Riding the Storm

by Heather Graves

  Glen Harrison took just a moment to introduce them and made himself scarce, going outside to confer with his gardeners.

  ‘You should know it wasn’t my idea to come here,’ Ryan said at once, folding his arms. ‘I was perfectly all right where I was.’

  ‘Glen didn’t think so,’ she said shortly. ‘In any case, you won’t be here for long. You should be with family at a time like this. I told Mike to get in touch with your people down south.’

  ‘No!’ This came out as a wail of anguish. ‘You should have asked me first. I don’t get on with my family down south.’

  ‘Now isn’t the time to hold on to petty disagreements,’ Fiona said, dismissing his argument as she fondled the little dog’s ears. ‘In any case, the dynamic has changed down there. Your uncle had some sort of road accident and he’s in a wheelchair now.’

  ‘A wheelchair?’ Ryan echoed, stunned by this news.

  ‘Yes, well. They can probably do with your help. Your aunt insists on coming up for your mother’s funeral so I’ve told her she’ll be very welcome to stay here.’

  ‘Is that so?’ The words fell out before Ryan could stop them. ‘You’re a piece of work, aren’t you? Got it all sorted without asking anyone.’

  ‘I wasn’t an office manager for nothing.’ Fiona smiled thinly, taking this as a compliment as she patted her helmet of hair. ‘A problem solver from way back.’

  ‘And who the hell asked you to solve my problems?’ Finally, Ryan lost his temper; the woman’s smug satisfaction was too much to bear.

  Glen returned in time to catch this last exchange.

  ‘That’s a bit much, Ryan,’ he said. ‘Fiona’s only trying to help.’

  ‘Sure. The way she’s helping the mayor accommodate the poor, homeless people of Canesville.’

  Fiona spoke softly and reasonably, making him seem even more like a bully and a boor. ‘Really, Ryan. We can’t have Glen’s lovely home turned into a bear garden, can we?’

  ‘I think you should both calm down.’ Glen made a placating movement with both hands. ‘Ryan has lost everything and is understandably upset. And you, Fiona – you need to cut him some slack.’

  Ryan said nothing but he made his attitude clear by reclaiming Tinka, who sprang into his embrace, grateful to get away from Fiona’s cloying perfume that was making her sneeze. But Fiona was determined to have the last word as she headed for the door.

  ‘I do hope that dog’s house-trained. There’s an old kennel outside she can live in, if not.’

  ‘Take no notice of Fee,’ Glen said when she was gone. ‘Her bark is a whole lot worse than her bite.’

  Ryan disagreed but he couldn’t say so. His mind was racing as he considered this piece of news Fiona had dropped on him so casually. Robert Lanigan was facing life in a wheelchair. What did that mean? Was this a temporary setback or was he permanently crippled? He found he was actually looking forward to his aunt’s arrival to find out. He could only hope that, as a woman of the same generation, she wouldn’t be anything like Fiona.

  She wasn’t. Valerie Lanigan wore little make-up and was dressed in casual trousers and practical, everyday clothes. She struck him immediately as a warm-hearted, motherly person and, best of all, she was not in the least like Fiona.

  As his own elderly ute had fallen victim to the storm, Glen allowed him to borrow a car to fetch her from the airport at Cairns. He also thought it would be a good opportunity for them to get to know one another before the funeral and without interference from anyone else.

  He held up a notice, scanning the crowd from the newly arrived plane bringing those who had come to rescue relatives or help clean up the storm damage. He identified her almost at once – a plump woman in her late forties, looking small and shy as if she wasn’t accustomed to travelling alone. She smiled with relief when she saw him, dropping her travelling bag to enfold him in a warm embrace.

  ‘You must be Ryan,’ she said simply. ‘I’d know you anywhere – you look just like your mother.’

  This unexpected kindness brought tears to Ryan’s eyes and he gasped, holding them in.

  ‘Oh, my dear, I’m so clumsy. I shouldn’t have said that.’ Valerie hugged him again. ‘The last thing I want to do is upset you.’

  ‘It’s OK. I should say “Welcome to Queensland” but there isn’t much to welcome you to just now,’ Ryan managed to say through the tightness in his throat.

  He settled Valerie in the front seat and they drove north. She wasn’t a chatterbox but from time to time she exclaimed at the devastation left by the storm – mile after mile of cane fields lying steaming and rotting under the sun and banana plantations flattened to the ground.

  ‘I had no idea,’ she said. ‘We saw newsreels and pictures on television but nobody realized it was as bad as this. Can they recover?’

  ‘Probably,’ Ryan said. ‘Tropical plants grow up quickly and we’re a tough breed up here.’

  ‘I wasn’t going to talk to you about making plans right away but I feel differently now that I’m here. I came first of all to support you through the funeral. But I’m hoping you’ll see your way clear to coming down south and making a home with us.’

  ‘That’s very kind, Aunt Val – but I really don’t think that’s a good idea.’

  ‘Just call me Val – everyone does.’

  ‘Look, I don’t want to be rude or throw your kindness back in your face but I can’t do that. I can’t live in the same house as your husband when he took advantage of my mother’s naivety, tricking her into selling him my father’s best horse.’

  ‘Yes, I know. I did hear something about that—’

  ‘It’s not an easy thing for me to set aside and forget. And just by being there, I’d be a constant thorn in your husband’s side.’

  ‘You say this because you remember the Robert who was. He’s sadly diminished these days; a shadow of his former self.’

  ‘Maybe. But even shadows can loom large. I’m not sure I should risk it.’

  ‘No? Not even for the sake of working with your beloved Tommy again?’

  ‘Oh, that was a low blow – trying to tempt me with that.’ Ryan let go a long breath. ‘No, no. Tommy’s not mine any more. The best I could hope for is to be his strapper or something. I don’t have a trainer’s licence.’

  ‘Not yet. But I’m not without influence although I haven’t tested it lately. I might be able to help you do something about that. Don’t make up your mind right now. I want you to take your time and think it through before you refuse me. We can be of assistance to each other in this.’

  ‘I’m still not sure.’

  ‘Of course not. Your world has been turned upside down and you don’t know where you are. We won’t speak of this again until after the funeral.’

  Joanne’s funeral was a simple cremation with no sentimental eulogy and very few flowers. Since she rarely left home, she had no real friends so not many people bothered to attend, even for Ryan’s sake. Fiona also stayed behind, promising to meet up with them afterwards at the pub.

  Later, as they sat there with unwanted drinks in front of them and lost in their own thoughts, neither Val nor Ryan had much to say. It was left to Fiona to keep the ball of trivial conversation rolling.

  ‘I loathe funerals,’ she said, pulling a long face. ‘In my opinion, they’re a medieval concept and largely out of date. Somebody needs to rethink the whole process.’

  ‘So what would you prefer, Fee?’ For once Glen was less than patient with his new love. ‘Build a big lime pit like the paupers’ graves in the Middle Ages or what?’

  ‘Have a care here.’ Val felt bound to break in, having seen Ryan’s stricken expression. ‘Don’t you realize how callous that sounds?’

  ‘Yeah. Sorry,’ Glen said, having the grace to look shamefaced.

  ‘Everyone’s suffered because of the cyclone,’ Fiona said, patting her overworked hair. Ryan gave a wan smile, thinking she had suffered little damage to her own trivial lifestyle. ‘And what are
you smirking at?’

  Ryan shrugged. Really, he was beginning to think his best option might be to go back to Melbourne with Val. Anything would be better than living here with Mike’s father and Fiona, who had taken to watching Tinka like a hawk, waiting for her to make a mistake so that she could be banished from the house.

  There was no sign of the little dog when they returned to the Harrison home and she didn’t respond to Ryan’s call. Usually, she would come running to the door to meet him after any absence. He was, after all, her last link to Joanne.

  ‘Tinka? Tinkie, where are you?’ he called, fearing that the little dog might have run off and got lost.

  ‘You don’t need to yell – she’s outside,’ Fiona said through pursed lips. ‘I had to put her out in the kennel. She soiled my new white rug – completely ruined it in fact—’

  Recalling the dilapidated kennel that once housed a much larger dog and was probably full of lice or fleas, Ryan took off towards it, calling her again. She didn’t respond.

  Inside the kennel, he found the little dog shivering and whimpering, attached to a chain that was much too large for her, dragging on her little collar. One eye was closed and she flinched when he touched her back. It was obvious that she had been strapped.

  Val was next to arrive behind him.

  ‘Oh no,’ she whispered. ‘The poor little thing has been beaten. How could anyone be so cruel?’

  After releasing Tinka from the heavy chain, Ryan placed the trembling animal in Val’s comforting arms and straightened his shoulders to confront Glen and Fiona, who were making their way towards them, taking their time.

  Fiona was staring at the ground, refusing to meet his gaze.

  ‘OK, so I lost my temper,’ she muttered. ‘But it was a new rug—’

  Ryan didn’t hesitate. As soon as she drew close enough, he gave her an open-handed slap across the face with the full force of his strength behind it.

  Her legs gave way and she sat down, looking astonished as much as hurt, blood starting to ooze from where she had bitten her lip. Gingerly, she put her hand to her mouth and started to weep when her fingers came away covered in blood.

  Glen’s reaction was equally impulsive. He punched Ryan to the ground with two quick blows and stood over him, ready to administer more punishment. All this happening in the space of less than a minute.

  ‘Stop!’ Val grabbed Glen by the arm, trying to stand between them. ‘Stop it, both of you, before someone ends up in hospital.’

  Glen shook Val off but she had succeeded in making him stand away from Ryan. After hauling the weeping Fiona to her feet, he put a supportive arm around her, half-lifting, half-dragging the woman back to the house. Ryan scrambled to his feet, feeling his jaw to make sure it wasn’t broken, watching them go. Val was the first to speak.

  ‘I can’t believe you did that.’ She gave a nervous laugh. ‘You seemed to me such a stoic, even-tempered person.’

  ‘Except when it comes to cruelty to animals – that always makes me see red.’

  ‘Well, Ryan, I’d say that tears it. You’ve no other choice but to come down to Melbourne with me. Now. Today. We’re both done here. You can’t go back into that house and I can’t accept any more of that woman’s grudging hospitality. You wait outside here with the dog while I get our things and ring for a taxi to take us to the airport. Hopefully, we can get tickets and take the dog on the same flight.’

  ‘Val, I’m so sorry. But seeing Tinka like that. It made me so angry that I didn’t think.’

  ‘Don’t apologize. I understand. That little dog is your only link with the past. I’m sure I’d have done the same in your place. I hope you broke her false teeth.’

  ‘False teeth? I didn’t know she had them.’

  ‘Oh, yes. Those choppers are far too shiny and white for a woman of her age.’ Val winced, examining the little dog’s wounds, although Tinka seemed to be rallying now that Fiona was no longer around. ‘And I’ll raid their first-aid box for something to put on her eye. These little animals are so sensitive and thin-skinned.’

  ‘Tinka must have been seriously frightened. She isn’t usually dirty in the house.’

  Val handed the little dog back and she snuggled into Ryan’s arms and sighed, hiding her face in his armpit. ‘I’ll ring for the taxi first and be as quick as I can. The sooner we get to the airport and throw ourselves on their mercy, the better.’

  ‘Can you bring a bottle of water when you come back? I’m dry as a bone and I’m sure Tinka’s thirsty after having such a fright.’

  ‘Trust me. I don’t want to spend any more time with these people than you do.’

  ‘You don’t think we should take her to a vet?’

  ‘There are no bones broken and I think she’s more frightened than hurt. We’ll take her to our own vet to make sure when we get home.’

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  IN SPITE OF Val’s best efforts, it wasn’t possible to get them all on a plane until the early morning of the following day. They spent an uncomfortable night in a cheap motel near the airport, having smuggled the little dog into their room. Tinka, still shivering and not quite over her ordeal, was too timid in these strange surroundings to bark and give herself away. In the early morning, after delivering Tinka to the care of those who would supervise her flight, Val made a phone call to her daughter before they boarded the plane.

  ‘Yes, I know,’ she said, growing impatient with Chrissie’s seemingly endless queries. ‘I’m coming home a lot earlier than you expected but I’ll tell you all about it when I get back. It hasn’t been the easiest of times. And yes, I made Ryan see sense and he’s coming with me – it’s quite a long story. Luggage? No. The poor kid’s lost nearly everything so you won’t need to come in the van. How’s Dad by the way? Driving Nurse up the wall, I suppose?’

  It was obvious that Chrissie had some choice words on the subject as Val’s laugh in response had a bitter edge to it.

  ‘I’m not surprised she left if that’s what he called her,’ she said. ‘That’s three nurses he’s gone through in almost as many weeks. And no,’ she added, ‘you’re not a lousy cook at all – you just have a limited range. Tell him he can eat what he’s given, or transfer to a nursing home. See how he likes the grey meat and overdone cabbage they’ll serve up to him there.’ She listened again and laughed more sincerely this time. ‘Don’t worry. Give him one of those heavy-duty pills and I’ll hire a new nurse to sort him out when I get back. I’ll find a gorgon this time who can give him as good as she gets.’ She listened for a few moments before going on. ‘Chrissie, it’s a long drive and will take you the best part of two hours even on the tollways. I’ll drive home if you’re tired. Oh, and there’s one more thing – we’re bringing Joanne’s little dog, an Italian greyhound. The poor little thing will be beside herself – she’s already missing Joanne and has had an unfortunate experience even before she can get on the plane. I don’t know how she’ll be when we get her back. We’ll wait for you outside Departures, then you can pick us up without paying to park. I think we have to pick the dog up somewhere else. Thanks, darlin’ – love you too. See you soon.’

  Although they drove only across the top of town and Ryan didn’t see much of the city, it didn’t take him long to decide that Melbourne wasn’t at all as he had imagined it to be. He thought the city would be just a larger version of Cairns, but he could see at once that this was a modern, if compact, metropolis, confident and comfortable with its position in the twenty-first century. Brick walls, solid fences and thick hedges marked property lines in the suburbs, creating a privacy unknown in the North where rather ugly mesh fences or open front gardens separated most homes. Here too, there were proper pavements or footpaths for people to get around on foot. His first impression of Melbourne was good and he looked forward to getting to know it better. Although it was not his intention to stay long at his uncle’s home, he was now in the very heartland of horse racing in Australia. And he was good at his job. Surely, someone wou
ld be willing to take him on? Much would depend on how Tommy received him; if the horse still loved him, it would be almost impossible to leave. But if Tommy was happy here and doing well enough without him, then Ryan would feel free to move on.

  From time to time, he glanced at his cousin, Chrissie, who didn’t have much to say for herself. His first impression was of a slimmer, younger version of her mother; it was a relief to see nothing of Robert in her. Robert! Even the thought of running into that man again made him shudder, in spite of Val’s reassurances that his uncle was embarrassed by his predicament and spent most of his time upstairs in his room, even taking his meals there. It didn’t take Ryan long to gain the impression that there was no love lost between Chrissie and her father. It wouldn’t be fair to say that she welcomed his setback, but his condition did seem to make life easier for herself and her mother. While Val thought it prudent to let Robert think he was still in charge of the stables, it was clear that in her own quiet way, she had taken over the reins of the business entirely. At Ryan’s insistence, she put him to work in the stables right away.

  His reunion with Tommy had even the most unsentimental of stable hands blowing their noses. The horse heard his approach and started whinnying with pleasure, even before he caught sight of his old friend. Ryan went into the stall and embraced the animal, hiding his face in his mane as he breathed in the familiar scent of the young horse.

  ‘Oh,’ Ryan said at last as Tommy nuzzled his pockets. ‘And I didn’t even bring you a carrot.’