Belonging to the Iceman

Mon Amour, You Haven't Been Easy To Find!

New Years Eve

Shantelle sat on their bed watching her Kimi, polish his boots.

"So you're not even going to be here for new Year's?" She asked.

"I'm sorry Kulta, but this is the BIGGEST Muster of the year!" He said.

Before he came to the Station he was a free man, he didn't have to take care of a woman, and he didn't have a woman back at the Station that watched him leave early every morning on Oddie and return often late at night or even days later.

She knew he loved it here, she knew he was the Head Stockman, so she smiled and stood up and approached him.

Kissing him softly, she whispered, "Then I will kiss you goodbye and watch you ride away and when you return I will smother you in kisses!"

He held her and grinning, said "you know as soon as your divorce goes through, we're getting engaged and hopefully married not long after!"

She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is that right Mr Räikkönen?"

He pressed a kiss to her lip and hugged her tightly.

"Yes Kulta, because I am NOT letting you go! You will become Mrs Kimi Räikkönen, even if it's the last thing I do!"

She grinned "believe me Icey, marrying me will be just one of the many things you will get to do!"

*

"Well, boys!" Kimi said loud and clear from atop Oddie "Today is the last day of 2015 and our biggest. Muster. Yet! We have over fifty thousand cattle to bring to the holding yards, you can see the trucks lined up and believe me they're not the only ones! More are coming as I speak...we're expected to be gone for at LEAST a week..." He saw Shantelle gazing at him, smiling sadly but he knew she was proud of him. "We've got almost a quarter of the Territory to cover"

"Nothin', we can't handle Icey!" Mitch said with a grin.

Kimi grinned and watched the Stockmen ride off. Then he rode Oddie over to Shantelle.

"I love you," He said bending down to give her one last kiss.

"I love you too Kimi, please be careful!" She said patting the Stallion's nose "And you take care of him Oddie! I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to my Iceman" She said to the horse.

"See you when I get back Kulta, then I will take you to Darwin, for a few nights...it's not Brisbane or Paris but it will get you off this Station and back to civilisation!"

She watched him ride off with Senna trotting happily beside the big, black horse.

*

Shantelle checked her watch. It was eleven thirty, half an hour til 2015 was over and she was glad.

In six months she could finally be free from Nicolas and could make a life with Kimi.

She lay in bed, with a cup of tea and a good book.

Since the men were out mustering, the ladies had gone to bed early.

A knock on the front door made her frown.

"Who is that at this time of night?" She growled heading to the door. A lantern that hung from one of the posts holding up the roof over the verandah gave off little light, as she peered through the window she couldn't make out who it was.

Finally, she slowly opened the wooden front door, luckily the screen door was locked and had no holes in it so whoever was at the front door couldn't get in.

"Nicolas!" She breathed in complete and utter shock seeing her well-dressed and groomed husband, over his shoulder was a satchel bag and in it were gifts for her.