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Honey Goes Down Under

By: Egmont Grigor



CHAPTER 1 

Flint Jackson yawned his way across the near-empty supermarket parking lot, thumbs tucked into the shoulder straps of his backpack, black Acubra at a rakish angle hiding most of his tight blond curls.

He wondered didn't American women have anything better to do? The supermarket had opened at 7:00 and already at 7:25 there were forty vehicles parked and more arriving. The community was small, center of cropping farms, horse spreads and cattle ranches from what he's seen coming in yesterday riding an 18-wheeler driven by a surly guy who took Flint's last twenty bucks some 120 miles out. Arriving in the town the driver showing very bad teeth simply said, "Get out." 

Last night Flint had slept under a hedge and hadn't eaten. Now he was heading for the public restrooms adjacent to the supermarket to wash up before asking at the supermarket could he push trolleys for a couple of days. He needed to earn enough cash for a bed in a doss house and food for the table – er, to eat off a paper towel on a street bench most likely.

He noticed a woman struggling to lift a huge bag of dog biscuits on to the cargo box of her red F-150.

"Excuse me ma'am may I assist?"

"No."

"Just step aside ma'am and I'll lift it by myself. A neat looking chick like you should be in the salon getting her finger nails done instead of doing hard yakka like this."

She paused and looked at him almost displaying interest. "What part of the world are you from, talking messed up English like that? "Yakka, a neat looking chick; I ask you?"

"Simple ma'am. I'm from Australia where hard yakka means hard work and a neat looking chick means a lovely looking young lady, but frowning and panting you're not looking at your best at the moment but your body is the finest I've seen in a month of Sundays. While we are on the subject, may I say nobody has screwed up English more than Americans?"

"May I say something now?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And don't call me ma'am. I'm not married."

"Wow, with that declaration this could be my lucky day. You're not gay are you?"

"How dare you!"

"Please don't get your knickers in a knot. My mom and sisters say I tease far too much for any woman to like me."

"Well at least someone in your family is focused and intelligent. Oh dammit, look what you've made me say, something quite insulting."

"Rein in baby, I'm not offended."

The fluffed up woman looked ready to wop Flint one. "How dare you call me baby; in this country that's an endearment used by a man to his lady friend."

"You grouched about me calling you ma'am, or rather prohibited me from calling you that, leaving me with few options."

She studied him carefully and said he looked like he'd slept under a hedge.

"I did."

"Now you are teasing again."

"I'm not, I promise you."

"When did you last eat?"

"Yesterday, breakfast time. Two pieces of toast and an apple."

"Ohmigod, help me load and then come with me. I'm Larissa Stevens. You touch me and I'll knock you into next week."

"Understood Larissa. My name is Flint Jackson and I come from east of Sydney."

Larissa glared but Flint handed her the eggs, his mind on the job, and with effortless ease lifted the supermarket trolley and tipped the load out relatively gently and didn't scratch the paintwork with the metal trolley.

"How did you do that," she gawked. "That was very heavy – my supermarket shopping for two weeks for a family of three."

Flint chose not to answer, not wishing to offend her by discussing the dynamics of power lifting to somebody who probably thought four pound packs of anything was a load.

"Hand me the keys Larissa, cute name, and point me in the right direction."

"Let you drive – you could be an escaped criminal?"

"American Immigration doesn't allow criminals into the country."

"Oh."

Flint had an idea about how to calm her. God she was uptight. He pulled out his wallet and showed her a picture of his mum with him at Sydney Airport.

"She's a lovely woman. God, look at her tan."

"Very trustworthy looking isn't she?"

"Yes, of course."

"And who looks a lot like her?"

Larissa hedged but finally said he did. "I'm sorry for giving you a hard time."

"So you are about to kiss me as an encore to that apology."

She hesitated so Flint kissed her lightly on the lips. She sighed and said she knew he'd do that and walked to the passenger side, handing him the keys as he slid behind the wheel. 

"First I must tell you about the braking system..."

Flint reversed and was off smoothly to the exit. "Dad drives one this exact model with right-hand drive of course."

"Oh."

"Where to baby?"

"To Rigby Diner. It's on the far end of Main Street. What did you just call me?"

Flint patted her thigh and told her not to worry; it was only an endearment.

"You touched me," she shrieked. "I distinctly told you not to touch me."

"Cool it baby. I'm the guy like my mum who you trust, remember?"

"You are a real smart-ass. You may only touch me with permission, do you hear?"

"Yes, okay, but don't take too long handing out permission."

Larissa sat back and sighed.

Flint was replete with a piece of thick steak, fries, two corn fritters and two pieces of bread in his stomach – Larissa chose a vegetarian breakfast wrap and paid. They drove on out to the ranch, Flint still at the wheel because Larissa said she felt safer with him behind the wheel, occupied, while she struggled to get used to him.

"Will you loan me a few bucks? Mom promised to transfer $200 bucks a week to my American bank account for the first four of my five weeks in America and a thousand bucks on my last week two hundred of that for me and the rest to spend on buying really good presents for the family. The second installment is due Friday."

"You can do chores for me and earn money."

"That's even better. I'm not sure I could trust you lending me money."

Larissa released a really big sigh. "I suppose you are looking for a bed."

"In the barn will be fine. You said at the diner your parents were away for two weeks?"

"Yes, with a week still to go. It's their first vacation in six years."

Flint said, "I repeat what I said in the diner that I'm sorry your school was closed under a centralization policy change, leaving you without a job. Look, come to Aussie when I return – there are plenty of openings for schoolteachers out our way. Honey, come Down Under with me."

"Flint, I don't wish to be rude but sitting in an aircraft for twelve hours with you means hell is likely to freeze over before I'd make that flight with you."

"Baby, I'll grow on you. I promise." 

She just smiled.

Larissa hadn't said it but she'd been thinking Flint was the best driver she'd even been with and that included her steady-as-a-rock dad.

"What are you thinking?"

"Wondering when you'd intrude into my private thoughts," she giggled.

He squeezed her thigh and congratulated her on attempting to joke – er, for joking.

"I have been thinking of inviting you to sleep in the house."

"You mean sex?"

The 28-year-old flushed and squirmed in her seat and played with her long brown hair, her green eyes evading him.

Flint waited patiently.

"Yes, it's been sometime for me. We are rather isolated out here – younger people tend to drift away and come back as older people to either sell their parent's property or to take it over."

"I'd love to have sex with you. You have a great body from what I can see of it and scrubbed up you may look rather pretty."

"Flint, shut up."

They continued in silence until she said, "This is our boundary – the gate is a mile and a bit farther along the road." 

As they turned into the gateway Flint said, former grain cropping land, probably wheat. "Now irrigated and I believe hay alternating with alfalfa cropping and the resting land is grazing black cattle, two-year-olds."

"You know about farming?" she asked, astonished.

"I read and watch TV and talk to people out our way. I know a little about farming but I'm a pilot. I fly over farms and have farming folk as passengers who only talk about farming and what they call the fucking Government. I also have a degree in geography."

When she got her mouth working again, Larissa asked knowing what the answer would be: "You are a college graduate."

"Yes, a university graduate and a graduate of flying school."

"You continue to amaze me."

"Atta girl Larissa, you continue to give me stick. Which side of the bed do you prefer?"

Larissa doubled over howling in laughter and Flint had to slap her back hard before she pulled out of it.

When recovered she said, "I think I shall remember for the rest of my life that comment from a man I'd just met asking which side of the bed did I prefer."

"Way to go babe."

"This farm is 3778 acres and it's not the largest around here. You must understand that prices are not what they used to be. In fact as a teacher my after-tax earnings were almost as high as my parent's net income off this land. The rainfall has changed over the years, the land becoming dryer, the water table sinking and water rights and paying for irrigation have become big on-farm expenses"

Flint said the region where he lived was also dry.

"Then farmers there will also live on the edge?"

"Too right love, especially in those years when the drought passes the 50-day mark and when the 100-days go by one has this great urge to pray because all other options have gone."

"And you want to marry some unfortunate woman and raise a family in a region like that?"

"Hell yes. I was born in the area and have spent most of my twenty-nine years living there."

"Why stay?"

"Because I feel it's my home and I'm an integral part of my family's regional passenger and air freight business."

"So you'll choose to tough it out?"

"When you come to Aussie you may hear someone use the term, 'He's a little Aussie battler'. Originally it was coined to describe the working class battling against the odds but it's now ingrained into the Aussie psyche. Drought or flood or bushfire hit farmers who have this inner belief they are Aussie battlers fighting adversity and they'll either win or will go down fighting. Many have no concept of losing. You guys here have your historic belief in your war of independence. We Aussies fight a never-ending battle against the weather. You'll love and hate Australia – the odds say that unless you are a moaning wimp you'll feel more love/admiration than you will feel hate/despair."

"You make it sound rather appealing. I've actually read quite a bit about Australia and its poisonous snakes and spiders and its crocodiles and man-eating sharks."

"Yeah people write about those things but you'll probably have more chance of dying in my country falling down a mineshaft than being taken by a croc or nipped by a shark."

"You mean eaten by a shark don't you?"

"Hell no. Most fatalities occur through loss of blood, the shark biting off a piece and then going yuk, don't like the taste of humans. Crocs of course are not so discriminating but then they are only found way up north."

"Oh you make it so sound safe and enchanting?"

Flint grinned and said she shouldn't tease him.

* * *

A couple of hours after dinner Larissa came from the bathroom a little shyly. "Are you nude?"

"Yes."

She allowed her bathrobe slip to the floor without asking for the light to be turned out.

"Ohmigod."

"Like what you see?"

"You have the body some women would almost die to possess."

"So mom tells dad when he urges me to eat more."

"Do you enjoy fucking?"

"Flint!"

"Okay, okay. It was just a question, the answer being of real interest to me."

"Yes I do, very much. But it doesn't happen enough for my liking."

Flint jumped out of bed on to his knees and clasping his hands looked to the ceiling and said thank you.

Larissa giggled but as he stood she gasped, "Ohmigod!"

"Don't worry," he soothed. "It's not long and I have yet to have a women who was unable to accommodate my thickness."

"I've only seen horses thicker than that."

Walking over to clasp her, Flint soothed, "You have nothing to worry about. You have a strong frame and look to be a strong girl."

They kissed, showing no urgency, pressing together. Finally Larissa worked her tongue to urge him to open his lips and they were away, she pressing in to feel his erection against her thigh and as she heated up she spread her legs and easing into position to get hit against her lower belly. She reached down and began squeezing the fat cock and murmuring, "I want it, I want it." But Flint had other ideas. 

Flint spun her around, her back against him, and ran his hands over her breast and down her belly, one hand going lower and cupping her vulva, but not pushing in. Not yet. 

She squirmed against him bending her knees and straightening so that his erection traveled up and down her back slit, he timing to bend his knees to run it over her asshole and over her cunt.

They were really warmed up now; she had her arms up like a ballerina, over his shoulders to clasp over the back of his head, her belly being pulled in and released in a fucking motion and she'd then lower her hands to cup her breasts, dragging them over her small nipples and then repeat the maneuvered upwards to above his head and down her hands would drop again. She was now rolling her hips sideways and that told Flint pussy was in need of attention. Her hands stopped as did her breathing as he penetrated his fingers and once they were slick with her juices he slid them right in. Her hand movements and breathing resumed again.

"Now, please."

Unable to deny her any longer, and deny himself, Flint turned her around and lifted her up, she gripping his arms to help take some of her weight and keep them steady.

When Larissa felt she was above the erection she grabbed it and aim it to where she wanted it to be. Flint began to lower her slowly and she felt her cunt lips being forced open but remained relaxed, knowing she was oozing lube. Gradually it fed in all the way and they paused for a breather.

Before resuming Flint frog-walked to the bed and taking Larissa's wrists, gently lowered her and when she was on her back she released her tight leg grip that rested around his hipbones.

"I feel fucked already."

"Is that a lovely feeling?"

"Yes, and what a sensitive comment for a guy, so understanding or so you make yourself out to be."

"I just want the very best for you. Off we go."

Larissa rocked into his forward pump and when they got their timing spot-on the pace gradually slowed and they were left with huge smiles on their faces. Eventually when she felt her release looming Larissa raised her legs and beat a tattoo on his butt and he was clever enough to know that meant pick up the pace. He soon had her gasping, thudding right in as far as he could and going faster and faster and she fell into her release with a scream and her lasted less that a second before he began convulsing. He pulled out and the beautiful man sprayed her, allowing her to massage her belly and tits with semen, giving her a lovely feeling of unity and the feeling of being loved, if only momentarily.

They were at it again in the morning and twice during the day including once in her dad's old jeep when they stopped for such purpose during the tour of the farm. Larissa cooked a roast beef dinner that evening. They had consumed heaps of wine and she astonished herself by allowing Flint to fuck her on the table, amid her mom's best crockery, with no harm being done – unless of course, she'd gotten pregnant although this was the so-called safest time for her. They haven't thought of discussing anti-pregnancy measures. Like most men the brash Australian had left that responsibility to the woman.

With great sadness they drove to town next morning although they'd a lovely time eating and chatting at the diner and later he found the money was there so withdrew two hundred bucks. Outside the bank she took a photograph of Flint, he took one of her and they asked a passerby to take a couple of them both. All the images looked good and Flint said he'd send copies to her when next in an Internet café. 

"Oh I'll love you doing that."

"Well it's only fair your mom should see the guy who's fucked you on her kitchen table and who is the guy you might marry."

Larissa gave a wee cry in the back of her throat and hugged him to bury her face in his shoulder so he couldn't read her expression.

She drove him to the city limits and then came the hardest part, watching someone stop for her hitchhiker. They were an elderly couple in an aged Cadillac.

She ran forward to the vehicle as Flint was speaking to the driver and interrupted him. 

"He's a lovely young man, I can vouch for him."

"I think I can see that dear," said the woman.

"He's Australian."

"We've already picked that," said the guy. "We have been there eight times."

They departed, Flint waving to her and until the car turned a bend.

Larissa, tears running down her face, made a vow. "If he calls me or emails me with a time and date to meet him in LA to accompany him to Australia, I'll be there."

* * *

After spending a days on the eastern seaboard and finding New York far more appealing that expected, having a couple of really entertaining days on Long Island with hot-hot twin sisters – aged 35, both married but free in the daytime when their kids were at junior school – Flint look a route south-west to end up back in Los Angeles.

The first night out of New York he wrote a letter to Larissa.

After reading Flint's letter, Larissa clasped it to her heart. He mom came in and found her weeping and fussed around her daughter who shook her head, said she was just emotional, and pushed the letter across for her mother to read. Larissa went out and sat on the porch.

Jessica came out and sat with her daughter. "It's perhaps the most beautiful letter from a male I have ever read. It doesn't say but reading between the lines I take it you two were intimate?"

"Very intimate."

"He's obvious a man in control not to mention heaving breasts and damp vulva when writing a letter like that."

"Quite. He's exposed a really sensitive side to him that I glimpsed during the forty-two hours I was with him."

"Forty-two hours – my that's rather precise?"

"Mom, after he left I was in such despair and during the next few hours I relived each one of those hours I was in his company. I'm over it now."

"Are you?"

"In respect of that full-on chasm being left in his wake, yes. Stay here, he mailed me two photographs taken outside First Nation Bank just before he left."

Larissa returned with the prints and her mother put down the letter she'd reread. 

"Nowhere does he hint he'd like to take you back to Australia."

"No, but he will. This is the softening up letter."

Jessica was handed the two prints – one of her daughter and the Australian, the other a close-up of the Australian.

"He's lovely."

"Mom he's a tease and so irritating when you first meet him because he's confrontational that he almost drives you bats. And then he grows on you."

"I see. And then you take him to bed."

"Something like that. What do you think mom?"

"I don't want to lose you darling but my feeling this is the right man for you."

Larissa sighed hugely. "I wished you hadn't said that mom. It's exactly what I think and I don't think both of us will be wrong. Will you and dad come to LA to see me off?"

"Darling, are you getting a little ahead of yourself, he hasn't..."

"He will. But I'll try to get home for every thanksgiving here or wherever you choose to live after Jimmy comes home at your request to takeover the ranch. Look, if you don't hear from Jimmy within a few months you and dad should consider selling the ranch. You'll get reasonable money from a neighbor, more than enough to last you through very comfortable retirement. You two started with nothing so enjoy the fruits of your labor. You could spend some pennies to come and see me in Australia."


Honey Goes Down Under



"That will be lovely darling. Lay out your things you wish to take in the guest room. Is your passport up to date?"

"Yes, I applied on-line for a visa to enter Australia on a temporary work permit available to persons under the age of thirty going on holiday and lasts for a year. Once there if everything works out I'll apply for permanent residency as a teacher with specialist qualifications for teaching of the hearing impaired. That qualification of course was gained through study to international standards so Australia is unlikely to demand anything higher whereas for basic teaching I probably would have to undergo retraining or perhaps they call it refresher training. I understand there is a demand for specialist teachers in areas of lower popular, which is probably where Flint lives."

"Well I hope Flint appreciates the trouble you are going to visit Australia with him. If this visa thing becomes too difficult just marry him."

"Yes I have that tucked aside as an option."

A week later Larissa came in from checking irrigation pipeline connection as part of ongoing farm maintenance work to find her father at the lunch table looking at her over his glasses and her mother looking as if she were about to soar through the roof.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Very peculiar but she thought she knew what it might be. 

Larissa changed and washed her face and hands and combed her hair and for the third time heard her mother call, "Are you coming?"

"I'm here mother."

"Thank goodness," Jessica said, face red with excitement.

"Has it come?"

"Yes, on the table where you sit!"

Larissa looked at the envelope, her calm suddenly deserting her. What if there was no invitation to go to Australia with him?

"Go on open it. No wait, I have to go to the toilet," her mom yelled.

Herbert her father just shook his head and said a letter was a letter wasn't it unless it contained a big check?"

When Jessica opened it her face seemed to swell in delight. She held up an airline ticket.

"Oh lovely, lovely," her mother yelled, wiping at tears. "Read the letter aloud."

"There's no letter."

Her father grunted and returned to reading the newspaper and her mother just gaped until she said weakly, "No letter. I cannot believe this."

"I can – he wants me to focus. Also that other letter was probably the first letter he's written since he began university in the first weeks when he remembered he still had a mother and a family. It probably took him ten hours and ten drafts over four days to write it."

"Then you should keep it."

"I have; it's pressed in my bible."

Jessica said carefully, "Darling, can you make me understand why he didn't enclose even a brief note and tell me about this thing you call focus."

Larissa clasped her mom's hand and explained Flint had a fine knowledge and would know decision time of this magnitude would place her at the crossroads as it might become more than a holiday or a working holiday. He wanted her to think of the decision and not some sweet words written on paper.

"He'd be smart enough to know if you like him enough you'd be thinking of little else."

"Good thinking mom but he's an aviator, trained to expect the unexpected, so he also would have thought perhaps I'd not really thought enough to be ready to make a commitment."

"God, you and your guy wouldn't need tongues to communicate," said Herbert. "You just look into the sky and exchange thoughts."

"What are you talking about Herbert?"

"Leave him mom; you know he's big into science fiction."

"You two confuse me; I'm serving lunch."

Herbert asked Larissa to fetch wine, as it was a special occasion. She asked what was the occasion.

He scowled over the top of her glasses. "Jimmy has left us and now you."

"It's only for a holiday dad?"

"That's crap sweetheart and you know it."

Jessica dropped a plate and bent over the bench howling. Larissa had to run to her.

Larissa called the airline and confirmed the booking indicated on the ticket, supplying the details required and confirmed her application for a work visa was in the pipeline. She received an email next evening confirming her application had been approved and documentation was in the mail. She waited three more days and then called Flint.

"Hi."

"God you took your time. I haven't known whether I'm Arthur or Martha."

She giggled and he said it was so wonderful hearing her voice. She almost had a meltdown. "Who paid for my ticket?"

"Mom, she's the one with the big money. She can't wait to clap her eyes on you."

"Then send her the photo of us."

"No, she mightn't like the look of you, a big mouth-of-teeth American with big tits, and cancel the ticket."

"No, oh no!"

"Honey, just kidding. She'll adore you – she's so much like me."

"And your sisters and father?"

"They'll reveal their reactions when they see you. Dad will begin looking at other women, Glen will scratch her butt and Anna will wonder if you are gay."

"Oh God...you're joking, aren't you."

"Some Australians call that pulling your tit. Yes, I was pulling your tit."

"My parents will come to see me off. I want them to see you and I know mom's keen."

"But your dad doesn't know if he's keen or not and wants to see me in the flesh. He sounds like a level-headed guy but then he is a rancher. So if they are bothering to go to LA I take it you're coming to Australia with me?"

"God yes. Oh, that's a tease isn't it? Its difficult to see a tease coming at you on the phone."

"I am delirious happy."

Larissa burst into tears.

Flint said he was sorry to curtail her joy but he was sitting in a roadside toilet somewhere in Arizona and needed to wipe his bum and re-board the 18-wheeler before the driver got shitty and left without him.

"Bye darling. I'll see you in two days – I can't wait."

"Bye, bye sweetheart. Tell your mom my mom knew they'd be going to LA to see you off. She'd booked them into a flash hotel for the night with her compliments."

"How wonderful... oh is that a siren – is your restroom on fire?"

Flint laughed as said it was the truck's air horns – the truckie was calling him to wipe up and run."

"Goodbye."

"Bye hon." 

Jessica was standing nervously with Herbert asking if they were in the correct location. Larissa had gone off to the rest room to have what she called a nervous pee. Suddenly there was movement at her side and a guy said, "Hello Jessica?"

She jumped and instead of Herbert pulling her into him with a protective arm she heard him drawl, "Hello son, nice to meet you Flint. Recognized you by your photo and that black hat that's not a Stetson.

"Flint," yelled Jessica, hugging him.

"F-l-I-n-t" screamed Larissa, racing in and all but knocking the poor guy off his feet. He just grinned and licked her face. Yes, licked her cheek from top to bottom. Jessica wasn't sure she approved of that, well, not outside the bedroom. The two youngsters then buried themselves into a huge kiss. Herbert was grinning so Jessica smiled and her smile became warmer as the long kiss continued.

When conversations were underway again she asked how had Flint recognized her.

"From your wedding photo in your lounge."

"And you committed that to memory."

"Well I didn't really have to try. It's difficult to forget finely sculptured classical detail."

Jessica blushed and thought she really did like this young man although she knew he was out to charm her. But he'd recognized her from a photo taken thirty-three years ago so that earned him a heap of good points.

* * *

When Larissa in her window seat began watching her first in-flight movie, Flint rolled toward her and had two fingers into her before she'd even had time to wonder if that was his intent. God, she so much wanted him to do that. The need had been building up since she'd sighted the airport tower when she'd driven her parents into LA. She finally jerked and jerked and jerked, flooding Flint's hand and she lay back, eyes closed in embarrassment as he sucked his fingers. 

For god's sake, there was a woman aged about forty sitting next to him and she'd know what that was about. Flint had to wait until the main cabin lights were turned off because she took him in hand and the ungrateful swine pushed away her hand at the end and squirted all over her black skirt. She could have strangled him but checking that the woman next to him was still turned away and sleeping she scooped up some of the mess and sucked her fingers and then scooped up more and made him suck, drawing a 'You are a very naughty woman' comment that made her feel depraved. She wriggled her ass in delight.

CHAPTER 2

As the big Qantas jet began it's descent into Sydney International Airport, Flint leaned across the pointed out the cliffs and suggested Larissa look for the gap that formed the heads to Sydney Harbor. He wanted to ease her tension. As the city came into view Larissa surprised Flint, not buzzing around like a bee worried about her hair, asking was her lipstick smeared, saying she wished she'd worn a different top...nothing like that at all. She was sitting back calmly, holding his hand. So he had to check out was this really the situation: "Nervous?"

"No, I'm going to love Australia and your mom will just love me, I know she will. I won't be bothered if your sisters think I'm not right for them and you dad thinks I'm a dumb American broad. Your mom will cuddle me and say don't mind them, they'll come around."

The aircraft lurched and Larissa grabbed Flint for reassurance.

"Your mom will say many Australian's take time to adjust to change and that her family will soon want to cuddle me too but make sure her husband's hands don't wander too much. And she'll say I'll have little trouble adapting to a smaller community. I'll say I know the Sydney Opera House is something of an icon in the boastful minds of Australians. In my third summer break at college we went on a three-week tour and attended Opera in Milan and Vienna and the ballet in Paris so I do have perspective. And the great city of Sydney? Perhaps but I've been to a few of the great cities of the world including Paris and Rome and of course New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Then I'll put her and her family at ease saying if they are really interested in what interests me they should say tell me what your house is like, what the local schools are like and will the family dog like me."

Flint, mind reeling, mumbled, "We don't have a dog, we have a cat."

"Well your cat then. You look very nervous?"

"Yeah, I'm scared my family will reject the loud mouth American with big tits that I'm bringing home."

They heard the woman next to Flint suffer a giggling fit; they squeezed hand and grinned.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Yeah, a little. Australians tend to like big tits so you'll probably be forgiven for being a loud-mouth American."

"Are you okay Mandy?" Flint asked the woman next to him. They had spoken at times. She was writhing on her seat and gasped, "Oh you two, you are so funny."

They cleared officialdom and were about to enter the public area where Flint's family was waiting.

Flint stopped. "Oh god, I've left my jacket on the aircraft."

"You packed it in that brown backpack on your trolley at the airport before we checked in."

"Is my hair straight?"

"It's very difficult to straightened tight curls."

"Um, are you ready?"

"Yes, waiting patiently for you to deal with your nervousness. They'll like me, they'll all like me, even the dog."

"Cat."

"Well cat then. Let me pass."

"They won't recognize you."

"Your mom will recognize a loud mouth American with big tits as soon as she sees me. She'll confirm when she recognizes your cum stains on my skirt."

"Larissa!"

"Calm down Flint and lead the way. I sponged the marks off in the box they call a toilet."

"Flint!" was the scream. 

His dad didn't even bother to open his mouth or wave.

His mom smacked Flint on the mouth with her big mouth, hugging him but with one eye on Larissa. Before his sisters had a chance of kissing him Flint was almost pulled off his feet by his 6ft 2in mom and as she plopped Flint in front of Larissa she said, "Introduction."

"Mom er Mrs Ella Jackson, please meet Miss Larissa Rossiter."

"Out the way Flint. Oh darling, you are so gorgeous. I'd thought he'd written that description of you when pissed. Call me Ella. May I hug and kiss you?"

"Yes, please – I've been waiting for this moment. Flint is so proud of his family, especially his mom."

"Really? Oooh what lovely perfume. It's so difficult visualizing you sweating on the Australian relentless sun and coughing out insects."

Huh?

But before Larissa had time to wonder what else had Flint missed out in telling her about Australia she was swamped in a huge hug, smelt lovely perfume and Ella was kissing right on the mouth instead of delivering a wee tap on the cheek.

Breaking away Ella said, "Both of my daughters live away from home now. Having you living with us will be gaining a new daughter. Oh I'm so happy."

So the daughters didn't live at home. What else hadn't Flint told her?

The married Anna kissed her warmly and welcomed her to Australia. Glenys called Glen who lived with an aircraft maintenance engineer was only a month older than Larissa and took her hand after hugging and kissing her and said, "I do hope we'll become the greatest of friends."

Glen was the same height as Flint and Anna was two inches taller. The smiling thickset father was Flint's height. He lifted Larissa off the ground and kissed her and said admiringly, "Aren't you a real beauty."

"Put her down Jack, Larissa is not a doll or one of your drunken friend's wives."

"Ella nags me but she'd still the best wife in all of Australia."

Following that comment of lifting the wives of drunken buddies Larissa decided to hold her initial judgment of Jack.

The family then stood in a circle, a coin in their hands, and then turned them face up.

Three coins were heads, two were tails. Glen and Flint had tails so dropped out. The final was a call between Ella and Anna. Ella called heads but when turned up her palm her coin showed tails. Anna called heads and turned up heads.

"What was that about?" Larissa asked Anna and was told it was just a family tradition. They were all currently registered pilots and who won the final toss flew the aircraft.

They took off into rain on the six-seat twin-prop Beachcraft Baron that during pre-flight checks Anna had told her was the pride of their fleet, used mainly to fly local residents to sports events, family gatherings and on shopping outings to Sydney.

"Enjoy looking at rain darling," Ella called from the seat behind Larissa. You won't see much of it out our way. Well there is the occasional downpour."

After almost 400 miles Anna pointed out Kurra coming into view. Larissa had been unable to find it on any map but had been told the town of 5700 people that also serviced a sprawling hinterland devoid of villages or anything else apart farms and the ranches called stations and the occasional vehicle repair and service center called a garage that also sold all types of fuel and had a small store attached and sometimes a veterinary clinic was adjacent. She was relieved to see a small river snaking through the town but would find later it became a stony bed without water during a major 'dry'. The town had a six-bed hospital and the region was covered by the famous flying doctor service.

They drove through tree-lined streets – watered by artesian draw-off – to a almost stately looking sprawling white home encircled completely by a wide veranda and inside the walls were painted white and the high ceilings that followed the multiple pitches of the gray-painted corrugated iron roofing. It was light and airy, almost tropical in style. Well they were in an arid region and the tropic of Capricorn passed through Alice Springs, Anna told Larissa.

Larissa sat down for coffee and immediately fell asleep. 

"Come on dear," she heard Ella say, "You are travel fatigued." She opened her eyes to find Ella lifting her as if she were a basket of washing. Goodness, she weighed 122 pounds!

Ella helped her off with her top and undid the skirt for Larissa to step out of. "That will do as you'll have a sheet over you but first, give me your mom's email address."

"It's no use, they have a computer but don't use it."

"Well phone number then, what time is it where they live?"

"I don't know, what time is it here?"

Ella laughed and said she didn't know but probably an hour before noon. "It doesn't matter; as a worried mum she'll take a call about her daughter at any hour."

"Are mothers called mum here?"

"Yes, aren't they in American?"

"It's mom, emphasis on the 'o'."

"Well, whatever. Scarcely any difference – just a cultural thing."

Larissa could hear faint talking and laughter. It was 5:05 on the bedside clock. She showered, put on a top and shorts and left her hair down and went to where the sounds were coming from and found everyone outside, the females sitting and drinking and the males gathering around the barbecue (cook-out) the Australians call a barbie where a quarter of a side of beef was on the spit. The guys were sipping beer from cans.

The women called hi, she waved to them and walked to the men as two newcomers were there. Neither male looked at her face.

"Larissa, this is Glen's better half Danny and this is Tom.

"Hi," said Tom, managing to lift his gaze and he actually shook her hand. "Anna's been talking about you coming all this week."

"I hope I haven't disappointed."

"No, surely not. You are a real beauty, what we call out here trophy class."

"Yeah, hi Larissa," said Danny, transfixed by Larissa's breasts.

"God, those guys have been too long out in the sun," Anna said when calling Larissa over to sit and have a glass of wine.

"It's just the phenomena of a new set of breasts in town," Anna laughed. "Our men like them big and you're anything but little darling."

They all laughed and the men stopped talking briefly to look at them. 

"You scarcely have pimples on your chest Anna," Larissa said and another round of laughter followed.

"What's the joke," Tom called. The women fell silent and didn't answer.

When the men resumed talking Larissa asked, "Why fall silent if asked a question?"

"I suppose it's a cultural thing darling," Ella said. "It's just if the guys want to talk about sport and screwing women and of course the weather then we are unlikely to want to share our conversation as long as they stand aloof."

"Where I come from we keep the wine and the beer in the same place so everyone congregates together and in the first couple of hours the men are prohibited from talking about relative values of different values of beer, or sport or farming or women and the women refrain from talking babies, cooking, fashion and men with big dicks."

The women shrieked in laughter.

The men trooped over to sit with the women, the spit not requiring immediate attention because it was electrically driven.

"Tell me Larissa," Danny asked. "Where you come from do the women do it on first dates?"

A lively and hilarious discussion followed and the drinking pace of people lifted.

At one stage Ella buttonholed her and said, "I called your mom who was ever so happy you'd arrived safety and to hear we all believe we are going to adore having you here. We talked for over an hour, getting to know one another."

"Oh God, I'll pay for that call Ella."

"Thank you darling but it was a pleasure calling her."

Glen came up and placed an arm around Larissa's waist. "Why are you attempting to pay mom money?"

"Because she made a call to American on my behalf, to my mother, and talked for more than a hour."




Honey Goes Down Under



"Mom is loaded. She inherited the Stones, Yellow Hill and Slim Hal Stations and has them leased. They are adjoining properties and total 923,000 acres and she owns our company, the airport and around thirty percent of the commercial properties in town. If she wants to spend money on you just sit back and enjoy. Now tell me Larissa, what do you think about Danny – the truth now?"

"That's unfair."

"How can you be a friend if you won't talk in confidence to me?"

"I'm nervous about this Glen."

"Do you want me to break your arm?"

"My impression is he appears okay but could have a roving eye."

"Ah, good girl. And that's why I am unlikely to marry him unless I slip up and he puts one in the oven."

"What?"

"Up the duff...makes me pregnant."

The shocked look on Larissa's face sent Glen reeling in laughter, bringing her older sister at the run. Anna had to be told but fortunately smothered her laughter.

Anna turned serious and said to Larissa, "Mom said I ought to talk to you. We thought you were a school teacher but Flint has just told mum you have specialized in teaching children with impaired hearing."

"Yes. So how may I help?"

"My eldest, Candy, has just started school. She hears poorly in one ear and pretty well in the other."

"Mumps as an infant?"

"Yes."

"What is the assessment?"

"A 60% hearing loss when put in terms I could understand but we have several reports and dB scoring I can give you to read."

"That's good, excellent in fact. Her speech won't be impaired. You must understand my training is in teaching those youngsters with impaired hearing, not in testing?"

"Yes, of course."

" It won't help if I look at her but would you like me to do that?"

"Yes please. I have been working with an advisor, an older guy. I would like to know what you really think."

"I could come tomorrow."

"You are all coming to our place for lunch tomorrow."

"Good, but I need to get her away by herself."

" Candy is a great little rider. Do you ride?"

"Yes, I love it."

"Good, get Flint to drive you over about 8:00. I don't like Candy out in the sun after 10:00 and with that complexion to care for you should be in by mid-morning as well. You'll see scores of attractive looking women around here with facial skin that looks like shit, thanks to excessive sun exposure and don't forget that also means reflected sunlight."

"I'll bear that in mind. Please tell Candy as soon as you can in the morning I'm coming to ride with her. I'd like her settled."

"She knows about you. I'll go and call her know. She's great on the phone. Thank you sweet one," Anna said, kissing Larissa sweetly.

"Oh Anna, one more thing. I want Tom there when we arrived."

"He was going off early for nine holes of golf...ah. "I'll ask him which is more important, golf or being there supporting his child?"

"I'm sorry Anna but..."

"It's fine, it's how the way it has to be. He'll whine but then will remember you are the lady with the gorgeous..."

"Shut up Anna," Larissa giggled. "Come, we need to hug."

"God, no wonder Flint is over the moon about you."

Flint and Larissa threw themselves on to the bed.

"We're drunk and tired," she giggled.

"Yeah, I'm almost beat."

She asked could he keep it up just for a wee while.

"I think so."

"Good, we won't need foreplay. I'm wet from having those guys ogle me all evening."

"It will pass."

"So the girls said. Look, snuggle up against my back and I'll lift a leg high and bend the one on the bed forward. You can then push in. Make sure it's the right hole, the wet one," she giggled.

* * *

Larissa gingerly drove Flint's powerful Australian-built Ford Falcon ute (pickup) across the cattle stop and the family came out to greet them. Two-year old Lewis came running to Larissa as close as his confidence allowed and stood rocking on his heels, smiling and looking back at his mom to assure himself all was well. His sister stood behind her parents, off to their right, smiling.

The visitor whispered to Anna and Danny, "I make no apology for saying this but Candy should be up here with her brother where she is more likely to hear us. One of you move back and casually take her hand and lead her forward. 

Tom did that without being asked.

Larissa dropped to one knee and held out her arms, and said loudly, "Lewis, come and say hello."

He hesitated.

"Go on Lewis," Candy said. "You are not shy."

"Saying you aren't shy is better darling," Larissa said not so loudly.

Candy hesitated.

"Honey, would you like to call me Larissa?"

Candy nodded and said, "Go to Larissa Lewis. You aren't shy."

Lewis went forward right into Larissa's arms. She hugged and kissed him and said good boy and watched his parents watching their hearing impaired daughter clapping her hands and laughing, just as any five-year-old might do.

"There endeth the lesson on how family interaction has to be," Larissa smiled.

"It was wonderful to see," Anna said, wiping an eye. "Why can't we do that?"

Larissa said, "Oh, I would suspect your guys have are over-anxious and its become habitual. Keep relaxed, don't feel guilty, and keep pushing with a no-compromise attitude until you learn boundaries. You should have had counseling on this."

"Our nearest large center is 250 miles away Larissa."

"Yes Tom, to use a phrase I've heard Flint use, "Those bloody city bludgers have it made."

Tom was still laughing when Anna asked where was Flint.

"Requiring another two hour's sleep after I finished with him this morning."

Anna and Tom hugged helplessly in laughter as Larissa knelt to hug Candy. "Aren't you just the dearest little girl. Do you really know who I am?"

"Yes, you've come a long way to marry Uncle Flint."

Larissa remained calm and looked up to see Anna, eyes huge and a hand slapped over her mouth. Larissa winked and Anna relaxed.

Candy, in full riding regalia, rode off on her pony called Candy 2 beside Larissa on a small brown mare called Tulip. They managed bits of conversation so after a short ride they stopped under a tree, tethered their horses to the fence and Larissa sat with her back to the tree and sat Candy on her stretched out knees facing her. They talked for just over thirty minutes before Candy's attention began to wander. At that point they remounted and rode around the big paddock and returned to the house. Anna saw them coming and ran to take the horses and lead them off.

"Where's Tom?"

"I let him go. He thought he could go on his farm bike and catch his mates and play the last six or perhaps even seven holes."

"You'll have to toughen up Anna. He should have been here to hear this. Candy needs greater involvement from your both, don't you darling."

"What is inviv...invo...?"

"Involvement darling. It's a really big word. It means mummy and daddy need to talk to you more, and together as much as possible and with little Lewis."

"But he won't know much."

"But it's how he learns darling, listening and watching. And the more mummy and daddy talk to you the better you will hear them and then you'll know their hearing is getting better too. Now you go with mummy with the horses and tell her some of the things we talked about. If you cannot remember it doesn't matter. Tell her about what you saw and oh, tell her about my pony I had when I was a little girl."

"Hee-haw."

"Yes, good girl."

Anna said to Larissa to have a shower.

"No I'm fine Anna. I sweat far more in bed than riding Tulip gently."

"Gawd you are so funny. I was peeling potatoes for the chips (fries). You may like to continue the work."

"Excellent, I love being needed. Candy?"

"Yes Larissa?"

"Talk all the time to mummy, won't you dear?"

"Yes. Mummy, Larissa gave that name Hee-haw to her first pony. It's the funny sound donkeys make and her pony had hair down over its eyes and looked funny. Larissa didn't like the silly name it had."

The lunch was long and rather melancholic because many of the family and not only the males were nursing hangovers but they wore off with the consumption of more alcohol and with the singing when Tom brought out his guitar. Candy insisted her new friend sit beside her.

Later, as Flint was about to drive off, Anna and Tom came to Flint's open window.

"Thanks again for your schooling of Tom and me," Anna said softly. "Now truly. What do you think?"

"In all honesty, knowing what I know and knowing what I have found with Candy, if she were my daughter I wouldn't be worried and I know as an adult she would be fine. Oh, before I forget: Candy showed me her lovely room. Please install a radio-CD player and teach her how to use it Tom. Before too long you will hear her singing along if you buy her children's CD of popular songs. Bye. You are a lovely couple with wonderful children and a home in a great setting."

"Bye," they chorused and waved as Flint drove off at speed to shorten the long goodbye. 

"I heard Anna say you were wonderful to Candy and she feels so relieved because they were under-expecting in performance from Candy and you gave them a heap of useful tips."

"Well, they all deserve it, don't you think?"

"Yeah babe. I didn't drink much so I can really give it to you tonight."

"Is that all you think about Flint?"

"Yeah, that and looking at tits. We Australian outback guys know our priorities."

"You are such a tease." 

CHAPTER 3

Ella took Larissa into Kurra for her appointment to meet the school executive at the primary school. She insisted Larissa drive to become used to driving on the left-hand side of the road and Larissa quickly found that sitting in the right-hand seat it was only a matter of keeping to the left of the center of the road and learning the give-way rules when coming to intersections and adhering to road signs.

"You'll have it all pat in no time," Ella assured her. "You are a very competent driver."

The school principal had reacted positively when Ella had called about the possibility of the school engaging the special services of Larissa. He pointed out there were other schools in the district with pupils with hearing difficulties that could benefit from her skills so thought a case could be made for Larissa to be based at Kurra, the largest school in the district but with pupils from smaller schools being driven in say once a week for special attention from Larissa providing her qualifications were accepted by the state education authority and the case for her engagement was accepted.

Leaving copies of her qualifications with the school principal, Larissa went with Ella to a bar and had a cold beer.

"There are coffee houses in the town but I drink beer in the day time," Ella said. "Coffee and wine at nights, expect beer if having a barbie or a straight booze-up."

* * *

Larissa was right about Glen's aircraft mechanic boyfriend Danny having a roving eye. He eyed Larissa, arriving one afternoon when she was home alone reading.

"Oh hi Danny."

"Hi babe. What are you doing?"

That was a dipstick question thought Larissa, in a bikini and reading under the shade roof beside the pool. She put the book aside and pulled her sunglasses down off her hair.

"I was reading. The others are out – either flying or shopping. As you know Glen will be working at the veterinary clinic."

"Yeah, I thought they were all away."

"Then why are you here?"

"To see you. I can't stop thinking of you. The image of your tits fills my mind. I'm masturbating like crazy and it's killing me."

A chill went through Larissa. This was Australia. She had thought she'd left this kind of threat behind her. What was it with men?

"I don't like you talking like that to me Danny. Please go."

"Not until I've rolled my thumbs over your nipples."

Larissa kept calm. The little asshole needed a baseball bat kiss – hard against his earhole. "And then what Danny?"

"You'll be so worked up you'll be screaming to me to put it into you."

"Danny, please go."

He stood grinning at her.

"Go Danny."

"I've got your motor running, haven't I. You've been asking for this Larissa with the big tits and you're going to get it."

She stood, hoping her height would scare him off. She was at least four inches taller.

"You're tall and a loudmouth Larissa but you don't scare me," he said walking to her. She turned to hurry away. But he shouted stop and grabbed her arm. She attempted to pull out of his grip but he was too strong.

"Run and fail to give me what I want and something will happen you won't like. I'll make sure the airplane Flint is flying crashes and while the entire family is rushing to the death scene I'll torch the hangar and they'll lose everything."

"You can't do that. Even threatening that is a criminal act."

"Yeah, do you think I'm stupid? I'm telling you so you know what the price of saying no will be. Report me and it's your word against mine and of course you will be hysterical so which one of us will the police believe? And if you tell only Flint and he comes after me, he'll die when his aircraft crashes. Even if fired I'll still get to the aircraft because they can't mount 24/7 security."

"You're evil."

Danny ripped her bikini top open. "And you're getting fucked. Don't struggle and I won't mark you. Deny me at Flint dies."

"W-will this be only the one time?"

"What, with a body like yours? Are you kidding? It will be twice a week for sure as I'll have to also keep fucking Glen to avoid raising her suspicion. After today you come to me at the hangar when I say so. As I said, refuse me and Flint dies."

Larissa sighed. The crafty asshole had it all worked out. The most frightening threat of coercion she could imagine was hanging over her head. She'd have to kill him.

Offering the skunk a breast, pushing it at him with two hands and watching his eyes light up, Larissa knew now was not the time to do it. He could easily over-power her because he was big into sport, playing football and dirt track bike riding. It he suspected she was attempting to harm him he might counter-attack.

"Fuck me Danny but don't expect me to cooperate."

"Oh, you are so sensible Larissa," he said, taking a mouthful of tit and rolling his tongue over it. Larissa knew she was powerless to stop the nipple firming or to prevent her pussy from lubing under his fondling. It didn't matter. Her own brother Jimmy had repeatedly had his way with her on his last day before he left the farm for the city. Their parents had gone to get supplies and that chore took them most of the day. Jimmy had threatened to burn down the farmhouse and poison water supplies if she didn't cooperate. Two months went by before Larissa began to feel the shame easing.

Her parents had thought she was pining for Jimmy.

Ha!

"Don't mark me Danny," she murmured, stroking his hair. She thought the best way would be to cooperate, to begin putting himself off his guard. He worked on her boobs until she was almost screaming for it; but no way would she verbalized that desire to this hateful man.

He pulled out a little cock, already dripping, and Larissa thought grimly, Glen you darling young lady, you can do much better that this. The guy is a worm as well as an asshole. She dropped to her knees to suck it but Danny angrily pushed her on to her back and snarled, "Don't be a slut."

The ground cover was artificial grass, relatively comfortable. She opened her legs wide and Danny slid in without any effort.

"Christ you're big. Press against my dick."

She did that and pushed back at him and it was all over within a minute, he pulling out and squirting over her belly, At least he didn't want to shoot into her mouth.

"Wipe that away with your towel. I don't want to see you scooping that into your mouth you slut."

He struggled to stand up, his trousers and underpants being around his ankles. Danny said, "Well at least you moved. Next time I want your ass."

Larissa saw red. The fucking creep, she'd murder him!

Realizing she was losing it Larissa attempted to calm herself. Danny was staring at her but said nothing indicating he was aware of the tumultuous passion within her.

Buckling up and hauling up his zip, Danny said: "I'll phone when I want you over at the hangar. Good bye Larissa."

She said nothing but hearing his vehicle start up gather her bikini and went inside and showered and then had a bath liberally adding disinfectant to remove any smell of him. Larissa didn't weep, knowing one doesn't weep over an asshole she had to kill.

That night and into the next day Larissa thought about her options. While going to the police seemed the sensible outcome she thought the big downside was if the authorities failed to accept her story under Danny's denial he could exact terrible revenge – perhaps when she was also in the aircraft. She then decided to pack up and leave, to return to America without a word. That could leave Danny stymied. Yes, what a good solution. But she woke during the night thinking of a letter arriving for her in America from Glen saying she had terrible news, that all of her family had been wiped out in two aircraft crashes due to contaminated fuel. She lay trembling, this time weeping.

Two days later Ella asked Larissa if she would go out to Reservoir 2 and check that the intakes to the pump were clear of dead weed. The lake had been sprayed a month ago to control weed growth and dead growth breaking off would float to the surface and be driven across the lake by wind, sometimes in the direction of the intake screens. The screens had to be cleared if too much dead matter restricted water flow to the pumps. Larissa had already been with Ella twice to do that task. She also had cans of diesel to top up the fuel tanks for the generator operated on time switch.

It was a seven mile drive and halfway there Larissa suddenly spotted a guy on a dirt bike heading her way. He had a blue helmet. She's seen Danny riding with a blue helmet. She thought of flashing her lights to attract him to kill him but then accepted she had no plan or resources. She let him go.

Two minutes later Larissa saw in the side mirror the motorcyclist roaring up behind her, wide-out to keep out of the dust cloud her vehicle was leaving behind it. As he came closer he began waving. Larissa ignored him – she had a job to do and was in no mood to be fucked by the jerk, if it were Danny behind that facemask of his helmet. But it was unlikely she would escape his attentions. Although she was on the dirt track and he was on rough pastureland he was moving faster, much faster. He was now level with her. A trapped feeling filtered through Larissa and just as she looked at him again, his attention diverted, she saw the bike slam into a lone fence post, presumably from a fence line no longer there. Larissa watched in delight as his body rose high into an arch and crashed down, unfortunately not head first.

Larissa stopped and walked over to him. It was Danny. He'd already removed his helmet and was groaning, looking down at his right lower leg that was bleeding with a piece of bone sticking out.

"H-help me," he said.

"Okay, just a minute. I'll see what I have in the ute. I need to stop the bleeding."

She returned with a medical kit to find Danny was unconscious from either pain or shock or perhaps his head had taken a knock. Larissa considered her options. There was a rope in the toolbox of the ute. She fetched it, bound it around Danny's ankles. She's ridden ranch bikes since she was a girl so picked up Danny's bike. It started on the third try. She propped it on the stand and tied the other end of the rope to the bike. It was best not to use the ute in case she left incriminating evidence. She strapped his helmet to the bike and then slowly towed him onto the dirt track. She heard him screaming and yell, "What the fuck are you doing? The pain is killing me."




Honey Goes Down Under



Larissa smiled and wound up the throttle and because of the noise heard no more screaming. A hundred yards back along the road she stopped on the log bridge over the ravine she'd noticed earlier. She untied the helmet and threw it away as far as she could, hearing it hit rocks after the long drop. The then pushed the bike over, having no way of getting that out of sight but when she looked down Larissa saw no sign of it in the murky pool. Undoing the rope Larissa noticed with satisfaction there was no sign of rope marks on the riding boots.

Larissa now knew she faced the hard decision. If she weighed down Danny with a couple of rocks and the body was found, murder would be suspected. The rope would also be noted as missing from the ute. With great effort she dragged the unconscious Danny to the side of the bridge and aiming for the rocks below let him slide head-first. She turned away not wanting to she the result, placing her hands over her ears. A few seconds later Larissa looked down and saw the body slowing sliding down the side of a huge rock and disappear into the pool. She waited and the body did not surface. Job done.

There were a few patches of blood on the crude decking so Larissa cupped handfuls of dust over them. On the way back she dragged the rope over the motorcycle tire marks, just in case a search party came looking that way. But where would they look? She knew when Danny went riding he roamed anywhere over a hundred square miles. The searches would concentrate on his favored routes and she hoped this was not one of them.

Back at the crash site Larissa received the untouched medical kit and returned that to the back shelf of the ute. She then cracked the rope around the top of cargo box to remove dust and put the rope back in the toolbox and then continued with her chore.

On the way back, although feeling dreadfully remorseful, Larissa managed to wink at that lone fence post. She drove over the bridge without pausing, having no wish to remind herself of her dreadful deed. She drove on recalled when Jimmy had left the ranch. She'd given him two weeks before following him. He'd called their mom to say he still hadn't found a job. She saw him come out of a diner and called, "Hey Jimmy" and when he saw her she stepped back into the alley.

He came running and as he reached the alley Larissa shot him up close, through the head. She raced out of the other end of the alley carrying his wallet that contained his ID and drove eight hours through the night and when her mom awoke next morning she found Larissa in her bed. Her parents would never find what had happened to their son who'd been secretly selling off some of their hay supplies and doing underhand deals in selling their harvested grain and also claiming farm expenses from them he, as manager, had never incurred. He'd boasted about that to Larissa, warning he'd kill her if she told on him. Then he'd put his sister through that day of sexual terror from which she'd suffered several weeks of nightmares. Larissa had decided Jimmy was a rat and had to be exterminated. 

Jimmy's murder was investigated, without success, with no witnesses and no ID because he's been robbed and not reported as missing. Police posted him as an unidentified murder victim but his parents never reported him as missing; they eventually accepted Larissa's story planted at the time that in leaving home Jimmy had turned his back on the ranch and on the family and they might never see him again.

The next day a search was on for Danny and when not found an even bigger search was on, involved almost a hundred people. Glen and Larissa flew with Flint, acting as spotters. Larissa was horrified just how easy it was to spot off-road vehicle tracks from the air and later, after comforting Glen until she fell asleep, asked Flint about that.

"Those are tire marks in soft terrain and that's the fucking difficulty. There are so many of them and no way of telling, even on the ground, which are old or very new tracks.

"Could he have fallen, hit his head and slithered into one of the reservoirs?"

"Not unless he and his bike could have gone through cattle fencing and that's very unlikely and they are seven-wire fences around the water. I did fly out and beyond our reservoirs on the first hours of searching before you joined us. Tracks are more difficult to pick up because of the nature of the terrain out and beyond reservoirs one, two and three but I took a peep out that way because occasionally I've seen Danny and others farther out to where there are some jumps amid sand hills – they prefer soft landings if they tumble off.

That evening three-quarters of the searchers pull out after learning on local radio that the police in Sydney were interested in talking to Danny about three complaints of assault of females and allegedly using stand-over tactics and three complaints from past employers he'd stolen money and a vehicle from. Larissa was interested to hear that but thought neither people and definitely not the police would accept that Danny's misdeeds and his mistreatment of her merited him being exterminated. It was difficult for her aware all of the money and manpower being spend on air and ground searches but the only way she could stop it would be to lead the police to the body and that didn't appeal. "Fuck, what a mess," she groaned.

In town early next morning when Larissa was in the post office and the woman serving her mentioned missing Danny, Larissa said idly she wouldn't be surprised if he'd taken off knowing the police were hot on his trail. She was astonished to hear that theory being voiced on local radio at midday when it was announced the search had been abandoned, leaving it to his friends riding out to keep an eye out for any bike down.

"How will you guys get on with one mechanic down?" Larissa asked Flint.

"A retired mechanic has come back to fill in until we attract a replacement and that may take weeks, even months."

Larissa colored and almost said sorry to have put you guys to so much trouble. Well, at least the threat of Danny to the Jackson family pilots was no longer a worry for her. Perhaps she should apply to the Australian Government for a posting as an assassin rather than a post to assist hearing-deficient children in the remote area around Kara?

"Don't think like that you stupid bitch," she muttered. Danny on the sofa opposite reading about the search progress in the local newspaper asked, "What was that?"

"Um, oh I was thinking perhaps I should try for another type of job."

"Try the police – they are short-staffed." He laughed, "But don't expect to be dealing with serious crime out here in the sticks. No, kids like Candy need you darling."

"Would you still love me if I ever went to prison?"

"What for, having big tits?" Flint chortled. "Of course I would continue..."

The phone went and Flint jumped up to take it because his parents were out the back looking at new chickens.

"It's for you – Bert Fowler, school principal.

The others trooped in as Larissa finished the call. She looked radiant and Larissa said, "Funding for my engagement as an area teacher for children with hearing disabilities has been approved. My qualifications checked out okay and the education authorities will seek to have my visa upgraded to provide for permanent residency one year after my arrival, providing I enter a contract for three year's service. I'm to go to Sydney in a fortnight to work alongside a similar specialist and to attend lectures on the educational objectives in this state."

"That's marvelous darling," Ella said. "I'll fly you to Sydney a couple of days early and we'll go shopping."

"Oh great, I'd love that Ella. May I suggest we take Glen as she's on a bit of a down now she's free of that jerk?"

Glen blushed. "Um, not thanks. The new vet Daniel Jones has asked me out on Saturday night and the next Saturday we are going to Dubbo for his best friend's engagement party."

Jack growled, "Thanks for holding out on us Glen."

"Dad, we'd decided we should keep in quiet in case people thought I was being disrespectful for Danny in case he's out there, dead."

"Ha, that jerk is probably down in Victoria now looking for more women to hassle. I wonder why he didn't assault you."

"My new friend Daniel thinks perhaps Danny was waiting until the time was right to steal an airplane."

The family looked at Glen in shock.

"That freak. He was always looking at my tits," growled Ella. "It made my uneasy. What about you with your outstanding figure Larissa?"

"If he'd touched me I would have killed him," Larissa said softly.

Everyone laughed.

"Well Flint, get off your bum," Ella said. "The women of young children will want Larissa permanently retained in this district. You'll have to marry her and I want you to do that before we lose her to some other swain from another family."

"Yes Flint, where's your proposal," Larissa said, cheeks flaming.

All eyes were on Flint. He coughed and said, "Well if I'm to make a speech could someone fetch me a beer?"

"Sit down everyone," Ella said. "I'll get everyone a drink. This is going to be so entertaining. Make him work for it Larissa."

"Oh, I didn't come all the way from America to here a three word proposal," she laughed. "This will be a real test of his manhood."

"Hold it," Ella said. "Glen call Anna and Tom to get down here with the children who won't be in bed yet. "Candy is talking about Larissa as if Larissa were her mother. She is bound to want to be a flower girl in a pretty dress and I bet she'll want Larissa to chose it for it."

"Larissa AND her mom will chose it," Larissa said firmly. "The new word for Candy to learn this evening is wedding. Please call them Glen."

Flint's fixed grin at Larissa made her wonder was he suffering lockjaw.



THE END