Ella hadn’t realised she’d arrived and parked at Cressy’s garden gate until a white cockatoo landed on her bull bar. She blinked and refocused on the present. The cockatoo peering through the windscreen wasn’t a wild bird but one Cressy had nursed back to health when he’d been young. He now refused to leave and was more of a watchdog than Cressy and Denham’s dogs, Tippy and Juno.
When she left the car, Kevin flew onto her shoulder. She scratched his yellow crest. ‘That’s the spot,’ the cockatoo squawked, angling his head into her touch.
A grey-muzzled kelpie made her unhurried way across the lawn. Ella watched how the old kelpie moved. The arthritis needles seemed to be making a difference. On her last vet visit, Tippy had also had a session on a vibrating therapy mat to help with her mobility.
With Kevin still perched on her shoulder, she bent to pat the tail-wagging kelpie. ‘Nice to see you too, Miss Tippy. Where’s that hyper Juno? Out with Denham?’
Juno was part kelpie and part prize-winning show poodle and was as fluffy as he was active.
Kevin left Ella’s shoulder and flew to the top of a nearby cedar tree to keep watch for further visitors.
Footsteps sounded as Cressy walked along the path. While the green garden around her held its own against the heat, the plants filling the beds were sparse and immature. It wasn’t that long ago that Cressy’s farm had experienced a pocket drought and had received no rain while those around her had. She’d since put another large tank off the shed and Denham had organised for a bore to be drilled. The swimming pool had been refilled and the garden beds replanted.
‘Where’s that baby belly gone?’ Ella said as she hugged her. With an oversized purple cotton shirt, it was hard to see Cressy’s baby bump.
Cressy turned sideways and smoothed her shirt over her stomach. ‘Baby Rigby’s here, don’t you worry.’ She stilled, then reached for Ella’s hand. ‘See.’ She pressed Ella’s palm against the side of her stomach. Ella felt movement as a tiny foot kicked out against her hand.
‘Cressy … that’s incredible.’
‘I know.’
Ella felt another kick. Every maternal yearning she’d ever had coursed through her. She had no doubt that one day she too wanted to be a mother. The only thing of uncertainty was whether or not it would ever happen.
She lifted her hand and avoided Cressy’s gaze as she turned to collect the container on the front seat of her four-wheel drive. ‘I baked you and baby Rigby some banana bread.’
‘You must have read my mind. That’s just what I feel like.’ Cressy looped her arm with Ella’s. ‘It’s so lovely you’re here.’
‘It is.’
Ella meant it. Cressy was the first friend she’d made when, pale and broken, she’d moved to Woodlea to start a new job and a new life.
As if sharing her thoughts, Cressy glanced at her hair and squeezed her arm. ‘I really like your hair short. It reminds me of when you first came to town.’
‘Edna wasn’t a fan but I like it this length too. It’s much quicker to wash.’
‘I bet it is.’ Cressy let go of her arm as they walked up the veranda steps. ‘As for Edna, she’ll get used to it. Just like she will the idea that Meredith will be the one helping out when baby Rigby arrives.’
Ella walked through the door that Cressy held open. Meredith was Denham’s aunt and would be unobtrusive as well as helpful. ‘She didn’t take the news well?’
‘It was more like she really wanted to help. I think she’s so desperate for grandchildren she just wants to be involved.’
‘All I can say is poor Bethany and Mac.’
Cressy laughed as they entered the large kitchen that formed the heart of the sprawling homestead. ‘I won’t tell Bethany quite yet that Edna has a cupboard full of baby items.’
Ella went over to where some tomatoes sat on the chopping board beside a bowl of green leafy salad. She didn’t need to ask if she could help, they were always doing things for each other.
‘Is Denham in for lunch?’ she said, slicing a tomato.
Cressy shook her head as she took a frittata out of the fridge. ‘It’s just us and Reggie.’ She nodded out the oversized kitchen window.
Ella moved to look through the window. A grey mountain of a bull stood beneath the shade of a box tree. ‘Isn’t he supposed to be with Denham’s rodeo cattle?’
‘He is, but you know what he’s like. He jumps fences like a showjumper. He does go back to see them but this past week he’s mostly been here near the house.’
Ella glanced to where Cressy rubbed her belly as the baby again kicked. ‘He’s just being protective.’
‘Poor Reggie. He’s going to be standing under that tree for months. I’m not due until winter.’
Ella glanced at the chopped carrots in a bowl that weren’t for the salad. ‘If there was ever a bull not to feel sorry for, it’s Reggie. Between his daily carrot delivery and being able to go wherever he wants, he’s perfectly happy.’
‘I hope so. He’s such a gentle soul.’
Ella laughed. ‘I’m not sure that’s how everyone would describe him. He sure did make the boys work hard to pass the Reggie test.’
Cressy and Fliss had labelled the feeding of carrots to the unfriendly bull as the Reggie test. If any male didn’t pass then they weren’t yet man enough for a relationship.
Cressy joined in with her laughter. ‘There’s no doubt he’s an accurate judge of character.’ Cressy looked as though she was going to say something more but then stopped.
With the salad completed, they sat at the table to enjoy lunch. The conversation went from baby names and the upcoming beer night and bush dance to possible smokescreen events for Edna’s party and then to Ella’s air-conditioning saga.
‘Just think if your living room hadn’t flooded you’d have never found Libby’s book,’ Cressy said, before taking a second serving of salad.
‘True. The other electrician, Nick, finally got back to me and he had a look in the roof and confirmed there was no serious damage.’
‘Just as well Saul had a ladder because by the time you’d driven out here or to Fliss’s to get one, it could have been much worse.’
Ella nodded and focused on cutting another piece of frittata. Cressy wouldn’t miss any reaction, however small, to the mention of Saul’s name. ‘Saul knew what he was doing and turned the water off far quicker than I would have.’
Cressy stopped eating to look across at Ella. ‘I’m glad you two are looking out for each other. Denham’s quite concerned about him.’
Ella continued the conversation, even though Saul should be the last person she was talking about. ‘He seems to be settling in okay, even if his house isn’t yet fully unpacked.’
Cressy frowned. ‘Still?’
Ella nodded.
Cressy looked down at her belly. ‘I’m trying to give him space … otherwise I’d be over helping him.’
Ella stilled. ‘Space? He’s mentioned he’s divorced.’
‘He is. If Saul’s told you about his divorce that’s encouraging as he must see you as a friend.’
‘We cleared the air early on about not being interested in anything but friendship.’
‘That’s also a positive. Denham says Saul isn’t opening up, even to him. At least he’s talking to you, except he wouldn’t be saying much.’ Cressy paused. ‘It might be helpful for you to know that Saul isn’t just dealing with his marriage ending … he also lost his son.’
Ella’s thoughts whirled, making words impossible to find. No wonder Saul displayed such compassion and understanding towards Violet; he knew all about losing a child.
Cressy kept talking, voice quiet. ‘The old Saul was always smiling and joking around. He was so excited to be a dad and would send Denham ultrasound pictures.’
Ella placed her knife and fork together on her plate even though she hadn’t finished her lunch. She’d lost her appetite. The reason behind Saul’s gravity and reserve was even more heartbreaking than she cou
ld have imagined.
‘Does Denham know what happened?’
‘No, all Saul says is that his marriage ended the day he lost his son. Denham has pictures of Saul holding Caleb when he was born but then they stopped. It was only when Denham called after not hearing from him that he learned Saul had sold his bison ranch and was coming home. Alone.’
Duke was almost beside himself. Not only did the Australian shepherd have Tanner’s blue ute to race as he drove into Windermere, but also a horse trailer with two horses inside. On the back of Tanner’s ute, Patch barked as if it had been years since he’d last seen Duke instead of weeks.
Saul shook his head. The Australian shepherd was a grey blur as he streaked through the driveway trees. At least with the cool change he didn’t need to be as concerned about Duke getting heatstroke.
He headed for the gator so he could meet Tanner at the stables. Not that Duke would mind having to see Ella. He hadn’t realised what Duke did outside of an early evening. When he’d thought he was off looking for rabbits, he was sitting at the corner of the side garden close to the road. When Ella drove into her driveway after work, he’d run along the fence line until he reached the garden gate. He would then wait and it was only when Ella went inside that he wandered off to explore.
Saul glanced across the boundary fence towards Ella’s garden before sliding into the gator seat. Wherever she was this Saturday morning he hoped she was enjoying herself. Just as well she’d said to come over to look at Libby’s room later this afternoon. The delay gave him more time to compose himself. Duke hadn’t been the only one missing her this past week. He couldn’t walk into his kitchen, or now drive around his farm, without memories of her sabotaging his concentration. He was lucky he didn’t burn his kitchen down two nights ago while cooking a steak for dinner.
He headed along the road that led past the bison handling shed to the stables. The fencing contractor had spent the week enlarging the outside dressage area and building a set of bison-friendly yards. Tanner wasn’t only delivering his new buckskin mare, he was also bringing his mustang Arrow to try out the new campdrafting arena.
The horse trainer left his ute with a wide grin. ‘How great is this cool weather?’
‘Now all we need is rain.’ Saul scanned the gun-metal grey sky.
Tanner’s expression sobered. ‘I passed the water truck on the way here. People are running out of water.’
‘I know how low my tanks are getting.’
Mock-growling sounded from beside them and they turned to see Patch and Duke wrestling in the red dust.
Tanner shook his head. ‘Those two. Now all we need is Juno and we’d have the three most hyper dogs in Woodlea.’ A hard hoof hit steel. ‘And that would be the most impatient horse in Woodlea.’
‘I don’t know,’ Saul said as they headed for the back of the horse float. ‘Denham’s Bandit isn’t the most chill of horses.’
‘You can say that again. He’s one bad-tempered bronco.’
Once Tanner had unloaded his restless palomino, Saul climbed the ramp to lead out a buckskin mare. As she gazed around, he rubbed her golden neck. It wasn’t hard to see where the buckskin got her name. Her smooth coat was the colour of rich amber. From over in his paddock Cisco gave a loud whinny which Tanner’s Arrow answered.
The horse trainer looked between the two geldings as Cisco galloped towards the fence. ‘That’s a first. Cisco’s being social.’
‘Actually, it’s the second time. Ella was here last weekend and he couldn’t get close enough to her.’
‘That doesn’t surprise me. It’s why Ella’s so good at what she does. Her magic works on animals just as much as single men.’ He threw Saul a quick glance. ‘Present company excluded.’
He nodded, hoping it didn’t show on his face just how much her charms did work on him. ‘I wasn’t sure if there’d be a local vet who could handle a bison emergency so I’m very appreciative of her magic touch. Especially if we ever have to deal with Hercules.’
‘Ella treated Reggie when he had a run-in with a car of teenage trespassers, so she’ll be fine with that surly bison of yours.’
The conversation ended as Saul led Amber into her new stables. While the mare pulled hay out of the hay net, he gave her a light brush. Every so often she’d fling her head high to see what was going on outside, but otherwise she remained calm.
Leather creaked before Tanner appeared riding Arrow. ‘Thanks for setting up the pegs in the arena. I’ll warm up Arrow and then we’ll see how speedy those bison of yours are.’
When he was sure Amber was settled, Saul headed into the arena. He waved across to where Tanner was riding around the perimeter before he headed for the group of bison waiting in the shade-covered yards.
Tanner and Arrow joined him at the new steel gate. He swung the gate open so they could enter the pen that held the bachelor bison. From when they were weaners the bulls had been specifically trained for campdrafting. Arrow’s nostrils flared in excitement and sweat darkened his coat even before they cut out a bison from the camp and blocked him twice from returning to the others. After a final turn and block, Saul opened the gate.
The bison bolted out with Arrow close behind him. The young bull showed no fear or aggression at being separated from his herd. Instead he twisted and spun with speed and agility to outmanoeuvre Arrow. Saul couldn’t help but smile. Tanner and Arrow were champion campdrafters but right now the bull wasn’t intending to do any neat figure of eights around the pegs.
Once the course was finally completed, the bison thundered between the two end pegs and back into the yards. Saul closed the gate and the bison headed to where the rest of his herd were gathered in the adjacent yard.
When Tanner rode over, the horse trainer’s grin couldn’t get any broader. ‘They’re so much faster than cattle and the way they can spin …’
‘Not even a horse can turn ninety degrees when flat out. These guys will go fast for experienced riders and slower for novices, so you’ve just had the high-speed bison experience.’
Tanner didn’t seem to move in the saddle before Arrow swung around ready to draft another bison around the course.
Saul grinned as he opened the bison pen gate. He knew what he’d be doing until Arrow tired or ran out of bison to cut out.
As the afternoon shadows deepened, Saul kept a close watch on his phone in case Ella texted to let him know she was home. It wasn’t until the bison had been returned to their paddock and Tanner was hosing Arrow down in the wash bay that her text arrived.
Sorry. Spent longer at Cressy’s. Home now.
Tanner’s still here. Be there soon.
Unlike that morning, her reply was almost immediate. Tell Tanner hi and he’d better get his glitter on.
Laughter loosened the tightness of his chest. Ella’s quick wit never failed to make him feel lighter. Tanner had already said he couldn’t stay for a cold beer as Neve was having the two little cowgirls she sometimes babysat over for a sleepover and Tanner was on barbeque duty. The one time Saul had seen both girls they’d been covered in glitter after they’d painted the hooves of Neve’s pony and donkey in pink hoof polish.
When Tanner came up beside him, he must have still been smiling as the horse trainer gave him a questioning look. He showed him Ella’s message.
Tanner took hold of the phone to message a reply.
Tanner here—glitter’s on and playlist of snowman movie soundtrack downloaded.
Tanner handed him his phone with a chuckle. Ella’s reply had been a string of crying laughter, sparkle and snowmen emojis.
Saul waved Tanner off. When they couldn’t see Patch or Tanner’s ute anymore, Duke whined. Saul ruffled the top of his head. ‘It’s all right, buddy. Seeing Ella will soon cheer you up.’
As Saul predicted, when the Australian shepherd worked out where they were driving to, he again whined but in excitement. Once out of the F-truck, he made a beeline for Cinnamon and Nutmeg while Saul walked over to the back cottage doo
r.
Ella greeted him with a smile that wasn’t quite as sunny as usual. ‘Thanks for coming over.’
‘No worries.’ He searched her face. Even her voice sounded subdued.
‘Duke with you?’ she asked, her gaze sliding away as she looked over his shoulder.
He didn’t need to answer as the Australian shepherd bolted towards them, jumping over the mosaic stepping stones.
Ella’s laughter contained its usual warmth as she tickled behind Duke’s ears.
She straightened and turned to lead the way inside. When Saul signalled for Duke to stay in the garden, she glanced back. ‘Duke’s welcome inside.’
They both followed Ella through the kitchen and living room to the newer extension. At the second door on the left, Ella stopped. Expression serious, she opened the door.
Saul didn’t immediately walk into Libby’s bedroom. Once he’d had a good look around, there’d be no reason to stay. It could then be another week, or longer, until he saw Ella again. It suddenly seemed important that they even have just a few minutes of small talk. If Ella’s week had been tough it might account for the return of her tension.
‘So the room’s just how Libby left it?’ he asked.
‘It is. Everything seems normal for a teenager and for what we know about Libby. I just can’t shake the feeling that I could be missing something.’
‘It always pays to listen to your gut. How’s Cressy?’
‘Really well. We looked at …’ She paused as if suddenly uncertain about what to say. ‘A few things she needed help with choosing online.’
It wasn’t just a feeling that something wasn’t right, it was a certainty as Ella’s lips pressed together as if to stop herself from saying something. ‘Okay. Let’s see what secrets there are in here.’
She held up her hands with her fingers crossed. ‘Duke and I’ll be in the kitchen if you need us.’
For the next half hour he went through everything in Libby’s room, careful to return everything to its exact position. The room appeared just how Ella had described it. A straightforward representation of Libby. Then he examined the items on her wooden bedside table.
The Boundary Fence (A Woodlea Novel, #7) Page 14