After her initial fears, it wasn’t that bad. She did the first lamb, let it go, grabbed another, and soon, they were powering through the herd.
The sky was darkening with storm clouds by the time the last lamb had been done. With no time for a sit-down lunch to rest her weary back, Libby grabbed a couple of apples and water bottles and met Tom at the stable to find he’d already saddled her horse.
“We need to get the cattle to higher ground first, and then if we have time, I want to move the pump up as well. Damned thing is a pain to clean out if it goes under water, which is more than likely by all accounts.”
“What makes you think this is going to be worse than any other wet season?”
“I’ve got a mate in Longreach, Kerry Doyle. His thing is the weather, studies it like some people study the stars. The high hanging over the top end of Australia is going to bring massive amounts of water according to him. He reckons there’ll be a lot of flooding in some of the low-lying areas, and we could be isolated from town if we’re unlucky. He seems to think we will be, so I want to be prepared for anything, and he’s usually right.” Tom gazed around at the stock they needed to herd into the top paddock. “I’ve told all the neighbors, so it’s now a case of every man for himself. Can you ride around the top side, Libby, and I’ll open the gate and meet you round the back of the stock.”
Libby cantered off on her horse to do Toms bidding, yelling at the cattle to move them on to the next paddock and higher ground as the rain started to fall steadily in thick sheets.
By the time they had the pump up out of the path of the water, it was late afternoon, and they were both chilled to the bone with the drenching weather. The rain was getting heavier, and the thunder was getting closer, making the late afternoon sky dark, broken only by flashes of lightening.
“The kids will be wondering where we are.” She cast her eyes skyward, the chill getting into her bones.
“They’ll be all right. Winton will know we’re out getting ready for the storm, and he’s seen it all before. Besides, they’re safe together at the house.” Tom pushed her out of the way and took the reins of her horse. “You go up and get dry. I’ll put the horses away.”
Libby thanked him and headed for the bathroom for a long soak in the deep, old-fashioned bath. She was frozen from the rain, and her back was hurting in places she didn’t know she had. She just needed to soak and relax for an hour before she started dinner.
She filled the bath with hot water, adding a generous amount of scented bath oil, and gingerly lowered herself in. A great sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back in the tub. She reached for a soft cloth, Libby soaped it up and ran it along her arms and shoulders, the suds clinging to her throat before sliding down her wet body and collecting on her nipples before floating onto the water’s surface.
Libby soaped her hands and ran her fingers over her now perky nipples, her eyes closing as she relaxed. The image in her mind was of Nathan whipping her body into a frenzy, and she slipped lower in the water, her fingers sliding down her body.
“Mum, Mum, wake up.” Holly stood leaning over the bath shaking Libby’s arm.
She bolted upright, the water around her now almost cold. Libby looked at her daughter standing beside the bath and groaned.
“Mmm, sorry. I must’ve fallen asleep, baby.” She sat up and pulled the plug from the bath, sitting in the cool receding water until she got her bearings. Libby pulled a towel from the rack beside her and pulled herself up. She wrapped herself in it before stepping from the tub. She dried off and walked to her room, her weary aching body screaming for sleep. Ignoring her soft, inviting bed, she walked past it and pulled clothes out of her dresser, mechanically pulling them on. She ran her hand through her hair, twisted it up and clipped it in a knot. Then Libby padded barefoot to the kitchen with Holly and Henry trailing beside her.
“Tom, I am so sorry.” She glanced guiltily at the dinner he’d cooked while she had languished in the tub. ‘“You worked harder than me, and you should be the one resting, not me.”
“Stop beating yourself up, woman.” He grabbed plates from the sideboard and laid them out on the table. He then dished up a big feed of bacon and eggs and chips. “The world won’t fall apart if you don’t have everything under control, you know.”
“I know you’re right, but I’m not used to having anyone doing for me.” She gladly accepted the food, the smell waking her and making her stomach rumble loudly.
“Deal with it.” Tom smiled. “If it makes you feel any better, you can do the dishes.”
“Done.” She would’ve agreed to just about anything and tucked into her food. It’d been a hard few days, and tomorrow wouldn’t be any easier. Tom gave her the lowdown on what they had to do tomorrow to keep the house safe from the coming storm. They had to batten down everything they could and the shed to clear in case the water swamped that as well.
When they woke the next morning, it was to the sound of heavy rain tattooing a steady beat on the old tin roof. The water overfilled the gutters and fell in sheets around the house. The humidity in the ground and the rain combined to fog up the windows Holly was drawing stick fingers on.
Tom was in the kitchen pouring a cup of tea when she walked out. “I’d advise you to keep the kids home from
