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“I’d say it’s going to take a bit longer than a day or two.”

“Do you think so?” Violet asked.

“A week maybe.” Joe shrugged and held her gaze as if to soften the blow. “At best, I’d say.”

“Surely not? Isn’t there a mechanic in town?”

“Yes, Dale Highgrove who took over Fred’s Garage has a really good reputation. I’m no mechanic but I know enough to guess you’re going to be up for a new gearbox.”

“It’s under warranty, so be it.”

“The problem is, you’re probably used to being in the city and getting things quickly. To get a new gearbox for a car out here, even when it’s not heading for Christmas holidays, can often take up to a month. If not longer.”

“A month?” Violet almost choked on the coffee that she had just sipped as she squeaked the words out. She swallowed quickly. “Really? But it can’t be a month. I’ve got to go to—” She took a deep breath. “I have a job interview in the Hunter Valley the week after next, and I was mooching around the west of New South Wales filling in time on the way.”

“We’ll wait and see what Dale at the garage says, but don’t be surprised when he says that you might be spending some time in Bindarra Creek.”

“Well, that’s what I was going to check—what the accommodation situation is like in town. Is there a motel?”

“Yes, a motel and cabins at the caravan park, and there are a couple of guest houses and Air BNBs in town. So, you shouldn’t have any trouble.”

“Can you recommend any of them?”

“Well, I’d recommend Edwina Lette’s Fig Tree Lodge. It’s pretty good, I hear. Nice old double-storey house. Jac lived there for a while when she first came to town. I’m not sure if it’s open at the moment, but I can give you the number.”

“Thanks. What about the caravan park and the motel?” Violet shook her head. “Look, don’t worry, when I get into town, I assume I’ll have phone service and I can look them up.”

“You might as well call from here. The local directory is near the phone. You should find them all in there.”

“Thank you. I’ll leave it until after 8:30 when they will open,” Violet said.

“Maybe.” Joe looked at her again over the coffee cup. “This is Bindarra Creek, and it is Sunday. You might have to leave a message, and they’ll get back to you.”

“Oh dear, I’m not used to this. I’m used to the pace of the city, where everything is open twenty-four-seven.” She forced a smile. “Although it is a pleasant pace of life, I guess.”

“It is a very good way to live.” Joe leaned back on the brick wall at the side of the landing. “I enjoyed the big town life in my twenties. You know the sort of thing? Friday night at the pub, Saturday at the local race meet, and then Sundays back at the pub to prepare for the week ahead.”

Violet nodded, even though it described a very different life to her twenties. She’d studied, worked three jobs, and then gone straight to work at the thoroughbred stud when she’d graduated.

“I wasted a lot of money back then,” Joe added. “I spent most of my time between shearing jobs, socialising not in the city, but in the big country towns: Parkes, Forbes, Dubbo, and the like. Then when Ryan moved here with his job, I came back to the district and did most of my shearing around here.”

“You grew up here?”

“No. I meant I came back here because I’d visited him when he first bought Rossiter’s Run. Before he met up with Jac again. That’s the name of their property. Ryan and I grew up down at Werris Creek. Then when Mum ditched our stepdad, we moved to Coonabarabran. I travelled around for a few years and Ryan worked in Sydney for a while, and then came to the western district as a building inspector for the Education Department.” He looked a bit shamefaced. “I was a bit of a lad in my twenties. I didn’t even go to TAFE.”

“Sounds like you had fun though.” Her voice was wistful. Fun. That was something that Violet hadn’t had much of.

“Yep, I was shearing and going around from town to town, staying in dongas and bunking in sheds and I didn’t want to settle. It’s only when I came back here when Ryan and Jac got married that I thought about settling down. I started working with Ryan and Grant, and I finally got in the swing of things. Saved a bit of money, and started to think about the long term here. It’s a great little town, and when this property came up, I thought, why not?”

“It sounds idyllic.” No cars, no traffic, and just peace and quiet. Violet had enjoyed this unexpected stop so far, and even though she hadn’t been into town, Joe had made it sound attractive.

“It’s the best thing I ever did. And it’s the happiest I’ve been for a long time,” he said, looking at her critically. “What about you, Violet? What’s your story?”

“My story?” She lowered her eyes while Joe waited. “Pretty boring actually. This is the sort of place I could imagine living. I’ve always worked in the city. This is heaven.”

After a minute Joe obviously realised she wasn’t going to share her life story, and he stood. “I’d better go and feed the animals. Make yourself at home.”

Chapter 7