Right As Rain

by Tricia Stringer

  “For goodness sake, will someone open it,” Mackenna said, glaring from one to the other.

  Louise cut the tape binding the package together and slid the paper away.

  “What is it?” Mackenna peered over her shoulder.

  “I don’t know yet,” Louise said.

  All she could see was something white. She slid the plastic away to reveal some kind of tightly rolled fabric. She squeezed. It felt spongy.

  Lyle put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s for our bed,” he said. “It goes between the mattress and the bottom sheet and is supposed to give you a good night’s sleep.”

  “That’s a nice surprise,” Mackenna said. A smile hovered at the corners of her mouth. “Perhaps you’d better tell her your other surprise, Dad, while we’re on a roll.”

  Louise was trying to keep the emotion from her face but she wasn’t sure she was going to like Lyle’s next surprise any more then she had the first.

  “Oh yes,” he said. His grin spread wider. He guided her to a chair. “You’d better sit down, Lou.”

  Louise shook herself free of his arm. “I’m not sitting down and you can stop being silly, the pair of you.” She’d endured enough suspense for one day. “What’s going on?”

  “Am I missing something?” Patrick wandered into the kitchen and lifted the lid on the braising steak.

  “Leave that be,” Louise said.

  “What’s this?” Patrick asked, picking up one end of the mattress overlay.

  “Never mind,” Louise snapped.

  Patrick gave her a pained look but she ignored him. “What else have you got to tell me?” She locked eyes with Lyle.

  “Only that you can book the tickets for New Zealand, but if you don’t – ”

  “When?” She cut him off as her heart did a little leap. Was he teasing?

  “In the next few weeks. I want to be back by lambing.”

  “Does that mean you’ll need me longer?” Patrick still bore the injured expression.

  “Of course,” Louise said eagerly.

  “Only if you want to,” Mackenna said. “Cam and I can manage.”

  “We’d love you to stay,” Louise said. “I’m sure Mackenna would be grateful for the help.”

  “Well, yes,” Mackenna said, “but it’s not necessary. Isn’t your boss wanting you back?”

  “We can talk about it later.” Louise kissed Lyle. “I’m so pleased. We’ll both enjoy the break. I’ve got the fundraiser luncheon next week but the art show is under control for the moment. I can leave it in the hands of the committee until I get back. There’s a lot to plan in a short time.” Louise was already making lists in her head.

  “I’d better get going,” Mackenna said.

  “Will you be back for dinner?”

  “No. By the time I get back from Bunyip Wines it’ll be late. I’ll make myself a snack at my place.” Mackenna threw an arm around her parents and gave them both a squeeze. “Great news,” she said and hurried out the door.

  Louise turned to Patrick as his mobile rang. He peered at the screen and left the kitchen.

  “It might be just you and me for tea,” Lyle said.

  “Where’s Adam?”

  “Mackenna thought he’d gone off to visit the caves today.”

  “Oh yes, I’d forgotten. I suppose he’ll be back for the meal.”

  “Probably.” Lyle picked up the overlay and gave it a squeeze.

  “When did you order that?” Louise asked as she set to peeling the potatoes.

  “I saw it on the television.”

  “When?”

  “Early hours of the morning about a week back. They have a lot of really good stuff on that shopping channel, you know.”

  She stopped peeling and looked at her husband. “What are you doing watching the shopping channel?”

  “Couldn’t sleep,” he said with a silly grin.

  “Well I think that’s the sort of thing you should leave to me, Lyle.” She nodded at the bundle in his arms. “You haven’t ordered anything else, have you?”

  “I might have.”

  “Oh, Lyle.”

  “Wait till you see it. You’ll love it.” He moved to the door. “Shall I take this up in the bedroom? You can put it on when you change the sheets.”

  She opened her mouth but he was already halfway out the door.

  “I really think it’ll help with our sleeping problems,” he said.

  “Sleeping problems,” she muttered to the empty kitchen. “I wouldn’t have any sleeping problems if you didn’t.” She took a deep breath in through her nose and picked up the next potato. What difference a bit of fancily covered foam was going to make to Lyle’s sleep patterns she had no idea.

  CHAPTER

  22

  Hugh dragged the last load of creeper from under the tree and dumped it on the overflowing trailer. He put his hands to his hips and stretched his back. With his weekend work and now a few free hours this afternoon, he and his mother were finally seeing some results in the garden.

  He went back into the yard to take another look at the log they’d positioned underneath the large gum. A motley collection of faded gnomes, frogs and garden ornaments were lined up ready for placement. As they’d unearthed each one, Mary had fondly brushed the debris from its surface and recalled who had given it to her.

  Propped against the log was a weird little box with holes in its sides. Hugh had been going to throw it on the trailer when his mother had snatched it from him and cradled it in her arms. Apparently it was a bird feeder that had been made by one of her grandsons. It was to be hung from a branch.

  He breathed in the smell of freshly dug earth mingled with the sweet smell of the gum and other native trees he’d reclaimed from the ivy and the treacherous bougainvillea. Of all the things Mary had planted over the years and then lost, the bougainvillea wasn’t one of them. His arms still bore the marks from his weekend of struggling with the evil plant but he’d won in the end. Another dose of herbicide on the stump should finish it off.

  He came out from under the tree just as his mother walked along the verandah carrying a tray laden with afternoon tea things.

  “Here you are, love,” she said and put the tray on the old wroughtiron table. The table wobbled a moment then settled.

  “That area will make the perfect secret garden.” Her eyes were bright as she nodded to the trees over his shoulder. “The kids will love it. They can climb the trees now without getting scratched by thorns, they can have tea parties, they can – ”

  “It’s your garden, Mum,” he said. They had done all this work and he wanted her to relax in it, not have it destroyed by his horde of nieces and nephews.

  “Gardens are meant to be shared,” she said. “And there’ll be plenty of opportunities for me to enjoy it . . . and your dad.”

  Hugh couldn’t imagine his dad sitting out here with her.

  “I still can’t believe I’d forgotten all about this old setting,” she said as she handed him a cup.

  They sat on the two matching chairs that had been cut from the ivy and brushed clean of cobwebs, leaves and loose dirt to reveal dark wrought iron under peeling paint. The whole lot looked like it should have gone on the trailer as well but Hugh had an idea for the garden furniture. He’d already been a couple of times to see Rory Heinrich. Instead of the animal sculpture, Hugh had come up with a different idea for his mother’s garden. Now he wondered what Rory could do with the old table and chairs.

  “It’s been wonderful to have your help, love.”

  She clasped her cup in two hands and gazed out across the garden.

  “I’ve enjoyed it,” Hugh said and he meant it.

  Having the garden as a project had been a great way to exercise and clear his mind, although it was hard to keep his thoughts of Mackenna at bay for too long. He hadn’t seen her since the dinner. He’d run into Patrick in town and their visitor,Adam, but she hadn’t been with them. He was so mixed up by that kiss. And she’d kissed
him back, so did that mean she felt they were more than friends?

  “Not so bad living at home then?”

  His mother’s question surprised him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s been years since you’ve spent so much time at home. It’s as if you’ve been avoiding us.”

  “I’m sorry, Mum. It’s been hard up till now to get the time. I’ve been living so far away, lots on my plate . . .” His voice trailed off. His excuses sounded weak even to his own ears.

  “I’m not blaming you, love.” She put down her cup. “It’s just that . . . well, you’re my baby and I feel as if we’ve lost touch. A few more phone calls would have been good.”

  Hugh saw the longing in her eyes and his heart lurched. He loved his mum, but he wouldn’t know where to begin to try to fill her in on everything he’d been through and done since he left home.

  “Have you given any more thought to your dad’s offer?”

  He scratched the back of his neck. He hadn’t really. When he’d first arrived home joining the family business had been the last thing he’d wanted to do, but the past few weeks had gone well. He didn’t see a lot of his dad, but they had civil conversations when they did talk and his dad had even asked his opinion on some seed issues. Nothing more had been said about the offer of the Sutton property since the night it was mentioned over dinner.

  “Yes and no,” he said.

  “It would be a great opportunity.”

  “I know but . . . well, it came as a surprise. It wasn’t the direction I’d imagined I would be taking.”

  “What were you imagining?” Mary’s voice was gentle and she fixed her big round eyes on his. “I always thought I knew you inside out but now ... I know you’re a man, Hugh. I don’t mean you have to tell your old mum everything, but it seems to me like you’re a bit lost. What is it that you want so badly that you wouldn’t jump at an offer like your dad’s made?”

  Hugh turned away from her searching eyes and studied the towering gum in the corner of the garden. The last remnants of its bright yellow flowers still clung to its lower branches. He wanted to be back under its cover, digging the soil, not having a deep and meaningful conversation with his mum. And anyway, where did he begin? His life was intertwined like the ivy and bougainvillea he’d cut from the trees – Carol’s death, his guilt, his panic attacks, the research job in Canada, kissing Mackenna. It was all too complicated to sort through and he didn’t have the energy to try.

  Instead, he said,”I’m interested in animal genetics. I’ve done some extra study in the last couple of years, sheep in particular. There’s this research project I’ve been asked to – ”

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” Mary sat forward. “Your brothers and your dad would be keen to find out more. If the property Dad mentioned isn’t what interests you, there would be different ways you could be involved in the family business.”

  “Well the research project is in – ”

  ‘“Research project’ sounds so important.”

  “I enjoy it.”

  “I always knew you had the most brains.” She stacked the tray as she spoke. “Don’t get me wrong, your brothers are all clever men in their own ways but you were the only one to go to university and you’ve put that smart brain of yours to good use.”

  “Mum, I’m not –”

  She leapt from her chair and hugged him, cutting off his words.

  “Wait till I tell your dad. He’ll be as proud as punch.” She picked up the tray. “I’m going to cook us a special dinner. I wonder if it’s too short notice to get all the family here.”

  Hugh’s heart sank as she gave him a beaming smile and bustled off into the house, the cups and plates rattling as she went. The last thing he wanted was to be the centre of attention, especially at a McDonald family dinner. But what could he do? He couldn’t avoid it, his mother would be heartbroken. He needed something more than the general hubbub of a McDonald family get-together to deflect the focus from him.

  He paced the verandah. What about Adam? A visitor from New Zealand would give them more to talk about than Hugh’s future or even past for that matter. He’d been avoiding Mackenna but right now she was his only hope. He needed a distraction and Adam could do the trick along with Mack who was always chatty. Well, most of the time. Their last dinner together had been a bit stilted but time had passed since then. He tugged his mobile from his pocket and hoped Mack would be able to come.

  CHAPTER

  23

  Mackenna threw an assortment of clothes into her bag, which still lay on the floor where she’d left it on her return from holiday. With everyone else off in different directions this afternoon she had the house to herself. She only had the bare essentials at the old place and had to keep returning home to get clothes. Now that her kitchen was fully stocked and her linen installed in the wooden cupboard her mother had unearthed from another shed, all that was needed were her clothes and personal effects and she wouldn’t have to keep popping back home.

  Hugh’s call had been another reason to collect all her clothes. She needed something suitable to wear to the McDonalds’. So far she only had work clothes over at the other house. She couldn’t decide what she would wear tonight. It wasn’t a special occasion, just a family dinner Hugh had said, and he needed help deflecting the conversation away from him. Mackenna hadn’t asked any questions, but she had to hold her tongue when he asked if she could bring Adam along too. So far she’d had little time alone with Adam. She wouldn’t be able to avoid him on the twenty-minute drive to the McDonalds’ and then back again.

  If only Patrick was here, but his car had finally died and he and their father had gone to Adelaide to buy another one. It was amazing Lyle had agreed to go at all, but when he said he was driving there and back in one day, Louise had hit the roof. Finally, they’d all gone. Louise wasn’t going to let Lyle drive back alone and if she decided they needed to stay over somewhere on the way back, they jolly well would. Mackenna was relieved her dad had agreed to stop sowing pasture. They’d done a couple of paddocks and the rest would wait until they got a good season opening rain.

  Cam had gone to help a neighbour shift cattle and Adam had gone with him. With any luck they would be back late and she could slip off to Hugh’s by herself. She would have an honest excuse for Adam’s absence.

  Anyway, regardless of who was where, they’d all agreed to be back in time for her special dinner tomorrow night. She was officially opening the Woolly Swamp Gatehouse, as she’d decided to name it, and she was planning a celebration.

  She turned back to the wardrobe and studied the assortment of sturdy boxes on top; one of them held her old chef uniforms. When she’d returned home from her last chef’s job in Victoria she’d wanted to chuck them out but her mother had insisted they keep them, just in case. Tomorrow, Mackenna decided, she would wear her black jacket again.

  She dragged the wobbly bedroom chair over and started lifting lids. Finding the box she wanted, she drew it forward and stepped down at the same time. The chair wobbled and she lost her footing. The box hit the floor with a thud, tipping its contents across the room and she crashed sideways into the wardrobe door.

  “Are you okay?”

  Mackenna gasped and spun around at the sound of Adam’s voice.

  “Where are you hurt?”

  “I’m not,” she stuttered. “You frightened me. I thought I had the house to myself.”

  “I thought the same,” he said. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

  He stepped towards her but Mackenna thrust out her hand.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “It was just the noise. I’m not hurt.”

  Adam looked around. “I was expecting to find a burglar but it looks like they’ve already been.”

  Mackenna flicked her eyes from the box of spilled clothes, to the unmade bed with more clothes strewn across it, to the heaps she’d made on the floor amongst the boxes and the bags. It certainly was a mess but some of it was
going to the charity bin. She hadn’t had a good clean-out in years.

  “I’m sorting through what to shift and what to throw out.”

  “It looks very final.”

  “I’m leaving home.”

  A smile twitched on Adam’s lips and she had to look away.

  “Lucky you’re not going far. Can I help?”

  “No need,” Mackenna said as she shovelled the uniforms back in the box. “I’ve got my car at the front door. I’ll drive everything over in that.”

  “I’ll carry this for you.” Adam reached for the box as she put its lid on and his hand brushed hers.

  She pulled away. The touch of his fingers felt like a caress and she didn’t want to be reminded of that. She picked up the case she’d packed full of clothes and led the way through the front door.

  “I haven’t been out here before,” Adam said.

  “It’s a lovely verandah with a view down to the swamp, but like most farmhouses it rarely gets used.” She turned to Adam and couldn’t stop her eyes sweeping across his gorgeous face, tight-fitting t-shirt and pale but sturdy arms wrapped around the box. “Why are you here?” she asked.

  Adam looked surprised. “I’ve been trying to tell you. I came to find you. You left New Zealand before – ”

  “No.” Mackenna cut him off before he could soften her resolve with his words. “I mean now. I thought you were spending the afternoon with Cam shifting the cattle? He can’t be finished yet.”

  Adam’s shoulders drooped as he let the box slide a little further down his body. “He hasn’t finished. He said he was heading straight into town once he’d delivered the last load so he offered to drop me back here. I didn’t know you were home.”

  Mackenna frowned. Cam took the truck into town a lot, rather than his own vehicle. He treated the truck like it was his own.

  “I’ll keep out of your way.”

  Adam looked so forlorn, Mackenna softened her tone.

  “I hadn’t planned to be here either but I had a call from Hugh. He’s asked me over for dinner tonight . . . both of us actually and I didn’t have anything to wear. One thing led to another and I ended up in full throw-out mode.”