Grace

A Tullagulla Prequel

Heather Reyburn

Copyright © 2020 by Heather Reyburn

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Serenade Publishing

www.serenadepublishing.com

Grace

Grace

A door slammed and laughter rang out – a mixture of the high pitched excited giggle of a young child and the deep chuckles of an older man. Grace stepped out of the car and watched as her father swung her son high into the air. She smiled, their shared, demonstrated joy warming her work weary soul. The little boy registered her arrival and ran to greet her, while at the mere sight of them, her heart swelled with an almost overwhelming burst of love.

“Mum, we’ve got Jarrah ready so we can go and get the cows in now.” The high pitched voice screeched at her with excitement.

“Apparently the quad bike’s having a rest today and you’re going to bring the cows in for me.” Her dad winked and smiled at his daughter. The adoration in his eyes had never wavered – his love of the two women in his life shone through for all to see and Grace was quite sure it had nothing to do with the fact that she and her mother were like peas in a pod. Her strawberry blond hair was lighter, her eyes perhaps a shade greener than Margot’s, and they wore the same sized clothes, but none of those things mattered. He was her dad and she just knew he would have loved her regardless of what she looked like.

“Just give me a minute to put the shopping away and change my clothes.” Grace looked down at her high heeled shoes and neat, slim fitting skirt. Her day had been busy, actually the whole week had been busy and she was glad she didn’t work full time. Even finding time to eat lunch or go to the bathroom was a challenge. With drought affecting most of Queensland and New South Wales, her diary was choc-a-block with appointments. It seemed every second farmer in the district wanted to discuss their worries over what they could and could not borrow from the bank, cash flows and whether they should be buying, selling or agisting cattle from the drier inland. Today she had finished early thanks to a client requesting a postponement until tomorrow. Nipping into the supermarket on the way home, she had stocked up on groceries while she’d had the chance.

Struggling to unpack the car now with both child and dog underfoot, Grace almost tripped over Min, her kelpie dog and sighed – partly with exasperation, but mostly with contentment.

“Here Daniel, how about you carry this bag inside for me?” she handed a shopping bag to him, distracting him from playing with the dog in the exact spot she was hauling the shopping bags from the rear of the vehicle. Grace loved coming home to her little family and knew how lucky she was to have parents just across the paddock to care for Daniel while she worked, not to mention all the other million ways they supported her. It still astounded her how many of her friends thought she was lucky that Pete worked in the mining industry.

“Great money,” said one.

“You must be stashing the cash by now, hey Grace?” said another.

“Nice for you to be able to watch whatever you want on television,” said yet another.

In reality though, only she knew how hard it was. Having your husband away for weeks at a time before returning home for one or two weeks, exhausted, grumpy and bringing with him a bag full of filthy clothes to wash, was not exactly the blissful, lucrative lifestyle people thought it was. In reality it was lonely, stressful and disruptive. For the weeks Pete was away, she and Daniel had a routine that worked well and she deliberately kept herself too busy to think about it. On the days she went to work, Daniel couldn’t get to his grandparents’ house quickly enough, eagerly waving goodbye to Grace before she had barely swallowed her breakfast, and for the rest of the week, they both delighted in pottering about the little cottage and garden, helping her dad on the farm and doing the evening milking.

Daniel’s chatter never let up as he rocked gently in the saddle in front of her. At the ripe old age of six months, he had reached up to her when she rode her horse, screaming angrily until one of her parents passed him up and settled him in the saddle. His cries immediately switched to beams of delight and his pleasure in riding had never changed. She promised to find him a pony of his own when he turned four. She didn’t really know why she said four, but now she had, she convinced herself that was a good age for a country child who wanted to ride, to have his own pony. She had almost a year to think about it.

Dismounting carefully so as not to dislodge Daniel out of the saddle too, she noticed the cows already making their way towards her and laughed as she called out to them.

“We can set our watches on you girls, can’t we.”

She opened the gate wide and hooked it back before remounting and swinging Jarrah away to the side of the paddock and up the hill to check the water level in the trough. Pausing as they reached the top, she looked down at the peaceful, rural scene in front of her. The valley was beautiful and green, and at the foot of the farm, the Clarence river meandered its way towards the sea in the same direction as the stream of black and white cows now mooched as they made their way towards the cowshed. Her parents beautiful old home was surrounded by garden, green lawns and a mixture of Jacaranda and Silky Oak trees. The washing flapped on the back yard clothes line near the Poinciana tree, it’s colourful red flowers providing a perfect backdrop for the snow white sheets. Across the paddock from the homestead was their cottage, hers and Pete’s, and behind it, the machinery and vehicle shed. She caught a glimpse of the taller buildings of Grafton in the distance, and snippets of the ocean beyond.

Grace breathed deeply, closing her eyes as she absorbed the sounds and scents around her. In the late summer the gum tree blossoms were fading, the hum of bees still strong as they buzzed around the clover flowers and pockets of dreaded lantana scrub that persisted, in spite of her dad’s eradication program. The birds chirped and called to each other as the mournful call of the Storm bird sounded from somewhere in the bush. In response to the call, Grace looked up at the sky, engrossed by the height of the thunderhead clouds in the distance. Are we in for a drenching later? Her daydream faded as Daniel slapped her leg and brought her back to the present.

“Mum, come on, the cows have all gone now.” Grace picked up the reins and gently kicked Jarrah into a brisk walk.

“Sorry mate, I was just listening to the birds and the bees.”

Daniel turned, studying his mother quizzically, his forehead corrugated with concern. She laughed and tickled his ribs, creating a squirming bundle as he dissolved into fits of giggling, while Jarrah ignored her riders and carried her cargo down to the cowshed.

“C’mon girls, mind your manners.” Grace growled at two of the dominant cows shoving each other’s shoulders as they vied for first position in the shed – and the grain. She slapped their rumps, urging them to shuffle into position, their tails and bursting udders facing her as she stood below in the pit. Pulling the lever, Grace released the grain into the feeder trough in front of their faces. With the warm spray hose in one hand and the soft cloth in the other, she moved steadily along the row of black and white Holstein Friesian cows, washing each udder as she went, before shutting the valve and releasing the cups from their hook. Flipping the set of milking cups upside-down in her left hand, she expertly flicked the suction on as she attached the cups one by one to the cows teats. Checking the pulsators, Grace smiled with satisfaction as the pure white milk pumped beneath the see-through bulb on its way along the stainless steel pipes and into the vat in the side room. By the time she finished the first row, the next twelve cows had settled themselves into position on the opposite side of the pit and she repeated the process. There was something soothing about working with dairy cows. They were such creatures of habit and Grace found the rhythm of the milking plant and their deep soulful brown eyes somehow connected her to the land and the serenity of their valley.

Daniel’s high pitched chatter infiltrated the shed in spite of the din of milking machines, radio and throbbing refrigeration unit. He was helping her mother feed the calves, and she smiled, bursting with love for her little boy. As the last cow wandered out of the shed, Martin stepped down into the pit, tying his waterproof apron around his waist. Cleaning the equipment and hosing down after milking was his preferred activity. Leaving him to it, Grace remounted Jarrah and rode back up the track to close the gate behind the cows as her mother took Daniel by the hand and led him back to the house.

A wave of warm contentment flowed through Grace and her heart gave a little skip as she made her way back down the hill. With the exception of her University years and two overseas holidays, this farm had been her home all her life. They had been heaps of fun and she had loved every minute, but, coming home had given her more joy than she could have imagined and her appreciation of both Australia and her home had magnified.

Grace shook her client’s hand and closed the office door. She tidied the papers on her desk and reached to pick up her phone. Flicking it back off silent, she raised her eyebrows. An unread text from Pete. He never sent texts during the day. If she received a message at all from him, it was just as she was going to bed. She glanced at her watch – almost twelve noon – and opened the message.

“Change of plans. Coming home today. Meet me at the airport at 2pm.”

“Anything wrong?” she messaged back.

“Just meet me.”

No kisses or little emoji. Grace swallowed as the pit of her stomach clenched and the bile rose in her throat.

What could it be?

Maybe he’s sick.

Or maybe he’s been fired.

About the Author

Born and raised in New Zealand, the highlight of Heather's childhood was the family sheep and cattle farm just north of Auckland. With reading and writing a big part of family life, she dreamed of becoming a writer, however work, travel and raising a family consumed many years after she settled in Queensland with her Australian husband. Her love and knowledge of farming life was strengthened with thirty plus years of living on the land in Queensland's Darling Downs, while at the same time working full time.

Now retired and living near Toowoomba, QLD, with her husband, dogs and chooks, Heather is finally able to fulfil her dream of writing. When not busy writing, Heather is in their large garden, minding her grandchildren, or bush walking and exploring the vast beauty of Australia and New Zealand.

Find out more at: www.heatherreyburn.com

Facebook Facebook

More From Serenade Publishing

Heather Reyburn

www.heatherreyburn.com

The Cedar Tree

Sarah Williams

www.sarahwilliamsauthor.com

Brigadier Station Series:

The Brothers of Brigadier Station

The Sky over Brigadier Station

The Legacies of Brigadier Station

The Outback Governess (A Sweet Outback Novella)

Christmas at Brigadier Station (An Outback Christmas Novella)

Heart of the Hinterland Series by Sarah Williams:

The Dairy Farmer’s Daughter

Michelle Dalton

www.michelledaltonauthor.com

Epona

Lost & Found Series:

Simple Truths

Forget Me Not

The Brothers of Brigadier Station

(#1 in the Brigadier Station series)

She came to the outback to marry the love of her life. She just didn't expect him to be her fiancé's younger brother.

When Meghan Flanagan, a vet-nurse from Townsville, moves to Brigadier Station in outback Queensland to marry the man of her dreams, she is shocked to discover that perhaps her fiancé isn’t the man she wants waiting for her at the altar. The man she's destined to marry, just might be his younger brother.

Cautious of women after a disastrous past relationship, Darcy is happy living on his beloved cattle station, spending his spare time riding horses, going to rodeos and campdrafting. He didn't expect the perfect woman show up on his doorstep. Engaged to his brother.

With the wedding only hours away, Meghan must make the decision of a lifetime. But, her betrayal could tear the family apart. She knows all too well the pain of losing loved ones and being alone.

Now that she has the family she so desperately wants; will she risk losing it all?

Buy The Brothers of Brigadier Station

The Sky over Brigadier Station

(#2 in the Brigadier Station series)

He guards his heart. She yields to no man. Will a chance encounter set a course for true love?

Noah McGuire buries his demons deep inside. But when he’s forced to return home to Brigadier Station to collect his inheritance, he can no longer avoid digging up his painful past. With the wounds of childhood trauma reopened, his world plunges into darkness until a beautiful pilot sets his heart afire.

Riley Sinclair isn’t afraid to fly against the wind. While the spunky helicopter pilot’s cattle herding business ruffles the feathers of most men, the handsome Noah seems different. But as demand for her skills grows, she worries that giving into passion could keep her dreams grounded.

As their chemistry soars, an unexpected tragedy throws their lives and their budding romance into a tailspin.

Can Noah and Riley leave their baggage behind to let love fly free?

The Sky over Brigadier Station is the second standalone book in the captivating Brigadier Station Western romance series. If you like flawed characters, simmering scenes, and stunning Australian and New Zealand settings, then you’ll love Sarah Williams’ rugged tale.

Buy The Sky over Brigadier Station 

The Legacies of Brigadier Station

(#3 in the Brigadier Station series)

Can Lachie be the father Hannah needs? And the man Abbie deserves? 

Lachie McGuire is trying to make a fresh start. He’s sobered up and is making amends for all the people he has hurt and the pain he has caused. But some of his past actions have consequences. Even if he doesn’t remember them.

Needing her independence, single-mum Abbie Forsyth accepted a nursing position in the small outback town of Julia Creek and uprooted her daughter, Hannah from the only life she had ever known. Now, in the dusty, sun burned land they are creating a life together, just the two of them.

When Lachie is injured and needs medical assistance, Abbie is there for him. She’s by his side every step of the way, including letting him stay with them while he recovers from surgery. But Abbie knows how volatile life with an addict can be and she has to think about her daughter’s safety above her own growing affection for the handsome grazier. 

Then tragedy strikes the small rural town and secrets begin to unravel…

Return to the Outback for the third instalment in the bestselling Brigadier Station series.

Buy The Legacies of Brigadier Station

The Dairy Farmer’s Daughter

(#1 in the Heart of the Hinterland series)

Will Justin choose riches over his heritage or will he find a love more valuable than all the money in the world?

Justin would have preferred to stay in the city and pretend it was an ordinary day. A day that didn’t include a funeral for a father he’d barely known...

Justin Wheeler is not a country boy. He could have been, if his mother had stayed married to his father and not moved back to the city when he was only a toddler. But now that his estranged father is dead and he has inherited the dairy farm, Justin finds himself considering if the life he is living is actually the life he wants.

Family means everything to Freya Montgomery. She loves living on the land and helping to grow the family business. She knows how important agriculture is to their small hinterland community, so when Justin arrives in town and is offered a generous price from a housing developer to buy his property, Freya must convince him not to accept the deal and instead lease the land to her family.

The Dairy Farmer’s Daughter is the first novella in an exciting new sexy, small-town series called “Heart of the Hinterland” by Bestselling author, Sarah Williams.

Buy The Dairy Farmer’s Daughter