The Return Home

Part 7

The familiar crows of the roosters echoed through the property as I rubbed my eyes. I got out off bed reluctantly, and got dressed, placing my boots on when I got to the front door.

I was meant to get a rooster yesterday for dinner, but the whole Dustin thing had shifted me a bit.

I went to the barn and opened the gates, letting the horses roam their paddock. Chocolate was laying on the straw, whining as I looked her over. She must be close with her foal.

I slowly entered her enclosure and knelt down, patting her chocolate fur. I'm going to have to ring the vet. Just to do a check up.

I've helped birth animals before, but it's been a while since I did a foal.

But my plans for today had suddenly changed if this foal was coming.

"I forgot country people don't sleep." I heard Dustin as he came closer.

"Good, your up. I need you to empty this stall. All the hay needs to come out." I told him. "Dispose of it. The walls need to be scrubbed and disinfected." I left the barn to go to the house.

I rang the veterinarian and he would be here in thirty minutes. I quickly prepared breakfast as Ava came down.

While she ate, I made a bacon sandwich and poured coffee in to a flask.

"Eat that up and do your chores." I told Ava as I went to the back door. "I'll be in the barn."

"Is Chocolate having her baby?" Ava asked me.

"Maybe." I answered and slipped my boots on. I went to the barn and placed the coffee on the table near where Dustin was working.

"There is coffee here for you and here." I handed him his sandwich as I passed him to my horse. "Hey girl." I soothed her as I kept my hand between the eyes.

"The stall will need fresh hay." I called over my shoulder to Dustin. "I have a vet coming soon to check on her. I can't leave. Are you able to go to town and pick up some supplies?"

"Yeah, sure." Dustin answered, his mouth half full with food.

"I'll give you a list. Just tell them to put it on my account." I mumbled as I rubbed down Chocolate's mane.

****

Dustin left, running around the town for me while I had the vet check my mare over.

He said soon. Sooner than I had thought. I let Ava go play after she picked some fruit for me and I stayed in the barn and made sure the horse was comfortable.

I took advantage of the stillness of the horse and bandaged her tail up. Ava came in and I warned her to be quiet. I left the enclosure and hushed Ava out off the barn.

"She will want peace and quiet for a while." I told her. "So no peeking in. I'll let you know when the foal comes." I took her hand and we left for the house.

Dustin chose that moment to pull up in his fancy car. It looked so out off place here. He opened the boot and started pulling the supplies out.

"Just be quiet when you put them away." I said to him. "The horse won't foal if she is startled."

I went to where Ava had left the fruit from the trees and started bagging them up.

"That would have been easier if I could use your ute." Dustin stated to me.

I forgot about that damn car. "It's not working right now."

"What about the old one by the barn?"

I smiled. "That one isn't exactly safe."

"So you have an old truck that you shouldn't be driving and a broken one."

"I only drive old Rusty to the neighbours." I chided him.

"Would you like me to have a look at the car?" Dustin offered.

I laughed at him over that. "You know something about cars?" I shouldn't make fun if him really, I knew nothing about them.

Dustin grinned as I kicked off my boots. He followed suit and came inside as I went to the freezer and dug out some frozen goods.

"For your information, I know a bit about cars. I did a school based apprenticeship. I've been taught what to look for."

I grinned. "You can do it tomorrow. Today, I need you to pile all that wood in to the old truck with a box of nails and a couple hammers. Plus the roll of chicken wire."

Dustin nodded. "Will do."

"After lunch, I want to go out and fix what's needed to be fixed on the fences."

I pulled out the flour and poured it straight on to the bench. Dustin looked shocked as the cloud of loose flour settled.

I pulled on my apron and gathered the rest of my ingredients.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asked.

I looked at him before I remembered he was spoilt for choice.

"I'm making bread." I simply answered. "Now, go do your end of the deal, I'll let you know when lunch is ready."

Dustin gave me one final look before leaving the kitchen and I called Ava down.

Ava loved helping me make bread and we played with the dough. I pulled apart half the dough, giving it to Ava as she rolled them into balls for bread rolls.

I made a loaf for us for the day or two, plus bread rolls for dinner. The rest of the rolls were cooked and cooled as I made another 10 loaves of bread.

Once the last loaf was in the oven, I cleaned off the island bench as Ava pulled out the last of the salads and I chopped them up.

"Mum?"

"Yes honey?" I answered her.

"How did you meet Dustin?" Ah, the curious mind of a six year old.