Relentless Dan Fey

EgmontOriginals ©

Rosina Swan stepped down from the float plane that had rolled up on to the sand and thanked the pilot for diverting to circle a couple of other attractive islands farther out from the city after he'd said some were uninhabited wildlife reserves,

People were prohibited from landing on them unless in an emergency or were part of an organized groups of nature lovers accompanied by Government's Department of Conservation wildlife rangers.

Geoff the pilot said animals and birds included endangered species relocated to those safe island environments that were free or practically free of predators and the wildlife species had been breeding successfully

After the pilot had explained the 'no go' islands to his sole passenger, Rosina said, "Circle those islands please Geoff and I'll give you a hundred bucks tip."

"Fifty will be sufficient for the extra distance we'll travel," he'd grinned at the beauty beside him.

Now on the beach Rosina handed over the $50 and Geoff thanked her and gave his attention to an elderly couple looking at the aircraft with interest.

"Miss Swan?"

"Yes," said Rosina, who was looking immaculate in a tight white dress contrasting with her olive skin and the favorable impression was complete with her dark mirror sun glasses and the black and white sunhat she's just put on.

She almost gasped.

The guy who'd addressed her was suntanned and wearing white shorts, a red polo shirt and, ironically, expensive sun glasses contrasting with his cheap-looking sandals. He was muscular with a mass of curls adding interest to his sun-bleached blond hair and was handsome to boot. She felt her nipples tighten.

"I'm Dan Fey. My mother sent me to collect you because she fell from a ladder spraying a peach tree yesterday and remains a little shaky."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that Dan. Please call me Rosina. Is your mother improving?"

"I guess so but there's not need to worry; she's as tough as old boots."

Dan placed her two travel bags in the cargo box of the regular cab GMC Canyon repainted orange with a gloss clear-coat finish. It had large signwriting on the doors stating 'Fey Winery'.

"I wouldn't have thought you could buy an American GMC truck in this country?"

"That's true although the Canyon sells in several countries. This one was built in Rayong in Thailand and dad had it shipped here four years ago when he asked what I wanted for my 21st birthday."

"That's an expensive way to go about buying a birthday present."

"Well I wanted a unique vehicle here on the island and had recalled seeing this vehicle in a magazine. Dad and mom weren't short of money and I remembered dad saying his father gave him a round-the-world air ticket for his 21st and I reminded dad about that. How old are you?"

Rosina had opened the passenger door and shouted, "Feek, there's a dog on my seat."

"Yeah a Border Collie and his name is Kip. Hold out your hand to be sniffed and if he likes you he'll go on to the floor by your feet."

"I don't like dogs being close to me."

"You'll like Kip."

"No way, get him out of here."

"No way, Kip rides where I ride. Climb into the cargo box or do you want me to lift you into it?"

"I can't believe this; you are placing a dog ahead of me."

Dan laughed and said he wouldn't say that but Kip was in the cab first as well as being a regular passenger and that gave him priority in occupancy.

"What's it to be?"

Rosina didn't hesitate. She put out her hand and Kip sniffed and then licked her hand and dropped down to the floor well.

"Oh I say, you got a lick. That means Kip really likes you."

She grimaced.

"Where can I wash my hand?"

"At the winery I guess or else or over there in the ferry terminal. What's wrong with your hand?"

There was no reply and he grinned and they were off. "So how old are you?"

"The same age as you, twenty-five and that's probably all you and I have in common."

"Oh I wouldn't say that; Kip likes us both."

Rosina sighed.

A little later she said, "Why are so many of those on-coming vehicles flashing their lights at us?"

"Oh the drivers probably are wondering why you are sitting in Kip's seat."

Rosina pondered on that.

As they drove through the main and virtually only shopping street of the pint-sized town people waved at them and a couple of men yelled cheerfully "Hi asshole" and several women called "Hi darling or "Hi love." When a rough-looking guy slurred, "She'll look good in bed mate" Rosina wound up her window.

"Do all these people waving or calling out or drivers flashing lights know you?"

"Yeah probably. The island attracts 70,000 to 100,000 visitors a year who stay one night or more. Our permanent population is just under three thousand. With so few inhabitants, locals tend to know almost everyone."

"That's the population of the nearest town to our sheep station and when I go to town, most people on the street don't greet me."

Dan said slyly, "Do you think your dislike of dogs might have something to do with that?"

"What? You can't be serious?"

"No and you might be too serious. You have to do things for people to make them like you."

"Well what have you done to earn this love of the people?"

"That's pasting it on a bit thick Rosina, but four generations of the Fey family have done a lot for this island, making it famous as the home of international award-winning Fey wines."

"For which you charge heaps for?"

"Yes but people who come here just to buy wine at the cellar door also stop somewhere for coffee or lunch and buy heaps from the craft shops and purchase free-range eggs, and free-range-pork and 1-inch thick prime Angus steaks. They hire cars or bicycles or ride in taxis or board the Round-the-Island buses."

"Oh yes, of course, the secondary economy. Omigod, look at that stunning public hall... oh it's called Fey Community Hall."

"Yeah. My granddad and gran and my parents had that built at no cost to the community and fitted it out right down to teaspoons before handing it over to the Fey Community Hall Society that is responsible for its operation and upkeep."

"Ah your family is recognized for its philanthropic support of the community."

"Well we do throw some money about at times."

Rosina said that was impressive.

They came to the Fey Memorial Bridge.

Before she'd finishing reading the sign carved into the concrete of one of the buttresses, Dan said drily, "My late great-grandfather originally farmed 186,000 acres of pretty infertile land a little north of here and grandfather purchased an adjoining 480 of more fertile acres at this end of the farm. Soon after the village now called a township was founded and people settling to the north and nor-east of the bridge that we just crossed, eventually began pressing for the replacement of the rickety crossing erected by earlier settlers."

"Great-granddad and granddad offered to pay half of the cost when the administering authority on the mainland came over to discuss replacement and the local community's objections were met by the council saying if they wanted a fancy bridge to rise up to allow yachts to pass under it then they could pay for it. The Fey family stumped up with half the cash and had a big say in the design. It was the council that decided to call it the Fey Memorial Bridge."

"Oh Dan what a lovely story. I'm beginning to like you. I'm sorry I reacted badly to your beloved dog and disbelieved some of the things you said to me earlier."

"That's okay, you're female."

Rosina let that one go unchallenged.

"Look would you like to stay with us in the house rather than in one of the motel-like units? I think mom will really take to you and my sister would like the idea as well."

"What's wrong with the motel units?"

"Nothing and they are luxury units as you would have seen when you booked. But my family likes nice people and you're nice. We are off-season for visitors as present as it's still only early spring and you'd find it a bit lonely in the visitor accommodation chalets. Um also my mom became excited when she saw your address. She came from Shoal Bay that's about 20 miles from your home."

"Is that so? What's her name?"

"Penny. She was a Fairbanks before she married."

"Omigod, Paula Kelly of Shoal Bay is my best friend; we began school just days apart. Her mother's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks."

"I've met Paula a couple of times. Her mom Iris Kelly is my aunt, mom's sister."

"Ohmigod yes please; may I stay at the house?"

"Yes and we'll refund you deposit and there will be no charge. You'll be our house guest."

"We'll see about that. You'll need your mom's okay for that generous gesture."

Dan grinned and said it was already decided because he was property manager. His dad and mom ran the winery and restaurant while he was in charge of everything else that included 3800 breeding ewes and other sheep, 178 head of cattle, nine dogs and five horses and supervising the spraying of the grape vines that were spread over 65 acres and was responsible for the structural maintenance of the chalets.

Rosina smiled. "Oh busy boy."

"Not really, I stand around with my hands in my pockets most of the time watching others do the work."

"I bet."

"If you stay in the house you'll have to share my bed."

Rosina took a deep breath and asked a little shakily, "You're joking, aren't you?"

He nodded grinning and then asked what she did on their farm.

"I help mom and my main responsibility is to run the home-stay operation. We have eight double rooms with en-suites built on to the side of our house and they are very popular because of the views across the curved bay and in the other direction out to the mountains. We are only twenty-two miles to the nearest ski field and mountain hiking tracks and so are busy for most of the year with guests."

"What sheep do you have?" he said. "We have Romney-cross. Granddad proved they do the best on the island with it's fairly high rainfall and long dry spells through summer and into autumn."

"We have Polwarth."

"Oh, I've never seen any of those up close. They're one of the principal sheep breeds in the south, aren't they?"

"Yes, originally bred in Victoria, Australia, but every breed in our region is outnumbered by the Merino and Merino-cross sheep."

She suddenly became alert.

"Oh look at the beautiful home down there looking across that bay. It faces due north and will get all day sun."

"But not on cloudy days I guess."

She giggled and pushed away Kip who had had stood and now had his jaw resting on her knee. Dan noticed that but said nothing.

"I know why everyone in town waved or flashed vehicle lights at us, it's because this orange vehicle is so noticeable, a mobile sign for the winery."

"You're very intelligent but appear prone to deception."

"I am not easily deceived."

Dan grinned and turned into a farm track, rattling over a pipe livestock stop.

They rounded a hill and he said proudly, "There's home."

"Omigod you deceived me. It's that Mediterranean home we saw a couple of minutes ago."

"Yeah, it's a Tuscan design and built seven years ago."

"Oh and it will look so much in place with the grape vines in full leaf. Oh, it has the deep-set windows with shutters to add rustic charm and grand raised entry. Ohmigod I can see a big patch of barrel roof tiles off-center... it has an internal courtyard. Was it designed by an international architect?"

"No mum took photos and made drawings when she and dad were on one of their visits to Italy and she then worked out the internal design and space configurations and toss that to Benny, a retired architectural draftsman who lives on the other side of the island from here.

"You are correct about the internal courtyard. We eat out there a lot, even in winter. You appear to know a lot for a young rural woman."

"Thanks," she said icily and muttered she was a voracious reader.

She blurted, "I can believe how well at home a Tuscany design can look so much at home here thousands of miles away in New Zealand."

"Well I suppose most art is transportable. If you'd been to Italy you'd seen this hilly part of the island looks rather similar to parts of Tuscany, or so mom says."

"I spent a month in Tuscany as part of my Italian studies when I was at university."

Dan gaped.

"You went to university?"

"That's what I said, are you deaf? I possess a MA degree, majoring in Italian and German."

"Ohmigod."

Rosina appeared pleased that she had impressed him but then Dan blew it.

"You should have studied veterinary science and then you would have learned to like dogs."

Enraged she said, "You are so full of bullshit. Take me to your mother please."

"Mother is here dear. I suggest you take only a little notice of him. My son tends to say what he thinks without thinking of possible consequences."

"I love the look of your house; I love the look of your farmland and winery but I'm afraid your son gets up my nose and his dog is not much better."

"What you don't like Kip. But he's..."

"Perhaps I should stay in the town."

"Nonsense. Look darling you stay in the house with our compliments."

"Mom she's best-friends with Paula Kelly."

Penny turned pink in excitement.

"Oh that's amazing; then you'll know my sister Iris?"

"Indeed Mrs. Dey and I think she's lovely. She's quite famous as an artist down our way you know."

"Yes I do know that dear and we have some of her landscapes hanging here and in the chalets. I think you have become distraught with your long travel, your aircraft being delayed by fog and then just missing that ferry to cross over to here. Thanks for leaving that phone message, that's why I was able to send Dan to meet the floatplane that you said you would charter."

"I must tell you that Dan and Kip are among the best-known personalities on this island, Dan for instigating the now annual Rock Music Festival on this island when he was only eighteen and Kip for eleven successful searches for missing people on the island."

"Eleven?"

"Yes including the wife of the Minister of Overseas Trade whose wife had been missing for seventy-eight hours despite extensive searches including by infrared and other thermal camera-equipped military helicopters. Dan thought he'd take one more look at North Buttress and Kip located Mrs. Wilson down a narrow fissure in the rock face. She was unconscious but recovered fully and is now patroness of the festival organizing committee of which I'm president."

Rosina said, "A rock festival is fine but Kip's rescue efforts, what an outstanding effort."

"Providing the weather is fine during the Easter Rock Festival, it pumps an estimated $700,000 to $900,000 into the island's economy."

Rosina gaped.

"Come dear, I'll show you to your room and run a bath for you. This is all becoming too much for you. Please call me Penny."

Relaxing in the bath, Rosina called her mom Jolene.

"Hi mom I've arrived safely. We landed in Wellington for the change but fog set in and so we spent two hours there waiting for it to lift."

"Did you miss your ferry connection?"

"Yes and that meant a 2-hour wait for the next ferry. I decided to fly over by float-plan and so that was pricey but at least I arrived before dark. Mom the Dey's are millionaires. They have owned their land for several generations, half the island appears to be named after the Deys, they have thousands of acres, 3800 sheep, almost 200 cattle and listen to this, sixty-five acres of grapes and a winery that's larger than our woolshed and is built of quarried stone."

"That's sounds lovely dear. What's the son like?"

"He met me and is an asshole mom and acts as if he's permanently switched on at full throttle. His mother is lovely as has asked me to call her Penny and listen to this, her sister is Iris Kelly, Paula's mom."

"Fancy that, what a coincidence. You would have known that had Paula not been skiing in Colorado at the moment. Um what don't you like the son?"

"He's irritating mom, so sure of himself although he's probably had only a high school education and is rather dismissive and puts his dog before people. He's my age and you know what, he manages the farm, the grapes and the structural maintenance of their luxury chalets that is another commercial operation. His parents look after the winery and the restaurant which is closed at present and manages the chalets. The island gets visitors all year but the busy season is from mid-spring until mid-autumn. Asshole's father is in Argentina at present being a major speaker at an international vintners' convention. Penny didn't go because she's been to Argentina twice before and told me she is sick of travelling."

"She told me their wines are distributed to twenty-three countries and their Syrah is acclaimed as being world class and their Chardonnay has won more than forty trophies at shows in New Zealand, Australia and Britain. Britain takes all the red wines they care to send."

"Well you are poised to have a great time. Oh, darling don't think of the son using that awful term asshole. You might inadvertently call him that."

"Yeah well he'd probably swat me one if I did; he's in your face at lot mom. You know I don't like dogs when I told him I didn't like his dog but mom, Kip has found 11 people who were the subject of big searches on the island including some parliamentarian's wife."

"You mean Pam Wilson, wife of the Minister of Overseas trade?"

"That's the one."

"Ohmigod that was all over the newspapers and radio and TV. She wasn't found until almost three days after being reported missing. Oh, Asshole as you call him was offered a $10,000 reward by the grateful Minister and Asshole declined and suggested the donation be given to the island's retirement home where his grandparents reside to improve amenities. I remember it well because the dog owner surprised the minister by his modesty and refused to talk to the media about his major part in the rescue but he said, quote, "But you are free to interview my heroic dog."

"Omigod mom, I may have misjudged him."

"Keep relaxed and tread softly dear. He'll probably hit on you and then you can decide whether or not he's that acceptable to you."

"Mom!"

The call was cut. The furious Rosina imagined her mother laughing hysterically.

Feeling refreshed and relaxed Rosina went to the kitchen to find Penny and came face to face with a beautiful female age twenty or twenty-one.

"Hi I'm Trish, mom's youngest. My brother reckons you are stroppy and don't like dogs."

Rosina counted to five and said, "Hi Trish. What do you think of your brother?"

"It's difficult to figure him out. He can be such an asshole and then at other times he's brilliant."

An asshole?

Rosina grabbed the surprised Trish and kissed her and said, "You are just brilliant Trish. I like you a lot already."

"Okay but there's no need to go over the top. Mom's having a rest. She fell off a ladder yesterday so is down a bit. She told me you don't like dogs but seemed amazed that Kip had been involved in eleven successful recues."

"Um does that mean some of the lost people didn't survive?"

"I'm afraid so. It's very rugged up at the northern end of the island and city folk take it a bit lightly. They don't start back soon enough and get caught by darkness and don't stay put for the night and are liable to fall into gullies or even slide into the sea. Bloody idiots we say. Did Dan tell you he saw a guy on a yacht toss a puppy overboard and sail off and Dan stripped and swam out and saved the puppy he named Kip?"

"Omigod and I made it quite clear I didn't like Kip."

"Don't worry, he'll think you dislike all dogs and are not just taking it out on Kip."

Much to her relief, Robin found her bedroom was well away from Ass... um Dan's bedroom.