The Boundary Fence (A Woodlea Novel, #7)

by Alissa Callen

  ‘Anytime. How’s your brother?’

  ‘Home from hospital and doing what he’s told by Nurse Rosie.’

  Denham’s chuckle was drowned out by the early morning call of a magpie balancing on the boundary fence. ‘He’s a wise man.’

  Saul returned to the gator where Duke sat in the passenger seat. ‘I’m not quite sure that’s what Amy’s calling him. She can’t believe that when he fell he put his hands in the air to save his laptop, not to break his fall.’

  ‘Are you sure the two of you are brothers?’

  Saul laughed as he headed the gator towards home. He’d lost count of the amount of times he’d hit the dirt of a rodeo arena. Even after having a gymnastic coach perfect his landings, he’d still experienced his fair share of broken bones.

  ‘Let’s just say I had lots of tips for Nathan on how to deal with a broken leg.’ His tone sobered. ‘Sorry again for the short notice. I know you had a busy week.’

  Saul had been over at Denham’s Thursday morning helping him with his rodeo cattle when Amy had called saying she was taking Nathan to the emergency department. Within ten minutes he’d booked a lunchtime flight from Dubbo to Sydney and was on his way home to throw clothes into a bag.

  Denham had volunteered to look after Windermere. Duke had spent the past two days at Glenmore wrestling Juno and stalking Cressy’s Rhode Island Red chickens. Meanwhile Saul had been watching princess movies with Rosie and learning just how a fussy five-year-old liked her breakfast. Who knew toast could come in so many shades of gold?

  ‘You don’t have to apologise. We’re mates.’

  He hadn’t missed the concern in Denham’s tone or the looks he’d cast him as they’d drafted his cattle last Thursday. Apart from Denham needing a second pair of hands, the other reason why he’d been over helping was that since kissing Ella he’d been restless and unable to settle.

  ‘We are.’ He chose his words carefully. ‘I’m still working through a few things. But I’ll be ready for that cold beer in your shed soon.’

  ‘I hope so.’ Denham paused. ‘If those things are new things you might need that beer sooner rather than later.’

  Saul parked the gator in the shed before he replied. As vigilant as Saul had been to conceal his emotions when around Ella, Denham had seen through his pretence. ‘It is a … new thing.’

  ‘I thought so. To be honest, it’s not just a new thing, it’s also a good thing.’

  Saul rubbed at his forehead. ‘Not from where I’m sitting.’

  ‘Trust me. It is.’

  ‘Tell me it’s not obvious.’ Saul didn’t try to strip the tension from his words. He ruffled Duke’s neck as the Australian shepherd burrowed his head under his arm.

  ‘Only to me.’ When Saul didn’t answer, Denham spoke again. ‘You just need time, and there’s plenty of that. So just go with the flow.’

  Saul briefly closed his eyes as his senses remembered the feel of Ella moulded against him and the softness of her lips. ‘That’s easier said than done.’

  Denham chuckled. ‘Just as well there’s a beer night coming up. It’s not just one cold beer you sound like you need.’

  ‘I thought there was dancing as well?’

  ‘There is but I don’t know of anyone, expect for Finn Barton, who’ll be inside with the girls.’

  He’d seen Finn busting some of his signature moves on the dancefloor at the Royal Arms. ‘Does Cressy know you’re planning to boycott the dancing part?’

  ‘If she did I’d be sleeping outside with Tippy and Juno.’

  Saul left the gator with a smile. ‘You’d better leave space for Tanner and Hewitt in that doghouse of yours. I take it they’re not planning on dancing either?’

  ‘I reckon you could fit a few swags in those empty rooms of yours.’

  Saul laughed. ‘I could. I can’t wait to see the girls’ faces when they realise your plan. Hewitt’s a braver man than I am. Fliss isn’t to be messed with.’ His tone sobered. ‘Thanks again … for everything.’

  ‘Anytime. Just relax, okay?’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

  He ended the call. The reality was he couldn’t relax. If he did, the first thing he’d do was pick up from where he and Ella had left off at the river.

  He glanced over at the boundary fence as he and Duke walked towards the farmhouse. When he’d driven past Ella’s cottage on his way to Dubbo he’d almost used his phone’s voice-to-text function to send her a message. But as the cottage receded in his rear-view mirror, he’d hadn’t followed through. If he needed some space to process their kiss and the way she made him feel, she would too.

  On their ride home from the river, every so often Ella had made small talk but otherwise silence had settled between them. As much as she appeared to not regret what had happened between them, with each stride that Amber took, his own regret grew. He’d crossed a line he shouldn’t have even been in sight of.

  Even though Ella had made it clear she’d wanted him to kiss her, doing so had been the worst thing he could have done, for both of them. Along with feeling vulnerable over her scar, she would still be dealing with Charles’s revelations. Just like he’d said to Denham, he still had his own issues to work through. It was coming up to two years since Caleb was born.

  As for the attraction that had exploded between them, there was no going back or pretending that it wouldn’t continue to simmer. But as neither he nor Ella were in a position to start something, and the last thing he’d want to do was hurt her, they had to find a way to make their now complicated friendship work.

  He looked at his watch. There was just enough time to call into her place before he was due to pick up Violet. Even though the texts he’d received from Ella yesterday after he’d landed in Dubbo hadn’t flagged anything was wrong, he wanted to make sure. He also needed to prove to himself, and maybe to her, that they could co-exist as friends without chemistry again blindsiding them.

  He sent Ella a quick message to say he’d call in on the way to town to collect Violet.

  When he arrived Ella was in the back garden weeding around the mosaic stepping stones. As he left his F-truck she straightened and rubbed at her lower back before walking over. She wore black shorts with a loose pink shirt as well as her navy Woodlea vet cap and sunglasses. Even dressed in her gardening clothes, she stirred his senses. She was so beautiful. As usual Duke swooned against her legs while she patted him.

  She briefly glanced up. ‘Does Duke want to stay with me?’

  Even though her tone was friendly, there was a new tension around her mouth. He was certain that behind her sunglasses wariness tempered the gold in her eyes. He cursed his weakness. He should never have kissed her. Things were not okay between them.

  ‘He’d love to. Then Violet won’t have him breathing down her neck from the back seat.’

  As he’d hoped, a brief smile lifted the corners of her lips. ‘How’s Rosie?’

  ‘A little shaken up with her dad being in hospital. I used Tanner’s tip and downloaded a playlist from that snowman movie every girl under six seems to be obsessed with.’

  Her brow creased. ‘Is your brother all right?’

  ‘He will be when he doesn’t have to wear an orthopaedic boot.’

  ‘I hope for his sake that happens soon.’

  Saul nodded. Ella’s hand rubbed at her thigh in a gesture he wasn’t sure she even knew she was doing.

  She stared at him before she spoke. ‘It goes without saying that anytime you’re away I can look after your place.’

  ‘I was at Denham’s when I took Amy’s call and wasn’t sure if you were the on-call vet this weekend.’ He paused. ‘I also figured you might have seen enough of me.’

  ‘Saul … what happened at the river … it doesn’t have to cause any awkwardness. You helped me at a time when I needed someone. But we both know friendship’s the only option for either of us, so I hope that’s still on offer?’

  He took a moment to answer. The need to tug h
er close and kiss her in a way that wasn’t part of any friendship agreement made his chest burn. ‘Of course it is. If you ever need someone again, you know where I am.’

  ‘I do,’ she said, voice soft.

  He turned away before she could see how much of a battle it was to keep his hands by his side.

  When he returned with Violet there wasn’t a weed in sight and Cinnamon and Nutmeg were in the garden making the most of being out of their paddock. When he parked in the carport they ran over to the wooden fence like any farm dog would have.

  Violet laughed from where she sat beside him. ‘They haven’t changed a bit.’

  Saul helped her out and through the small gate where she stopped to greet the two goats milling around her. Nutmeg’s excited bleating caused a pair of cockatoos to screech as they vacated the jacaranda tree.

  Violet waved him on with her walking stick. ‘Off you go. I’ll be here a while.’

  He reached the sunroom door as Ella and Duke walked through. Ella now wore a knee-length white dress that left her arms bare and hugged every feminine curve.

  Expression solemn, she gazed over to where Violet lavished attention on the goats. ‘We have to find out what happened to Libby.’

  He held up Violet’s bag that contained Libby’s handmade box. ‘Violet brought some photographs so let’s hope something in one of them proves useful.’

  As Violet made her slow way along the path, she’d stop to look at something in the garden. Saul stood in silence as he watched. He wasn’t sure why Ella didn’t speak but his excuse was that seeing Violet in her beloved home made his chest ache. Her perpetual smile seemed to lift years off her tiny frame.

  When Violet reached the steps, he helped her inside. Her smile widened as she gazed around. Polished wooden floorboards gleamed and pink roses filled crystal vases.

  ‘Shall I put the kettle on?’ Ella asked when they reached the kitchen that smelled of fresh baking.

  Violet shook her head and reached for the bag Saul carried. ‘Not yet, dear. I need to return the box to Libby.’

  As they walked through the living room her attention focused on the hallway doorway where her youngest daughter’s sketchbook had been found. After a brief pause, she continued through to Libby’s room, lowered herself to sit on the bed and patted the spot beside her. Ella sat. Saul remained at the doorway. Behind him, Duke made himself at home on the hallway floor.

  Violet took out an envelope from her bag. ‘These are some photographs of Libby with her hair tied back from around the time Annette was with Jeb. My eyes aren’t what they used to be so I’m not sure what ribbon she has on.’

  When Violet passed Ella Libby’s handmade box, Ella opened the lid to take out the cream and floral ribbon. She laid it on the bed next to the pile of photos. When she glanced at him, Saul entered the room to look through the pictures she handed him.

  In many photographs it was obvious that Libby’s hair was in a ponytail but it wasn’t clear how her hair had been tied back. In one where she was laughing at Violet, he could see the ribbon, but it was pink.

  Ella stared at a photo and then placed it on the bed beside the ribbon. Then she skimmed through her pile and placed three more photos of Libby wearing a green dress on the bed. ‘I can’t see a ribbon, but look at this dress—it’s the same colour as the green in the ribbon.’

  Violet touched the closest photo. ‘This was taken on Libby’s sixteenth birthday. She hadn’t wanted a party but we went shopping for a new outfit and we cooked lasagne for dinner, her favourite. We would have bought a ribbon to match her dress.’ Violet looked around the small room, her gaze intent. ‘There will be a framed family photo of all of us from that night.’

  Saul moved to where a cluster of photographs sat on a bookshelf. He’d examined them closely on his last visit. He placed a wooden frame containing the family photo in Violet’s hands.

  Violet’s fragile finger traced Libby’s face and then Annette’s. She looked out the doorway. ‘I think Annette had a photo of just the two of them.’

  Ella came to her feet. ‘She does, on the corkboard hanging on her wall.’

  She left and returned with a board covered in overlapping photographs. Many were of Annette and Jeb but several were of her and Libby, especially when they were little.

  Saul scanned the photographs but couldn’t see anything useful until he removed the photo of the sisters taken on Libby’s birthday. Right on the edge that had been covered by another photo, where Libby turned to grin at her sister, there was a glimpse of a cream ribbon with pink and green flowers.

  They all stared at the picture before Saul placed it on the bed beside the ribbon. ‘Something significant with Jeb happened the night of her sixteenth birthday,’ he said.

  He knew Ella shared his unease about what that could have been when she gave him an intent look before reaching for Violet’s hand. ‘How long after her birthday did Libby disappear?’

  Violet’s forehead furrowed as she calculated the timeframe. ‘Seven weeks.’

  Ella again glanced at him before her quiet reply sounded. ‘Violet … is it possible Libby might have been pregnant?’

  CHAPTER

  13

  ‘Am I in the wrong house?’ Fliss asked as she walked into Ella’s untidy kitchen carrying a container filled with cupcakes. ‘Your benches look like you’ve been cooking for a cast of thousands.’

  Ella groaned and went to run a hand through her hair until she remembered her fingers were covered in pink icing. ‘I know, there’s so much mess, and I’m going to be late.’

  Penny had organised a cupcake day in the vet surgery with all monies raised going to a local dog rescue association.

  Fliss placed the cupcake container on the kitchen table and opened the empty dishwasher. ‘We can talk while I pack.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Ella lowered her tense shoulders and peered through the clear plastic of Fliss’s container at the pretty silver-themed cupcakes. ‘These look great.’

  Fliss put a mixing bowl in the dishwasher. ‘Between Hewitt and Miss Molly I’m lucky there’s any left.’

  Ella placed the now finished pink cupcakes in a nearby container. ‘I take it nothing new about Libby turned up online?’

  After Saul had driven Violet back to town yesterday, she’d called Fliss to give her an update. Fliss had volunteered to do an internet search to see if she could find out anything about Libby having had a baby.

  ‘Just like the police, I found no record anywhere of either a Libby Mayer or an Elizabeth Mayer having given birth. I also looked at adoption records.’

  Fliss’s grim expression as she placed the last of the items in the dishwasher said there could be many medical explanations for why there was no proof Libby’s baby—if she had indeed been pregnant—had made it to full term.

  Ella shared her sober thoughts as she closed the dishwasher door and switched it on.

  ‘How’s Violet?’ Fliss asked, words subdued as she filled the sink with soapy water.

  ‘She’s devastated that if Libby was pregnant why she didn’t feel she could tell her and Lloyd.’ Ella took a clean tea towel from out of the drawer to wipe the cupcake tray Fliss soon sat in the drying rack. ‘They would have helped her raise the baby just like they did with Gemma.’

  ‘I’ll see her on my way home. What does Saul think?’

  Ella hoped that Fliss’s stare lingered out of concern for Violet and not because she’d mentioned Saul’s name. She took extra care wiping the next tray. ‘Like me he thinks it’s the missing piece of the puzzle.’

  ‘You and Saul make a great team. Violet’s lucky to have you both helping her.’

  Ella ignored Fliss’s comment. At the moment Saul was the bane of her life. He was the reason why she’d slept in and was now running late and had a chaotic kitchen. ‘I just wish we could do more. The only things to make Violet smile lately are a visit from Duke and the news that Gemma’s coming to stay next week.’

  ‘It might be a long shot but
Jeb’s new partner might know something about him having had another child besides Gemma.’

  Ella wiped the final cupcake tray. ‘Logic tells me that if Libby did have a baby, he mustn’t have known about it, as not only did he stay in town, he kept going out with Annette. When she fell pregnant he stuck around, even if it wasn’t for long.’

  Water gurgled as the sink emptied. Fliss dried her hands on Ella’s tea towel. ‘I’ll see if I can track his new partner down.’

  ‘That would be great.’ Ella touched her chin and grimaced when she realised she had sticky icing on her face.

  Fliss answered her unspoken question with a smile. ‘It’s also in your hair.’ She gave her a quick hug. ‘I’ll leave you to get ready. You’ve still plenty of time.’ At the doorway she turned. ‘Say hi to Saul for me. We really should have another barbeque, it seems like ages since the dessert night.’

  Ella kept her smile in place until she waved Fliss off from the back door. Then she turned and headed for the shower. She had precisely ten minutes to get clean, dressed and on the road.

  Hair still wet, she made it out her front gate in nine minutes. The containers of cupcakes were piled high on her passenger seat. It was only when she passed the rusted forty-four-gallon drum letterbox of the farm down the road that was currently home to a swarm of bees that she relaxed. Despite her morning chaos she was now running on time.

  As for Fliss’s suggestion that they have another barbeque, Ella was back to not wanting to go if Saul was going to be there. Even though they were a team when it came to looking out for Violet and they’d confirmed that they were still on the same friendship page, she needed to keep all contact to a minimum.

  Saul’s explanation about why Denham had looked after Windermere had shone a spotlight on the instability of her emotions. It wasn’t like her to take things personally but that was how she’d reacted. Instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt, she’d overthought why he hadn’t asked her.

  Embarrassment merged with uncertainty. When her brother had gone missing, and again when her parents hadn’t coped either alone or together, she’d worked hard to maintain an even keel. She’d done the same in the aftermath of what had happened on that narrow English lane. While all those around her were on an emotional roller-coaster, she’d stayed on the ground. But since Saul had come into her life, she felt as though she’d too been spinning and it scared her.