Her Happy-Ever-After Family: The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family / Miracle in Bellaroo Creek / Patchwork Family in the Outback

‘As far as I can tell,’ she finally started, ‘Sarah and Bruce were happy for most of their marriage.’ Though God knew she wasn’t an expert. ‘But two and a half years ago Bruce was involved in an accident at his work where he suffered a brain injury.’

‘Where did he work?’

‘In an open cut mine in the Upper Hunter Valley. An explosion went off when it shouldn’t have. It was all touch and go for a while. He spent four months in hospital and then had months and months of rehabilitation.’

‘What happened?’ he prompted when she stopped.

She clung to his hand. Unconsciously she leaned one bare arm against his until she remembered that there were still warm good things in the world. ‘His personality changed. This previously calm, family-oriented man suddenly had a temper he couldn’t control. It would apparently flare up at the smallest provocation.’ And then Bruce would lash out with his fists. ‘He looked the same, he sounded the same, but he was a totally different man from the one my sister had married.’

‘She should’ve removed the children from that situation immediately.’

Tess stilled. Very gently she removed her hand from his, and went back to chafing her arms. ‘We’re so quick to judge, aren’t we? But how sacred do you hold wedding vows, Cameron? Because my sister took them very seriously. For better for worse; in sickness and in health. The accident wasn’t Bruce’s fault. He didn’t go looking for it. He’d simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. How do you abandon someone who’s been through that?’ She peered up at him. ‘I don’t think you’d abandon a woman who’d been through something like that.’

He stared at her and then dragged a hand down his face. ‘Did you know about the violence?’

Bitterness filled her mouth and she shook her head. ‘I was hardly ever in the country. I was too busy with my career and gallivanting around Europe and making a name for myself to notice anything.’

She’d been off having the time of her life while her sister had been living a nightmare. Sarah had always been so staunchly independent but that was no excuse. Deep down she’d known something had been troubling her sister, only Sarah would deny it whenever Tess had pressed her. Oh, yes, there had been signs. Signs she hadn’t picked up on.

Her vision blurred. Sarah had been so proud of Tess’s successes, but they were nothing—surface glitter with no substance. Like Tess herself.

‘Tess?’

She shook herself. ‘I found out about the violence after the car accident, from Sarah’s neighbours and Bruce’s doctors. From Ty and Krissie.’ And from the letter Sarah had left her, asking her to look after the children if anything should happen to her, and leaving her a ludicrously large life insurance policy, enabling her to do exactly that.

She lifted her chin. ‘All that matters now is making sure Ty and Krissie feel safe and building a good life for them here. I’ll do whatever that takes.’

‘Why?’

The single question chilled her. ‘Because I love them.’ That was the truth. Cam didn’t need to know any more than that. She wasn’t sure she could bear the disgust in his eyes if she told him the whole truth.

‘Miss Laing, there you are! We’ve been knocking on the front door, but you obviously didn’t hear us.’

Tess and Cam shot to their feet as three women came around the side of the house—Cam’s mum, Stacy Bennet and the unknown but well-dressed woman who’d addressed Tess.

Tess urged herself forward and forced what she hoped was a welcoming smile to her lips. ‘I’m terribly sorry!’

‘It’s no matter, dear,’ Lorraine said. ‘But I want to introduce you to Helen Milton. She’s the headmistress of Lachlan Downs Ladies College, which is a boarding school two hours south of here. She’s made the trip into Bellaroo Creek especially to meet you.’

Cam rolled his shoulders and remained where he was. Why on earth did Helen want to meet Tess?

‘I saw you play when I was in London the year before last. My dear, you have such a rare talent, but it wasn’t until I saw you play in Barcelona a few months later that I truly realised it.’

Tess’s spine, her shoulders, her whole bearing stiffened. He couldn’t see her face, but the fact she made no reply told its own story. He moved to stand beside her.

‘Hello, Cameron.’

He glanced down at his mother and his stomach clenched. ‘Mum.’

‘Oh, no, no, no,’ Helen continued, ‘you won’t be hiding your light under a bushel out here, Tess!’

Tess gripped her hands together, her knuckles turning white. ‘Oh, but—’

‘You don’t mind me calling you Tess, do you?’

‘Of course not. I—’

‘It’d be a crime for you to bury your talent and I won’t allow it.’

Lorraine smiled at him and behind the lines of strain that fanned out from her eyes he recognised genuine delight. ‘Tess is apparently not just a world-class pianist, but a classical guitarist of some note too.’

He stared at her. Not a dancer but a musician? It made perfect sense. It explained her innate grace and balance, and the way her whole being came alive when she sang.

She shrugged, colour flooding her cheeks as he continued to stare at her. He nudged her arm. ‘Tess, that’s really something.’

But she stared back at him with doe-in-the-headlight eyes and he didn’t understand, only knew something was terribly wrong. He straightened. ‘How about we go inside and I’ll put the kettle on?’ Tess needed something warm and sweet inside her.

‘I can’t, I’m sorry—this is just a flying visit. I need to be back at the college by three—I’ve chartered a plane—but I wanted to introduce myself to Tess while I had a brief window of opportunity.’ Helen turned back to Tess. ‘Because I have plans for you, my dear.’

‘Oh?’ Tess’s voice was nothing but a whisper.

‘Every year we hold a two-week summer camp at the college, and we want you to give music tuition. Heavens, talk about a coup!’

‘But…but I couldn’t possibly leave Ty and Krissie for two whole weeks.’

‘My dear, they can come too. There’ll be all sorts of activities to keep them occupied.’

‘But—’

Helen’s eyes narrowed and hardened. Cam shifted his feet. The headmistress hadn’t got where she was today by taking no for an answer.

‘Miss Laing, you can’t possibly have a problem with wanting to assist The community that has taken you under its wing. Surely?’

‘Well, no, of course not.’

His lips twisted. The rotten woman should’ve gone into politics.

‘Excellent!’ She took Tess’s arm and led her back the way she’d come. ‘I’ll email you with all the details. And don’t worry, you’ll be handsomely reimbursed.’

‘How are you, Cameron?’ his mother asked, her question stopping him from following.

He rolled his shoulders. ‘Fine, and you?’

Her hand fluttered to her throat. ‘Fine.’

He shifted from one leg to the other. ‘Would you like to come around for dinner one day this week?’ The words burst from him. They burned and needled but he didn’t retract them.

‘Oh!’ She swallowed. ‘I…I’m afraid this week isn’t good.’

‘Right.’ Exactly the same response as the last time he’d asked her. ‘Let me know when your diary clears.’

She opened her mouth, but closed it again without saying anything more. ‘I’d better go,’ she finally said. ‘Goodbye, Cameron.’

‘Mum.’

He stared after her and then started in surprise when Ty slipped his small hand inside Cam’s. He glanced down. ‘You okay, buddy?’

‘What did that lady want?’

‘I think she wants your auntie Tess to do some work for her.’

‘Auntie Tess didn’t look very happy.’

No, she hadn’t. Why not? If she had a passion for music…Cam cut the thought off and focused on allaying Ty’s concern instead. ‘I think your auntie Tess is going to be just fine, Ty. She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to.’

Ty thought about that for a moment and then nodded. ‘Would you like to play fetch with Barney?’

CHAPTER FIVE

CAM STRODE THROUGH the back door of the schoolhouse. If Stacy really wanted to turn that lower field into a play area for the children, they were going to need to talk about drainage, fund-raising and working bees.

He turned the corner and then pulled up short as Tess bolted through the school’s front door.

He swallowed. he’d spent two afternoons last week finishing off the chicken coop. Both times she’d invited him to stay for dinner. Both times he’d declined. Since he’d revealed he was leaving Bellaroo Creek, they’d maintained a polite but slightly formal distance.

Which was fine by him. As far as he was concerned the less time he spent thinking about her, the better.

He watched her halt now, press her hands to her waist and drag in a breath. Something was up. Before he could kick himself forward and ask what, she’d set her spine and moved straight for Stacy Bennet’s office. ‘Hey, chickadee, what’s up?’

Before she could enter the office, however, Krissie had hurtled out of it to fling herself at Tess, her face crumpled and her shoulders shaking with sobs. Tess held her against her with one hand while the other caressed the hair back off her face. His gut tightened as he watched her. Her love was evident in every touch and gesture. The set of her shoulders and her bent head told him that Krissie’s pain was her own. He had to swallow. He rolled his shoulders, but he couldn’t look away.

Krissie’s storm was brief. When she finally relaxed her grip, Tess led her back into the office. Had someone frightened Krissie again? Almost without thinking he moved towards the office, halting in its doorway. Tess, Krissie and Stacy all sat on Stacy’s sofa, and Tess wiped Krissie’s face with a handful of tissues. They didn’t see him.

‘You want to tell me what happened, chickadee?’

He marvelled at the calm strength in her voice, at her distinct I-can-fix-anything attitude. He shoved his hands in his pockets. Tess Laing was a hell of a woman. He took a step back. She obviously had everything under control. He should leave and give them some privacy. He turned away.

‘Do we have money troubles?’ Krissie hiccupped.

He stiffened and swung back.

‘Heavens, no,’ Tess pooh-poohed. ‘What’s brought this on?’

‘Mikey said we must be poor if we’re renting a house for a dollar a week. And I know that when you’re poor bad things can happen.’

Cam stiffened. A five-year-old should be happy and carefree, not constantly glancing over her shoulder waiting for bad things to happen. A five-year-old shouldn’t have so little faith in all that was bright and good.

Neither should a twenty-nine-year-old.

He shook that thought off.

For the first time he truly appreciated the task Tess had set herself.

Tess tucked the child under her arm and pulled her in close. ‘When you’re a bit older I’ll explain life insurance policies to you, chickadee. You’ll probably learn all about them at school when you’re fourteen or fifteen. But I can promise—cross my heart—that your mum and dad made sure that you, Ty and me would have enough money so we wouldn’t want for anything.’

She’d taken the perfect tone, and she had perfect—

He averted his gaze and wished he’d thought to do that before she’d crossed her heart.

He glanced back to see Krissie turn up a hopeful face. ‘Really?’

‘Really, truly.’

‘Daddy too?’

‘Daddy too.’

Tess might’ve taken the perfect tone, but some sixth sense warned him that she was horribly close to tears. Stacy jumped to the rescue. ‘You want to know why your aunt Tess wanted to come to Bellaroo Creek, Krissie?’

She stared up at the teacher with solemn eyes and nodded.

‘It’s because she knew we wanted you all to come and live out here and be a part of our town. Your aunt Tess knows how nice it is to be wanted.’

The child swung to Tess and Tess smiled at her. ‘It’s true. Don’t you think it’s lovely to come to a place where everyone wants to be friends with us? And weren’t we talking just last night about all the things we like about living in Bellaroo Creek?’

‘You like the fresh air.’

‘I sure do.’ She nudged Krissie’s shoulder with a grin. ‘And I’m finding I have a big soft spot for sultana cake.’

Krissie giggled. ‘And I love Fluffy and Ty loves Barney. And Louisa and Suzie are really nice, and so is Mrs Bennet,’ she added with a shy glance at her teacher.

‘So you don’t need to get upset about anything anyone says, all right?’ Tess said.

Krissie pursed her lips and finally nodded, obviously deciding to trust her aunt. ‘Okay.’

‘How about you run back to class now, Krissie?’ her teacher said. ‘Mrs Leigh is teaching everyone a new song and you wouldn’t want to miss out on that, would you?’

With a hug for Tess, Krissie started for the door. Cam suddenly realised he still stood there staring. He tried to duck out of the way, but he wasn’t quick enough. ‘Cam!’ Krissie hugged him, grinning up at him with those big brown eyes of hers before disappearing down the corridor to her classroom.

He gulped and turned back to Tess and Stacy. ‘Sorry, I was coming in to talk to you about that lower field. I didn’t mean…’

‘Well, as you’re here now you may as well come in.’ Stacy waved him in as she walked back behind her desk. ‘You’ve obviously become good friends with your new neighbours if Krissie’s reaction is anything to go by.’

The collar of his shirt tightened. He didn’t know what to say, so he entered the room and sat on the sofa beside Tess, careful to keep a safe distance between them. ‘You okay?’ he murmured.

‘Sure.’ Tess sent him a wan smile before turning back to Stacy. ‘Mrs Bennet, I’m so sorry. I—’

‘Stacy, dear, please…at least when the children aren’t present. And let me assure you there’s no need to apologise. There were always going to be a few teething problems. I knew that the moment I read your application and discovered Ty and Krissie had recently lost their parents.’

Tess’s breath whooshed out of her. ‘That didn’t put you off accepting us into town?’

‘Absolutely not! We think you’re perfect for Bellaroo Creek. And we think our town has a lot to offer all of you too. What are a few teething problems in the grand scheme, anyway? So don’t you go making this bigger in your mind than it ought to be. The children will settle in just fine, you’ll see. What we need to do now is sort you out.’

‘Me?’ she squeaked.

‘But before we move on to that, I just want to let you know that if Krissie has another little outburst like that, then we’ll deal with it in-house rather than calling you in.’

‘Oh, but—’

‘Believe me, Tess, it’ll be for the best. I thought it important you came today, just so Krissie knows she can rely on you, but from hereon we’ll deal with it.’

‘But what if—?’

Stacy held up a hand and Cam heard Tess literally swallow. ‘Oh, I’m making a hash of it, aren’t I?’

His jaw dropped. He turned to her. ‘What are you talking about? You’ve been brilliant!’

‘Cam is right, Tess. You’re doing a remarkable job in difficult circumstances. I sincerely applaud all you’ve achieved.’

Tess shot him a glance before turning back to Stacy. Her spine straightened. ‘Thank you.’

‘Believe me, you can be the natural mother of twelve children and still feel utterly clueless some days.’

Tess stared, and then she started to laugh. ‘I’m not sure that’s particularly comforting, but it makes me feel better all the same.’ She leant forward, her hands clasped on her knees. ‘Okay, so what did you mean when you said you needed to sort me out?’

‘Do you really think you’ll find it satisfying enough just keeping house and looking after the children?’

‘Well, I—’

‘My dear, I think you’ll go mad. So what I want to propose is for you to run a class or two for our OOSH programme.’

‘OOSH?’

‘Out of school hours,’ Stacy clarified. ‘The classes would only run for forty minutes or so. The school has a budget for it, so you would be paid.’

Tess opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

‘It’ll be a great benefit to the community during term time and great for the kids. More important, however, I expect it will help keep you fresh and stop you from going stir crazy.’

Tess stiffened when she realised exactly what kind of classes Stacy was going to ask her to teach—music classes. Cam stared at her and recalled the way she’d tensed up when Helen had co-opted her for the summer school. He frowned. Surely with her experience and expertise teaching music classes would be a cinch. If she had a passion for music, wouldn’t she be eager to share it?

He didn’t want to ask any awkward questions. At least, not in front of Stacy, but…

Silence stretched throughout the office. Finally Tess smoothed back her hair. ‘I know you’re thinking of my piano and guitar training,’ she said quietly. Too quietly. ‘But piano isn’t really appropriate to teach to a large group. As for guitar, that will only work if everyone has their own instrument.’

Stacy grimaced and shook her head.

Tess’s hands relaxed their ferocious grip on each other. He stared at them, and then opened his mouth. He could donate the funds needed to buy the school guitars.

‘I figured that might be the case,’ Tess said.

He closed his mouth again, curious to see what she meant to propose.

She pursed her lips and pretended to consider the problem. He stared, trying to work out how he knew it was a pretence, but he couldn’t put a finger on it. He kept getting sidetracked by the perfect colour of her skin and the plump promise of her lips.

‘I could do percussion classes,’ she said. ‘It teaches timing and rhythm and the kids would love it.’

‘Sounds…noisy,’ he said.

‘Which no doubt is part of the fun,’ said Stacy. ‘What equipment would you need?’

‘Any kind of percussion instrument the school or the children have lying around—drums, cymbals, triangles, maracas, clappers. Even two bits of wood would work, or rice in a plastic milk container.’

‘We can make some of those in class.’

‘Do you have recorders?’ Both he and Stacy groaned. Tess grinned. ‘I’ll take that as a yes. In my opinion recorders get a bad rap. They’re a wonderful tool for teaching children how to read music.’

‘Oh, Tess, that sounds perfect!’ Stacy clasped her hands on her desk and beamed at them. ‘Can you start next week? We hold the classes at the community hall and there’ll always be a parent or four to help out. Would Tuesdays and Thursdays suit you?’

‘I’d love to be involved, and any day of the week is fine with me.’

Cam couldn’t tell if she truly meant it or not, but he sensed her sincere desire to fit in, to become fully involved in life at Bellaroo Creek. To give back. His stomach rolled. While he was intent on leaving.

‘I know you’re busy on Kurrajong, Cam, but I don’t suppose you’d take a class?’

He went to say, You can take that right, when Krissie’s crumpled face rose in his mind…along with the way Ty flinched whenever he was startled as if waiting for a blow to fall. ‘I’ll teach judo classes on a Wednesday if you think there’ll be any takers.’

Tess spun to him. He refused to look at her. He refused to consider too deeply what that meant for his plans. It’d only be a minor delay. It’d only mean hanging around in Bellaroo Creek for an extra month to six weeks. He did what he could to stop his lip from curling.

‘I forgot you had judo training. You received your training certificate before you went off to university, didn’t you?’

He nodded. Teaching judo had helped pay his way through university.

‘Excellent! That’ll be another winner. I can’t tell you both how much I appreciate it. I’ll be in touch to fine-tune the details,’ Stacy said. ‘Now, Cam, my lower field.’

‘We need to talk drainage and fund-raising.’

She sighed. ‘Just as I feared. We might have to leave that all for another day,’ she said, leading them to the door. ‘But many thanks for coming out here and taking a look. Take care, the both of you.’

Cam glanced at Tess as they set off for the front gate. Was she all right? Dealing with Krissie’s and Ty’s fears and insecurities had to be taking its toll. He didn’t doubt for a moment that she loved them, but…She’d essentially gone from fêted musician to a single mother of two needy children in the blink of an eye. It couldn’t be easy. Some days it must be bloody heartbreaking and exhausting. ‘Are you okay?’

One shoulder lifted, but lines of fatigue fanned out from her eyes. ‘Sure.’ When he didn’t say anything she glanced up, grimaced and shrugged again. ‘Some days it feels as if we take one step forward and three steps back.’

He couldn’t think of anything to say that didn’t sound like a platitude or the accepted wisdom she already knew.

‘I know it’ll get better with time.’

But how much time? And how ragged would she run herself in the meantime? He glanced at her again and bit back a curse.

‘You did that for Ty’s and Krissie’s sakes, didn’t you?’ she said, when they reached their cars. She blinked in the sunlight. ‘Offering to teach judo.’

He chose his words carefully. ‘I think if they feel they can defend themselves, they’ll become a little more…relaxed.’

‘I don’t doubt that for a single moment, but…’

But? He shifted. ‘I don’t teach fighting as a good or positive thing to do, Tess. Judo is about self-discipline and learning how to defend yourself.’

‘Oh, it’s not that!’ She actually looked shocked by the idea. ‘But…’ she glanced around as if afraid of being overheard ‘…I thought you were leaving town?’

He rolled his shoulders. ‘I am. That hasn’t changed.’ He wanted them very clear on that. ‘But there’s still a lot of work to sort out on Kurrajong. Hanging around until the end of the school term means I won’t be leaving it all for my station manager to sort out.’ He gritted his teeth. What was a month?

Besides, it had struck him afresh in Stacy’s office that while he was fighting not to turn into his father, that was exactly what he was in danger of becoming. Just like his father, he’d withdrawn from the community and thrown himself into work on the station. Leaving Bellaroo Creek and involving himself in a cause he was passionate about would ensure that history didn’t repeat, but in the meantime he had to fight that inward impulse as much as he could. Even if it meant coming face-to-face with Lance and Fiona some time in the near future.

What would that matter? In three months he’d be in Africa.

In the meantime, he would not bury himself on Kurrajong Station with all of his bitterness and shattered dreams. He thrust his shoulders back. He’d get the chance to explore new horizons, stretch his wings, and shake the dust of this godforsaken place from his boots soon enough.

‘You know, I’d kill for a piece of butter cake with orange icing right about now.’

He blinked himself back into the present. ‘Sorry, Tess, I’m afraid the town doesn’t stretch to a bakery.’ Though rumour had it that might change in the not too distant future with Milla Brady coming home. One could only hope.

‘It doesn’t mean I can’t make a cake of my own, though.’

True enough. He opened her car door for her. ‘You think it’ll cheer Krissie up?’

‘It may well do,’ she said with a shrug, but a cheeky grin peeped through. ‘Mostly I just want one because I’m famished!’

He laughed, noting the way her shoulders had started to loosen.

‘I don’t know what it is about the air out here, but my appetite suddenly seems to know no bounds.’

‘Will you have time for a lesson on the lawnmower this afternoon? It’s in perfect working order again and I thought I might bring it over.’ It occurred to him that it might be a good idea for Tess to have company this afternoon.

‘Oh, that’ll be perfect! I’ll feed you cake, and you can teach me the fine art of lawnmower riding.’

‘Deal.’

He tried to ignore the excitement that curled in his stomach as she drove away. He was teaching her how to use the ride-on, that was all. If he was lucky it might stop her from brooding. End of story.