Campfire Confessions
It had been Alex's suggestion that they swap partners in the search for Hannibal, the wild bore. Becky suspected that Alex just wanted to be alone with Claire, or at least as alone as he could be with his Brother Nick there.
She wasn't bothered being alone with Brick. Although she wasn't so sure he was comfortable being alone with her. He seemed nice enough. He was one of the few men who didn't try and get her into bed five seconds after meeting her.
"We shouldn't have split up. We might end up taking pot shots at each other in the end." Yep, he was nervous being alone in the ute with her.
"Look Brick, we're miles away." That had been the whole point, so that they wouldn't end up shooting each other by accident. She noticed he was staring at her. "What?"
"Nothing." He scratched his head. His nervousness was sort of adorable. So was that shy smile of his.
They had been driving for some time without any sightings of Hannibal. Finally Becky decided to stop and set up camp. Chances were the pig might come to them if they stopped for the night.
Becky had set up the tent when Claire's voice came over the radio. "Anything your end Beck?"
"Nah, Hannibal's gone to ground, I reckon. Thought we might stay the night and keep an eye out for him." Unfortunately, this seemed to have made Brick even more nervous.
"Yeah, us too. Might'n get any movement till morning though." Other than Alex and Nick tackling each other, which was entirely possible by the way they were squabbling like children.
"You don't let those two give you any grief, Claire." If anyone could handle those two, it was Claire.
"Well, I've got my gun." Claire chuckled. With the way the guys had been shooting tonight, she had the best chance of actually hitting something.
Brick rolled out his sleeping bag in front of the tent Becky had set up. "Still reckon we should've gone back."
"Well you can go if you want." It wouldn't be the first time she had been left on her own. Probably wouldn't be the last either. She was fairly certain Brick would come back for her in the morning if he left.
"Nah, it's ok. It's just it's gonna get cold later on. I don't want you getting the flu or anything. Claire needs you." It was the first time a guy had ever thought about her. She couldn't help but find it sweet.
"Well, it's cold now and I'm starving." She handed him a can of beans.
"Well, I guess I ah better get things started." At least it seemed to distract him from his nerves, if only for a few minutes.
"That'd be good. Thanks." She handed him the can opener. What was it about her that made him so nervous around her. He wasn't exactly a man of many words, so she doubted he would tell her what the problem was.
They ate in silence with only the sound of the crickets and cutlery scrapping against plates. Becky reached into the chilly bin and took out a beer. She doubted Hannibal was anywhere near them, so what was the harm? "What're you doing?" Brick had his back to her, but had heard her rummerging around in her tent.
"Having a beer. You want one?" Finally he was communicating with her. Obviously the campfire wasn't generating enough heat for him, as she could see he was shivering.
"Don't you know you shouldn't drink while you're hunting? It's really dangerous." Clearly he had forgotten that neither of them had fired a shot tonight. Largely due to them not spotting any wild pigs.
"Don't you know you get heart attacks from being so stitched up?" Ok this was no longer adorable and was beginning to be annoying.
"Just trying to look after you. That's all." Great, now he was sulking. One minute he was acting like her Father and the next he was acting like a child.
"I don't need looking after, but thanks." God knows she had been looking after herself long enough. "Do you want one or not?" Great, now she was getting the cold shoulder. It bothered her more than she wanted to admit. "I promise the beer police aren't gonna come. And if they do, I'll throw myself in front of them and you can run." That at least got a smile out of him and got him to accept a beer. Even though he wasn't drinking it. "You ok, Brick?"
"Yeah, it's just cold, that's all." That wasn't surprising. She at least had the shelter of the tent as well as her coat and sleeping bag. He wasn't sheltered.
"Well, do you wanna come in here? It's warmer." It would be warmer for both of them. Then maybe he would relax around her.
"Nah, don't think so. I'll stay here and keep watch. Just in case." This was ridiculous. He was going to freeze out there.
"I'm not going to jump you or anything, ya know." She could keep her hands to herself. He was cute and all, but she could control herself if that was what he was worried about. "You don't trust me, do you?"
The look on his face was priceless. It was as though he couldn't bare the thought that he may have offended her. "No, it's ... No, I don't trust myself."
Well, that was a first. No guy had ever said that to her before. Not one who had meant it anyway. "Night Brick."
"Night Becky." She watched him staring up at the stars for a moment before trying to get some sleep.
She managed to catch about an hour's sleep before Brick's teeth chattering woke her. "This is stupid. Why don't you come in here and get warm at least." He was going to end up being the one who got sick.
"No. It wouldn't be right." This was taking being a gentleman too far. He was freezing. She could almost see him turning blue in the light from the campfire.
"Well, come in for a cup of tea at least. The thermos is still hot." That would surely be harmless enough.
"No thanks." She couldn't believe he was going to be stubborn about this. It had to be her. He must have heard about her reputation.
"If you're worried about your reputation spending the night with the town bike, I won't tell." She doubted Alex, Nick or Claire would bring it up in conversation with anyone in town. Although she was a little hurt that this may be what Brick's issue might be.
"Why do you always put yourself down like that?" Wait a minute, why was he angry? She was the one who couldn't walk through town without people whispering about her behind her back. Some people didn't even bother to whisper.
"Because it's true." Even she had to admit that in the past she hadn't done much to prove the gossips wrong.
"It's not." He really believed that. He was actually angry at her for saying it out loud.
"It's what people think" She'd certainly heard it said often enough. Sometimes even to her face or worse comments hurled at her as she walked past.
"What do you think?" He didn't give her a chance to answer. "Beck, you're strong, you're smart. You always know what to say. You should make people treat you better. You should treat yourself better. You almost glow in the dark, you're that beautiful. Anyway. That's what I think." He went back to staring at the sky.
She was stunned. It was the most she had ever heard him say in the entire time she had known him. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Depends on what it is." He refused to look at her, as though he was afraid he had said too much.
"Why do people call you Brick?" Any of the possible reasons she could think of didn't seem to fit.
"What do you reckon?" Maybe he was as good as she was at putting himself down.
"Thick as a brick. I don't know. Doesn't seem to fit." He was quiet and apart from refusing to come into the tent with her, he wasn't stupid.
"I can't swim. Well, not well anyway. Throw me in the water and I sink like a brick." It obviously took a lot for him to admit that.
"What's your real name?" She wondered if his true name would fit him better. He certainly didn't look like a brick.
"Brett." He seemed almost hesitant in telling her. Almost as if he was telling her a great secret.
"Brett." Yeah, that fit him better than Brick. It was a strong, solid name. The tension which had been in the air between them all night slowly evaporated. Here was someone who thought she was beautiful and not just easy.
She finally got him to agree to swapping places with her for a couple of hours so he could get some sleep. He had just dozed off when Claire's voice came over the radio. "Becky you there? Becky?"
"Claire, what's up?" She kept her voice low so that she didn't wake Brett. Had they managed to get Hannibal?
"Doesn't matter cause mine's bigger." She could hear Alex in the background over the radio.
"Depends on what toilet wall you're reading." Clearly Nick was not going to be outdone by his Brother.
She could almost see Claire rolling her eyes at the two men. "We decided to head home. The boys have got a couple of pigs for dressing. Little ones."
"That'd be right." She doubted Claire was anymore impressed by the Brothers trying to out do each other than she was.
"You gonna meet us there?" By the sounds of it, Alex and Nick were starting to try Claire's patience. Something Claire usually saved for livestock at the best of times.
"Listen um Brett's been up all night on watch shivering. I might let him catch an hour or so sleep if that's ok." It had taken long enough to convince him to swap with her. It seemed unfair to wake him when he had only just fallen asleep.
"Brett now is it?" She hadn't realised that she had used his real name until she heard Alex's comment. Brick just didn't seem right anymore.
"No worries." That was Claire. Short and to the point.
Alex shook his head. "So are we to believe he's been up all night guarding the camp? Were we all born yesterday." No one else in the jeep replied, but he could tell they were all thinking the same thing.
Becky was left alone with her thoughts. She had never been in the situation where a guy saw her for who she was and not just a quick lay. It was a little unsettling. She had no idea what to do with what she was feeling. He was a good looking guy and when he really smiled, not just the shy smile he gave her when she caught him looking at her, it could light up the night sky. How long before he too saw her as the town bike. Was she willing to trust him with her heart?
She was no closer to working her emotions out when she woke Brett an hour later. They quickly and quietly packed up the camp and headed back to Drovers. She had offered to drop him back to the Ryan's homestead, but he didn't want her driving back to Drovers alone in the dark.
Nick and Alex were waiting for him when they got back giving him a good natured ribbing about taking his time getting back. Seemed they had decided to have a couple of beers with Claire when they dropped her off. Since Brett had only had the one beer he offered to drive the Ryan's home.
Claire made no comment when Brett said good night to Becky, staring a little too long before driving into the night. Even though it was clear by Claire's expression that she could sense something had changed between Becky and Brick, she merely said goodnight.
Becky's dreams were more pleasant than they had been for quite some time. Brett's sweet smile, gentlemanly behaviour and promises to look out for her. Maybe just this once she had found someone she could trust with her heart.