Chapter 5.

At Killarney.

Alex woke this a pounding head. Last night had been a good night until the drover stuck his foot in. He wanted to tell Stevie so badly that he loved her. He didn't want her to cut and run. The arrival of Heath seemed to have made her a little bit cooler towards him. Alex just couldn't understand why, He was better looking than Heath. He had a better personality, he wasn't a loner. He undoubtedly had more money, what could Stevie possibly like about him! He decided he was going to head over to Drovers, he needed to sort this out.

At Drovers Run

Stevie sat on the veranda with Claire.

"I can't believe Alex kissed you last night!" Claire said.

"I know, it was nice I'll admit, but." She trailed off.

"But?" Claire asked.

"I don't know why, but for some reason it's Heath, I don't know why Claire, but I am falling for him. I don't want to be. I don't need this sort of thing right now." Stevie said, exasperated.

"Well, is it love? Or lust?" Claire asked standing up. "That's what you need to work out."

"Yeah true."

"Come on, time to see how Becky's going with the tractor."

They were walking across to the shed when Alex pulled up.

"Stevie! Can I talk to you please?"

Stevie kept walking, ignoring him.

"Stevie!" Alex implored.

"I think you did enough last night, don't you?" Claire asked pointedly before striding off after Stevie. Alex followed them. Stevie turned and faced him, hands on her hips.

"What?" She demanded.

"I'm sorry that I kissed you like I did, I am not sorry that I kissed you Stevie, I wanted to tell you that I..I…" Alex yammered.

"What? Spit it out Ryan for heaven's sake!" Stevie spat.

"I love you alright!"

Stevie stood in stunned silence, Becky and Claire made themselves scarce.

"You, love me?" Stevie asked, unbelieving.

"Yes, I bloody love Hall, is that so hard to believe?"

"I need to think, I'll talk to you later." Stevie said as she hurried past him, jumping into her Ute the V8 engine roared as she flew out of the driveway in a cloud of dust. In the garden, standing under a tree, Heath witnessed the whole exchange, he sighed with relief, and he didn't want any further complications.

"G'day Alex, sorry about last night." Heath said walking out with his hand extended. Alex didn't say a word, he swung round, his right fist landing hard on Heath's jaw. Heath sailed back onto the ground, landing with a heavy thud. Blood came from his nose, and began to seep from under the back of his head. His eyes were open and unblinking. Alex panicked, jumped in his Ute and raced out of there. Claire happened to walk around the corner as the dust settled.

"Oh no! Becky! Meg! Help! For god's sake somebody help!" She yelled as she ran to his limp body.

Meg & Jodi arrived as Becky pulled up with the Ute. Meg had wrapped a towel around his neck. He groaned. "At least he is still alive."

"Heath? Its Claire, don't worry, were going to get you help."

"No," Heath croaked. "No, I don't want help."

"Heath, you have a possible head injury."

"I'll be fine, it's just a little blood."

"No, we are taking you to Gungellan." Becky said.

"I said no." and with that Heath struggled to his feet, clutching at his head, his vision swam before his eyes. He staggered.

"What happened?" Claire asked.

"I went to say sorry to Alex, he turned and towelled me one, complete king hit."

"Jesus" Tess murmured.

Later that afternoon Stevie arrived back to find Claire coming out of Heaths room.

"Knocking him off McLeod?" She asked with a grin.

"No, fixing him up after your boyfriend knocked him out." She replied.

"What?" Stevie asked.

"Alex laid him out cold and left him in the driveway with blood from his nose and the back of his head." Stevie turned and started to walk back to her Ute when Alex pulled up.

"Here to finish the job are you?" Claire asked.

"What job?" Alex asked.

"Give it up Alex, we know you king hit Heath and left him on the driveway."

"Oh, well, yeah I am here to apologise."

"Well that's a start." Stevie said.

"Yeah well, sorry for putting you all out, please tell him I am sorry when he wakes up."

"You can tell him yourself, he's awake." Claire said leaning against the veranda pole.

"Nah I won't disturb him." Alex said as he walked back to the Ute, "I'll see ya at 6 Stevie."

Claire shook her head as he walked away. "You know what Alex? What you did was a real bastard's act."

Alex paused, "Like you haven't ever put a foot wrong wither McLeod," He growled. "You're no bloody saint either."

"Get off the place." Claire said through gritted teeth.

"My pleasure." He said with a smirk, pleased to see that his barb had hit home.

That evening-Gungellan Hotel.

Alex and Stevie were sitting at a table, just having polished off a steak.

"That was bloody good." Alex said.

"Yeah wasn't bad." Stevie replied. Picking up her drink she eyed Alex over the top.

"What is it now Hall? You still going on about that business this morning? I told you I was sorry."

"You don't have to apologize to me Alex, its Heath that you need to apologise to, he went to apologise and shake your hand, you king hit him. I'd say back where he's from, that's a pretty low down thing to do, the longer you leave it, the more chance you have of making a very real enemy."

"Get away, that weed couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag with a chainsaw."

"Okay, well don't say I didn't warn you."

"Yeah, yeah. Refill?"

"Ta."

At Drovers Run.

Becky poked her head into Heaths room, "Hey" she called softly.

"Horses eat that." Came the quiet reply.

"So do sheep and cattle." She replied.

"Yeah that's true. Hey look, I want to say sorry, for the way I behaved this morning."

"That's alright, it wasn't your fault."

"Yeah well, it wasn't on, tomorrow I'll be apologising to every one of you before.." He stopped.

"Before what?" Becky asked.

"Nothing."

"No, before what?" She pushed.

"I'll explain tomorrow." Heath replied roughly, rolling over. "Good night Becky."

"Night." She replied as she walked from the room.

It was early that morning when Becky woke with a start, she heard a screen door creak quietly in the dark, this was nothing new as she was used to Heath coming and going, but tonight it was different, there was no tell-tale glow of a match or cigarette. She looked out the window and saw a shadowy figure walking towards the yards, something balanced on their shoulder, she slipped out of her room, moving quickly across the yard she murmured.

"Cutting and running are you?"

"Yup." Heath replied quietly.

"Can I ask why?"

"Because I am a drifter, it's what I do."

"That's crap."

"It's my existence."

"Don't you ever want more?"

"I have enough."

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"I am not worth loving."

"How do you figure that?"

"I am a drifter, I have no feelings, no friends, no heart, and no substance."

"Doesn't have to be that way."

"Yeah, you may be right there Becky, you may be right, can't change it now, come too far."

"That's crap and you know it." Heath turned and looked at her, his eyes shining in the moonlight.

"Oh yeah? Like you know, you're nearly half my age Becky, yes you may have had it rough, but look at what you have now, Brick, Claire and Tess, a stable, supportive environment, a great place to work. I hope you never know what it's like to be a drifter because I tell you something, a little piece of me dies every single day, soon you get to the point you cease to care. Now, If you will excuse me, it's time to go, "He mounted his horse, he touched the brim of his hat, "So long Becky, good luck to you and Brick, look after each other, and you'll always have that."

He touched his heels to the flanks of his horse. "Yah!" and galloped off. Lights came on in the house as he wheeled around, he unfurled his whip, cracking it over his head as faces appeared in windows. Stevie raced up from the quarters.

"Thanks everyone, thank you, so long and good night! Yah!" he yelled cracking the whip again, seeing Alex appeared, he wheeled his horse around and galloped at AlexHeaths room, "Hey." She called softly, he kept far enough away that when he cracked his whip, Alex's shorts tore away. He pulled up, wheeled around again, Claire cheered, his horsemanship was brilliant. Alex hid his shame with his hands as Heath galloped past, cracking his whip back over his shoulder, sending Alex leaping into the air.

"Jesus!" Alex said, "I'm sorry alright? I'm sorry!" Heath swung the horse around again and as he reared up on his back legs, Heath flicked the whip out and performed the Sydney Flash. Claire ran out. "Heath! Please stay! I need your help!" Heath calmed his horse then roared with laughter.

"Yeah alright ay." He said with a grin.