Coming Home (14 page)

"I don't know.
Honestly, I just don't know how I'm going to face him." She picked at a
stray lock of hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I have to find him
first, though."

"I thought Tory
would have told you all that. Boy wants to keep you to himself, if you ask
me," Essie said. "Stevie is easy to find anyway. Just go to the
police station."

Russ looked up.
"What are you saying, Essie?"

"He joined the
police force. Doing well for himself too. Pretty much runs the place from what
I hear."

"Stevie is a
cop?" Rooney's voice shook with disbelief. "Are you kidding me? He
was the worst kid in town. It's amazing he never ended up with a record."

"Don't go thinking
I've turned into a know-it-all but I reckon he did it to prove he could be
better than what your father thought him to be."

Russ shared a glance
with Rooney. "What exactly do you know that you’re not telling us,
Essie?"

***

"Your father took
it upon himself to go and visit Stevie when you ran away. I guess he thought he
would know where you were. Seems he gave the poor boy more than a piece of his
mind, if you get my meaning." Essie wiped her hands on her apron as she
spoke.

"Dad took it out
on his hide, didn't he, same as he did to me?" She gripped her hands
together waiting for what she knew was the answer. Deep inside, Rooney had
wanted him to hurt as she had been hurt, but the adult woman she was cringed at
the thought of her father bashing her boyfriend. He was a hard man with a heavy
hand. She still had the scars on her butt from his leather belt to prove how
mean he could be.

"Yes, he did.
After that, Stevie took it upon himself to prove to your father he wasn't the
kid he thought he was. He went back to school at night to get his HSC. Joined
the police force and made a name for himself. Still the determined little brat
he always was too, by all accounts." Essie grinned as though she knew all
the secrets. "Pity those poor criminals who think they are cleverer than
the police. They don't stand a chance against Stevie."

"Poor
bastard." Russ shook his head. "So now you know where he is, when are
you going to do it?"

"When I feel the
time is right and don't go trying to push me, either of you. This is my
business and I'll do it when I'm ready." She slammed her hands on the
counter and stormed from the kitchen, annoyed at being put on the spot. It was
easier to think of Stevie being the one who didn't have to pay the price of being
caught in the barn. Easier to hate him for the way he left her to fend off her
father by herself. That way she could blame him for how hard it had been by
herself, trying to study and raise a toddler when all she wanted was to run to
his side for support.

Deep down, Rooney knew
he would have worried about her. Anyone would run from her father, he brought
out the fear in everyone at some stage. Stevie had every reason to be scared.

But the sight of him
running out of the barn buck naked with his jeans in his hands had wrenched at
her gut, leaving her with an emptiness she’d found hard to fill. Until Tam was
born. Then she was too busy to miss what she didn't have.

Now she was back, the
thought of seeing him again was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

Rooney walked up the
stairs and paused at her bedroom door. Tam had insisted she leave the curtains
open so she could see the moon against the darkness of the sky. Her little girl
was afraid of the dark. A night light was plugged in the power switch by the door,
casting a muted light across the beautiful carpet and antique furniture filling
the room.

Tam slept on her back
with one arm thrown above her head and the other wrapped around an old stuffed
toy. Rooney leaned down to brush the thick dark hair from her daughter’s face
and smiled. All the hardship had been worth it to keep this precious little
being safe.

Rooney looked up when
she heard soft footfalls behind her. Russ placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't mean to
piss you off," he whispered.

"I know."

He looked past her to
the sleeping child and she watched the smile light up his face. "She is
beautiful."

"Yeah, I think so
too but I'm biased. She has turned out pretty well, considering."

"I doubt you would
have it any other way, Rooney. I'm sorry Mum never got to see her."

"Yeah, me
too."

"Come outside and
spend ten minutes with me. I'm too wound up yet to sleep." Russ looped his
arm through hers and walked her down the stairs. The front door stood open and
they walked out onto the wide wooden veranda to stand looking over the front
lawn. The huge Morten Bay fig trees in each corner of the yard swayed in the
gentle breeze. Rays of white from the moon shone down on the dam at the front
of the property, and the sound of water birds drifted up to the house.

"So, tell me, how
is the new job going really?" Rooney untangled her arm from Russ's and sat
down on the front steps. She shuffled over when he lowered himself to join her.

"I love the change
of pace, if nothing else. The head nurse is pretty efficient and has everything
running well." He sighed and ran his hand around the back of his neck.

"What aren't you
saying?"

"I think all but
one of the nurses have hit on me already and I've only been there a week."
He laughed, the sound loud in the still night air.

"What's wrong with
that? You're young, good looking and available."

Russ nudged his sister
with his shoulder, grinning. "The only one who appeals to me is playing
hard to get."

"Looks like you've
got your work cut out for you then." Rooney slapped her hand on her thigh,
giggling. "Best you get out your ‘rules of dating’ book. It’s been some
time since you needed to rely on your charms and skill."

"I'm onto it
already, thank you. I'm taking her to dinner on Saturday."

"Who is it? Anyone
we know?" She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"No. From what I
can gather, she grew up in Sydney and trained there before getting this
position."

"Good luck. Make
sure you take her somewhere nice and, once you get to know her, you can bring
her home for a meal. Essie would love that." She kissed his cheek. "I
need to go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a big day and Tam wakes up at the
crack of dawn." Rooney stood and stretched.

"Good, I'll get to
meet her before I go to work then." Russ stood up and followed her into
the house, saying goodnight to Essie before heading upstairs to his room.

"This place is a
freaking dump." Cade used his crutch to push aside a bunch of dirty rags on
the floor, making sure nothing would came out to bite him.

"Mind your mouth,
there is an impressionable child outside." Rooney walked past him and
peered into the treatment room, the disgust on her face obvious.

"Seemed pretty
impressed with the big brother this morning.
Russ, look at me, Russ can I
come with you, Russ what time will you be home?"

Rooney glanced over at
him with a huge grin on her face. "Not jealous are you?"

"Nah. She's an
awesome little kid. I know she likes me and that's good enough." He leaned
his crutches against the wall and surveyed the room cringing at the filth. The
windows were streaked with dark smears of God knows what. Dust and cockroach
droppings lined every window ledge and he fiddled with the latch to open the
windows.

"First things
first. I'll sweep out and you can throw everything you can lay your hands on
into the skip bin outside. Don't touch anything in the treatment room though,
please. I have to go through everything and see if I can salvage any of the
instruments."

Cade looked at Rooney.
"Are you serious? The whole place should be tipped and fumigated."

"You know I can't
afford that. What money I have will need to go into paying for board and start
up money for this place."

"What do you mean,
board? We own the place remember." A confused look crossed his face.

"Yeah, we do but
the money Dad left was to run the farm, not pay for our food. I spoke to Kate
this morning before she headed out. We all need to put in for the food bill at
least. The farm can deal with the power and running costs of the house, but not
feeding us apparently."

"For fuck’s sake.
This just gets better and better doesn't it? The old man must be laughing in
his grave. He gets to bring us all back and we have to damn well pay to live
there."

"Yeah well, deal
with it, Cade. Can we get on with this and discuss money later?" She
pulled on a pair of gloves and threw a set his way, grinning as he caught the
pink rubber gloves. Rooney grabbed the broom and started sweeping years of neglect
and filth out the door.

By the time Essie
arrived with lunch and to help out, they had cleared all the rubbish, swept and
mopped the place. The windows were still dirty but open to let in fresh air.
Cade sat on a milk crate with his leg stretched out in front of him with Tam by
his side, amusing him with stories.

"Thank goodness,
Essie. I'm dying of hunger and thirst here. Rooney is such a hard taskmaster,
she won't let us relax for one single minute."

"Get away with
you. You can't pull one over me, Cade, any more than when you were
younger." She brought in cooler bags of food before going back out for
more cleaning supplies. When she came back in, Cade was already into the cold
chicken sandwiches she’d made earlier.

"Can't you wait
for everyone else before you eat?"

Cade laughed, his mouth
full of food. He chewed and swallowed before answering. "You should know
me better than that. I'm starving and I couldn't wait any longer. Tam is hungry
too, aren't you?"

"Yes." She
looked up at Essie and gave a small smile.

"Help yourself,
pet. I'll put the kettle on and make your mum a cup of coffee." Essie went
back outside and came in carrying a box with a spare kettle and the making for
coffee. She looked around for the kitchenette and filled the kettle. "Rooney,
time for a lunch break."

"Yeah,
coming," she replied from the treatment room. The sound of more rubbish
hitting the bottom of the bin sounded before a subtle curse followed.
"Bloody hell." She walked out, shaking her head.

"What's up?"
Cade held up the box of sandwiches toward her.

"I was hoping some
of the equipment would be alright. Sadly the sterilizer is cactus. That’s going
to make a hole in my savings." She took a bite of the sandwich and sighed.
"Essie, I love you."

"I know, I know.
Here, have a coffee to go with that." She walked out holding two mugs of
steaming coffee, handed one to Rooney, and placed one on the floor beside Cade.
"Now what did you want me to do first?"

"Eat."

"I already have. I
came to help you clean and I don't have a lot of time. Windows?" She
looked at the disgustingly dirty glass and back at Rooney.

"Yes please."
Rooney took another bite of her sandwich and washed it down with the hot
coffee. "Looks like I'm going to have to spend more than I wanted. The
equipment is really bad."

"It'll work out,
love. Have faith," Essie said as she pulled on rubber gloves and filled a
bucket to start on the windows.

After lunch, Cade and
Rooney got stuck in again, and by the time Essie was ready to go home and
prepare dinner, the place looked much more presentable.

"Mum, Uncle Cade
said I can ride home with him. Can I, please?" Tam clasped her hands
together and looked up at her mother with a toothless pleading smile.

Rooney brushed her hand
over her daughter’s glossy dark hair. "Only if he promises to stick to the
speed limit." She glanced over at her brother, giving him what she hoped
was a stern look. "Okay, Cade?"

"As if I would do
anything to endanger the little squirt."

Tam jumped for joy and
wrapped her arms around her mother in a tight hug before racing outside to the
bright yellow car.

Rooney walked out and
made sure her daughter was strapped in before standing back as Cade started the
engine. "Drive safe, Cade. I won't be long. See you at home." She
waved as the car drove sedately out of the car park and headed for the farm.

Smiling to herself,
Rooney headed back inside to do a final check on the equipment she had managed
to salvage. With a pen in her hand, she walked around and listed everything she
deemed good enough to use for now. When she got home, she’d go online and see
how much of her savings she would have to use to get the doors open.

The slam of a car door
startled her and she looked up. The light was fading and she cursed. They would
have expected her home ages ago. Lost in her own world, the time had flown.

Footsteps sounded on
the gravel car park and she walked over to the door to greet whoever had
stopped by. Rooney looked out the door and her heart almost stopped beating.
Memories of her past rushed through her mind. Stevie, the love of her teenage
life, walked towards her.