Chapter 3-Way out East.

Drovers Run

Claire woke when the alarm sounded, groping blindly she eventually found it and shut it off. She swung out of bed, already fully dressed she pulled her hair back into a basic ponytail and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was hitting the road today, Heath had called from Penola. Just to say "G'day" he reckoned. He and Claire had spoken for quite a while, she could hear him fumbling for change and when he dropped a pile of it he had cursed and the line went dead. Claire hung up and was about to go to bed when the phone jangled again, snatching it up Heath had said.

"If you're not up to anything, did you want to come and drive these to the yards with me?"

Claire's heart ponded as she shakily replied "Yes" Heath gave her the details of where he would be found by the time she arrived. It had been an agonising few days. She pictured him in the saddle, his easy laugh, the way he moved. If she could only convince him to come back and stay. It was inevitable that Tess and Nick would end up at Wilgul, Alex and Stevie at Killarney. Jodi would no doubt move on, Becky and Brick were preparing to leave next month. Jodi undoubtedly would move on at some time. So she really needed someone that could stick around. Heath would fit the bill of she could scrub the call of the road out of his soul. Shaking her head she smiled as she picked up her bag and her swag and headed downstairs. Tess was it the kitchen drinking coffee and looked up when she saw Claire.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Going to be away for a couple of days. You'll be right, there's a list of stuff in the study."

"Where are you going?" Stevie asked from the doorway.

"Away."

"Where away?" Tess implored.

"East." Claire replied.

"She going to meet Heath." Stevie said, a broad grin breaking onto her face as Tess mouth dropped open.

"It's not like that, I'm just going to give him a hand."

"Oh yeah, sure." Stevie said as she walked out, "you keep telling yourself that." She said over her shoulder laughing.

Claire rolled her eyes and smiled at Tess, Tess giggled and returned her smile.

"Be safe." She said as she hurried out the door.

"I will." Claire replied.

Claire was driving out the gateway when Alex pulled up.

"Supply run?" He opened.

"Yep." She replied. As Alex got out of his ute. He saw the swag and her bag iun the back seat of the battered Hilux.

"Oh yeah?" he said, looking at her smirking.

"Grow up Alex." Claire admonished, a smile starting to appear.

"Yeah well, I hope Drover Boy is worth it, I reckon your wasting your time."

"Well, I reckon that you need to worry less about me and start looking after yourself and Stevie." Claire said seriously as she let the clutch out and drove away. Alex stood and watched her go.

At the Victorian Border.

Heath lightly cracked his whip and whistled to Blue. "C'mon geddup!" His gravelly voice told the cattle. He was pushing a bit harder now, Claire was coming and he wanted to get them to a point of where they could be spelled before heading to the yards. He already had somewhere lined up, he had arranged that through a stock agent at Casterton, he'd rung someone at Hamilton and it was all sorted. Several agents had got the word and been out to look, the mob had travelled really well, fat and in good condition the offers were coming thick and fast. Still under the market price Heath had politely declined them. He smiled as he ambled along, he thought of Claire, picturing her smile, he could almost hear her laugh. He turned his mind back to the cattle. Cracking his whip again, he urged them further. There wasn't a lot of distance now. Claire was meeting him at Yulecart. The cattle would be trucked in the night before the sale to the yards. All that was left to do was wash up and shave. Oh and buy a decent shirt and jeans if he was to take Claire out for a meal.

Meanwhile in Coleraine

Claire had stopped and was getting diesel. The ute was running ok, Becky had done really well with it. She stretched and bought a coffee after the ute was full to the brim. She looked at the kindly old man behind the counter as he wiped his hands on a rag.

$48.50 for the diesel love." He said, flashing his gappy grin at her.

"What about for the coffee?" Claire asked.

"On the house, just promise me you'll top off here on the way home."

"Ok, deal." Claire said with a smile and they shook hands. "How do I find Yulecart Barry?" She asked, noting his name on the stained overalls.

"Oh that's easy, what are you up to there?"

"Catching up with a friend, he's droving a mob of cattle."

"Oh, you're a mate of the Drover? Well, why didn't you say so before?" Barry said his grin wider. He produced a map and highlighted where Claire had to turn. "Keep the map too love, and drive careful now." Barry said tapping her on the shoulder as he turned and headed back to the workshop. Claire smiled as she drove away. 'Not far now' she thought. As the kilometres clicked over she felt herself getting more and more excited.

At Yulecart

Claire arrived. Climbing from the ute she saw Heath standing at the yards. The cattle were drinking and eat the hay. His saddle sat beside the loading ramp as Johnno grazed nearby. Blue barked a greeting and his tailed began to thud the ground as Heath turned. Claire couldn't help but break out into a smile when she saw him. His face still looked rather rugged with more than a hint of facial hair. She leaned on the rail, determined to play it casual. "How's it going?" She asked.

"Yeah can't complain, markets are still up, words out and about, should be a good turnout. How's about yourself?"

"Yeah good, glad to be away from Drovers for a couple of days."

"That's good." Heath said, his gaze shifting back to the cattle.

Claire looked across at an old caravan parked under the trees.

"Please tell me that's is not where we are sleeping."

"Sure is, double beds yours, bunk up fronts mine."

"You are taller than me," Claire said. "There's no way known I am sleeping in the double. It's yours."

"Claire." Heath said, looking into her eyes. "I am being a gentleman here, so the double is yours, and now I'll be on the ground in my swag!" Heath said, his face dead serious. Claire looked at him shocked. Then the both broke into a grin. Claire shoved him in the arm and he started to fall, she tried to stop him but then ended up falling backward together, ending up on some old, loose hay.

"Are you alright?" Heath asked through his laughter as he looked at her on top of him.

"Yes I'm fine, are you?"

"Hay broke my fall."

A slightly awkward silence lingered between them, the air changed, they could both feel it. Claire leaned in as she felt Heaths hands at her side. Her lips brushed against his, right as Tess' phone went in her pocket. Cursing Claire pulled to phone out and sat up.

"Claire McLeod."

It was Tess.

"Hi Claire, just wanted to make sure you got there ok."

Claire watched as Heath walked away and got a smoke out of his saddlebag.

"Yes I got here ok, for the record, I was about to kiss him." Claire hissed.

"Opps! Sorry! I'll call tomorrow! Bye!" Tess said before hanging up. She looked at Jodi and Stevie, "I think I interrupted their first kiss." She said, before they all erupted into laughter.

Meanwhile back at the yards Claire had resumed standing beside Heath at the rail. The moment was gone, she hoped that it would be around again and soon.

Days Later at the Saleyards in Hamilton.

It was after the sales that Claire finally got to talk to Heath. The sales had gone extremely well and he had topped the market. Claire looked out the windscreen as she drove back to Yulecart to feed Johnno.

"So where to from here?" She asked.

"Don't really know," Heath replied. "Was thinking about buying another mob but I reckon that'll do me for a while."

"You could come back to Drovers." She offered, secretly hoping that he'd say yes.

"Thanks, I'll ah, think about it." Heath said.

"No worries." Claire said, trying not to sound miffed, but it was clear she was.

"Have I done something wrong?" Heath asked, looking at her.

"No." Claire replied. Heath let the subject drop from there. Back at the yards, Heath fed Johnno and Claire sat on the tailgate as he borrowed her phone to make a quick call. She didn't hear any of it, so she was as curious as anything when he walked back. "Great, so I'll see someone within the hour? Fantastic, yep that's the right address. Great, cheers again. Bye."

"Who was that?" Claire asked.

"A bloke called Carmody." Heath replied handing her the phone.

"Who's that?"

"He does horse transport."

"So that means?" Claire asked, daring not to get her hopes up.

"I'm getting Johnno trucked to somewhere."

"You know what I mean." She said looking at him.

"Do I?" Heath asked, his tone teasing, the tip of his tongue just poking out between his lips. His blue eyes sparkled as the hint of a smile began to crease his face as he murmured. "I'm coming to Drovers. If you'll have me."

Claire leapt up, wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him, passionately, they both felt the fire begin to spread within them. They broke the kiss, looking at each other with amazement. They were about to kiss again when they were interrupted by the horse truck arriving.