by Janet Gover
He leaned into the cockpit, where Jess was strapped in to the pilot’s seat.
‘Are you ready to go?’ she asked, without turning to look at him.
Adam hated that she didn’t meet his eyes. He hated the distance in her voice. Hated the knowledge that he had put it there. And most of all, he regretted that was the way it had to be, but at this moment, he needed that distance. So did Jess. And so did the injured boy in the back of the plane. He was their first priority.
‘Yes. We’re ready,’ he said, and made his way back to a seat close to his patient.
Chapter Four
Jack parked his dusty ute in front of the railway station. The doc had called earlier this morning to say they were flying the injured jackaroo to Mount Isa hospital. They wouldn’t be back in Coorah Creek until late this afternoon. Jack shook his head. What a way to start a new job! He hoped Jess wasn’t already regretting her decision. It was hard enough to get pilots willing to work in the outback, without this sort of an introduction to their new life. He wondered just what had brought Jess to the Creek. She appeared fragile, but Jack had the impression she was a lot tougher than she looked. He hoped she was strong enough to stay. They needed her.
Jack got out of his vehicle just as the train pulled into the station. It should be carrying some parts for the emergency power generator at the hospital. Trains came in and out of the mine compound on a regular basis, carting the ore back to the coast. On some days, the mine train broke into two parts, the smaller engine and just a few carriages heading along the short spur to the town itself. Those trains carried freight. Supplies for the stores. Equipment ordered from back east by local businesses and outlying cattle stations. And, very occasionally, a passenger.
Today there were three of them.
The first passenger to alight was clutching a large and battered teddy bear. She had fine blonde hair and a big brother attached to one hand. The boy was trying to look tough, but his wide eyes gave him away. Jack didn’t know much about kids. He guessed the little girl was maybe five, her brother a year or two older. Where was their mother? A few seconds later, he saw movement in the train’s doorway. Someone was struggling to get a large blue suitcase out of the carriage. The suitcase suddenly slid forward, then toppled sideways. The little girl darted out of the way, tripping over her brother as she did, and went sprawling to the rough wooden platform. The resulting cries were staggeringly loud for such a small girl.
A woman darted out of the train and bundled the little girl up in her arms. Jack couldn’t see much of the woman, but the protective arch of her body as she cradled her child said everything he needed to know.
‘Do you need some help with your bags?’ Jack touched one finger to the brim of his Akubra hat.
The woman looked up at him. She had the bluest eyes Jack had ever seen, but right now they were glistening with unshed tears. The woman was obviously fighting to hold herself together for the kids.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘There’s two more, just inside the door. If you could …’
Before she’d finished speaking, he had the bags in a pile on the platform. The woman stood up, smoothing her cotton skirt. Jack smiled down at the little girl, who retreated behind her brother and peeked up at him with eyes almost as blue as her mother’s.
‘Do you need a ride?’
The woman looked around. The railway station was at the eastern edge of town. From the platform there was little to see. A few shabby wooden huts. The railway line leading to the mine and some scrubby bush beyond. Jack realised that to a stranger, it must seem the edge of nowhere.
‘No. Thank you. I’ll take a taxi.’ She offered him a polite, but distant smile.
‘There aren’t any taxis,’ Jack said with a rueful grin. ‘If you’re heading to town, I’m very happy to give you a lift. My ute is just outside. It’s a long walk for a couple of tired kids.’
The woman reached out a hand to rest on her son’s shoulder. Jack could see her hesitate. She knew she needed a lift, but he could read the wariness in her eyes. Something wasn’t going to allow her to accept.
‘I’m Jack North,’ he said, removing his hat and holding out a hand. ‘I work for the local air ambulance.’
‘You’re a doctor?’ she asked.
‘No. The engineer.’ That was strange. Usually he referred to himself as the maintenance man. Engineer always seemed too grand a title for a man who just fixed things.
‘Nice to meet you.’ The woman finally held out her hand. ‘I’m Ellen Parkes.’
She looked to be in her early thirties. She was quite small, barely reaching his shoulder. There were lines around her mouth and eyes. They should have been laughter lines, but Jack had the impression they had been etched into her face by a difficult life. Her hand when he took it was a little rough. The nails were blunt and unpainted. This was a woman who understood hard work. But when Jack looked at her eyes, all he saw was how beautiful she was.
‘So, now that we’ve been introduced, will you let me give you a lift?’ he asked again.
Still she hesitated.
‘I have to pick up some packages. Why don’t you think about it while I load them?’
He located his packages in the freight car. He could sense Ellen watching him as he carried the heavy boxes out to his ute. They were clearly addressed to him, at the Coorah Creek Hospital. Maybe that would make her feel more secure in accepting his help. After loading them into the tray of his vehicle, Jack turned back to find Ellen and her children standing at the station entrance, looking down the road towards town. The look on her face said enough.
‘Let me get your bags.’ Jack retrieved the suitcases and placed them in the back of the ute. ‘It’s going to be a tight fit, the cab only seats three.’
‘Bethany’s so small, she doesn’t count,’ a boyish voice piped up.
Jack crouched down to bring his own eyes level with the boy’s.
‘What’s your name?’ he asked.
‘Harry.’
‘How old are you, Harry?’
‘I’m seven.’
‘And Bethany is your little sister, right?’
‘Right. She’s five and a half. She’s only in prep school.’
‘Well, Harry, can I tell you a secret?’ Jack said in a serious voice. The little boy nodded. ‘Girls always count. Especially little ones like Bethany. It’s our job, as men, to look after them.’
Harry was silent. He looked up at his mother. Jack glanced at Ellen too. Her lips were pressed tightly together, as if to stop herself from crying. She nodded to her son.
‘See, your mum knows the secret too,’ Jack said. ‘It’s supposed to be just for men to know, but I think it’s okay if your mum knows. What do you say?’
‘I think so too,’ Harry said importantly.
‘All right then.’ Jack stood up and turned to open the car door. ‘How about you squeeze in the middle, young Harry? Then Bethany can sit on your mum’s lap. Does that sound all right?’
Harry nodded and scrambled up into the ute.
Ellen seemed to hesitate one last time, then climbed into the cab after her son.
What was she thinking? Ellen’s emotions were running on adrenaline – and not going in a good direction. What on earth had possessed her to bring the kids to this town on the edge of nowhere? She had to get away, but surely she could have picked somewhere better than this? She had two children who needed a home and a father. She hadn’t done very well so far in providing them with either. Although she’d long since given up any hope of a fairy tale ending for herself, her kids deserved to be safe. They deserved a future. But was this the right future?
Here she was riding into some town at the back of beyond, in a beat-up old ute, with a strange man at her side. She cast a quick sideways glance at Jack. His face was tanned and he needed a shave.
She had also glimpsed a tattoo on his upper arm. Ellen guessed he might be a year or two younger than she was. The hands gripping the steering wheel were possibly not the cleanest she’d ever seen, but they were the hands of a man who was not afraid of a bit of hard work. He was a big man, but not frightening. He’d been so gentle with the kids. And it was good of him to give her a lift. Town was a longer walk than the kids could have managed, tired as they were from the journey. She was tired too, but not tired enough to let down her guard. Jack North seemed nice enough, but she’d met a ‘nice’ man once before and still carried the scars.
Jack turned and smiled in her direction. Embarrassed at being caught watching him, Ellen turned to look out of the window. They drove past a line of wooden houses. The paint was faded and peeling and the yards messy and overgrown with weeds. Here and there the wrecks of cars sat rusting under the outback sun. The homes looked deserted and reeked of failure. Not only that, it was far hotter than she expected. Already she could feel the sweat staining her armpits. And the dust! A cloud of it seemed to follow the car as it moved. This was no place for her kids.
‘Don’t be put off.’ As if he’d been reading her mind, the man at her side indicated the row of shabby buildings. ‘Those were originally part of an old Aboriginal reserve. They’ve been empty for years. They should have been pulled down long ago, when the mine built better houses.’
That wasn’t very comforting.
‘Where do you want me to drop you off?’
It was an obvious question – and she had no answer.
‘The motel?’ she said hesitantly.
‘Sorry. There isn’t one.’
Ellen’s heart sank another notch. No motel? Then where would she and the kids stay? She’d been in such a hurry to get away, she hadn’t given any thought to finding somewhere to stay. After all, every small town had a motel. Except, it seemed, this one.
‘Caravan park?’ She hated the thought, but if there was no motel …
‘Not really,’ Jack said. ‘There’s a campsite near the river, but no vans for hire.’
This was just getting worse! Ellen tightened her arms around Bethany. The little girl was exhausted after the long journey. So was Ellen. All she wanted right now was a bath and a bed. Somewhere she could close her eyes and know her children were safe.
They were approaching a T-intersection. To her left was a petrol station. On the right she saw a large two-storey pub with beautiful wrought iron railings around the upper veranda. As they turned right, Ellen could see a long straight road, with shops either side. It wasn’t exactly a city centre shopping mall, but things were looking a bit better. Almost immediately Jack swung the car off the road, to park in front of the pub.
‘I hope you don’t mind, but I need to stop here for a moment. While I do, you can have a think about where you want to go.’
He was gone before she could answer, and Ellen felt the fear start to rise. It was barely lunchtime and here they were at a pub. This Jack was just the same as the loser she had married. From bed to bar and back again. That was it. Why had she thought things would be any different here?
‘Mum, I’m hungry.’
Harry’s plaintive voice dragged Ellen back from the gulf of self-pity at her feet.
‘I know, honey,’ she said, dropping an arm around his thin shoulders. ‘It won’t be long now. I just need to find us somewhere to stay.’
She kept her voice cheerful, for Harry’s sake, but inside she felt nothing but despair. No motel. No caravan park. Was there a church somewhere? Maybe a priest would know of somewhere safe for her to go. Or perhaps if she went to the hospital, they might suggest something. There was no one here who knew her. No one who would help her. She would have to rely on charity, but not for long. Just for a few days. Until she got her feet back under her. Then she’d find a job, a place to live and start again. This time she’d do it all herself and not rely on anyone else. Especially not a man.
‘Mrs Parkes?’
The woman standing beside the car had to be in her sixties. She had short, silver-white hair that framed a lined face and a pair of sympathetic brown eyes. She wiped her hands on an apron that looked to have seen a lot of service.
‘Yes.’
‘I’m Trish Warren. My husband Syd and I own the pub.’
‘Oh. Nice to meet you …’ Ellen said hesitantly.
‘Jack is helping Syd with some barrels. Despite what Syd thinks, he’s getting a bit old for the heavy lifting. It’s really good of Jack to help him out like he does, but that’s Jack all over. Anyway, he said you needed somewhere to stay the night. You and your kids.’
‘Well, yes. But …’
‘I know, it’s a pub. Not your first choice for a place to stay. Particularly for the kids. But please believe me when I say that it’s okay. Out here, the pub is the centre of the town. Families come here. It’ll be fine for your kids. Honestly. Besides, it’s the only place in town,’ Trish added with a smile.
‘Well.’ Ellen didn’t like it, but what other option did she have? ‘All right. Is there a room I can have for the night? Somewhere away from the bar,’ she added quickly. ‘The kids are going to need to sleep.’
‘There’s a big room on the top floor at the back which is just what you need,’ Trish said with a smile. ‘Two beds. I guess it will be okay for the little ones to share? It’s nothing fancy, mind you. But it’s clean and comfortable. You have to share a bathroom, but there are no other guests at the moment.’
‘That’ll be fine. How much?’ Ellen held her breath. She didn’t have a lot of money.
Trish named a price so low Ellen could hardly believe she heard it right. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘It’s no problem at all. Now, kids, I’m Mrs Warren. Why don’t you come with me to the kitchen? You must be tired and hungry after your long trip. I think I’ve got some chocolate biscuits. And milk. I hope you like milk. It’s really good for you.’
That seemed to do the trick. Harry and Bethany scrambled out of the cab. Ellen and the kids followed Trish inside the pub. It was cool and dark after the heat outside. A long polished wooden bar ran almost the entire length of the room. Behind it, from the open door of a giant cool room, Ellen could hear men’s voices.
They made their way through the bar into a lounge area, liberally dotted with tables and chairs. Although it was empty, it had an aura of homeliness that Ellen found very welcoming. A door on one side led to a large and airy kitchen, which was spotlessly clean. Trish headed for the fridge and removed a bottle of milk. From an adjoining cupboard she produced a container of what were obviously home-baked biscuits. In a few seconds, Harry and Bethany were seated at a well-scrubbed wooden table, happily working their way through a generous serving of both.
‘I bet you’d love a cup of tea,’ Trish said, as she filled an electric kettle. ‘I always think tea helps. Whenever I’m tired or stressed, I just take the time to sit and have a cuppa. I always feel better too.’
‘Please, don’t go to any trouble,’ Ellen said. Her voice quivered a little. She didn’t know how much longer she was going to be able to hold things together.
‘It’s no trouble at all,’ Trish replied, without pausing in her task of putting tea bags into two big mugs. ‘There are people who say you can’t get a good cup of tea out of a bag. I think they’re wrong. You just have to go about it in the right way. Trouble is, most people just don’t let the bag sit for long enough.’
‘Ah …’
‘Like anything that’s worth doing, you just have to take your time.’ Trish didn’t seem to need any response from Ellen. ‘Help yourself to milk, and the sugar is in that blue bowl.’
Ellen took the offered steaming cup. She reached for the sugar bowl then turned to see Trish’s eyes narrow.
No! Ellen pulled down the sleeve that had ridden up as she reached
across the table. Please! Don’t let her see the bruises. I need to start a fresh life. I don’t want anyone to know.
She busied herself adding milk and sugar to her tea, then refilled Harry’s glass of milk. When at last she looked up at Trish, she saw compassion in the woman’s face.
‘When you’re done with the tea, I’ll show you the room,’ Trish said. ‘And I think I’ve got some books and things stashed somewhere for the kids, if they’d like them. Keep them occupied while you sort yourself out.’
‘Thank you,’ Ellen said. ‘I guess I should pay you in advance for the room. And for—’
‘No need,’ Trish interrupted her. ‘The room rate I mentioned was for a single night. If you stay longer, you’ll get a discount. Long-term residents’ rate. So why don’t you and the kids just relax and we can worry about it later.’
The kindness in her eyes was the final straw. Ellen blinked back the tears. ‘Thank you.’
Trish nodded. Her eyes were also suspiciously bright. ‘I’ll leave you with the kids for a bit. I’ll get Jack to carry your bags up to your room.’ With an understanding nod, she left, closing the door behind her.
‘Are you all right, Mummy?’ Harry asked, from the other side of the table.
‘I’m fine, darling. Just a bit tired. How are the biscuits?’
‘Really good,’ her son said.
Ellen’s heart nearly broke. Those home-baked biscuits were the first good thing Harry had experienced in far too long.
Chapter Five
Jess looked down at the cluster of buildings as she circled for landing. Was it just twenty-four hours ago she’d been doing exactly the same thing – preparing to land at Coorah Creek? She recognised the green slash that the creek created against the red soil. There were the houses and the railway line. The mine and the incongruous blue of the school swimming pool. It was familiar – but she had not yet set foot there. That first landing had been … interesting. At the time, she had thought she was tired, but that was nothing to how she felt now. She was beyond tired. Now all she wanted to do was go home, curl up somewhere quiet and sleep for a week. Home? That was a bit of a joke. It certainly wasn’t her home. Yet. Would this cluster of buildings on the edge of the desert ever become her home? Or was it just a hiding place? She could only hope that today she would get a chance to actually leave the aircraft.