The McCalister Legacy

by Nicole Hurley-Moore

  ‘Well, it is what it is,’ Berry said quickly with a slight smile as she stepped away from the tree. ‘So, are you going to show me how to use one of those things or what?’ She pointed to the chainsaw.

  He smiled. ‘I guess I am.’

  It had taken more than a few days but the tree was now a stack of firewood weathering for next winter and the fence was fixed. The whole process had taken a little longer than Nate had expected as he and the guys had to squeeze the task between their normal work that kept Tarantale Downs going. Because of the irregular nature of trying to fit in the job he had seen little of Berry. Damn near every time he turned up he’d just missed her. The whole thing annoyed him more than it should have. It wasn’t as if there was anything between the two of them but, still, he was disappointed in not being able to see her. At least now that the bloody tree had been dealt with and the fence was done, he could go over to her place and tell her.

  It wasn’t much, but it made him feel better.

  He was tossing up whether he should visit Stone Gully that afternoon when he got a call from his mum asking if he could pick up the twins from school. She’d been held up in Bendigo and it was too late to get in touch with them.

  With a sigh Nate put his plans on hold and went into the main house to pick up the keys to the family car. As he walked into the kitchen he was surprised to see his dad sitting at the table.

  ‘Hey, I didn’t realise you were here,’ Nate said.

  Sam glanced up. ‘Yeah, I just stopped in for a minute to pick up some paperwork. I’ll be heading back out as soon as I finish this,’ he said as he lifted up his coffee mug.

  Nate walked over to the line of key hooks that were near the door. ‘Mum rang, apparently she’s been held up and wants me to pick up the girls.’

  ‘Oh, right. Listen, I’d do it but I’ve got a meeting,’ his father answered.

  ‘It’s okay, I don’t mind,’ Nate said as he grabbed the keys to the SUV.

  ‘Have you got a minute?’

  Nate glanced at the wall clock. ‘Sure, I’ll have to leave in about fifteen.’

  ‘Won’t take long.’

  Nate pulled out a chair, sat down and waited for his dad to start.

  ‘I was just wondering what you think about Berry McCalister?’

  Nate sat back in his chair and frowned. ‘Where did that come from? What exactly do you mean?’

  His father shrugged. ‘It’s just a question.’

  ‘Kind of a weird one.’

  ‘I just thought that since you’d been spending a bit of time with her, you must like her,’ Sam said as he took a mouthful of his drink.

  ‘I hadn’t even thought about it,’ Nate lied. There was no way in hell he was going to have this sort of conversation with his dad of all people. And why the sudden interest in his love life?

  ‘She’s pretty.’

  Nate frowned. ‘Yes, I guess she is but that doesn’t mean … listen, I don’t even know if she’s going to stay here.’

  ‘That’s true, but what if she does? Maybe she’d stick around if she had something to stay for. Or someone.’

  Nate gave him a look that encapsulated God, this is uncomfortable and What the hell are you talking about? Unfortunately, it seemed lost on his father. He stood up and took a step away from the table. ‘Well, I’d better take off and pick up the twins.’

  ‘No need to get twitchy. I was just curious, that’s all. I thought there could have been something between you. Maybe I was wrong.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe,’ Nate said as he began to walk away. ‘I’ll see you later, Dad.’

  Sam Tarant nodded but said nothing.

  Slightly rattled without really knowing why, Nate jumped in the car and headed off towards Castlemaine to pick up his sisters from school.

  Sometimes being in the presence of his sisters was akin to what he imagined it would be like to stand in the middle of a typhoon—deafening and terrifying at the same time. This was one of those times.

  The girls were waiting for him outside the high school with their friend, Beth. The girls waved and clambered into the car as it stopped.

  ‘Hey Nate, do you mind giving Beth a lift home?’ Lia asked.

  ‘And can we please stop at the newsagent and the supermarket? I need to buy some more binder paper and felt tips,’ Em asked. ‘And can I please borrow the money off you because I spent all that I had at lunchtime?’

  ‘Sure,’ Nate said as he forced himself not to roll his eyes. He leaned past Lia and said, ‘Come on, Beth, I’ll take you home first and then we’ll go shopping.’

  Nate sat in the car outside the supermarket and checked his watch for the fifth time. How in the hell could it take thirty-five minutes to buy paper, snacks and pens? Finally, he saw the girls walking over to the car.

  ‘Sorry, Nate,’ Em said as she slid in. ‘We met Casey and Heather,’ she explained.

  ‘Didn’t you just see them at school?’ he asked.

  ‘Yeah, what’s your point? Oh, and here’s your change. And I got you this,’ she continued as she gave him a handful of coins and a bottle of iced coffee.

  ‘Thanks,’ he mumbled. He never quite worked out how his sisters could be both annoying and thoughtful at the same time. ‘Okay, let’s go.’

  ‘I’m glad we’re going home,’ Lia said as they made their way out of the car park. ‘I’m so tired.’

  ‘Me too, but I have to finish off that assignment for History and the report for English,’ Em grumbled.

  ‘Oh, I finished the English report. I handed it in today,’ Lia said.

  Em screwed up her face and gave her sister a look.

  ‘Well, actually, I just need to swing by Berry McCalister’s place on the way home,’ Nate said.

  ‘Really?’ the girls said in unison.

  ‘Yeah, really,’ Nate replied with a smile.

  Chapter Thirteen

  To avoid a lot of the noise, not to mention dust from the kitchen being ripped out, Berry decided to revisit the sheds. She started out mid morning with high hopes about what she would find, but after three or so hours that state of starry-eyed anticipation was beginning to wane.

  She didn’t think there would be anything of value, because as far as she knew the McCalisters as a whole had always been pretty poor, but she was hoping for something personal to her family, perhaps even something that had belonged to her mum. But so far all she’d found was a stack of old newspapers, a couple of car tyres and a rusty old hand mower that looked a hundred years old.

  The second shed was as disappointing as the first. So far it had given up:

  Seven dried-up paint cans

  A plethora of cardboard boxes and old rust-pitted tins

  A Golden Fleece Service Station wall calendar from 1962

  More stacks of newspapers

  Assorted old tools, including eight different chisels

  Five glass marbles

  One dainty cup and saucer, surprisingly unchipped

  Two jars of half-rusted nails

  A half-filled bottle of turpentine

  Three candles

  A box of matches

  A ball of string

  An old brown leather briefcase

  And, finally, several copies of the Australasian Post from the 1960s.

  Berry carried the items out of the shed and dumped them in a box outside. She was just about to bin it all, but hesitated as she held the old cup in her hands. It was shallow with a pale blue band wreathed in flowers and a fine gilt line running around the rim. In the sunlight, Berry could see that the cup had an almost translucent quality and it was obvious that it was very old. Berry smiled; maybe she’d found a little family treasure after all.

  She grabbed a smaller box and placed the cup and saucer in it, along with the marbles with their colourful swirls frozen within the glass. The brightly coloured covers of the old magazines caught her attention. Celebrities of the day were pictured along with beautiful bikini-clad models posing on the beach by a brilliant
blue sea. Berry picked up the top copy, from August 1964; the cover was graced by a stunning model with long dark hair, and a list of articles that made Berry’s eyebrows involuntarily shoot up. In particular, the one that said in large bold type, What’s Wrong With Women? Why women have more power and freedom than ever before, but they’re not happy about it.

  ‘Well, I guess I’ve found my reading matter for tonight,’ she laughed, putting the magazine into the box with the teacup.

  Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was nearly four p.m., so she picked up the box of treasures she was keeping, as well as the old briefcase jammed full of papers and a couple of maps, and walked back to the house. As for the rest of the junk she had hauled out of the shed, Berry would deal with that tomorrow.

  Just as she was opening the boot of her car, the sound of a vehicle crunching up to the house made her look up. She frowned at the SUV that had just come to a stop. She didn’t know the car and she couldn’t see through the tinted windows to work out who was behind the wheel. Putting the box in the boot, she turned and waited for the occupants to get out of the car.

  She smiled when she saw Nate slide out of the driver’s seat, but she quelled it before he was close enough to notice. Damn, that was the last sort of reaction she wanted. It wouldn’t take much for her to become entangled with Nate—Berry would have been a fool if she failed to recognise the chemistry between them—but the last thing she needed was an interlude, romantic or otherwise. She needed a clear head and she sensed that Nate had the ability to mess her up, if she let him.

  ‘Hey,’ he said as he sauntered over towards her.

  ‘Hey,’ she responded trying hard not to notice just how good he looked in jeans. ‘I didn’t know you were stopping by today.’

  ‘I just had to pick my sisters up from school, and as I was driving by, I thought—’

  Nate didn’t get to finish his sentence as the doors of the SUV banged open and two identical blonde girls in school uniforms got out and hurried over.

  ‘Hi! You must be Berry,’ one said. ‘I’m Amelia and this is Emily, or you can call us Lia and Em, everyone does.’

  ‘Were you scared when you came back? I mean, I walk past here all the time and it’s creepy. Do you think it’s creepy—with what happened and all?’ the other girl babbled.

  The girls talked over each other and Berry felt like she’d been hit with a blast of teenage exuberance. It took her a moment to gather her wits, and when she glanced at Nate he simply rolled his eyes.

  ‘Sorry, these are my sisters … my baby sisters,’ he explained.

  ‘Geez, Nate, we’re not babies,’ Em said. ‘You should stop saying that.’

  ‘Well, you’re not exactly rational adults either. Don’t be so nosey and watch your tongue, Em,’ he said.

  Berry smiled at the girls and Nate. ‘It’s okay. And yes, Em, when I first arrived I thought it was a bit creepy. But maybe the cold rainy day had something to do with that. It feels very different now.’

  Amelia looked over at the house. ‘Why’s that?’

  ‘Because it’s being renovated, and that can change the whole feel of a place.’

  ‘Can we look inside?’

  ‘Em!’ Nate said as he sent her a look.

  Em ignored him and grinned at Berry. ‘Please, can you show us around? I’ve always wondered what it was like inside.’

  ‘All right,’ Berry said. ‘But it’s just a house and I doubt it’s anywhere near as grand as Tarantale Downs.’

  ‘You know, Nate was right,’ Em said as she fell into step next to Berry. ‘You are really pretty.’

  Berry bit back a smile not because of the compliment but the half-strangled, ‘Geez, Em,’ that Nate muttered under his breath. She took a quick peek in his direction and saw that his cheeks were flushed.

  ‘So, are you going to live here?’ Lia asked.

  Berry opened the front door. ‘I’m not sure what’s happening yet. It’s something that I have to talk over with my brother and sister.’

  ‘How come they’re not here?’ Em asked as she stepped past Berry. ‘Shouldn’t they be helping you fix up the place?’

  ‘It’s not that easy. Jess is at uni and Tom’s still in school,’ Berry replied as she looked at Em. ‘I think he’s probably about your age.’

  ‘Really,’ Lia said. ‘Are they going to come up?’

  Berry nodded. ‘Yes, but I’m not sure when exactly.’

  ‘So, who’s looking after Tom if you’re here?’

  Berry smiled as she ushered them into the lounge room. ‘We all live with our uncle and have done ever since we moved to Melbourne. My mum’s brother. Our grandparents are down there as well, so to be honest I’m not sure if we’ll keep Stone Gully Farm.’

  ‘It’s been in your family for a while now, isn’t that right?’ Nate asked.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Seems a shame to get rid of it,’ he continued. ‘I mean, any one of you might change your mind later down the track. Once it’s sold, that’s it.’

  Lia nodded before flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder. ‘You could rent it out—that way it would pay for itself and you still get to hold onto it. If your brother is the same age as me, what he wants now might be different to when he’s, like, Nate’s age.’

  ‘Hey, you make it sound like we’re stupid kids who don’t know what they want,’ Em said quickly.

  ‘I’m not saying that. It’s just, I don’t even know what I want to do when I finish school. How would I know if I wanted to keep a house or not?’

  Nate gave Berry a shrug. ‘Hate to say it but she may have a point.’

  Berry was quiet for a minute. ‘I hadn’t thought about it that way. You might be right, Lia. Tom may regret selling this place. It’s certainly something I’ll have to discuss with him. And Jess.’

  ‘When are they going to visit?’ Lia asked.

  ‘Soon, I suppose. The truth is I didn’t want them here in the first place. I didn’t want to trigger any bad memories.’

  ‘Won’t just coming here do that?’ Nate asked gently.

  Berry shrugged. ‘Maybe … I don’t know. Jess is a couple of years younger than me, so her memories are a bit blurry, and Tom was just a baby. Perhaps it wouldn’t have turned out so badly after all.’

  Em gave her a smile. ‘You were just trying to protect them.’

  Berry smiled. ‘I probably was. But, now, the house is the same but it’s also going to be so different. It’s getting a facelift and a brand new feel—so maybe that’s scared away the darkness.’

  Berry gave them a quick tour of the house and introduced them to some of the workmen, before they wandered down the steps into the back yard.

  ‘I really like your place,’ Lia said with a smile. ‘I can’t wait to see it all finished. I mean … that is, if you invite us back.’

  ‘Of course you’re invited back. You can drop in anytime you see my car parked out the front.’

  ‘Thanks, Berry!’

  ‘What’s down here?’ Em asked as she pointed to the old sheds. ‘Anything interesting?’

  ‘Only if you like dust and cobwebs,’ Berry replied. ‘I’ve been going through the sheds but so far all I’ve found are some really old magazines, a handful of glass marbles and a very pretty teacup. Unfortunately, not one bit of hidden treasure, which was more than a little disappointing.’ She led them downhill towards the sheds.

  ‘Yeah, well, people generally don’t put anything very valuable in sheds. That is, other than cars or tractors,’ Nate said as he pushed himself off the railing and followed her.

  ‘So, there wasn’t anything pretty?’ Lia asked.

  ‘No, except for the teacup and the marbles.’

  ‘That’s a shame, it would have been really cool if you’d found something old and important.’

  ‘Yeah, I guess it would have been.’

  They continued past the sheds and made their way towards the orchard. The girls walked slightly ahead and Berry was conscious
of Nate striding along beside her. It was becoming disconcerting to say the least.

  ‘So, you haven’t said what brought you over today.’

  Nate glanced at her. ‘Um, I just wanted to let you know that the fence is fixed. You don’t have to worry about any stray animals wandering in.’

  ‘Thanks, I appreciate it.’ Berry looked away. Why did half her conversations with Nate end up feeling weird? Thanks, I appreciate it. She directed an internal eye roll at herself.

  ‘Oh, there was one other thing. We’ve cut up the tree and stacked it on your side of the fence. I figured you’d still have at least one open fire. It has to dry out, so you probably can’t use it until next winter but it’s there anyway.’

  ‘You didn’t have to do that. But thanks.’

  ‘If you want … when I’ve got a spare minute, I can bring it up to the house. We could stack it over there near the sheds. At least that way it’s closer than halfway down the back paddock.’

  ‘I wouldn’t want you to go to any more trouble,’ Berry said quickly.

  Nate shrugged. ‘No problem at all. I’ll get it sorted.’

  Em stopped ahead and turned back to Berry and her brother. ‘Berry, what sort of orchard is this? The trees look different.’

  ‘You’ve got a good eye. It’s made up of all sorts of different fruit trees,’ Berry said as she pointed past Em. ‘Apples over there, and over in that direction are pears, plums and a few nut trees.’

  ‘Quite a mixed bag of varieties,’ Nate said.

  ‘Well, thinking back I suppose it was more like a hobby farm. Not like the majority of sheep runs in the area. My grandparents ran it as a proper farm, but Dad just didn’t seem to have the knack when it came to sheep.’

  ‘Oh, I see … sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,’ Nate said.

  Berry gave him a friendly nudge with her shoulder and then immediately regretted the close proximity. ‘Don’t be silly, it’s okay. Dad always wanted to try new things, most of which never quite panned out like he’d hoped. I remember Mum used to use the fruit from here to make jams and chutneys and sauces that she’d sell to local shops and cafes around the area. Also, there used to be big raised beds of strawberries closer to the house, and blackberries too.’