Author's note:
As with Part 1 of this story, there are a few Australianisms and other minor references to popular culture, particularly music genres, bands, and a couple of local festivals, which may not be entirely clear as to their meaning. I've tried to explain some as naturally as possible in the text. However, I'll briefly mention a few closely related Australian slang terms which may not be entirely clear: 'arvo' - shortened form of 'afternoon'; 'the sarvo' and 'the sarvie' - shortened form of 'This afternoon'. These are quite commonly used during informal conversation in Australia, and maybe I'm pointing out the obvious, but if not, I hope my explanation makes sense. For any further explanations, a simple Google search will most definitely help the reader. I've conducted my own proof reading, and though I've tried to be thorough, any mistakes are my own. And, as per usual, all characters engaging in any sexual activity are over the age of 18. Enjoy!
~~~~ PART 2 ~~~~
~~~~ CHAPTER 3 ~~~~
July to November, 2016
Evelyn and Scott began seeing each other most weekends, and as Evelyn previously suggested, they'd alternate who planned their weekend activities. However, they rarely saw one another during the week, because it was not practical for either of them to do so. One weekend, Scott drew inspiration from the horse photos he'd noticed at Evelyn's house, taking her trail riding in the lush forested valleys of the Gold Coast Hinterland.
"I haven't been on a horse in years," Evelyn said. "Did you know I grew up with horses?" She was noticeably comfortable and highly adept with the big animals, while Scott, who'd only ridden a horse on two previous occasions, struggled to keep up. Evelyn grinned as she rode alongside him, and despite the docile and well-trained nature of their mounts, it was clear she was straining at the bit, so-to-speak, to compel her horse to gallop off. An old spark appeared to reignite within her.
After completing their trail ride, Scott took Evelyn to a secluded reserve, located a short distance down a dirt road, which, judging by the encroaching vegetation, appeared not to have seen a vehicle for a long time. A clear rocky creek babbled down the edge of the reserve, beyond where they set up their picnic rug under the shade of a sprawling fig tree. From a small cooler bag, Scott produced soft cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes, and crackers with caramelised onion and roast garlic hummus.
Evelyn relaxed, closing her eyes as she sat with her back against one of the tree's enormous buttress roots. She smiled, soaking up the serenity, while occasionally picking at the delicious nibblies. Scott lay on his side opposite her, propped up by an elbow, while absentmindedly fiddling with a fallen leaf. He was truly enjoying Evelyn's company, and despite their twenty-five year age gap, he thought dating her was not so different than dating girls his own age. Experience told him women enjoyed picnics, and this was not the first time he'd brought someone to this location, and he was certain she was enjoying their date.
"I hope our date is living up to your expectations," he said with confidence.
Evelyn opened her eyes and smiled back at him. "This is perfect, my lovely. It's such a beautiful valley. Plus, I haven't ridden a horse since Bill and I moved to the city. It's so long ago now."
"Nic once told me you and Bill used to ride horses. She said Bill was a famous horseman, but was badly injured in a car accident or something, and he couldn't ride much afterwards, making him a grump. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to you two?"
Evelyn appeared to pause in contemplation for a moment, before proceeding to tell Scott a little of her former husband. "I'm sure Nicky used a stronger word than grump to describe her father. At least, back then when you were friends with her I know she often used strong language about him. But Bill wasn't always like that. He grew up with horses and loved them. I don't think anything made him happier than horses. See, Bill was a proper country boy, living and breathing horses from before he could walk. I wasn't considered to be a country girl by Bill and his mates, even though I grew up on a semi-rural block beyond the suburbs. But I knew how to ride, and so I fell in with them easy enough."
"How'd you meet him?"
She laughed. "Would you believe, we met at a bachelor and spinster's ball, not long after I started my country placement as a trainee teacher? They used to call B-and-S balls 'bucks and sluts' nights, but I hated that term. We were all young adults, simply having a blast. It was great fun. I remember Bill walking confidently up and asking me to dance. God, he was tall, rugged and very handsome, and I was young and naΓ―ve. Bill and his mates were a lot like you back then. Though, where you grew up riding pushbikes and skateboards around the streets, those country boys grew up on cattle and sheep stations, riding horses and ag-bikes from the moment they could walk. They worked alongside their parents and knew the ins and outs of cattle grazing before they could read or write. Bill was also a champion camp drafter and people spoke of him like he was some sort of magician with horses and cattle. Do you know what camp drafting is?"
Scott sat up on the rug. "I've spent enough time in the bush to know about camp drafts, but I've never been to one. When I was working out west in the mining industry, straight out of uni, many of the other blokes were country boys who sometimes talked a bit about camp drafting. Isn't it a competition where a stockman selects a cow from a herd and guides it around a cattle yard, or something like that?"
"Yeah, mostly. The rider has to cut a heifer or steer from the larger mob of cattle, and then, like you say, they herd or guide it around a circuit marked with posts called pegs. It's popular in the country among families growing up with horses and cattle. Bill was a very skilled camp drafter, and like I said, everyone spoke of him in glowing terms. Of course, I didn't know all this when I first met him, but when everyone in town found out we were together, which didn't take long, they'd all gush how lucky I was to be with him."
"And then he was injured in a car accident?"