Chapter 23 Fools for love
It was the next morning; only Kate and Jodi were the ones awake at Drovers. They had just checked the cow and saw Stevie and Alex still fast asleep. Jodi figured it was best to let them have some more sleep, so she could give herself some more relaxing minutes too. 'And?' Jodi asked when they were at the front of Drovers just hanging around. 'And ... what?' Kate said, hardly sounding interested. 'Well, you and Dave last night, what happened?' Though Jodi wasn't that fond on love stories at the moment, she couldn't suppress her curiosity. And the fact that Kate hadn't said a word about Dave so far she figured there was not much to tell.
Kate kicked her feet, leaving some pebbles flying away. She just looked down. 'Well it was ok.' 'Ok?', Jodi said right away. What on earth was that for answer? 'Come on, tell me, what exactly happened'. 'We just chatted', Kate said a bit disappointed, 'not that it wasn't nice, cause it was'. She tried to hide the fact that she had wished for more. 'Oeh, so Dave's not really into a hurry!' Jodi stated.
While saying that Dave's Ute drove onto the property and the girls turned around. 'Speaking about the devil, there's our prince charming, or should I say slow starter?' Jodi could see Kate's face light up a bit. Dave got out of his car, of course bringing along his good mood. 'Oy, ladies, you're looking fabulous today. And how is our problem?' He grinned saying it. 'The cow is fine', Kate replied. 'Oh the cow, I was more aiming at our cow spotters'. 'They're fast asleep'. Jodi said it like it was nothing special.
Though for Dave it was and he couldn't resist going to them.
'Oh I see, that's the cow, and here we have our sleepy heads.' Dave looked down on his friends. They were lying pretty close to one other and it made Dave smile. Kate and Dave had accompanied him. 'They're pretty cute, even Alex is', Jodi noticed and she thought it was a funny thing. 'Should we wake them?' Kate asked. But before any of them could answer they already saw Stevie turning a bit, moaning softly, not much later she opened her eyes and they grew when she saw her friends staring at her. She rubbed her eyes. 'Hey!' 'Good morning Stevie!' She saw the three of them smile sheepishly and for a moment she wondered if she was naked or something that was close to it. But that couldn't she figured thinking of last night, blocking away that smile that wanted to show up on her face. Than she looked aside and saw Alex.
'So that's one', Jodi stated. 'What to do with the other?' Stevie sat up and still rubbed her eyes. She had slept pretty deep. 'Well ...' Dave was thinking when he heard Jodi squeal. 'Oh I have a great idea. Can I throw some water over him, can I!' She sounded as excited as a kid. 'Please, I always wanted to do this with Alex'. 'Oh come on', Kate stared at her. 'Kate, don't be such a fun spoiler. I know you want it too'. The conversation of her friends had entered Stevie's mind very slowly. Dave just watched the two and if Jodi would do it or not, he was amused anyway.
Jodi went near the cow and filled a bucket with water. 'Oh Alex you're going to be so busted.' This was fun. Not much later she stood near Alex. Stevie looked at her. 'You're really going to do this, are you?' The blonde girl nodded, all excited. It made Stevie, Kate and Dave move back.
'Oh dear Alex, have a good morning!', Jodi said when she threw the water over Alex his face. He uttered and sputtered immediately. 'What's this?' All confused he looked up, when water drops were streaming down his face. His friends had the biggest fun ever. Than he saw Jodi with the bucket in her hands. 'Oh you so gonna die'. With one move he was out of his sleeping bag and Jodi had seen the look on his face and knew she better could get as far away from him as possible. She started running when Alex stood up. He ran after her and the ones left behind where laughing out loud. 'This is even the most fun part', Dave said. 'She's not gonna get away with this', Kate noted.
'No Alex', Jodi screamed, still running around the property, but it was not much later when Alex had caught her. He had both of his arms wrapped around her waist and picked her up. Her legs were going everywhere and she kept on screaming. 'That's what you get when you mess with Alex Ryan'. 'Alex put me down!' Alex had to laugh at Jodi's attempts to make him put her down on the ground. 'Nope, you're gonna take a little swim'.
Not much later Jodi sat in the drinking trough of the cows. 'This is not funny, Alex!', she said mad. Alex looked at her with a huge grin. 'It's your own fault Jodi!' She got out of it. 'You're so gonna regret this', she said right in his face before marching away to the shearer quarters.
'What an entertaining morning', Dave laughed, 'Anyone else want to give it a try?' Stevie shook her head. 'I think a try to start working would be good. Anyway I'm gonna go inside'. She packed her stuff and went to the main house. Alex followed her. His shirt was all wet, and he really needed to change and get some breakfast.
'Dave?' Kate asked when Dave was examining the cow. 'Yes', he didn't look at her, cause he was too concentrated on the animal in front of him. 'I had a nice evening yesterday'. He looked up. Kate didn't really knew what to say, some how she wanted to know if he was interested in her or not. 'Me too', Dave said. He got up. 'It was fun'. Kate smiled a bit shyly at him, moving to him, when he closed the fencing. Still thinking of what to say next. 'You know you only have a few days left for the bet.' 'Yes I know', somewhere he wasn't that sure he would win it. He walked to his Ute, followed by Kate. 'You think you gonna loose, hey'. He turned around and it almost made Kate bump into him. It made them stand really close to each other, but both didn't wanted to take a step back. Dave showed a soft smile. 'We'll see, but there will be a dance in the end'. 'Yeah', Kate mumbled gazing into his eyes. 'Ok, I'm off. I will hear it when there's news'. Kate shook up, like she just had left a dream. 'Oh yah, I will call when there's something with the cow'. Dave who had turned to his Ute, looked back at Kate grinning. 'I kinda meant our cow spotters'. 'Oh yeah of course, that too'.
Not much later it was Stevie and Alex who said their goodbyes. Knowing Kate and Jodi where checking the fences at the Western paddock they didn't felt the need to hide things. 'Tell Jodi that she still has to be attentive'. Stevie shook her head amused. 'You two are like kids'. 'Well, I think it's good to stay close to your inner child', Alex smirked and took Stevie's hand. 'So I gonna see you soon?' Stevie just kept looking in his pleading eyes, nodding, when she remembered something. 'Oh yeah that's right I kinda wanna ask you something'. 'And that is?' 'I'm moving into Tess'old room and I need someone to help me, well, Meg is helping me, but she still has a lot do for her departure to Scotland ...' Alex wondered if she ever stopped her babbling and just asked him, so he had that well-known amused look on her face. '... so I kinda hoped you ...' '... I could ask Jodi to help you out?' He grinned and Stevie gave him an annoyed look. 'Alex, stop being such a ...' 'A what?' He just couldn't stop, this was too much fun, but Stevie had the right answer to it. 'Just leave it, I will do it myself ...' and she had the intention to walk away. As fast as she could Alex pulled her back. 'No no, I'm gonna help you'. Stevie showed a content look. 'I don't hope I get you into any mess with Harry'. 'No not at all. He probably doesn't even notice. Rob is a hard worker, less talkative though'. The last remark sounded like something he just concluded.
'Ok, that's a deal. See you Friday'. 'Wow wait a sec. That's it? You keep asking me to do stuff for you and just want to leave like that?' When Stevie turned around and looked at him, he knew she was playing a trick on him. 'Oh very funny Hall.' She smiled flirtatious and it made him put his arms around her and pull her close. 'I just love to see you beg'. Alex shook his head. 'I didn't knew you were such a demanding girlfriend.' 'Girlfriend hey'. 'Something like that', he concluded. They kept staring at each other with big grins on their faces when they finally kissed. 'That's more like it', Alex said when they broke off the kiss. 'See you Friday', he said and placed a kiss on her forehead.