Sheep Gully Road

CHAPTER 1

Gus Stevens pulled up at the end of his driveway, forcefully winding down his manual side window and ignoring the way the glass made the rubber seals turn inwards. The hot wind blowing in from the north hit with force, making him recoil. Those winds were never good. But then again, it didn’t have to be a fiery day for danger to rear its unforgiving head.

He reached of out the ute window, stretching to grab the welded-on fork he used as a handle on his letterbox. With any luck, Patsy might have delivered his mail early.

The letterbox shut with a slap, and he let out a long breath as he stared at his hand. Nothing except another bill. He gave it a fleeting glance before tossing it to the passenger seat where his blue heeler sat diligently. She sniffed at it, then looked up at him with a big grin, her tongue lolling from her mouth as she panted happily.

‘It’s okay for you,’ he said, reaching out to give her a loving scruff on the back of the neck. ‘You don’t have to pay them.’ He gave her a lop-sided smile, grateful for her eternal loyalty before sliding the ute into first gear and rolling towards the edge of the road. He was keen to get to town and back before anyone caught sight of him.

Gus swung onto the road, shying from the glaring sun that was popping its head above the horizon. He pulled down his sun visor, not missing the thick smell of black bitumen already heating up.

‘Stupid sign,’ he scoffed, looking at his dog to avoid the blaring “For Lease” words on the real estate sign pegged tightly in the ground of his next-door neighbour’s property. The Pilchers had left just after the accident—he hated how that was so easy to remember—and as far as he was aware, no one had given so much as a side glance in its direction. He might have inherited his run-down property from his uncle, with its sandy soil and copious amounts of coastal heathland in the Otways, but it couldn’t have been in a better spot. Not unless he wanted to consider the Nullarbor Plain as an ideal location to exist.

And he had.

But no one in their right mind would ever consider the derelict property. The thought brought a smile as he pushed back a tuft of hair from his face, the wind continuing to whirl inside the cabin, stirring up the sand he’d collected on his thongs. The tree carnage alone from the wild coastal southerly winds was enough to turn anyone away, even if the rent was cheap.

He absently shook his head as the “Welcome to Forest Gully, Established 1891, Population 200” sign slipped by him, releasing a disheartened huff. He might not be a bona fide local, but he’d been living here long enough to know most of them. He’d been welcomed with open arms, pouring himself into the community when he’d first arrived.

And now? That’s what made it so much harder to stay.

His theory these days was the that less they saw of him, the quicker they’d forget. But would they? He sure as hell wouldn’t. Never mind the fact he couldn’t afford to leave. The way the town’s economy was heading, no one in their right mind would buy his own property even if he tried to sell up.

Nope. He was stuck here, for good.

Gus pulled up in front of the General Store, looking from left to right before he forced the squeaky door open and hopped out, making a beeline for the café. Meg knew his order by heart and didn’t treat him like some of the other townsfolk. Her smile was bright as he entered.

‘Good morning, sunshine. My, aren’t we looking attractive today.’ She smirked at him with a glint in her eye as she fired up the steam on her coffee machine.

He took a quick glance at what he’d pulled on that morning, pressing his lips together at the sight of his tatty board shorts and T-shirt that had a permanent coffee stain down the front even though he’d tried with several washes to remove it. He’d resisted Nola’s recommendation of a good splash of bleach, more than sure it’d only end up looking like a gigantic bird poo. He didn’t have too many good tops and the last thing he wanted was to waste his time on shopping, so it’d have to do.

‘Haven’t seen you in a while. Same same or are we feeling like a little change up? I hear a mocha goes down pretty well in the city.’ Meg’s eyebrows wiggled, hoping to persuade him.

‘Nah, just the old old thanks, Meg. Actually, make it a double.’ He gave her a weak smile.

‘Hmm, we have got a busy day ahead then. What’s on the agenda?’ Her chirpy attitude was helping his unmotivated mood, but not enough to make him believe he deserved it.

‘Nothing special,’ he said, giving her a dismissive shrug. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind getting the old shearing shed cleaned up. Reckon I’ll need to think about shearing those cursed sheep soon. I could’ve done without that particular inheritance from the Pilchers. They’re intent on giving me grief and then some.’ He shook his head, his wry grin unmissable as she chuckled back.

Meg passed him his coffee, giving him a knowing grin as she caught his eye. ‘This one’s on the house. You get out there and enjoy, okay?’ To her credit, she didn’t press him any further.

Gus took the takeaway cup in his hands, wishing he’d asked for an iced coffee once he wrapped his hand around it. ‘Yep, sure. You too.’ He raised the cup in salute before heading out the door.

As he walked towards the General Store, his melancholy state of mind improving thanks to his first sip of caffeine, a burly bloke stopped just short of ploughing directly into him from around the corner. Gus pulled up with a jolt, his coffee shooting from the spout and dribbling down his hand with a sting . . . as he laid eyes on Ash Evans.

And as he opened his mouth to apologise, all words vanished.