by Annie Seaton
The buzzer announcing someone at the door downstairs brought her out of her daydream. She pressed the intercom on the wall.
‘Only me, Dru.’ Connor’s voice was clear.
He’d decided to take some time off and settle in Darwin for a while before he looked for a job. She was getting used to having him around, and their relationship was unfurling slowly. The night in Antwerp had been the catalyst of change for them both and she acknowledged that they were still learning to trust again. A smile crossed her face as she buzzed him up.
It was time he had a key.
Connor had refused to move in with her. He’d insisted on renting a small unit on a short lease across in Cullen Bay, but he spent more time at her place than he did over there.
She crossed the room, opened the door and waited for the lift to come up. The door to the lift pinged open and Connor stepped out, his arms full of parcels and shopping bags.
‘Where the heck are we going to put all that stuff?’ she asked with a smile. ‘We have to leave for the airport soon.’ He juggled a couple of parcels and she went to grab the one that was falling but he shook his head.
‘Uh-uh, not that one.’
Connor’s face was tanned and the shadows that had etched it when she’d first met him had gone. Talking through his undignified exit from the Federal Police had been cathartic for him.
She held the door open and he dropped the bags on the coffee table next to her mess.
‘How long have we got to get these wrapped?’ He still held onto the small parcel that had slipped.
‘What’s in that one?’ She tilted her head to one side.
‘Never you mind.’ Connor slipped the package into his shirt pocket, and she reached for it playfully. ‘You’re worse than a kid at Christmas.’
‘It’ll be the first Christmas we’ve all spent together since Dad died.’
Connor grabbed for her fingers and she looked up with a smile as he pulled her closer to him.
‘I hope it’s a happy one for you.’
‘And for you, too.’ She spoke softly as he held her gaze. ‘I owe you so much, Connor.’
He shook his head. ‘No you don’t. This path to getting our lives on track is a joint effort. No debts anywhere. Okay?’
‘Okay.’ Dru closed her eyes as his lips brushed against her mouth.
*
Connor stood behind Dru in the arrivals lounge at Darwin airport. She was hopping from foot to foot, barely able to contain her excitement as they waited for the flight from Cairns to arrive. She kept looking over at the door and then at her watch. Her sister Ellie and her partner, Kane, were supposed to be meeting them here at the airport. They were driving in from the family mango farm out near Kakadu.
‘It’s not like Ellie to be late.’ Dru’s voice was worried and she started to shake her fingers.
‘It’s Christmas Eve. The traffic will be bad.’ He rubbed his hands down her arms and held her hands. ‘And what did you forget?’
‘Okay. I’m not worried. I’m calm.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I won’t worry about things I can’t control.’
‘Good girl.’
‘Dru!’
They both turned at the same time. A small woman with dark hair was hurrying across the concourse, followed closely by a tall guy.
‘Ellie.’ Dru’s voice was a little reserved. She waited for the couple to reach them.
Ellie stopped and put her hands on her hips. ‘Well, little sister, you’re looking very well.’
‘And so are you, little mama.’ Dru’s hand reached out and touched Ellie’s heavily pregnant abdomen. Connor was surprised at the reticence between them for two sisters who hadn’t seen each other in more than a year.
‘Hello, Dru.’ The tall guy reached down and kissed her cheek. Connor was surprised to see a blush stain her fair skin. She turned around to indicate Connor.
‘Ellie, Kane, this is Connor.’
Ellie held her hand out and grasped Connor’s in a firm shake, and Kane did the same.
‘Sorry, we’re a bit late. Traffic was heavy,’ Kane said.
‘Told you.’ Connor nudged Dru and smiled.
Dru looked up at the arrivals board. ‘It’s landed,’ she said, her voice wavering.
Ellie looked at her sharply. ‘You okay?’
‘I will be when all my family is here.’ Dru’s voice was firm again. She held out her hand to Ellie.
Ellie looked at Dru for a moment and then her face broke into a huge smile as she took Dru’s hand. Kane and Connor stood back while the two women crossed to where the disembarking passengers were gradually appearing at the top of the escalator that came up from the tarmac.
As he and Kane watched, a small older woman with blonde hair came through the door, followed by a man and a woman. Connor smiled. The younger woman was a shorter, darker version of Dru; she had the same nose, same brow, and the same look of determination on her face. It had to be Emma, the oldest of the three sisters, and Jeremy, her fiancé.
The older woman let out a loud yell. ‘Drusilla!’
‘Mummy.’ Tears were streaming down Dru’s cheeks as she held her arms out to her mother and sister. The women ran towards each other, oblivious to the passengers smiling at them. Connor clenched his jaw as emotion clogged his throat.
The four Porter women stood in a circle, arms around each other.
Dru was going to be okay. He’d make sure she was.
He patted his shirt pocket as he crossed the space to meet the rest of Dru’s family.
He hoped she would see the diamond pendant not only as a reminder of what had brought them together but as a promise of the future.
Their future.
He had no doubt there would be one.
Acknowledgements
The East Kimberley in Western Australia is one of the most remote and beautiful locations in Australia. In 2015, we flew over the Purnululu National Park (more often known as the Bungle Bungles) and into the Argyle Diamond Mine on a day trip. As I listened to our guide talking about security, the idea for Diamond Sky was born.
A huge thank you must go to my publisher, Cate Paterson, and the rest of the awesome team at Pan Macmillan. A special mention for my editors: Lachlan Jobbins and Georgia Douglas, my story is richer for your wonderful editing. Once again I have been blessed with a spectacular cover and great publicity.
To the many friends I have made in the writing world who constantly support me on my journey; I often say I have found my ‘tribe’ and I value the daily contact with like-minded people all over the world. Again, a special mention and thank you goes to my critique partner, Susanne Bellamy, and to my proofreader, Roby Aiken.
It would be impossible to write without support in your personal life:
To Ian, the love of my life and my partner in research as we travel this magnificent country seeking stories each winter. I could not do this without you.
To our children and their partners, and our grandchildren: thank you for your love and support.
Again my love and appreciation goes to my wonderful aunt, Maureen Smith, who not only supports me, but supports so many Australian writers by reading, loving and sharing their stories.
I’d like to acknowledge and thank the Kija and Miriwoong people, the traditional owners of the East Kimberley, for the Dreaming story of the creation of the diamonds at Barramundi Gap. Thank you to Rick Downie of the Gelganyem Trust for directing me to the correct source for the Dreaming story, and to Making Things Come Good: Relations Between Aborigines and Miners at Argyle by Kim Doohan (Backroom Press; 2008), which contributed to my appreciation of the cultural impact of diamond mining in the East Kimberley. I’d also like to thank Grant Boxer, consulting geologist and diamond explorer, for the information on his website outlining the discovery of diamonds in the East Kimberley, and for his willingness to answer my specific questions.
And to you, the reader. Thank you for choosing this book. I hope when you read Diamond Sky that you love it and talk
about it, and that maybe you will want to see this wonderful part of Australia for yourself.
Drop me a line at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you.
About Annie Seaton
Annie Seaton lives near the beach on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. Her career and studies have spanned the education sector for most of her working life, including completing a Masters Degree in Education and working as an academic research librarian, a high-school principal and a university tutor until she took early retirement and fulfilled a lifelong dream of a full-time writing career. In 2014 Annie was voted Author of the Year and in 2015 was voted Best Established Author in the AusRomToday.com Readers’ Choice Awards. In 2016, Kakadu Sunset was shortlisted by the judges of the Romance Writers’ Association of Australia for the Ruby, in the long book category.
Each winter, Annie and her husband leave the beach to roam the remote areas of Australia for story ideas and research. She is passionate about preserving the beauty of the Australian landscape, and respecting the traditional ownership of the land. For those readers who cannot experience this journey personally, Annie seeks to portray the natural beauty of the Australian environment—its spiritual locations, stunning landscapes and unique wildlife.
The Kimberley of Western Australia—the setting for Diamond Sky—is one of the world’s last wilderness frontiers. The beehive domes of the Bungle Bungle Range are a relatively recent discovery; the Purnululu National Park was established in 1987. The stunning landscape is protected as a natural heritage region but is still threatened by human activity.
Readers can contact Annie through her website
annieseaton.net
or find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Also by Annie Seaton
Kakadu Sunset
Daintree
MORE TITLES BY ANNIE SEATON
Book One in the Porter Sisters Series
Kakadu Sunset
In the ancient lands of Kakadu, it’s not just the crocodiles you should be afraid of. . .
Helicopter pilot Ellie Porter loves her job. Soaring above the glorious Kakadu National Park, she feels freed from the heavy losses of her beloved family farm and the questions around her father’s suicide. But when a search-and-rescue mission on the boundary of the old property reveals unusual excavation works, Ellie vows to investigate.
The last thing she needs is her bad-tempered co-pilot, Kane McLaren, interfering. The son of the current owners of the farm, her attraction to him is a distraction she can’t afford, especially when someone threatens to put a stop to her inquiries – by any means necessary.
Ellie will have to trust Kane if she is to have any hope of uncovering the truth of what is really going on. Between Ellie’s damage and Kane’s secrets, can they find a way to open up to each other before the shadowy forces shut her up. . .for good?
Shortlisted for Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year 2016
Book Two in the Porter Sisters Series
Daintree
The Daintree breeds survivors, those who can weather the storms, heat and floods that come hand-in-hand with its beauty.
Doctor Emma Porter is one such survivor, dedicated to her patients and to preserving this precious land where she has made a home.
Emma’s quiet life is disrupted when Doctor Jeremy Langford starts working at the hospital, bringing back painful memories: Jeremy was her first love and embodies all that she left behind in Sydney. Jeremy has demons of his own, however, and the tight-knit community of Dalrymple seems to promise the peace he has been looking for.
But while some come to the Daintree to find shelter, others are here to exploit the rainforest’s riches. And they will stop at nothing to get their hands on its bounty.
This is a work of fiction. Characters, institutions and organisations mentioned in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously without any intent to describe actual conduct.
First published 2017 in Macmillan by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd
1 Market Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
Copyright © Annie Seaton 2017
The moral right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted.
All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.
Map by Elizabeth Clare Smith
The author and the publisher have made every effort to contact copyright holders for material used in this book. Any person or organisation that may have been overlooked should contact the publisher.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this book may contain images or names of people now deceased.
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the National Library of Australia
http://catalogue.nla.gov.au
EPUB format: 9781760554385
Typeset by Midland Typesetters
Cover images: Tim Graham/Alamy Stock Photo; iStock
Cover design: Deborah Parry
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