Family Farm by Fiona Palmer Read Free Book Online Page B

sounded like Jess was still around. Izzy couldn’t wait to catch up with her.

4
    IZZY was up at four-thirty the next day to help her dad get started with harvest. The barbecue had ended early as everyone else was in the same boat with harvest and so they were all in bed by ten o’clock that night.
    Today she was going to get the old Honda fire pump going and fill its tank, then help her dad shift the field bins into the paddock. And if she could convince her father to let her, she might get to drive the header.
    After a big fry-up breakfast, she headed up to the shed that housed the firefighting gear. It sat on the back of the old yellow Toyota Land Cruiser, the same one Izzy had learnt to drive when she was eight. She did a few checks on the motor, then drove to the standpipe, which was ten minutes down the road, and filled up the tank.
    As she drove back into the shed, she saw her dad outside talking to Will. She couldn’t believe it. Her guts churned. Maybe her father had adopted him while she was away. He’d always wanted a son.
    ‘Hello,’ said Will, as she walked towards them.
    A quick nod was all she could muster in acknowledgement, before she turned to her dad.
    ‘The firefighter’s all filled up and ready to go and I checked the pump too. She’s all good, so I’ll run it up to the top paddock if you like. Have you got the new extinguishers?’
    ‘Yep. I’ll get you to run me out to the header and I’ll make a start. Will, can you take Izzy back on your bike before you head home?’ asked Bill.
    ‘Sure, no worries,’ said Will, scratching his chin, which was shadowed with light stubble.
    ‘No, Dad. I’m fine,’ Izzy said sharply. ‘I was hoping to do a few rounds with you anyway to see how the crop goes, then I can just walk back.’
    ‘No, I don’t want you hanging around up there with me. Besides, it’s a long walk back and Will’s here.’ Bill leant over to Izzy and lowered his voice. ‘It’s about time you gave him a break and got to know him. You can’t change the past, so move on.’ He turned to Will. ‘Cheers, mate. I appreciate it. Thanks for bringing over the belt for the header. Let me know how much I owe you.’ He nodded to him, then placed a couple of fire extinguishers in the back of the ute. He climbed in and waited for Izzy.
    Izzy muttered a few expletives under her breath before climbing in too. They headed off, with Will following behind on his motorbike.
    When Izzy got to the paddock, she gave it one last try. ‘Come on, Dad, a couple of laps won’t hurt. Please,’ she begged. Why was it that she always felt as though she was only ten years old around him?
    ‘Maybe later, sweetheart. Just let me get the teething problems sorted out first.’
    Yeah right, she thought, angry that he was trying to fob her off. She watched him check over the header and start his first lap around the paddock before she reluctantly headed towards Will, who was waiting patiently on his bike.
    He was astride a new-looking Yamaha, his jeans pulled tight across his thighs. He adjusted his hat as she came towards him. His reflective sunglasses made it impossible for her to tell what he was looking at. Her own eyes quickly took in his blue singlet, which fitted tightly over his chest and left his tanned, well-built arms exposed.
    ‘I don’t mind walking, if you have better things to do,’ she said, as she stopped next to him.
    ‘Come on, get on. I won’t bite, I promise.’ He gave her a cheeky smile. A tiny dimple appeared on the right side of his cheek, which they used to tease him about when he was a kid but now looked rather sexy. His jaw was lean and narrowed elegantly towards his chin and his skin was the silkiest brown. He would make a great underwear model, she thought suddenly, before shaking it from her mind, annoyed for letting herself get distracted by his good looks. Best get this over sooner rather than later. With a big sigh, she swung her leg over the bike.
    ‘Hang on,’