Riverboat Point

by Tricia Stringer

  Ethan saw her glance at Blake but he was looking out his side window.

  “Everything go all right getting that part in the header?”

  “Nearly finished,” Ethan said. “I’ll have the header back together by this afternoon and that’s the last of it. You’ll be good to go.”

  “Blake’s lucky to have your help,” Jenny said.

  “Yes.” Ethan reached forward and patted his big brother’s head. “Yes, he is.”

  “Won’t be much longer and I’ll be able to manage on my own again.”

  Blake spoke gruffly and once more Ethan saw Jenny glance his way. This time she had a wry smile on her face.

  “Go left after this gate,” Blake said.

  The air was certainly tense between them this morning. Perhaps a lovers’ tiff, Ethan thought. They’d been happy in each other’s arms when he’d left them last night.

  “Doesn’t look like you got much rain,” he said.

  “Stuff-all. It’s the wind I’m worried about. It got pretty wild during the night.”

  “Same my way.”

  They drove on in silence until they crested a hill and the canola crop stretched out in front of them.

  “Wow,” Jenny said. “I guess it’s not farming terminology but that looks pretty.”

  “Wait a couple more weeks,” Blake said. “This will be a sea of yellow.”

  “I’ll have to come back and check it out.”

  Ethan watched as they looked at each other.

  “Yes, you will,” Blake said with a grin.

  He opened his door and got out, making his way into the crop.

  “You never wanted to be a farmer?” Jenny asked. She was looking ahead at Blake inspecting his crop.

  “Not really. I enjoyed the freedom of growing up on the farm but I was always tinkering with the machines rather than working with the animals. Dad and Blake bought this property when Blake married.” Ethan stopped talking. He hadn’t meant to raise the issue of Blake’s marriage.

  “Blake loves this place,” Jenny said. “He tells me he nearly lost it with the divorce.”

  Ethan remained silent. He didn’t know how much his brother had told Jenny about his business matters. He wasn’t going to be the one to fill in any information Blake may have omitted.

  “Sad that a marriage fails,” Jenny went on. “Especially when there are children, but I’d never thought about the extra implications for someone like a farmer. He could have lost everything.”

  “He could have.”

  Jenny twisted in her seat to look at him. “I hope you don’t mind me asking but where do you fit into all this? You don’t live on the property.”

  “I’m only helping out. I enjoy working with machines.”

  “But not with animals?”

  Jenny was studying him with genuine interest.

  “It’s just that Blake said the same.” She glanced away to where Blake was still inspecting his canola. “He seems to love growing things but he has a special dislike for sheep.”

  “It’s nothing sinister. Neither of us are serial animal killers.” Ethan grinned. “Our parents love working with animals and their property isn’t suited to growing crops. Blake’s land is. He can graze their sheep here from time to time. It works out well for all of them.”

  “He’s asked me to come and live here.” She turned back. Her eyes were filled with apprehension.

  “You don’t want to?” Ethan was worried Blake was moving too fast.

  “We hit it off really well from the start. It’s not Blake I doubt. It’s me – living here.”

  “Too isolated?”

  “Not really but I love my work.”

  “There’s a hospital in Burra.”

  “I’m a trauma nurse.”

  Ethan held her gaze. “Adrenalin junkie.”

  “You understand.”

  Ethan nodded. He imagined it was similar to working in a war zone, thinking on your feet, alert for every possibility, never knowing what might come your way.

  “How do you cope being here after Afghanistan? Life must be so different.”

  “Now I get my kicks from landing a fish for my dinner.”

  He grinned. She didn’t. He looked away to see his brother heading back towards the car.

  “It’s an adjustment,” Ethan said. “But I’ve only got myself to worry about.”

  There was silence for a moment.

  “I don’t want it to end up spoiling things between us,” Jenny said in a quiet voice.

  Ethan was at a loss. He was the last person to dish out relationship advice.

  “You two seem very suited,” he said lamely. “Blake’s a lucky guy.”

  Blake climbed back into the front seat.

  “Why is Blake a lucky guy?” he asked.

  “Having your own personal trauma nurse,” Ethan said. “You’re an accident waiting to happen.”

  Blake’s face lost its grin. He looked at Jenny. “We’re a good match in so many ways. We want the same things.”

  Ethan watched Jenny glance from Blake then back to the windscreen.

  “Food,” she said. “All this fresh air has made me hungry.”

  “Good idea,” Ethan said and rubbed his hands together. Anything to change the subject.

  Jenny turned the car for home. Blake didn’t say anything. He stared from his side window long after the canola crop was lost from sight.

  Back at the shed they invited Ethan for lunch. He declined. They needed some space and he didn’t want to be the go-between.

  “I’ll finish the header then I’m going home,” he said. “I’ve got a bit of catching up to do before I help Mal with the shearing.”

  “We might come for a visit over the weekend,” Blake said. “Show Jenny the river before she goes back to the city.”

  “Sure. Why don’t we make it Saturday night? I’ll cook a curry.”

  “I love curry,” Jenny said.

  Blake rolled his eyes.

  “I’ll tone it down for you,” Ethan said.

  He reached in the window and poked Blake’s good shoulder before the car moved away. Hopefully by Saturday night they’d have cleared the air and sorted out their differences.

  His thoughts strayed to Savannah. Perhaps she’d come and eat with them. She might feel more inclined to accept his invitation if she knew others were going to be there. Or not.

  Ethan turned his attention to the header. Machines made sense to him. Family complications and puzzling next-door neighbours faded from his thoughts.

  CHAPTER

  19

  Savannah stepped under the shower. She closed her eyes and turned her face up to the warm water. It was Friday and this afternoon she had three houseboats going out. That meant she had to face Ethan again. She’d made a fool of herself drinking too much the night Belinda had come over. She’d hoped she wouldn’t see Ethan again until today and by then it would be forgotten. But no, she’d seen him on the road on her morning run and he hadn’t forgotten. He’d made a point of asking her how she was feeling with that smirk on his face.

  She pressed her palms against the cold tiles.

  “Damn you, Ethan Daly,” she muttered.

  Right now she’d prefer not see him again but she needed his help. Not only did she have three boats going out today but Tawarri was due back tomorrow and she could tell from Jaxon’s list there were things that needed doing she didn’t understand. It was so frustrating to depend on Ethan.

  She bent forward and sent the water cascading over her lower back and down her legs. At least she physically felt better. When she’d come across Ethan it had been her first run since she’d arrived and she’d needed it. She’d been exercising daily but running had given her a good aerobic workout. Everything ached but not in a bad way. This morning she’d run again before she’d gone into Riverboat Point.

  She turned the green and white crusted taps to off as tightly as she could. The water from the showerhead slowed to a trickle. Jaxon had spent
money on doing up the shack along with the electrical work but he hadn’t brought the plumbing into line with the twenty-first century. At least the water had stayed hot since her first day here.

  She rubbed herself vigorously with the towel. Somehow she kept getting back to Ethan. No matter how hard she tried to push him out of her head he kept infiltrating her thoughts.

  Then there was that stare of his. She shivered and wrapped the towel tightly around her. He’d looked her up and down as if her clothes weren’t there. She’d had that look from men in the gym. They were usually the type who thought they were God’s gift. She would often stare them down but in Ethan’s case it made her think of the seat on the deck of the houseboat. Was he the peeping Tom? If it was him it made her feel sad rather than exposed.

  Once she was dressed, Savannah flicked through the pile of envelopes Faye had given her. She left one aside before she stacked them on Jaxon’s desk. Mostly junk mail but this one was handwritten and addressed to J&S Houseboats. She opened it. There was a cheque inside and a note. It was a deposit for a booking. She marked it off in the black book and tidied it all away again except for the cheque. She picked it up and went back to the kitchen where she sat it on the table propped against the ornamental motorbike.

  Her trip to Riverboat Point this morning was meant to be quick. She’d bought food for the weekend. While she was at the shop Faye had appeared with the bundle of mail. Turned out Jaxon’s fancy pushbike letterbox at the gate was just for show. There was no mail delivery. All mail was held at the store.

  She looked at the cheque again. What had Jaxon’s notes said about banking? She didn’t recall a bank anywhere in the town. That would be her next task but for now she wanted lunch. There were three groups coming in a couple of hours to take out the remaining houseboats. This time she would be ready with paperwork. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake she had with Fred.

  “Hello?”

  Savannah looked towards the sliding doors and pulled her face into a smile.

  Belinda was waving at her through the glass. Savannah crossed to open the door. At least Belinda didn’t have any bottles in her hands.

  “I’m just on my way home from town.” Belinda’s eyes sparkled. “Ash is off fishing. What are you doing this afternoon?”

  “Those three houseboats are going out. I’ll be busy.” Savannah was relieved she had a real excuse.

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” Belinda said. The smile left her face.

  Savannah hesitated. “Maybe this evening?”

  “Ash has invited a friend. He’ll expect me to cook.”

  Savannah wondered about their relationship. The way Belinda spoke about her husband it seemed she did things more out of duty than love.

  “Perhaps tomorrow?” Belinda looked hopeful. “We’re going home on Sunday.”

  Savannah felt a tinge of regret. She’d hoped to spend some more time with Belinda – without the drinking. “I’ve got a boat coming in during the day. What about we catch up for dinner?”

  “That would be good. I’ll come to you.” Belinda’s voice became animated. “I’ll bring the drinks.”

  “Oh.” It wasn’t quite what Savannah had expected although it was a relief to know she wouldn’t have to run the gauntlet of getting past their dog. “Sure. Anything you or Ash don’t like?”

  “Don’t worry about Ash. He’s not good company at the moment. I’m sure he’ll make his own plans. I eat anything.” Belinda patted her stomach. “Just not huge amounts. I’ll come over about six. We can have a drink on your verandah before it gets dark. Such a nice view.”

  Belinda turned and stood staring ahead. Savannah followed her gaze to the moored houseboats.

  “They’re all going out you said?”

  “Yes,” Savannah replied. Belinda took a lot of interest in the houseboats.

  “It’ll be nice for you to have the place to yourself. It must seem a bit busy when all the boats are moored out front. Ash and I only have glimpses of the river from our place. He loves the seclusion of it. Sometimes it’s as if we’re all alone in the world.”

  Savannah looked at the three houseboats and tried to imagine the front of Jaxon’s place without them. It would have been that way when he bought it. She just didn’t remember taking a lot of notice at the time.

  “Give me the city any day,” she said.

  “Me too,” Belinda replied. She turned to Savannah. “I’ll get out of your hair. See you tomorrow.”

  “Yes,” Savannah said and gave Belinda a wave as she walked away and round the side of the house. Belinda was entertaining. The dinner was something to look forward to at least.

  Savannah took out her phone and checked the time. She could still fit in a bite to eat before the customers arrived. She just hoped Ethan would remember.

  After she’d come back from town, she’d cleaned the outside of the three boats again. They’d been covered in dirt and leaves after the storm. Once that was completed to her satisfaction she’d gone through the insides. She was confident now that all was in readiness for the afternoon departures. The groups were staggered. The first would be there at three but the other two were later, one at five and one at six.

  She thought about the work when the boats came back. There was sewerage to empty and tanks to be refuelled. Ethan had offered to help her with that. Then there was the cleaning. Each boat had to be gone over in detail and restocked ready for its next trip. That alone would take her all day. At least the returns were staggered. Two boats were due back on Monday morning and the third on Tuesday. River Magic would go out again the day after its return and the rest were booked for the following weekend. Savannah didn’t know how Jaxon managed everything and worked as an electrician.

  She ate some lunch then brought all the paperwork from the office and set it out in groups on the dining table. There was still more than an hour before she expected the first group to arrive. She decided she’d step through her exercise routine. Her aches and pains had been minimal the last few days. She wanted to keep it that way.

  Three o’clock approached and she was back standing beside the paperwork on the table. She’d looked at it several times already but she cast another glance over it. A knock at the back door startled her. She hadn’t heard a vehicle.

  “Hello,” Ethan said as she opened the door. “Thought I’d get here early this time.”

  “No customers yet,” Savannah said. She stood in the doorway. Now what? She thought. Ethan waited.

  “Would you like to come in?” she said.

  “Thanks.” He followed her into the living area and stopped in front of the dining table. “I see you’re on top of the paperwork this time.”

  “I hope so.” Savannah straightened the three piles.

  “I reckon that’s what caught Jaxon out in the early days.”

  “Really?” She turned to study Ethan. There was no teasing grin, just a soft curve of his lips and warm sparkle in his eyes.

  “I don’t think he had much idea at the start but he was a quick learner,” Ethan said. “After the first couple of boats went out he didn’t ever mention problems again.”

  “Could something have gone really wrong and that’s why he ran off?” she asked. Savannah watched Ethan straighten and the smile slip from his face. She was sure he had to know more about her brother’s disappearance than he was letting on.

  “I don’t think he ran off.”

  “But why leave if he was getting his business working well?”

  “He just wanted a holiday.”

  “Perhaps something had gone wrong,” Savannah persisted.

  “Not that I know of. He had the odd dodgy customer but he usually had a laugh about their antics. With his electrical work and the houseboats he was happy as a pig in mud.”

  Savannah kept her gaze on Ethan.

  “And he ups and takes a holiday?”

  Ethan turned away from her to the view through the glass. “It had nothing to do with the electrical work or the bo
ats.”

  “But there was something?”

  Savannah stepped closer. Ethan turned and looked her steadily in the eye.

  “If there was, he didn’t confide in me. My only instructions were to watch out for your arrival and help where I could.”

  His dark brown eyes were mesmerising. Savannah wanted to believe him. Her trust in her fellow human beings had been sorely tested on several occasions. It had left her hurt and cynical. She didn’t find it easy to make friends. And Jaxon’s vague warning hadn’t helped.

  The sound of a vehicle broke the silence between them.

  “That might be the group for your first boat,” Ethan said. “I’ll see if I can lend a hand with the loading while you get the paperwork sorted.”

  Savannah trailed behind him out the door. A group of young men were climbing out of the first of two cars in the driveway. She took a deep breath and went to find out which one was Tom Bar-clay, the person who’d made the booking.

  Tom was already shaking Ethan’s hand thinking he was Jaxon and Savannah his partner. She put him straight but each new lot of customers who arrived made the same assumption and she couldn’t be bothered explaining. She and Ethan were working together well by then. She gave out the basic instructions with the dos and don’ts, got the papers signed and took their money. Ethan helped them load and took them out for their driving instructions.

  One thing each group had said was they’d had trouble finding J&S Houseboats because of the lack of signage. Their various GPSs had been little help and it had only been the mud map Jaxon had emailed them with their receipts that had helped them find the place. She’d need to do something about that.

  As the last boat headed back into the bank to let Ethan off she went down to meet him. The sun was low in the sky. The group on board River Magic wouldn’t be able to travel far before they had to find a place to moor for the night.

  She waved at the toot of their horn then followed Ethan up the path.

  “Thanks very much,” she said once they reached the carport.

  He stopped to look at her.

  “This is taking up a lot of your time,” she said. “Jaxon will have to pay you when he gets back.”