Opal Dreaming (24 page)

‘Okay,' said Jess, pulling herself up off the seat. ‘Can I run in and say goodbye to Opal first?'

‘Yeah, but be quick,' said Mrs Arnold. ‘I'll be waiting in the car.'

‘Coming?' Jess asked Luke.

He shook his head. ‘You go, I gotta get something out of the car, I nearly forgot.'

Jess ran back into the building, through reception and into the recovery area. She found Opal, standing and drinking from the small automatic waterer at the corner of the stable.

‘That's a good sign,' said Shara, joining her at the door. She put an arm over Jess's shoulder.

Jess put her arm over Shara's and they stood there watching Opal. ‘She's gonna be fine now,' Jess said.

‘Yeah, she's on the mend.'

Jess tilted her head and let it rest on Shara's shoulder. ‘Thanks, bestie.'

‘That's best bestie to you.'

‘Best bestie,' Jess corrected herself.

‘
Dr
Best Bestie.'

‘
Dr
Best Bestie.'

‘Dr Best Vet in the World Best Bestie.'

Jess laughed. ‘Don't push it.'

‘See you back at the car. I'll let you guys say goodbye.'

As Shara walked out of the building, Jess took a last look at Opal and tried to imagine how she would look in two weeks' time, when she'd put some weight on, and in four weeks when her coat would have a shine, and in two years' time as a strong, healthy two-year-old, ready to come home and live with her forever. ‘You'll be worth the wait, Opal,' she whispered. Then she turned about. ‘See you in a couple of weeks.'

As Jess climbed into Mrs Arnold's LandCruiser, she saw Luke fumbling around in the front of the ute. He got out with a small plastic bag in his hand and ran back over to her. ‘Asparagus,' he said, passing it through the car window. ‘Got it in town this morning. So you don't get scurvy on the way home.'

I'm gonna marry you one day, Luke Matheson.

‘You're so funny,' she laughed.

‘Oh my Gawd,' Shara groaned beside her. ‘You two are a match made in heaven.'

Luke grinned at Jess, then looked suddenly awkward. ‘Can I ask you a favour?'

‘Sure.'

‘I bought a new horse. She's at Harry's place.'

Jess's face lit up. ‘A new horse? When did you buy her?'

‘Well, I didn't exactly
buy
her. I adopted her.'

‘Adopted her?' Jess heard a cacophony of bells as she realised who Luke was talking about. ‘You what?'

‘From the RSPCA,' he said. ‘I've always liked her.'

Jess looked at him, aghast. ‘You
didn't?
'

‘I did.'

‘What
for?
'

‘Chelpie's so well bred. She's got good feet. Lawson and I were thinking she'd be perfect for our breeding program; she'd inject a bit of class into it.'

‘
Class?
'

He shrugged.

‘
You own Chelpie?
'

‘Uhuh.'

‘And you want
me
to look after her?'

‘Just until I come back, then we'll bring her back out here when we come to visit Opal and let her go with the brumbies.' He gave her a meek smile, his head tilted. ‘Please?'

‘She's totally nutty, dysfunctional, poorly raised. She's—'

He looked at her with the softest, most totally impossible-to-resist eyes. ‘I came good with the right mob, didn't I?'

Jess steeled herself against the melting, giddy, hopelessly weak feeling in her gut. She reined in her smile behind a tight-set mouth. ‘One bag of asparagus is not gonna make up for this.'

‘I'll buy you a whole farm of asparagus.'

‘I already
have
a whole farm of asparagus.'

‘Capsicums, then?'

Jess undid her seatbelt, leaned as far as she could out of the window and threw her arms around Luke's neck. His cheek was spiky against her ear. ‘Only for you.' She squeezed him and he squeezed her back. The car began to move and he walked with her for a while, holding her tight and threatening to pull her out of the car window.

‘I'll look after Opal for you,' he whispered.

‘And I'll look after Chelpie,' she laughed, and let him go. She hung out of the window and waved. He stood there, hands in his dirty denim pockets, two big wolf dogs panting either side of him, his ute behind him, and beyond that the endless flat mulga country with its soft curling Mitchell grass and stumpy trees.

Acknowledgements

Many, many thanks to the team at Allen and Unwin: Erica Wagner for ‘discovering' my stories and believing in them, Sarah Brenan for shaping them and putting them on track for publication, Hilary Reynolds for being so in tune with my characters and having such perfect suggestions, and Ruth Grüner for the amazing covers and posters – I've loved working with you all.

To Tyson Kaawoppa Yunkaporta, again thanks for contributing to my books with such an open and generous spirit.

To Jody Allen, thanks for the heads-up on droving!

To Dr Keith Phillips, thanks for your advice!

To my perfect husband for his continuing love and support – thanks, Big Daddy-o!

And to the first people of this beautiful country – with all of my heart, I'm sorry.

About the Author

KAREN WOOD
has been involved with horses for more than twenty years. After owning many horses, she has finally found her once-in-a-lifetime horse in a little chestnut stockhorse called Reo. Karen has an Arts degree majoring in communications and a diploma in horticulture. She has syndicated a gardening column in several newspapers throughout Australia, has published feature articles in various magazines and has published photographs in bushwalking guides. She is married with two children and lives on the Central Coast, New South Wales.

DIAMOND SPIRIT

A man Jess had never seen before stood holding
the flyscreen door open.
‘Do you own an Appaloosa pony?' he asked.
‘Yes.'
‘It's stuck in the cattle grid down near the old drovers' yards.'
Jess's blood ran cold.

At the start of the summer holidays, the unthinkable happens when Jess's beloved pony Diamond has a terrible accident. Why won't Shara, Jess's closest friend, tell her what happened down on the river flats that day? Jess suspects the worst, and feels as though she's lost not just one best friend, but two.

But new friends and new horses come into Jess's life, along with the chance to compete in the Longwood campdraft. And there's one little filly who needs her help . . . Can Walkabout heal Jess's broken heart in return?

MOONSTONE PROMISE

Jess untied something from around her neck and held it
out to Luke. ‘Take my moonstone. They're supposed to give
you beautiful dreams.'
It was a pale oval-shaped stone, hung on a thin leather strap.
‘Promise me you'll come back,' she whispered.
‘I'll see you again, Jess,' Luke said. ‘Promise.'

After a harsh childhood spent in foster care, Luke finally feels at home on Harry's farm, working with horses. When Harry dies, and Luke has a bitter falling-out with the people around him, he does a runner, leaving everything behind. He takes off to the gulf country in search of brumbies and finds himself camped by a river with three Aboriginal elders.

Can a mob of wild brumbies and three wise men help Luke discover who he is and where he belongs?