This wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, he was beginning to think it could well be impossible for him. While it was just a tire, it was also a chance to prove he could problem solve in a situation like this.
Blaise gave the bolts another turn, but hey still didn’t move. He put all his weight behind the movement, pushing hard, his feet moving in the dirt instead. In frustration, he stood and kicked the tire. The dogs looked up at him as if annoyed he’d disturbed their sleep.
The rumble of an approaching vehicle made Blaise look up and behind him. He could do with some help. Even though it would be good to tell Dusty he changed the tire by himself, he wasn’t about to knock back another pair of hands.
Blaise saw a ute come into focus further along the road behind him. As it approached his heart sank. He knew who owned that ute, and he didn’t want it to stop.
Fucking Aaron.
The ute stopped next to Blaise’s, blocking the road. Aaron wound down the passenger door window, leaned over and yelled out to Blaise, “In a bit of bother?”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Blaise called back.
He would never trust Aaron, especially not after he had hit Dusty. They’d come to blows themselves, and it had cost Blaise his job in Adelaide. But, at least, that had a silver lining to it as he was now here in Wilkton, and he was in a relationship with Dusty. Aaron was the annoying ex, who was a neighbor, and Blaise was still coming to terms with having to see him around town. He didn’t think he would ever get used to it.
“Really? I must say I’m surprised you’re still here.”
The grin on Aaron’s face caused Blaise to cringe, but he squared his shoulders and glared back. “It’s only a flat tire. I’ll have it changed in no time.”
Aaron chuckled dryly. “I would’ve thought the likes of you would’ve gone back to Adelaide by now.”
“And why is that?” A chill went through Blaise, he didn’t like where this conversation was heading. While he was still getting used to the country banter, this was something more coming from Aaron.
“Ahhh, well, you know… city boy like you living out here is one thing. But dating a someone like Dusty, I’m surprised she hasn’t kicked your ass out.”
Blaise darkened his glare at Aaron.
“Oh, right, I forgot. You’re not living together, are you?”
Asshole. Blaise clenched his jaw tightly to stop himself from responding. He knew Aaron was baiting him, and it took all his self-control not to bite back.
“Here, I’ll show you there’s no ill-feeling. After all, what are neighbors for? Gotta put our differences aside and help each other.”
Much to Blaise’s annoyance, Aaron turned the engine off and got out. Blaise knew he needed help, but he sure as hell didn’t want that help to come from Aaron. He didn’t care if he were there all afternoon trying to change this bloody tire. Besides, surely someone else might come along and give him a hand. The chances of that happened had to be in his favor.
Aaron kneeled at the back of the ute. “These old utes are tricky. You got to loosen it here first.”
Blaise clenched his jaw. He hated how easily Aaron got the tire out. He was on edge after the comments about him and Dusty.He had some nerve talking like that.
“Where’s the jack? Oh, I see it.”
In no time at all, Aaron had the ute jacked up and was undoing the nuts on the wheel. Blaise struggled to find the words to tell Aaron to get on his way and not to punch him one. Hell, Aaron deserved a punch or two just for being Aaron. Blaise flexed his right hand as he stood next to him, feeling a bit like a third wheel. Not for one moment did Blaise think that Aaron was doing this out of the kindness of his heart. Then he realized what Aaron was really up to.
Bastard.
For the next few weeks he wouldn’t be going to the local pub, Ol’ Billies, because of the ribbing he’d get from the other men about not being able to change a tire.
Looks like frozen meals for me for a while.
That or maybe he would stay at the farm. He shifted uneasily on his feet at the thought. Aaron’s words had hit a raw nerve. Even though Blaise had been here for nearly a year, and while the relationship had its bumps, everything was going well enough with Dusty. The thing that was beginning to get to him was that he’d never spent more than one night in a row at her farm. Even then, he’d only stayed over a few times. Dusty always blamed her mom being there, so when he did happen to stay over, it was when she’d gone to Adelaide to visit Dusty’s sister, Jody.
It was becoming crunch time.
The time when he moved in with her or moved on.
He didn’t want the latter.
With the business of harvest, he wasn’t able to have the conversation with Dusty to sort the issues out. He was beginning to worry if she’d ever have the time. There was Christmas and New Year, and he really didn’t want to have such a conversation then because what if it ended badly? Then future Christmases and New Years would be ruined by the bad memory. If he waited until January, then it would be shearing. There was always going to be something which got in the way.
