Family Farm (6 page)

Alice began to cry. Izzy dropped her armful of clothes and held her tightly. She brushed Alice’s red curly hair back off her face and smiled. Alice was almost fifteen years older than her but they’d become close friends.

‘I’m dreading telling the kids,’ said Izzy, grimacing.

‘Well, here’s your chance.’ Alice’s blue eyes glistened with fresh tears as she heard a motorbike pull up outside. A few seconds later Emma and Chris came running inside, their cheeks flushed from the ride on the bike.

Emma, the oldest, and the spitting image of her mum with flaming hair and a splattering of cute freckles across her cheeks and nose, got to Izzy first. ‘Izzy, you can’t go,’ she wailed with all the drama a thirteen-year-old could muster. She threw herself into Izzy’s arms and whispered into her ear, ‘Who will I have to talk to?’

Many times Emma had snuck down to Izzy’s cottage for some deep and meaningful conversations on boys and other things she couldn’t bring herself to talk to Alice about. ‘I’ll be fourteen next month and you said you had a surprise planned. Can’t you stay till then?’

‘I know, and I’m really sorry. My dad needs me for harvest so I have to go now. You can still call me any time or email me. It’s not like I’m falling off the face of the earth.’

The realisation that she could still talk to Izzy seemed to satisfy Emma. But now it was Chris’s turn. The gangly eleven-year-old, grazed from coming off the bike two days earlier, wrapped his bony arms around Izzy. She scruffed up his hair, as his blue eyes pleaded. ‘Who’s gonna play pool with me and take me yabbying and fix my bike after I stack it?’

It was so hard leaving them but Izzy had set her mind on leaving. She hadn’t really wanted to, but she could see she had no choice. There was no way Rob would forget about her if she was still on the farm and in his face every day. And Izzy had always known that at some point she would return to Gumlea. Her dream of running it wasn’t going to happen while she was on the other side of the country. Perhaps this was a sign that it was time, anyway. It was a slap in the face, but it had helped her remember her dream.

Alice had convinced her to stay for dinner that night and had prepared a feast. Rob had been quiet the whole night and Izzy found it very uncomfortable. Luckily they had the distraction of the kids.

The next morning they stood together as a family waving her goodbye. She was sure she was doing the right thing for Alice, Emma and Chris. And for Rob. She didn’t hate him. She couldn’t, after all he’d given her, but she was very angry and hurt. One day she hoped they could meet on better terms. She’d love to come back and see the kids and Alice again.

Izzy now searched her mother’s eyes. Did Jean agree with what she’d done? ‘I racked my brain, Mum, and I’m positive I didn’t do anything to lead him on or give him the wrong impression. I can’t believe I never saw this coming.’

Jean put her hand on her daughter’s and gave it a squeeze. ‘I know you wouldn’t have done anything to encourage him. These things happen. It certainly wasn’t your fault.’

‘But, Mum, I feel bad for Alice. She doesn’t even know. I still feel as if I’ve betrayed her, even though I haven’t. It’s not fair. I already miss Alice and the kids so much.’ Izzy shook her head. ‘I’m hoping that, with me gone, Rob’ll realise what a fool he’s been and remember that he still loves Alice. But the idiot keeps calling me!’

‘He’ll stop when he realises you’re not going back. He wouldn’t leave his farm. One day he’ll see how stupid he was and how close he came to losing it all. You were right to leave, Izzy.’ Jean said the words she knew her daughter needed to hear.

Izzy turned her head to the crowd outside. ‘God, how many heard me out there?’

‘Not many,’ said Jean reassuringly, but her eyes told another story.

‘I might just hide in here for a while,’ Izzy said, as her cheeks began to burn.

Jean stood up. ‘Well, don’t stay for too long. This party was for you, remember.’

‘Yeah, a good impression I’ve made so far,’ she said sarcastically, before they both laughed. Izzy watched her leave. Thank God she had her mum to confide in. Sometimes poor old Tom just wasn’t enough.

Eventually she made her way back outside and used the moment to give Aunt B her present. She found her sitting tightly packed into a plastic chair on the verandah.

‘Hiya, Aunt Betty. I have a little something for you.’ Izzy gave her a hug and produced the gift.

‘Oh, you shouldn’t have, pet.’ Aunt Betty’s thick fingers opened the present gently. ‘My, it’s gorgeous. Thank you. I know just where to put it.’ She wrapped Izzy up against her bright flowery dress and hugged her again. They chatted for a while and Aunt Betty invited her over for afternoon tea on the weekend. ‘I’ve invited Jess over as well. She’s such a lovely girl. You two used to come over all the time for my chocolate slice and sponges. Have you caught up with her since you’ve been home?’

Izzy smiled as she thought about Jess. She was probably not in the good books with her as they’d lost contact quite soon after Izzy had moved away. But she’d love the chance to catch up with her old friend. She was the daughter of the Painters who lived about twenty kilometres away on their farm, Glencoe. ‘No, I haven’t yet, so that sounds like a plan. You’re a gem. I should have thought to invite her today, but I’m still just getting into the swing of things.’

‘Ah, you’ll have your roots replanted soon enough.’ Aunt Betty waved her away with a wink.

Izzy got herself another drink, then went and said hello to Uncle Jim, Betty’s husband. There was no one else close to her age except for Will, as only closest friends and neighbours had been invited. She’d been away for so long she didn’t know who’d be left in the district of her age. You could usually count on the blokes hanging around, as they’d work the farms, but most girls would have moved to a bigger town or shifted to the city. At least it sounded like Jess was still around. Izzy couldn’t wait to catch up with her.

IZZY was up at four-thirty the next day to help her dad get started with harvest. The barbecue had ended early as everyone else was in the same boat with harvest and so they were all in bed by ten o’clock that night.

Today she was going to get the old Honda fire pump going and fill its tank, then help her dad shift the field bins into the paddock. And if she could convince her father to let her, she might get to drive the header.

After a big fry-up breakfast, she headed up to the shed that housed the firefighting gear. It sat on the back of the old yellow Toyota Land Cruiser, the same one Izzy had learnt to drive when she was eight. She did a few checks on the motor, then drove to the standpipe, which was ten minutes down the road, and filled up the tank.

As she drove back into the shed, she saw her dad outside talking to Will. She couldn’t believe it. Her guts churned. Maybe her father had adopted him while she was away. He’d always wanted a son.

‘Hello,’ said Will, as she walked towards them.

A quick nod was all she could muster in acknowledgement, before she turned to her dad.

‘The firefighter’s all filled up and ready to go and I checked the pump too. She’s all good, so I’ll run it up to the top paddock if you like. Have you got the new extinguishers?’

‘Yep. I’ll get you to run me out to the header and I’ll make a start. Will, can you take Izzy back on your bike before you head home?’ asked Bill.

‘Sure, no worries,’ said Will, scratching his chin, which was shadowed with light stubble.

‘No, Dad. I’m fine,’ Izzy said sharply. ‘I was hoping to do a few rounds with you anyway to see how the crop goes, then I can just walk back.’

‘No, I don’t want you hanging around up there with me. Besides, it’s a long walk back and Will’s here.’ Bill leant over to Izzy and lowered his voice. ‘It’s about time you gave him a break and got to know him. You can’t change the past, so move on.’ He turned to Will. ‘Cheers, mate. I appreciate it. Thanks for bringing over the belt for the header. Let me know how much I owe you.’ He nodded to him, then placed a couple of fire extinguishers in the back of the ute. He climbed in and waited for Izzy.

Izzy muttered a few expletives under her breath before climbing in too. They headed off, with Will following behind on his motorbike.

When Izzy got to the paddock, she gave it one last try. ‘Come on, Dad, a couple of laps won’t hurt. Please,’ she begged. Why was it that she always felt as though she was only ten years old around him?

‘Maybe later, sweetheart. Just let me get the teething problems sorted out first.’

Yeah right, she thought, angry that he was trying to fob her off. She watched him check over the header and start his first lap around the paddock before she reluctantly headed towards Will, who was waiting patiently on his bike.

He was astride a new-looking Yamaha, his jeans pulled tight across his thighs. He adjusted his hat as she came towards him. His reflective sunglasses made it impossible for her to tell what he was looking at. Her own eyes quickly took in his blue singlet, which fitted tightly over his chest and left his tanned, well-built arms exposed.

‘I don’t mind walking, if you have better things to do,’ she said, as she stopped next to him.

‘Come on, get on. I won’t bite, I promise.’ He gave her a cheeky smile. A tiny dimple appeared on the right side of his cheek, which they used to tease him about when he was a kid but now looked rather sexy. His jaw was lean and narrowed elegantly towards his chin and his skin was the silkiest brown. He would make a great underwear model, she thought suddenly, before shaking it from her mind, annoyed for letting herself get distracted by his good looks. Best get this over sooner rather than later. With a big sigh, she swung her leg over the bike.

‘Hang on,’ he warned as he kicked the bike into a noisy rumble. Then he reached back, grabbed her hands and drew them around his waist.

Izzy didn’t want to touch him. She quickly withdrew her hands and opted to hang onto the back of the bike instead. ‘Don’t worry,’ she told him. ‘Claire could never toss me off a bike.’ Izzy mentioned Claire deliberately. It worked. Will rode her home in silence.

In front of her house, Will stopped the bike with a small skid and her chest slammed into his back. He shut down the motor as Izzy quickly jumped off, slightly embarrassed that her chest had been embedded into his back. She was about to walk away when Will reached out and grabbed her. His long fingers curled easily around her narrow wrist. He took off his sunnies, as if knowing how the mesmerising blue of his eyes would weaken her.

‘All this hostility isn’t good, Izzy. How long are you gonna hold a grudge for?’

Will searched her eyes. They were set hard, but they didn’t fool him. Behind them was the real Izzy, the girl who would laugh hysterically at a good joke or go out of her way to help anyone in need. He’d forgotten how much time he and Claire used to spend with Izzy. When she came home from boarding school they’d have great times corrupting her. Like the time they dared her to move everyone’s cars around outside the hall during a busy function late one night, so when everyone went to go home there was complete confusion. It had been hell funny to watch and was easy to do as almost half the district still left their keys in their cars. They used to sneak Izzy drinks out the back of parties when she was around fifteen or sixteen and laugh when she got pissed, then frantically try to sober her up so they didn’t get busted. Izzy had definitely changed since then. She’d hardened, that’s for sure. But Will hoped that the carefree, fun-loving side of her was still in there somewhere. He wished she knew the truth about him and Claire. It would be so much easier for them to make amends and move on, but he figured Izzy couldn’t fight him forever. No matter how long it took, he would thaw that block of ice she held between them. Claire would have known how to get through to her sister. God, he missed her. And Claire wouldn’t want him to give up on Izzy either.

As he looked up, he noticed Izzy had been studying him. Her eyes were fixed and wide as if reading his thoughts. The hairs on his neck prickled. He felt like she’d opened his personal diary, but he’d had enough practice in shutting down his emotional thoughts to know how to handle it.

Izzy glanced at his hand, which he still had gripped around her wrist. ‘I’ll hold a grudge for as long as it takes. Don’t think you can win me over with that smile of yours, Will Timmins, because it won’t work on me. Thanks for the ride.’ She pulled away and headed towards the house with her head held high.

Will watched her go, a mixture of puzzlement and sadness on his face. He was about to start the motorbike when he heard a car coming down the driveway. Will eyed off the new Toyota Hilux ute as it pulled up and a tall man got out. He walked over to where Will sat upon the bike.

‘G’day there. You lost?’ Will asked.

‘Nah, mate. I’m looking for Izzy, Izzy Simpson. Is this her place?’

Will’s ears pricked up and his eyes roamed over the guy – his short black hair and two-day-old stubble. He wore a simple T-shirt and jeans with a pair of workboots, and had a wide stance and his arms crossed. Will would bet a fiver that this bloke was a farmer, and he looked to be in his late thirties. What was he doing here chasing Izzy?

Will was about to reply when Izzy beat him to it. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ He felt a gust of air as she stormed past, like a miniature cockeye bob.

‘You won’t answer my calls. What else was I supposed to do, Izzy? I —’

Izzy threw her hands up in the man’s face. ‘Don’t you start, Rob. I’m not interested. You’ve come a bloody long way for nothing. Does Alice know you’re here?’ Her hands were now set firmly on her hips.

Will was listening intently. The other two were so involved in their conversation they’d forgotten he was there. He was uncomfortable on the bike but he didn’t dare move in case he made a noise and reminded them of his presence. He was enjoying this little show. It was nice to see Izzy fuming at someone other than himself for a change. But who was this guy, he wondered.

‘Of course she knows I came to see you,’ said Rob rather sheepishly. ‘Look, you left without your pay, and besides, I want you back – I mean, we all do. The kids miss you, Izzy. Chris is following me everywhere like a lost lamb.’