Silver Clouds Read online

  ‘Yes!’ She punched the air, then leaned forward to line up the next one.

  ‘Beginner’s luck,’ Brendan moaned, leaning against the side of the table.

  Tessa glanced up. ‘What I didn’t tell you was that I used to kick my brother’s arse at pool. It may have been a while, but you’re looking at the Danjar Plains champion.’ She smiled sweetly and sank another two.

  Brendan watched with an amused smile.

  ‘You’re toast, McKenzie,’ one of his mates called from the bar.

  ‘Gonna get beat,’ another agreed.

  Brendan shrugged and raised his hands. ‘She’s only potted three balls!’

  ‘I can tell a good ’un when I see it,’ said an old man who was leaning against the stone wall. ‘And you’re done, Macca.’

  ‘Winner buys another round,’ Brendan said as Tessa sent yet another ball spinning towards its hole, and then lined up the black eight.

  ‘What? You can’t change the rules halfway through!’

  ‘We didn’t have any rules! Best of three, then.’

  ‘You’re on.’ They shook hands.

  ‘Last drinks,’ called the English lad about an hour past closing. While the roadhouse operated twenty-four hours a day and weary travellers could order takeaway day and night, the bar had to shut, as did the dining room.

  Tessa ordered another bottle of wine and a six-pack for Brendan.

  ‘Come on, let’s get outta here,’ Brendan said, grabbing his beer. ‘I need to redeem my reputation since you’ve whipped me every game we’ve played.’

  ‘Ha! Not just you, but anyone who was brave enough to play me,’ Tessa said smugly.

  ‘Let’s go out to the pool. I’ll teach you all about the stars. Unless of course you already know about them, too?’

  ‘I used to be able to recognise most of the constellations but now I can find the Saucepan and that’s about all. Not much call for star gazing in night clubs.’ She followed him through the door and out into the open.

  A pool lounge beckoned. She sat down and looked up into the clear night sky. The stars began to swim in all directions and she blinked, trying to clear the alcohol from her system, all the while knowing it was futile.

  ‘Done it again,’ she muttered.

  ‘Done what?’

  Brendan was beside her on another lounge he’d pulled up close.

  ‘Been an idiot and drunk too much.’

  ‘I thought you were here to let your hair down.’

  ‘Hmm. Think I might pay for it tomorrow. Or today, as the case may be.’ She let out a giggle. Then she felt his hand on her thigh. She opened her eyes and turned towards him.

  ‘So, you’re gonna be around for a while.’ It was a statement.

  ‘Not sure how long,’ she answered.

  He leaned towards her, his eyes reflecting in the soft orange light that lit the grounds.

  ‘Just a warning,’ he murmured, his lips only millimetres away from hers. ‘I’m a bad boy. You should think about that.’

  ‘I like bad boys,’ Tessa answered. ‘I seem to attract them.’

  She felt his grin. ‘Should be good together, then.’

  As he kissed her, Tessa discovered that, in contrast to his hot and rushed kisses in the shearing shed, Brendan was slow and gentle.

  Chapter 13

  The thunder roared overhead and lightning split the sky into segments. Tessa gritted her teeth and drove on. She needed to get home before the heavens opened. If the rain came in heavy, the road back into Danjar Plains would become as slippery as ice and she could slide off the road and get bogged. This sort of land didn’t take the water well and would transform from hard as hell to slippery as hell in a matter of about five millimetres.

  She tightened her fingers around the steering wheel as one drop of rain splashed onto the windshield. ‘Come on,’ she urged.

  Storms out here could be dangerous and unpredictable. She almost wished she’d taken up Brendan’s offer to drive her home. They’d watched the storm build while eating lunch by the pool at Balladonia. The enormous, vivid white rollers looked like skyscrapers in the sky.

  ‘Better watch them,’ Brendan had said, nodding towards the north.

  ‘Look nasty, don’t they?’ she had agreed.

  ‘I don’t want to cut this short, but it will take me longer to get home than you. I’d better push off. Not keen on getting halfway home and then getting stuck. But if you’re worried, I can drive you home.’

  ‘No, no, I’ll be fine,’ she said, hiding her disappointment. Not only was Brendan gorgeous, he was knowledgeable and smart. They’d had long conversations about the world financial crisis and where things were headed. She had been surprised at how switched on he was.

  ‘You thought I was just some country hick, didn’t you?’ he’d said at one point, poking her with his toe.

  She’d had the grace to blush, wishing she hadn’t stumbled into her rented unit by herself last night. He was alluring.

  Now, she focused on the road ahead and watched as another crack of lightning burst above. It was only four p.m. but it was as dark as night. She switched on her lights and drove hard.

  Ten minutes after the rain had started with a fury she stopped at Ryan and Marni’s house. They were sitting outside, nursing drinks as they watched the spectacle. Shutting the engine off, she listened to the water belt onto the tin roof. It was deafening. As she got out and ran to the verandah, lightning once again lit the sky. Seconds later, she felt the ground tremble with the force of the thunder. It sounded like it was right overhead.

  ‘Far out!’ she said, shaking the droplets out of her hair.

  ‘Do you remember these, little sister?’ Ryan asked with a grin.

  ‘They’re a bit hard to forget. Just happy I made it home before it got serious,’ she answered, breathlessly. ‘How are you, Marni?’

  ‘Fine, thanks. Would you like a drink?’

  ‘Something soft, if you’ve got it. I think I may have overdone it last night!’

  ‘Now there’s a surprise,’ Ryan commented with a grin. ‘Our Tessa is never one to do something by halves. And let me tell you, you look like it. Your eyes are like piss holes in the snow.’

  ‘Well, thank you very bloody much,’ she said. She sighed and flopped into a spare chair, rubbing her temple. ‘Yep, definitely overdid it.’

  Ryan went to the fridge at the end of the verandah. ‘Coke, Fanta or lemonade?’ he asked.

  ‘Lemonade, please.’

  There was another crack of thunder and the rain seemed to get heavier. Ryan looked out towards the sheds. ‘Of course, we can’t do anything about it. It could stop anytime soon. But we might end up with a small flood!’

  ‘I imagine we won’t be going anywhere for a while,’ Marni added. ‘Good thing we picked up extra food when we shopped for Spider’s funeral. Still I guess the delivery truck will be out as it always is.’

  ‘At least it runs on the bitumen. It never gets stopped, no matter the weather. The Flying Doctor is due to do its run some time next week, too. Have to hope everything will be dried out enough by then, otherwise he won’t be able to land.’ Ryan touched Marni’s shoulder as he passed her.

  He returned with a can of lemonade and handed it to Tessa. ‘Hey, guess what I found yesterday?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘A photo. Wait here. I’ll get it.’

  ‘I’m not going anywhere in this rain,’ Tessa answered. Although, as she looked out across the waterlogged yard, it did seem to be easing slightly.

  She turned her attention to her sister-in-law. ‘So, Marni, I’ve hardly had a chance to catch up with you since Aunty Spider’s funeral. What’s your news? Seen your family lately?’

  ‘No, not for a while. I had hoped they might be able to come to the funeral, but Mum said it was too far. It’s a long drive from Esperance.’

  ‘I guess they’d find the drive hard at their age.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So.’ Tessa searched
for something to say. It seemed that all of her good social skills had deserted her since she’d been back. Or maybe it was because she didn’t always have wine and vodka inside her, making her bold. ‘Are you thinking of kids yet? I’d love to be an aunty!’

  Instantly Tessa knew she had said the wrong thing. Marni turned away and stared into the rain that had become a drizzle. The thunder seemed to have passed, too.

  ‘Life doesn’t always go according to plan,’ Marni said. She got up and walked inside, leaving Tessa embarrassed and perplexed.

  ‘Here it is,’ Ryan said as he came out and handed the photo to Tessa.

  She took it without looking at it. ‘I may have just upset, Marni,’ she confessed. ‘I asked about kids.’

  ‘Oh.’ His face lost its life.

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know there was a problem.’

  ‘There’s not. No problem.’ Silence. ‘So, do you remember when that photo was taken?’

  Tessa glanced down and felt herself smile. There she was astride a misty grey mare called Sooty. Ryan was behind her, holding on to her waist, and Spider stood beside them, twisting the reins in a tight grip. In the background there were acres of low, grey, shrubby saltbush. She had been about five years old and Ryan was nine. Spider had taken them on a daylong picnic while their parents worked in the sheep yards, getting ready for shearing.

  ‘We ate butterfly cakes that had strawberry jam in them, and mutton sandwiches with chutney for lunch,’ Tessa said, feeling her throat tighten.

  ‘Yeah, and do you remember how I kicked Sooty in the guts, hoping to make her canter faster, and she just stopped and you and I went tumbling over her head?’

  ‘Oh, yeah, I do! Was that the day I got that horrendous bruise on my thigh? I think it was.’

  ‘You were always covered in bruises. You used to be a regular tomboy.’

  ‘So were you! Covered in bruises, I mean. I did used to be a bit of tomboy, didn’t I? I wonder when makeup and fashion changed all of that?’ she mused.

  ‘When you went to school.’

  ‘Really? Was it so noticeable?’

  ‘It’s to be expected you’d be different after hanging around with city girls. I know I changed when I went to boarding school. Just a fact of life.’ He shrugged.

  ‘You know, we should head up to Spider’s tomorrow, with Mum and Dad and Marni. You guys could take the things you wanted and that would give me a bit of room to start cleaning it out.’

  ‘You’re going to do it, then?’

  ‘I don’t really have a choice. She knew I’d do what she asked. I don’t want to. I can’t think of anything worse than going through her things, but, in a way, I’m super curious, too. She said something about a family mystery, so you never know what I might find!’

  ‘Mystery? What, that she had a secret child or something like that?’ Ryan lowered his voice and cast his eyes around him. ‘What if we’re not the only heirs? What if there is someone who could come in and snatch it all away?’

  Tessa laughed. ‘God forbid! Or there’s a million-dollar inheritance stuffed in a mattress!’

  ‘Bloody hell, if you find that, I’m definitely claiming half,’ Ryan said. ‘I could use it.’

  Tessa cocked her head. ‘Things a bit tight?’ She’d never considered the idea.

  ‘No more than usual. But if it’s buried on my land, I’m entitled to half!’

  ‘Of course. Anyway, I’d better go and see Mum and Dad. I’m sorry if I upset Marni.’

  Ryan snorted as he walked her out to the ute. ‘Unfortunately, it’s not hard to do these days. No, don’t ask. I’ll tell you sometime.’ He ended the conversation.

  Over tea, Tessa told her parents she wanted to shift some of the bigger furniture from Spider’s house. ‘I just need a bit of room if I’m going to start clearing things out. Have you got any idea what you’ll do with the house once I’ve gone through everything? Or is it just going to sit there empty?’

  ‘We always assumed that after you came home you’d stay and live in it,’ Peggy answered.

  Tessa looked up from piling vegies onto her plate. ‘What?’

  ‘I’m joking, Tessa.’ Her mother reached across and patted Tessa’s hand, but there was something in Peggy’s eyes that made Tessa wonder if it really had been said in jest. Was it a hint? Was that what her parents wanted her to do?

  Tessa decided to ignore the comment and spoke on. ‘It said in the letter she left me that the family could take what they wanted, so as long as you leave me the spare bed and kitchen table, it might be time to do just that. When I was there with Ryan, we had a bit of a look around and all the cupboards and drawers are full of newspapers and files. So I might need some extra floor space.’

  ‘That’s a great idea, Tessa,’ Peggy said, looking at Paul.

  ‘Did you want some of the pieces?’ Paul asked his wife.

  ‘If it’s okay, I’d really love that sideboard she had in the lounge. Good Lord, I feel rather morbid, asking for the things of a dead lady!’

  ‘It feels very strange,’ Paul said looking forlorn.

  Peggy covered his hand with her own. ‘We can leave it for longer if you want, love.’

  ‘No, you’re right. It needs to be done. And I guess you want to get it done, Tessa? Not have it hanging over your head.’

  ‘Yes, I would. But if you need more time?’

  ‘Nah.’

  ‘I also had another idea. I’d like to move down there while I’m cleaning it out. Ryan suggested it and at the time I didn’t think there was a chance I would want to do it, but the more I think about it, it’s a good idea. It’s not that I don’t want to stay here,’ she hurried on, seeing her mother about to say something. ‘It’s just that I can do a better job and just get on with it any time of the day or night if I’m there. I’ll take Dozer with me so I’ll have company.’

  ‘What I was about to say, Tessa,’ said Peggy, looking at her with raised eyebrows, ‘was that it was a good idea.’

  Tessa laughed.

  ‘Right, that’s settled then,’ Paul said and started to eat again.

  Peggy held her daughter’s gaze. ‘Harrison rang over the weekend. He has to go to Adelaide late next week, just as the school term is starting.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Hmm, he’s got a meeting with the owners – his annual board meeting, so it’s not something he can get out of. Do you think you could pop over and look after Cally while he’s away? It’ll only be for three days.’

  ‘What do I know about looking after a kid, Mum? I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

  ‘Tessa, all you have to do is make sure she has three meals a day and fronts up at the computer on time for School of the Air. It’s not hard, and you’d be doing him a favour. I would usually go, but I’m needed here. We’re going to have to start bringing the sheep in closer to the yards – after this heavy rain the flies will be around and we’ll probably have to jet them.’

  ‘I don’t think Harrison would want me there. We didn’t start off very well. I’d feel rather uncomfortable.’

  ‘Oh for goodness sake. Who is the adult here?’

  ‘Come on, Tessie,’ Paul said quietly. ‘We won’t be able to start until it dries out a bit and by then it will be about the time he goes. You can do it. Be good for you. And he did us a big favour, picking you up from Kalgoorlie.’

  Tessa pushed her mashed potatoes and peas around her plate. She’d rather have nothing to do with that sullen man, who seemed to completely dislike her. Still, Cally was lovely. And she knew her parents thought the world of him. She felt the obligation close in on her. ‘Fine,’ she said shortly.

  The next day dawned clear and sunny and the whole Mathison family travelled in three separate vehicles to Aunty Spider’s house. Tessa had Dozer with her, along with clean bed linen and enough food for two days.

  The heat that had been present before the storm wasn’t as fierce but the humidity made up for it. Marni was first out of the car and into t
he garden. ‘I’d really like to get some cuttings if that’s okay?’ she asked.

  ‘Spider would love you to take anything at all,’ Peggy said, smiling. ‘I’m going to grab a few too. Petal,’ she turned to Tessa, ‘Ryan will have to show you how the garden pump works and when to refill the tank. Okay, Ryan?’

  Tessa grinned as her brother put two fingers to his forehead.

  ‘At your service,’ he answered.

  Tessa turned to share a laugh with Marni at Ryan’s expense but caught an impatient look aimed at Ryan as her sister-in-law bent down to snap off a frond from the geranium bush she was standing near. Worried now, Tessa was sure she could see a great distance between Marni and Ryan and she hoped it was just her imagination. She knew Marni was perfect for her brother but, reading between the lines, if they were having trouble falling pregnant Tessa knew that could create tension.

  ‘Should we go in?’ she asked trying to defuse the situation and pushed open the door.

  The house had begun to look and smell like no one lived there. Cobwebs hung in the corners and dust had settled on the furniture and surfaces. Yesterday’s rain had come in underneath the front window and there was a damp patch on the carpet. Tessa was surprised that a house could look so unloved within a matter of five weeks.

  She looked at her parents. ‘Where do we start?’ she asked, feeling suddenly very sad.

  ‘We’ve just got to get on,’ Paul said. ‘If no one has any objections I’d like to take that.’ He pointed at an antique chair covered in blue fabric. ‘The Story Telling Chair,’ he said. ‘Do you know it’s a Smoker’s Bow? I spent ages sitting in it while she spun tales sometimes too far-fetched to believe!’

  ‘Yeah, I did too. Remember that story she used to tell about a kid called Spindles and his pet goanna?’ Ryan said.

  Peggy nodded. ‘Oh, do I ever. You wanted one and were forever fossicking about in the scrub looking for a baby goanna you could train up as your own.’ She shuddered, but with a smile.

  Tessa knew she had sat there, too, when Spider told her tales of the cameleers, but she didn’t say anything. Her emotions were running high and, as always when that happened, the cravings for a drink came in spades. She tuned back into the conversation.