North Star (6 page)

‘I don't exactly know how to put this, John. I'm extremely grateful to you for listening to me, but I can't afford any more complications in my life right now, so I need to try and handle things on my own.'

John nodded slowly, as though he understood but didn't agree. ‘Well,' he said, ‘there's no law against having too many friends—I know because I'm a cop. So if you need to talk any time, you call me.'

‘Thanks, John.' She smiled then, a real smile.

‘You're welcome, Kate,' he answered sincerely, and she felt a small glow of optimism.

Kate and Larry had been working solidly until it was time to pick up the kids from school, and Kate was hot and thirsty.

Larry, on the other hand, looked as though he had barely started. He had turned up at ten-thirty and took his time climbing up the front steps to meet her.

He didn't talk much, but that suited Kate just fine: she ran through what she hoped to accomplish and threw herself back into it. Two hours later and Larry was still pottering along, having made little headway in his section while Kate had been flat out in hers. Now she understood what John had meant: the man was painfully slow. At this rate they'd still be clearing away rubbish into next year. Kate worried that the poor man was about to keel over—it was hard to judge his age. He shuffled around the place, refusing a break when Kate offered him a coffee from her thermos. She had to hand it to him—he may have been slow, but he didn't sit down once all day. Kate tried not to feel depressed, but it was such a huge job and the progress was not what she'd been hoping for. How could it look like they'd done nothing all day? Was there no end to this rubbish?

Kate left Larry to it while she drove in to pick up the kids from school. Tomorrow they could catch the bus, but Kate wanted to be there to meet them when the bell went on the first day.

She smothered a sigh of disappointment when she saw the dejection on Liam's face. ‘So . . . how was it?' she asked, trying to sound cheerful.

‘Fine,' he said without enthusiasm.

When they picked up Georgia she slammed the door shut and slumped in her seat. ‘What a bunch of backward hicks,' she snarled.

‘Oh,' Kate replied, unable to hide the dismay in her voice. ‘I'm sure tomorrow will be easier,' she tried. ‘The first day's always the hardest.'

Liam just looked out the window and remained silent. Georgia, on the other hand, spared no detail in informing her mother just how ghastly her new school was and how much she despised it. Her tirade lasted the entire trip back to the motel.

The rest of the week passed in a blur. By Saturday morning Kate was wondering why she had ever thought she could take this all on. She was physically worn out from clearing out the house, and mentally drained by the constant arguing with Georgia and worry over Liam. She was seriously thinking about giving up.

The sound of a vehicle approaching broke into another argument between Kate and Georgia. Glad of the reprieve, Kate walked to the front door to see a dusty four-wheel drive pulling up in front of the house. Kate wiped her dirty hands down the sides of her jeans and ran her fingers through her hair. The old screen door squeaked painfully as she pushed it open.

A family emerged from the vehicle, dressed neatly in jeans and button-up shirts, complete with riding boots and Akubra hats. A small, slim blonde woman with a tanned face and huge smile came towards the steps of the house and waved excitedly.

Kate stared, sure that her mouth had dropped open. Jenny.

‘I'm sorry I haven't been over before now, but we've been away at the cattle sales and only just got back last night,' Jenny explained breathlessly, hurrying up the steps and throwing her arms around Kate. ‘It's so good to see you again,' she said with a happy laugh.

Stunned, Kate searched Jenny's face, the laugh lines around her twinkling blue eyes, the wide smile. Images of long hot summers by the creek flashed into her mind, walking across dusty paddocks, climbing through barbed-wire fences, giggling over boys.

‘Oh my God . . . Jenny!' Kate cried at last and pulled Jenny towards her in another fierce hug. ‘You haven't changed a bit.'

‘And you must need glasses,' Jenny laughed, turning around.

A stocky man had approached, stopping one step below them. ‘This is my husband, Nathan Beaumont,' said Jenny. He extended a beefy hand to Kate and she shook it warmly.

‘I remember you,' said Nathan. ‘Jenny's always reminding me how a bunch of us boys used to spy on you two girls and throw rocks into the creek while you were swimming.' He grinned and Kate vaguely recognised his face.

‘And who would have thought I'd end up marrying him?' said Jenny, laughing.

‘How could you resist?' Nathan shot back. Kate saw a matching sparkle in their eyes as they looked at each other and felt a funny little hitch in her chest.

‘I hear you have children,' said Jenny. ‘These are my two. Amy and Matt.'

Kate switched her gaze to the two children standing at the bottom of the stairs. Matt was a nice-looking country boy, dressed like a miniature version of his father, and he nodded politely as she smiled at him. He looked to be about the same age as Liam—perhaps they might be friends, Kate thought hopefully.

Amy was the very image of her mother, petite and blonde with big blue eyes. She appeared to be around Georgia's age, but Kate noticed that the scowl and the pout were missing, so maybe she was wrong. Weren't all fourteen-year-old girls supposed to be the same?

Kate saw two shadows in the doorway behind her watching quietly. She beckoned them outside. ‘Georgia, Liam, this is my very old friend Jenny.' Liam clung to her side and Georgia hung back sullenly.

‘I'm not
that
old,' Jenny protested.

‘This is Amy and Matt,' Kate continued, ‘and their dad, Mr Beaumont.'

‘G'day, kids. Call me Nathan. How're you settling in?'

Kate prodded Liam gently and he murmured a quiet, ‘Okay.'

‘Matt, can you go and get the basket, please,' Jenny asked, then smiled as she turned back towards Kate. ‘I figured you'd be up to your neck in mess here, so I brought morning tea and reinforcements.'

‘Oh Jen, you didn't have to do that,' Kate said and felt tears sting her eyes in gratitude.

‘What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?'

‘A better one than me, who didn't even bother to stay in touch all this time,' Kate said quietly.

‘Kate, I didn't either. It's okay. The thing about us is we were always able to pick up where we left off each time you came back, remember? Come on, let's have a cuppa and then you can tell us what we need to do.'

Within moments, scones appeared from the depths of Jenny's massive picnic basket, along with containers of cream, jam, butter and golden syrup. Thermoses of tea and coffee appeared too, with containers of milk and a jar of sugar. Kate eyed the basket, wondering what else could possibly be hidden within its depths.

‘I wasn't sure how set up you would be out here, so I brought everything.'

‘It's not set up at all, it's such a mess,' Kate said.

‘Are you still staying in town?'

‘Yes, at the motel. It's taking longer than I expected to make this place even remotely liveable.'

‘Well, it's silly having to drive back and forth to town each night—come and stay with us.'

‘Oh no, we couldn't impose like that, Jen,' protested Kate immediately.

‘Rubbish. It makes sense; the kids can all catch the same bus to school. Our place is only next door.'

Kate smiled at this. Next door usually implied you could see the neighbouring house; out here next door was at least ten kilometres away.

‘Are you sure it's okay? I mean, three extra people is a lot in a household.'

‘We have plenty of room, it'll be fine.'

Kate felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It wasn't just a financial weight; she felt as though she no longer had to face all this on her own.

Kate gave Jenny and her family a tour of the house to show them the extent of the task ahead; none of them batted an eyelid. Instead they got straight down to work and didn't stop for a break until after one. By then the kitchen was clear and so were the hallways.

It was agreed then that Kate and the kids would go into town and collect their belongings, check out of the motel and go to Jenny's place. The next day they would all return to North Star bright and early for a full day's work.

Later in the evening, seated at the kitchen table in Jenny's lovely home, Kate looked over at her friend and smiled. ‘In barely a day you've completely turned my life around.' It was true, she not only had accommodation, company and extra hands to clean up the house, but her children now had company as well: Kate's spirits had lifted to see Liam and Matt getting on, if not like a house on fire, then at least a campfire. Georgia and Amy had also warmed to each other; maybe it was Kate's imagination, but it seemed like Georgia hadn't scowled at her once since arriving at the Beaumonts' place.

Jenny slid a packet of chocolate biscuits across the table towards Kate. ‘Have you forgotten that's the way we do things around here?'

‘I think I've lived in the city too long.'

‘Well, you won't get an argument from me there. You've been gone far too long. So tell me everything. What brought you back?'

Kate shrugged, ‘Henry left us the property and we needed a place to live. Over the years I always wished I could bring the children out here, give them the chance to experience a little bit of country life for a few weeks. Now I guess they're going to get it whether they want it or not,' she finished dryly.

Jenny glanced over to the lounge area where the two girls were huddled over an iPod. ‘Someone's not happy about the move then?'

‘You could say that.'

‘For what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing coming back. I wish you'd done it sooner.'

‘That wasn't ever going to be possible while Henry was still alive.'

‘I don't understand what happened there, Kate. I mean, I know your mum . . . well, I know that was bad, but I just couldn't believe he would send you away like that.'

Kate's gaze flew to Jenny's face. ‘What do you mean?' she asked apprehensively.

‘The next day, when we heard about your mum, I came over to see you. Henry told me you were gone and you wouldn't be coming back. I tried to find you for a long time. But over the years I figured you must have married and changed your name. I had no idea where to start looking for you.'

‘Oh Jen. I'm so sorry.'

‘It was a horrible time, for everyone. I was just so worried about you. Not knowing where you went, if you were all right. If you were ever going to come back.'

Kate stared down at the table, unable to bear her friend's sad expression.

‘I have a confession to make,' Jenny said after a while.

Kate looked up cautiously.

‘When I heard your . . . Henry,' she amended quickly, ‘had died, I was happy. Happy the old bastard was dead, because I hoped that then you'd come back.'

Kate reached out and covered her friend's hand. ‘Leaving me North Star was probably the only selfless thing he ever did in his whole life.'

Jenny lifted her coffee mug in the air. ‘To Henry. At least you got something right!'

Kate grinned.

‘The place is worth a bit, you know, Kate,' said Jenny. ‘I know that Matthew Unterheinner would be interested in buying. He's got the property on the other side of North Star. He made no secret of the fact that he was interested in buying out your grandfather.'

‘I haven't decided whether or not to stay yet. I thought I'd buy myself some time cleaning the place up, and see what happens.'

Jenny squeezed Kate's arm gently. ‘Whatever you decide will be the right thing. For now, let's just make the most of having you here.'