"Mind if we sit down?" Mason pulled out a chair and sat at the table. He waited until they both took a chair, Sami grudgingly so, if her face was anything to go by. Mason topped up their glasses before he spoke.
"As you know I own the vineyard next door. It had been my dream for years, one my grandparents encouraged and I admired them for it. When they passed away the property was left to me and I will be eternally grateful. I’ve worked hard to make it as good as I can and it is a lifestyle I love which is always a bonus. Being able to make wine, seeing it develop from the grape to what you are drinking today is the most fantastic feeling."
Sami coughed and her brother frowned at her. "Well, he's going on for God's sake. Mason, get to the point so I can say no and get back outside. I haven't even fed the horses yet."
"I had a verbal agreement with your grandfather. He was going to sell me the acreage closest to mine. Your side paddocks to be precise, about five acres all told. Then he fell ill, I left it thinking when he was well again we could do the deal on paper. But it didn't eventuate. He died before anything was written down."
She raised her eyebrows and looked him in the eye, before putting down her glass. "So now it all belongs to me you want me to follow through with the deal, correct?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Look, I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement. I'm happy to pay asking price for the land, more if I have to."
"No."
"At least think about it. I have about three months before the vines I ordered will arrive for planting. Don't rush to make up your mind."
"You already brought plants and you don't own the land? How fucking cheeky are you?" She folded her arms and looked at him with her head held high.
Mason sighed and shook his head. "Normally I wouldn't do business like this but it was all arranged when your grandfather was alive. He was keen to sell and I had no option but to order the vines I wanted when they came up for pre-order or I would have missed out planting this season. They are a very select breed and exactly what I wanted for the winery." He ran his hand through his hair, disappointment starting to take hold in his gut. "It was the first time they had come up and if I wanted to be in with a chance I had to jump."
"I don't suppose you could cancel your order then?" Sami sat with her arms crossed and her head tilted to one side, a stubborn look on her face as she glared at him.
"Uh, no, not at all. It isn't an option. They had to be ordered and paid for up front before the propagation was even started. From cutting to rootling takes a full year, so I had no choice. It's the way they work I'm afraid. All plants need time to be produced ready to the stage they are when delivery takes place."
"Well, it looks as though you are out of money, mate. I told you the land is not for sale. Try buying the other side or across the road. I don't care where but you aren't getting your greedy little hands on my land." She stood up. "Thanks for the wine, although it's not really my thing, it wasn't too bad considering."
Sami walked out the door leaving him sitting in the kitchen with her brother.
"That went well." Mason drank what was left in his glass and slammed it down on the wooden table making Garth jump.
"Don't take it too much to heart. Sami is pretty stubborn when she sets her mind on something and your father already got her back up before we got here."
"Doesn't help me at all. Sorry Garth, not your problem." He rubbed the back of his neck while he thought of his next step.
"Let it be for a bit and carry on as if nothing was wrong. She will let it churn around in her head and think about it. Don't mention it again and see what happens."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I know my sister. She is stubborn as all hell. But you have to understand we have only just arrived and even before we got here your father was hammering away at her to sell. She'd already dug her toes in before we left Alice Springs as I said so don't take it personally. Let us get used to being here and see how it goes."
"Wise words from someone so young."
Garth shrugged his shoulders "We had to grow up fairly quick when our dad died. Sami pretty much ran the farm by herself from when she was a teenager, I don't think I was much help at all. Then Mum got sick and it all went pear-shaped and we had to move into town. She misses the land so it wasn't really a good idea to try and buy it from under her, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it. How old was she when your mother got sick?" Mason leaned back in the chair, his gaze on the well-mannered teenager. He was amazed at how mature he was and now the reason was becoming more obvious.
"Two and a half years ago. I was fourteen, Sami was only nineteen and she had been doing most of the work already for the last few years since our dad died. The bank took the farm because we couldn't make the payments anymore and she got a job at the local pub. I stayed in school until I could talk her into letting me leave so I could get a
