This story is dedicated to Puff, my friend, my lover, my own little girl.
I love you Puff.
______________________
CHAPTER 1
Heather sat at the kitchen table, head buried in trembling hands and tears streaming from her eyes, shoulders heaving as sobs poured from the very heart of her soul.
After 18 years, thousands of arguments and some violent beatings, her marriage to Sam was over, heād taken-off with a younger woman leaving Heather and their daughter Patricia, to fend for themselves.
It wasnāt the fact that Sam had gone with another woman, Heather didnāt care, for sheād been out of love with him for the last few years, it was the loneliness that descended on her once he had gone. Now matter how worthless Sam had been, at least heād been some company during the lonely nights on the isolated small-holding some miles north of Adelaide.
Reaching for the box of Kleenex, Heather dabbed her eyes and fought to bring her emotions under control. It was time to take charge of her life and decisions had to be made not only for her, but for Pat as well. For nearly two hours Heather brainstormed with herself and when the answer to her problem became clear in her head, she marveled how simple the answer had been. She looked anxiously out of the window to assess the level of the sun and judged that in a couple of hours she would be able to set the plan in motion.
In Australia there is no such thing as twilight, thereās no lingering of light after the sun has sank below the horizon, itās either light or dark. For that reason Heather knew she would be wasting her time to ring daddy before sundown, he would only return to the homestead the moment the last traces of the sun dipped below the horizon.
Seth Carter was hanging up his stock whip and hat when he heard the phone coming from the station office. Frowning to himself he made is way through the rambling homestead and picked up the phone, āHello?ā
āDaddy itās me. How are you?ā
āHeather is that you? Shit, itās nice to hear your voice, I was only thinking of you and Pat earlier. How are you both?ā
āFine now thank you daddy, now that Iām talking to you. Daddy?⦠Samās left us and if itās alright, Iād like to come home,ā Heather asked in a little girlās voice.
āOh Heather, of course you can come home, you know thereās always a place here for you and my granddaughter, you didnāt even have to ask that question.ā
āThank you daddy. Iāll put the small-holding on the market and weāll leave on Saturday. Is there anything you want be to bring from the city?ā
āNo Heather, once you and Pat are here Iāll have everything I want. Iāll get the rooms ready for you; Nerida can help me with that. The track gets pretty rough from the main road between Wombat and Deadhorse Creeks so be careful when you hit that section. If youāre not here by sundown Iāll come looking for you.ā
āOk daddy weāll be careful. See you on Saturday, I love you daddy.ā āI love you as well. Better let Pat pack up plenty of books thereās not much for her up here.ā Seth said. āBye sweetheart.ā
A big smile spread across Sethās face, his baby was coming home after being married to the most useless sod on the planet. Heather and Pat would bring life back to the lonely homestead that was built on an isolated station. A station so big it equaled and bettered some smaller countries in area size and all run by Seth and six very experienced aboriginal stockmen and Nerida.
Nerida was the daughter of the onetime cook at the homestead. Years ago a visitor had taken Neridaās mom to the barn and had his way. Nine months later Nerida, a beautiful native baby had been the result. Nerida had carried that beauty with her into maturity and when her mother died, stepped into her shoes as the housekeeper.
Nerida grinned at Seth as he entered the kitchen with her perfect set of strong white teeth, those together with deep brown eyes being significant features of the Australian aboriginal.
āDinner wonāt be long Boss. Iāve made an Irish Stew and some fresh damper. Sit down and Iāll get you beer from the fridge.ā
Seth watched Neridaās trim figure cross the huge country-kitchen and gather an ice-cold Fosters from the fridge, her body looking ripe and firm beneath the tank-top and faded shorts she was wearing. Twisting the top off the beer she set it in front of him and kissed Seth fondly on the forehead, āYou look tired Seth. Have your dinner and get yourself off to bed, Iāll pop in to say goodnight.ā
Nerida worried a lot about Seth. Heād been lonely and worked far too hard since his wife died and he hadnāt seen his daughter for nearly two years but there was little she could do except take care of him. She had a soft spot for the rugged lean bushman and loved him like a daughter; after all, heād been the one constant man in her life since sheād been born.
Seth had taken her virginity a few years back. Heād taken her gently with a great deal of tenderness and a lot of love and although she knew she could never have him all to herself, she was grateful for the times they shared together.
Nerida had developed a relationship with one of the station blacks but that didnāt stop her from occasionally slipping into Sethās bed where she provided some comfort and relief for the lonely man. Tonight she would fuck him to sleep before leaving the homestead.
CHAPTER 2
The sun had been set for nearly an hour and Seth was anxiously pacing the boards of the verandah watching the direction from which the car would come. Just when heād decided it was time to get the utility out and go looking he saw the reflection of lights coming from over the horizon. āTheyāll be here in 15 minutes,ā he said to himself with relief.