Nash McLeod, Hard to Figure

Nash leapt to his feet, ashen. "Is Lisa deceased?"

Molly sobbed, "No but she's lost the fetus."

Irene said, "Lisa is a tough girl. She's exhausted and she's sleeping. She'll be up in the morning.

Irene was stunned to see the look of joy on the boss's face. She thought, Ohmigod he's in love with her, not with Mrs Green.

Molly said, "Nash it was a complete ejection. We'll need to seek medical consultation after daylight and Lisa must stay in bed for seventy-two hours. I'll forbid any heroics. We must guard again infection."

"All right. I'll call the Flying Doctor Service at 8:00," Nash said. "We all heard Molly, Lisa is to stay in bed for the next three days. That's an order."

Lisa awoke in the morning, feeling absolutely drained and despondent. But she smiled wanly when saw Nash sprawled in the lounge chair beside her bed. He must have been there half the night.

"Nash," she called softly.

There was a flash of moment and he was on his feet, blinking to become focused.

"Oh hi. You have my condolences and I'm really glad you've come through it well."

"I'll be fine. It was meant to happen."

He looked at his watch. "I'll be calling the Flying Doctor Service in forty-five minutes. You must stay in bed. No way am I, er are we, going to take risks with you."

"Yes doctor."

He grinned. "That's the spirit. You're staying on here Lisa, um that's your wish. I've become rather used to having you around already. You will be assigned to looking after the horses to earn your keep. I'm now off to call your parents with the news."

"That's fine but tell them I don't want them coming here to see me. I'll visit them when I'm fully recovered."

"Okay. Molly will be in shortly with stuff to build you up. She said you lost quite a bit of blood."

"Yeah, sorry about the mattress and bedding."

"Stuff that. I still have you and that's what really counts."

Three days later Lisa was allowed out of bed for two spells of two hours and the next day life for her was back to normal except the female doctor had advised her not to go near the horses until the following week. To fill in time Lisa asked Gary, the foreman, to give her a list of all twenty-four horses, their names, coloring, habits and idiosyncrasies and she began to commit all of that to memory. Gary couldn't believe how sharp she was, correcting him when he repeated himself or scolding him for not knowing anything about some of the horses apart from their names.

"Want me to name the horse that you ought to pick as your main string horse?"

"Let my guess, the bay gelding called Sandy."

"Why?"

"I recall you saying it's well trained, dependable and strong."

"Make Sandy your Number Two then. Your first horse should be Star."

"What the red eight-year old mare with white star and three white socks, only 14.6 hands high?"

"Yes and it's not because you are female. She is strong, quick-footed, bold and brave with good cow sense and that is important because we have 350 cattle on this property. Because you're a light she will carry you all day. What more could you ask?"

"Is she good-tempered and easy to catch?"

"Er no. But don't be disappointed because we don't have the perfect horse on this property."

"And no one has taken Sandy or Star because they bite and buck and won't jump and everything else you've failed to mention."

"Yeah, both buck a bit when being mounted and Star was born to jump and if you come off either of them they'll instantly head for home."

"Perhaps I should ask the boss for a Shetland pony."

Gary grinned. "Believe me both are good horses. You know if I put you wrong Molly would monster me."

Matilda called Lisa on Saturday night and said she was coming to go riding next morning at 9:00 and she'd love Lisa to accompany her. Lisa accepted the invitation.

Molly who'd heard the conversation said, "That doctor didn't want you going near horses till Monday."

"She said next week. The beginning of each new week is Sunday."

"Ah everyone, we have a Bush Lawyer in our midst. This Lisa of ours has a slippery mind."

"Don't be sour just because you were outwitted Molly."

"Why you little..."

"I know I only win once in a while against you but you ought to have the grace to accept it."

"Ohmigod. Correction guys. She's a smooth-talking big city lawyer."

Everyone laughed.

The boss rode out for two miles with Matilda and Lisa before diverting off to check out the bulls. He had three dogs with him.

Gary had caught Star for Lisa and rode her until she'd decided Gary was on the saddle to stay.

"Okay Lisa, let's see what you've got."

Lisa walked up boldly to Star and as the mare turned to eye her she grabbed the bridle and held it firmly. Star attempted unsuccessfully to pull her head away. She began backing off. Lisa went with her. Star gave up and when Lisa reached her other hand up Star took the piece of carrot and Lisa let go of the bridle and took the reins and mounted and was surprised to find it was a smallish saddle.

"The saddle?"

"It's Molly's. She said it's yours on long-term loan."

Lisa walked Star and then did a short trot, broke Star into a canter and jumped her over the oblong water trough, handling that effortlessly.

They then rode off.

Each day Lisa worked with the horses. All she had to do was to toss them some hay and check them out for any sign of sickness or injury and to roughly groom each one twice a week. But she also decided to exercise them and rode six of them each day using just a bridle. She had no trouble to stay on the frisky ones that included Sandy and Star. Star now knew her and after four to six bucks when being mounted now immediately calmed.

Eight weeks after the miscarriage and after the others had gone to bed Nash said to Lisa, "I'd like to show you more of the property. I have a share in a Cessna aircraft with the Mitchell brothers, so we can fly for around three hours or we can ride a loop starting Monday for four days seeing most of the good parts, taking a packhorse with camping gear."

"If I say let's ride will you sleep with me?"

"If that's what you want. The others will think that will be happening no matter what we decide or say."

"You are crafty Nash. You knew I'd pick the horses and you knew I'd ask for sex."

"Christ, Molly is right. You are a Bush Lawyer."

"But that doesn't answer my question."

"Well it's the only response you're getting."

Next afternoon when Molly and Irene were in their suites, probably dozing, Lisa called Matilda who said she was free to speak.

"Customers are rare here early afternoon."

Lisa was straight into it. "The boss wants to show me some of the property from horseback. We would be camping out but I won't go if you have objections."

"Oh darling, how sweet of you. Obviously Nash has not told you. When I came out that first Monday to go riding with you he told me I ought to dump him and look for a replacement husband."

"Well I suppose that makes sense."

"It was his way of saying he was dumping me darling and would be taking up with you."

"Christ then that's not very subtle was it?"

"No but we women know men are devious, rude bastards at times."

"But you'll come riding with me each Sunday won't you?"

"Yes of course. Nash pleaded with me strongly to continue doing that and to remain one of his friends. He also wants me to remain pals with you."

"But you'll resent me."

"No it's his decision to make this happen and not yours. You two haven't done it yet have you?"

"Not even come close. I'm surprised you didn't say he's too old for me."

"Well that's because I don't think you are. He's a tough old coot and will last well into his late seventies at least. By then you will have either left him or will have been long married to him and given him three or four children."

"H-how can you say that?"

"Some things don't have to be written to be understood. I just see it happening. It's one of those things that's meant to happen just like one day a guy will come into the store, take one look at me and will be smitten and do something about it. That's why I'm staying on here... I have no competition. Ah apart from you."

The two women when riding Sunday morning and when they returned they found a barbie [gas-fire cook-out] had been set up. Molly had invited Lisa's parents who were due in half an hour and Matilda accepted the invitation to stay. The two younger women went inside to tidy up.

When Lisa's parents arrived Jake caught the beer Nash tossed him from ten feet away and grunted something that could have been thanks.

"Gin or white wine Mrs Findlay?"

"Gin thank you Nash. Please call me Jessica."

Nash poured a gin on to ice and said to Jessica standing ten feet away, "Catch Jessica."

She yelled don't but he threw the glass. She stood firm and caught the glass that was empty of course.

"You're a good sport Jessica and have a good eye-hand-coordination," Nash grinned, walking over with the second gin he'd poured. "A glass is more difficult to catch one-handed than a can."

"But I hurt my fucking forefinger," Jessica laughed, her jowls wobbling.

Everyone laughed and they were surprised when Nash kissed the hurt finger and then kissed Jessica.

After lunch served on tables under umbrellas, Jake said, "They say in town you shoot stray dogs."

"And you believe that Jack?"

"Bloody oath Nash."

"Then why isn't it I haven't shot you?"

Jake roared in laughter, slapping his thigh and then opened another can of beer. "Let's see this reputed marksmanship of yours."

Molly and company expected Nash to refuse as normally he did. In fact none of them had ever seen Nash shoot.

Looking at the weather vane on the pump shed Lisa said, "Dad if Nash can hit that weather vane on the pump shed with one out of five shots will you try to be real friendly with Nash and treat mum more kindly?"

"Yeah of course."

Nash said, "If you mean that Jake I'll shoot."

Jake rubbed his chin looking at the vane. From where I'm sitting that's at least 400 yards away.

Nash looked at it, eyes narrowing, and said, "I'd say about 330 yards."

"Okay I promise not to stick a knife in your back and Jessica watch your mouth and I'll be a bit nicer to you. Is that good enough Nash?"

'Forget me, just be pleasant to your wife. You won't have many friends so treat Jessica as your best friend," Nash said, finishing his red wine and walking off.

He returned with an old Winchester.

"That's not a target rifle," Jake observed.

"No, it just happens to be my favorite. It was dad's hunting rifle and does anything for me within reason."

Nash stood in front of everyone and fired one shot.

Jake muttered, "Lucky shot," watching the vane spin and then lay over drunkenly. The others clapped.

"Well that's all you're getting. I only loaded for the one shot. I don't like shooting round people because I was trained to shoot to kill."

Jake eyed Nash but said nothing, picking up his beer.

It was the first time Matilda had met Jake and surprisingly they got alone fine, partly because Jake made an effort and began with saying to Matilda, "I used to know your late husband very well. We played in the same cricket team for at least five years. He was a great guy. You would have loved him."

"Ohmigod Jake, is this really you? I've been told you are a right bastard."

"I'm a shift foreman at the mine dear lady. Let the guys know you're a patsy and there's not way you can command respect and keep them in line and that's necessary to be a successful team leader underground."

"I guess it is Jake. You have clean fingernails for a miner."

He grinned. "Good spotting. Melissa cleaned and filed them last night saying I had to look my best here today."

Matilda giggled and Jake thumped her shoulder and said she was a really nice lady.

Later when the visitors had left Lisa asked Nash what horses should she saddle in the morning.

"None, we'll load our saddles and other stuff in my ute after dinner and then at dawn drive out to Middle Creek where we keep some horses to save time because that's almost twenty-seven miles out and as you know driving is much faster than riding. We'll have one packhorse carrying camping gear and another carrying food and fencing gear to repair any breaks in fences as we'll ride the boundary line. You'll still see plenty and there are a couple of high hills we'll divert to so that you get a good eyeful of what this property is about."

"Will I see Aboriginal people?"

"No."

"Snakes?

"Maybe."

"Kangaroos?"

"Yeah, far too many. Take a rifle and you can cull them."

"No thank you. I don't shoot roos. What about you?"

"Nah, I'm prepared to have them scoff my grass. But I shoot to kill dingoes."

Lisa said she could understand that because the wild dogs attacked young livestock and even lame cattle. "I might try shooting them but I might be scare of shooting a gun."

"What you've had sex but never shot a gun?"

"That's right."

"What kind of education have you had? There appears to be gaps in it?"

"God you are rude Nash. What was sex like with Matilda?"

Nash looked at her unsmiling. "Go wash your mouth out with soap you cheeky bitch."

"Ah, you can give it but can't take it."

He just grinned and messed up her hair.

"Don't forget condoms unless you wish to make me pregnant," she said, looking at him unsmilingly and then walked off. She imagined tough-guy Nash staring at her retreating back, resisting the impulse to either shoot her or give her an obscene gesture.

Well that was partly true. Nash was staring in her direction, not focusing on her butt, and thinking well, well, here's one bit of skirt now she was well and used to him who was not scared of him and probably knew how to manage him. He liked the thought at that.

Stopping to rest the horses after a 10-mile easy walk and heading to the boundary Lisa asked, "Are we going to have sex or not? You haven't even kissed me let alone touched me."

Nash drawled, "Don't be impatient. I'd say after we cared for the horses at the end of the day, eaten and are bedding down, that sounds about right to me."

"Are you sure you're going to have sex with me instead of rolling over dead tired?"

In his exasperating drawl, Nash said, "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

They resumed their ride and later Lisa pointed out a dingo walking away from them in the distance on the neighbor's property. Nash pulled his rifle out and not stopping his horse fired and Lisa saw dust spurt up on the left side of the dog. It wheeled to the right and Nash fired again. The dingo dropped and cart wheeled and lay lifeless, or what appeared to be lifeless.

Jeepers, she thought. He'd planted that first bullet to turn it side on to him to give him a better shot. She reminded herself not to abandoned Nash by running out on him.

"How did Joey know not to rear when you fired? Milly almost unseated me?"

Nash said, "My horse is part of me. It knows when feeling me draw my rifle to expect a big bang, perhaps more."

Although impressed Lisa thought what an asshole. Was there anything he didn't know or couldn't do?"

They stopped twice for Nash to tighten sagging wires that might allow cattle through and another time for him to replace a couple of cedar stays spacing the barbed wire between the posts set at 12-feet apart. That work of course gave the horses a breather.

They stopped early to camp for the night.

Lisa had imagined they'd eat tinned baked beans warmed on the smaller gas cooker and served with thick crusty bread. But no, Irene had packed them chicken-fried rice with bread buns in the pack marked 'Day One Dinner' and Nash came up grinning digging into the second layer with apple pie. He heated the chicken and rice in the aluminum foil and after the apple pie Lisa thought she'd had a restaurant quality meal and said so. Nash grinned, "Irene's only doing what she'd paid to do" and chuckled at Lisa's indignant outburst.

She was standing watching the final display of sunset when Nash came and stood beside her. Lisa put an arm round him and he crossed an arm over Lisa's.

"So this is it," he said gruffly. "Are you sure you want me to do it?"

Lisa cussed, broke away from his grip. Dropping to her knees she unzipped him and pulled out the hardening mass and sucked the end of it, delicately.

"Ho little lady, who taught you to do that and don't you know I'll be sweaty, not having had a bath because there ain't none out here?"

Lisa's mouth was now very full so she didn't attempt to answer. Nash's response was to place a hand on her hair and wheeze, "Jesus!"

He thought that word again when the young girl, on her back, took all of him up to the hilt and continued smiling at him. Later she sat over him and gave him the best cowgirl he'd ever had.

They yawned and she stopped him rolling away from her by cuddling him.

"So you want me pregnant" You didn't wear a rubber."

"Your mom told me that if it works as nature intended you won't be able to get pregnant for another few months. If you do I'll marry you, okay?"

"My mother told you that?"

"Yeah and I reckon she fancies me."

"Christ she's my mother."

"Oh, the little kid running around on heat before she came to me has some notion of morality does she?"

"Put a sock in it Nash or I'll whack some of your teeth down your throat."

He didn't answer but rocked in silent laughter and they went to sleep.

They arrived home on the fourth day just before sunset, leaving Lisa to wonder how the hell could he have timed that, not having a watch or a compass. Perhaps he'd know where they were by counting the fence posts. She realized, however, that Nash knew his almost 250,000 acres like the back of his hand, as they say, and she knew although they had been riding four days she'd only seen less that half of the property, that is viewing it from hills.

Lenny one of the boys took the horses and Nash told him to ride them out to Middle Creek the next day and return in his ute.

"You damage that ute or horse around in it Lenny and you're dog tucker."

"Yes boss," Lenny said wide-eyed.

CHAPTER 3

During breakfast on Tuesday Nash took a call and he looked grim-faced when he returned and said to Lisa, "That was your mom. There's been an accident at the mine, a rock fall, trapping the night shift. Then your father went down with a rescue team and they are trapped be a second fall."

Lisa turned white. "Take me to the mine Nash."

"The cops have cordoned off the site, only allowing miners and family through."

"They won't stop you Nash and you know it. Stop stalling. If dad dies he dies. My duty is to be there with mom."

They heard the bad news when they arrived at the mine. The second rock fall had taken out telephone communication.

Nash asked the supervisor in charge of surface operations, "What's happening?"

"We have sent a second rescue team down and they are working on the first fall. It is probably the first fall was pretty massive, occurring over the fault that we had concreted over and probably taken that out and that's why we lost phone line contact.

"We have two air hoses down airshafts to both sections but think they have missed the mark."

"How far is it down there."

"Only 200ft but it might as well be two miles. The airshafts are too narrow to get our beer-drinking guys down?"

"Will Lisa here slip through?"

The supervisor looked at Lisa and said she might.

Nash said, "Are you game to try Lisa?"

"Yes, I want dad out of there."

"Roger get someone to get olive oil, plenty of it, from the kitchen and keep everyone away from the where we're going. Get something to tie round under her shoulders and a crane with plenty of cable and the smallest hard hat you're got, oh and a pair of the smallest boots and a radio to hang round her neck. Oh and get strong tape."