Free Leap of Faith by Fiona McCallum

into her voice.
    â€˜Well, I’d better get the cattle in. Do you mind waiting an hour or so for breakfast? I’ll come back once they’re in and before Gary arrives. I don’t want to hold him up.’
    â€˜I’ll be fine. You go. Can I help at all?’
    Steve paused, thinking. ‘I don’t think so, since you can’t drive.’
    Jessica felt a whole new rush of guilt. Today was one of the major days on their cattle-raising calendar – the marking of the calves. And she was unable to contribute, thanks to an accident that happened while she’d been playing horses. It meant Steve had to get someone else in to do what she should have been doing. He hadn’t mentioned if he was paying Gary, or if he was planning to return the favour in manpower; either way it was a cost. They had insurance for him in the case of sickness and being out of action for any significant length of time, but they’d dismissed it as not being necessary for her.
    â€˜We’ll be right, won’t we, dogs?’ Steve said cheerfully. The dogs leapt to attention.
    â€˜See you in a bit,’ he said when he was dressed. He came around to her side of the bed to give her another kiss.
    Jessica began to get up. She really would feel guilty if she was still lazing around in bed while Steve was out working.
    â€˜No, stay here for a bit. Get some more sleep. If you’re still here when I get back, I’ll bring you your breakfast.’
    â€˜That would be nice,’ Jessica said, knowing full well she’d be up the minute she heard his ute leave.
    Today she was going to actually do something. Starting with … Starting with what? What could she do that was useful? She ran through a list of chores, discounting each as she went. She couldn’t change rugs – she was too unstable on her feet to heft them over the sixteen-hand-plus horses. She couldn’t carry anything while on crutches, so feeding them was also out. She could open the gate and let them out, but they couldn’t be let out until they were fed. God, it was all so bloody frustrating! She belted the bed with her fists. She could probably manage taping a plastic bag onto her leg and taking a shower, but the last thing she needed was to slip in the wet and fall and crack her head while no one was around.
    Jessica looked around the room for inspiration. She’d stay in bed as instructed if there were a TV to keep her from getting bored, but there wasn’t and she was bored already. She needed to get up and get dressed. Yes, that was one thing she could do. And she could probably even manage a sponge bath with a face washer. And then she’d go over and get the feeds mixed at least. Surely she could carry the light plastic tubs with their moulded soft handles in her teeth? She’d give it a go.
    Feeling significantly better now she had some direction, Jessica set to. Her leg was giving her grief, but she couldn’t take the painkillers on an empty stomach. Anyway, she had to toughen up and cut back. She dragged some clothes on and then made her way outside where the chill in the air reminded her that the toes on one foot were only protected by a sock. It was a clear, still morning and in the distance she could hear the ute’s engine and the dogs barking as the cattle and their calves were rounded up and brought into the yards. A cloud of rich red-brown dust on the horizon to the east told her they were just over the rise.
    Prince and Beau had their backs to her, their heads up with ears forwards, keenly interested.
    â€˜Good morning, boys,’ Jessica called, making her way over to where they stood in the day yards. They turned to look at her, and each let out a loud neigh.
    While Jessica would have liked to tell herself they were happy to see her, she knew they were more likely to be excited about what she represented – someone to feed them and give them their freedom. She leant on the rail