Belonging to the Iceman

Chasing Cows

"Guess who's here?!" Delphine called excitedly as little Angeline waddled into the house in front of her Mother.

"Only my best friend in the entire world!!" Shantelle said happily, going to hug her.

"Ahem!" Sacha said, clearing his throat.

"Sorry Sach" Shantelle said, "my favourite girlfriend in the entire world, you my Sacha, you are my best friend in the entire world!"

"And what about Kimi?" Sacha asked.

"Well, he's my Soul mate, my future Husband and the Daddy to my baby!"

"Baby?!" Delphine repeated, wide-eyed.

Shantelle smiled and put Dedeline's hands on her tummy.

"I'm eight weeks pregnant!" She announced.

Angeline's Mother squealed with absolute joy and hugged the Australian.

"And Kimi is back on the Station?" Delphine asked, "Why aren't you two together?"

"Because I was told by my Doctor not to go to the Territory and because Kimi is the Head Stockman, he can't stay here in Brisbane with me, and I miss him so much!" Shantelle sobbed, trying not to break down.

Delphine hugged the upset expecting woman and asked "Well when do you get to see Kimi next?"

"In four weeks, when I go for my twelve-week Ultrasound" Shantelle answered.

"Do you think if you asked him to move to Brissy with you, he would?" She asked.

"Dedeline, you know how much the Station means to him! He won't let those men down, and I wouldn't expect him too!"

Delphine sat Shantelle down and said "yes, he is The Head Stockman, but you also need him! As amazing and caring as Sacha is, he is not the Father to your baby! Kimi should be here with you! What happens if anything goes wrong we all know that anything could! Not that I would ever want it too! But Sacha has got to get you to professional medical care and help and ring Kimi who is in the middle of the Australian Outback, HOURS away from you Sweetie! Call Kimi tonight and just ask him to step down as Head Stockman, if he truly loves you he will and the other Stockmen will understand if they are true friends!"

Sacha was keeping Angeline occupied, while still watching over his friends.

"Dedeline! I can't ask Kimi to do that!" Shantelle argued, "They're in the middle of their busiest part of the year!"

The French beauty held the Australian's hands and said "You have to, and you know it! Skype him tonight!"

That night after dinner, Shantelle closed her bedroom door and waited for her laptop to load.

As soon as it was loaded, it notified her that Kimi was calling her from Skype.

"KULTA!" He said happily, but he looked exhausted "am I glad to see you and hear your sweet voice! I don't know how much longer I can keep on living like this! You have NO idea how much I miss you!"

"Kimi, I have to ask you something," Shantelle said, looking down.

His smile faded "go on..." a lump had formed in his throat.

"Kimi..." She said crying, the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Kimi, I can't do this without you here with me!"

Kimi nodded "What do you want me to do Kulta? The calves are due next week, I'm barely able to get away and back to Brisbane to take you for your twelve-week ultrasound!"

Shantelle cried even more "Kimi, I cannot live without you!"

"Just hang in for a few more weeks and I will be there for you, I might even be able to stay a couple of days, Kulta" Kimi said "Did Dedeline and Angeline get there safely?"

Shantelle forced a smile, she wanted nothing more than to tell him to give up being Head Stockman, but she knew she just couldn't ask him to do that.

"Yes, and it's so good to have her here at Warrawee House, my Kimi!" She said happily, despite it being just a big façade.

He smiled "you could even call Alain! I am sure that he and Anne Marie would love to come and visit you, and stay for a while! Any pain or problems?"

"No, no, I'm just lonely and missing you like Hell!" She told him.

"Kulta, I miss you even more you know!" He said, "Didn't you want to ask me something?"

"I must have forgotten Kimi," She said.

"Well I'd better feed Senna, and I have to have a drink with Shane, he's thinking of expanding the Station" Kimi finally said, "I don't want to go but I have to, I love you so much Shantelle."

"And I love you too Kimi, talk tomorrow night?" She answered.

He looked sad "I'll be out Mustering, sorry Kulta"

"Of course, well maybe we can talk another time," She said

"I love you Shantelle! You do know that don't you?" He said, seeing her disappointment and pain.

He could see this was tearing her apart, and part of him just wanted to walk away from Emu Creek and live with her in Brisbane. He knew he'd get a job somewhere. Some of the Australian V8 Supercar teams were based on the gold Coast, just over an hour from where Shantelle lived.

"Of course Kimi, and I love you too!" Shantelle said "goodnight!"

"night Kulta!" He said, watching her end the call.

*

Sacha found her out on her front verandah, staring up at the stars glittering in the sky.

"You still seem pretty upset," He said softly handing her, her favourite mug, filled with Hot Chocolate. "Did Kimi tell you he wasn't going to give up being Head Stockman?"

"I never asked him Sach, and don't tell Delphine, but I just couldn't do it..." She said.

"Shantelle, this is destroying you!" Sacha said angrily "Do you have any idea how much it tears me up seeing you like this? This is no good for you and certainly no good for bub! Now if you don't tell Kimi to step down, I will!!"

"You don't get it, do you, Sacha??" Shantelle growled "You can't just expect Kimi to just drop everything and walk out on those men! It's calving time, they'll have all the dehorning, castration, ear tagging, vaccinating and dipping to do!"

"Yes, I am fully aware but he also has a fiancée in another state that is pregnant and miserable! Shantelle, if you want I can be the man that you need! I love you and if you love me back I will be the happiest man alive!"

She gazed at him sympathetically from in the darkness.

"I do love you, Sacha, just not in that way!" She said

He just sighed, defeated.

"Fine, Shantelle! I will see you in the morning...goodnight" And he went back inside.

"I know you loved being Head Stockman, Isoisä, but Isoäiti was so sad!" Elysia said "Why couldn't you walk away from the Station to be with her? Did you not love her?"

"Mateship and responsibility kept me at the Station and just as miserable as Shantelle!" Kimi said. "Over the next couple of months, I spent just a total of one week with her and I should have been there for the whole pregnancy. Dedeline and Sacha were the best keeping her company and were there as a shoulder to cry on for Shantelle...but stupid me failed to see what mattered the most, your Isoäiti, she mattered the most! While she was miserable and sad, I was out chasing cows!"

"So did you miss the whole pregnancy?" Lucas asked.