Angel's Bend

by Dale, Lindy

  “Your Dad rang,” she said, her fingers flying over the notes, her eyes mentally tracking the number.

  “What did he want?” It was no secret that things had been strained between Lacey and her father before she left home. She’d caused him plenty of pain with her antics after Mum died, he’d barely had time to grieve. But she was doing her best to make it up to him now.

  “He was checking on you, that’s all. Making sure you’ve settled in okay. He said for you to give him a ring when you get in.”

  Dad was holding out the olive branch. Her new start would mean nothing if she didn’t take it. “I’ll give him a call now. Is it okay for me to use the phone in the office?”

  “Sure, honey. Make yourself at home. We’ll head off after you’ve finished. I’m almost done here.”

  Lacey walked through the door and down the small hall into Aunt Beth’s office. Taking a seat in the leather armchair, she adjusted the cushion behind her back and picked up the phone, dialling home. Dad answered almost immediately.

  “Hi Lace, how’s it all going down there?”

  Lacey stretched and propped her feet up on the desk in front of her. “Not too bad. I started school the other day. Its so big, there’s kids everywhere.”

  Dad gave a small chuckle. “S’pose anything would seem big after school here, eh?”

  “Yeah. I’ve met a couple of new people though, so it’s not all bad. Abbie Mason’s nice.”

  “Is that Linda’s daughter?”

  “Yep.”

  “Gosh. I remember her from when I started knocking around with your Mum. She was bubbly and easy going. Very popular. Is Abbie a redhead? Her mum had this gorgeous auburn hair. Always wore it in a big high ponytail on top of her head.”

  Now it was Lacey’s turn to laugh. “Must be a family trait. Abbie wears it like that too, though she has some extra red streaks dyed into hers. I’m going over to her place on the weekend to study. She’s really good at English. Top of the class.”

  “Linda loved to read too, if I remember rightly. Always had some kooky notion she was trying to get your mother involved in, things she’d read in books from the library.”

  “I don’t think she’s like that any more. From what I can gather she keeps Abbie under lock and key. She never goes out of the house herself. She’s practically a recluse.”

  “Well, don’t you go forcing yourself down the woman’s throat, then.”

  “Dad.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Uh, she did invite me. Its not like I’m rocking up unannounced.”

  There was silence at the other end of the line for a moment, then Dad spoke again. “How’s the art coming along?” Dad had been witness to Lacey’s recent struggles and even though they weren’t as close as before, she knew he worried.

  “It’s great. I got this cool idea for my exhibition. There’s so many statues and stuff here, I’m going to do a study of angels centred around the gravestones and statues at the park.”

  Dad didn’t reply.

  “You know, like the ones at the maze? Some of those gravestones are so cool. The wings on the angels cast these massive shadows,” she continued, suddenly excited. “I want to catch them in all different lights and times of day, then make some of the photos into mixed media paintings.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out, then.” Her father’s voice had changed. It was almost cold.

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t want you wandering around those gravestones at night alone. You’re only a skinny thing. Any Tom, Dick or Harry could pick you up and run off with you.”

  “Dad. This is Angel’s Bend. It’s not filled with axe murderers and rapists.”

  “For once Lacey, will you please just do as I ask…”

  “Okay. Okay. But seriously, if May from the Beauty Shop changes her hair colour people talk about it for weeks. That’s the level of activity we’re dealing with. I’m sure I’d be fine taking a few photos in the dark.”

  Dad’s tone was insistent. “Just promise me you won’t go alone.”

  “I promise. Look, Dad, I gotta go. Aunt Beth’s finished up and she’s waiting for me.” Removing her feet from the desk, she leant over to replace the receiver. She couldn’t resist a final dig. “Wouldn’t want me walking home in the dark now, would we?”

  “Very funny. ‘Bye honey. Kisses.”

  “Kisses.”

  Putting the phone down, Lacey walked back into the shop. Dad was so paranoid. He freaked out over the littlest things these days so it was probably best for everyone that he didn’t know her plans. After all, what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. Lacey didn’t need taking care of. She was nearly eighteen.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time the weekend arrived, Lacey felt as if she’d been living in Angel’s Bend her whole life. She couldn’t open the front door without someone popping in to say hello and reacquaint themselves with Andy Green’s daughter. Everyone had an opinion about what she should be doing with her life or a tale to tell about her parents when they were young, the mischief they’d gotten up to. It was very sweet that they were trying to be welcoming, but Lacey was positive that if she had to suffer another piece of homemade chocolate cake or a date scone, she was going to have to go on a starvation diet to fit into her school uniform. And the constant chatter? After the serenity of her parents’ four hundred acre property, it was starting to do her head in. She needed some alone time.

  The morning was sunny, and before anyone else could arrive on the doorstep, Lacey grabbed a quick breakfast of toast and juice and headed out of the house. She’d started on a new book from Aunt Beth’s shop, but so far with all the interruptions, she hadn’t had a chance to get into it and she was dying to find out what was going to happen. A quiet spot on the grass behind the maze would be the perfect place to escape everyone and everything, lose herself in another world for an hour or so.

  As she walked through Willow Walk, Lacey thought about the way her life seemed to be changing. She was focused on her study and making new friends. She was having regular conversations with Dad, an unheard of occurrence lately and she was starting to believe in herself again.

  At the corner, she stopped to admire a bunch of wild lilies that had sprung up along the edge of the path. Their white tubular flowers were bending under the weight of their size as they danced in the breeze. They’d look nice in a vase in her room. She’d have to remember to pick a few on the way back. Fishing her iPod from her pocket, she plugged the earphones into her hears, cranked up the volume and continued on down the road, her voice breaking into a tuneful hum as she neared the corner that divided her from the park. This was going to be a good year. For the first time in ages, she thought she could achieve her dreams. She was content. Well, as content as a girl who’d recently lost her mother could be.

  At the fork in the road, Lacey stopped for a truck that was rattling down the highway on its way out of town. Her ears filled with music, she didn’t see the dog that had raced barking through the open gate of the house behind her until it bounded past in double time, its eyes firmly set on the freedom of the park and open bushland. Nor did she notice the car that was coming at speed across the bridge in the opposite direction. Lost in her own small world, Lacey stepped off the gravel path and onto the road.

  A screeching of brakes alerted her to the imminent danger. She froze and, resuming focus in the real world, pulled the earphones from her ears. The car had stopped a little way down the road. Geez. She was lucky she hadn’t been hit but it seemed someone else was not so lucky. Yelping squeals filled the morning air. Oh God, that dog, the one that had raced past her. It had been hit.

  Dropping her gear, Lacey ran across the road stopping on the other side of the car where the driver and Cam were standing. Cam had his back to her; his head was bent as he tried to calm the girl who’d been driving.

  “I didn’t see it,” the young driver was telling him. �
��I didn’t see the dog. I bent over to answer my phone.” The girl began to shake, her body overcome with distress and shock. “Its not going to die, is it? I couldn’t stand it if it died.”

  Lacey watched as Cam laid his hand on the girl’s shoulder. His voice soothed her. “Shhh. It’s okay. I’ll have a look at the dog. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  The girl’s tears lessened and ceased. Her body transformed visibly from tense to relaxed. “Are you sure?”

  Cam rubbed his hand over the girl’s shoulders. “Positive.”

  The beginnings of a smile lit up her face.

  Cam bent down, next to the dog, his face an impassive shroud. A coppery smell of blood wafted from the bitumen and bile rose in Lacey’s throat. She covered her mouth. This was way too close to home. Her lip began to tremble. Tears forced their way into her eyes and she screwed them up in an attempt to block the memories that were suddenly assaulting her brain. The poor thing was dying. Its body was a misshapen mess. There was nothing anyone could do. Surely, Cam was wrong to be giving the girl false hope like that.

  Cam ran his hands over the dog’s limp body. His lips were moving silently and every now and then he stopped, letting his hands rest in one particular spot. Beside him, the driver watched on. Now calm, her only concern seemed to be the welfare of the animal.

  “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he repeated, over and over. “Everything will be fine.”

  Then something very strange happened. The dog let out at piercing yelp and rolled to sitting. Its tail began to wag and it licked Cam’s hand before getting to its feet and hobbling across the road to its home.

  “That dog was dying,” the girl cried, unable to fathom what she’d seen.

  “No. It was in shock, that’s all. When I touched it, the shock dissipated and it realised it wasn’t that injured at all.”

  “But the blood…”

  “A scratch. They always seem to bleed the most, don’t they?”

  The girl looked at him quizzically. Lacey could tell she was confused by what she thought was reality and what she’d actually seen. She turned to Lacey.

  “What about you? Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. No harm done. Anyway, I should be apologising to you.”

  “No, you shouldn’t. I was driving too fast and I wasn’t paying attention to the road. Do you know where that dog came from? I should go and talk to the owners.”

  Lacey pointed back down the street to the open gate.

  “Thanks.”

  *****

  After the girl was back in her car and driving cautiously up the road, Lacey picked up her book and iPod from the gravel. They were dusty but there was no damage, so she wiped them clean on the back of her shorts and shoved the iPod into her pocket. Taking a deep breath, she stretched and let out a huge yawn. She didn’t know about Cam, but she was in need of a little rest. All that excitement had made her feel tired. And it was still a sunny day; there was no reason to waste it. She’d just lie in the sun and read her book. Maybe take a nap. Think a bit about the strange occurrence she’d just witnessed.

  “I was going to the park for a while if you want to come,” she said, turning toward her destination.

  Cam paused for a moment and then fell in beside her. “Okay. I was out for a jog but I’m done now.”

  They strolled on for a hundred metres or so until they reached the headstones that formed the border to the park. Cam held out his hand and though she didn’t actually need the help Lacey took it, stepping over one of the higher stones. His touch sent a tingle racing from the tips of her fingers to the other extremities of her body. She recognised that same feeling she’d experienced the first time they’d met - like butterflies had made their home in her stomach.

  “That was nice of you to go and help out just then. Heaps of people wouldn’t.”

  Cam’s lips curved subtly. “It makes my day when I can save a damsel in distress.”

  “You do it on a regular basis, then?”

  “Only if I’ve had a hearty breakfast. Saving girls and dogs expends a lot of energy.”

  “So, how do you go with dragons?”

  “I try to keep away. All that fire. Its gotta be bad for the skin.”

  Lacey laughed. She had no idea what Zac meant about Cam being weird. He seemed so nice.

  They stopped at the entrance to the maze and Lacey scanned the lawn for a suitable spot. Having made up her mind, she strolled down the hill a way.

  “So, back there - at the road - where did you come from?”

  “I was jogging over the bridge. You were off in La La Land. You probably didn’t see me.”

  Lacey stopped and squinted up through the sun at him. That may well be true, but Cam’s hair wasn’t something you could avoid seeing. It was more noticeable than the beacon of a lighthouse.

  “And the dog? How did you do that?”

  “The dog? Oh, he was stunned. I rubbed him a bit and spoke to him. That’s all he needed. I saw one of those dog tamer people do it once. Didn’t think it’d actually work.”

  That dog hadn’t been stunned. Cam had healed it. “I think you did more than that. Are you some type of healer or something?”

  “Nope. He was in shock. I calmed him down, that’s all. Then he realised he was okay.”

  Feeling confused by it all, Lacey walked a bit further. She was aware Cam was lying yet everything he said made such perfect sense she had to believe it.

  “I saw you touch that girl. She was practically hysterical beforehand. I saw how her reaction changed. It was immediate.”

  Cam shrugged. “People respond in different ways to stressful situations. I’m one of those calm sensible types that can help others to relax, I guess.”

  “Hmm.” She didn’t believe him, not for a second, even though his explanation was entirely plausible. Still, his expression was closed now. She knew he’d offer nothing more.

  They reached the maze and Lacey flopped down on the lawn. She patted the grass for him to join her.

  “I’m not interrupting you?” he asked, motioning to the book still in her hand.

  “Of course not. I wouldn’t suggest it, if you were.” Tossing the book aside, she lay back and closed her eyes, letting the sunshine wash over her. Cam sat down besides her, crossing his legs. He began to pick blades of grass from the lawn.

  “You don’t work on Saturdays?” Lacey asked.

  “Not usually. But I make my own hours, so if I feel like it I come down, especially if the weather’s good.”

  “You like your job, then?”

  “It doesn’t pay well but the job satisfaction is more than money can buy.”

  Lacey was impressed. There weren’t many people who had such dedication to their work that they went on the weekend even though they weren’t being paid. Opening her eyes, she rolled to her side, resting her head in her hand. Cam’s fingers were playing in the grass beside her, stroking the green and allowing it to sift between the gaps. A sudden and intense longing swept over her. She wished those hands were touching her. She could almost feel them. Under her lashes, she peeked at him. Shit. He was staring right back, his eyes filled with the same type of longing. At least, she hoped that’s what it was.

  Sitting up, Lacey smoothed her hair and changed the subject. Not that there’d been a subject. “So, have you been in town long?”

  “A few months. I travel a lot.”

  “What’s the best place you’ve ever been?”

  “I liked France and Egypt. But Italy is my overall favourite. It’s got history. I can relate to that.”

  Lacey paused. A stray finger crept to her lip and she nibbled on it. “How can you afford to go all those places?”

  “I get work where I can, save a bit and then I fly away to the next place.”

  “What about your family?”

  “Has anyone ever told you, you ask a lot of questions?”

  “I like to know who I’m dealing with. So…. family?”

  “I have no
family as such.”

  Lacey tried to imagine what that type of life would be like - no family, nobody to talk to when you were sad, no real friends - and she decided that it would be lonely. And very quiet. She told him so.

  “It is. I guess but there’s a flip side too.”

  “Which is?”

  Cam grinned. “If I didn’t travel all the time, I would never have met you.”

  Chapter Eight

  Saturday night in Angel’s Bend. Lacey’s first official Saturday night. Having made the decision to forgo the family dance along with most of the other kids in her class - she didn’t want to look like an idiot being the only Year Twelve there - Lacey was dressed to go to Ty’s house. He’d invited her over to hang out with the others that she’d met at the oval.

  “Come on,” he’d cajoled, when she’d first rejected the idea in favour of an evening of painting. “I know you want to get top marks but you can’t work all the time. You need to chill a bit.”

  Lacey knew he was right. “But I have so much to do.”

  “I can give you a hand with your Biology tomorrow if you need it. But right now you need to party.”

  “I don’t, actually.”

  “Yep. You do. Besides, it’s gonna be stinking hot on Saturday and I’m the only guy in town with a pool at his house. Hot weather, hot guys without shirts, cold beverages… what more could you want?”

  “Well…”

  “Please? We don’t bite.” His grin had been so friendly and infectious that she hadn’t been able to refuse.

  It was a short walk through the park and round the bend to get to Ty’s and though the sun was setting, there was still enough light to make it pleasant. Apprehensive about fitting in, Lacey had worn her old favourite jean shorts and sneakers with a floral babydoll top that matched the colour of her grey eyes perfectly. Her freshly washed hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders and down her back and her wrists were decorated with brightly colored gypsy bangles that used to belong to her mother. She hoped she wasn’t over – or possibly under – dressed. She’d only ever hung out with these people at school. A uniform was no clue as to what they wore on the weekend and when she’d asked, Ty had insisted it was casual.