Along Country Roads

by Mandy Magro

  ‘Seriously?’

  ‘No word of a lie. I reckon it’s sad we think that because we’re adults we need to lose the childish wonder from our lives. It’s one of the big reasons I can’t wait to have kids of my own, so I have a good reason to cloud gaze, and build things with Lego again, and make forts or play hide and seek, and watch loads of kids’ movies.’

  ‘Ha. Me too.’ Matilda turned to face him. ‘How many kids do you want?’

  ‘Geez, that’s pretty forward on our first date.’ His tone was teasing.

  Matilda threw him a playful glance. ‘You wish.’

  ‘Do I now?’ He grinned. ‘As many as possible.’

  Matilda smiled. ‘After growing up as an only child I’ve always wanted an army—the more the merrier, I reckon.’ Pointing skyward, she said, ‘I can see an elephant riding a bicycle.’

  Ryan cocked his head to the side. ‘How in hell can you see that?’

  Matilda traced the outline of the cloud with her finger, explaining it as she did.

  ‘Oh yeah, I can see it now.’ Ryan pointed to another cluster of clouds. ‘I can see a monkey swinging from a tree.’

  Matilda took a few moments, then gasped. ‘Oh, I can see it too.’

  They lost track of time and before they knew it, it was almost an hour later. Dark clouds were beginning to roll in from the east and the temperature felt as though it had dropped ten degrees.

  Matilda wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. ‘I don’t know if I want to brave the water. How about you?’

  Ryan looked at the black clouds and shook his head. ‘Nah, I’m happy to give it a miss. Looks like we’re going to get a storm this arvo. We can always come up another day for a dip.’

  Matilda nodded as she followed his gaze. ‘The bad weather came in damn fast.’

  ‘It does along the coast here, and then before you know it, it’s been and gone and the sun is shining again. That’s why it’s so beautifully green everywhere.’ He pushed himself up to sitting, the blade of grass he’d been chewing on still held between his lips. ‘I reckon we better make a move or we’ll get drenched on the way back.’

  Matilda sat up too. ‘Good idea.’

  ‘I’m full of them.’

  ‘Full of what?’

  ‘Good ideas, what did you think I meant?’

  ‘Hot air.’ She grinned wickedly.

  Standing up, Ryan gave her a good-natured shove. ‘Oi, fair play.’

  She raised her eyebrows, her smile making his heart jump again. ‘I got more where they came from. How about full of—’

  Ryan cut in. ‘How about, I race you home. Last one back has to run a long hot bubble bath for the other and let them soak in it while they cook tea.’

  ‘Oh, you’re on buddy.’

  CHAPTER

  7

  The radio was turned up loud enough to not feel the need for conversation and Matilda found herself humming along to the familiar twangy country tune as she gazed out the open passenger window. The rain-scented breeze was whipping her loose hair around her face and bringing goose bumps to her skin, and a sense of freedom washed over her. While cleaning up after breakfast, a sudden downpour had made it almost impossible to hear Ryan talking as big drops pelted down on the tin roof of the cottage. Then, just like yesterday afternoon, the bad weather left as quickly as it had arrived. With rain being a rarity in the centre of Australia, Tilly found the showers a welcome sight and sound. They made the landscape look and smell fresh and invigorated, and somehow made her feel cleansed too.

  Or was her renewed energy because of the company she was keeping?

  She tried not to give too much thought to that idea—scared it would make her defenceless when faced with Ryan’s magnetism. She had a feeling he had deliberately lost their race back to the cottage yesterday afternoon just so he could treat her to a bubble bath while he cooked her a delicious dinner of pork chops, potato gems and eggs. If he had, it was very charming indeed, but she wasn’t going to let that make her fall head over heels for him. No. Bloody. Way. As much as she wished she could find the soul-deep love she wanted so badly, she had learnt she couldn’t rely on a man to truly love her. There was always a catch, there was always heartache, and she was tired of being hurt in every way possible. So the walls were up, with a moat filled with crocodiles around them for good measure. Good luck to any bloke who tried to make it across in one piece—and that included the charismatic Ryan Hunter.

  It was apparently only a five-minute drive from Ryan’s place to his parents’, along a long dirt road, with nothing much to see other than cattle and horses—pure bliss in her eyes. The rolling countryside was so alive it was as if it should have its own heartbeat. High up on the rise there were amazing views in each and every direction, including stolen glimpses of the ocean. She leant forward as her heart reached out to the aqua-blue water, an image in her mind of her mum running free along what she imagined to be a perfectly golden shoreline made her feel both sad and elated.

  Ryan looked to where she was gazing and gave her a tender smile. ‘That’s Sapphire Bay, if you’re wondering.’

  ‘I thought it might have been,’ she said, trying to control the warm feeling he was stirring inside of her.

  ‘Whenever you want to go there, just let me know and you can either take my Landcruiser or I can give you a lift.’

  With superhuman effort Matilda tried to steady her emotions as she turned to him. ‘It will be Mum’s birthday in a little over a month, so I think it would be the right time to spread her ashes then. I’m not too sure I want to go there before that.’ She tried to smile, but her lips were quivering too much. ‘I’d like it if you came with me when I do, if you don’t mind, that is. I don’t know my way around Moonstone Valley and I’m guessing I won’t really be in the right frame of mind to follow directions. You can drop me off and go have a beer or do whatever you do in town to pass the time while I do my thing.’

  ‘No problem at all, whatever suits you I’m more than happy to do.’

  ‘Thank you, Ryan.’

  ‘No worries, it’s the least I can do.’

  The least he could do? Why did he have to do anything at all? She couldn’t hold back the question that had been gnawing at her. ‘Why are you being so nice to me? And I want an honest answer.’ She hoped to God it wasn’t pity because she didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her, especially Ryan. She also prayed it wasn’t because he wanted something sexual from her.

  He flinched a little but smiled through it. ‘Just because.’

  She folded her arms and eyed him dubiously. ‘“Just because” isn’t really an answer.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Just because.’ A smile tugged at her lips, but she held it back.

  ‘Touché.’ He chuckled softly.

  ‘Oh come on, Ryan, there has got to be a reason.’

  Ryan took a few moments to answer, and when he turned to her his smile had all but vanished. ‘Far out, Tilly, can’t someone be nice for the hell of it?’

  Tilly assumed a defensive position, her arms instinctively folding across her chest and her chin rising. ‘Not from where I come from they can’t. There’s always a reason.’

  After a weighty sigh he shrugged like it was no big deal. ‘Well, sorry to burst your bubble but there’s no hidden reason. I’m just a nice guy. End of story.’

  ‘Right, well that’s that then.’ She sounded unsure, unconvinced, slightly annoyed, and that’s because she was. ‘So there’s no reason at all behind you being so kind, it’s just because you’re a nice guy?’

  ‘Yes. Now can we leave it at that, please?’ Ryan fidgeted with his seatbelt clip. ‘We’re here.’ The seatbelt slid off him and he brushed it back into place near the door. She noted he didn’t meet her eyes again and instead looked out his window.

  Matilda sensed there was something he wasn’t telling her, but to keep the peace she clammed her mouth shut. Like her, he had his own secrets, she supposed. She hoped they weren’t
the reason he was being so nice because deep down she longed for his kindness to be genuine and for him to have no hidden agenda.

  Stopping at wrought-iron gates with a brawny bull cleverly embossed into the twisted metal, Ryan jumped out before Matilda had even had a chance to tell him she would get the gate. She felt weird not doing it; Troy would never put himself out when she was there to open gates or do anything, really. A large sign hung from a river red gum just off to the right. She read it out, ‘Hunter Angus Premium one hundred percent grassfed beef. Yum.’ She loved a fresh steak topped with homemade béarnaise sauce, alongside beer-battered chips and a salad, and Angus beef was one of the best tasting steaks around, in her opinion. Her mouth watered with the thought of tucking into it. She had always loved her food, not that her size ten figure spoke of that—a fast metabolism was a godsend.

  She watched as Ryan unlatched the gate and swung it open, the muscles beneath his t-shirt tightening as he did. Something fluttered in her heart. Why did he have to not only be so nice but so damn hot too? As if reading her thoughts he turned and flashed her that knee-buckling smile he was so good at, the tension of their conversation now gone.

  Her belly did a flip and somersaulted again as the meeting with his family drew near. What if they didn’t like her? Damn it, why did she care so much about what they thought of her anyway? Starting to get panicky, she needed a distraction other than Ryan and his hunky body and fetching face. Turning in her seat, she gave Huckleberry a wave through the back window and he acknowledged her by eagerly licking the glass. Her mood lightened instantly. Dogs always had a calming effect on her.

  Ryan slid back in and rolled forwards over a cattle grid.

  ‘Let me get the gate this time, Ryan.’

  ‘Sure?’

  ‘Yup. Had plenty of practice, so don’t want to let it all go to waste.’

  ‘Righto, thanks.’

  She leapt out, closed it, admired the stunning views as she walked back to the passenger side and jumped in. Taking the gravel drive that seemed to stretch on forever, they passed paddock after paddock dotted with rotund silky black cattle before crossing a rickety little bridge with a sparkling stream bubbling along beneath it. Matilda hung her head out the window to get a better view as they turned a corner and it disappeared. Sitting back down, her thoughts began to go through the ‘What if they don’t like me’ scenarios again. She rolled her eyes at herself. Insecurities sucked and she had plenty of them.

  A barking dog roused her from the depths of her thoughts, and Huckleberry decided to join in. But one short sharp ‘Oi’ from Ryan out the window and Huckleberry zipped it. Matilda was impressed with her canine mate and also with Ryan’s authority over Huckleberry. Just another thing to admire about the man.

  Ahead, the grand homestead sat like a jewel amongst velvet lawns and flourishing gardens. Off to one side was a large galvanised water tank and beyond that were a few outbuildings and an impressive looking stable. Everything was neat and tidy and well looked after—loved even. The two-storey, rose-coloured brick home was built on a gentle rise. She guessed you could see the views from every one of the shady porches. Flowers bloomed in wide beds along the white picket fence that separated the home from the driveway. A fountain bubbled amongst the greenery, reminding Matilda of the little creek they’d just crossed. A swing chair took pride of place amongst it all. It was the kind of house where someone would hold lavish garden parties. After living in government housing for most of her life—bless her mum for always making the most of what they had, which wasn’t much—followed by the rundown shack she and the mustering crew called home at Shadow Creek Station the past few years, she felt out of her depth here. Wealth wasn’t something she was accustomed to. She suddenly felt very underdressed. Glancing down at her daggy t-shirt and threadbare denim shorts, she grimaced. What were they going to think of her, looking like some homeless person? She almost asked Ryan to turn around and go back home.

  A deep scary woof grabbed her attention. What looked like a miniature horse came tearing towards them, and as it got closer Matilda realised it was a Great Dane. The dog’s massive drool-covered lips were flapping about its face like jelly, and its tongue lolled out to the side, making it look a little goofy. She couldn’t help but think of one of her favourite cartoon characters, Scooby Doo.

  ‘Oh my God, it’s huge,’ she exclaimed as the dog came skidding to a stop beside her window. Huckleberry was tap dancing like a frog in a sock, keen to get down and meet this newfound chum.

  Parking in the shade of a massive fig tree, Ryan pointed up at it. ‘Yeah, this old tree has been here for hundreds of years. I fell out of it once and broke my leg, hurt like hell it did.’

  She giggled. ‘No, not the tree … although it is huge.’ She pointed out the window. ‘I meant the dog. Is it friendly?’

  ‘Oh, Bo. Yeah, he’s Mum’s big baby. He’ll lick you to death if you’re not careful.’

  Jumping out, Matilda said hello to Bo and his big strong tail slapped her like a whip handle as he wagged it. He slumped against her in greeting and she gave his giant floppy ears a ruffle. He responded to her friendliness by drenching her arm in slobber from his massive lips. Ryan unclipped Huckleberry from the tray and he leapt off with vigour. Both dogs did the ritual meeting dance, circling one another as they sniffed each other’s rear ends. Within moments, they were doing downward dog poses and pouncing towards one another, playing tag like only dogs could. Bo succeeded in making Huckleberry look like a midget.

  ‘If only humans could be like that when they met each other, the world would be a much happier place,’ Matilda said as she watched them roll and tumble over one another in the long grass beneath the tree.

  ‘True … There’s no judgements, just, “Hey, you smell okay, so let’s be pals.”’

  Matilda laughed. ‘Yeah, something like that, although, I don’t think sniffing someone when you meet them would go down too well.’

  Ryan chuckled. ‘Fair point, especially their butts.’

  ‘Well hello there, you two,’ came a singsong voice from the direction of the homestead.

  Matilda turned to see a petite middle-aged woman open the flyscreen door, her smile wide as she crossed the verandah and came down the front stairs. She was dressed in cream slacks and a matching cream top, her long wavy hair styled but hanging loosely around her shoulders. She looked understatedly elegant and dressed as if she were going out. Matilda was now even more nervous about how she looked.

  ‘Hey, Mum.’ Ryan’s phone chimed from his pocket and he reefed it out as if waiting for an important call. He gestured to Matilda. ‘Sorry, I gotta take this.’ Answering it before she had a chance to beg him not to, he wandered out of earshot.

  Matilda’s nerves increased tenfold. She quickly tried to smooth her wrinkled t-shirt as she walked around the back of the Landcruiser. ‘Hi, Mrs Hunter.’ She stepped towards her, hand outstretched. ‘I’m Matilda.’ She hadn’t even told Ryan her proper name. Damn her nerves.

  ‘Hi, love, please call me Lisa.’ Lisa Hunter ignored the handshake gesture and instead pulled Matilda into a tight hug. ‘It’s so nice to meet you, Tilly. Ryan told us all about you yesterday morning when he popped in to raid my kitchen.’ She pulled back at arm’s length and eyed Matilda’s bruises. ‘You’ve had a bit of a rough trot by the looks. But don’t worry, love, you’re certainly safe with us. Whoever it was can’t hurt you now.’

  Matilda found it a confronting and bizarre thing to say straight off the bat, but in a way she respected Lisa’s directness. Her mother was never backward in coming forward either, and it made her feel as if she could trust Lisa straight away. ‘Nice to meet you too.’ Lame really, after Lisa had opened her heart up, but it was all she could think of in response.

  Lisa wrapped an arm around her shoulder. ‘Well, come on inside then. I’ve just finished making an upside-down pineapple cake, which means the two men won’t be far away.’ She rolled her eyes as she waved a hand through the air. ‘I swe
ar to God they have noses like hounds when there’s food to be eaten.’ She glanced back at Ryan, who was leaning against the back of his Landcruiser while still talking on his phone. ‘We’ll meet you inside, sweetheart.’

  He gave her a wave and a nod in acknowledgement. Matilda noticed he looked a little serious. She hoped all was okay. He pointed to Huckleberry and gave the thumbs-up to let her know he would watch him. She mouthed ‘Thank you’ before following Lisa down a pebbled, flower-lined garden path and up the front steps.

  Boots off, she stepped inside the grand homestead. It almost felt as if she were stepping back in time. She had never been into a home that was so beautiful. Heavy velvet drapes framed the arched windows of the huge lounge room. The sheer lace inner curtains remained drawn, cleverly providing privacy from the outside but also allowing daylight to enter without blocking the heart-stopping view over the countryside. Every piece of furniture was tasteful—many were antiques—and the thick carpet tempted Matilda to lie down on it. Even though it all looked very smick there was a certain atmosphere in the room that made her feel at home. She could see where Ryan got his trait of being tidy.

  Everything had a place and appeared to have a reason for being where it was. The ceilings were super high and a sense of history came from every corner. It made her wonder how many Hunter generations had lived here. If she were game enough to close her eyes, she was sure she would have felt the ghosts of the past within these walls; not in an eerie way but a way that made the house feel alive, and full of untold hardships and victories.

  She followed Lisa down the long hallway lined with framed photographs, both old black-and-white prints and modern shots. Looking at them, Matilda admired what appeared to be a very strong family unit, although she felt saddened by the realisation that the twenty-something woman in the photos would remain that way forever. She wondered what had happened to Ryan’s sister, to lose her life so very young. He was so adamant he didn’t want to talk about it that she wasn’t about to try to broach the subject again. She guessed it must have been something like cancer or maybe even a car accident that stole her from them all. Matilda knew how the death of a loved one could take a long time to heal, if ever fully, and it wasn’t something easily talked about.