"Get it together Maddison get the dam thing changed, 170klm till delivery and then we are homeward bound" Maddi huffed to herself, this was her last trip for an entire month and then she was headed for the Gold Coast to soak up some sun and whiskey oh for the taste of whiskey. It wasnt her first blow out but it was the last thing shed expected, all the tires had been checked and where needed were replaced a week ago. The thought of whiskey unlimited and meeting up with her friends and a solid month with her special Girls got her motivated as she yanked the jack out of the dog box and made her way up the trailer to change the blow out.
Maddi had finally changed the tyre got it all put away and groaned at the amount of red dust over the fresh clothes she put on at the roadhouse a few hours ago, it was not a great start to the day and this just topped it off. She'd pulled into the roadhouse at midnight, her 7 hour break meant that she would just make the delivery on time and now she was an hour and a half behind, there was no phone service to let the client know she'd be running late so she sent prayers that he was a little more laid back than the usual clients.
Chase checked his watch again, he knew there was no point checking the phone. Unless you had sattelite you werent calling anybody for miles, Ol Mickey at the roadhouse had remembered seeing the excavator parked up last night and assured him it had left a good four hours ago, meaning it should of been here ½ hour ago tops, maybe theyd broken down, with no reception and the traffic few and far between it could be hours before he got word, He really needed to get out and check the bores, the clouds rolling in and the weeks worth of heavy rain forecasted meant that if he didnt get it done today hed be doing it in the rain running the chance of bogging the old Bedford. On the brightside hed sent the ringers off for a four day break yesterday, if he got flooded in hed have some peace till the water receded.
Chase had began contemplating going out looking for the truck when he heard the familiar sound of jakes coming up the road, he grabbed his Akubra from the hook slammed it on his head and took the stairs two at a time off the verandah.
The excavator was a loaner from Harry at Cherry Blossom Station, He had two months to get the work done before Harry and Jules come back from the UK and he was excited to get started.
Chase made his way around the front of the Western Star, smirking at the uncovered Road Train signs, He remembered when he first got a start in the big bangers hed been meticulous right through training at ticking off his checklist, second trip out hed dropped his dog and forgotten to cover them up, the local seargent out at the Isa was only to happy to ensure he didnt forget again.
"hey mate i think ya lost a trailer and your......."
Maddison finished tying her boot laces as he began to speak and spun around, as her eyes hit his, Chase stopped mid sentence completely forgetting where he was even going with it. they held eye contact for a good minute before she shook her head and Maddison realised what he meant and spoke up.
"If your referring to my missing sign covers Mr Evans, I assure you I did not lose a trailer, my covers were stolen while I slept last night, the road house dont stock those and I wasnt travelling backwards to retrieve more."
Maddison hated not having control over it but as soon as she got into town she'd sort something out to get her back to the depot and retrieve more, making sure to put a second set in her dog box should it occur again.
Having the flat tyre on top of the theft had gave her a massive sense of loss of control already but when shed looked into his eyes her stomach had done flips her blood had rushed so fast she could hear it and she had momentarily forgotten her vow of celibacy she knew she needed to get this unloaded retrieve her second trailer and get to the Gold Coast for some R & R to recollect herself.
Chase felt ridiculous his mouth had hit the ground and his brain had turned to mush he couldnt put together a thought let alone a sentence, maybe he should of gone to town with the ringers and found himself a little "relief", Maybe hed denied himself a little to long, he knew hed have no shortage of takers, but to be fair a five foot eight Blonde haired, piercing blue eyed woman with the figure of a goddess who brought him goosebumps and his whole body to a throbbing ache is not something hed have anticipated landing on the station.
"Mr Evans? Mr Evans? are you ok? should i call for the Royal flying doctors? "
" ROYAL FLYING DOCTORS WOMAN? ARE YOU BLOOMING MAD, IM STILL STANDING WE DONT CALL THEM WHEN WE ARE STILL STANDING"
Maddi flinched and instinctively took a step back, she inhaled sharply and straightened her back.
"Well then Mr Evans since youre still standing how about picking your jaw up off the ground before the wind fills your mouth with dust, I'll get the chains off your new toy and we can unload and i can be on my way, In that order!"
Both of them had been so distracted they hadnt noticed the black clouds rolling in fast, there was a sudden bolt of lightening a couple hundred meters away, the crack of thunder that accompanied it had Maddi hitting the ground with her hands over her head as the rain began pelting down on top of them.
she was frozen in fear, flashbacks rolled through her head and she cried out. Chase snapped out of his trance scooped the girl up and ran for the homestead reaching the top of the stairs as another bolt of lightening struck not far away, the accompanying crack of thunder had the woman in his arms tense before going limp in his arms.
