Life Turned Upside Down [R] (angelholly)

As Nathan lifted the last bale of hay onto the back of the old beat up Ute, he cursed the weather being so hot, and it wasn't even summer, he thought. He climbed behind the wheel and turned the key three times before Old Betty roared to life, he shifted it into gear and started descent down the hill. "Who on earth is that?" Nathan said to him self as a human figure came into view. Nathan was very intrigued as to why there was someone on the Ranch. "Probably another sales pitch." he said aloud to Old Betty. He considered radioing his father who was sitting up at the homestead enjoy a bite to eat, but he thought better of it, why not investigate this himself without bothering the old man. As Nathan came down the hill at a steady pace he noticed a fence line had been snapped. Better fix that now he thought to himself as he climbed out of the Ute grabbing his fencing pliers on the way, he walked around the back of the Ute and grabbed some plain fencing wire, this will do he trick he thought as he curled the barb wire up and looped the wire through cont4ecting it with the other loop, "Now off to see who this person is on the ranch." he said to himself as he was tightening the wire. Nathan limbed back into Old Betty and started along the track towards the homestead


The silhouette of a young lady came into view. With her Auburn hair flowing below her shoulders, dressed in jeans and a simple tank, when getting closer he glad to see that she was indeed wearing boots, maybe she wasn't a city slicker as he had first thought. Nathan pulled the Old Betty at the bottom of the hill outside the shed where the young lady stood. "How are you Ma'am?" Nathan said as he approached her wearily.

As Nathan stood there, waiting for this young lady's response, he took her in, behind his hat and sunglasses no one could see his eyes as he looked her up and down with his eyes, his mind making mental notes of her curves and the way her jeans hugged her hips. "yes Ma'am, i know where Wayne is, i cant show you the way if you like, i was just on my way up for lunch, i am Nathan by the way" he said as he turned and grabbed her suitcase and headed towards the homestead. As they walked quietly Nathan thought, surely she was a city girl, she dressed like she was ready for a day out on the ranch, but he hair was immaculate, her nails painted a light pink, you could see that she took a lot of pride in her self. Not that Nathan didn't, he enjoyed having the Sundays off from major work around the ranch, having a clean shave and putting on his best Wrangler jeans and going out to the local bar to have a bit of a dance, and hey maybe even pick up a nice lady, and he had a thought that, well he wouldn't mind taking this young lady out for a night.
As Nathan and Fate approached the huge wrap around veranda Nathan felt he better ask just one more question, at least until she was finished with Wayne, then he could find out the real scoop. "Ma'am where are you from?"....

Fate watched the man, waiting for reply. His sunglasses restricted her vision to see his eyes, but she didn't really care. He liked a rather polite man, so she found no reason to be disrespectful. Once he finally answered, she nodded with a slight smile. "That would be great, thank you," she said and then glancd off for a moment before he introduced himself. "Ah, i'm Fate," she replied and looked around the ranch quickly before she followed after him. She wondered who this Wayne person was; she knew that he was a friend of her father's, but she had never met him before, which sparked her curiousity even more. She was the type that wanted to know her friend's friends and so forth. She didn't care if they were rude or snobby, she just wanted to know who they were.
A minute or so later, a house came into view, with a wrap around patio. She cocked her head to the side for a moment, wondering what the interior was like. Would it be old fashioned, typical outback or maybe a bit modernised? She couldn't tell. When Nathan finally spoke again, she snapped bac to reality and turned her attention to him. She gave a light shrug and her dark eyes flicked back to the house, "I live in Pimpama," she replied, looking up at him before she saw a man who looked similar to Nathan, though his hair was greying and he had a few wrinkles due to his age.
"Fate?" the man asked as he stood on the patio's edge, "i'm Wayne. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.. Come over here, we have a few things to talk about," he said and wave her over. Fate gave Nathan a slight nod of thanks before she gingerly took her belongings from him and walked over to the man. "I've heard everything from your father," Wayne said lightly as he placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her inside.
"Do you have any idea why he sent me here?" Fate asked, watching the man.
"Discipline, i'm guessing," Wayne replied with a light shake of his head, "i'm not quite sure. But anyway, I have organised a guest house for you to stay in until your father wants you to come back home. I was going to partner you with someone else that works here, but seeing as though you have already met my son, Nathan, you can partner up with him," he siad and then went outside and waved NAthan over before going back to her.
Once Nathan came over, Fate looked up at him before Wayne spoke again, "Okay, Nathan, Fate is here for a few weeks or so, and seeing as though you are already aquainted, I want you to show her how everything works. You will be working with her until she leaves," he said and shoved his hands in his jean pockets as Fate looked at the ground.

As Nathan reached the house walking alongside Fate, he wondered what this was all about. If she had to see Wayne, it was more than just a sales pitch. Pimpima he thought, very close to city, yet a few property's out there that can hold a few head of cattle, possibly horses as well, we wondered if she had any horses, or even if she had seen one before.

As Wayne was telling him he was to basically take her under his wing, his first thought was how on earth will this city slicker cope around the farm. Well no time like the present Nathan thought "You must be hungry Fate, Mary has got lunch ready, how about we store your suitcase in your guest house while we have some lunch, then get stuck into some work." Nathan said with a smile on his face but i grin in his mind.

As Wayne sat at the head of the table, Nathan joined him but not before pulling out a chair for Fate, wow her eyes are stunning Nathan thought and quickly erased that remark from his mind, she is here to work not here for me. They had finished lunch which was slightly awkward with some small talk about the weather. Nathan and Fate waked back down to the shed, Nathan observed Fate walking very stiffly with her hands by her said. Once in the shed Nathan found his old Akubra hanging on a hook and offered it to Fate "here, your going to need this sure is hot out."
Nathan noticed Fate looking very puzzled, "We are going to load Old Betty up with some hay and we will go put it in the feeder for the new Weaners" Nathan said as he picked up his first bale with ease.

Fate looked at Nathan as he spoke and she gave a soft nod before she followed him. He pulled a chair out for her and she smiled, "oh, thanks," she said and sat down, glancing up at Nathan for a moment before she diverted her attention to Wayne and Mary. Mary openly introduced herself and Fate smiled, but soon it died to simple small talk. After about 45 minutes, lunch was done and she stood up and Nathan walked out. "Thank you," she said to both Mary and Wayne before she followed him. They walked to a shed and he handed her a hat. She took it and looked at it for a moment before looking at Nathan, confused. He explained that they were going to be loading the ute with hay and she nodded and put it on her head.
She watched Nathan take a bale and move towards the ute and throw it in. Watching him for a short moment, she sighed and also grabbed one. She walked over to the ute and threw it into the tray with ease. Fate looked over at Nathan and saw his qurprised expression and she shrugged and walked over to grab another one before she decided to tell him. "I have a few horses back at home, so i'm used to this," she told him with a small grin before putting the next one into the back of the ute. She looked back at him and gave a small laugh, "that surprising I cna do something useful, ey?" she said with a smie.

Nathan smirked, as Fate told him that she was somewhat of an old hand at this whole bale of hay in the ute trick.
so she has horses.....wonder if she rides or just had them bought for her so she could look at. ah shouldn't be so nasty he thought to himself. as they loaded one last bale each, he jumped in the truck as Fate followed Nathan turned the key to the ignition and Old Betty roared to life. As the drove along the old bumpy track he couldn't help but help but notice she had quite a large chest. oh god Nathan get that thought out of your mind. how could you
As Nathan shook his head at his own mind wandering, he say the stock yards coming into view, he had fond memories of building this set of stock yards when his father was younger and could make his way around a hard days work. Nathan was 14, a solid 10 years ago, collecting the wood, from the woods at the b ack of the propety, shaping i and bolting it together, those were the days.....
"So.......Fate....Do you ride?"

Once they were done, Fate grinned and brushed herself down, ridding the small bits of hay which clung to her tank top and hair. She climbed into the ute and looked out the window in silence, looking at everything that they went past, wondering just how big this place was. She didn't find the use to ask her father; what was the point? It's not like they were on friendly terms right now and the less she had to say to him, the better. She gave a sigh an glanced across at Nathan, watching him as he drove. Damn, he was fine. Not exactly the type that she was usually atracted to.. But then again, she never really had come across anyone that looked anything like him. Giving a shake of her head, she turned her attention away from him and to where they were going.
After a few more minutes of silence, Nathan spoke, asking if she rode. She shifted her attention back to him once again and studied him in silence, mildly surprised he had actually said her name before she nodded, "yeah, though english riding, never western. Could be fun to try it one day, though," she said with a smile. She was glad she had tied her hair back; If she hadn't, it would've been going out of control by now. Definately not a good thing to see. "Think i'll get a chance to try it out?" she asked him before she looked out the window.

As Fate, spoke her voice moved through him slightly, god Nathan get a hold of yourself she is after all just a stickler. So she rides English...hmm interesting.. and she would like to learn Western. the thought of teaching her bought a smirk to his mind.
As he pulled up at the stockyards, the smell of cattle and hay hit him "ahh nothing better than that smell...home" he watched Fate jump out of the truck, after all she wasn't that tall, only about 5"4 compared to his 6 foot. She walked over to the side o the yard and stuck her hand through to pat a weaner, she was shocked when one of them gave her hand a massive lick. ad she jumped back with a little shriek.
"well its time to feed the weaners." Nathan said with a slight smile as Fate pipes up "weaners.....what are weaners.....aren't these cattle?" Nathan had a slight giggle in his head and felt like shaking his head, shes a city slicker remember. "yes they are cattle, although these are cattle that have just been weaned off their mother a heifer, hence the term weaner, a calf that is still suckling from its mother is still called a calf." He watched as fate nodded in understanding, watched the way her hair moved...
As he grabbed a bale of hay out of the back of the truck and walked in the first gate he thought to him self, get a hold of yourself man, you've been around plenty of pretty girls before, and have never been this effected.....and of all girls a city slicker? come on....