Chapter 16

Drovers Run, in the back country.

Heath and Riley leant on the roughly made holding yards.

"They are in good nick alright." Heath drawled quietly as he watched the horses milling round.

"Yeah Ill reckon they go alright, I'd be keen to turn em over to you, I'll be moving on soon."

"Like hell, I'd have to get the idea past Claire first." Heath replied with a laugh.

"Looks like here's ya chance." Riley replied with a broad grin as he turned, hearing the Ute pull up.

Claire and Stevie walked over and surveyed the horses.

"So who are you?" Stevie asked pointedly.

"Riley Ward." He replied, extending his hand.

"Claire McLeod, this is Stevie Hall." Claire cut in, introducing herself.

"We saw the dead horses." Stevie said.

"Yeah, someone else is out here shooting them, small calibre gun, and a gut shot, makes it messy & painful. I'm rounding up what I can and shooting the ones that I can't save." Riley replied.

"So who's doing it?" Claire asked.

"Dunno, couple of blokes in a ute and on a quad bike."

"So what are we going to do?" Stevie asked.

"Camp out?" Claire suggested.

"Tonight." Heath replied.

"I can't, got dinner with Alex." Stevie said.

"Well I've got that meeting with Jim Selkirk, Phil Rakich & Co." Claire said.

"I'll do it." Heath said.

"Yeah blood oath,. Count me in." Said Riley, the two men grinned at each other. Stevie and Claire exchanged glances and rolled their eyes.

"Boys." Said Stevie as they walked back to the ute.

"Kinda cute though isn't he?" Stevie commented as they watched Heath and Riley talk as the leaned on the fence, as Heath extracted his tobacco tin.

"He's alright I suppose" Claire replied. "I think Heath is hotter though."

"No argument there. I wouldn't complain waking up to a stud like Heath." Stevie said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face as Claire's jaw dropped. "I mean, he's no Alex Ryanb, but he's okay." Stevie reasoned. Claire just raised an eyebrow.

"No Alex Ryan hey?" She replied. "Well, I can tell you, he's better than Alex Ryan." She finished seriously as she started the engine and swung the Ute around. Stevie didn't know how to handle that one. Meanwhile, back at the muster yards, Heath and Riley finalised their arrangements, first, they needed to head to Drovers, then town.

Drovers-the homestead.

Heath was placing the saddle on the rack as Riley pulled up.

"Right to go?" He called out.

"Yeah mate, gimme 2." Heath called back as he bolted for the house. Grabbing his wallet, he planted a kiss on Claire's cheek as he ran out the door again calling back over his shoulder. "Love you beautiful." Claire smiled, Jodi and Kate made "aww" type sounds.

"That's so sweet." Jodi said, secretly wishing that she has someone like that.

"Yeah he is." Claire replied, her mind a million miles away as she watched Heath jump into Riley's Ute and they disappeared in a cloud of dust.

"Grab a feed at the pub or what?" Heath asked as they drove.

"Sounds good. Couple of cold ones as well."

"Shit yeah, let's do it." Heath replied, he hadn't felt this alive in years. Riley stepped on the throttle and the Ute bellowed louder as they turned the music up and sang.

Gungellan Hotel

Riley sat in the bar as Heath walked back in the door, a brown paper package in his jacket pocket.

"All good?" Riley asked.

"Yeah no worries." Heath replied.

"No shortage of ladies here." Riley commented as a few walked into the bar, one winked at him. "G'day." He responded. Heath just grinned.

"What's a couple of cowboys like you doing around here?" One of them asked, a little condescendingly. Riley was about to bite back when Heath stopped him.

"Nothing at all love, we have got far better things than to waste our breath on you." Heath said.

"Come to think of it, I'd rather drink cow shit smoothies." Riley commented, a lopsided grin creasing his face. The ladies looked shocked as Riley and Heath stood, nodded at the barman, tipped their hats to the group and merely said "Ladies." And turned and walked to the door, leaving them stunned and the remaining people in the barroom laughing. They laughed as they got into the ute, as they drove out, they noted a blue ute pulling in, a very new vehicle, yet filthy, with red dirt.

"What do you reckon?" Riley murmured.

"Dunno, time will tell, lets hit it." Heath replied. "The sooner we set up camp the better."

"Copy that." Riley replied.