Pat Ritter. Books

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'Click Go The Shears' - Page 102:

'What's he doing?' Hannah asked in between eating, alarmed knowing Joe left early to clear the block of land.
'He told me he was going over to the block to clean up so you can start building your cottage. That's all he said and was gone soon after he finished his breakfast.' Alex sat at the table to eat his breakfast.
'I'd better finish and go and help him. Before I do I need to earn my keep and clear up the dishes and sweep the kitchen.' Hannah finished her breakfast, rose to start and gathered the dishes.
'Don't worry about clearing up. You go and help Joe. What's this about building a cottage.' Alex asked picking up a tea towel.
'Ma gave me her block of land and I want to build a cottage. I want a small cottage, light yellow outside.' She saw her cottage in her mind's eye and smiled.
'How is Ma going? I sent a message to your father telling him about Mr Cummings death.'
'Thank you. I wanted to get a message to them.' Hannah finished washing the dishes and started sweeping the floor.
'Last night I told one of the shearers to tell your parents. He'll be at your parent's place this morning.'
'I'd better make morning tea for Joe. Would you like some scones?' Hannah wiped her hands on a cloth.

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'Click Go The Shears' - Page 103:

'For sure. I don't get to eat scones around here. Better start in the bar and get everything ready to open.' Alex replied and rose to leave.
'Alex, before you leave I want to thank you so much for allowing me to stay here until my cottage is built. Would you mind if I cooked and clean the kitchen. To pay my way.' she almost pleaded.
'Hannah, if you want to do that. There's no reason for you not to cook but you are not a slave. I meant what I said. You can stay as long as you want.'
'I hate not earning my keep.' She replied.
'If you want to do the job, I'll leave it with you. You don't need to do anything because you are my guest.' Alex farewelled Hannah and went to do his tasks.
Hannah mixed flour and other ingredients together to make scones. She threw a couple of pieces of wood in the fire to heat the oven. After twenty minutes a fresh batch of scones spread on a tray in the middle of the table. Each cut in half with a coating of butter and covered with strawberry jam, just like Ma made, she thought.
Leaving the kitchen and walking to her new block of land she sighted Joe with his shirt off, perspiration gleaming over his body. A shovel in his hand shifting remains of the fire to a separate pile. Sun beat down with a heat hotter than a furnace, quivering heat waves shimmered from the ground.

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'Click Go The Shears' - Page 104:

'Joe,' she called approaching him, 'time for a break. I prepared morning smoko for you and Alex in the kitchen.' She reached Joe, a warm feeling moved from her stomach to her mind. She'd never seen a more muscled physique in all of my life. Her eyes glued to his mid-section. She covered her eyes with her hand to block out the sun so she could get a better view. 'I never expected you to do this work.' She pronounced.
Joe placed the shovel on the ground. 'I wanted to get an early start before it got too hot, almost finished. Don't know how I'm going to shift the stove.'
'We'll think of a way, come inside. It's too hot out here.' She waved Joe to follow her to the hotel. He followed.
'This looks good,' Joe said after he replaced his shirt to cover his body. 'I won't be long, I'll wash my hands.' He left the kitchen.
Hannah called to Alex who entered the kitchen, the aroma of freshly cooked scones entered his nostrils. 'I haven't tasted scones since Ma bought me some a long time ago,' he sat at the table filled his cup with tea from the kettle and scooped up a scone and quickly filled his mouth.
'They're not as good as Ma makes. No one can make them as good as she can,' Hannah said and sat at the table. She poured a cup of tea for Joe and left a plate filled with scones in front of where he would sit beside her.

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'Click Go The Shears' - Page 105:

Joe returned to the kitchen took his place beside Hannah. 'These look good,' and picked up a scone and soon devoured it in one mouthful. 'Must've been hungry.' He licked his lips and smiled.
Alex finished his morning smoko and returned to his bar duties.
'You didn't need to clean up the land,' Hannah said after taking Joe's empty cup and plate. 'Do you want another scone and another cup-of-tea?' She asked.
'Yes please. They were good, I must've been hungry.' Hannah coated another scone with butter and jam and handed him a plate and a fresh cup-of-tea. He ate the scone greedily than drank his tea.
'Got no money to pay you until I go to the bank tomorrow, 'Hannah said wiping her hands on a towel.
Joe removed a twenty pound note from his pocket and handed it to Hannah, 'will this help until you go to the bank.'
'I can't take your money!' She went to return it.
'No! You'll need to pay Alex for your board and lodgings. Don't worry about paying me back and don't worry about paying me for helping you. I told your father I wanted to help build your cottage. Joe Ryan gave me this money with a lot more when I spoke with him at Barcaldine. Pay your board and lodgings to Alex for the next six months until your cottage is ready to live in.'

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'Click Go The Shears' - Page 106:

Hannah rose from her chair swung her arms around Joe's neck and this time kissed him on the lips, 'thank you Joe. If Joe, what's his name, gave you the money then I'll use it to pay our board and lodgings.' She emphasised the word our. Joe returned her kiss. If he wasn't in heaven before, the moment their lips joined he was enjoying the sweetness of heaven through the taste of her lips.
After releasing each other from their embrace, Joe said, 'I'd do anything for you Hannah. I better get back on the job and try and find a solution to moving the stove.'
Joe returned to finish clearing the land. His mind filled with the taste of the kiss they shared. Wonderful thoughts screamed in his mind of hoping Hannah liked him as much as he liked her. From the corner of his eye he saw three men approach, Alex and two others he didn't know.
'You've been busy Joe, ' Alex said, 'I've bought a couple of hefty fellows to help move the stove.' Without another word the four men positioned themselves around the huge steel stove, each taking a corner and lifted carried it to the opposite end of the land well away from where the cottage would be built.
'Thank you fellars, I'd better shout you a drink. Honestly, I didn't know how I was going to move this hunk of metal.' Joe joined his companions at the bar.

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'Click Go The Shears' - Page 107:

'There you are Joe, wet your whistle with this,' Alex placed a tumbler of beer in front of him who scooped it up devoured the amber coloured fluid without touching the sides of his throat.
'That was good.' Joe licked his lips, 'sorry, I haven't introduced myself, Joe Gibson.' He shook hands with his companions who'd helped him move the stove.
'Jack Sullivan, pleased to meet you Joe, Alex told me plenty about you.' Joe introduced himself to the other person.
'What do you do Jack?' Joe asked.
'I build houses.' Jack finished his beer and asked Alex for a refill. 'Built most of the houses in Cunnamulla.' Alex placed another tumbler of beer in front of Jack.
'Hannah wants a cottage built on the land. I'll tell her about you,' Joe told Jack. 'I'd better get going, I want to finish the job before it gets too hot. Thanks for helping me.' Joe said goodbye and returned to his job of clearing the remainder of the land.
Hannah called him in for lunch, she prepared cold mutton and bread mixed with tomatoes and sugar. Seated at the table he thought, I could get used to this, a beautiful woman taking care of me, never had this before. 'Thank you Hannah, this tastes delicious.' Joe continued eating.
'We can't expect you to work on an empty stomach, can we,' her smile took Joe's breath away. 'The rate you're working, it'll be finished this afternoon.'

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'Click Go The Shears' - Page 108:

'Hope so. You given any thought to the design of your cottage?' Joe asked in between eating his lunch.
'Joe,' she raised her voice in excitement in answer to his question, her mind filled with the picture of her cottage almost beamed from her in a glow which lit up her face into a broad smile, 'it's all up here,' she pointed to her temple. 'Two bedrooms, a parlour, lounge room, a front veranda with a swing so we can sit there at night looking at the stars.' Her smile took Joe by surprise.
'Two bedrooms and a swing?' He queried.
'Yes, you'll need to stay somewhere when you're in town, why not stay with me and we'll sit on the swing on the front veranda and you can tell me all about working for Pa,' her excitement thrilled Joe because he was in her plans.
'Jack Sullivan. He helped me move the stove today. I shouted him and his companion a drink afterwards. He's built most of the houses in Cunnamulla.' Joe said excitedly.
'Tell him to start building the cottage. I'm so happy you're helping me, honestly, I couldn't do it without you. Thank you.'
Joe finished his lunch, 'I'd better get back into it, won't do itself,' and left.
Jack Sullivan agreed to build Hannah's cottage only first the land needed to be transferred into her name.