Right As Rain

by Tricia Stringer

  Louise considered her husband then glanced around the table at the family she loved. Each of them focused on her expectantly, as if it was her decision. This wasn’t how she’d seen the future. They were all so determined to have it their way. She had no say in it at all. She pulled her face into a smile.

  “Of course,” she said and pushed back from the table. “I don’t think anyone’s drunk their tea or tried Yasmine’s biscuits. I’ll put the kettle on for a fresh cup.”

  “I’ve had some of mine,”Lyle said. “Patrick and I need to get back to that trough we’ve been fixing.”

  “I’ve got some lambs to see to,” Mackenna said.

  “I’ll head back to the Gatehouse then.” Adam stood up. “There’s a menu to be tweaked.”

  “I want to get this website finished.” Yasmine took another biscuit from the plate. “I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me.”

  Louise watched her children kiss their partners and was surprised by Lyle’s peck on her cheek.

  “Stop worrying, Lou,” he murmured. “Everything will be right as rain. You’ll see.”

  She stood at the sink listening as the sound of their departure faded away with their voices. They thought everything was settled. She knew she should be happy for them but she couldn’t shake the worry she felt. She didn’t want a different life for herself but she did for her daughter. This family future plan hadn’t changed that.

  CHAPTER

  52

  “This has been a great night, Mrs Birch,” Adam said. “You must be pleased with the turnout.”

  “It’s better than any of us could have imagined. But please, Adam, call me Louise. I’d much prefer it.”

  Mackenna could hear the delight in her mother’s voice. Adam had worked his magic on her, making food suggestions for the art show opening and then offering to cook. She lifted her hands from the sink then stiffened as her mother’s arm went round her shoulders. They’d had an uneasy truce since the family meeting a couple of weeks ago.

  “Thanks to both of you for all you’ve done,” Louise said. “Your food was well received and perfect for the occasion. You’ve both worked so hard.”

  “No probs, Louise.”

  Adam was as upbeat as ever. They had been helping with the art show all day, from setting up this morning to preparing and serving the food for supper. Mackenna was exhausted and tomorrow night they were fully booked at the Gatehouse. She was yet to put out her tasting room sign. Bookings for dinner were keeping her busy without casuals dropping in during the weekends.

  “We’re happy to help,” she said, not wanting to admit her degree of fatigue to her mother.

  “I thought Daphne and Margaret were doing the dishes?” Louise picked up a tea towel.

  “They have been,” Mackenna said. “This is just the last of our trays and containers.”

  “We gave them an early minute,” Adam chipped in.

  “Yasmine’s photo won first prize in the Rural Heart photograph section.” Louise beamed with pride.

  “I saw that,” Mackenna said. “She’s got real talent with the camera.”

  “It deserved to win,” Louise said. She stopped her drying and spoke directly to Mackenna. “It captured you and your father so well.”

  Was this an olive branch? Mackenna didn’t know what to say so she went back to scrubbing the oven tray.

  “How is Yassie?”Adam asked.

  “Doing very well by all accounts. The doctor told her it’s going to be a big baby. I don’t know how they can tell. You can hardly believe she’s got a baby there at all. I think it’s a girl but Lyle says a boy. One of us will be right.” Louise chuckled.

  “Where is Dad?” Mackenna asked.

  “Deep in conversation with your uncle Alfred. I don’t know whether to rescue him or not.” She chuckled again. “I shouldn’t be so uncharitable. Alfred and Marion have bought several pieces of art tonight. And the friends they brought with them did as well.” She stacked the last of the trays and added her tea towel to the top of the soggy pile in the full bag. “I’ll wash all these tomorrow. Did you get a chance to talk to Mary McDonald?”

  “Only a quick hello while I was passing around the food,” Mackenna said.

  “They’ve heard from Hugh. He’s settling in okay.”

  “Yes,” Mackenna said. “I’ve had an email from him. He sounds busy and happy.”

  “Such a shame he left . . .” Louise’s voice trailed away. “Mary will miss him.”

  Mackenna studied her mother’s face. Surely after getting to know Adam she wasn’t still harbouring an idea that Hugh would make a good son-in-law?

  “Why don’t you two have a cuppa and put your feet up for a moment,” Adam said.

  Mackenna flopped onto a chair. “I’d much rather have a glass of wine.”

  “So would I,” her mother said as she sat down beside her. “I haven’t had a chance to have a drop all night.”

  “Coming right up, ladies.” Adam went out to the hall.

  “Adam’s made a good recovery,” Louise said.

  “Thank goodness.” It still worried Mackenna to think how close he’d come to permanent damage from playing detective for her.

  “You work well together.”

  Adam came back with two glasses and a bottle of sauvignon blanc.

  “Where’s yours?” Mackenna asked.

  “I’m going to join the blokes for a beer.” He poured the wine. “That guy Rory’s still here and he’s settled in to tell a few stories. He’s a funny bloke.”

  Mackenna felt a pang of nerves as he left. She hadn’t spent time alone with her mother since the big family meeting weeks ago.

  “He’s a wonderful young man,” Louise said, nodding towards the door. “People have been telling me all night how lucky I am to have such a talented family.”

  They each took a sip of their wine.

  Louise put her glass on the table and fiddled with the stem. “Life might have been a bit easier for you marrying into Hugh’s family, though.”

  “Mum,” Mackenna growled. She knew there was something brewing.

  “I just want you to be sure. If you stay on at the farm and continue as you have, one day you’ll be doing it alone. Your father won’t last forever, as much as he thinks he can. I want him to cut back so we can have more time together travelling, even if it’s only around Australia. There’s so much we haven’t seen.”

  “I won’t be alone. I know we’re not married but Adam’s made it clear he wants to stay, and I’ll keep an eye on Dad. Make sure he’s not overdoing it.”

  Mackenna got up and restacked the empty containers into a more stable pile. She didn’t want to have this conversation again.

  “What about children?” Louise asked.

  “What about them?”

  “Do you think you might have them, because even superwomen need a bit of time off to adjust to babies?”

  “Patrick and Yas are having a baby. Be happy with that for now.”

  “I want you to be sure running the farm is what you really want.”

  “For goodness sake, Mum. We’ve had this conversation. Why are you bringing it up again?”

  Mackenna began shoving the containers and trays into bags.

  “Just like your father,” Louise snapped. “You throw yourself into work when there’s something you don’t want to face. We can never have a proper conversation.”

  “There’s nothing to discuss.” Mackenna glared at her mother. They held each other’s stare until finally Louise spoke.

  “Four miscarriages, I had, between you and your brother.” She held up her hand with only her thumb tucked into the palm. “It was a terrible time, and I didn’t have to keep running a farm.”

  The anger whooshed from Mackenna’s body like air from a deflating balloon. “Mum, I never knew.”

  “You were a little girl. There was no need for you to know.”

  “Patrick must have seemed so precious.”

  “He was.” Louise r
eached across and grasped Mackenna’s hand. “But so were you. I vowed after the last miscarriage, when I left you with friends for the night and drove myself to the hospital, that no daughter of mine would have that same lonely life.”

  Mackenna was shocked. “I’ve never thought Dad wouldn’t care.”

  “It wasn’t that he didn’t care. He just didn’t know about the last one till it was all over. He was helping someone else who’d had a fire on their property. I couldn’t call him away from that. Anyway, I knew the routine by the fourth time.”

  “Mum.” Mackenna put her hand over her mother’s.

  “Your dad cared but in a different way. His answer to the pain was to work. I didn’t want that life for you.”

  “Mum – ”

  “Hear me out. When you trained to be a chef, I was so pleased. Then you came back home and started working with your father. I thought it was temporary, a healing time after Carol’s death but you made it permanent. At least if you married Hugh, the worry of running the property wouldn’t be yours alone and you would still be on a farm.”

  “You like Adam.”

  “I do. But he’s not a farmer.”

  “Hugh and I are good mates but we wouldn’t have been happy together. Surely you want me to be with the right person and be happy.”

  “That’s all I want.”

  “Being a farmer makes me happy and I think I can bring a diversity to Woolly Swamp that will only make it better. Adam might not be a farmer but he understands. The time could come when we have to get help but we’ll manage for now.”

  “I just want you to be sure.”

  Mackenna came around the table and sat beside her mother again. She looked directly into the eyes that mirrored the colour of her own. “I am sure, Mum. As sure as I can be about anything. I know we had a rocky start but since I’ve been with Adam I feel settled. This is where I want to be and who I want to be with. I hope you can understand that, because I don’t want to fight you all the way.”

  Louise held her gaze then hugged her close.

  “I love you, Mackenna. If it’s what you really want then I’ll be there to help you as well.”

  “Thanks, Mum.”

  When her mother sat back Mackenna could see the moisture in her eyes. “Let’s finish this wine,” she said.

  “Let’s,” her mother responded.

  They both kicked off their shoes and settled back in their chairs.

  “Did you see that skirt Mavis Pritchard was wearing?” Louise asked.

  “I did notice it had very bright stripes.”

  “Bright!” Louise snorted. “They were like fluorescent GT stripes. I hope she didn’t pay a lot for it. If it was any shorter we would have been able to see what she had for breakfast.”

  “Mum!” Mackenna’s glass wobbled, threatening to spill her wine.

  Adam and Lyle came in to find them giggling together.

  “What are you two up to?” Lyle asked.

  “Girl talk,” Louise said with a straight face and Mackenna started to laugh.

  “What happened to Rory and his stories?” Mackenna asked.

  “He was winding up by the time I joined them.” Adam said. “I did hear one bit of gossip, though.”

  “Really?” Louise said. “Only been here five minutes and picking up gossip already.”

  “Seems Cam has left town owing quite a few people money. He must have been a real con artist. That Dingo guy has left town as well.”

  “He’ll be back when the dust settles,” Lyle said. “He’ll find a new bloke to take the fall.”

  “He’s obviously smart enough to keep his nose out of trouble,” Mackenna said. “The police told me they had a good look around after Adam’s accident but they couldn’t pin anything on him.”

  “We’ll have something to remember Cam by for a while,” Lyle said.

  “What else has he done?” Mackenna asked.

  “Have you seen that paddock he put in? He must have had a few blocked seeder hoses. There’re a couple of long strips around the paddock with no shoots. We’ll be reminded of him every time we look at that pasture.”

  “Stripes,” Louise said.

  “Like a GT,” Mackenna added and they both began to giggle again.

  “Time we took you two home, I think,” Lyle said. “All this work’s gone to your heads.”

  Mackenna slid her arm through Adam’s. He gave her a funny grin.

  “Home sounds good,” he said.

  CHAPTER

  53

  “You’re so clever, Yasmine.” Louise looked down at her new grandson and felt a surge of love well up inside her. “He’s so perfect.”

  “Surprised us, that’s for sure,” Lyle said, reaching a hand round to tuck the blanket under the baby’s chin.

  “You were surprised,” Patrick said. “What about me thinking I was going to deliver our baby on the bathroom floor.”

  “I think it was actually me doing the work,”Yasmine chided him.

  “You know what I mean.” Patrick smiled at her. “I was relieved when the ambulance arrived.”

  “And I was relieved we made it to the hospital in time,” Yasmine said.

  “Well you both did a fantastic job.” Lyle slid his hands under the baby. “My turn.”

  “He’s a good size for being a few weeks early.” Louise watched Lyle closely. “Do you remember what to do?” she asked.

  “Like it was yesterday.”

  She envied his confidence. Holding her tiny grandson for the first time, she’d felt all fingers and thumbs. Coming into a hospital had brought back the fear that had enveloped her after Lyle’s heart attack. She felt as if her inner strength had deserted her altogether.

  “No name yet?” she asked, willing herself to relax.

  Patrick and Yasmine looked at each other and Louise saw the small nod Yasmine gave her son.

  “Harrison Patrick Birch.”

  Louise felt she would burst with pride. “My father would have liked that,” she said. “He was so happy when we named you after him.”

  “I’ll text Mackenna later,” Patrick said. “We still hadn’t decided when she and Adam were here yesterday.”

  “They’ve got another full house tonight at the Gatehouse,” Lyle said.

  “Adam’s loving it.” Patrick grinned. “You’re slipping, Mum. I thought you would have convinced him to propose to my sister by now.”

  Louise raised her eyebrows. “That’s between Adam and Mackenna.”

  Patrick looked at his father and burst out laughing.

  Louise frowned. “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing,” Patrick said and Lyle just shook his head.

  “They’re teasing,” Yasmine said. “Thank you for all these lovely gifts, Louise. Harrison will be the best-dressed baby in town.”

  “I had to drag her out of the shops.”

  Louise shrugged as Lyle put his arm around her.

  “Careful,” she said.

  “Do you think I’d drop something so precious?” Lyle leant his head against hers and together they gazed at the perfect face of their tiny grandson. Only months ago Louise had been terrified they might never share such a moment. Now that Harrison had arrived there would be a wedding to follow. Yasmine had said so. Louise had made her peace with her daughter. Adam had fitted into life at Woolly Swamp so well and he made Mackenna happy. Life might return to some kind of normalcy.

  Lyle gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Here you are, Grandma.” He passed the sleeping baby back to her. “Don’t spoil him too much.”

  Adam’s arm slid around Mackenna’s waist as they waved off the last of the guests. A light sprinkling of rain began to fall.

  “Your dad said it would rain tonight.”

  “When did he say that?”

  “Last night when we saw them in Adelaide.”

  They hurried inside as the rain got heavier.

  “Can you believe those people came because they’d eaten Woolly Swamp lamb at Simon’s re
staurant in Melbourne?” Mackenna said.

  “Of course, if they’re that way inclined.”

  “But they were on their way to Adelaide.”

  “So, it’s a bonus for the region as well. Now they’re staying overnight instead of driving through,” Adam said. “That’s got to be good for several businesses besides yours.”

  “Ours,” Mackenna said.

  “Are you tired?” Adam asked as they went back into the dining room. He’d cleared away the rest of the dishes from the table while she’d been tallying the bill and chatting with the last group in the tasting room.

  “Exhausted,” she said and flopped onto the couch in front of the fire. “I’m so glad we had the chance to see Patrick and Yas and the baby, but it’s made for a tiring weekend. I’ve got sheep to get in first thing tomorrow and Dad won’t be back.”

  “Isn’t that why you have dogs?” Adam fiddled with the fire, which was already heating just fine.

  “Yes, but I would have liked to sleep in.”

  “We’ll do it together.” Adam turned to her. He had a funny look on his face. “I really need to learn more about this sheep business.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You’re looking a little sheepish. Does that help?”

  “Maybe.” He stepped towards her then stumbled.

  “Adam,” she gasped as he crouched at her feet. She put her hands out to steady him. “Are you alright?”

  “Fantastic,” he said and grinned at her.

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Have you been drinking the red in the kitchen?”

  He shuffled about and rested on one knee.

  “What . . .?” Her question died on her lips as he placed a finger against them.

  “Mackenna. “Adam looked so serious she was speechless.

  He took her hands in his. “You have made my life complete. I can’t imagine living without you. Will you marry me?”

  Mackenna stared into his gorgeous brown eyes. In them she saw the love he declared and she knew, as she’d known for months, he was the man for her. She bit her lip and hoped with all her heart she wasn’t dreaming.