The Road Home (4 page)

LARA walked around the dining room in white sling-back shoes, under Amanda’s admiring gaze. ‘Should we put dinner on?’

‘No need. Mum’s made us a big casserole.’

‘That’s nice. No wonder Noah wants to marry you!’

‘That’s it. A farmer’s wife always has plenty of food on hand, especially at shearing time.’ Amanda put her finger on her lips and scrutinised the shoes. ‘You know what? I think they’ll do great. Do you like them? I just wanted to stick with a neutral colour that will go with the dresses.’

The shoes were a little tamer than what Lara was used to – almost half the size of her normal heels – but they would do perfectly for Amanda’s farm wedding. ‘Love them,’ she said honestly.

‘Good-oh. Lilly approves too. Great. Another thing to check off my list.’

Lara slipped off the shoes and put them carefully on the table.

‘So, Lilly’s requested a gold bridesmaids dress because that’s what suits her and she’s out to snag a single bloke at the wedding.
Bloody younger sisters! I told her I had to check with you first. I have no colour preference, just not pink or purple.’

‘I think gold would be lovely. So are you getting excited?’

‘Yeah, I can’t wait. It’s going to be amazing having Noah on the farm, you know. We can work side by side, all day, every day … well, until I have kids, I guess,’ she said, laughing.

Lara nodded but remained quiet. She hated to admit it, but Amanda’s happiness was her sadness.

‘Noah said he talked to you about selling Erindale. I’m so sorry, Lara. We went over everything, really, but trying to run both farms just wasn’t viable. I hate to be the one to take Noah away
and
your home.’

‘No, Mandy. Don’t think like that. I’m happy that Noah has you and it’s great that he’s going to get a family and a slice of your big, fabulous farm.’ Lara put her hand on Amanda’s arm. ‘I just wish we could keep Erindale. Dad left the majority of it to him, so really he doesn’t have to check with me, but I’m glad he is. I love this place. It’s my whole childhood. And my parents.’

‘If you feel so strongly, why don’t you try living out here and running it? I know one time you used to be a bush kid. Noah’s told me all your stories.’ Amanda pointed to Lara’s heart. ‘In there is still a tie to Erindale. I can see it in your eyes, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. The way you soak up your surroundings … and in the shed today you just glowed.’

‘I think that was just all the oil and sweat,’ Lara joked, and Amanda rolled her eyes. But every word Amanda had said to her rang true. The tie to Erindale was still there. ‘So, what stories has Noah told you exactly?’

Amanda’s cheeky smile grew as she sat at the dining table. ‘Well, there’s the time you were fourteen and forgot to put the brake on in the old truck and it rolled into the salmon gum near the shed; or the time you went to sleep in the header and carved a path straight through the middle of the crop …’

‘I can see he’s told you all the best stuff.’ Lara laughed, waving Amanda quiet.

‘Seriously, though, Lara, how come you didn’t come back after school?’

Lara shrugged and sat down opposite Amanda. ‘During high school I loved coming back, but my parents had other plans for me. I went away to uni and tried not to look back. Then when they died, I just couldn’t face coming home. I didn’t want to break the illusion that they were still here, working Erindale.’

‘Maybe their spirits still are.’

‘Funny you should say that. I still feel them here. I guess that’s why I can’t bear to let Noah sell. To me this is still home. You know, it hasn’t changed a bit.’

‘Yep, that’s our Noah. He won’t change anything that ain’t broke.’

‘He hasn’t even cleaned out their room,’ Lara squeaked. She felt relieved to talk to someone about it – someone who would understand how difficult this was for her without having to go into the finer details.

‘Noah couldn’t.’ Amanda put her hand on her chest. ‘He just couldn’t. I think he was hoping you’d do it one day.’ Lara felt Amanda’s hazel eyes weighing her up. ‘Look, I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but if you came back to run the farm, it’d solve all the problems. Noah doesn’t want to part with
Erindale either, as much as he says he’s happy to move on. I think he feels like he’s let his dad down a bit, not to mention you. I can see how much it pains him to even think about it and I know he’s doing it for me.’

‘He’s doing it for both of you.’

‘Yeah, but I’m the one who wants our own house and Noah’s determined to use his money for that. He’s already made it clear he doesn’t want to sponge off my dad. It’s a male pride thing, I think. But if you came and ran the farm, well, Noah wouldn’t have to pay out a wage.’

‘And I suppose if I sold the Perth house, I could buy more of a share in the farm and he’d have money for your house.’ The clock ticked in the kitchen and flies buzzed by the windows as Lara’s mind raced. ‘So you think I could really run Erindale?’

‘Hell, yes!’ said Amanda, sitting up straight. ‘Easy. I do most of the farm stuff at home. It won’t take you long to learn the ropes. You already know how to drive headers and tractors.’

‘That was a long time ago.’

‘It’s like riding a bike. You never forget. Lara, you don’t have to be able to do all of it at once, you know. When has anybody ever been expected to just walk into a job and know how to do everything? Seriously, you should give it some thought.’

Lara shrugged and tried to dismiss the ridiculous proposal, but for some reason it lingered, demanding more thought.

‘So when do you think you’ll be done here?’ Amanda asked Noah as he came into the kitchen after cleaning up for dinner. The
casserole was warming in the oven and the girls were drinking a glass of wine.

‘I reckon we’ll be finished by Tuesday at this rate.’

‘Good. The weather report is saying a chance of two to five mil on Wednesday.’

‘Ah, shit. Really? Well, let’s just hope nothing goes wrong till then.’ Noah turned to Lara as Amanda took the casserole out of the oven. ‘Thanks for lending a hand today, Larz. You were throwing fleeces like the days of old.’

A smile sprang to her lips. ‘Thanks. I actually had a lot of fun.’

‘Sure you can’t hang around longer and see out the rest of the sheep?’ he asked.

Her laughter was light and easy. ‘As thrilling as that sounds, I have a meeting with the boss this week so I have to get back.’

They took their loaded plates to the table. ‘God, this smells great,’ Lara said.

‘Yeah. Mum’s sausage casserole is the best.’ Amanda broke up some bread and buried it in the gravy.

Forks scraped on plates as they ate. Noah lasted the whole meal without bringing up the topic of selling the farm, but it was on everyone’s mind.

‘So, what are we going to do, Lara?’ he asked, finally pushing his gravy-smeared plate away from him.

She wished she could avoid the subject all together. ‘I don’t know. We just can’t sell it. Can you at least wait a few weeks and let me try to come up with something? Please.’

Amanda nodded to Noah and he smiled back. ‘Yeah, sure. We can wait a few weeks. Just remember that now’s the time to sell,
while everyone is cashed-up after harvest. I need to sell before seeding starts.’

‘Thanks, Noah. I’m sure I can figure something out. I’ll have to.’

Lara closed the door to her old room, dressed again in her city clothes: jeans, heels and designer top. Next time she’d have to stay longer and give it a total clean-out and paint. She’d promised to visit Noah more often; she could fly to Esperance from Perth and make a holiday of it.

‘Time to go.’ With a sigh she headed into the kitchen, where Noah and Amanda were having breakfast.

‘Wow, you look gorgeous,’ said Amanda approvingly.

Noah raised an eyebrow. ‘So that’s what half an hour in the bathroom gets you?’ he teased. ‘You might need another ten minutes.’

‘Ha. What about you in that holey faded T-shirt and tragic sock tan! Hey, you’d better wear those new shirts I bought you, too.’

Noah moved towards Lara, wrapping his arms around her. ‘Gonna miss you, sis. Thanks for coming home and not killing me for wanting to sell Erindale.’

She hugged him back, her throat constricting with emotion. Noah smelled of faint lanolin, deodorant and bacon. His whiskers scratched her neck and his unbrushed mop tickled her face as he pulled away. She looked at him closely, drinking him in and making a strong memory of his smiling brown eyes, his tanned face and the laugh lines around his mouth. Lara forced a wobbly smile to her lips and nodded. Words wouldn’t form.

‘Call me as soon as you come up with something, okay?’ Noah looked less than hopeful.

‘And I’ll stay in touch,’ Amanda said, hugging Lara warmly.

She headed for the door and they started to follow her. ‘No – don’t see me off. Stay and finish your breakfast. You’ve gotta go and get the next mob in soon. I’ll be fine.’ She heaved her case out the door.

Outside, Dippa came to her gingerly, the arthritis stiffening his joints after a long sleep, but nuzzled her like a puppy. He was in bloody good condition for a dog his age, but she couldn’t help wondering if he’d still be here by her next visit. No doubt she’d have to come back and help pack up the house if Erindale was sold. She pushed the thought from her mind and fought back tears as she said goodbye to Dippa, and headed to the car shed.

Jack drove over early to see Noah, telling himself it wasn’t to catch another glimpse of his sister. Okay, well, maybe it was. Bit hard not to when she was such a stunner. A current of magic had run through him every time he’d looked at her. She was perfect in every way, except the one that mattered most: she was a city chick. He’d been there, had his heart broken and learnt his lesson.

He spotted Lara opening the gate. ‘Here, let me help you,’ said Jack as he picked up her luggage and slid it into her car’s back seat.

‘Oh, thanks, Jack. Where did you come from?’

‘I just pulled up, but I’m glad I got to say goodbye. Back to the city, hey?’ He shut the door and turned to face her, folding his arms across his chest. He felt her gaze run over his body, and he
liked it. They had a connection, he was sure of it. What a shame they lived in different worlds.

‘Yes. I’ve got an important meeting to get back to.’

‘Noah will be sad to see you go.’ Her face flickered briefly with sadness. ‘You really made his weekend, you know.’

‘Really? Thanks, Jack. That’s nice of you to say.’

They stood facing each other, silent for a few moments. Jack drank in her vibrant eyes, her high cheekbones and that gorgeous blond hair. There was something alluring and very feminine about a woman with long hair.

He cleared his throat, breaking the silence. ‘So, is he still going to sell up?’ he said, trying not to sound too optimistic.

Lara tucked a string of hair behind her ear. ‘I don’t know, Jack. I just want a chance to figure out a way he doesn’t have to. I don’t want to lose this place.’

Jack rubbed the scar on his arm. ‘Yeah. It’s always hard to lose something that’s been in the family for years.’ A gruffness came into his tone as he felt the pain of his past resurfacing. ‘Well, I suppose I’d better let you go.’ He leant over and kissed her cheek, then swallowed hard as he breathed in the scent of just-washed hair and intoxicating perfume. ‘Goodbye, Lara.’

‘Goodbye, Jack. Keep an eye on Noah for me.’

He gave her a brisk nod and opened the car door for her. She seemed surprised at his gesture, and looked at him curiously before getting into her car.

‘Nice car, by the way. Not something I would have picked a city girl to have.’

‘Ah, this one is special. I’m a bit sentimental,’ she replied with
a smile. It just made Jack like her even more.

Lara reversed out of the shed. With a last wave she drove off, the dogs trotting beside the car.

Jack watched the Commodore disappear into the morning sun, which stretched yellow across the sky into the deep blue of the day. He hoped their paths would cross again some day.

AFTER they finished shifting in the next mob of sheep, Jack and Noah went for a quick cuppa in the shed while they waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. Noah sat in the old wooden chair, enjoying the stillness of the shed, the gentle
baa
of the sheep and the way the morning sunlight fell across the floor in the open doorway. They sat silently, sipping their hot drinks, letting their bodies rest before putting them through their paces again. Noah had loved watching his sister and his soon-to-be wife together yesterday. He was getting a family together again, and it felt long overdue.

Noah put his cup done on the grimy table. ‘It’s a bummer Lara left; she’s handy to have in the shed.’

‘And very nice to look at, too. Made shearing a much more pleasurable experience,’ said Jack with a smirk as he swung back on his chair. ‘Nah, she seems all right, hey. And so much like your mum.’

‘Yeah, tell me about it.’ So much so that seeing Lara had made Noah miss his mum.

‘Hey, mate. Can I have a word?’ asked Jack, dropping the front legs of his chair back to the floor.

‘Sure. What’s on ya mind?’ He saw a muscle pulse in Jack’s jaw and realised this was something serious.

‘You know I love this place, right? And you know how much I want land of my own.’ Jack’s gaze was fiery. ‘And if I’m not working hard for Jerry, then I’m here with you doing something …’ He took a deep breath and Noah wondered where this was leading. Jack worked mostly for Jerry Valeen on his farm while his own boys were at Ag school, but when Noah needed him he was always able to come and help him out. For the last seven years Jack had been the bloke he turned to, always. It was no wonder Jack thought of this place as home too.

‘Well, the thing is, you see … I think I’d like to buy Erindale.’

Noah’s jaw dropped.

‘Don’t get all excited yet. You know I don’t have the money. But I really don’t want to see this place going to some idiot or an overseas owner and I know you don’t want that either … so I was hoping you might be interested in sorting out an agreement with me.’

Noah slapped Jack on the back. ‘Oh, mate! I’m listening. What have you got in mind?’ Noah would love to see Erindale go to his best mate rather than a stranger.

‘I haven’t done anything yet – I just wanted to see if you’d be keen and what you’d be after, and then I could start asking the banks.’

‘I’d absolutely love to see that happen. Money’s the only issue. I’m still gonna need some upfront. Unfortunately we’re not in
a position where I can just pass it over for you to pay me back sometime down the track.’

‘Yeah, I guessed as much. I’ll see what I can do, but I’m just glad you’re even open to the idea.’

‘Mate, it’s a brilliant idea! I just wish I could offer her to you in a better state.’ But he wasn’t past trying and knew he’d get it all back. His luck was about to turn.

‘Yeah, I know she’s got some debt – what farm doesn’t? But you’ve been trying hard, bringing the sheep back. You can’t predict the weather, Noah. Farming’s a gamble. Anyway we’ll sort out the details later. It might not even be possible, but I really want this.’

The desperation in his voice was genuine, and Noah hoped Jack would be able to pull together the money he’d need. ‘Okay, we’ll talk. See what we can sort out.’

Jack’s eyes swam with hope as he gripped Noah’s shoulder. ‘Cheers, mate.’

‘I can hear the crew pulling up. I’d better go check the pens are full. You want all the tough ones?’

Jack threw him a warning glance. ‘Bloody do not! Give them to Dero. He thinks he’s hot shit.’

Noah laughed. His day was looking so much better.

Click, click, click.
Lara fiddled with her pen. Only ten minutes to go until her meeting with the boss about the senior position she’d been working towards. It hadn’t been easy the last few years, with the way the share market had fallen. The stocks and funds that had been considered the safest prior to the global financial crisis
had lost the most. But it hadn’t slowed Lara. She’d had to change her investment style. The market was now in high-volatility mode, so she’d reduced her clients’ managed funds and invested more into the share market, having to do her own top-down research. She liked to focus on the mining shares, especially since Western Australia was mining central. With her contacts in the mining industry, she’d been able to get her clients shares in a new float in a company exploring down south, and after six months they had already proven very fruitful. She’d invested her own money along the way too, and had a nice nest egg building up. But there was always room for improvement.

She glanced at her mobile, which sat quietly beside her. She’d had so many missed calls and texts from Nic that she’d barred his number, without reading or listening to any of his messages. She and her phone were now at peace.

Instead of starting work on her Tyrrell portfolio that day, she’d decided to work on her save-the-farm plan. On the desk in front of her was her note pad, with ‘Erindale’ written at the top and some bullet points underneath, among lots of doodles and swirls. She had ‘books’ listed as the first bullet point. If she had access to the books, then she’d have a better understanding of where they stood money-wise. She was a financial planner, and a darn good one, so she should start by looking over the farm’s financials – providing Noah had kept the books up to date, of course. She wrote down ‘Call Noah re: books’ under a new subheading, ‘Action’.

She was still doodling when her phone buzzed.

‘Graham’s ready to see you, Lara,’ came Amber’s voice.

Adjusting her cream jacket, straightening her matching pencil
skirt and checking her hair, Lara left her office and walked through the cubicles. Amber smiled up from her desk and gave her two thumbs up.

Her knuckles wrapped against the large jarrah door on the boss’s huge office and a gruff ‘come in’ sent her nerves into a spasm.

‘Morning, Mr Lent.’

Graham Lent sat behind his huge desk. He was dressed in a black suit and his grey hair was trimmed short, emphasising his large cauliflower nose. Always so immaculate. She’d never really got on too well with Graham, as he was quite stiff and blunt. But there was no doubting he knew his stuff and for that she’d give him plenty of kudos.

‘Lara, please take a seat.’

She did, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knee.

‘As you know, Patrick and I have been discussing the senior position that has become available, and after great deliberations we have decided to offer you the position.’

‘Oh, thank you, Mr Lent,’ Lara replied with an automatic smile. She tried to let his words sink in but for some reason her mind was blank; she couldn’t seem to feel anything about the news.

Graham leant forward and continued. ‘Lara, what you have achieved in your time here is quite remarkable, especially in the current financial climate. You were the obvious candidate for the job, and Miles and Lent would like to offer you the following promotion.’

Graham slid over some papers outlining the particularities of her new salary and role. He kept talking as she stared at the black print. But her eyes couldn’t read any of it. It still wasn’t sinking in.
Why did she feel so empty? This was everything she’d worked for and yet she felt nothing. If anything, she felt bereft.

Graham stood up, and she mimicked him blindly with the papers still clutched in her hand.

‘Now, if you don’t mind, I have to notify the other candidates that they’ve been unsuccessful.’ He held out his hand. ‘Well done, Lara.’

‘Thank you, Mr Lent,’ she said again, still feeling slightly numb. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, she smiled and added politely, ‘Thank you so much.’

She walked out on autopilot and went back to her office – the long way around so she didn’t have to pass Amber. She shut her door, put the job offer on her desk and moved across to her large window. She stared out into the CBD. It wasn’t supposed to feel like this. She should want to do cartwheels and open a bottle of bubbly. Instead, she felt like she’d been given a demotion.

Lara rested her forehead on the window and glanced up. This was the only way she could see past all the imposing buildings to make out the sky. It wasn’t much, but there it was – a tiny patch of blue. She pressed her fingers against the cool glass, searching for more, inching closer and not caring about the smudges on the window. Why did she feel a lump swelling in her throat? Why was it annoying her that she couldn’t see the whole sky? She remembered sitting on the back veranda with Noah and Amanda, watching the last of the sun set over the horizon. They could see the sky all around them, from horizon to horizon, in all its colours – blues, yellows, pinks and reds. Here she could scarcely make out a dull square of blue no bigger than a shoebox.

She suddenly felt like she was starved of oxygen. Where had all the air gone? An emotional wave rolled through her and she felt abruptly sick.
Homesick.
She missed the sky at Erindale and she missed the land, and she missed those bloody sheep Noah hated, and the dogs. For the first time in her life she asked herself what the hell she was doing here in this concrete jungle. She allowed her heart to speak and for the first time she realised how much it didn’t want to be here. This had never been her dream.

Wiping away a tear, she tore her eyes away from the speck of sky, grabbed her bag, keys and phone from her desk and headed for the door.

Amber was on the other side about to knock. ‘Oh, I was just coming to see you.’

‘Sorry, Amber. I’m heading off early. If anyone needs me, they can call my mobile.’

‘But what about the meeting? Did you get the job?’ Amber called after her.

‘It’s on my desk,’ Lara shouted back as she headed for the stairs, picking up her pace. She had to get out.