He points angrily at the two men. “You do not help her and her fucking horses, do you hear me! You both work for me. Not her.”
“Joshua,” I whisper as I grab his hand to try and calm him down and he snatches it away angrily.
“Natasha. Not. Now!” he screams.
I start to feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment and my eyes drop to the ground.
He storms out and starts to walk at a brisk pace down to Jasper’s stable. I don’t really want to go with him after the way he has just screamed at me so I sit on the step of the office landing.
“Jason, organise a trailer for Amelie please,” the older man asks.
“She has nowhere to put them Alf, you know that.”
“Surely she can find somewhere.”
“Nobody is offering agistment locally, I have already been looking for her,” the younger man replies.
“Seriously not my problem. I’m not losing my job over this,” the older man replies.
My new ginger friend, the stray cat, comes up and rubs itself on my leg and I stroke it as I sit deep in thought. This is just bad timing for Joshua. He can’t handle not being in control at the moment. I’m just going to stay out of it. This is none of my business. It is ridiculous though, they are not hurting anyone on the
bottom paddock.
“Would you like a coffee, love?” The older man smiles gently, realising that I have stayed with them rather than follow the Psycho Chicken on a raging rampage.
“Yes, please.” I smile thankfully. “White and one please.”
He makes it and brings it out. “We haven’t formally met, dear. My name is Alf. I am the stable manager and this is Jason, my leading hand.”
I smile. “Hello.” I shake both of their hands. “My name is Natasha.”
“We know who you are.” Alf smiles.
Oh god, these men are probably Amelie’s best friends and hate my guts.
“Is it ok if I sit here?” I ask nervously. “I don’t want to intrude.”
Alf smiles warmly. “It’s fine dear, we are staying out of this too.”
I smile gratefully. “Oh good,” I whisper.
“You are from Australia?” Jason asks.
I nod. “Yes.”
“I am going there one day.” He smiles.
Oh, I like these men. “It’s a beautiful country,” I reply.
“I was offered a job as a jackeroo on a huge cattle station a few years back but I knocked it back.”
“How come?” I frown.
“It was a fly-in and fly-out farm and there were no women on the property. I’d go mad.” He laughs.
“Sex maniac,” Alf grunts and I smile. We see a saddle get thrown across the grass out of the stable that Joshua is in. Bloody hell, he’s raging like a lunatic. Obviously Amelie’s saddle. My eyes flick nervously to the two men as they look at each other.
“How two people can go from being best friends to absolutely despising each other beats me,” sighs Alf as he shakes his head.