Flight to Coorah Creek Page 10

  She spotted him immediately. He was standing on the veranda overlooking the car park. Jess felt a rush of anger. He really was leaving! And at the moment Nikki needed him most of all. Well, not if she had any say in the matter. She took two strides towards the unfortunate teenager, but was stopped by a quiet but firm voice.

  ‘Do you love her?’

  ‘More than anything,’ Steve said.

  Jess realised Adam was standing just out of her view. ‘Will you love the baby?’

  ‘Of course I will. It’s just … this wasn’t supposed to happen,’ Steve said, his voice breaking with emotion. ‘Nikki is only eighteen. We’re not married.’ The latter statement came out sounding so defensive that Jess wanted to put her arms around the boy.

  ‘That doesn’t matter,’ Adam said. ‘What matters now is how you treat her. And how you treat your child.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘Then you treat them right.’ Adam’s voice was uncharacteristically hard.

  Steve took a long steadying breath. He lifted his head and straightened his shoulders. Jess felt she was watching a boy become a man.

  ‘I will,’ Steve said in a much stronger voice.

  ‘I’ll be keeping an eye on you to make sure you do,’ Adam said firmly. Then he stepped into Jess’s view. She expected him to place his hand on the boy’s shoulder, but he didn’t.

  Steve nodded.

  ‘Right. Let’s go back and see if your baby is about ready to make an entrance.’

  Jess turned and darted back down the hallway towards Nikki’s room. She didn’t want either man to know she had been listening.

  Nikki’s face lit up when Steve returned. He walked straight to her side and took her hand. ‘Sorry about that Nik,’ he said. ‘But don’t worry. I’m here now.’

  Jess looked at Adam trying to read his face as he watched the young couple. He caught her watching him. For a few seconds their eyes met. Jess wondered just what he was thinking, but then as he always did, he turned back to his patient.

  ‘Nikki, let me just see how you’re doing.’ He reached for clean gloves. ‘I think it’ll all happen pretty soon.’

  He was right. Nikki’s contractions quickly became harder and stronger. Jessica’s heart went out to the poor girl, and to the young man who never left her side.

  Later, she couldn’t remember exactly how it all happened.

  All she recalled was that as Nikki bore down, Adam asked Jess to hand him a towel. She turned to get one, and when she looked back, Adam was holding a small, squirming bundle of life in his hands. The baby was mottled and red and crying. She was damp with birthing fluids and she was the most beautiful thing Jess had ever seen.

  Adam presented the baby to the young parents, both of whom were weeping unashamedly.

  ‘You have an absolutely perfect daughter,’ Adam said.

  Nikki and Steve both reached out to gently touch their baby.

  ‘She’s so beautiful,’ Nikki said softly.

  Steve, too overcome with emotion, just nodded as tears streamed down his young face.

  ‘I’ll just get Jess to take her for a few moments,’ Adam said.

  He turned to Jess who held out the towel. Gently, Adam placed the baby in Jess’s arms. As she carefully wrapped the towel around the newborn, Jess felt tears form in her own eyes. She held the tiny girl safe and looked at Adam. She blinked back the tears and nodded. Adam understood.

  ‘I told you so,’ he said, as he stroked the baby’s cheek with one gentle finger.

  Chapter Ten

  Ellen would have screamed if it wasn’t for the kids.

  Beth and Harry were sitting at the table in the pub’s big kitchen, happily downing home-made biscuits and milk. The biscuits, baked by Trish Warren of course, were a special treat because Ellen was about to leave them for the first night of her new job at The Mineside pub.

  Except, she wasn’t. She couldn’t. Frustration washed over her again. Trish had found her a babysitter for the evening – a teenage girl Trish swore could be trusted. But the babysitter had called in sick just a short time ago and Trish had been unable to come up with a replacement. Ellen knew Trish couldn’t watch the kids. Friday was the busiest night at the pub and Trish had work to do. There was no way Ellen would leave the kids alone. All of which meant she was going to have to call Pete, the manager at The Mineside, and tell him she couldn’t come in. Ellen had no illusions. That conversation would end with Pete saying she no longer had a job. She couldn’t blame him for that. In his place, she’d probably do exactly the same thing.

  Ellen sighed loudly, causing Harry to look up.

  ‘Is something wrong, Mummy?’ he asked, his face creasing into a frown.

  That frown just tore at Ellen’s heart. She knew what had put that old look on such a young face. Whatever happened, she was never going to regret taking her precious children away from their old life.

  ‘No, Harry,’ she said brightly. ‘There’s nothing wrong. I’m just going to talk to Mrs Warren. You two finish your snack. I’ll be right back.’

  Ellen left the kitchen. She glanced at the clock. It was after five o’clock. She was supposed to be at work by five-thirty and stay there until eleven o’clock. She had run out of options. She had to call Pete. She was heading for the phone when she saw Jess Pearson walk in, with the strangest look on her face.

  ‘Hi Jess,’ Ellen said.

  ‘Oh. Hi.’

  ‘Is everything all right? You look a bit …’ Ellen searched for the right word and couldn’t find it.

  Jess laughed. ‘Everything is fine. I’ve just had the most … I don’t know. I suppose it was an amazing experience.’

  ‘What happened?’ Ellen was glad of something to take her mind off her problems.

  ‘I delivered a baby.’

  ‘You what?’

  ‘Well, all right. I didn’t actually deliver the baby myself. Adam did. But with Sister Luke away, I had to help him.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘It was … amazing.’ Jess looked at Ellen. ‘But I guess you know that, being a mother.’

  ‘Yes, I do.’

  ‘And Adam was just … Well. He cares so much. Not just about the baby. The parents, too. They were so young and scared. He helped them so much.’

  ‘He’s quite something, that doctor, isn’t he?’

  ‘He sure is.’

  Ellen couldn’t help herself. She started to chuckle and was rewarded when Jess started to blush.

  ‘Stop it,’ Jess said. ‘There’s nothing like that.’

  ‘There could be,’ Ellen suggested.

  ‘No. No there couldn’t.’ Jess sounded a little saddened by that thought.

  Ellen had seen the way Jess looked when she talked about the doctor. She’d also met Adam now. He was a handsome man. Compelling and driven in his work. He wasn’t her type, but she had no doubt that some women would find him very attractive. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Very sure.’ The tone of Jess’s voice made it clear the topic was closed. ‘Anyway, what are you still doing here? I thought you were working tonight.’

  Ellen explained her situation.

  ‘But that’s easy,’ Jess said when Ellen finished. ‘I’ll look after the kids.’

  Ellen felt a surge of gratitude, but her natural reticence made her shake her head. The kids liked Jess. And they would be safe with her. But Ellen wasn’t one to impose. ‘I couldn’t ask you to do that.’

  ‘You don’t have to. I offered. That’s if you trust me to take care of them?’

  ‘Of course I do. After all, how many babysitters have delivered a baby?’ They both laughed and Ellen felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. She was more than happy to leave Jess in charge of her two. They didn’t know each other well, but they were quickly bec
oming friends. They’d talked a little at the house, which Ellen was helping to turn into Jess’s new home. Jess was better with the kids than she knew. The kids’ well-being was the most important thing in Ellen’s world. The second most important thing was to have a job so she could look after them.

  After seeing the kids settled, Ellen set out on foot for The Mineside pub. She could have borrowed the car that Jess habitually used, but she didn’t want to. She owed Jess enough for one night. And it was quite a pleasant evening for a walk. The sun had not yet disappeared from the sky, and a few clouds to the west were tinged with pink. The air had cooled a little and smelled fresh. Of course, she had to walk along the gravel edge of the east-bound highway. But there wasn’t exactly a lot of traffic.

  She didn’t see another soul as she walked. Not even as she passed the houses where the married mine workers lived. She saw lights flick on in a couple of those homes and wondered about the women who lived there. Had they ever suffered as she had? Were there women behind those doors who needed to break away, too? Unconsciously she rubbed her arm where the bruise had now faded. She would never go back. Ahead of her, the pub beckoned. This was the start of her new life.

  Her new life didn’t look all that bright as she got closer. She could see the faded paint and the weathered boards on the veranda. The pile of empty kegs at the back of the pub had grown larger since her last visit. And a second drum now overflowed with empty bottles. A handful of cars had been parked haphazardly around the pub. They were, for the most part, old and battered and dirty. For a few seconds, Ellen felt the urge to turn around, collect her kids and head back east where at least she knew a few people. She rubbed her arm again. No. That wasn’t an option. She took a deep breath, mustered all her courage and walked into the pub.

  Five men were seated at the bar – and every one of them turned to look at Ellen as she walked in. One whistled. Ellen wondered why. She was no blousy barmaid. She had dressed carefully for the evening – in a pair of jeans, a button-up white shirt and flat shoes for comfort during the long evening. She wasn’t wearing make-up. In fact, she didn’t even own so much as a lip gloss now. There was no reason for anyone to whistle at her.

  ‘Hey, Pete. She’s here.’

  Pete emerged from the cold room, looking just as thin and pale and tired as the last time she’d seen him.

  ‘Hi, Boss,’ she said, as she approached the bar.

  ‘Glad you’re here,’ Pete said. ‘The main crowd should be coming in about seven. Give you time to get things set up.’

  ‘I’ll be ready,’ Ellen said.

  ‘About bloody time.’ The slurred comment came from the far end of the bar, where a large man was hunched on a stool, nursing a beer. The dust on his sweat stained shirt suggested he’d come to the pub straight from work. The way he swayed suggested he’d had more than just the one drink. ‘I’ve been here all afternoon and I want some grub. Now!’

  Ellen felt herself wince at the belligerent, drunken tone. She’d heard it too many times before, and knew where it led. Her instinct was to duck away and do whatever the man asked. That’s how she’d survived in the past.

  ‘I’ll get right on it,’ she said quickly, and darted through the door to the kitchen.

  Once the swinging door had closed behind her and she was alone, Ellen leaned back against the big wooden table. She took a deep slow breath, gripping the table edge firmly to stop her hands from shaking with both fear and anger. She was afraid of the big man, and angry with herself for that fear. But there was nothing she could do about it. That was how the world was and more than anything else, all Ellen wanted to do was get out of the pub and find somewhere safe.

  Before she could act on the thought Pete appeared.

  ‘Don’t worry about Mac,’ he said in an offhand manner. ‘He gets a bit drunk on Friday nights. He’s harmless enough.’

  ‘Oh, I wasn’t worried,’ Ellen said, forcing herself to move away from the table. ‘I can handle him.’

  ‘I hope so,’ Pete said. He looked a little embarrassed. ‘Look, you seem like a real nice person. You gotta know this pub is a bit rough. Are you sure you want to do this?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Ellen said with a bravado that was entirely false. ‘I’m sure. Now why don’t you take care of the bar and leave me to get things sorted out here.’

  Pete hesitated for no more than a second, then left.

  Ellen watched the door swing shut behind him. Could she handle the bully at the bar? Could she even handle this job? And if she couldn’t do this, what was she ever going to be able to do?

  Ellen glanced around at the unfamiliar kitchen. She knew how to cook, but this was different from anything she’d done before. Still, it couldn’t be too hard. Pete had said his customers liked their steak. Steak wasn’t hard – burn it or serve it still bleeding. That she could do. She headed for the cold room and looked inside. Yes, there it was. Steak. A lot of steak. And sausages, bacon and eggs. Next she checked the pantry. Potatoes. Onions. Carrots, many bottles of tomato sauce. And more potatoes.

  ‘Well,’ she said to herself, ‘I guess I don’t have to worry too much about the menu.’

  As she was carrying bags of potatoes to the table, she noticed some cans and bottles at the back of one of the pantry shelves. Curious she pulled them forward for a closer look. Cans of mushrooms. A jar of crushed garlic. A bottle of virgin olive oil. A few cans of French beans. At some point someone had actually cooked in this kitchen. Ellen decided not to check the use by dates on the bottles and jars. Whatever happened, she wasn’t about to throw away those little bits of inspiration. This was a pub – and even a pub like this must have a bottle or a cask of red wine somewhere. If so, she could …

  Forty minutes later, Ellen, wearing a hand towel tied around her waist as an apron, was back in the bar. A blackboard on the wall informed the patrons that they could have steak with eggs or mash or both. There was the option of bacon and sausage – also with the mash and eggs options. And a mixed grill, which Ellen assumed was all of the above. The board looked like it hadn’t changed in years, but there was a piece of chalk on the wooden frame.

  Ellen cleaned away the old menu, aware that every man in the bar was watching her. She was proud to see that her hand wasn’t shaking as she started writing.

  ‘What’s that? Beef bog-ig-none. I ain’t eating any foreign muck!’

  Ellen took a deep breath, fixed a firm but friendly look on her face and turned to face both Mac, and her own cowardice.

  ‘It’s steak with red wine and if you tried it, I think you’d like it.’

  ‘It’s foreign muck, and I ain’t having it.’ His face turned a slighter darker shade of red. Ellen’s heart plunged, and then another voice spoke.

  ‘I think it sounds good. I’ll have some. Please.’

  Ellen felt a surge of relief. She turned to face the newcomer, and looked straight into Jack North’s smiling eyes.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jack saw a series of emotions race across Ellen’s face. Relief. Gratitude and something more. Could it be that she was pleased to see him?

  ‘Hello, Jack. One beef bourguignon coming right up.’ In the space of a second, her face changed. A look of friendly determination formed as she turned towards the end of the bar. ‘And for you, Mac, there’s always steak and the biggest one I’ve got has your name on it. All right?’

  ‘All right.’ The tone was grudging.

  ‘How do you want it cooked?’

  ‘Burn it!’ Mac subsided back into contemplation of his half-empty glass.

  ‘All right then.’ Ellen cast another quick glance at Jack then vanished back into the kitchen.

  Jack stepped up to the bar, and nodded to Pete, who set about pouring him a beer.

  ‘G’day mate,’ one of the miners raised his glass in salute from further down the bar.


  Jack nodded. He wasn’t often in The Mineside, but he knew most of the men here. As well as looking after the air ambulance and the hospital equipment, Jack spent some of his time maintaining machinery at the mine. Occasionally he’d join some of the men as they washed down the dust after a hard day’s work. This was where they came. Jack seldom stayed for more than a single beer. For the most part the men were the single mine workers. Or the married ones who didn’t want to go home. Jack preferred the company at the Warrens’ pub, where families came for a meal out. Or he preferred a night at home, reading and listening to music.

  Tonight, he’d felt compelled to come to The Mineside. He knew exactly why.

  Jack paid for his beer and moved away from the bar. He wasn’t looking for conversation with Pete or the other drinkers. He took a chair at a table with a clear view of the door leading to the kitchen.

  A few minutes later, Ellen appeared. Her face was damp with sweat from the heat in the kitchen, her hair tucked behind her ears. She didn’t notice Jack as she turned towards the end of the bar, and slid the plate onto the stained wood in front of Mac. The big man focused on the blackened steak and huge pile of mash, then looked up at Ellen and grunted something that might have been thanks.

  Ellen caught Jack’s eye as she headed back to the kitchen. ‘You’re next.’

  The plate she brought out for him also held a goodly pile of mash. Jack smiled. She’d learned that bit fast. It also held a big serving of some sort of dark, meaty stew. Heads turned as the men caught the rich scent. There were green beans on the plate too, and Jack almost laughed. He would bet no one could remember the last time green vegetables had appeared on a plate in this place.

  ‘That looks great,’ he said. ‘Thank you.’

  Ellen almost blushed. She hesitated as if she was going to say something, but was interrupted by a call from the bar.

  ‘Is that the foreign stuff?’

  Jack saw Ellen tense a little at the words. The speaker was behind her, and Jack couldn’t see him, but he did see the emotions that played over Ellen’s face before she turned to answer the question.