Someone Like You

Chapter Two

Zander

Sweat drips into my eyes as I slice the axe through the large chunk of wood. The splintering sound of the wood echoes, followed by a bubbly giggle. Cupping my hand in a half-moon shape over my eyes, I peer over the pile of wood at my niece who is playing a one-sided chasing game with my dog, Diesel.

"Hey!" I call out to her, my deep voice startling her. She stops abruptly, glancing over her shoulder, sending her curly hair flying around her face. "Where's your hat?"

She does a dramatic eye roll before plucking the floppy hat up from its spot in the grass and yanking it over her head. She might only be five years old, but she has the attitude of a teenager.

"I'm hungry," Mila complains, pouting her lips in a way that certainly would get her what she wants from my sister and brother-in-law.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, I glance down to the piles of wood around me that needs to be split by tomorrow.

"Pleaaaaaase!"

"Fine, fine," I yield, pulling up the bottom of my shirt and dabbing at the excess sweat that has accumulated over my brow.

Mila lets out a delighted squeal, rushing towards the back porch, Diesel happily trotting behind her. He may have a tough outer exterior, but he is soft as a marshmallow when it comes to my golden-haired niece. Her rosy cheeks and toothless smile are enough to make even the coldest people, and dogs, thaw.

The wooden floorboards groan with each of my steps as I walk through to the kitchen, snagging my keys from the bench. The house is old, and needed renovations ten years ago, but it was a space that was purely and utterly mine. It may be weathered, leak when it rains too heavy, and have a few missing tiles here and there, but it's home. The place I can come to get away from everyone and everything.

"Hurry up, Uncle Z!"

Well. Almost everyone.

I swig down almost an entire stubby of beer and follow my niece out. I offer Diesel a quick pat on the head before shutting the door. Mila climbs into the babysit which looks extremely out of place in my old, rusted truck.

The engine has barely rumbled to life when the Frozen soundtrack starts blaring from my speakers. I side-eye my niece whose smile is stretched from ear to ear as she sings. The time flashes in faded red numbers from my dashboard, and I realise it's almost time to drop Mila back home.

The trip into town is usually short but feels twice as long when 'Let it Go' is blaring at full volume. With my arm hung loosely over the wheel, my gaze skims across the endless, brown-grassed paddocks. If it doesn't rain soon, we are going to spiral into another drought. A lot of us farmers haven't long recovered from the last one.

The sun is hot and unrelenting today, which is felt even stronger in my truck that hasn't had a functioning air conditioning for about three years. I lean across and wind down the window for Mila. Her face lights up as the warm breeze washes over her face.

As we cruise through town, I raise a finger in a 'hello' gesture as I pass by the locals. It seems to be busy in town today. Everyone appears to be shopping for the same things at the same time.

We pull up in front of the ice cream store that's owned by a woman who has known me since I was in diapers. Honestly, that can be said about a lot of the people in this town. I can recite the first and last name of every resident in Glendale. Even their kids' names. As hard as I try to stay off everyone's radars, it became near impossible when I had the stupid idea to take over the local pub.

Mila basically catapults herself from the car in excitement, and I swoop down and grab her arm before her knees scrape across the cement. One thing is for sure, I can never turn my eyes away from this kid. She gets herself into almost as much trouble as I did back in the day.