It was all system's go for the shearing.
The day was fairly clear, the odd cloud about but Grandpa wasn't too concerned about the chance of rain.
All alarm's went off extra early.
Breakfast was at 5:30 and everyone looked half asleep save for Grandma and Grandpa.
I guess they've had year's to get used to such early start's.
Everybody else was normally up by at least 5:30, but breakfast was normally at 6.
"Honey?"
Mum snagged my arm as I made my way back into the kitchen in preparation to take more breakfast out to the out dining room for Grandma.
"Yeah?"
I gave Mum my attention.
Mum nodded her head toward the opposite archway.
"Can we have a word?"
"Sure..."
What does she even want?
With an uneasy zing suddenly in my vein's, I followed her.
Mum looked around and clearly deemed we were alone, because she began talking.
"I chatted with Dad, Lukas and Blayze. We think it might be best if you help Mum, Bridey and I in the house end today."
She used a reasonably hushed voice so it didn't carry and somebody in the kitchen accidentally overheard.
Oh.
I felt resignation weigh down my shoulder's.
So this impending Baby really is going to change thing's.
"Okay."
I averted my gaze, hoping to not let her see how truly disappointed I really was.
Since I was eleven year's old Grandpa had let me be around the shearing shed come shearing season.
Guess this time I get to miss out.
What exactly am I supposed to do instead?
Butter bread and chop salad's for Grandma?
Resentment felt bitter in my blood.
Mum gently squeezed my upper arm.
"It's only coz the shed's gonna be packed. Sam's offered a few of his guy's to give us a hand too."
Ha!
So that's what it is.
It's got nothing to do with a not even visible pregnancy.
I placed my hand's on my hip's.
"Some of the guy's, or Rikki's joining?"
Mum frowned, looking confused.
"What?"
"I know she's working there. Hayley told me yesterday."
I turned on my heel and strode back into the kitchen.
"Bailey."
The sigh was audible in Mum's voice.
I ignored her, snatched a basket of buttered toast from the counter and continued on through to the out dining room.
"It's too god damn early."
Shayne grumbled, plopping himself down at the long picnic bench style table.
I practically slammed the basket of toast onto the table.
"Suck it up Shayne, the rest of us have to."
I knew my snappy retort was probably a little uncalled for, but honestly couldn't bring myself to care.
I spun on my heel to head back to the kitchen.
I guess I don't need to sit down with everyone else for breakfast if I'm not joining them out shearing.
I'll have all day to eat if I'm hanging around the house.
Oomph.
I glared up at Heath.
"Watch it!"
His jaw dropped and his eyes popped wide open.
Any sleepy look was long gone from his tanned face.
I scowled and stomped around him.
"Permission to cross enemy lines?"
I shot a scowl over my shoulder, at Blayze who hung in the kitchen archway.
Though when I saw him dangling a tea towel that he was obviously choosing to replicate a 'white flag' with, I almost managed a smile.
Almost.
"Go away."
I turned back to the left over food I was packing up for storage.
Suddenly the tea towel landed on the bench alongside me in a messy heap.
"Talk to me."
"I don't need to talk."
I at least managed to get some of the snappy tone out of my voice.
"What's up?"
I flinched, Blayze's voice sounding basically directly behind me.
He rubbed his hand's gently up and down the outside of my upper arm's.
"Don't."
I quite weakly protested.
As usual, he ignored me.
His hand's moved, strong, gentle and warm to massage my tense shoulder's.
I made a sound that came out something like half a mewl and half a groan as I tried hard to keep my stubborn attitude and protest the generous gesture.
But my resolve was weakening by the hundredth of a second.
In fact, my hand's stopped the task they were supposed to be doing and I found myself with my eyes closed before I snapped out of it.
"I've got work to do."
I sidestepped, stepping out of Blayze's hand's.
My body regretted the move but I knew it was the right thing to do.
"Oi."
He placed his hand's on my shoulder's and forced me to turn around.
Schooling my face into a hopefully blank expression, I made myself look up to his face.
"Don't you have sheep to shear?"
Before he went to America, he topped the shorn sheep count, even beating Uncle Lukas.
Grandpa would come and kick his arse if he didn't get out to the shed.
"I've got a minute to find out what's got your knicker's in a twist."
"Nothing."
I averted my gaze and reached for the glad wrapped tray of egg's and tomatoe's.
"Leave that for a sec."
Blayze took it from my hand and set it back onto the bench.
"What do you want?!"
I'd been trying hard to not let my frustrated emotion's loose on Blayze, knowing he's got enough on his plate.
But he was fast spiking my irritation.
"You got to Heath, he's out there licking his wound's from his run in with ya."
He eyed my face.
"As is Shayne."
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, taking in a deep breath.
After a few second's I reopened my eyes.
"Tell him I'm sorry. Or if I see him later, I'll tell him."
With that, I turned to the bench, grabbed the plate of egg's and tomatoe's and strode to the fridge to stash it for whoever wanted some later.
"Why're you on such a time bomb though?"
I turned around to find Blayze leaning against the bench.
"Nothing. I'm just a little irritable. Aren't I allowed to be?"
I grabbed the bag I'd already stashed rubbish into and headed out of the kitchen to stash it in the big bin.
I almost slammed into Blayze when I turned away from the big bin after dropping the plastic bag into it.
I bit my tongue to refrain from snapping at him like I'd done to Heath.
He placed one hand on my upper arm and the other gently on my cheek as he eyed my face.
"What's goin on?"
I lifted my hand to remove his from my cheek.
"Seriously, nothing."
I insisted.
Since when does Blayze act so pushy to get an answer about nothing?
"Blayze-!"
My breath hitched in my throat and I squeaked as I fought to keep my feet under me as he practically walked over me urging me backward.
My back gently came into contact with the rough rock wall of my longtime family home.
I looked up to Blayze's face.
So far he wasn't wearing his hat.
His hair was disheveled, his deep blue-green eyes were sparkling and roamed my face.
His lip's were pink and I longed to feel them on mine.
Mentally I smacked my own forehead.
I can't go thinking like that-!
My heart boosted straight into an erratic sprint as the scent of soap and Blayze enveloped my senses and his lip's crashed onto mine.
Momentarily I was rendered shocked.
A split second later hormone's kicked in.
I lifted my hand's and linked them about his neck, pulling his body into mine.
His hand's came around my back, gripping me against his front as our lip's and tongue's battled for dominance, the kiss almost immediately turning into a French one.
My heart beat hard against my chest, like it wanted to get out.
My lung's couldn't hold enough oxygen and I almost immediately felt breathless.
I broke the kiss, breathing hard, my hand's still linked around Blayze's neck.
He rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed and it seemed his breathing was a little ragged too.
I fiddled with the end's of his hair at the nape of his neck, while I tried to regain steady breathing.
Slowly he reopened his eyes.
"Seem's like I've waited way too long for that."
Blayze practically whispered.
I nodded wordlessly.
Both of us looked in the direction of the farm yard, which we couldn't see due to the wall of the house and the garden, at the sound of raised voice's.
"Shit."
Blayze briefly closed his eyes, then turned his gaze back to me.
"I gotta get out there."
I nodded.
I knew he did.
He's Overseer of our farm so he definitely need's to be at the shed getting everything underway.
"I'll see ya later."
He leaned in and placed a gentle, lingering kiss on my forehead.
My heart seemed to triple it's pace once again.
"Please take it easy."
He requested, slowly stepping back from me and breaking our embrace.
"I have been shunted to house job's all day, I won't be doing anything dangerous."
I knew there was a bitter, resentful edge in my voice, but I couldn't help it.
I was supposed to be hired as a farm hand.
"Bailey."
Looking mildly sympathetic but largely frustrated, Blayze ran his hand's over his face.
"What?"
I asked, bewildered.
He looked toward the corner of the house, then stepped up to me.
"If you're gonna take it out on anyone, take it out on me okay?"
"What?"
What the hell does he mean?
He threw his hands up.
"It's my fault!"
"What is?"
I asked wearily.
If he's referring to the baby...
"You know what it's like in the shearing shed, you joined us in there three year's after I arrived. I don't doubt you were there working your arse off last year."
I nodded slowly.
Where's he going with this?
"It can be a rough environment in there."
Blayze explained.
Tell me something I don't know!
I was tempted to retort.
But I managed to keep my mouth shut.
Gently he placed a hand over the lower region of my stomach.
My stomach that was flat, with not an ounce of evidence as to a pregnancy.
"And now there's this."
I bit down on my lower lip.
Just what exactly is he trying to say?
"Most of the guy's don't know about it yet."
Blayze continued.
"And if something happened to you in there, someone rode you too hard, I'd lose it."
There it was.
He's laid his concern's out in the open for me.
It was time I shut my mouth and stopped sulking.
I placed my hand over his on my flat stomach and looked up into his eyes.
"I get it."
I promised.
"Yeah, I was offended to begin with, but I've gotta face it that shit's gonna change."
I figured it was only fair to try to be as honest as he'd just been.
Guilt flittered across his face.
My heart clenched.
I squeezed his hand.
"Don't do that. It is what it is."
He opened his mouth to speak.
I shook my head.
"Let's just get on with what we have to do today."
I suggested.
Wordlessly, he nodded.
"Good luck."
I wished.
"Be careful."
"Course."
He shot me a slightly crooked smile that made my heart skip and my knee's feel unsteady.
Blayze turned on his heel to head for the day of work that awaited him and I followed him back around the corner of the house.
We came across Keegan walking up the garden path.
"There ya are!"
He crossed onto the grass having caught sight of Blayze, frowning.
"What the fuck's takin ya so long?"
Oh great.
Is this how the day's gonna start?
Keegan's gaze swung toward me.
Confusion showed in his eyes and he eyed Blayze.
Blayze placed a hand on Keegan's shoulder as he stepped around him.
"Let's go yeah?"
"No."
Keegan stood his ground.
No?
Uh oh...
Blayze slowly turned around, also seeming confused.
"What?"
He asked his best friend.
Keegan shot me a glance, but made Blayze his main focus.
"How 'bout ya tell me what's goin on?"
Blayze glanced at me, then looked at Keegan.
"Not now, yeah?"
He turned on his heel and headed for the garden gate.
"For fuck sake."
Keegan practically growled.
"Hey, Keegan?"
I stepped forward and reached out to touch his arm.
He turned to me with a raised brow.
"Go easy on him, yeah?"
I urged.
"If he's got problem's already, he's gonna be a ticking time bomb when he find's out Rikki's come along as a rousabout."
Keegan grouched and turned on his heel and followed in Blayze's direction.
Oh.
Great.
Something I didn't like the feel of, twisted around my heart.
Could I trust those two to be in and around a shearing shed all day?
I closed my eyes.
Right now I can't think along those lines.
There is too much to get done today, in the shed and in the house.
I turned on my heel, resigning myself to the fact that no matter how I feel, I have to let thing's play out as they're going to.
Blayze
The shearing shed was alive with chatter as I strode through the door's.
Most set's of eyes turned my way.
Lukas already wore a frown.
"Bout time you got your arse in here."
He complained.
I strode toward the step's to get me up onto the platform.
"Shut up and let's get this shit underway."
Seeming rather unsure, Heath offered me a shearer's singlet.
I grabbed it and gave him a nod.
As I climbed the step's I peeled my beat up old Wrangler t-shirt over my head, tossed it behind me not really caring where it landed because a rousabout would move it, and pulled my shearer's singlet on.
"Blayze!"
I turned around, standing on the platform area we'd be shearing from.
Well, me and whoever else was gonna brave having a crippled back by the end of the day...
Lukas held a clipboard in his hand's and a pen between his teeth.
He pulled the pen from his mouth and glanced down at the clipboard.
"Heath, Jake, Shayne, Haden, James and Rikki are gonna roustabout. Who'd ya want?"
Whisper's arose in the shed which I'm guessing meant people bitching that he's given me the option to make a choice.
I swept my gaze across the men until I found my cousin.
"Heath."
I told Lukas and went to turn back to get to my chosen shearing station.
"And who?"
Two?
Righto...
"Shayne!"
I yelled over my shoulder.
Lukas rattled off assignment's for everyone else, then business started.
We powered up our station's and the first sheep got let through.
I grabbed the first ewe, flipped her onto her back and got to work shearing.
Bailey
"We've gotta make it all so we can pack it into basket's and take it down to the shed."
Mum told me, using a knife faster than I'd ever seen her use one before, slicing through a lengthy cucumber.
I nodded.
I vaguely remembered seeing food come out of picnic basket's on shearing day.
"It'd be better if everyone could just come up to the house to eat, but it's easier this way."
I grabbed another stack of bread slices and continued the mundane task of buttering.
Speed buttering.
Currently no task was allowed to go down slowly.
Grandma had already sliced up the meat's that we're going to go on sandwiches.
Aunty Bridey was busy filling bottle's with water and adding countless bottle's of Powerade to a cooler.
The guy's were going to need the electrolytes.
I haven't yet been trusted to sheer a sheep.
But I have been in the shed and seen how hard the shearer's work.
By now they'd all be sweating bullet's but have no choice but to keep going.
If they were lucky there'd be enough men out there that occasionally they could be spelled.
I knew Blayze would be on the stand and there was a chance Uncle Lukas would be too.
Would Keegan be the third seeing as apparently he was here?
Who'd be manning the fourth station?
Troy maybe?
"It's not like they'll stop long enough for a sit down home lunch anyway is it?"
Mum snagged the platter of bread I'd so far buttered.
"No."
She agreed.
I finished buttering bread, then took a bowl of home grown cherry tomatoe's to the sink to give them a rinse.
"Thank you love."
Grandma hustled into the kitchen again, her hand's laden with a stack of older towel's.
Probably so when the crew rinsed off at the tap's they could somewhat dry off.
I gave her a nod.
Grandma nodded toward the bench.
"There's a plastic container there they can go into."
I took it she meant the tomatoe's, because there was no way the towel's would fit in there...
As if to prove my point, Grandma headed out of the kitchen, the towel's still in her hand's.
"Bail's?"
I turned to Mum and raised my eyebrows in question.
She looked hopeful.
"Any chance you can supervise the kids' lunch while we get this gear down to the shed?"
I felt disheartened.
So I'm not even going to get to go near the shed today.
Was there a reason it seemed like everyone was trying to keep me away?
Though with how queasy my stomach has been recently, the stinky shearing shed probably isn't an entirely aesthetically pleasing place for me to be at the moment.
I nodded.
"Righto."
Mum offered me a sympathetic smile.
"I know it seem's foreign to you being away from the shed after all these year's."
Too right.
"But it'll be a real help."
No, it's just that somebody's got to do it.
Grandma will want to get down to the shed to check on Grandpa and ensure the crew is staying hydrated.
Aunty Bridey will want to check on Uncle Lukas.
Mum...
Well I guess she's entitled to help.
I've got no 'reason' to be there.
It took only a few minute's for us to finish loading the basket's.
Mum and Aunty Bridey hustled out of the kitchen, their arm's laden with picnic basket's.
With a sigh, I dried off my hand's on a tea towel and went to track down my sibling's and cousin's.
"Bail's?"
"Hmm?"
I turned around to find Keegan walking toward me.
Trying to find job's I was 'allowed' to do, I'd even resorted to cleaning out the dogs' water bowl in the house garden.
Blayze's best friend/my neighbours' Overseer certainly looked like he'd seen better day's.
His hair was sticking up and damp with what I'm sincerely hoping is water from a well needed rinse off.
His clothes were rumpled and dust smeared and he looked knackered.
"What's-?"
I stopped talking, surprise engulfing me when he wrapped me up in a hug.
I felt my nose scrunch, my airway's trying deftly to close so I didn't have to inhale the stench.
I groaned.
"You reek!"
Laughing, Keegan stepped back, letting me go.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Hang on...
I eyed him curiously.
"What was that for?"
He shot a glance around us and over his shoulder before focusing back on me.
"Blayze told me..."
Uh oh...
"Told you...what?"
I asked carefully.
"About."
He nodded pointedly toward my stomach.
Oh!
"Oh. Uh..."
I too glanced down at my stomach.
"Why the...hug?"
Since when does Keegan hug Me?
He grinned.
"I'm not allowed to say congratulations?"
Right...
I avoided looking at him.
"Serious though, dude."
He gently squeezed my shoulder's.
"Ya need anything, anything at all, sing out."
Okay...
"Though I'd guess Blayze'll have ya fairly covered."
I nodded slowly.
"Does...Hayley know?"
Keegan asked carefully.
I nodded and made myself look at his face.
"I had to tell her and Noah yesterday. Coz rumour's were going around town..."
"Ah."
He nodded and rubbed thoughtfully at his stubble coated chin.
"Yeah, Codie's been pretty spun out over that one. Hmm...wonder if Noah's let slip to him what the real deal is by now then?"
I shrugged.
"I'm not sure. I guess I didn't tell her she couldn't tell him."
Keegan placed his hand's on his jeans clad hip's.
"I really should kick Blayze's arse for takin so long to tell me."
I couldn't help but smile a little.
"Cut him a little slack. He found out Wednesday."
Keegan scoffed.
"It's Friday. Plenty of time to tell his best friend."
Smiling, I shook my head.
Keegan grinned, reached out and gave my shoulder a gentle knuckle nudge.
I used the toe of my boot to guide some bark off the path and back into the garden bed.
"So...shearing's finished?"
"Yeah."
Keegan agreed.
"We were havin a beer and Blayze finally decided to tell me what was goin on. Figured I'd better let ya know I know."
I nodded.
What was I meant to say to that exactly?
I felt my lips twitch in a smile.
"So do we know yet who sheared the most?"
Keegan smirked.
"Who d'ya think?"
"Certainly not you!"
We both turned to see Blayze leaning on the wrought iron garden gate.
Azlan and Zeus sat either side of him.
How long's he been there for?
Did Keegan know he was there?
I looked between the guy's and slowly made my way toward the gate.
"Do I even wanna know?"
Keegan walked that way too.
"I beat him."
Blayze wore a self satisfied smirk.
"As always."
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile.
Some would say he's cocky.
More accurately though, he's just good at his job.
Shearing happen's to be one of his job's when it's necessary.
"Fuck off ya did."
Keegan denied.
"Ask Lukas!"
Blayze retorted, his eyes widening.
"Alright children!"
I held up my hand's as if to hold off an attack.
"Jeez!"
The guy's broke their defiant stare off and laughed.
They might be best friend's, but they alway's hold a strong rivalry, Blayze being our strongest worker and Keegan being the Jackson's.
"No the child is..."
Keegan's eyes sparkled and swung toward my belly.
Blayze shot him a warning look.
Keegan held up his hand's as if to hold off an attack.
"What's goin on?"
We all turned to see Heath approaching.
Uh oh...
"You're shoutin a beer."
Blayze told him.
Smooth.
Heath rolled his eyes.
His gaze swung toward me.
"Beer Bail's?"
I felt Blayze and Keegan both snap their eyes to me.
Do they actually think I'm stupid?
I shot Heath a quick smile.
"No thanks."
"Righto..."
He looked suspicious as he turned on his heel and headed for I'm guessing the cottage.
Edited 23/5/2022