The Road Home (11 page)

LARA was up earlier than the roosters. She had eaten and was collecting things she’d need for this morning’s job of fencing.

‘Mobile charged? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Water bottle? Check. Oh, and a roll of loo paper!’ When she had all these items together, she headed outside into the early morning light.

In the top paddock she reached for her notebook and checked her scribbles from her time with Noah. Take the wire off the back, get the tools out, put gloves on. She did the simple stuff first.

Luckily for her, Noah had already got the fence posts in and lined up, so all she had to do was put the new wire on. It sounded simple enough, but she had a hell of a time rolling out the wire by hand. Three applications of sunscreen later, she was really feeling the heat bearing down on her. Her arms and hands were sore from tying the wire and she could feel the blisters building near her thumbs.

‘It’s getting too hot to keep this up. I’ll finish the rest tomorrow morning,’ Lara said to the dogs, who were sitting in the shade
of the ute. Judging by the expressions on their faces, they weren’t going to disagree.

Back at the house, after washing her hands and popping a few blisters, Lara made herself a sandwich. At about one o’clock she called Noah at the house.

‘Hello?’

‘Ah, I knew I’d catch you slacking off.’ Lara laughed into the phone.

‘Hey, sis. I’ll have you know I’ve been working hard. Just in for lunch. So how’s things? Still got all your limbs?’

‘Yeah, and a couple of blisters to boot. Been fencing since four and I’m dead on my feet.’

She heard Noah snigger down the line. ‘Ya wuss. So, you getting the hang of it all?’ he asked.

‘I think so. Got the sheep-feeding part sussed and I’ve got water a few times and that’s the next job on my list today.’

‘Great. If you’re that keen, the fence near the valley paddock needs doing too,’ he laughed.

‘Yeah, right. Think I’ll pass for now. Hey, I’ve got Mel coming to stay in March.’

‘Oh, dear. You’re not turning the place into a farmstay, are you?’

‘Relax. The last thing I need now is a sideline business, that’s for sure.’

Noah laughed.

‘Don’t worry,’ Lara continued. ‘I’m going to start on the books soon. If there’s a way to save money, I’ll find it,’ she boasted.

The phone went silent on the other end for a few seconds. ‘You
don’t need to worry about that, Lara. Just concentrate on seeding. The farm’s coming back, thanks to the sheep,’ he said flatly.

Noah’s comment struck Lara as odd. But he probably just had his head full of Brunamar stuff and was no longer worrying about Erindale.

‘Hey, guess what?’ Lara said. ‘I’m going to the pub for dinner tonight.’

‘I see,’ Noah replied, his voice brighter. ‘Alone?’

‘Marge set it up with Trent. And don’t even think about laughing!’

Too late. She could hear his laughter all the way from Esperance. ‘Ah, well, mixing it with the locals already, hey? You know what they say about new blood in town. If they get a sniff the new girl’s at the pub, all the single blokes will turn up,’ he teased. ‘But you can’t go wrong with Trent. You could combine properties.’ Noah was really cackling now.

Lara was starting to regret her night out. ‘Very funny …’

‘Oh, before I go, Amanda says she’s going to email you some details about the wedding dinner, so you can see which option you like best.’ Noah dropped his voice to a whisper. ‘Pick the steak one, sis, please!’

‘No worries. Talk to you later. See ya, Noah.’

‘Bye, Larz.’

By seven o’clock, Lara was feeling the worse for wear: a little burnt, exhausted, and not really like going out. But it was too late to cancel now. She heard a vehicle pulling up outside so she walked out in her red summer dress with modest heels. It was the pub, after all, and
the only chance she’d have of dressing up. Trent was just getting out of his silver Land Cruiser, wearing denim shorts and a white T-shirt with black writing on the sleeves. He was certainly taller than she remembered and, as he got closer, she recognised his blue eyes. But his face had changed. He looked more manly, with a defined jaw and cheekbones. She was aware of his gaze checking her out as well.

‘Lara?’ he asked, running a hand over his crew-cut hair.

‘Sure is. How are you, Trent?’ She leant over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

‘Wow. You’re still gorgeous.’

She laughed. ‘And you’re still a charmer.’

He winked and motioned to the ute. ‘Let’s go, shall we?’

As they headed into town they chatted about the old days, and Lara quizzed him on what the people from their primary school were all up to now.

Trent noticed Lara’s sunburnt shoulders and cheeks.

‘I used plenty of sunscreen but my skin’s not used to being outdoors, I think.’

‘What were you doing?’

Lara grimaced. ‘Fencing. And I have to finish it tomorrow.’

‘If you ever get stuck, don’t forget we’re just a few paddocks away. Don’t do anything that’s dangerous on your own, okay?’ Trent threw her a concerned look, which came across as sexy.

‘Duly noted. So how about you? Got yourself a lady?’

Trent changed down a gear as they headed into town towards the pub. There were only three cars on the whole main street, and all the sidewalk signs and quad bikes usually out the front of the furniture shop were safely packed indoors. The furniture/bike shop
was one of the combined businesses that resulted from a town with a small population. Lara’s favourite combo was the great little coffee shop in the hardware store.

‘No. The last one left me for a rich farmer.’ Trent laughed off any sign of pain. ‘You?’

‘Hmm, I’m just out of a relationship, and not really interested in another one, but I’m worried Marge has set me in her sights for you.’

They both laughed, and Lara saw the glint of adoration in his eyes.

‘Don’t worry about my gran. She’s only trying to look out for me. She’s an amazing woman.’

‘I know. You’re very lucky to have her.’

Trent pulled up outside the old brick pub and glanced at Lara with a warm smile. ‘If she starts to bother you, just let me know.’

‘It’s okay, Trent. It’ll be nice to have some company every now and then. Besides, she makes the best caramel slice I’ve ever tasted.’

‘Wait till you try her scones and carrot cake. Mention you love her food and she’ll be bringing you everything under the sun.’

They entered the pub, into the smell of beer and hot chips. A small crowd was at the bar, not bad for a Friday night. Glasses of beer lined the top of the bar, along with small change. Heads turned to see who’d just walked in, and curious eyes inched over her. Conversations stopped briefly before starting up with enthusiasm, no doubt with her as the new subject. Lara and Trent found a table.

‘Beer?’

‘Yes, please. Noah had me drinking Hahn Super Dry. Actually, he left a carton, so I’m slowly getting used to it.’

She placed her purse down and relaxed into her chair. Something about Trent put her at ease. He had a polite, gentle nature and was quite the gentleman, pulling out her chair, letting her order first. As the night wore on, Lara found she was thoroughly enjoying herself and even forgot about her sunburn. Trent was the perfect companion, with a wealth of knowledge on different topics.

‘So your ex really left you for a rich farmer?’

‘I know. Hard to believe someone could be so callous, but I think I always knew that about Lauren. Nothing was ever good enough. My ute wasn’t new enough. I was still living with my parents and didn’t have my own place so we started doing up the spare house on our back block and she wanted everything new, which I couldn’t afford. Before we even got a quarter of the way through the renovations, she’d met a rich farmer down south who had a shiny new HSV ute, the same red as your gorgeous dress.’ Trent rolled his eyes and shrugged. ‘How do I know? Because that’s what he picked up all her stuff in.’

‘Ouch.’

‘I’m just glad I didn’t spend all that money on renovations. We can’t help that we’ve had some bad years, and she wasn’t someone to stick around and try and help it work. No great loss, I guess.’

Trent made light of it, but she sensed it had truly wounded him and deep down it was festering in the pain department. ‘Sounds a lot like my ex,’ she said, giving him a sympathetic smile.

‘Well, this is a rather boring topic. Are you any good at darts?’ he asked after their plates had been cleared away.

‘Not overly, but I’ll give anything a try. Just a word of warning – I’m a bit competitive.’

‘Don’t worry. So am I,’ he said, holding his hand behind her back and gently guiding her to the dart board.

After three darts in the wall, Lara actually hit the dart board, and by her sixth attempt, she could even try to line numbers up.

‘See, you’re getting the hang of it. You must be a quick learner. Maybe even a bit of a natural.’

He smiled, and she felt some of the tension from running the farm ease out. He saw her watching him.

‘What?’

‘Thanks for the dinner, Trent. I really think I needed this break. Maybe Marge knew it.’

Trent clicked his tongue. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me. She’s one intuitive woman and she’s got many wise years under her belt.’ He toed the line and fired off his last dart. ‘She never liked Lauren from the get-go. After listening to her “I told you so’s”, now I listen to my gran,’ he said. ‘You ready for another drink?’

She thought for a moment, then weakened. ‘Sure, one more and then you’d better get me home. I’ve got to try and finish the fencing tomorrow, remember?’

He nodded and headed to the bar, while she lined up for another shot with her dart.

‘Not a bad shot,’ came a voice over her shoulder.

Instantly her skin crawled. She turned to find a gangly sort of bloke with a greasy mop of hair and dark, almost black, eyes leering at her. He had what looked like a home-job tattoo on his hand, and his stained blue shorts, thongs and grotty shirt were also less than desirable.

She raised her eyebrows and wondered what he wanted.

‘My name’s Aaron. I believe you’re Noah’s sister,’ he said, staring at her, then dropping his gaze to her chest.

‘Yes, that’s right.’

Slowly, he raised his eyes to her face. ‘You any good at poker? I have a spot open, and we always try to encourage the ladies,’ he said, smirking.

She shook her head, and feeling her hair graze her burns, she flinched with the sting.

‘Come on. You’ll love it. Noah did. Maybe you can try and win back what he owes me.’

Lara frowned. ‘My brother? I think you have your wires crossed.’ She saw Trent heading back with their drinks, much to her relief. Aaron did too.

‘I’ll be seeing you,’ he said before slinking away. ‘But think about my offer.’

She shivered and the hairs on her arms stood up.

‘You okay?’ Trent asked, reading the weird expression on her face.

‘Ugh, just some creepy guy.’

‘Yeah, that’s Aaron Snippet. He’s bad news.’

‘Hmm. He looks it.’

‘He came to the town over a year ago and does nothing but cause trouble.’ Trent handed over her glass. ‘So, another game? Give you a chance to try and beat me?’

‘I wouldn’t have signed up for this if I knew you were the local champion,’ she said, pointing to the board up on the wall listing the winners over the years.

He laughed. ‘Guilty, sorry. If it helps, I think you have great potential. Would you like some pointers?’

‘Why not? I might beat you one of these days.’ Lara tucked her hair behind her ear as he pulled out her darts from the board.

‘Hey, um, would you be interested in coming to the lake this weekend?’

‘Jilakin Lake? It’s got water in it?’ Jilakin was a large dry salt lake, which, on the odd occasion after a flood, filled up with water. When that happened they could water-ski on it through most of summer. She’d been about twelve the last time she’d gone skiing on it.

‘Yep, but it’s evaporating fast so this will be our last few months. It’s not too salty yet. So, you keen to come? I’ve got spare skis and vests, so all you’ll need is your bathers and a towel.’

‘Sure, Trent. That sounds great.’

‘Brilliant. It’s a plan. All right, let’s try this again,’ he said, holding out the darts.

Lara took them and lined up her first dart. She was determined to at least make this game a close one. It wasn’t in her nature to give up without a fight.

SUNDAY came around quickly and Lara was looking forward to an afternoon of skiing as a reward for getting the fence done – and having kept the sheep alive. Trent was picking her up at nine so she was ready to go, wearing her black swimming shorts and bikini top. She’d chucked on one of Noah’s long-sleeved cotton shirts to keep the sun off. She’d been plastering aloe vera on her burnt skin over the last few days to stop it from peeling.

Trent pulled up in his ute, towing an old purple speed boat. It was filled with tubes, skis and life jackets.

‘Nice boat,’ Lara said, jumping into his silver dual cab with a huge smile.

‘Bit of an old girl, but she still runs when we drag her out of the shed.’

They snaked their way along the gravel, the sun high in the sky and already belting out the UV rays.

When they arrived at Jilakin Lake Trent hauled the boat into the water, then parked the ute and trailer out of the way. The white-grey
crusty ground around the clumps of shrubs crunched under their feet. By the water’s edge, salty white foam lapped at the bank, and tiny diamonds sparkled across the lake’s surface as a boat raced past, churning up the water in the sunlight. There were two boats already on the lake, and a few people out skiing. Chairs and eskies were set up in the shade of nearby trees, and Trent helped Lara carry the chairs he’d brought.

‘That’s the Templetons over there. They’re from north Kulin,’ Trent whispered.

‘Oh, yes, I thought some of them looked familiar. Who are the others by that big tree?’

‘Um, actually, I’m not sure. Maybe they’re from a nearby town.’

Nonetheless they all waved and shouted out greetings.

‘Well, let’s not waste the beautiful weather and perfect skiing conditions. You ready?’

‘Now? But we just got here. I haven’t skied in years; I’ll need time to work myself up for this. You know, let the nerves settle.’

‘It’s best to just dive right in, that way you can’t talk yourself out of it. Here, take these skis and just check your foot size in them,’ he said, resting two cream skis on the ground. His white T-shirt reflected brightly in the sun and his black and white board shorts hung to his knees. He had a nice, fit body but what Lara liked most about Trent was his open and friendly face. He was so approachable and engaging. In a relatively short time she had become so comfortable with him, as if they’d been great friends for years. He definitely took after Marge.

Lara stuck her feet in the skis as Trent adjusted them for her then carried them to the lake’s edge. He pulled out a black and yellow
vest and handed it to her as she stripped off her shirt and thongs.

‘This will be enough to hold you up. Just click in the bits at the front and check it’s tight.’

Her hands were shaking a little and it took her a few attempts to clip on the vest. Finally, she picked up the skis and dipped her toe into the gently lapping water. It was cool and refreshing. She stepped in further, her feet feeling along the slippery, muddy floor until the murky brown water crept up to her waist. She could faintly smell the salt in the water, which felt silky against her skin.

Trent pushed the boat into the lake, climbed in, and hurled the ski rope towards her. The handle hit the water with a splash, taking Lara’s breath away as the coolness reached her shoulders. Trent gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up as she sank into the water and slipped on the skis. She held the rope between her legs – that much she could remember – as Trent waited for her signal.

‘Yep!’ she yelled out as she floated, trying to keep the tip of her skis out of the water.

Trent floored the boat, the rope took up slack and Lara tried hard not to let her body be pulled over. She managed to sort of get out of the water but her bottom was lagging behind in the lake and the water was spraying up around her, affecting her vision. It continued like this for a few moments before the drag was too much for her arms and she let go of the rope.

Trent slowed the boat and swung it around her so she could grab the rope. ‘You were nearly up. Just need to straighten your legs more,’ he offered as the boat cruised past. ‘You’re doing great.’

She shifted her skis up into the starting position and reached for the rope, while still trying to wipe the salty water from her face.

They gave it another shot and this time she was up, clear of the water. She felt a buzz of exhilaration as she skied behind the boat. It was all coming back to her now. But she wasn’t satisfied with just being towed. She knew skiing involved going over the wake from side to side. She wouldn’t be happy until she’d attempted it. Moving her weight slightly, she began to move slowly to the left, over the wake and out into the smooth water where it became easier. Trent gave her a clap and pointed back in the other direction, and she wondered if he could see the mixture of sheer terror and pleasure on her face. Following his directions, she headed back to the right, moving faster this time.

‘Oh, crap,’ she murmured as she saw the first wake approaching. It wouldn’t have looked pretty, but she managed to get over it. She was so busy praising herself that she forgot about the other wake and lost her balance. What followed was a spectacular face-plant into the water, a
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winner for sure. She was glad it was only Trent watching her.

She was still coughing up water, which also dribbled from her nose, as Trent swung the boat around again.

‘Yeah, you’re really getting the hang of it quick. See, it’s like riding a bike. The skiing you did as a kid is coming back. Ready to go again?’

Easy for him to say. He was the dry one in the boat.

Lara nodded, determined not to give up just yet. She wanted to master this by the day’s end.

She managed a lap around the whole lake on the skis before she touched her head, signalling to Trent to take her in. When they were back where they had started, Lara let go of the rope and glided
in. When she took off the skis and walked to the shore, her body trembled and her legs felt like soggy noodles. The warm air dried the water on her body, leaving itchy, salty remnants on her skin. She knew she’d have sore muscles tomorrow.

She heard Trent’s voice yell out behind her. ‘Hey, Jack! Wanna ski? I’m ready to go, mate.’

Oh, great, Lara thought. Sure enough, there was Jack, walking towards them. He was wearing a grey T-shirt with green and black boardies. He had a beach towel slung over one shoulder and a flash-looking ski under one arm.

‘Cheers, Trent. That’d be great,’ Jack said as he put his ski and towel down and tugged off his shirt in one fluid movement. Lara cursed how sexy he looked. She tried to tell herself that his tanned body, all ripped and toned, did nothing to impress her.

‘Lara’s got the vest, mate,’ Trent added.

Jack picked up his ski as Lara held out the dripping vest, but Jack just walked straight past, as if she wasn’t even there.

‘I thought country people were supposed to be friendly,’ she whispered to herself. She was about to drop the vest on the ground when Jack reached back and plucked it from her fingers. Not even so much as a thank you!

Loosening the clips to fit his broad shoulders, Jack started talking to Trent like a normal, amicable person. Lara cursed and made her way over to their seats, washed out her mouth with some water and grabbed her towel.

‘Lara, you coming?’ Trent yelled from the boat as he waved her back with both arms.

She put on her sunnies and headed back to the boat with her
towel. Jack was standing at the edge of the lake with his ski on already. He stared at her impatiently. She trod slowly through the water, just to annoy him even more.

‘Hey, not bad out there earlier. How do you feel?’ Trent asked Lara after he’d helped her into the boat.

‘Um, okay actually,’ she said, rolling her arms to test her muscles.

‘Any time you’re ready,’ came Jack’s deep voice.

Lara sat up the front while Trent threw out the rope. ‘That guy is such an arse,’ she said.

‘Who, Jack?’

She nodded. ‘Yes. He’s so rude to me, like he has a chip on his shoulder. I really don’t get how he and Noah are best mates.’

‘You serious? Jack’s a really great bloke when you get to know him. Sorry, I didn’t realise you two didn’t get on. I just figured ’cos he was Noah’s best mate that you’d be well acquainted. I wouldn’t have invited him otherwise.’

‘You invited him?’

‘Yeah, Jack and I go skiing together. We’re mad for it.’

Jack was still standing at the water’s edge with his ski held up on one foot. Trent gunned the motor, the boat lurched ahead, the rope pulled tight and, effortlessly, Jack was off, skiing side to side. Lara swung around in her seat away from Jack, choosing instead to smile at Trent and enjoy the ride.

When they arrived back at their spot, Jack skied in and practically walked on to the shore. He wasn’t even wet.

‘Hey, Jack, do you mind taking me for a spin?’ Trent said.

‘Sure thing.’

Jack walked back towards the boat after shifting his ski to
higher ground. He didn’t even bother to put his shirt back on – no wonder he had a perfect tan. She snuck a look at her own multiple tan lines from her T-shirts, singlets and tank tops and thought she probably ought to do something about it. Lara was about to get off, but Trent grabbed her arm.

‘Hey, aren’t you gonna stay and watch? I promise to fall off a few times so you can see me face-plant. You know, even up the field a bit.’ He smiled and Lara couldn’t say no.

‘You better at least do one speckie crash. None of this getting back without getting wet,’ she stirred.

Trent held out his hand. ‘It’s a deal. I’ll take the knee board.’

Jack climbed into the boat next to Lara. Her whole body tensed, like an alarm warning her that Jack was in the vicinity. They both kept their eyes on Trent but it didn’t take Jack long to spit out a few words.

‘I hope you got the fence done before you came out here?’

Lara’s blood began to boil. ‘If you must know, I finished it days ago, although it’s really none of your business.’

Jack grunted in reply, as if he wasn’t impressed with her answer. Before she could study the expression on his face, he’d gunned the boat into life. Lara turned around to watch Trent, who was cutting across the wake on the knee board. After a few passes he settled behind the boat and showed off by doing some three-sixty turns. He headed back out over the wake but this time the nose of the board dug into the water and Trent went sprawling face-first into the water. Lara laughed.

‘What the hell?’ asked Jack as he slowed up the boat behind Trent.

‘What did you think? Not bad, hey?’ Trent had one hand over the knee board and reached for the rope with the other.

‘I’ve still got a few up on you. But yes, it was a beauty.’

Jack was watching Lara with a jaded expression, obviously feeling out of the loop with their banter.

‘What now, Jack?’ she asked, rolling her eyes.

‘I didn’t say anything,’ he said dryly.

‘Then why are you looking at me like that?’ Lara crossed her arms, ready to confront this at last. ‘Have I done something to annoy you, or are you always this …’ she waved over his body, ‘this … whatever you are.’ There were too many names for Jack and she couldn’t think which fitted best. Rude, arrogant, selfish, infuriating and a total arse.

He turned around, and automatically she grabbed his arm, demanding his attention. Sparks shot up her fingers and Jack’s eyes darted to hers as if he felt them too.

‘Are you even going to give me a clue?’

Jack guided the boat to the water’s edge, ignoring her. Fuming, Lara leapt off the boat faster than a greyhound.

‘Bloody Jack really shits me,’ she told Trent as they settled back into their chairs and cracked open some dip and biscuits. She watched Jack head across to the other group of people.

‘Don’t worry about him. Don’t take it personally. He obviously came to WA with some baggage and then accumulated some more.’

‘What do you mean?’ Lara asked, cocking her head to the side.

Trent leant closer so they couldn’t be overheard. ‘Noah let slip one night on the turps that Jack’s got a record.’

Lara’s mouth dropped. ‘Really? What for?’ She tried not to
sound too pleased at this news. He really did have some skeletons in his closet.

Trent shrugged. ‘Don’t know. He wouldn’t say. Can’t be anything major.’

Well, I never, Lara thought. Somehow it didn’t surprise her. Jack had bad boy written all over him. Sexy bad boy, she had to admit.

The one thing that did surprise her was how someone like Jack had come to be such close friends with Noah. What with Aaron Snippet yesterday and now this news about Jack today, Lara was starting to question her brother’s friendship choices. It seemed Noah really knew how to pick them.