by Annie Seaton
She would go down to the farm to ease her mind and try to get rid of this niggling feeling that maybe – just maybe – some of Mum’s theories weren’t so farfetched. Why had she put those newspaper clippings of Panos and that man in the folder?
And what about Kane McLaren and his connection to Sordina? Was it just a coincidence that he had turned up when he did? Or was he somehow involved? He was supposed to be a pilot, but he said he wouldn’t be flying. Ellie shook her head and the smooth cotton of the pillow rubbed against her cheek as the thoughts circled her mind.
No, if he was involved with Panos, he’d have no reason to be working at the lodge. Or would he?
Ellie stared at the ceiling and watched the fan spinning lazily in slow circles, barely moving the air.
Why did Kane unsettle her so much? She’d worked with many pilots over the years, some of them difficult, and yet he’d somehow managed to take over her thoughts in the less than twenty-four hours she’d known him. He’d bothered her from the minute she’d introduced herself on the tarmac yesterday. Was it his arrogance, and his attitude to her as a pilot? Why should she care what a macho engineer thought of her ability? She knew she was one of the best pilots in the Territory and didn’t need to prove herself to anybody.
Today they would be together again, set to take the drive down to Jim Jim Falls and she’d just have to deal with it.
Ellie rolled out of bed and stumbled into the small bathroom, determined to get Kane McLaren out of her head. She scrabbled through the cupboard for some paracetamol capsules and popped two into her mouth with a handful of water.
Ten minutes later she walked into the staff dining room at the back of the lodge in search of her first coffee of the day. Kane was sitting at a table with an iPad in front of him. He glanced up and nodded as Ellie crossed to the coffee machine and she smiled tightly as she picked up a cup. At last her head had stopped throbbing. The noticeboard held a colourful poster announcing the band appearing in the Makowa Lodge main bar on Sunday night. At least there was something to look forward to.
‘Come and join me.’ The corners of Kane’s mouth tilted up in a brief smile. So Mr Fix-it appeared to be in a better mood today. After her cup was full, she walked across and pulled out the chair opposite him.
His hair was damp and he wore a khaki shirt the same as hers.
‘Thanks for showing me to my apartment last night.’ He was watching her intently as she checked out his work uniform. It suited him.
‘No problem. Did you get settled in okay?’ Ellie closed her eyes for a second as the first slug of coffee hit her bloodstream. If he could be civil, so could she.
‘Yup.’ Kane held her gaze when she opened her eyes. ‘Look, I was really tired yesterday, and I didn’t expect to be up in the air so soon. If I came across as a bit of a cowboy, I apologise.’
‘We have to work together, so if you’ve ever got a problem, be upfront. Tell me what’s bothering you, and then we’ll get along just fine.’
‘I will.’ Kane pushed his plate away and stood, leaving most of the food untouched. Ellie glanced down at the congealing mix of bacon fat and runny eggs stuck to the plate he’d left on the table.
‘A word of advice.’ She looked up at him and his dark eyes held hers.
‘Yeah?’
‘Never ask for the cooked breakfast in the staff kitchen. Artery cloggers are all you’ll get here. I keep cereal and milk in my room. I only come here for the coffee.’
Kane looked down at her, and his whole face lit up. It was as if another person had replaced the taciturn man of yesterday. ‘Don’t worry. I’m well used to those sorts of meals.’
Ellie tipped her head to the side, waiting for him to continue but he stood silently while she sipped her coffee. He was a good-looking man and she held his gaze a little longer than she normally would have. ‘We’ll have to get going soon. It’s going to be a long day.’ Heat ran up her neck; she’d been staring at him too long.
‘I’m ready to leave when you are.’ Kane had shaved this morning and he looked a good deal more civilised than the unshaven hunk in the unbuttoned shirt she’d taken up in the chopper yesterday. Not that she’d been staring. Okay, maybe she had, but that didn’t mean anything.
‘I’ll head across to the garage and get one of the four-wheel drives out of the compound.’ Ellie finished her coffee in one quick swallow and stood. ‘Are you okay to drive down if I navigate? The last ten kilometres down to the car park is a dirt track and it’s pretty rough. You’ll have to drive back so you might as well get to know the road on the way down.’ She folded her arms. ‘Or would you rather be a passenger?’
‘You’re the boss.’ Kane shrugged casually. ‘I’ll come with you now.’
Ellie pushed her chair in as Kane picked up the iPad. The black headline on the screen caught her eye.
‘Sordina meets with Aboriginal council. Gives an assurance that coal seam gas exploration will never impact on Kakadu.’
The hair on the back of Ellie’s neck rose as she remembered the earthworks on the farm. This was precisely what her mother had been harping on about for the past three years. The headline was ambiguous. Was the news item about policy or was exploration already being considered near Kakadu? She’d chase up that news article when they got back this afternoon.
Kane shut the cover on the iPad. For a minute she’d forgotten about his connection to Sordina, but it seemed as though it was going to follow her everywhere. Ellie waited for him at the door and then she led him to the main office across the corridor.
As soon as they walked in, Heather came out of the small room at the back of the office and struck a pose in the doorway. Her khaki T-shirt was tucked into a short skirt and she was the picture of elegance. Ellie grinned at Heather before she looked down at her own long pants and work boots with a grimace. ‘Some of us have to work today.’ She lifted the flap at the end of the counter and headed for the board where all the keys were hanging.
‘Hey, girlfriend, I’m working. You’re the lucky pair who get to go on a picnic.’ Heather focused her attention on Kane. ‘Morning, Fly Boy. Ready to head off into the wilderness today?’
Ellie rolled her eyes. God, Heather was so obvious. Maybe she just needed to chill out a bit. Maybe I’m just too damned serious.
Kane nodded. ‘Morning. Yep, it’s my first experience of Kakadu on the ground.’ The smile he gave Heather was considerably bigger than the curl of lips he’d treated Ellie to.
‘You’re going to love Jim Jim Falls. Pure white sand and crystal clear green water enclosed on three sides by towering, red granite cliffs. You’ll see it from the air soon, but there’s really nothing like being on the ground. You probably won’t have time for a swim today, but maybe I’ll take you there sometime and show you my favourite spot.’
Ellie smothered a smile and wondered if Mr Fly Boy had any idea what her friend had in store for him. She ignored the little niggle of jealousy that rippled through her as Kane held Heather’s gaze.
Not that it was any of her business. Heather could make cow eyes at Kane as long as she liked. Ellie didn’t give a rat’s.
The coffee and the painkillers had already done the trick and her headache had eased. Just a slight ache remained behind her eyes.
‘I’ve got another stop for you too.’ Heather finally turned to Ellie and lifted a sheet of paper from the desk behind the counter.
‘Yeah? Where to?’ If they had another stop, they’d have to hurry to get on their way. Ellie took the sheet from Heather.
‘Sandy Billabong. One of the campers spotted a water buffalo up there yesterday. Can you swing by there on your way to the falls? It’s not too far off your route and it’s a waste to send one of the boys so far just to put a sign up when you’re going past.’
‘Going past? It’s twenty kilometres in the other direction.’
‘Jock’s instruction.’ Heather shrugged and held out her hand. ‘Give it here and I’ll laminate it.’
‘Loo
ks like we’ve got a busy day ahead.’ Ellie flicked a glance at Kane. The way he leaned casually against the counter, he looked like he belonged to the place already.
‘Dad and Terry are going out there later this afternoon, but we need to get this up as soon as we can. There’s heaps of tourists in the park already. Bumper to bumper caravans when I turned onto the main road this morning.’ Heather put the notice into the poster laminating machine on the bench along the wall and waited for it to feed through before walking back over to the counter, holding it between her thumb and one finger.
‘Which vehicle is booked out to us?’ Ellie took the laminated poster from Heather with a smile.
‘The new Land Cruiser. I made sure I nabbed it for you before the other guys got allocated a vehicle. Dad can drive the old one. He’s used to it. And here, don’t forget you’ll need the keys to the rental you’re picking up. The number plate is on the tag.’
‘Thanks, you’re a trooper.’ Ellie took the keys from the hook beside the counter, and added them to the keys Heather passed over before putting both sets in her pocket. She paused in the doorway. ‘Will your dad be around tonight?’
‘He’ll probably stay back for a drink tonight after they come in. I’ll make sure there’s a cold beer waiting for both of you too. You’ll need it after your long day.’ Heather turned to Kane. ‘Have a good day, Fly Boy.’
Kane waved to Heather and followed Ellie out of the office.
‘You met Terry last night. Terry is Heather’s cousin and Bill Jarragah is her dad,’ Ellie explained. ‘Some of our staff are subcontracted by the national park administration headquarters at this time of the year because there’s so much to be done leading into the tourist season. If you’re going to stay a while you’ll soon get to know everyone and where they fit in. Do you know much about Kakadu and how the park works?’
He shook his head as they walked to the car park. ‘Nothing.’
Ellie shot him a glance. ‘You’ve got a lot to learn, then.’
‘I do. And I’m keen. So lead the way.’
Ellie took a deep breath and filled her lungs with fresh air. The sky was clear and the faint smell of wood smoke from the burning savannah tinged the air. It was good to be home but she could do without all these complications meeting her at every turn. She stopped walking and turned to Kane. She’d clear one of them right now. ‘Remember when we flew back last night?’
‘Yeah?’ His eyes held hers as she turned around.
‘Did you notice I flew over your stepfather’s farm?’
‘No. I was chilling for a while.’
Hmm. He might call it chilling, but Ellie had sensed he’d been strung out about something.
‘There was some machinery down the back near the park boundary and the earth was all dug up.’ She kept her voice casual. ‘Do you know what Panos is doing down there?’
‘No.’ Kane shook his head slowly. ‘I only called in at the house to see my mother.’ A fleeting expression of sadness crossed his face but it was gone in a flash. ‘Why? What are you worried about?’
‘Just that whatever’s happening down there is very close to the national park and the river. And I saw that article in the Sun on your iPad.’
‘Ellie, look, I don’t have a very high opinion of my stepfather, so I wouldn’t be surprised by anything he was doing. Next time I go to visit my mother, I’ll ask her what’s happening. Okay?’
‘Thanks. Appreciate it. It’s none of my business what happens on the farm. I know it’s not ours anymore but –’
‘But you care about the park? Don’t worry, I’ve already picked that up.’ His gaze swept around to the woodlands between the administration block and the river. ‘It is a beautiful place and I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.’
‘So are you going to stay around here long?’
‘As long as it takes,’ was the enigmatic reply.
‘Come on, let’s hit the road. I’ll fill you in as we head out.’ Ellie narrowed her eyes and the slight ache thudded behind her temples again. She sensed Kane was telling the truth about the farm, but still, there was something not quite right there. She dug in her pocket for her sunglasses.
‘Sounds good.’ Kane walked along the path beside her and Ellie focused her attention back on him. His voice was friendly – and deep and sexy – maybe she was overthinking things. ‘How come you know so much about Kakadu? Have you worked here long?’
‘As soon as I got my flying licence, I came back.’
‘Came back?’
‘I went to Darwin for a while. Plenty of jobs there but this is home to me.’
Ellie fought down the ache that was always just below the surface. Would there ever be a time when the grief eased? The anticipatory buzz of the day ahead had faded and she pushed away the headache that was hammering at her temples.
‘Do you miss the farm?’ Kane asked.
‘Yes.’ Ellie hated talking about it. She’d been through the counselling with her sisters and despite the words that were supposed to heal, she knew she would never get over Dad’s death until she knew why he’d taken his own life. What quiet demons had he been fighting that he couldn’t overcome? It was so out of character for the father she had known and loved.
Kane seemed to pick up on her reluctance to speak and he turned away and looked ahead as they walked along the path to the back of the lodge. Ellie’s footsteps crunched on the gravel as she stepped off the path to unlock the gate of the compound where the vehicles were kept.
Kane raised his eyebrows. ‘A high level of security for a few vehicles?’
‘It’s to stop the cars from getting milked.’
‘Milked?’ Kane’s brow wrinkled in a frown.
‘Petrol sniffing is a big issue out here. It’s a chronic problem among some of the Aboriginal kids. Worse further north in Arnhem Land, but we’ve had a few cars stolen from down here too.’
‘Is the hangar secure?’
‘We’ve never had a problem with the birds. The pump at the hangar is switched off at the central console each afternoon when we lock up. I’ll have to show you where to do that. Better to be safe. Dad always said –’ Ellie swallowed. The day seemed destined to bring back memories of her father. She passed the keys to Kane. ‘Come on, we’ll drive by the restaurant on the way out and I’ll grab some lunch and water. They do picnic baskets for the tourists but we won’t need the whole thing that they usually make up. A couple of sandwiches enough for you?’
Kane nodded and climbed into the driver’s side. ‘I didn’t realise we’d need to take lunch. How far away is it?’
‘We’ll be gone all day by the time we drive down and back. It’s about thirty kilometres to the turn-off and then another forty along an unsealed road. But it’s slow going; the last ten kilometres are little more than a sandy track.’ She stepped up into the passenger seat and waited for Kane to start the car. ‘I thought we might walk into the waterfall while we’re down there.’
‘Sounds good.’
‘And we have to go north first to Sandy Billabong to put up the sign that Heather gave me. You really don’t know much about Kakadu, do you?’
He shook his head.
Ellie shrugged, wondering again why he was really here. ‘It’s great working here.’ She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. ‘It’s the most beautiful place in the world. You’re in for a treat.’
‘It’s very different from what I expected. Most of the feedback I’ve heard says it should be called “Kakadon’t”.’
‘Yeah, I’ve heard that, but if people bypass it and don’t visit, they miss out on one of the best places in the world.’ Ellie pursed her lips and looked out the window. ‘The most spectacular parts of the park are a long way off the sealed highway, like our trip today. Some don’t think it’s worth the long drive, but you can make up your own mind.’
Kane put one arm along the bench seat and looked over his left shoulder as he reversed the car. ‘So tell me why you moved away
from the farm.’
‘My father couldn’t make a go of his mango plantation.’ Her voice was clipped as she pulled out her stock answer and pushed away the sadness that always came when she had to explain what happened. ‘He died. We moved. I trained and I came back. Stop here.’ She pointed to the building which housed the restaurant and when he pulled up, she jumped out.
‘My life in a nutshell,’ she said through the open window. ‘Wait here, I’ll be right back.’
*
Despite the incident with the sensor light, Kane had slept all night without waking in the early hours as he usually did. Dreamless for the first time in months. He’d woken up feeling calm and rested, but sitting beside Ellie Porter put paid to that now. The khaki shirt pulled tight over those lush curves as she moved on the seat, pointing out features of the landscape.
He’d seen a different side to her as soon as they parked at Sandy Billabong. The dour mood she’d be in since he mentioned the farm lifted when they’d turned off the main highway and headed east towards the billabong. Her face came alight as she pointed to some cabins in a cluster beside the dirt road. Kane caught a glimpse of a river behind them in the gap between the buildings.
‘That’s a culture camp run by one of the traditional owners,’ she said.
‘What do you mean by traditional owners?’
‘The local Aboriginal clans.’
Ellie glanced across at him and Kane took note of her relaxed position. Her legs were curled up beneath her on the seat and her arm rested along the back of the seat. He lifted his gaze from the tanned thigh close to his.