Rose River

by Margareta Osborn

  ‘Okay, okay, I get your point.’

  ‘Do you, Jaime?’ She noticed that he hadn’t called her JJ, which meant he must be deadly serious. And he wasn’t finished. ‘After Bruce died, and Tiffany left – Irene and Bruce brought Tiff up – she kinda died a bit too. Doing this stuff makes her feel appreciated, needed.’

  Ryan’s description of Irene’s situation reminded Jaime of Robin McEvoy. Being forced to retire had certainly made him feel ineffective and unwanted. She still needed to talk to Stirling about that.

  Ryan cleared his throat and fiddled with a bag of lollies on the counter. ‘I’m just trying to give you her point of view, that’s all,’ he said, and offered her a lolly. A peace offering.

  Jaime could see that without people like Irene, little hamlets like Burdekin’s Gap would be forgotten and pushed aside in the scrum for survival. She could even see that her own mother was a little like Irene too. Needing to be wanted and appreciated. In fact, didn’t everyone need that?

  ‘I see your point,’ she said to Ryan, taking a lolly and sucking on it. She was willing to show Irene some compassion in the light of all she did for this town, just so long as the woman stayed out of her way on the day of Jaime’s fundraiser.

  The shop bell rang, announcing the arrival of a new customer. Wafts of cow manure mixed with a potent perfume shot up Jaime’s nostrils. Her heart sank. She recognised that perfume and she really didn’t need to see the woman wearing it right now.

  She turned anyway. Tiffany was looking her sultry best. Eyeliner made her chocolate eyes look huge, her dark hair tumbled around her shoulders, and her full lips were all pouty, as if she really didn’t like the fact that Ryan and Jaime might know something she didn’t. Which was all well and good, because Jaime certainly wasn’t going to tell her about the fundraiser.

  ‘We’re going to have a Cow Lotto on Australia Day,’ said the storekeeper to Tiffany.

  Okay. Jaime didn’t need to because Ryan would.

  ‘And a country fair day,’ he went on. ‘You know, with kids’ races, and a bar and food … and, Jaime, maybe we could run a few competitions for the adults? A gumboot throw, a wheelbarrow race, a round bale roll … Stirling will lend us a few bales, won’t you, mate?’

  ‘What do you want them for?’ said his deep voice.

  Oh my, he was standing right beside her. How did he do that – just appear like magic?

  And why were he and Tiffany here at the same time? Sheer coincidence, or not? And why did Ms Fancy-Pants look like she’d just climbed out of bed? Except for the overwhelming stench of cow poop.

  ‘Jaime and I are going to run a Country Fair Day,’ said Ryan.

  ‘Are you now?’ Stirling’s gaze landed on Jaime. ‘Why’s that? I thought you didn’t like celebrations as a rule?’

  Jaime wriggled in annoyance. He knew perfectly well why she’d tried to avoid Christmas.

  Ryan jumped in again. ‘We’re raising money to give Nanny Burgess a thumping big gravestone.’

  Tiffany gave a tinkling laugh. ‘My Aunty Irene won’t like that.’

  Ryan grimaced and opened his mouth to say something more, but Tiffany beat him to it.

  ‘But I think it’s a good idea. I liked Nanny Burgess, and Skinner’s never going to do anything. I suspect he thinks that seeing she’s gone, he doesn’t have to worry about it. He’s such a loser. Nanny deserves better than that.’

  Jaime stared at her. Of all the things Tiffany could’ve said, she hadn’t expected that.

  ‘Tiff’s right,’ Stirling added. ‘Skinner owes that woman a lot. Unfortunately, the Kelly boys have never been big on gratitude or morals.’

  His gaze seemed to burn through her, as if he was remembering her arrival in Lake Grace and how he’d saved her from the Kellys at the hotel. Not to mention a certain naked cricket match. Jaime couldn’t bear to watch him watch her for one second more. Those eyes told her everything she’d dreaded: that he was obviously thinking what an idiot she was. Well, she’d show him, and Tiffany too for that matter.

  ‘We thought we’d try and get all the holiday-makers into town for the day to spend some money. As Ryan said, run a Cow or maybe Goat Lotto –’

  Stirling spluttered and Jaime glanced at him sharply. That muscle at the edge of his mouth was doing its quirky little bounce.

  ‘We’ll have some events for the kids, and adults,’ she persevered. ‘We can get Bluey to run a bar.’

  Stirling suddenly looked thoughtful. ‘How about a dog high jump? My father could organise that.’

  Jaime was nodding before he’d even finished his sentence. ‘Yes! Robin would love it. And what about Amy? Do you think she’d organise a knitting competition?’

  Stirling actually smiled at that. ‘Of course. That would really float her boat. Bert would love to do something too, I’m sure. Just ask him. You never know what amazing ideas that man’s going to come up with.’

  ‘And Eliza and Katie – do you think they’d help with the kids’ games? We thought Jean might run them.’

  ‘Perfect choice,’ said Stirling, with that doe-eyed look he always got when he talked about his nieces. ‘Those kids are awesome.’

  ‘I thought I’d make up some flyers. We’ll hand them out around town. Ryan can have some for the shop. Put up some big signs on the road into and out of the Gap. And maybe even down in Lake Grace.’ Jaime’s mind was racing with plans now, her hands moving, sketching ideas in the air. ‘We can talk to the local ABC radio, get them to do a story or interview. And the papers. We haven’t got much time but I think we can pull this off.’

  Stirling was gazing at Jaime like he’d never seen her before. That was more like it. She was an expert when it came to this sort of stuff.

  ‘Damn it, Stirling,’ Tiffany suddenly piped up, ‘look what those calves of yours did to me this morning!’ She pointed to a red dot on her jeans and grimaced.

  The big stockman was immediately contrite. ‘Hell, I’m sorry, Tiff. And you did such a good job with them too.’

  Trust Tiffany to drag the attention back to her, Jaime thought. It was only a little stain. Didn’t she know how to turn on a washing machine?

  ‘Never mind,’ Tiffany said, flapping a hand. ‘I’ll just need to call into home before we head down to Lake Grace.’

  Jaime noticed the slight emphasis on ‘we’. They were heading to town together? No!

  ‘If the mark doesn’t come out, I’ll replace the jeans,’ Stirling told her.

  Of course he would. He was that kind of bloke.

  ‘You can help me choose a pair,’ said Tiffany. ‘I’m sure together we can find something in Lake Grace.’

  It was only a teensy-weensy little spot! It would wash out! And the vision of Stirling man-handling the Tosser into a pair of jeans was almost more than Jaime could take.

  Stirling, completely unaware of the upset he’d just caused, turned to Jaime. ‘Blanche said to tell you they’re going soon, so could you head back to the farm to say goodbye?’

  Her mother was leaving? She’d hoped it would be Marty who was heading off today. She sent a silent plea up to her father: please, Dad, please, please.

  ‘Oh, and I wanted to remind you – Dodge needs his flea medicine today as well.’ And Stirling shot Ryan a loaded look, as if the storekeeper was taking up too much of Jaime’s time.

  ‘Stirling, I could’ve done that,’ said Tiffany. ‘I am a vet, remember? It would have been a cinch.’

  Stirling shook his head. ‘It’s not an easy job, Tiff, and Jaime knows Dodge now. He’d probably take having a tablet shoved down his throat by her.’

  It was a backhanded compliment but she’d take it all the same.

  ‘Your boyfriend’s heading off too,’ he threw in.

  Now she just wanted to backhand him.

  ‘We’d best go,’ said Tiffany, losing interest in Dodge and looking at her big Fossil watch. ‘I wish we hadn’t taken so long in the yards, Stirling. After the late night and the sleep-in this morning, then
the cattle work, it’s really put us behind time.’

  Jaime’s stomach did a twirl and then a lurch. They’d spent the night together? Had a lie-in?

  Stirling had the grace to look slightly discomforted under both Jaime’s and Ryan’s stares. ‘We had to get the cows and calves in. I meant to do it yesterday but I was running behind …’ His voice trailed off.

  Jaime finished the sentence in her mind: ‘Thanks to helping a stupid city girl clean up a mess made by a mob of renegade animals she couldn’t control.’

  Stirling turned to Tiffany. ‘You had the sleep-in, not me. I was up by dawn.’

  Which she would’ve known if they’d been in the same bed, surely, Jaime thought.

  But Tiffany wasn’t going to let him off that easy. ‘I didn’t hear a thing until eight-thirty, babe. You know what I’m like – I sleep like the dead.’

  Dead. Now there was a thought …

  ‘Hey, Tiff,’ Ryan called as she headed for the door. ‘What are you going to contribute to the Country Fair Day?’

  She paused and turned back. ‘I suppose I could run a session on how to look after your pet.’

  The offer was delivered with a hint of reluctance. So much for her thinking Nanny Burgess deserves a decent memorial, thought Jaime smugly.

  But then she added, ‘It’s the least I could do for the old lady. I really admired how she rescued so many animals.’

  ‘That’s my girl,’ said Ryan, smiling at her.

  ‘We’ll be off then.’ Stirling moved towards the door too, his big broad shoulders slightly slumped.

  Jaime watched him mount the V-Max and Ms Fancy-Pants glide on behind. She was now clad in helmet, gloves and a special pink motorbike coat. Her arms slid around Stirling’s waist and she placed her head against his muscled back.

  The cow. The shrew.

  Nup. That wasn’t enough.

  The bitch!

  ‘I guess you’ve really lost him now,’ said Ryan as the V-Max disappeared down the road.

  ‘Shut up, Ryan, or I’ll tell Skinner where you dumped the goats and that he owes Valerie a fortune.’

  He took the hint.

  ‘I’ll get some advertising materials together, sort out our helpers, talk to the radio station and the newspaper.’ Jaime counted off the tasks on her fingers. ‘It’s your job to tell everyone who comes through here getting fuel and such about the fair day. And you can also advise Irene of our plans.’

  Ryan looked like he was about to protest, then thought better of it.

  Jaime smiled. ‘Well, I’d best get home and say goodbye to my mother.’

  ‘And Marty,’ added Ryan.

  And Marty. Absolutely!

  ‘But we won’t be able to come,’ cried Blanche. ‘Will we, Dave? We’ll be on the island for the hunters’ big Australia Day bash.’

  Thank you, Dad!

  ‘That’s a shame, Mum, but I’m sure I’ll be fine,’ said Jaime. Totally and absolutely and utterly fine.

  ‘I can’t come either,’ said a disgruntled Marty from the driver’s seat of his ute.

  Things were just getting better and better.

  ‘Oh, that’s such a shame, Marty.’

  ‘We would’ve liked to support you,’ said Blanche, mouthing the word ‘TIFFANY’ at her daughter.

  Jaime feigned ignorance. She couldn’t deal with Blanche too this morning. ‘There’ll be plenty of people around to help. And Stirling’s all for it.’

  ‘I’ll bet he is,’ grumbled Marty.

  Jaime waved at him. ‘See you, Marty. Thanks for the visit.’ Not. She turned back to her mother and gave her a big hug. ‘I’ll be fine, Mum. Truly I will.’

  Blanche returned the embrace, saying into Jaime’s ear, ‘Are you sure you can handle that little minx? Her aunt dropped her off at Stirling’s this morning and she rode off with him on the back of that bike like she owned the place.’

  So they didn’t spend the night together. She hadn’t realised how much that meant to her until she heard Blanche’s words.

  Dave came up from behind and put his long arms around them both. ‘That’s my girls. So great to see you two getting along together. Your mother was wondering if you’d ever come round, but I told her to just give you a bit of time. Didn’t I, Blanche? Time takes care of a lot of things.’ And the big man squeezed them both tight.

  ‘I can’t breathe,’ spluttered Jaime.

  ‘Of course you can,’ said Blanche. ‘You’re in the mountains inhaling this beautiful fresh air every day.’

  Dave let them go, grinning, but kept hold of Blanche’s hand. He clearly adored her mother.

  ‘It suits you being a country girl,’ added Blanche. ‘I always said to your father you were born in the wrong place.’

  She had?

  ‘He didn’t want to move further out of the city though. Thought I’d get lonely. Perhaps that was a tad short-sighted.’

  ‘Oh I don’t know, Mum. I had it pretty good in Melbourne.’

  Blanche nodded. ‘Yes, but I think I could have got used to the isolation. I have at the island, haven’t I, Dave?’

  Dave guffawed. ‘That’s if you call having at least twenty other hunters on your doorstep every morning for coffee isolation.’

  ‘Oh, rubbish. There’s usually only about ten.’

  ‘And you’re right in the middle of them, doling out your coffee and cake. I’d bet my best gun they’re all wishing they were me.’ He planted a loud kiss on his wife’s cheek and gave her a squeeze.

  Jaime watched as he drew back with a goofy smile. Dave was just perfect for Blanche. If only Jaime could be so lucky.

  Chapter 33

  It was Australia Day and the morning of the Country Fair. Jaime lay in her soft comfy bed, Dodge curled in the crook of her arm. In her head she was ticking off the things she still had to do. It had been a frantic three weeks. She’d got people to nail notices advertising the event to trees and fence posts along the main road from one end of their part of the mountains to the other, as well as putting up sandwich boards at the entrances to both Lake Grace and the Gap. She’d done numerous radio and newspaper interviews. Basically she’d covered every aspect of getting the word out that Burdekin’s Gap was having a Country Fair and anyone who didn’t attend would be missing out on something huge.

  Ryan had informed Irene that her Australia Day barbecue was going to be gatecrashed. She hadn’t been amused, especially when she heard who the fundraiser was for.

  ‘Nanny Burgess? That woman was a freak!’

  ‘Hardly,’ Ryan had argued. ‘She just liked rescuing abandoned and ill-treated animals.’

  ‘Hrrrmph. Her grandsons should be paying for that monument, not the community.’

  ‘Oh, really? Just like the council funded most of Bruce’s?’

  ‘No one knows that!’

  ‘Well, I do,’ Ryan had said.

  ‘You should have seen her face,’ he’d told Jaime later, laughing. ‘It was a classic. I didn’t know if the council contributed or not. It was just a wild stab in the dark!’

  ‘And it paid off,’ said Jaime. ‘Did she say anything after that?’

  ‘Nope, just put in her normal order for bread and walked out of the store. I did suggest maybe she should order more supplies, seeing as there are sure to be more customers, but she wouldn’t have it.’

  ‘Extra money for you then. Are you still going to donate some of your sales to the cause?’

  ‘Absolutely. Ten per cent.’

  ‘That much? Oh, Ryan, thank you!’

  People would want to eat, and given they were working to a short time frame, the easiest and quickest way to provide lunch and snacks was via the Gap’s general store. There was just one other person who needed to be sorted.

  ‘And what about Skinner? Does he know we’re using his paddock and animals?’

  Ryan smirked. ‘He sulked a while, then said we had to pay some exorbitant hire fee.’

  ‘He what?’

  ‘Nah, it’s okay. Al
l sorted.’ Ryan tapped the side of his nose like it was secret men’s business.

  As far as Jaime was concerned it could stay that way. She didn’t care what went on behind closed doors so long as that slimy bastard contributed something.

  Dodge did a big stretch and kneaded his claws on Jaime’s arm. ‘Youch! You need your claws trimmed, Mister.’

  The cat just yawned and curled onto his back, flicking his paws at her fingers. He wanted to play. But there was no time for that today.

  Just as Jaime was ready to leave, she had a visitor – Stirling, sauntering into the kitchen and looking delectable in a red-checked shirt. For a moment Jaime wanted to forget the whole day, shut the blinds, drag him into bed and have her wicked way with him. She’d barely seen him in the last three weeks. He’d been busy mustering and then sorting cattle at the other end of the station with the assistance of his stock agent. Apparently Jaime hadn’t been needed. She hadn’t sighted Tiffany at all either, which had made her hopeful – until Ryan informed her that the Tosser had been doing some locum vet work over the other side of the mountains.

  ‘Are you alright?’ Stirling asked. His brow was drawn down, making him look grumpy. He probably was grumpy given the list of jobs she’d landed on him during their very brief interaction three days ago.

  ‘Me? I’m fine. Why?’

  ‘You just looked a bit weird.’

  ‘Did I?’ Damn. Maybe she was drooling. Her hand fluttered up to her mouth. No, no dribble. Yet.

  ‘I don’t think Ryan ordered enough ice,’ Stirling continued, ‘so Dad’s bringing some.’

  She remembered she’d meant to talk to Stirling about his father. ‘Yes, about your dad. I was wondering if you had any jobs around the farm he could do?’

  ‘Why? You want some ice here too?’

  Jaime shook her head. ‘No. He’s just … well … he seemed a bit bored the couple of times we’ve spoken.’

  ‘He said he didn’t need to come up here anymore. He wanted to leave me to run the station.’