Romancing the Girl Page 20

  “You heard me.”

  Joey shook his head. “No.”

  “It’s my choice, Joe.”

  Joey continued to shake his head. “No. I’m not about to let you make yet another irresponsible decision. That’s enough. It ends now.”

  “Irresponsible decision? At least I can pay for my apparent mistakes, but what excuse do you have?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Aimee scowled and said low and deep, “Knocking up a contestant. Nice example you’re setting there, Joe. You’re a real role model. Tell me, did you propose before or after she spread her legs for you?”

  “Enough!” Joey’s voice roared through the room and echoed down the hall. He charged across the room and looked ready to slap her. Aimee held her ground…just. “That’s my future wife you’re talking about, so show some God damn respect!”

  Hot tears began to well in Aimee’s eyes. “Start earning it then.”

  Joey growled and before he had a chance to react, Sally pushed them apart. “What the hell has gotten into you two?”

  “Your sister has been living it up in the city, that’s what! Spending my hard-earned money on stock we don’t need.”

  Aimee took a step forward only to be pushed back by Sally. “Your hard earned money? Watch your ego there, Joseph, or soon you won’t be about to fit out the door.”

  “I don’t recall you doing a thing in the last quarter but spend it up, so yes, my hard earned money.”

  “At least I did my job when I was here. What did you do for half the year but stuff around and let the place fall apart?”

  “So I let a few things slide, big deal. At least I’m not sending us broke. You can’t spend that sort of money without asking, Aimee?”

  “This from the man that prostituted himself to a TV show without asking any of us if we minded. I spent my money, Joe. Not yours. Not Sally’s. Mine.” Aimee took a deep breath. “And now you’re stuck with one of them because you couldn’t keep it in your pants. Great job, Joe. Want a pat on the back for successfully studding yourself?”

  “Aimee,” Sally said, shaking her head.

  “You know what? I liked it better when you weren’t here. There was no one here to insult my fiancé, disrespect my position as manager of the station, and bitch and moan about everything and sundry.”

  “Disrespect you?” Aimee said on a scoff. “Of course I don’t bloody respect you. You’ve done nothing to earn it for months. Dad would have never let things get out of hand like you did.”

  “Yeah, well he’s not here, is he? It’s up to me to run this place.”

  “Into the ground?”

  Joey’s face turned thunderous and Sally was hard pressed to keep him back. “Fuck you, Aimee.”

  Aimee curled her lip and leant forward.

  Sally shoved herself between the two warring parties and made a cut-it-out gesture with her hands. “Stop it, the pair of you.”

  Aimee refused to be silenced. Stepping away a little thanks to the pressure of Sally’s hand in her sternum, she said quietly. “I’ve had it with you, Joey. You’re not Dad, you’ll never be half the man he was, so quit trying to act like him.”

  “I’m the only father you’ve ever known.”

  “No, Joe, you’re not. I remember Dad. He respected people. He took time to listen. You’re nothing but a wannabe with a superiority complex. Get over yourself already.” Aimee stalked off down the hallway, forced to listen to Joey’s parting shot.

  “You know what, I’m glad you’re not my kid. You’re a selfish, petulant bitch!”

  “Joseph!” Sally reprimanded him before Aimee ran outside and across the yard, tears streaming down her face.

  ***

  Packing a bed roll and a supply of food, Aimee headed for the ranges on the western flank of the property and put as much distance between herself and Joey as she could. Sandstone and shale gravel clicked under the hooves of Skycatcher as the rolling pastureland changed into thick, tree-covered hills. She urged her mount to climb up the slope through the trees to the base of a sandstone rock wall hidden within the canopy. Here, she dismounted and let Skycatcher graze on the grassy clumps around her campsite.

  They’d fought before, but never had their words been so ugly and harsh. Every syllable they’d uttered was spoken with the sole purpose to wound and bite. Swiping at the tears still rolling down her face, she poked at the fire she’d made at her campsite.

  How did they get to this? They used to work as a synchronous family unit, each person knowing their role and fulfilling it, but ever since Joey applied for that damn TV show, everything had fallen to hell. Joey’s choice to instigate his involvement in that show had seriously dented her respect for him. Once infallible and independent, now he appeared like nothing but a weak-spined fool on some ludicrous search for love.

  Instead, he invited three completely inept women to the station then impregnated one of them as though he was a stallion in a breeding program.

  “Stupid show,” Aimee muttered, tossing a stick on the fire. She sighed as she thought of Justine. That show brought her into her life, and for that, she had Joey to thank. As bitter as that thought was, she knew it was undeniable. It’s a shame that when her love life finally found its feet, her relationship with her brother suffered.

  “Stubborn idiot,” Aimee said, scratching at the dirt with her boots. Who was he to say what she could spend her money on, and how dare he accuse of her being frivolous with it. He barely asked why she purchased the horse before launching into a lecture. Something she had invested in as a token of what her future could hold had turned from hopeful to miserable in the space of five minutes. Angry and bitter, Aimee hurled a rock across the dark landscape and vowed to keep out of Joey’s way. The wanker could go jump off a cliff for all she cared.

  ***

  As the days went by in a muted war between Joey and Aimee, and despite Sally’s efforts to mend fences, Aimee had felt like an alien in her own home. Restless and uncomfortable, she had kept herself as busy as she could once she returned from her seclusion in the hills, but every night, she’d lie back in bed and feel that ache again. It was similar to the hollow feeling in Armidale. Putting it down to being homesick while in the grey urban centre, that horrid empty feeling stayed with her like a leech sucking away her motivation. Immersing herself in the daily routine of station life, she couldn’t seem to find her centre.

  Sighing, she checked the wall clock. Nine p.m. Aimee smiled. Another sixteen hours and she would see Justine again.

  Thoughts of seeing Justine tomorrow gave Aimee a sense of peace that she’d been lacking. With a smile, she picked up the letter Justine sent last week and reread it.

  Aimee,

  I miss you terribly. I know it’s only been a few days, but knowing you’re not coming to see us this weekend makes me ache with longing.

  Aimee chuckled and rolled her eyes at the dramatic wording.

  Aaron and I plan to head to his grandparent’s place next Friday straight after school finishes. We’ll pick up Dreamer and head to Yarrabee early Saturday morning. I can’t wait. As you can imagine, Aaron is very excited and is begging me to skip the last week of school. I was tempted, but unfortunately, I’m working and my holidays won’t start until school finishes.

  I hope the next nine days goes quickly.

  I love you.

  Justine

  PS: I’ve enclosed the complete season of Romancing the Farmer. Don’t tell anyone you have it! Enjoy watching! I’ll be quizzing you, so take notes. XX

  With a rub at her chest, Aimee settled back against her couch and bit her lip as she stared at the silver disc with Justine’s scribble on it. Aimee grunted in frustration. “Let’s get this over with,” she muttered, loading the DVD player. The theme song for Romancing the Farmer started and Aimee shook her head. This was going to be tragic.

  Watching the process her brother had gone through to choose Amber, Tiffany and Brittney had been fascinating the second time around. It turns o
ut that they had been the best of the bunch by a significant margin. Apparently, Joey was just as good as picking out potential females as he was at spotting pedigree horses and sheep. Joey’s interview with the host came on screen.

  “I live on a central New South Wales sheep property. Our closest town has about two hundred people, so as you could imagine, potential partners are hard to come by. I’m hoping to find someone willing to give it a go out on the station, and maybe fall for me in the process. We live on a remote property and make our own family from the people that work there. It’s not an easy life, and everyone is expected to contribute. Any potential partner I have would need to be able to do that. It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s rewarding and our little makeshift community is very close and just…well, great.”

  Joey shrugged and smiled.

  Joey was introduced to all the women and the other farmers. Aimee blinked when she recognised one young man, a childhood friend from Victoria. Joey spent more time talking to him than picking women.

  Fast forwarding through the interviews for the other men, she came to little snippets from the three girls Joey chose.

  Flicking her hair from her eyes, Brittney said, “I’m ready to share my life with somebody. I want to find the one.”

  Tiffany’s smile lit up the screen as she responded to the interviewer’s question about competing for her farmer’s affections. “I’m not used to coming second. I’m here to find love and anyone that gets in the way of that better watch out.”

  Tiffany then giggled until the screen cut to Amber.

  “I’ve reached a point in my life where change is a necessity. Location doesn’t matter, but what my heart feels does. If I feel a connection with the farmer, then I’ll do what I can to nurture that.”

  Aimee found herself raising her eyebrows. That had actually been a sensible answer. “One point for you, Amber,” she said quietly.

  Flicking again through the selection process, she stopped when the familiar backdrop of the property came into view. Wow, Justine really made it look amazing, Aimee thought as she found herself immersed in the segment on Yarrabee Station. Somewhere out there is my favourite hat, she thought idly as the segment ended. Next, the three contestants took in the sights and Aimee chuckled, remembering how annoyed she was on day one.

  Laughing as she watched the three girls trip over themselves in the shearing shed, break a nail or two on the fences, get covered in oil in the shed and mingle with the workers in the evenings, Aimee found herself highly entertained.

  Then came date number one. Brittany.

  “Oh, this is just so beautiful! I can’t believe you live like right here on this place. You know?”

  Joey smiled.

  “So, like, how big is it? I mean, the house is like huge and like you’ve got a pool and all these cottages and stuff. It must be like a few acres or something. Right?”

  Aimee rolled her eyes and groaned. Listening to this woman pre-recorded was just as bad as listening to her live. Every second word was ‘like’. “Get a dictionary.”

  Joey answered the woman as he slapped a bug on his arm. “It’s just over thirty thousand hectares.”

  “Oh.” Brittany nodded, swatting at her own insects. “So…that’s what? Like a hundred acres?”

  “Over seventy-four thousand, actually.”

  “Oh, my God! That’s like an entire country!” Brittany tipped her painted face back and laughed like a wounded hyena.

  Aimee cringed at the screen.

  “And so what do you do all day?” she asked once she composed herself, obviously not paying attention to all the work she’d done since she arrived.

  “Well, we do like we did today. Herd animals, shear them, we also have a crop of feed we tend to and sell to other properties.”

  “What do you do on weekends?” she asked.

  Aimee smiled remembering having this conversation with the other women.

  “Well, we don’t really get weekends. We work most days, but on Sunday, we just do the basics and take it easy.”

  “You work like all the time? Oh, my God. That sucks.” Brittany began waving her arms around energetically at the persistent bugs.

  Joey shrugged and looked ready to drown himself in the stagnant puddle in the creek.

  “God!” Brittany screeched. “What’s with all the bloody bugs!”

  Aimee laughed and scanned ahead to the next date.

  Date number two. Tiffany. The old shearing shed.

  Aimee smiled as a beautiful afternoon lit up the screen over the old shearing shed and remembered the kiss she had shared with Justine against the wall.

  Joey and Tiffany sat on the old ramp leading to the picnic area with a glass of wine and snacks Sally had made them.

  “Are you enjoying it out here?” Joey asked Tiffany.

  “Yeah. It’s quiet, you know. The city is so busy and loud and I didn’t notice that until coming here. You can practically hear butterflies fly.”

  Joey nodded. “Yeah, the quiet is one of the best things about the place.”

  “It’s pretty,” Tiffany said, looking at the approaching sunset.

  “How do you think you’d go living out here all the time?” Joey asked a scripted question.

  “It’d be different, but imagine the tan I’d get. No more salons for me.”

  Joey smiled at her, obviously wondering, like Aimee, if she was being serious or not.

  “But really,” Tiffany continued. “I’d do anything for the man I loved. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? Sacrifice your life for true love and all that?”

  “I’d hope the person I loved would want to be out here with me and love the lifestyle as well. We live and breathe this property. It’s our life and our livelihood. It’s not for everyone.”

  Tiffany smiled. “I know what you mean.”

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s like modelling.”

  “It is?” Aimee said as Joey’s voice echoed the same words from the TV screen.

  “Yeah. Totally. Modelling is hard work. You never get to eat and you have to work out carefully so you don’t get all muscly and boyish. You need to know how to walk in four-inch heels and look good doing it. A lot of women think they can manage it, but they just can’t, you know? They’re either too fat, too short, or too blotchy. It’s a hard business, but I was great at it.”

  “Do you still model?”

  “No. I got too old, so now I’m looking to settle down with a man that can provide me with everything I need.”

  Aimee frowned. She was sure Tiffany had been the youngest of the bunch, and was only in her early twenties.

  “Like what?”

  Tiffany’s eyes widened as though she got caught looking for a free ride. “Oh, you know, love and stuff.”

  Joey smiled politely.

  “Ugh…money grabbing wench,” Aimee said, ending the nightmare and moving on to Amber’s date.

  “Do you want a family?”

  “Yes. I do. I just need to find the right woman, you know? Someone who can handle the remote lifestyle. Be able to look after themselves and pitch in.”

  “Does it get lonely out here?” Amber asked.

  “No. At least, not for me. My family is here. My sisters, their families. Life out here is what you make of it, you know? Yes, it’s hard work, and yes it’s isolated, but it’s my passion. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

  Amber smiled at him. “I want to find that kind of passion. If I’m honest, I’m jealous you’ve already found it.”

  “I was born into it. I didn’t have a choice.”

  “Would you chose anything else if you could?”

  Joey thought for a while and soon shook his head.

  “Exactly. A lot of people want what you have. What your whole family has. All of you look so content.”

  “It’s in our blood.”

  Amber smiled at him again.

  “What about you? What are you passionate about?”

  Amber
sucked in a long breath. “I don’t know. I changed careers a few years ago. I went from accounting to nursing and I’m really enjoying it. Caring for other people makes me happy, so I think that’s where my passion lies. In caring.”

  Aimee couldn’t help but smile at Amber’s response. At least Joey had chosen the woman with the most intellect. The fact that she was pregnant was still processing. A little Joey running around the place would indeed be surreal.

  Aimee flicked to the final decision, already knowing Joey’s choice.

  “It’s hard to choose because someone’s going to go home disappointed. I didn’t want to come into this to hurt people.” Joey took a breath and looked off to the horizon. “I don’t regret sending Brittney home, because I don’t think she really enjoyed the life out here, and I need someone that can get their hands dirty. Someone willing to put most comforts aside and put in long days. Out of Tiffany and Amber, I have a pretty good idea who I want to have stay and maybe build a life with.”

  “You’ve fallen in love?”

  Joey averted his eyes from the off-camera interviewer. Aimee knew Justine would have been the one asking the question, however, the voice had been dubbed to that of the official hostess.

  “I think I have. I didn’t expect to if I’m honest. I mean, like my kid sister, I didn’t expect a show like this could bring two people together…not really. On the outside, it seems scripted and set up for heartbreak, but…” Joey stopped and smiled. “But, I think I found her…the love of my life.”

  Aimee pressed pause and stared at the screen looking for the falsehood. Sally finally confessed that Amber was nearing her second trimester, meaning that Joey had to have slept with her after the circus had finished. Assuming it was a one-night thing because he couldn’t keep it in his pants, the look in his eyes told Aimee a different story. It was a look she recognised.

  Aimee dropped the remote.

  “Well, damn.”