Justin held her gaze, as if he was going to say something else, but then he simply nodded and stepped away. ‘Anytime. Well, hopefully not too often, but you know what I mean.’ He smiled and that was a nice thing to take with her as she walked back to the car to lead the way to her clinic.
She called ahead and Shea had everything ready for them when Anna arrived. The crush hadn’t been used in a long time, but Shea had checked it and cleaned away a few weeds, and it stood open, waiting for an occupant.
Rick pulled into the yard. He jumped out of the car and ran to open the trailer’s rear ramp, only vanishing inside for a few seconds before emerging, his hands holding the bull’s leading rope. The animal was barely on its feet, no fight left in him. Rick got him into the crush and Shea closed the gate firmly behind him.
Anna stepped to the animal’s side, able at last to have a close look at the wound. ‘This is going to take a while,’ she told Rick.
The young man’s eyes were shining with tears as he nodded. Anna saw his shoulders drop as some of the tension left him.
‘Shea and I have got this now,’ Anna told him. ‘Phone your mother. She can tell your father this animal is going to be fine.’
CHAPTER
24
It was almost dark by the time the wreck was cleared and the road was safe again. Just as the tow truck prepared to drive away, Justin reached into the cab of the battered four-wheel drive and pulled out a brightly coloured collection of silks.
‘What’s that?’ Ben asked.
‘They’d been to some show. These are the ribbons that bull won. With injuries like that, I doubt he’ll be winning any more. I thought the owners might want to have these.’
Justin and Ben gathered the warning lights and put them back into their vehicle, along with the rest of their gear.
Ken was getting ready to leave too. ‘Thanks, guys. I appreciate the help.’
‘No problem,’ said Justin. ‘All part of the job.’
They shook hands and Justin slid behind the wheel of his vehicle. He waited for Ben to join him. The tension that had been growing between them when they came on the accident was gone, replaced mostly by exhaustion. It wouldn’t take much to bring it back.
‘What do you say we go for a beer after we get back?’ Ben asked.
‘I’ve got paperwork to do.’
‘Can’t that wait until tomorrow?’
‘Probably, but I’d rather get it done now.’
‘After the paperwork, then?’
‘All right.’
Ben didn’t wait for the paperwork. Before Justin had finished filing his report, his brother had set off, promising to get him one in.
Justin watched him leave, fingers paused on his keyboard. Ben’s laptop sat unopened on the coffee table. Not so long ago, Justin would have been worried that Ben was spending too much time playing stupid computer games. Now, he would be grateful to see Ben settle down to play as he used to, rather than head for the pub. Soon, they’d pack up and head back to Tamworth, where hopefully Ben would calm down.
As for Justin himself—he wasn’t quite so eager to leave.
He still wasn’t sure about this renewed relationship with his mother, except that he wanted to give it a try. Seeing her had awakened a longing for home and for family. Family other than his muddle-headed, short-tempered crazy twin who was the other part of himself. Another family connection might be a bit more balanced. He would never let his brother down, but sometimes it was a bit hard being the sensible one.
Justin cast his eyes to a side bench, where the silk show ribbons sat in a protective plastic bag. He needed to get those to the bull’s owner. He could have left them with Ken, but the owners would no doubt be spending some time at Anna’s surgery as their animal healed. If he took the ribbons there, he could leave them with her. It was as good an excuse as any to visit her. To try to get past that horrible date. If she was willing.
He slammed his laptop closed. If he took the ribbons out there now, perhaps she would come to the pub with him for dinner. The locals all knew her, so that would be easier on her than a restaurant full of strangers. And maybe he could get his brother to back off the animosity a bit.
He reached for his car keys and the bag of show ribbons.
As he was about to turn onto the road leading out of town and towards the vet surgery, a familiar car caught his eye and instead, he turned towards the store.
He parked next to Anna’s ute just as she emerged from the store with a couple of bags of groceries.
