The sun was sinking fast, approaching the horizon much quicker than Dusty would’ve liked. She suppressed a yawn and refocussed. She was so close to completing this paddock.
To keep herself amused working such long hours, she was having a competition with the sun. At least it was a focus.
The packed lunch had been eaten hours ago and also the extra snacks her mom had included. Dusty had tried to make the silverside and corn relish sandwiches last longer into the afternoon, but a combination of hunger, exhaustion, and boredom meant that she’d given in to the temptation to eat them. The pumpkin scones were delish, freshly baked this morning by her mom, though she wished they had a little bit of butter on them and were warm. That’s how she really liked to eat pumpkin scones. The handful of hard-boiled lollies were a little pick-me-up. Dusty almost felt like she was back at school eating a packed lunch and finding the sweets her mom had given as a treat.
She’d drunk all the black tea her mom had provided which was full of sugar. It was a tradition started by her dad, Sam, as that was how he liked his tea. It had arrived hot, but she left it too cool, just the way to drink it on a hot day. About an hour ago she’d finished the last of the water in her water bottle.
Dinner had passed, and she knew her mom would bring out more food, but only if she asked her to. Dusty didn’t want to bother her. Or Blaise. Heck, he would drive back from Wilkton to help if she asked. She assumed he would be back in town by now.
That was the thing.
She didn’t want to ask.
He was trying to set up his accounting business, and she wanted it to be a success for him. He’d given up enough to come here for them. Anyway, she needed to stand on her own two feet with the running of the farm, something she could do very well, even though it was tough at times.
Dusty made another turn around the paddock. She could see the other side of the crop, swaying in the breeze which was now picking up. Thank goodness the heat hadn’t peaked as high as predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology. She really wanted to get this paddock reaped and to move on to the last paddock, by the other side of the house. It was much easier working closer to the farmhouse, instead of miles away.
Their property was spread out in three sections, and the land didn’t join which made more work transporting heavy machinery along the dirt roads as well as moving flock of sheep during the year.
Three more rounds will do it.
The rounds were short, but it was beginning to drive her a bit batty having to go in circles like she did in the combine. This always happened late in the season when nearing the end, and she was worn out from the long hours of sitting on the tractor. It was more than simply sitting, there was a lot to concentrate on when driving something as huge as the combine harvester.
Dusty wondered if Blaise understood that. At least he wasn’t being over-demanding for her attention at the moment. She couldn’t deal with that. While she did miss him and wanted to spend more time with him, but the farm came first.
Would that be a deal-breaker for him?
She found it hard to imagine a future with him. Her gut churned. She did want a future with him, but her mind couldn’t get over the differences between them and the practical side of it.Would he really be satisfied in the long term living isolated on a farm when he was used to life in the city and hearing his neighbors coughing next door?That was the answer she really wasn’t sure of. So many times during the last year, he’d stepped up and helped and kept giving things a go. The fact he didn’t give up made her want him even more. He was willing to stand next to her, so much more than Aaron was ever able to do. All he ever wanted was to dominate her. No, there was no reason to think of Aaron anymore. Blaise was so much more of a man than he is, even if he had no idea how to farm and stood out like dog’s balls here in the country.
Was this the answer she needed so she and Blaise could go forward?Knowing that he was a better man than Aaron.
Dusty glanced outside checking the fading light at the header and moving blades.
Fuck.
She swerved the wheel to make sure she didn’t miss the crop. When her concentration broke like this, she knew it was time for a break.
Or more.
Time to stop.
Dusty wasn’t about to stop.
She kept harvesting on account of being so close to finishing.
Half an hour at most, and this paddock would be reaped. More so then, she could drive the combine back to the farmyard, ready to refuel in the morning before going on to the last paddock.
With a sigh of relief, Dusty completed the last round, which was more like a strip now, saving herself an extra turn around. Pleased she’d judged it well in the fading light and while being tired, she drove back to the truck to empty the combine bin.
Feeling satisfied with her efforts and with the last paddock a sure thing to be reaped before Christmas, Dusty drove the combine back to Acacia Plains.
Blaise shut the chook shed door with a firm bang, ensuring it was secure. The chooks quietly clucking to themselves as the lucky ones sat in the nesting boxes, and the others perched with the rooster on the thick, rusted horizontal piping Dusty’s dad had erected. He enjoyed hearing the stories about the history of the farm. Since it had only been a few years since Dusty’s dad had passed, he thought it brave she could be so open to him.
At least she’s open with me sometimes. The thought squeezed his heart.
The afternoon had been a long one for Blaise after the incident with Aaron. It was as if all the doubt he’d had about the relationship with Dusty was brought to mind, and he couldn’t shake it.
He’d driven the ute back to the farm and met Claire, who was about to go into town. Blaise thought it a little odd she wasn’t saying what for as she normally did. Sometimes it was grocery shopping, others for the craft group, then there was the coffee catch-up with friends, even doctor appointments. This time, she was keeping silent about what this trip was really about.
