Down Outback Roads (27 page)

‘Thanks.’ Kree sat. She brushed a crease out of the skirt of the teal dress Tish had brought from Sydney that Kree had quickly slipped on in a room in the pub. The muted noise of the jukebox played a song she knew and she tapped her sandalled feet to the music while she ate. Around her, Hallie and her young helpers prepared more of the dinner boxes.

Broad shoulders, dressed in a green-striped shirt, briefly blocked the light streaming through the open door.

‘So, this is where you’re hiding?’ Ewan said as he strode over, a pair of amber beer bottles in his hands.

The two girls helping Hallie stopped what they were doing, their eyes round. Ewan gave them a quick smile and nodded at Hallie. ‘Mission accomplished.’

She grinned. ‘Make sure Kree has something to eat. Box ticked.’

Kree took her time looking up from her meal. Beneath the tender beef, she’d discovered light and fluffy mashed potato. ‘I am here, you know.

Ewan transferred the beers to one hand and pulled up another spare stool to sit in front of her. He was so close his knee touched hers. He set the beer bottles on the ground and smiled. ‘Oh, I know you’re here.’

Kree forgot about her hunger and her exhaustion. All she could feel was the sweet warmth of his smile flowing through her like hot chocolate after a morning skiing in the mountains. He lifted a hand and brushed the corner of her lips with his thumb.

‘Parsley,’ he said, voice husky.

She licked her lips to make sure she didn’t have a whole herb garden growing.

Hallie stopped beside them, a tray full of steaming noodle boxes in her hands. ‘Kree, would you like another box before we serve dinner?’

‘No, thanks. That was delicious but I’m done.’

Ewan reached for a dinner box. ‘I won’t say no. A man can’t live on beer alone.’

But as Hallie and her helpers disappeared through the coach house door with their laden trays, Ewan placed his beer and noodle box at his booted feet.

‘Thanks for getting Hallie to cater. I know she wouldn’t have been cheap. She did the dinner for the Quinn wedding and the town talked about it for weeks.’

‘I was lucky she had a cancellation, as she’s booked well into next year.’ Kree reached for the nearest beer, took a sip and returned the cold bottle to the ground. She blew on her fingertips to warm them. She needed one of the stubby holders Beth had ordered for the tourist centre. ‘As for what she cost, Glenalla gave me back my brother, and that is priceless.’

Ewan’s dark gaze fixed on her mouth.

‘What?’ She touched her lips. ‘More parsley?’

‘No. You’re just so beautiful. Inside and out.’

He leaned forward and kissed her until her head spun and her own personal fairy lights danced behind her closed lids.

The sound of a cleared throat forced them apart. ‘Sorry to ruin yet another kiss,’ Tish said with an unrepentant smile, ‘but just giving you the heads up, Ewan – Mrs Jessop is scouring the crowd for you. Cassandra has apparently arrived.’

Ewan stood and pulled Kree to her feet. He collected his beer and noodle box before slipping an arm around her waist. ‘Then it’s about time Mrs Jessop realised I’ve only got eyes for one person, and that isn’t her daughter.’

Ewan stayed by Kree’s side, proving to Mrs Jessop as well as the Glenalla community as he danced and laughed with her, that the lipstick target on his back had been hit. But as the night wore on and fatigue from her days painting kicked in, her energy flagged. She sent Ewan off to find a coffee, knowing he’d chat along the way, and found herself a quiet table in the shadows.

She slid off Tish’s borrowed wedge sandals and rested her tired feet on the chair beside her. She let the joy and hope of the people celebrating around her sink into her bones. Her mother’s childhood community was going to be okay. Glenalla didn’t need her anymore. She’d repaid the debt for saving Seth. The tourists would come and the town would make the most of the opportunity. The skills and confidence they’d gained by banding together to complete the tourist centre would carry over into other projects. Already the local school had plans to paint the next mural and Beth had a monthly market organised. Kree had also had a quiet word to the daughter of her family friend in Sydney who worked in
advertising. Glenalla didn’t know it yet, but they would soon feature in a multi-media outback tourism campaign.

Kree’s heart warmed as she caught sight of Travis and Tish on the dance floor, their arms wrapped around each other, lost in a world in which only the two of them existed. Tish’s scars from Fergus’s betrayal had healed. The Glenalla bush telegraph would be abuzz tomorrow with all the gossip from tonight. The discovery she and Seth were Mary Ellen Knox’s children would soon be old news. Behind the dance floor, the spotlighted bushranger mural formed a vivid backdrop. Just like her father, a part of her would forever remain behind in Glenalla.

She searched the crowd for Ewan’s dark head and located him talking to a young man who she’d earlier seen Jordy and Mikey eat dinner with. He hadn’t yet made it to the far table to collect their drinks. She wasn’t even going to think about the possibility of leaving Ewan. He’d asked that there be ‘no promises’ between them and she’d agreed. No promises covered everything from, ‘I’ll be there for you’ to ‘I’ll stay,’ and everything in between. Would the future ever allow her to say, ‘I love you’, and offer Ewan the promises that accompanied such precious words?

Tonight he might have left no one in doubt of his interest in her, but they still hadn’t talked about what lay ahead. Whatever he’d been about to say earlier in the ute remained unsaid. They might be taking it day-by-day, but the Tylers would soon be home and there’d be no reason for her to stay. Sure, she and Ewan were now equity partners, but that didn’t mean she could stay on at Marellen indefinitely. Spring had arrived in the Rocky Mountains and tourists were trickling into the now sun-drenched Elk Falls. Her art gallery needed to reopen.

‘Everything all right, missy?’

She turned with a smile to the man who’d given her the answers she didn’t think she’d ever find. ‘Yes, Harry, thanks, I’m just worn out.’

‘You’ve done a good thing for this town.’ Old Harry sat in the chair beside her with a grunt. ‘Your father and mother would be proud.’

Kree squeezed Harry’s gnarled hand, which lay on the white tablecloth. ‘I hope so. They’d also be happy I finally found you, even if I did take my time.’

Harry’s rarely used chuckle rasped like unoiled gears. ‘That you did. But I always knew you would.’ His eyes flicked towards where Ewan continued to talk.

‘You also did a good thing for the Mackenzies.’

‘And how do you know about what I did for the Mackenzies?’

He winked. ‘I might be old, but I always know what’s going on.’ His expression sobered. ‘If, by buying into Marellen, you and Seth have left yourself short, I can help you out.’

Kree’s eyes misted. The majority of the district might consider Harry a grumpy and eccentric recluse, but she knew better. He had a heart of pure gold.

She kissed his weathered cheek. ‘Thanks so much, but we’ll be fine. Our parents taught us to live simply and there’s more than enough in my father’s investments to cover whatever we may need.’

‘Well, then, once the Tylers are home, if you need a place to stay, there’s a room with your name on it and another for that rabble-raising brother of yours.’ He dropped his words to a whisper. ‘Don’t tell anyone, but I could do with the company.’

‘I won’t. It’s our little secret.’

Harry turned as Seth joined them. The curvy blonde he’d been chatting and laughing with now sat at a table with a group of other long-limbed teenage girls.

‘You won’t be impressing any young lady with that poor excuse for a bull bar,’ Old Harry said to Seth with a frown. ‘Bring your ute around tomorrow. I’ve got a proper bull bar in the shed that should fit. You can help me bolt it on.’

Seth’s grin couldn’t stretch any wider. ‘Seriously?’

‘You bet.’ A smile brightened Old Harry’s faded gaze.

Kree smiled and shook her head in mock-despair. ‘Not you, too, Harry? What is it with boys and their toys?’

‘Boys, even old ones, can never have too many toys,’ he said as he pushed back his chair and stood. He gave Kree and Seth a small nod each before shuffling away on bowed legs.

‘Sis, you look shattered,’ Seth said as he sat in the chair Old Harry had left.

‘I don’t look
that
tired, do I?’

‘Sorry to burst your bubble, but you do. Would you like some hot tea to wake you up? Even though I don’t know how you can drink that stuff.’

‘No, thanks.’ She stifled a yawn. ‘I think what I really need is sleep.’

‘I’ll take you home.’

‘What about the cute blonde?’

Seth’s cheeky grin flashed. ‘I’ve already got her number. We’ve made plans to try out the visitor centre coffee tomorrow.’

Kree gave a mock groan. ‘And here I thought you’d come to Glenalla to spend time with your big sister.’

‘As if.’ But the affection and laughter in his eyes belied his comment.

He held out his hand. ‘Come on, you old thing. I’m not taking no for an answer.’

Kree slipped her feet into her shoes, took his hand and stood. Seth dipped his head towards where Ewan now stood
alongside the drinks table, chatting to an elderly farmer with snow-white hair. ‘Do you need to say goodbye?’

‘No, I’ve monopolised Ewan all night and it’s time he caught up with everyone. Besides, see their body language? Whatever they’re talking about is important.’ Kree turned towards where Seth’s ute was parked. ‘My phone’s in my bag in your ute, so when we’re on the road, I’ll leave him a message and then call when we’re at Berridale.’

Coffee in one hand and water bottle for Kree in the other, Ewan navigated his way through the crowd. His phone had beeped while he’d been at the drinks table, but he’d read the message later when his hands were free. He’d seen Kree move to a table away from the main crowd and then talk to Old Harry, but as he approached, he discovered her seat was now empty. He glanced around but all he saw was Harry ambling towards him.

‘If you’re looking for missy, she’s gone.’

He frowned. ‘Gone?’

‘Yes, in that death-trap ute of Seth’s.’

Ewan reined in his disappointment. He was going to be as old as Seth’s ute before he got a chance to talk to her. ‘She did look tired. As for Seth’s ute, I’ve checked it out. It’ll be fine if he doesn’t do anything silly. Water?’

Harry accepted the bottle he held out.

Despite his words of reassurance, Ewan’s uneasiness grew at the thought of Seth driving Kree home in his ute. Until Ewan knew Kree had arrived safely at the Tylers’, he’d remain on edge.

Harry’s shrewd eyes locked with his. ‘I thought you’d taken my advice and weren’t going to let this chance with Kree pass you by.’

‘I’m not.’

‘Are you sure?’ Harry snorted. ‘Because if you moved any slower telling her how you feel, you’d be standing still.’

‘I’m sure.’

Harry’s stare didn’t waver. ‘You dragging your heels hasn’t got anything to do with you still blaming yourself for losing Fergus? I keep telling you that cowboy header driver from up north was lucky not to be charged. It’s the law headers have to be off the road at dusk. It was his bad luck his header broke down on the corner and your bad luck he couldn’t pull further off the verge.’

Ewan shook his head. ‘It’s okay, Harry. I can see now that the accident wasn’t my fault.’

Harry’s scowl failed to lift. ‘Well, there’s no excuse then. Talk to Kree. Missy is clever, but she’s not a mind reader.’

‘I’m trying, Harry, but there hasn’t exactly been a quiet moment right for what I want to say.’

‘Promise me you’ll tell Kree how you feel
now
, before it’s too late.’ Harry’s rheumy eyes blazed with emotion. ‘You let that girl get away and mark my words, you’ll end up like me.’

Ewan slowly nodded. All the years he’d known him, Harry had never asked anything of anybody. ‘I will.’

The thin line of Harry’s shoulders relaxed. He looked pointedly towards Ewan’s phone where it rested in his front shirt pocket. ‘Now, I think I deserve at least one beer tonight, so while I go and get one, I believe you’ve a promise to keep.’

Ewan moved to the chair Kree had sat in, where it would be easier to hear. Mouth dry, he slipped his phone from his pocket. Telling Kree he loved her over the phone was far from what he’d planned but Old Harry was right, he needed to tell her how he felt, now. In a few days she could be gone and every hour with her counted.

His screen indicated he had a message and he remembered his phone had beeped when he’d had his hands full. He smiled as he heard Kree’s message thanking him for a great night and telling him she’d call when at Berridale. He checked the time on the message. She and Seth had at least half an hour start on him. It wouldn’t be possible to catch them so he could talk to Kree face-to-face. He stared at his phone.

Tell Kree how you feel
now,
before it’s too late.

Fingers unsteady, Ewan pressed Kree’s number and held the mobile to his ear. Kree mightn’t answer or want to talk with Seth in the car, but perhaps by trying now, when he tried again tomorrow his nerves wouldn’t be in such a freefall.

‘Hey, Ewan.’ Kree’s American accent filled his ear.

He cleared his throat. ‘Hey.’

‘I hit the wall and had to go home to sleep. Sorry to leave without saying goodbye. You were having a serious conversation and I didn’t want to interrupt.’

‘No worries.’ He hesitated as words refused to form neat coherent sentences in his head. ‘Thanks for tonight. It was fun.’

‘You’re welcome.’

The smile in her voice gave him the courage to speak again.

‘Kree, we need to talk.’

Silence. Then, ‘Sorry, Ewan, what did you say? There was a kangaroo on the side of the road but he hopped away from the car.’

His fingers tightened on the phone. Going off when they did, they’d be driving through the Bengalley scrub where the roos were bad. ‘Kree, tell Seth to slow down – if there’s one roo, there will be more. They can be blinded by the headlights and leap in front of you. Remember, the ute doesn’t have airbags or ABS brakes.’

Ewan heard Kree relay the message, then her words, ‘He’s slowing down.’

‘Good.’ He relaxed his grip on the phone. ‘Kree, we need to talk.’

‘Now?’ The soft notes of her laughter calmed and centred him.

He could do this. He could tell the woman he loved how he felt, even if her brother was listening in.

‘I’ve tried all day, so I know my timing’s not the best, but yes -’

Kree’s frantic, ‘Look out –’, suddenly rang in his ear.

Tyres screamed, metal collided with something hard, glass shattered.

And then nothing.

‘
Kree?
’

Even as he breathed her name, he didn’t expect an answer. He stood on nerveless legs and yelled for Harry to get the emergency services mobilised and out to the Bengalley scrub. He grabbed his keys from his jeans pocket. He’d had his beer early on in the evening and was good to drive. He ran to his ute, his phone wedged against his ear.

Never had he felt so powerless. Never had he cursed the vast distances of rural Australia. It was as though he were back in the wreckage of Fergus’s ute. He knew exactly what Kree and Seth would be experiencing if they were conscious. The disorientation. The smell of fumes. The pain.

His heart tore.

Love Kree. Let her in.

His soul bled.

He’d left it too late.