Mackenna stared at Patrick and recalled how Hugh had defended him that day. Even Hugh was ready to take Patrick’s side. Why did she find it so hard?
“I’m sorry, Patrick. I won’t be so easily fooled in the future.”
“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, he can’t blame me if I’m not here.” Patrick stood up. “I’m off to bed. Yas and I have to get away early in the morning so we won’t see you before we go.”
“Thanks for all you’ve done.” Mackenna stood up and gave her little brother a hug. “I have really appreciated your help.”
She watched him turn away. She wasn’t so sure Cam wouldn’t find some way to blame Patrick for things going wrong even in his absence. Then another thought struck her.
“Patrick.”
He turned back.
“Did you ever meet this mate that Cam stays with?”
“I’ve met a few blokes he hangs out with at the pub. He could stay with any of them.”
“Do you remember their names?”
“No, I didn’t talk to them much, they were more interested in chasing women.” Patrick scratched his head. “There was one bloke who Cam hung out with more than the others. I think his name was Trevor but they called him by a nickname . . . Dingo. I remember now, it suited him. He’s a lean, sharp-eyed guy with a pointy nose. Ginger hair. Looks like he’s been in a fight or two.”
“I know him,” Mackenna said. “Thanks.”
“Goodnight.” Patrick raised a hand in a short wave as he left.
Mackenna sat back at the table. “Trevor Dingle,” she murmured. He was aptly named Dingo, often on the prowl and up to no good, but always eluding any charges that could stick. If Cam was hanging out with him, that couldn’t be good.
CHAPTER
35
Mackenna was at a loose end. She and Cam had spent the day doing the last follow-ups from crutching and getting crossbreeds ready for market. She’d been on edge, watching his every move, trying not to be too obvious. Finally, he’d finished and gone for the weekend. Now she was at the Gatehouse alone and unable to relax. One minute she was wondering about Cam, was he just a sloppy worker who managed to lay blame elsewhere for his mistakes, or was there more to him than that? The next she was thinking of Adam. His grandfather’s funeral must be over by now. Would he come back to see her or would he return to New Zealand?
She drifted from room to room in the Gatehouse. The walls glowed pink from the rays of the setting sun. There were no guests booked for the weekend but she’d put an ad in the local paper this week so she had to be organised just in case. She had her menu sorted and she planned to shop for the remaining ingredients in the morning. She’d have to drive her parents’ car in and pick up a new battery for her car at the same time. She and Patrick had pushed it down the hill in the hope she might be able to jump-start it but had no luck. The car was still half under the carport, where it had coasted to a silent stop several days ago.
Mackenna flicked on the kitchen light and looked in the fridge for something easy to make a meal with. She gave up and plucked out a beer instead, lifted the top and tilted the bottle to the empty room. “To success,” she said and took a sip. A wave of sadness swept over her. What she wanted was someone to share her day with.
Her mobile buzzed with a text message. Hugh was asking if she was home. She replied yes and would he like to come over. Her phone remained silent for a few minutes then she got a response: on my way.
Inspired to have someone else to cook for, she threw together a risotto. Good old reliable Hugh. He was a dear friend. For a while there her feelings for him had been confused but she knew now she loved him as a friend, no more than that. She looked forward to sharing a meal with him, with friendly banter and no complications. The food was all but ready to serve by the time he arrived carrying a bottle of wine.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” she said, careful to give him a friendly welcoming peck on the cheek. Nothing that could be construed as anything more.
“Mum and Dad have gone to some event at the school. I wasn’t in the mood,” he said.
“I hope you haven’t eaten?”
He followed her to the kitchen. “Not yet, thank goodness. That smells good.”
“It’s risotto with bacon and leek. A kind of BLT.” She chuckled. “Truthfully, it’s made with whatever I could find in the fridge.”
She served the risotto and he poured the wine.
“We fit well together, don’t we?” Hugh said as he sat in front of the plate she’d set down for him.
Mackenna paused.
He grinned at her and raised his glass. “To good friends.”
She relaxed and raised hers. “Couldn’t survive without them,” she said.
They both tucked into the risotto.
“Mmm!” Hugh said through a mouthful. “This is good. You sure I can’t convince you to leave all this and come away with me as my personal chef?”
Mackenna put down her fork and met his eyes across the table. “Is that a proposal?”
He smiled at her. “No.”
“So you’re going then?”
“Yes.”
“I’m happy for you but I’ll miss you.”
“I think I’ve made things more complicated than they should have been,” Hugh said.
“You think?” Mackenna grinned at him but his face remained serious.
“I mistook our good friendship for something more.”
Mackenna took in his solemn expression then burst out laughing. “That’s so funny,” she said.
“Hardly.”
“No, I mean it’s the same for me. These last weeks since you’ve been back, I’ve been confused as well. But we’re good friends. Not like you and Carol.”
Hugh sat back in his seat. His face crumpled in pain.
“Oh, Hugh.” Mackenna leant forward. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stir up old memories, but Carol’s been dead a long time now. She’d want you to find someone else.”
“It’s not that.”
“What then?”
“Carol and I were good friends,” Hugh began, “and I loved her but ... as a friend. I should never have taken it further. I was going to tell her the night she died. I drank too much, trying to get up the courage while I waited for her to come home – she never did. I still don’t know why she tried to drive back here that night but I must have given her some indication. I keep imagining her upset and driving . . . and it was my fault.”
“You can’t keep blaming yourself, Hugh. Carol was responsible for her death, not you.”
His face filled with alarm. “You can’t believe she killed herself?”
“Not on purpose,” Mackenna said quickly. “I don’t mean that, but I’m pretty sure she had no idea what you were going to tell her.”
“How can you know that?”
“Because it would have been a relief for her, not a terrible revelation.”
“How?”
Mackenna studied the face of her childhood friend. Would she make things better or worse by telling him what she knew? She inhaled deeply and reached for his hand.
“Remember the night before she died, when we were all out together?”
“We were celebrating my graduation.”
“You were drinking with some mates at the bar and Carol was suddenly sad. I asked her what was wrong. She had her nursing degree and you two were facing a bright future together.”
Hugh nodded.
Mackenna clutched his hand tighter. “She thought she’d made a big mistake. You two were great friends but she doubted the future. You were mates who should never have become lovers.”
“Carol said that?”
Mackenna nodded.
Hugh snatched back his hand. “You’re just saying that to ease my guilt.”
“No I’m not.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that when she died then?”
“I didn’t know you were feeling guilty because you felt the same way. I wasn’t going t
o tell you, Carol’s grieving boyfriend, that she didn’t really love you. What kind of heartless bitch would that make me?”
They sat in silence, their half-eaten meal going cold.
Mackenna shivered. .The air was suddenly chilly. She picked up the bottle of wine.
“I’ve got the fire set in the dining room. Let’s go up there.”
Hugh followed her. “This is new.” He patted the couch then sat on it.
“Only for me. My aunty, Caroline, didn’t need it anymore.”
Hugh watched in silence while she lit the fire and coaxed it to life. Mackenna sat down beside him and refilled their glasses. Still he didn’t speak and she was beginning to wonder if she’d done the right thing in telling him about Carol.
He took a sip of wine then leant forward staring at the flames. “Why do you think she drove home that night?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was she running away?”
“Carol was never one to avoid tricky situations. I think she’d been mulling it over for a while and that night she’d finally come to a decision.”
“Then why didn’t she tell me?”
“On your graduation night? She didn’t hate you.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“She was still your friend, you know,” Mackenna said. “Whatever made her leave, I don’t think running away was the reason.”
They both stared at the flames.
“What a sad, mixed-up pair we’ve become,” Mackenna said. “Carol’s probably laughing at us right now.”
Hugh sat back. “Time to move on?”
“Yes.”
He raised his glass again. “To good friends.”
“One for all and all for one.”
They laughed at their old childhood motto and drank some more wine. It was cosy by the fire and Mackenna opened another bottle. They were easy friends again, relaxed in each other’s company.
Finally Hugh stretched and stood up. “I should get going.”
“You can’t drive,” Mackenna said. “Stay the night.”
He gave her a cheeky grin.
She wagged her finger at him. “I’ll get the swag,” she said. “You can sleep in here by the fire.”
“Sold.”
Mackenna set up the swag and had just cleared away the glasses when her mobile rang. She was relieved to hear Ginnie’s voice. She didn’t want to be taking bookings this late.
“Chris and I wanted to talk with you,” she said. “Have you got time for a chat?”
“That sounds ominous?” Mackenna joked.
“It won’t take long. Are you at the Gatehouse?”
Mackenna was surprised by Ginnie’s serious tone. “Yes,” she said.
“We’ll be there soon.”
She stared at her phone a moment. The abruptness of the call made her feel uneasy. What could they want? Had something gone wrong with the wine they were supplying? Perhaps they weren’t happy with the way she was promoting it? She went to the tasting room and looked at her menu, which clearly named the varieties and gave a small history of Bunyip Wines on the back. They had expressed their delight with it when they’d come for dinner.
A vehicle pulled up at the front door. To her surprise it was Chris and Ginnie. They couldn’t have been far away when they made the call.
“Visitors?” Hugh was behind her, a towel draped over his shoulder and the buttons of his shirt half undone.
“Chris and Ginnie,” she replied.
“Sorry to turn up at short notice,” Ginnie said. She gave Mackenna a peck on the cheek. Chris followed her looking very concerned. They both paused at the sight of Hugh doing up his buttons.
“Hello, Hugh,” they murmured together.
“What’s up?” Mackenna was going to take them into the tasting room but decided on the dining room instead, where they would see the swag laid out on the floor. She didn’t want them jumping to the wrong conclusions. Chris hovered in the doorway as if he’d rather be anywhere but here.
“Chris didn’t want to say anything,” Ginnie said.
Mackenna’s heart lurched. “Say what?” she asked. “What’s happened?”
“It’s a bit awkward really,” Ginnie said, glancing at her husband. “But I thought you should know.”
Mackenna flicked her eyes from one to the other. “Know what?”
Chris looked down at his boots.
“Tell me,” Mackenna said. Her heart was thumping in her chest.
“Oh for goodness sake, Chris,” Ginnie said, “tell her what you heard.”
“It’s a load of rubbish,” Chris snapped. “Just gossip.”
“But small town gossip can be dangerous. I think Mackenna should know.”
“Please, will one of you tell me what’s going on?”Mackenna said.
Hugh put a hand on her shoulder.
Ginnie began. “Evidently, Cam – ”
“We think it was Cam,” Chris interrupted.
“Cam’s been suggesting that he’s doing more out here than farm work.” Ginnie’s words came out in a rush.
Mackenna looked at them. Cam and all his comings and goings whirled around in her head. What could he be up to? “Something illegal?” she said.
“Not exactly,” Chris said. “Word is he’s getting a few extra perks.”
“I’d heard he was selling stuff from his ute at the pub,” Hugh said.
Mackenna twisted her head to look at him. “You didn’t tell me.”
“That’s not what Chris means,” Ginnie said.
Mackenna could see the discomfort on her friend’s face.
“What then?”
“Word is you and he . . . that he’s been attending to more than your stock.”
“The bloody mongrel.” Hugh’s hand gripped her shoulder tightly.
Mackenna frowned at Chris. “I still don’t get – ” She sucked in a breath as realisation struck her. “He reckons he’s sharing my bed?”
“As I said, I didn’t hear it from Cam. It was another bloke. That Dingo guy who’s been in all kinds of trouble. He was shooting his mouth off tonight at the bar. I didn’t believe him for a minute, but he was spinning a yarn and there were plenty of flapping ears willing to listen. He seemed to think it was only a matter of time before Cam became a permanent part of Woolly Swamp.”
Mackenna let fly a mouthful of words about what she’d like to do with Cam Martin, none of them pleasant. When she finished they were all silent.
Finally Chris spoke up. “We shouldn’t have come repeating gossip.”
“Rubbish. Mackenna should know what’s being said. I don’t think it’s good manners for a bloke to smear a woman’s reputation,” Ginnie said primly.
Once again there was silence, then Mackenna burst out laughing.
“Normally I don’t care about gossip,” she spluttered, “but I’ll be damned if I’ll allow people to think I’d be that desperate I’d sleep with Cam Martin.”
“What will you do?” Ginnie asked.
“I don’t know yet, but I’m glad you let me know.” She patted Chris on the shoulder. “I know it wasn’t easy for you but forewarned is forearmed. Besides,” she nodded at Hugh, “it sounds like Cam might be stretching his employment terms even more than I thought.”
Ginnie said goodnight and Chris followed forlornly behind.
“Poor guy,” Mackenna said as she shut the door.
“Poor guy nothing,” Hugh snapped. “He should have shut Dingo up there and then.”
“What? Punched him on the nose to defend my honour?” Mackenna laughed.
“What will you do?”
“Dingo’s a sly dog and I’m beginning to think Cam’s following in his footsteps. What’s this about him selling stuff at the pub?”
“I know someone who bought three bags of good quality wheat from him. I don’t know what else Cam has been selling but I saw him unloading a few posts and a drum of something at a rundown place in town. You know, out the north side along that dead end
dirt road.”
“I think Dingo lives out there somewhere. Maybe he’s the mate Cam stays with when he’s in town.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What can I do? It’s all gossip and innuendo. I have no proof of anything . . . except I know Cam hasn’t been in my bed.” She shuddered at the sudden vision of Cam in his boxers.
“We can’t let him get away with it.”
“I’ll think on it.” She yawned. “All that wine has made me sleepy.” She waved Hugh goodnight, went to her own room and climbed into bed. Feigning sleepiness had been an excuse to be alone. Mackenna was pretty sure she wouldn’t sleep much tonight. Her best friend was leaving the country, her parents’ working man was a liar and a thief, and she’d driven off the guy she loved. There was plenty to keep her brain working long into the night.
CHAPTER
36
The beep of a text message prised Mackenna’s bleary gaze from the coffee cup she clutched in her hand. She picked up her phone and pulled it close to her face. She didn’t recognise the number. The message said, Can I cook you breakfast?
She glanced towards the passage door. Was it Hugh being silly? It couldn’t be. She had his number with his name stored in her phone. There was no name with this message.
A shiver ran down her back. After what she’d heard last night, could it be Cam using someone else’s phone? She was glad Hugh had stayed over. She wrapped her cold fingers back around the coffee cup, grateful for the small burst of warmth against the chilly air. Then she stopped to listen. An engine was approaching and it sounded like a motorbike. It slowed and revved. It was a bike. She rushed to the back door in time to see the rider pause beside Hugh’s company vehicle. He didn’t take his helmet off but it was Adam, she was sure of it. She pushed open the screen door. The bike was already turning away.
Her call was lost in the noise of the motor.
She ran back back inside. She wasn’t going to let Adam go this time. He would have jumped to the wrong conclusion with Hugh’s vehicle parked at her back door, covered in last night’s dew. She snatched up her keys then tossed them down in frustration. Her battery was dead.
Hugh wandered in scratching his head.
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