New Year’s Plans
Egan had a good year. He was back on his feet and had even managed to save some money. The horse breeding business was starting to expand again and he had some new blood lines to add in the mix with Ashley and Marie’s mares. A deal had been made that the second brumbies born to the two would be his. He liked his job and even had found living here to be much better than he’d expected. Egan rarely missed the mountain country any longer.
Part of the reason life was so good was his sheila, Jessica. Egan loved her and had been trying to decide how he could move forward with her. He’d thought about asking her to move in with him but the main reason Jessica moved here was to help Ashley with Katie Marie. Marie had a baby on the way and Jessica would be helping her too. If she lived with Egan she wouldn’t be there for either of them at night. From what Jessica told him she did help occasionally with the baby during the night.
It crossed his mind that maybe he should ask her to marry him. Jessica would live with him and just go to help during the day or when needed at night like after Marie had her baby. He chuckled to himself. When had he become so bloody domestic? Maybe it was something that just had to happen by being part of this family.
Egan was a part of the family by now. It was his job to protect the women when Bud and Lachlan were away working. He’d never had a family like this and he took his responsibilities seriously. It went far beyond his job. He even liked Bud White. He grinned when he thought back to their rocky start and his busted jaw compared to where they were now. White would still shoot him a dirty look when Jessica had a day off and spent the night with him but they really were mates now.
White would have nothing left to complain about if he and Jessica married. It seemed his thoughts strayed in that direction more and more lately. Was he really ready to marry and settle down with Jessica? Egan tugged at his beard as surprise flashed across his face. The only answer in his head and his heart was ‘yes!’
Egan set his supplies down on the counter at the feed store in Coffs and nodded to the clerk.
"That’d be everything, Mate, if you could help me load the sacks of oats into my truck."
"Put this on the farm account," the clerk inquired?
"Ta, that’d be great."
Egan tipped his hat to the clerk after they were done and went to climb in his truck to drive back to the farm. He paused as he got one foot in his truck, climbed back out and slammed the door shut behind him. There was a shop in the next block where Ashley, Jessica and Marie were always looking in the window when he brought them to town. He had one more place to stop.
