Drovers Run-That afternoon.
No one had said a word to Claire when she had returned to Drovers, she seemed to be in a pretty filthy mood and the fact that there was no sign of Heath they thought that he must've been held over for another day. Stevie eventually broached the subject as she and Claire rode out to the wildlife corridor.
"Heath still been kept in?"
"Heath can go and die for all I care." Claire said, venom abundantly clear in her voice.
"What's he done?" Stevie asked.
"His usual, vanished into thin air." Claire said, a tear rolling down her face as she stopped and looked at Stevie, the rawness of it all was so close to the surface. Stevie reached out her hand.
"It'll be right,." She said soothingly.
"How can it?" She cried as she slid out of the saddle. "He's just playing games with me."
"I'm gonna kill him." Stevie said gritting her teeth as she dismounted and hugged Claire as all her pent up emotion flowed.
At Gungellan:
"All good?" Nick asked as he fuelled the ute.
"Yeah mate. All good." Heath replied. His hand in his pocket.
"So what's in your pocket then?" Nick pressed. Wordlessly, Heath produced the small bag, inside was a box covered with crushed blue velvet, Heath remained silent as he handed it to Nick. He whistled as he opened it and saw the contents, closing it, he passed in back to Heath with a grin. Heath returned the grin. They both climbed into the ute and left the driveway.
A short while later.
Nick grabbed Heaths bag out of the ute and walked towards the house. Claire came out of the shed.
"Hey Nick." She called.
"Hey." He replied.
"Heaths taken off again." She said simply.
Hey?" He asked, surprised.
"Yep. Rat bastard." Stevie said as she joined them.
"Ahh." Nick started to say, but stopped.
"Claire McLeod, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" a raspy voice called out. They all turned, there was Heath, on bended knee, offering the ring box.
"I take it all back." Stevie said. A huge smile spreading across her face. Nick grinned as well, all eyes were on Claire as she stood, hands on hips staring at Heath, he was shaved, hair neat and tidy, a brand new shirt and jeans with a well knotted tie at his neck.
"You bastard," she spat, "do you have any idea what I've been through today?"
"No, but Id rather hoped this might explain it." Heath replied.
"Of course Ill marry you." She gushed, a huge smile and tears of joy spilling down her cheeks as Heath placed the ring on her finger and stood, tasking her in his arms and they kissed.
'I'm ringing Alex." Stevie said as she ran inside, yelling to the others. "Claire and Heath are getting married!" This bought Meg, Jodi and Kate scurrying from the house to offer their congratulations.
At Killarney
'Hey that's great Cowgirl, I'll be over soon." Alex said before disconnecting, looking at Harry he said, "Claire and Heath are getting married."
"What?" Harry said, lost in a stupor of figures and reports for the farmer's council.
"Claire and Heath are getting married." He repeated.
"So? That's not going to keep us going is it? It's about time you married, someone worthwhile." He added gratingly.
The barb wasn't lost on Alex. "Well old man, I'm going to offer my congratulations, even if you aren't." He said bluntly as he left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Harry returned his attention to the reports.
A short while later-at drovers
Alex arrived, a case of beer under his arm. He was going to have to get used to the idea of Heath, hell, if he was going to be a neighbour, then he was going to have to give the bloke a fair run.
Tess appeared. "Hi Alex."
"Hey Tess. How's the happy couple?" he asked genuinely.
"Over the moon." Tess said, her smile shining in the moonlight.
"Good." He replied, they heade3d for the house. Everyone was in the kitchen.
"Congratulation's McLeod." He offered, setting the beer down.
"Thanks Alex." She replied, a huge grin on her face.
Looking around, "where's Heath?" Alex questioned.
"He's on the veranda." Claire replied. Alex grabbed a couple of stubbies and headed out. Finding Heath squatting on his heels, an enamel pannikin in his hands, full of steaming tea. A cigarette glowed in his fingers.
"Congrats." Alex broke the stony silence.
"Thanks." Heath replied, his tone good natured.
"Beer?"
"I'd love one, cant though, still on pills." Came the gravelly reply.
"Bugger"
"Yeah that's a better term than I can think of offhand." Heath replied, looking at Alex with a grin spreading across his face. Alex couldn't help but return the grin. They shook hands, the animosity vanished. They sat.
"So what's your story?" Alex asked.
"With regard to?" Heath replied.
"Your kid."
"Never knew about him until recently." Heath replied, "It was as much a shock to me as it was to Claire."
"Shit. How can you not know though?"
"Easy enough if you are on the wallaby. But that's all over now." Heath replied
They both sat and drank in the silence.
"Markets should be coming up, EYCI is on the rise, should be pushing up around 260 a kilo in the next week." Heath said.
"Get away, not in my lifetime." Alex said, chuckling.
"Mark my words mate, the plums ripe for the picking, three farms should do a circuit sale."
"A circuit sale?" Alex asked, unsure.
"Yeah, yard cattle to be sold on Killarney, Drovers and Wilgul. Then auction them in that order. Bring em in in their droves."
"Jesus, we would need to find an agent."
"Then bloody ring one."
"Aint that easy."
"It is if you go hard enough."
By this time, the others had joined them.
"Im in." Claire piped up.
"Me too." Nick echoed.
"Harry will never go for it." Alex said.
"He will if you make a good enough business case." Heath said.
"If you can convince him." Alex said.
"Alright."
"What?" Alex asked, nearly chocking on his beer.
"Alright, you set up a meeting, and I'll do the rest." Heath said.
"More tea Heath?" Meg asked.
"Thanks Meg." Heath said, passing her the cup.
Killarney, the following morning.
"So what does Heath want to meet with me about?" Harry asked. His voice apprehensive.
"I don't know old man, just hear him out." Alex said.
Heath and Claire, accompanied by Nick and Tess as they walked up the path.
"Morning Harry." They all said in unison.
"Morning. What's all this about?" Harry asked, noting the file in Heaths hand.
"Got some business I want to discuss with you Harry." Heath said.
"Oh yes? "He replied.
"Yeah, We are fixing to hold a circuit sale, we thought it would be a good idea to have Killarney on board."
"No, not interested." Harry replied.
Heath merely shrugged his shoulders. "Your call, I'm not gonna waste my breath." He said and turned on his heel and strode away.
The others followed.
"Gave up a bit easy didn't you?" Nick asked.
"We'll do it without him." Heath replied.
"Famous last words." Claire remarked. "He holds a lot of clout, you won't get an agent."
"We don't need one."
"How's that?" Claire asked.
Nick grinned, "you're qualified aren't you?'
"Yup."
They all laughed.