Discipline Down Under (14 page)

“Colorado.”

“That’s in the middle, right?”

Peggy looked a little impressed. “Yes. Sort of the middle west.”

“I’ve never been to America. But all the American girls I’ve met were sweet like you.”

Peggy’s cheeks got red and Tripp took the opportunity to steer the women toward the house. “Ya two go inside. I’ll get the bags and follow ya in.”

Looking a little like she might run away, Peggy asked if she could help. Tripp knew his mother would assuage Peggy’s nerves, however, so he told her that he’d take care of it.

“Okay,” she said, being herded off by his mum.

* * *

The cattle station was bigger than Peg had expected. It took quite a while to cross. She’d seen some cows along the way, big, husky cows with pointy horns. She’d seen cows before, of course, at the state fair, but these seemed more intimidating, running loose like that.

Tripp’s home was a big one, and very well cared for. She liked the cheerful touches of color, so much in contrast to the endless, dull-colored desert. There was even a tree in the front yard. It was a small tree, to be sure, but it had healthy leaves and added greenery to the homey atmosphere.

Once inside the structure, Peg saw that it was tidy but lived in. The furniture in the living room left of the entryway, was comfortable looking, but not new. There was a big screen TV in a prominent position, and Peg remembered seeing a satellite dish to one side of the house. The kitchen was off to the right, behind a swinging door, and that’s where Letty led them. It was immaculate, except for a countertop where a marble slab sat, covered with flour and half-formed dough. The place smelled like blackberry pie, and Peg wondered where they got blackberries so far out in the wilderness.

“Can I get ya something, dear? Tea? Water? Milk?”

“A glass of water, if it’s all right.”

“Absolutely all right.” Letty poured from a pitcher stored in the refrigerator and set the glass down in front of Peg. “Will ya mind very much if I continue with this pie crust? It’ll dry out if I leave it long.”

“Oh, no, I don’t mind at all! Your pie smells wonderful.”

Letty looked a little pleased with herself, and went back to her baking. “I always make blackberry pies when I know Tripp is coming. They’re his favorite.”

Peg noted that for the future—though she had absolutely zero idea how to bake a pie, she could order one made by an expert. If she wanted to stick with Tripp, and she did, she needed to pay attention to these little clues from his family.

Peg’s phone chimed. “Excuse me.” She dug the device out of her jeans pocket and spent several minutes texting back and forth with a college friend who was fascinated with Australia and Peg’s experiences there.

Once Peg put the phone down on the table where she sat, Tripp’s mother started up a conversation.

“So, tell me about yerself, Peg. Tripp only said he was bringing a girl with him, but I couldn’t get him to tell me much. I wish he’d told me ya were such a pretty girl. A mother likes to know these things.”

Peg preened a little at Letty’s compliment, but also got irked that Tripp hadn’t told his mother anything about her. “Thank you. Well… I’m learning to be a photojournalist. That’s how I met Tripp. He was my guide through the bush as I was photographing birds and small animals. He’s very good at his job.”

Letty didn’t take up the subject. “Ya like birds?”

“Love ‘em. Tripp knew a lot about them, too.”

“We have a few emu on the station. Maybe you’d like to observe them while yer here.”

That sounded fantastic. “Are they pets?”

“Oh, no. They’re livestock. We eat them occasionally.”

Eating an emu sounded barbaric, but of course, Peg ate chicken, turkey, and duck with no qualms. She’d had pheasant and quail a number of times as well. An emu was only different because it was so big. “Oh. Well, I’ve never had emu.”

“We only have them at Christmas, when the whole family is here. They make a large meal.”

“Of course.” After she’d asked him directly during the car ride down to Ruf Springs, Tripp had told her about his younger brother, William, and his younger sister, Abby. If they all brought friends to the feast, even a bird as large as an emu might not go to waste.

A little child, about three years old, came running into the kitchen, holding her finger, tears running down her cute little face. “Granny! Granny, I got a boo-boo!”

Immediately, Letty put down her pie crust and wiped her hands on a towel, squatting down to be on the child’s level. “Let me see, Danni.”

Danni thrust out her finger.

“Oh, my, a scratch. That must hurt. How did ya get it?”

“I was coloring and the paper bit me.”

“Goodness. Well, let’s put a Band-Aid on it so that the paper won’t bite ya again.” She turned to Peg, and the little girl saw her for the first time. In response, she snuggled up against her grandmother shyly. “Will ya excuse us, Peg? Medical emergency,” she said with a wink.

“Of course.” As they left the kitchen, Peg tried to remember if Tripp had told her about any children in the family. For a moment, she wondered if the child was Tripp’s, but, of course, he’d have talked about her more if she was. Of course, he would. Then she remembered that the little girl was actually Abby’s daughter. Although Abby had never married, at seventeen she’d had a baby. She was Peg’s age now. If that had happened to Peg, her family would have had a conniption fit. But Danni was well loved, if Letty’s response to her was any indication.

After a few moments, Tripp came in. “How are ya and Mum getting along?” he asked, getting himself a glass of milk.

“Pretty well, I think. She had to take care of Danni for a minute.”

At that moment, Danni came running in and grabbed Tripp around the legs. “Unca Tripp! Unca Tripp!” Tripp scooped her up and hugged her tight, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Danni, luv! Oh, how you’ve grown. Yer practically like yer mum already.”

“Mum is pretty,” Danni said with enthusiasm. “Am I pretty too?”

“Very pretty,” he said seriously, though Peg could see a twinkle in his eyes. She gave him another hug and hung on to him, not wanting to be put down. Once again, when she saw Peg, she behaved shyly, burying her face in her uncle’s chest, but peeking out a little to see the newcomer.

“Have ya met my friend Peggy?’

Danni shook her head. “I have a boo-boo. See?” She held out her finger, now sporting a plastic bandage with cartoon characters on it.

Tripp took the tiny finger and gave it a peck. “All better.”

“That’s what Granny said, too.”

“So it must be true.” He held her hand, indicating Peg with a nod. “Now be polite and say g’day to Peggy.”

Half muffled against Tripp’s shirt, she spoke in her adorable little girl voice. “G’day, Peggy.”

“G’day, Danni. I like your bandage. What cartoons are the little pictures from?”

That got the conversation rolling, and pretty soon Tripp was able to put the chatterbox down and finish his glass of milk.

Letty came in and gave Tripp an affectionate squeeze around his shoulders in passing as he sat in a wooden chair. She went back to her pie crust. Danni chattered on for a few minutes, but the child started acting tired.

Her grandmother gave her a glass of milk and told her to drink it up and then it would be naptime. That got a very pouty reaction and an argument, but Letty carried the day, and Danni had her milk and got carted off to bed.

The trio made small talk until Tripp excused himself and Peg, wanting to show her her room.

As they went through the cool house toward the back, Peg asked, “My room? Isn’t my room your room?”

Tripp shook his head with a forlorn smile. “Not unless ya want to get married really quick. Separate rooms.”

“Isn’t that a little old-fashioned? I mean, who is that going to fool?”

“Exactly no one, but it’s a kind of sop for my grandfather. He’s not exactly of the modern world, and the whole family likes to defer to him.”

She and Tripp would have a tough time making love if they were in separate rooms. “Oh.” Her voice had a pout not unlike Danni’s, but she tried to keep her disappointment under control.

Tripp stopped at a doorway and bent close to her ear. “We’ll find a way,” he whispered.

That was a little more promising, so she quickly gave him a kiss on the lips followed by a smile. “Okay. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Ya do that, sheila.”

With a nod, he indicated that she should enter the room they stood before. It was a tidy room, sweet smelling of cedar. There was a full-size bed, covered with a brightly colored quilt, two fluffy looking pillows, a night table with a ceramic lamp, and a chest of drawers that had seen better days, but still looked sturdy and clean. Peg had brought all her clothes from Katherine, since she and Tripp had never decided how long they’d stay. She knew he couldn’t remain away from his business for too long. Peg’s suitcase sat on the bed, waiting for her attention.

“I should unpack.”

“Right. I’ll come get ya in a few minutes and we’ll go take a tour of the near buildings. I have a couple of horses I’d like to introduce ya to.”

Horses were something she could relate to. Although her parents had put their foot down at her begging for a pony, she’d gone riding at friend’s hobby ranch a few times. She wasn’t a horsewoman, by any means, but she could sit a saddle for a limited time.

Excited to see more, Peg agreed and they parted at the doorway.

After Tripp came to get her, they headed out of the house and toward some buildings. Tripp showed her the barn, the tool shed, and the equipment shed. There were men working all over the places they visited. It was a big station, employing many people according to Tripp.

They ended up by a corral where there were six horses. Tripp whistled and one trotted over to him, nuzzling him affectionately. Tripp produced a carrot out of his pocket and the horse ate it enthusiastically, whickering when he was done.

“This is Mountain Sunshine.”

Peg arched a brow. “
Mountain
Sunshine? Isn’t that a little… weird? I mean, there are no mountains around here.”

Tripp grinned. “Maybe. But I like it. And ya ought to know all about mountain sunshine, coming from Colorado.”

That was surprising. “What do you know about Colorado?”

“A bit. A friend from uni, a geology student, was planning on moving to Colorado to study mining. He had travel brochures and shared his knowledge with me.”

“Ah. Sounds like you know a lot about Colorado. I’m trying to learn about your country, too. The hard way, mostly,” she muttered.

“Chin up, luv. I haven’t spanked ya in days.”

“I am improving, aren’t I?” Her phone chimed and she pulled it out of her pocket. She thumbed the virtual keyboard for a few minutes. Tripp went on bonding with his horse while she did. It seemed like all of her friends were coming out of the woodwork, sending her texts and email, commenting on her Facebook and Twitter posts, wondering where she’d been and did she have pictures. She didn’t want to share the few phone pics she had, except for one of Tripp. That one she shared with her BFFs liberally. They all oohed and ahhed appropriately. Looking up from the keyboard, she grinned at Tripp. “Mandy thinks you’re hot. I shared a picture of you on Facebook.”

He rolled his eyes. “Shouldn’t ya have asked me first?”

“I didn’t think about that.”

“Be more considerate next time.” His voice was firm but patient.

Peg felt rather foolish. “Yes, sir.” She really should have asked before bragging about him to everybody. He was obviously embarrassed by the attention.

“And, Peggy, ya need to put yer phone away for a while. Real people are more important than folks on a telephone signal. Yer friends can wait until yer alone.”

“But—”

“I’m asking ya nicely.”

“Okay. One more text and then I’ll mute it and put it back in my pocket.”

He nodded and she sent her text. Dutifully, she muted the phone, but she didn’t tell him she’d left it on vibrate. He couldn’t argue. He’d agreed to no chime.

It was getting rather dark, but outdoor floodlights came on around the work areas. Moths started to gather around the white beams.

Letty called from the house. “Dinner’s on!” She banged a wooden spoon against a sauce pot, and the clanging brought a pair of men from the barn.

In the beams from the spotlights, Peg could see clearly that these were Tripp’s father and grandfather. He was the very image of them. The three generations were identical in features, except for Tripp’s eyes, which were green like his mother’s rather than gray like his father and grandfather.

The men stopped to greet Tripp.

“Welcome home, son!” his father said, giving him a hearty slap on the arm. Tripp’s grandfather said the same and slapped him on the other arm.

“Who’s the sheila?”

Tripp put his arm around Peg’s shoulders, something he hadn’t done in his mother’s presence. “This is Peggy Fisk. I brought her home to meet ya, sorry old men that ya are.”

“Hmph,” said the grandfather.

“Peggy, this is John Ruf, my grandfather, in case ya couldn’t tell by his wrinkles.” He shared a wink with her and she knew Tripp was teasing his elders. “And this is Emmett Ruf, my dad. Watch out for him. He’ll pinch yer bum if yer not looking.”

Emmett laughed. “That I would.”

“Hands off my girl,” Tripp replied with a stern voice, but Peg could hear the laughter there, too.

“It’s nice to meet you, John and Emmett,” she said, offering her hand. They both shook it gently in turn. Though their hands were big and callused, they were mindful of how much smaller she was than they.

“Come in and eat!” Letty shouted, banging her pot again. She sounded a little impatient this time.

The group walked toward the house. “Where are your brother and sister?” Peg asked.

“William’s away at uni. Abby is around here somewhere. Probably tending to Danni.”

“I didn’t see Abby in the house earlier.”

“Abby likes to tinker with the motorbikes. She was probably in the shed.”

Peg couldn’t imagine working with her hands in such a greasy, dirty way. Abby’s nails must be awful. But then, it must be satisfying to make something broken whole again. It was an interesting idea to contemplate. Fleetingly, Peg wondered if she could be good with her hands like that. Sometimes, it felt like she couldn’t be good at anything but spending her parents’ money.