‘Could you hand these out?’ Violet asked, coming over with a large tray of sandwiches. ‘The Hummingbird Café just arrived with a heap of food.’
Lily jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.’
Lily gave her a slight smile. ‘I was miles away,’ she said as she took the tray from Violet.
‘He’ll be fine, Lily. Flynn isn’t brainless; he won’t put himself in danger.’
‘Yeah, you’re right. Have you heard any updates?’
Violet dropped her voice and tilted her head towards a young family sitting not far away. ‘The Hendersons have lost their house.’
Lily glanced over. The two little girls of about five or six years old sat playing with a little blue heeler puppy. Their parents were locked in each other’s arms. John Henderson’s jaw was set in grim determination while Lucy had tears shimmering in her eyes.
‘Oh no! That’s awful.’
Violet glanced across the room and Lily followed her gaze. ‘Mrs Bailey said the fire was close to her place but she decided not to wait around. She packed up Mr Tibbs, her cat, and came into town. So far there’s talk that several homes have been lost, but the only one confirmed is the Henderson place,’ Violet said. ‘Why don’t you take the sandwiches around that side of the room? Holly and I will do the other.’
‘Okay,’ Lily said. Looking up she saw Jill and Hailey coming through the door, both carrying bags and boxes. They hurried over to where she was standing and dumped everything on the long table against the wall. ‘What’s all this?’ Lily asked.
Jill gave her a grim smile. ‘I’ve brought some things from the supermarket. It’s just bits and pieces, but Mum and I thought that it might be useful.’ She opened a bag and peered in. ‘This one is tissues, sanitary products, nappies, toothbrushes and toothpaste. That one Hailey is holding has colouring books for the kids. There’s juice and snacks, and that bag is fresh fruit. I wasn’t sure what you needed so I just kind of grabbed stuff off the shelves.’
‘That’s brilliant, Jill.’
‘And I’ve been sent by the council,’ Hailey said with a shake of her head. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be here and help out any way I can, but the mayor wants to be seen as being involved.’
Lily smiled. ‘That’s a bit cynical, isn’t it?’
‘Nah, the election is right around the corner and he’s determined to keep his position. Oh, speak of the devil. Give it another ten minutes and the local paper will be down here so he can capture the photo-op.’ Hailey rolled her eyes as Grant Somerville and his daughter, Charlotte, appeared in the doorway.
‘Is that a bit harsh?’ Jill asked.
‘Are you kidding? Just wait until a camera turns up. I bet he’ll suddenly be handing out cups of tea and pretending that he actually gives a damn about the town and its population.’
Lily looked over her shoulder at the newcomers. Charlotte scanned the room, her gaze landing on Lily for a second. She gave her a brief nod of recognition before turning away.
‘Hmmm, that was interesting,’ Jill whispered beside her.
‘Was it?’ Lily said sceptically. ‘Hey, I haven’t heard from Flynn and I’m really worried about him.’
‘The fire isn’t near his place, is it?’ Hailey asked as she started to get the colouring books and pencils out of the bag.
‘Yes, it is. Violet got a message from Mac.’
‘Shit,’ Jill said.
‘I tried to go out there, but the emergency services had closed off the road and they wouldn’t let me through. I’m not sure what’s happening or just how bad it is.’
‘I’m sure he’ll be fine,’ Hailey said with a smile. ‘He’s been through fire seasons before. Try not to worry too much.’
Lily gave a nod. ‘Anyway, these sandwiches won’t give themselves out,’ she said as she took a step away from her friends. ‘Come on, people need a bit of help and comfort.’
But even though she was keeping busy, Flynn was never far from her mind.
Chapter 19
The fire was edging closer, no matter how hard Flynn and the firies worked to try to stop it. Bathed in sweat from the heat and the layers of clothing protecting his body, he was exhausted but he wouldn’t stop fighting – he couldn’t. The slow, heavy drone of the helicopter rotor blades made him look up but the smoke haze obscured his line of sight. The copter was water bombing the fire from somewhere above; Flynn could only pray that it would help.
Flynn used the water from the nearby dam to put out the orange flames of the many spot fires which were flaring up around the house. The roar of the fire filled his ears – it had reached the top of the ridge and was now slowly eating its way down the hill towards him.
His mob of sheep were long gone; he could only hope they’d managed to get out of harm’s way and headed away from the fire. Flynn watched helplessly as everything he’d spent years building up was burnt to a cinder. He knew that the top paddocks and the sheep pens were gone, along with any of his stock that couldn’t outrun the flames. There wasn’t much left between it and his house, just a few acres of paddock and the hayshed. If the fire made it to the bottom of the hill that would be pretty much it – all he’d have left was charred land and a few piles of charcoal.
A hand clamped his shoulder.
‘Mate, we need to get out of here,’ Mac shouted over the sound of the crackling fire.
Flynn pulled down the scarf from his nose. ‘You go – I need to stay a bit longer.’
‘Flynn.’ Mac’s eyes said it all. ‘We have to go. Leave the rest to the fire brigade.’
Flynn stared at his friend for a second. He could see the inevitable loss reflected in his expression. ‘Mac … I …’
‘Come on, it’s time – the girls will be worried. The house isn’t worth your life, Flynn. You’ve done all you can.’
He wanted to argue, he wanted to stay until the very last possible second. But he glanced back to the encroaching wall of flames and he knew in his gut that Mac was right.
‘You can rebuild it, Flynn, and you know that I’ll help you. But it’s time to go.’
Flynn took a shaky breath and then slowly nodded. ‘Just give me a minute.’
‘Do you need a hand packing anything?’
‘It’s already stowed in the ute. No, I just need a walk through. It could be for the last time.’
‘Okay, I’ll meet you at the front – don’t be too long. I’m sorry, Flynn, I really am.’
‘I know, so am I,’ Flynn said as he turned and walked back to the house. He stepped into the kitchen and ran his hand over the reclaimed wood island bench. He’d found the slab in the old shed and it’d taken him days to sand and polish the surface. It wasn’t that he had a lot of possessions; it was just he’d put so much of himself into renovating the house. And the thought that he was going to lose it left a hard stone in the pit of his stomach. He walked into the lounge room and glanced out the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto the gully below. The smoky haze made it hard to see anything outside now. He swallowed hard as he turned around slowly, committing every detail of the room to his mind. Then, without a backward glance, he strode out to the entrance hall and through the front door, banging it shut behind him.
‘You right?’ Mac said from where he stood by the utes.
‘Yeah.’
‘We’ll head into town. The girls are at the evacuation centre helping out.’
‘Lily too?’
‘Yep. According to Violet, when she found out about the fire she tried to come out here, but by then they’d closed off the road.’
‘She did?’
‘Yes, Flynn, she did.’
The idea that she cared enough to do that warmed him.
‘I guess I should’ve called her, to let her know I was okay. I just didn’t think – shit, I’m the worst boyfriend ever.’
‘She’ll forgive you – you had a lot on your plate,’ Mac said with
a fleeting smile. ‘Come on, let’s get out of here.’
‘Right, I’ll follow you,’ Flynn nodded before he started to walk over to his ute. He opened the door and leant against it as he gave the house one last look. A hint of breeze seemed to touch his face as he went to duck into the cab. Flynn stilled and looked across to Mac.
‘What’s wrong?’ Mac called out.
Flynn shrugged. ‘I reckon I’m imagining things, or maybe it’s just wishful thinking.’
‘Flynn?’
‘I thought for a second the wind was from the south – as I said, wishful thinking.’
Mac stilled for a second too. ‘Nah, I can’t feel a thing …’
Flynn closed his eyes as a gentle puff of breeze kissed his cheek. ‘There!’ His eyes flicked open as he swung back to Mac. ‘Did you feel that?’
‘There’s nothing … Oh my God – the wind’s changed!’
A great wave of relief swept through Flynn. He grinned at Mac before he threw back his head and laughed.
***
It was almost dark before Flynn and Mac walked into the evacuation centre. He’d managed to ring Lily a few hours before to let her know that he was alive. He hadn’t meant to worry her but the fire had moved so fast, there hadn’t been time until then.
Thanks to the wind change and the diligent endeavours of the fire brigade, the fire was all but out. There were still a few crews mopping up, but his house had been saved. As for everything else, he’d work that out tomorrow.
Flynn rolled his shoulders just as they reached the door. He was tired, hungry and still reeked of smoke, even though he’d showered and changed his clothes. Inside, the school gym was crowded. People sat in clusters on chairs, while some of the gym mats had been laid out on the floor for the kids. There was a subdued murmur in the room, an undercurrent of voices as people wondered and worried about their properties and their future. Once they had confirmation that the wind had changed and the fire was no longer a danger, people would have started returning to their homes. From what he’d heard, six homes had been lost down White Gum Road and another dozen or so had been damaged, but to what extent he wasn’t sure.
He counted his blessings and scanned the room looking for Lily. She was standing on the other side of the room talking to old Mrs Bailey. She must have sensed his gaze because she glanced up and stared right into his eyes. Excusing herself with a smile from the old lady, she walked quickly towards him.
There was a look of relief on her pretty face, but there was something else as well. He should’ve gone forward and met her halfway, but her eyes held him rooted to the spot. No woman had ever stared at him this way. There was a raw tenderness that left a tightness in his throat.
With her last few steps she ran into his arms, and Flynn lifted her up and kissed her deeply. Lily’s arms went behind his neck as she clung onto him. She was the best thing to happen to him all day, one bright spot in a hot, smoky and terrifying afternoon.
Flynn could feel the entire room staring at him and he didn’t give a damn. Mac cleared his throat loudly, twice, but Flynn didn’t care because the one person who meant the world to him was locked in his arms.
How bloody scary was that?
Whereas he’d have been happy to stand in the middle of the gym and kiss Lily Beckett all night, it appeared she had other ideas. Slowly, although he could sense the reluctance, she broke their kiss.
‘I was worried sick about you.’
‘I’m sorry – I should’ve rung but everything happened so quickly. One minute I was looking at a smoke plume in the distance and the next I was trying to save the house.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Nothing for you to be sorry about. Shit happens, and today just happened to be pretty bloody shitty.’
Lily glanced over his shoulder and probably realised that they were making a damn fine spectacle of themselves. ‘Um, maybe you’d better put me down.’
‘No, I’m right.’
‘Flynn, people are staring – some of them are frowning.’
Flynn grinned as he looked over at the smiling Mrs Bailey. ‘Well, Mrs Bailey and Mr Tibbs the cat think it’s fine, so we’re good.’
‘Ah, come on, mate, there are children present,’ Mac chuckled as he walked past on his way to find Violet.
‘Everyone’s a critic,’ Flynn said as he put Lily down, though still holding her tightly. She placed her head on his shoulder and her body pressed against his. Hell, it felt good.
‘So, your house …?’
‘Is fine, thanks to the fire brigade and emergency services.’
‘And the sheep, the paddocks?’
Flynn shook his head. ‘I don’t know. The sheep were loose, so I can only hope that they got out of the fire’s path. As for the rest, well, I guess I’ll know more tomorrow.’
‘You look as if you could use a coffee.’
‘Actually, I’m thinking food, bed and you.’
Lily glanced up at him, a hint of a smile touching the corner of her lips. ‘I think we can arrange that. Why don’t you ring through an order to Dan’s and we can pick it up on our way to my place?’
‘I’d love that but what about Violet and Holly?’
‘It’s not a problem. They’re staying with Mac for the next few days, so we’ll have the old place to ourselves. I’ll just grab my bag and say goodbye to the girls.’ Lily stepped out of his embrace and hurried over to the other side of the room.
Flynn grabbed his phone and flicked up the number for the Millstone.
‘Hey, Dan, it’s Flynn.’ He went silent as he was bombarded by questions. ‘No, we were able to save the house … Uh-huh, yeah … I don’t know. Reckon the top paddocks are burnt through … Yep, that’s right. Thanks, mate, I’ll let you know if I need any help. Listen, can I order a couple of pizzas and a salad to go? Sure, the usual would be great. Thanks – talk to you then.’ As he ended the call, Charlotte materialised in front of him.
‘Well, nothing like making an exhibition of yourself,’ she said with a small smile.
‘Hi, Charlotte – I try my best,’ Flynn said with a shrug.
‘I hear you saved your house.’
‘Well, I did have a lot of help but yeah, it’s still standing.’
‘I’m glad, it’s a great house,’ she said.
‘Thanks, I think so.’ There was an awkward pause. ‘Listen, I’d better go, Lily is waiting for me. It’s been a hell of a day and I need to eat.’
Charlotte glanced in Lily’s direction. ‘Well, I won’t keep you then. It’s just …’
‘What?’
Charlotte flicked her hair over one shoulder. ‘Well, we stopped seeing each other because you weren’t ready to take our relationship to the next level. You said that you couldn’t commit to something like that and I agreed. And yet, here you are, a number of months on, in a relationship.’
He glanced over at Lily and something inside him warmed. ‘Sorry, Charlotte. I understand what you’re saying, but truthfully, I don’t think this is the right time. I’m tired and can barely think, let alone hold an intelligent conversation. You were right, I wasn’t ready, but it seems I am now.’
Charlotte nodded. ‘Okay, I’ll let you go.’ She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘I’m glad that you’re all right.’
Flynn gave her a smile and gently pulled his hand away. ‘Thanks, Charlotte, I appreciate it,’ he said, and turned towards Lily.
Chapter 20
The sun was just emerging over the horizon as a glow began to transform the dark sky. Lily was still sleeping when Flynn slid out of bed and crept out of the room. He needed to be alone for a while before he assessed the extent of the damage to the Grange in the cool morning light. It had been five days since the fire and last night he’d received a call from the CFA giving him the all clear to return. Flynn stood by the old ghost gum on the ridge, now just a charred stump. He thought of the countless times he’d sat under its shady branches and sighed: it would be missed.
> An ugly burnt-out swathe ran along the ridge and down the hill that encompassed the two top paddocks and beyond. Flynn glanced over his shoulder – the blackened land continued almost to the sheep pen by his house and over through the grazing land to the west. He’d been lucky: unlike some, he’d kept his house, but by the looks of things the only other bit of land that hadn’t been touched was the bottom paddock and, hopefully, the shearing shed. Not that he had any sheep left to shear at this point – he hoped they’d scattered but feared he’d find many of their remains in the charred fields.
He had spent the last five years pouring everything into this land to make the Grange a going concern, just like it had been when his grandad had been alive. And now, in one afternoon, he was back where he’d started. Yes, there was insurance, but his land was scorched and the flock was gone, right along with the fences. He’d miss out on the lambing season and he could kiss his next wool cheque goodbye. It would take time to rebuild the Grange to what it was, and things were going to be pretty tight for the next couple of years.
With a sigh he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. It was kind of heartbreaking, but it could have been even worse. What was that old saying about what doesn’t break you? Flynn looked back across the ridge and let out half a laugh in disbelief. His grandmother’s white weatherboard house stood unscathed. Part of him was glad that the new owners hadn’t lost their home, but another part of him … Well, if ever a house deserved to be razed to the ground it was that one.
He drove back to Lily’s place. The smell of freshly brewed coffee hit him as he walked into the kitchen. Lily turned and smiled.
‘Hey, I didn’t wake you, did I?’
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