Flight to Coorah Creek Read online

  ‘Yes – it’s the beef,’ she said.

  ‘Well, it smells great! Can I have some?’

  Jack could see the speaker now. He was smiling and Jack relaxed.

  ‘Of course.’ Ellen looked around the bar. ‘Anyone else for beef bourguignon?’

  A couple of men ordered the beef, and someone else played it safe by asking for a mixed grill. Ellen vanished back into the kitchen.

  Jack watched her go, horrified by that flash of fear he’d seen on her face. He had a fair idea that fear had been put there by the same bastard responsible for the bruises on her arm. No one should feel afraid just at the sound of someone’s voice. He looked at his own hands spread out on the table in front of him. Big hands. Hard hands. What sort of a man would raise his hands against a woman? Against a woman as beautiful and as kind as Ellen. It just wasn’t right.

  ‘Jack? Is there something wrong? You don’t like it?’

  Ellen was back, plates of the beef in her hands.

  ‘No. I was just … No.’ Jack picked up his fork and speared a piece of steak. He made quite a show of smothering it in the thick gravy before he ate it. He was determined to say something good about it, even if it tasted like mud.

  The meat was so tender it almost melted in his mouth. As for the gravy …

  ‘This is good,’ he said. ‘I mean really, really good.’

  Ellen’s face lit up as if she’d just won the lottery. Jack thought her blue eyes were suspiciously bright as she set off to deliver the meals to the waiting men. To him, that made them all the more beautiful, and he was absurdly pleased to think he had made her happy.

  Friday nights at The Mineside had a pattern. Everyone knew what to expect. Gradually the bar filled. The men drank beer or rum. Most of them got a little drunk. A few got very drunk. Someone who’d had a bad day at work or trouble at home might go just that little too far. Sometimes a punch got thrown. More often, the offender would be dragged out of the bar by his mates, before he got into too much trouble. Tonight was no different.

  Jack saw the trouble coming. He knew the man involved. He was called Bluey – a big, ruddy-faced, red-haired man with a temper to match. He’d only been at the mine a few months and lived alone in one of the company’s family houses. Jack knew that his wife had taken their daughter and gone back east to her family. It seemed likely that she wasn’t coming back. For most of the evening Bluey had sat alone at the end of the bar, throwing back drink after drink. The other men left him alone.

  Just before ten o’clock, Ellen was behind the bar, collecting a couple of empty plates. Bluey looked up as she walked past him, as if seeing her for the first time. Ellen noticed.

  ‘Can I get you something to eat?’ she asked pleasantly. ‘The beef bourguignon is all gone, but I could burn you a steak.’

  ‘I want another beer,’ Bluey said, pushing his empty glass forward.

  ‘Pete can look after that. He’s in the cold room, but he’ll be back in a second,’ Ellen said. ‘I’m closing the kitchen in a few minutes, but I could do you a steak if you’re hungry?’

  ‘I don’t want a steak,’ Bluey’s voice rose. ‘I want another beer, and I want one now.’

  Jack was on his feet as Bluey’s fist thumped down on the bar. Ellen’s face was frozen. She had backed away from Bluey and was pressed into the back of the bar as if she was trying to pass through the solid wall. Jack couldn’t cross the bar fast enough.

  ‘Hey, Bluey,’ he said in a calming tone. ‘I think maybe it’s time you went home.’

  ‘What’s it to do with you?’ Bluey asked, squaring up to Jack and clenching his fist.

  ‘Nothing, mate. I’m just thinking that Pete threatened to ban you last time you got into a fight.’

  ‘What if he did?’

  ‘Well, unless you want to spend your nights at home, you might want to just call it quits tonight.’

  Bluey looked down at his empty glass. ‘And maybe I want another drink.’

  He picked the glass up and slammed it down on the bar. The glass shattered and glass flew in all directions. A single shard of the glass sliced through Bluey’s hand, and blood spattered onto the polished wood.

  Jack heard Ellen’s startled cry. He wanted to go to her, but he had to do something about Bluey. The man was too drunk to realise what he’d done. He was standing, swaying and staring at the steady stream of blood pouring from his hand.

  ‘Get me a bar towel,’ Jack called to Pete, who had darted back into the bar at the sound of Ellen’s cry.

  ‘Here.’ Ellen pressed something into Jack’s hand. He barely had time to acknowledge her, as he wrapped the cloth around Bluey’s hand.

  ‘Right, mate. Let’s get you to the doc. Where are your car keys?’

  Bluey was starting to turn quite pale, and his belligerence had also faded. With his good hand, he fished some keys out of his pocket and handed them to Jack.

  Jack looked back as he led Bluey from the bar. Ellen was still standing behind the bar. She looked shaken. He smiled and nodded to her, hoping in some small way that might offer some comfort and encouragement.

  Bluey’s car was parked next to the pub. Jack carefully manoeuvred his charge into the passenger seat and got behind the wheel. It didn’t take them long to get to the hospital. The light on the front veranda was on, as it always was. And the door was unlocked.

  ‘You here, Doc?’ Jack called as he led Bluey inside.

  Adam immediately appeared at the door to his office. ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Beer glass.’

  Adam nodded and indicated a doorway. Jack helped Bluey onto the exam table and then stepped out to let the doc do his work.

  A few minutes later, Adam emerged.

  ‘How’s he doing?’

  ‘They say God protects drunks and fools,’ Adam said, shaking his head. ‘A few centimetres more and he’d have lost some of the use of his hand. As it is, he’s got some stitches and he’ll be sore for a few days, but he’ll be fine.’

  ‘I can take him home?’

  ‘Sure. But he’s busy throwing up at the moment. You might want to wait a bit.’

  ‘Sorry to disturb you this late, Doc.’

  ‘That’s what I’m here for,’ Adam said. ‘Anyway, I wasn’t asleep. I was checking on a new arrival.’

  ‘Steve’s baby?’ In a town where everyone knew everyone else, the young couple’s pregnancy had set quite a few tongues wagging.

  ‘Yep. A lovely baby girl.’

  ‘Well good for him.’

  ‘Jess helped me deliver her.’

  Jack was surprised. Both by what Jessica had done, and by the look on Adam’s face as he talked about it. ‘How did Jess do?’

  ‘She did great,’ Adam replied.

  Jack waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.

  ‘Jess is good people,’ Jack said, just to watch the way the doc’s face changed. ‘I’m glad you hired her.’

  ‘So am I.’

  Jack had known Adam since he first flew into the Creek. Everyone liked the doc, but he didn’t have a lot of friends. He was a bit of a loner. In fact, Jack was probably the closest thing he had to a friend. Apart from Sister Luke. Jack had never known the doc to have quite that look on his face when he talked about a woman before. In fact, Jack didn’t think the doc had ever talked about a woman, other than as a patient. This was interesting.

  Beside them the door opened and a pale and shaky Bluey emerged, one hand swathed in bandages.

  ‘Jack’s going to take you home now,’ Adam said. ‘Get some sleep and come back in the morning.’

  Bluey murmured his thanks and followed Jack to the car.

  By the time they had driven the short distance to Bluey’s home, the injured man was almost asleep. And maudlin.

  ‘
She left me, you know,’ he mumbled, as Jack helped him up the steps. ‘It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t mean to hit her. She just made me so mad. You know.’

  No, Jack thought, he didn’t know. Or understand. He never would and Bluey’s wife and daughter were probably far better off without him. Anyway, with that injured hand, Bluey wouldn’t be hitting anyone for a while. Jack lowered Bluey onto the tattered old sofa and left the car keys by the door.

  It didn’t take him long to walk back to The Mineside. He stood outside for a few minutes, watching the shapes moving behind the lighted windows. Ellen’s first night – and she’d had to face down Bluey. She’d been doing pretty well. He wished he had said something to her before he’d led the drunk away. But what could he have said that would have made it better? Nothing really. He shook his head and walked over to his ute.

  The kitchen was probably the cleanest it had been in a long time. Ellen had finished a long evening by scrubbing the stove and the table and benches – the floor too – until they gleamed. As she cleaned, her mind went over and over the evening’s events. Jack ordering the beef – and starting a trend that didn’t end until the big pot was empty. Mac’s grumpiness that had been so totally harmless. He’d even thanked her for the steak. Then there was the other one. The red-head. Jack had stepped in there, too. She, on the other hand, had fled to the kitchen like the coward she was. It took five minutes of hiding there, shaking like a leaf in the wind, before she’d been able to raise the courage to go back out into the bar. The rest of the drinkers acted as if nothing had happened, so she did too. At least on the outside. Inside she was still frightened.

  And now she had to walk home.

  The bar door swung open with a bang, and Pete appeared.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said, ‘didn’t mean to startle you.’

  ‘That’s all right,’ she said, struggling to keep her voice steady. ‘I’m done, so I’ll head home.’

  ‘All right. Good job. Here.’ He placed a pile of money on the table. ‘Your first night’s wages. I hope cash is okay?’

  ‘Yes. Yes. Of course.’ Ellen looked down at the money.

  ‘Sorry, the guys here aren’t big on tipping,’ Pete said. ‘But there’s a few dollars there.’

  ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine.’ Ellen still hadn’t moved to take the money.

  ‘So, I’ll see you tomorrow,’ Pete said. ‘And after that, if you’re certain you want to stay; we can talk about ordering in whatever you need – food wise that is. These guys sure liked that foreign stuff.’ Shaking his head, he vanished back into the bar.

  Ellen waited until the door was closed, then picked up the money. She counted it, then folded it carefully and put it into her purse. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it was money she had earned with her own hard work. It was hers, and no one was going to take it from her. Maybe the evening hadn’t been so bad after all.

  She left the pub by the kitchen entrance. It wasn’t that she was afraid to walk out through the bar, where the last few drinkers were being served. She just didn’t want to see anyone. Before she had taken many steps, she realised she wasn’t alone. Someone was waiting for her, leaning against a battered white ute.

  ‘Hello, Jack.’

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘I didn’t expect to see you back here.’

  ‘After I took Bluey home I had to come back for my car.’

  Neither of them mentioned the hour that had passed since then.

  ‘So, how was your first night?’ Jack asked. ‘I hope you won’t let Bluey get to you.’

  ‘I won’t,’ Ellen said softly. Then she took a deep breath. ‘I can’t afford to. I’ve got two kids to support. And I had better get back to them.’

  ‘Can I give you a ride?’ Jack asked.

  ‘I’m not afraid to walk,’ Ellen said, squaring her shoulders.

  Jack just smiled. That gentle, warm smile that seemed to ease all the heartache she’d been carrying for so long.

  ‘I know you’re not. I was hoping you might just want to ride with me.’

  Ellen thought for a moment. ‘I think I’d like that,’ she said.

  Chapter Twelve

  Babies were so fragile. So innocent. Adam looked down at the little girl in his arms. Just two days old. She was tiny. She was beautiful. She was perfect in every way.

  ‘Hello, little one,’ he whispered.

  The baby opened her soft blue eyes and seemed to look at him, even though she was probably far too young to see him clearly. A wave of sadness washed over him and he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. If only she didn’t have to grow up. If only she didn’t have to learn what the world was really like. What people were really like.

  ‘It’s a big and sometimes scary world out there,’ he told her in the same gentle voice. ‘But it can be a beautiful place. There are flowers. And music. There are glorious sunsets and a sky full of stars at night.’

  The baby’s eyes slowly closed. Adam carried her over to her crib and laid her gently on the well washed and faded yellow blanket that had already served several other babies. He stood up, and rubbed his left shoulder, feeling the rough texture of the scarred skin through the soft cotton of his shirt. The scars didn’t hurt any more. At least, the scars on his body didn’t hurt. But he still felt the pain when he held an innocent like this little girl. Or looked into the beautiful blue eyes of a woman he could never have.

  ‘You just grow up strong,’ he told the sleeping child. ‘Then, when the world lets you down … and when people try to hurt you … you’ll survive. You’ll be able to take care of yourself. Be careful who you trust and never let them know when they hurt you. Never let the bad guys win.’

  ‘That’s not the sort of advice I would expect you to give a baby.’

  Adam looked up. Jess was standing in the doorway, dressed in her uniform of blue jeans and white T-shirt. As usual she wore no make-up. Her hair was slightly tousled and unkempt, and it framed a face of rare natural beauty. She had a half-smile on her lips, but despite that she looked infinitely sad. Sad … but still beautiful.

  ‘What advice would you give her?’ Adam asked.

  Jess crossed the room to stand beside him. She reached out as if to stroke the baby’s fine dark hair, but instead she gently adjusted the blanket.

  ‘I don’t think I’d give her any advice – except to say be the very best version of herself that she can be, and never become one of the bad guys.’

  ‘That also seems strange advice to give a baby.’

  Jess looked away from the baby and her eyes met his. He saw something behind them that was a reflection of what she could probably see in his eyes. They were so alike. Two damaged souls. Every hour they spent together brought a unique mix of pleasure and sadness. Adam could feel the connection between them growing. Or trying to. But without sustenance, even the strongest shoot will wither and die. Did he want that to happen? Or did he want to build something with Jess? Was it even possible that he could take back a future the flames had stolen all those years ago? The silence was broken by the sound of a door opening as the baby’s mother returned.

  ‘Hello, Jess,’ Nikki said, as she closed the bathroom door behind her. ‘I’m so glad you came by. I wanted to say thank you.’

  ‘She’s so beautiful,’ Jess said, as she helped Nikki ease herself gently back onto the bed.

  Nikki didn’t notice the shadow that lingered behind the smile. Adam did.

  ‘Would you like to hold her?’ Nikki asked.

  Jess started to shake her head … but hesitated. ‘I’d love to,’ she confessed.

  She lifted the baby from the crib with great care and held her in her arms. The little girl stirred and wrapped her tiny fingers around Jessica’s finger. Adam had seen many women hold babies – their own and other people’s. Much as he loved this part of his job, his own stra
ined relationship with his mother made it hard for him to feel moved by a mother’s love. But looking at Jess with a baby in her arms made his heart ache. He wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was as simple as a desire for something that he would never have.

  ‘Are you feeling all right?’ His words were directed at Nikki, but his thoughts were with Jess.

  ‘That shower felt great,’ Nikki replied. ‘Thanks for watching the baby.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  ‘Does she have a name yet?’ Jess asked, her voice so soft Adam could hardly hear her.

  ‘I want to name her after my mum – Jan. Steve wants to name her after his – Mary. What do you think?’

  ‘I think they are both nice names,’ Jess said, her eyes still fixed on the baby in her arms. The baby began to wake. She squirmed a little and gave a faint cry.

  ‘She’s probably hungry again,’ said Nikki, holding out her arms to take her daughter from Jess.

  ‘You look after her, and don’t worry about rushing home. I’d like you to stay here another night,’ Adam said. ‘Sister Luke is due back today and she’ll be mad at me if I let you leave here before she sees the baby.’

  ‘I’m in no hurry. This is such a lovely room. Much nicer than I thought a hospital would be.’

  Adam had to agree with her. Not long after arriving in the Creek he’d decided that the cold hospital rooms were no place for sick people. And certainly no place for a mother with a new baby. The lovely polished wooden chest of drawers and the colonial-style double bed in this room had been in the doctor’s house. When he decided to live in the resident’s quarters at the hospital, he’d appropriated the nice furniture for this room. And was glad he’d done it. Except … He felt Jess’s eyes on him and mentally winced. Of course! This was the furniture that should have been in the home she was going to use.

  He risked a look at Jess.

  ‘It was very generous of you to set the room up so nicely,’ Jess said sweetly. ‘Where did you find such lovely things?’

  The look on her face told him she had realised exactly where this furniture had come from. He guessed that he was going to be in trouble as soon as Jess caught him alone.