With full bellies, a backpack of snacks and a flask of coffee, they set off. Jena had the vague idea they’d follow the track deeper into the farm and then veer off to the swimming hole. It had been so long since she’d been there, and almost never without an adult to watch over her while she swam in the river that came straight off the mountain.
But first, they had to make it past the barn. She gripped Cade’s hand harder as they neared it, until he gently pried his fingers free.
‘Is that where it happened?’ he asked, all nonchalant, as if he wasn’t talking about the spot where her family had died.
She nodded, unable to force any words out. Instead she tugged him on, past the barn and around the curve of a hill until she couldn’t see it any more.
‘You don’t think it’s too cold for a swim?’ Cade asked. He had his jacket on, but Jena wasn’t wearing hers. Sure, there was a chill in the air, but the sun was out and the day was only going to get warmer. They had enough snacks to tide them over till early afternoon if they wanted.
‘Oh, so if it’s the sea it’s never too cold, but here is different?’ She laughed. ‘I’ve got you to keep me warm.’ She slipped her hand into his again.
‘Like that is it.’ He pulled her to a stop and faced her, leaning in to kiss her deeply. She kissed him back, relishing in the taste of him, the comfort of the known.
Then she laughed and pushed him away. ‘You keep some of that heat for the swim, and I’m sure we’ll be fine.’
‘I didn’t pack any swim gear, you know that.’
‘Neither did I.’ She winked at him and took off at a run, her gumboots clomping against the gravel track. He chased after her, catching up in no time and spinning her in his arms.
‘Not letting you get away that easily,’ he said, linking their hands again and settling them at a good walking pace. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the right gate. She knew it was this one because the water trough was just to the right. A few sheep milled around the paddock, but they scattered when Jena opened the gate and pushed through, making sure to close it behind them.
She didn’t need Rose telling her off because some sheep got loose. The woman might be basically bedridden, but Jena had no doubt the news would somehow get back to her.
‘How much further?’ Cade asked. ‘And are you sure you know where we’re going? There’s no path here.’
‘Of course there’s no path. No one comes here. It’s just Rose on the farm, and now Will. I expect no one’s been out here in years.’ She gripped his hand harder, tugging him towards the stand of trees on the other side of the paddock.
They towered over her, so much taller than when she’d been a kid. It was a wonder they were still standing, despite the fierce winds that blew through here at times, like sentinels keeping watch over the land.
Jena and Cade stepped into their shade, the foliage and branches blotting out the sun and leeching away some of the heat, dappling their skin with mottled patterns created by layers and layers of leaves. Jena held her arm out, watching the shadows move across her skin as she walked, soaking in the peace the trees exuded, their lives extending way back before hers, their roots sinking deep into this land her family had lived on for so long.
Jena giggled, feeling lighter than normal, more at peace out here, away from everything. Like her everyday worries were small and petty in the grand scheme of things.
She’d lived in towns for too long, had forgotten the raw vitality of being away from it all. She let go of Cade’s hand and trailed hers over tree trunks, enjoying the sensation of the bark, rough against her fingers.
A branch snapped loudly when she stepped on it, and birds shot from the trees into the air, briefly darkening the sky even more. Jena pressed herself against Cade, who wrapped his arm around her.
‘Still scared of birds? I’d have thought you’d like them, growing up in the country.’
‘Most birds are okay, just not magpies.’
‘What did they ever do to you?’ he asked.
They’d been over this before, but she’d never told him the truth, so she resorted to her old lie again. Well, a truth, but not her truth.
‘School cross-country, remember? They’d dive down on us, peck our heads. Awful birds.’
‘Well I hope we don’t meet any scary, scary magpies out here.’ He wiggled his fingers like he was talking about ghosts or something.
‘You’d better hope not, because I’ll be taking cover under your body and you can take the hits for me.’ She punched him in the arm playfully and darted forward. She could hear the rush of water in the distance and she took off towards it, letting the sound guide her.
Jena burst from the bushes into the sunlight to see the river expanding into a large pool, carving into the face of a cliff before meandering back and then down the valley. Cade stepped out beside her, a little sound escaping his throat, making Jena think he was actually impressed. She grinned. He loved the water, and she’d had a feeling he’d enjoy this spot.
‘Now that was worth the walk, and I’m feeling kind of hot. Ready to get in?’ He raised an eyebrow and shed the backpack, then his jacket and T-shirt before kicking off his shoes and teasingly undoing the top button of his jeans. ‘Want some of this?’ He raised an eyebrow, his eyes dark with lust.
He did look pretty good.
She kissed him, pressing herself against his chest and gasping when he tangled his fingers in her hair. She slipped her hands to his pants, tugging the zip down, pushing the jeans over his hips, and then gave his butt a cracking slap.
She grinned. ‘I do, but not until after we swim. You’re a bit stinky.’ She screwed up her face in mock offence.
Cade laughed and kicked off his jeans, almost tripping over them with the effort. And then he jogged to the water and waded in. ‘Come on! It’s freezing and I need your hot bod in here.’ He dived under the water, swimming out into the deeper part of the pool.
A cloud passed over the sun. Jena shivered and glanced around her. What had felt like a lovely day seemed to feel darker now; the isolation of the environment pressed in on her and she shivered harder, thinking about all the things that could happen in a place like this, where no one could hear it.
‘Come on!’ Cade shouted from the water.
She turned to look at him waving her in. The cloud passed over and Jena wondered if she was letting her memories cloud her present. She stripped down to her underwear, trying not to imagine unseen eyes watching her, and headed for the water. It was cold on her toes, coming straight down off the mountain and without the heat of summer kissing her skin. Still, this had been her idea and she couldn’t chicken out just because it was a little chilly.
Jena waded in, picking her way over the smooth rocks until the water was up to her knees and she could see where the river deepened. She took a deep breath and dived in, the cold water shocking her body, forcing the air from her lungs. She pushed hard with her arms, back to the surface, bursting through, hair already tangled around her ears and in her eyes.
Jena pushed it back, wiped the droplets of water from her lashes and looked around, trying to spot Cade. Then he grabbed her from behind, dunking her under the water. She spluttered, waving her arms around to push him off. He was laughing when she surfaced, so she splashed him in the face, laughing in return when he frowned.
‘So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh?’ he said, lips curving into a wicked grin.
Jena squealed and started swimming away, a huge smile on her face. It was nice when he was playful like this, like back when they’d first hooked up, before they’d moved in and they’d struggled with money. He was still fun – that was why they were together – but it was a bit harder to be playful when you were close to having your power shut off and had eaten two-minute noodles or toast for dinner for a month straight.
Cade caught up, his hands catching her feet, dragging her back towards him. Jena flipped over so that they were face to face and wrapped her legs around Cade’s waist. It pulled them both down so that their chins were barely above water, but they grinned at each other. Cade pulled her closer and she threaded her arms around his neck and kissed him, his lips cold and damp from the river.
‘Now that’s what I was hoping for,’ Cade murmured against her lips, kissing her again, dipping into her mouth with his tongue. She kissed back, hungrily, suddenly desperate for his touch. She could feel his cock growing against her.
‘Come on,’ she said, her voice husky. She let go of him, pulling him towards a grassy bank. They kept going until it was shallow enough for him to stand and then he pushed her up against it, biting her neck gently, cupping her breast, his fingers teasing her nipple through her soaking bra.
‘I need you,’ Jena said. ‘Please?’ She pushed him back, bending down and trying to drag her underwear over her hips, but it was hard, the fabric clinging to her skin. She got one foot free and decided that was good enough. Cade had wrestled his boxers down enough for his cock to spring free and she gripped it in the water, stroking him up and down. His skin was warm even in the cool of the water.
Cade slipped his fingers inside her and she moaned, pushing her breasts against his chest and hooking a leg around his waist, pulling him closer. ‘Come on, Cade, I want you, now.’
She gripped the grass on the bank with both hands, arching her body, wrapping her other leg around him too. Cade opened her folds and pushed, heat into heat, the cool water around her body a stark contrast to the warmth inside her. The water splashed as they moved together and she tilted her head back, bracing it against the bank, letting her eyes drift to the sky above, the white clouds scudding across the vibrant blue backdrop, until her muscles clenched around his shaft as her orgasm rolled in and his breath turned ragged and he stiffened, pumping inside her once, twice more.
‘Damn, Jena. That was—’
‘Great,’ she said, a breathy laugh escaping her as she pulled herself upright, let him slip from her body along with his fluids. ‘And now I’m hungry.’ She gave him a last playful splash and headed for the shore. He followed after her, pulling her to his chest and kissing her neck.
‘Didn’t I satisfy you?’
‘Oh, you did, but now I need sustenance or you’re going to have to carry me back to the house.’
He scooped her up, carrying her to the grass, and then dumped her onto her feet. ‘Okay, definitely eat something. You might be skinny, but I’m not strong enough to carry you that far.’
She slapped him playfully on the chest, and then walked to their gear and dug around for something to eat. They ate their snacks and drank the coffee from the flask before Cade went to relieve himself in the bush.
Jena had just finished dressing when she heard a shout.
‘Oi! You! What do you think you’re doing here? You’re trespassing on private property, and if you don’t bugger off immediately, I’ll use this.’
She turned towards the noise to find an angry-looking man with a shotgun at his side. She couldn’t think of anything to say. Her eyes were fixated on the barrel of the gun, her thoughts spinning backwards in time to when her father had hunted possums and wild goats across the farm. Guns had terrified her then and they still did now.
‘Well, get moving!’ the man yelled at her again. He was walking closer, and Jena wanted nothing more than for Cade to come back. Stupid man was probably watching them now, waiting for this to blow over. He’d never been one for confrontation.
She sucked in a lungful of air and set her shoulders back, steeling herself. ‘Wait, wait. Just. Hang on.’ She raised her hands, palms out. ‘My family owns this land. I don’t know who you are, but I’m not the one trespassing here.’
‘What?’ The man stopped his approach and slung the gun over his shoulder. ‘What are you talking about?’ He scrubbed his face with one hand, his frown deepening, and then his mouth dropped open. ‘Oh, shit. Jena?’ He shook his head, his stance relaxing. ‘I’m so sorry, kiddo. I didn’t recognise you. It’s been a long time. I hadn’t heard you were back. You grew up!’ He grinned. ‘Flo is going to want to hear about this. You’ll have to come over for dinner and tell us what you’ve been up to.’
Flo ….
It was Jena’s turn to frown. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t … I don’t know you, do I?’
‘I guess you were just a wee thing,’ the man said. ‘I own the farm next door to yours. The Mertenses. You used to play with our boy Reggie. Was a long time ago now. Rose leased a lot of her land to us years ago, so when I saw you here, I assumed the worst. I’m real sorry, Jena.’
‘Reggie.’ She shook her head, having trouble placing the name, and then she saw him, red hair and freckles, geeky glasses to match. They’d spent a lot of time eeling together, until the fire. ‘How is he?’ She literally hadn’t thought about him in years, relegated him to the past, along with everything else about this place.
‘Oh, you know, married a lovely Wellington girl, and they settled there. He’s got a couple of kids now; he’s a lawyer. Can you believe it?’ Mr Mertens shook his head, but his broad grin said he was proud. ‘Country life was never going to be it for him. Jeremy’s taken over most of the work now, I just keep the goat population to a minimum and give him a few pointers here and there.’
‘Jeremy.’ The younger brother, friends with Joel. He’d always been covered in mud or dirt. ‘I’m glad they’re doing okay. And you and Flo too. I didn’t know Rose had leased the land. I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have come here if I’d known. I just ….’ She shrugged, spreading her arms to take in the river. ‘We had such good times here and I wanted to revisit that.’
‘Oh hon, I know. I bet.’ He looked like he wanted to hug her, but he kept his distance. ‘Hey, look. You can go anywhere you want, okay? I’ll let Jeremy know you’re here and he won’t give you any bother. I meant what I said, though. Flo would love to have you around for dinner. It’s been a long time.’
‘Thanks, Mr Mertens. I really appreciate that.’ She smiled at him, though she had no idea if she’d actually follow through. Though maybe it would be nice, having a meal with people who knew her as a kid.
Before.
‘John,’ he said with a nod. ‘You’re all grown up now, you can call me John.’
‘Thank you, John.’ She gave him a little wave as he turned away, but then he swung back, his face more serious.
‘Stay away from the swamp near the back of the property, though.’
‘Where the reeds are?’ Jena asked. She’d hoped to go there, had always liked it as a kid, felt like she could be transported to another world through the doorways they’d created in the reeds.
‘Yeah, that’s the one. It’s not safe these days; things keep getting sucked down. We’ve got stock well away from there now and, well ….’ He pressed his lips together, but then continued. ‘Your family’s seen enough tragedy on this farm, don’t need to go adding to it. Weird place.’
‘Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.’ Jena would, but that wasn’t going to stop her from going there if she wanted to. ‘I guess Rose has your number? I can just call to let you know when dinner would suit.’
John’s smile returned. ‘She does. Look forward to it.’ He gave her a wave and then headed back towards the track.
Jena let out a long breath. That had been … well, all kinds of things. Aside from the name on the letterbox being familiar, and the house, she’d forgotten all about the actual family who lived there. It was like she’d left the farm and forgotten everyone associated with it. Every time a piece of the past came back to her, she felt more complete, but also felt a tide of sorrow at the good things she’d forgotten along with the bad.
She turned to scan the trees, looking for a sign of Cade. He came out a minute later, looking slightly abashed.
‘Sorry,’ he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. He sat down to pull his shoes on, so she did the same.
‘How long were you watching?’ she asked.
‘By the time I saw him, you two seemed to be having an okay conversation. I figured I’d leave you to it.’ He looked over at her. ‘You were okay, right?’
‘Yeah, I was fine,’ she said, though ‘fine’ wasn’t quite the right word. Still, she shrugged it off. ‘The neighbours lease this part of the farm and he thought I was trespassing until he worked out who I was. He’s invited me over for dinner sometime.’
‘Sweet.’ Cade stood up and grabbed the pack, swinging it onto his back before reaching for her hand. ‘Let’s hit the road.’ He grinned.
Jena nodded, letting him lead the way through the trees and back to the track. She couldn’t get her mind off the conversation with John, though, and thoughts of the swamp.