Free Queen of the Road by Tricia Stringer

Sadly, she wouldn’t be checking it out for a while now. Her cousin Mary said she was doing okay, but she was still facing more treatment.
    Jilly nudged his leg. Coop reached down to ruffle the dog’s ears and glanced up at the sky. No sign of the rain Alice was sure would fall early this year. Apart from a murky haze on the horizon, there wasn’t a cloud to be seen. And looking back over Alice’s carefully kept records, the district had seen little rain for the last thirteen years. Coop knew she was a good farmer, but he didn’t understandwhere her prediction came from. None of the other locals shared her optimism.
    Still, he’d fixed the seeder as she’d asked. The old machine had been kept to do small touch-up jobs, but hadn’t been used for several years now. A neighbour was always contracted to do her seeding, but Alice was anticipating that they’d all be too busy once it rained, and she wanted Coop to start the working up. She’d also been researching the planting of lucerne as a long-term pasture and was keen to give it a go over the winter.
    Fixing the seeder had given Coop a project to work on when he wasn’t checking sheep and mending fences. Farming out here at this time of the year was a waiting game. Wherever you went people were casting searching eyes at the sky, even if there was no indication that this year was going to be any wetter than the last.
    Jilly lifted her head and looked back towards the house. Then she stepped forward and gave a sharp bark. Coop noticed a trail of dust rising along the track from the road to the house. The sun glinted off a vehicle before finally he heard its motor.
    ‘Who’s this, Jilly?’
    The whole district knew Alice wasn’t home and he wasn’t expecting anyone. He flexed his shoulders and brushed the dirt and gravel from his back. He arrived at the house yard at the same time as a black BMW.
    Slowly the tinted window slid down and revealed the face of the suit guy from the pub.
    ‘Hello, you’re Coop, aren’t you?’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘It’s good to see a familiar face.’
    ‘What can I do for you, Jeremy?’
    Jeremy opened his door, put one highly polished boot on the ground then quickly pulled it back as Jilly let out a low growl.
    ‘Sit, Jilly,’ Coop commanded, trying to contain his smile as Jeremy eased himself from the car, glancing from Coop to his dog.
    ‘I’m not a dog person,’ Jeremy said. ‘People say they can sense that.’
    ‘She’s wary of strangers.’ Coop rubbed the dog’s head. ‘At ease, Jilly. I don’t think Jeremy’s going to give us any trouble.’
    Jeremy pulled his lips into a smile and shoved his hand forward to shake Coop’s.
    ‘I think I’m lost. I’ve been driving around for an hour looking for the Camerons’ place.’
    ‘Well, this property runs nearly to their back door,’ Coop said, ‘but you’re on the wrong road. You need the next one over.’ He pointed east.
    Jeremy’s eyes followed his hand. ‘Geography’s not my strong point.’
    ‘Don’t know which of the Camerons you’re looking for,’ Coop said, ‘but the parents live in town. Their son, Paul, is overseas on his honeymoon and his younger sister, Annabel, is running the place. I heard she’s living in the main house, but I wouldn’t know for sure.’
    ‘Thanks, I’m just making a courtesy call. I’ll see who I can find.’
    They were both silent for a moment.
    ‘Is this your place?’ Jeremy glanced around.
    ‘I work for the owner.’
    There were damp patches forming under the arms of Jeremy’s white shirt as he rolled up the sleeves. He tugged at his tie. ‘I didn’t realise it would be this hot.’
    Coop took in the ginger hair and red flush spreading over the visitor’s face. ‘Might pay to get a hat if you’re planning on being out and about a lot. Would you like a drink? There’s cold cordial inside.’
    ‘Cordial?!’ Jeremy’s face broke in to a broad grin. ‘I haven’t had cordial in years. That’d be