointed to the full trough and feed buckets. “Thanks for doing that, mate.”
“No worries. Welcome back. Looks like you got two real good bulls. They’re big bastards.”
“Funny fuckers too. Zeus apparently loves clothes hanging on washing lines. He’ll pull ’em off and roll in them if he gets near a line, so we need to make sure he’s behind the gate.”
Scottie checked the gate to the yard, making sure it was secure. “Let’s let these two get acquainted with each other for a couple of days before we let ’em loose in the paddock with the others.”
