A Farmer's Christmas Read online

  Raven’s realization didn’t stop there. Her stomach fluttered with excitement. Realization flooded through her. She would give the club idea a go. Hell, she might even cook a cake in Janette’s kitchen by herself to sell on a fundraising table. It wasn’t so much she had to, but she wanted to. Because of Ben. It wasn’t as if she were changing for him, only adapting. One thing was becoming clear for her, and that was she owed it to him, to herself, for them both, and for the sake of the future children they would have.

  With the decision of how she wanted her future with Ben, here in the country, her mind snapped back to reality.

  “Shit, we need to get out of here.” She put the car in reverse. Looked back at Ben as he turned to face them. His face was a mix of surprise and then anger. He mouthed ‘go.’

  Raven didn’t need him to repeat it. She should’ve argued with Janette, stood up to her, but things had been going so well between them, they were bonding, getting to know each other, that she hadn’t wanted to do anything that might upset that delicate balance.

  Quickly, she reversed her car, turned around, and high-tailed it back to the farm. The further they got away from the fire, the easier it was to breathe, but the tension remained with her.

  The fire was too close to the farm for her liking.

  The phone rang as soon as Janette and Raven walked into the farmhouse. Janette sprung to life and rushed to get it.

  “Anne, yes, I’ll come in with the sandwiches.”

  Raven knew damn well that’s where they should’ve gone in the first place. She knew now. She hoped Ben wasn’t going to be too upset with her. Worry kept her stomach in knots.

  “No, we’ll stay here.” Janette abruptly hung up the phone and stomped back down to the kitchen.

  “I’m putting the kettle on.”

  It was Janette’s solution to everything. Raven wanted to know what made her so upset when she felt the buzz of her cell. She took it out of her pocket. There was a message from Ben, her heart quickened, thumping hard in her chest as she read the message. Her hands shook.

  This can’t be happening.

  Raven read the message again.

  Ben: Fires out of control, it’s coming your way. Get Mom and go into town. NOW.

  “We’re going into town.” Raven looked at Janette.

  “No, I’m staying here. I’m going to fight. I’m not going to let a bloody fire destroy all the hard work my husband did before he died…” Her words choked in tears.

  “Leaving won’t destroy that. Your life is more important.” Raven suspected that might’ve been what the call was about. They were told to leave. She took a deep breath, trying to find the words quickly to motivate her to get in the car. She’d seen the flames and knew that there was no way she had the means to fight back.

  “This is what Ben wants, and you know he’s fine. Don’t make him worry.” She typed back a message to Ben.

  Raven: Leaving now.

  Janette took a deep breath.

  Raven cut her off. “You saw how bad it was out there just now. We have a car full of food, and I can only guess that there are people who’ll need your help in town. Get in the car now.” Raven put her hands on her hips.

  Janette paused, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.

  Raven’s mind raced and wondered how things would go if she went up to Jeanette and grabbed her arm and tried to drag her back to the car. She was beginning to get worried, Janette was going to be bloody stubborn.

  “I’ll grab Rex.”

  Raven breathed, her pulse racing. “Hurry.”

  She stepped outside, fighting the urge to go back inside to grab her things. What was going to happen to the alpacas? And Evie? Her own eyes began to water with emotion.

  She coughed from the smoke in the air as she rushed with Janette to the car. She held on to Rex, who by some miracle was calm.

  Snipper ran up to them, and Raven opened the back seat for him to jump in. She’d put all the alpacas in there too if they would fit, and if they had time. It felt like they had no time. She glanced up the road where they had driven before. Not only could she see the smoke but also the flames. There was only one way out of the farm in her city car.

  “Quickly.” She opened the door, glad that Janette could get in on her own even though she was holding the cat. She figured things might go south with the cat and the dog in the car, but there was an eerie silence inside as she slammed her door.

  Usually, she would drive carefully along the unsealed driveway. For the first time, she put her foot down on the accelerator, ignoring the bumps, and drove as fast as she dared. Her heart was squeezing, hoping against the odds there would be a home and alpacas for her to return to.

  Monday, December 23rd

  Raven barely had any sleep. She and Janette had gone into Keith, where fortunately Anne had met them, and helped to calm Janette, reassuring her that they had to leave the farm. They had spent the rest of the day helping prepare food for the people fighting the fire. All the time Raven had thought about whether or not the place she was beginning to call home had burned down or not.

  At dusk, Anne said that they would come back to her place. Raven didn’t mind the option of sleeping on the couch. Life was much better than material possessions. She just hoped that the alpacas were safe and sound. Rex was making himself at home at Anne’s, and Snipper was his usual happy self, claiming the backyard as his own.

  Raven texted Ben to say where they were and that they were safe. He snuck into Anne’s place in the early hours of the morning exhausted, smelling of smoke and covered in ash. He could barely string a sentence together, so Raven had let him fall asleep in a pile of blankets on the floor next to the couch that was her bed for the night. She didn’t know if the farm were safe or not, or if Evie was alive, and it made it harder to sleep, along with the incredibly uncomfortable couch. Despite all of that, she must’ve managed to fall asleep, at least for a little while.

  The sound of someone in the kitchen, the kettle boiling, and the clinking of plates on the table caused Raven to wake. Enough light filtered out from the kitchen allowing her to see a little, even though the light coming in between the cracks at the edge of the blind suggested that the sun had definitely risen for the day. She looked over to see Ben sound asleep.

  He stirred, eyes fluttering as if they were deciding whether or not to face the day.

  “Hey,” said Raven when he turned his head and looked at her. He groaned as if hungover. His eyes were bloodshot, and soot was smeared on his face.

  “I better get back out there.” He groaned again as he sat up.

  “I think you need more rest.” She sat up on the edge of the couch, her bare feet touching the carpeted floor.

  “Not until the fire is out.”

  “But…”

  He put up his hand to stop her, shook his head, then got up from where he’d been sleeping on the floor.

  “You worried me by coming to the fire yesterday.”

  “I’m sorry. Your mom wanted to drop off some food. I couldn’t stop her… I wanted to see you.”

  He took a long, deep breath as if trying to clear his lungs.

  There was a burning question she had to ask. “Are the alpacas… is Evie…”

  “They’re fine.”

  She breathed out heavily. “Thank God.”

  “The fire came close, though.”

  “How close?” She swallowed hard and braced herself for whatever Ben was going to tell her.

  “You’ll understand when you see the place.”

  “Can I go there today?”

  “I don’t think so. There were people stationed around there during the night to keep a watch if there were any flare-ups. It would be safer if you stayed in Keith, at least until you hear otherwise.”

  It would be safer if you didn’t go and fight the fire, but she didn’t say those words. Of course, he had to go. She couldn’t believe how people were coming together and helping out.

  Raven stood
up and wrapped her arms around his waist. He smelled of smoke and sweat, and she didn’t care. She was glad to be able to put her arms around him and to hold him. He squeezed her tightly, and she rested her head on his chest. She didn’t want to let him go. It would mean he would be going back to the fire and put his life in danger again.

  “It scared the hell out of me seeing you there, so close to the fire,” his voice soft in her ear. She tightened her grip around his waist, pulling him as close as possible to her.

  “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you,” he added. His words caused her eyes to fill with tears and were heartening to hear—a reassurance especially after she had made up her mind for once and all that she was going to be a farm girl and no longer a city girl.

  Raven blinked quickly, just stopping the tears from falling. She looked up at him. As much as she hated to have to let him go, she knew she had to.

  “Stay safe. I have your Christmas gift, and I want to be able to give it to you,” said Raven.

  He smiled at her. His eyes were tired, worried, looked directly into hers. “I look forward to opening it on Christmas Day.” He kissed her, a brief, smoky touch on her lips, and then he left.

  Raven’s heart squeezed painfully knowing that he’d gone back to the fire. She sat at the kitchen table, instant coffee in front of her, along with Janette and Anne.

  Ben’s absence was noticeable and a sign that the fire was still burning.

  “Ready to make some more sandwiches?” asked Janette.

  “Absolutely.” Raven took a sip of her coffee. “Though I must admit that I don’t think I’ll be able to make another sandwich, let alone even eat one after this.”

  “I know what you mean,” said Janette. She tried to smile. “I’m sorry I should’ve known better than to get you to drive to the fire and refuse to leave.”

  “We got through it,” said Raven, smiling at Janette. “And we better get on with these sandwiches.”

  “I’ll get the bread lined up,” offered Anne.

  “Do we have enough bread?” asked Raven.

  “I’ve already been to the supermarket,” said Anne.

  Raven felt a little bad that she’d been left sleeping. “You should’ve woken me.”

  “It didn’t take long. Come on, we should get these sandwiches made and over to the town hall.”

  With the three of them pitching in to help, it didn’t take long for the sandwiches to be made and packed. Raven drove them to the town hall. For the second day, she set about helping to make sure there was food to be eaten, and the urn boiled so people could make a hot drink.

  At least the weather today was a bit cooler.

  Raven saw an older man sitting by himself, looking sad.

  “Want me to get you a cup of tea?” asked Raven.

  He shook his head.

  “I’m Raven.” She sat down next to him.

  “Brumbie.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” She remembered Ben saying that he’d lost his home in the fire. It was just him on the farm, his son deciding not to stay and lived overseas in London working in some high-powered job.

  “You and me both,” he mumbled.

  “Will you rebuild?”

  “I’m too old for that. Only one shed survived the fire, and all that’s in there is a rusty old printer and some old farm equipment that’s worth nothing.”

  “A printer?” Raven remembered the odd idea of making her own cards yesterday.

  “It’s not good, run by hand, rusted to buggery, made in 1903.”

  “Why did you have it?”

  “Bought it in an auction about thirty years ago. My boy was interested in printing, or so I thought. I had hoped we could restore it together, but he had the city lights in his eyes and left as soon as he could.”

  A crazy idea formed in her head. This could be a chance for her to help Brumbie and also add another stream to her graphic design business. Would he be up for the challenge?

  “Could you restore it now?”

  “I reckon I could, but there’s no point. There’s no one to use it.”

  “I could use it.”

  She smiled, seeing the surprised look on his face.

  “You?”

  “I want to print my own cards. Could this printer do the job?”

  “Old Marg could do the job, but it will take a bit of work for that to happen.”

  “Old Marg?”

  “That’s her name.”

  Raven liked to see how his face was beginning to come alive. “That’s a good name for a printer from the 1900s. I could help you restore it if you like.”

  Brumbie paused, rubbing his prickly chin from the beard growth. “You know, this could work. I’m going to have to live in town now, and I don’t want to. But this, finally getting to bring life back to Old Marg could be a good hobby for me.”

  “Good.”

  “You know what? I’ve got a few other old machines in that bloody shed.”

  “Now you’ve got the time, looks like you’re going to be very busy.”

  He smiled at her. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For the great suggestion to…” He shrugged his shoulders. His eyes went watery. “Just thank you.”

  “My pleasure, and you know I’m completely serious about using Old Marg and printing cards. I don’t know if I’ll make any money.”

  “Money is overrated.” He winked at her. “I’ll have you helping me. You know, Ben’s a very lucky man.”

  Raven giggled. It felt good not to be so heavy with worry. “I’m pretty lucky to have him, I think.”

  “Raven,” Janette yelled out her name sharply.

  Panic rose inside of Raven, and she turned to see Ben’s mom hurrying toward her.

  “The fire...”

  Raven held her breath. No.

  “It’s all fine… they’ve given us the all-clear to go home.”

  Home. Raven smiled as a tear slid down her cheek. She could finally go home.

  Ben drove his ute along the driveway, the sight of his home, more comforting than he ever remembered. They had done it. All of them worked hard to keep the flames from destroying his farm and keeping his alpacas safe. But it wasn’t without loss. Or damage. The fire had come close to their home, marked by the burned areas, some only a few yards from the house. One of the wheat paddocks was lost in the fire, the valuable grain burned and scattered to ash instead.

  He parked the ute and was happy to see that the shed was still standing and hadn’t been destroyed. He got out and was given a hero’s welcome by Snipper jumping on him, tail wagging over excitedly. He patted him, glad his dog was safe. He just had to see Raven. He reeked of sweat and smoke, but he wanted to take her in his arms and simply hold her.

  Ben knew just where to find her.

  He strode down to the alpacas. There she was, leaning on the fence, watching them. He smiled to himself. She wore shorts and a shirt, hair blowing in the warm afternoon light breeze. The sight of her in the light of the setting sun was the only comfort he needed.

  Raven suddenly turned around. She smiled, her eyes lit up with relief. “Ben.”

  He rushed toward her, scooped her into his arms, and spun her around.

  “It’s over?” she asked.

  He kissed her hard on the lips, enjoying every bit of finally being about to do so.

  Ben nodded, placing her on the ground. They might’ve lost a crop, and money was going to be super tight for the next year, maybe even two years. He didn’t care. All that mattered was that he could hold Raven in his arms.

  Tuesday, December 24th

  “Will it always be like this?” Raven asked as she began washing the dirty dishes in the sink. She’d been helping Janette prepare the Christmas turkey ready to start cooking in the morning.

  “Having this many people over for Christmas?”

  Raven wasn’t sure how they were going to feed so many people. Anne and her boyfriend were outside setting up table
s and chairs which they’d borrowed from the town hall. Brumbie wasn’t the only one to lose his house, a young family with two young girls also lost everything. They were all coming here for Christmas Day lunch.

  “No, Ben on the harvester when it’s Christmas tomorrow.”

  “Yes, we don’t often manage to get the harvest finished before Christmas.”

  Raven didn’t mind. At least there were still paddocks for Ben to reap. They came too close to being burned in the fire.

  “I’ve been thinking,” said Janette suddenly.

  “About what?”

  “I’m moving out.”

  Raven fumbled with the cup she was washing at the sink, just managing to hold the grip so it didn’t break. “What?”

  “You heard me. I’m moving out.”

  “You can’t.” Raven blurted out the words. This was the last thing she wanted. Now. A few days ago, she would’ve celebrated. So much had changed so quickly with the fires. Raven had seen what it meant to be part of a community and a family, all sticking together no matter what.

  “I can so.”

  “I don’t want you to.”

  “You two love birds need your space.”

  Raven hoped she wasn’t blushing at those words. “I’m sorry about the other day. It won’t happen again.”

  “But it will.”

  Fuck it better not, thought Raven.

  “This is your home, and you’re staying,” said Raven.

  “But you and Ben, well… you two need privacy.”

  “We’ll just have to go on holidays, then.”

  “Planning on going on a lot of them, are you?”

  Raven quickly turned away to grab the dirty plates so Janette wouldn’t see the shock mixed with blushing on her face. Janette had a way of sharpshooting to the point, that was for sure. Raven grinned to herself, realizing she was getting used to it instead of being offended.

  “If my graphic designs take off.”

  “Better hope they take off then, you’ll need the money.”