The Desert Midwife

by Fiona McArthur

  The young man looked terrified at the thought; Ava didn’t blame him. ‘Can you find an elder and they might go with you?’ The boy nodded, relief clear in his eyes, and he took off at a run, leaving his motorbike on its side in the dirt.

  Ava took off at a brisk pace towards the vehicle with Zac close behind her. A couple of kilometres down the road they found Viv kneeling in the dirt clutching Willy to her chest and they pulled over next to her.

  Willy lay in his mother’s arms, a red welt crossing his thigh where the bike tyres had caught him, his mouth wide as he hollered his distress and thrashed. One thin arm lay obviously damaged across his chest, and every time Willy moved it he screamed louder. Zac’s eyes met Ava’s as he nodded at it.

  Zac eased Willy from his mother as they knelt beside her, careful not to move the arm, and lay the screaming child down on the ground in front of them to quickly assess him. Zac’s big hands ran gently across the child’s stomach and thighs, the latter causing a shudder from the little boy as he pulled away, but the main damage seemed to be from Willy putting out his arm to protect himself.

  ‘His arm needs looking at, but the rest should be fine in a few days, Vivian,’ Zac soothed her. ‘Though he needs to be taken into Alice. You can see it’s out of shape.’

  Viv sobbed a croaking agreement.

  ‘Zac and I will bind his arm to his chest, get the RFDS to come pick him up, and they’ll set his arm when he gets there.’

  Ava put her arm around Viv’s shoulder. Willy continued to holler every time Zac adjusted the sling. ‘He’s very loud,’ Zac said with a smile. ‘He’ll grow up to have a very impressive voice when he’s big.’

  ‘And that’s a good sign. He’s well enough to let us know he’s not happy,’ Ava said, giving Viv’s shoulder a squeeze.

  Tears streamed down Vivian’s face, but she was calming and Ava soothed her. ‘Poor little Willy. Poor Viv. Your boy is determined to cause you worry. One day, he’ll have babies of his own and then he’ll see what worry does.’

  Viv hiccuped a small laugh and sniffed, and she nodded. ‘He’s so fast. Here one minute, gone the next.’ She glared at the spot on the road where it had happened. ‘That boy shouldn’t be riding so fast on the bike.’

  ‘No, he shouldn’t.’ Ava shook her head in agreement. ‘You reckon that will be Willy one day? Riding bikes too fast on the road?’

  Viv gave Ava a rueful nod. ‘Maybe.’ Then she said, ‘You got that phone you always carry?’

  Everyone knew Ava was the one with the sat phone. ‘Yep. We’ll phone for the plane. They can land on Setabilly and Mum will give you a nice cup of tea while we wait.’

  They strapped young Willy up with his arm to his chest and sedated him, and by the time they got Viv and her son back to the homestead, the RFDS were on their way. They were lucky. Sometimes it took longer for response depending on the emergency calls, but today they’d be there soon.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Hana

  An hour later, the RFDS aircraft arrived on the station airstrip with the flight nurse. Hana drove out to pick up the nurse in Ava’s car and brought her to the homestead. Another car pulled up at the same time and a tall, dark-haired, older gentleman climbed out as Hana directed the nurse through to the house. She walked over to see what he wanted.

  He bowed his head with an Old World gesture. ‘I am Lorenzo DeFortelli.’

  Hana smiled. This was different. ‘I’m Hana May. What can I do for you, Mr DeFortelli?’

  ‘It is I come to see if I can help you. I heard the emergency flight and I’ve come to see if Stella, Mrs May –’ he sent a hopeful look towards the house – ‘requires assistance?’

  ‘Ah, thank you. You know my mother-in-law?’

  ‘Yes, she was kind enough to repair my injured hand last week. Though we have met before. I came across from Dreamtime Station.’

  Oh my goodness, Hana thought with a suppressed smile. ‘Our neighbour. Yes. I heard. Thank you for the kind thought. Stella is well. A small child from the community has had an accident and they are flying him back to Alice. Would you like to come in?’

  Stella hadn’t said he was gorgeous. ‘The doctor says the child will recover well.’ She gestured to the house. ‘Stella’s daughter is a midwife and her doctor friend is with her. We’re fine, but you’re welcome to come in.’

  How fascinating that this lovely man had rushed over to see if Stella was okay. Hana had been intrigued by the way Stella had brushed off Mim’s and Hana’s questions about him last week, and they both wanted to meet him. Mim had been dying to, actually. She could see now why Stella had been flustered. He was a middle-aged hunk. ‘Come in. Stella will be pleased to see you.’

  Lorenzo shook his head. ‘No. No. There are enough people if another family is involved. As long as all is well.’

  As long as Stella is well, you mean? This good-looking man had been worried about Stella. And he had such a commanding stance. That thick head of hair, greying at the temples in just the right amount, made him extremely distinguished.

  Hana wasn’t letting him get away that easily. Mim would kill her if she did. ‘Then come tomorrow for morning tea. Ten o’clock. Stella can tell you all about it. It’s good for us to have visitors.’

  Lorenzo nodded and smiled, and Hana wanted to grab Ava and whisper the news to her, but Ava and Stella would be busy with the child and his mother until they were transferred. She smiled as she watched him stride with that particular European elegance back to his expensive car.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Ava. She might leave Jock to find out a little later. He could be a little over-protective.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Ava

  The next morning, Zac and Jock went off to ‘check the bores and fences’ just before ten, and Ava watched them go with a small frown because she hadn’t been invited.

  Hana waggled her brows. ‘I’ve been wanting to catch you alone. They’ll be fine. Jock likes him and Zac understands about life and death with humans so he can listen to Jock’s heartbreak with the animals. He took me aside and said he’d talk to Jock about the mood changes and suggest that he make an appointment with a psychologist next time we’re in Alice. I almost threw my arms around him. It’s a big ask for a man who’s really a guest.’

  Ava touched Hana’s shoulder in sympathy. ‘I’m glad. He’ll be good.’

  Hana lifted her chin, and if her smile was a little forced then Ava was still happy to see it. ‘In lighter news, I want you here and Jock out of the way for our visitor this morning.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘My darling husband can be a bit off-putting until he gets to know people.’

  Ava remembered Jock’s response to Zac holding her hand yesterday. ‘Which people?’ Her brother needed to get out more and stop carrying the worries of the world on his shoulders. ‘Who’s our visitor?’ They both sat down next to Mim, who held a pot of tea for refills.

  Hana glanced towards the hallway and lowered her voice. ‘Lorenzo DeFortelli’s coming over for morning tea to see your mother.’

  ‘Is that the Italian who bought Dreamtime?’ Ava didn’t understand. ‘The one Mum sutured the other day?’ Hana raised her brows suggestively and Mim nodded gleefully. ‘Why is he coming?’

  ‘Hana asked him.’ Mim looked archly satisfied, while Ava wondered how her sister-in-law and grandmother had managed to arrange this ‘surprise’ for her mother.

  ‘Does Mum know?’

  Hana’s eyes sparkled. ‘He arrived last night at the same time as the RFDS to check we were okay, but wouldn’t come in. He’s a lovely man who seemed relieved it wasn’t Stella they’d come for. We told Stella he asked to visit today and that we’d offered morning tea.’

  ‘Did he really ask to come?’ Ava’s scepticism didn’t come out as subtle as she meant it to. As if Mim or Hana cared.

  ‘Sort of.’

  ‘Shhhhh. She’s coming.’ Mim jumped up, hurried over to the sink and picked up a tea towel. Hana stood and reached for the br
oom. Ava raised her brows and sipped her tea. They were mad. There were no dishes to dry and she was pretty sure her mum would have already swept. She watched Mim grab a clean cup out of the cupboard and polish it furiously.

  When Stella walked in, Ava realised her mother had actually put on mascara and perhaps a bit of blusher. Curiouser and curiouser. Maybe Mim and Hana had it right?

  Stella said, ‘Where’s Zac?’

  Trying to keep a straight face, Ava gestured vaguely towards the hills. ‘He went with Jock to check the bores.’

  Her mother frowned. ‘Mim and Jock did that two days ago.’

  Ava could see Granny Mim gesturing behind her mother’s back for her to carry on, and her control stretched. She racked her brain as she tried to remain composed. ‘Zac seems interested in the running of the station.’

  ‘Oh. Okay.’ Stella tilted her head at her, staring her down. ‘I like him, Ava. Despite the fact that you’ve known him less than a week and already slept with him.’

  That wiped the smile off her face. Hana’s broom stilled. Ava threw her hands up in the air. ‘Is nothing sacred around here?’

  Stella’s ‘No’ made Ava wave her away. Grrr.

  ‘Tea,’ said Mim. ‘The first cup of tea of the day is sacred. Nobody says a cross word until after that.’

  Ava and Stella both looked at her. Ava growled, ‘Right. We had that at six this morning.’

  ‘I know,’ said Mim. ‘You asked if anything was sacred. That’s all I was saying.’

  Mim was saved by the sound of a vehicle pulling up on the gravel. Her eyes sparkled. ‘You get it, Stella – I just want to dash to the bathroom.’ Hana slipped out to the laundry with the broom.

  Stella peeked hopefully at Ava, who said innocently, ‘Who is it?’

  Her mother spun on her heel and headed for the front door. Ava saw her quickly checking herself in the mirror on the way and she had to smile. Mim and Hana reappeared magically, all discomfort gone. Mum was on the back foot now. Ava had to hand it to them. ‘Go, you guys. I’m impressed.’

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Ava

  Hana, Mim and Ava craned their necks as they peered avidly through the kitchen window. Her mother was making lots of hand movements and the man was watching her with a small smile on his face. As they turned to come back inside, Mim and Ava collided in their haste to get away from the window and Hana laughed. They’d only just managed to stop giggling by the time her mother returned.

  The colour was high in Stella’s cheeks when she brought the big man through to the kitchen. ‘Lorenzo, you’ve met Hana, apparently, but this is my daughter, Ava, and my mother, Mirium Mason.’

  Lorenzo DeFortelli stood almost six feet tall, had muscular arms and a barrel chest. A bear of a man who moved with surprising lightness of foot as he entered. Ava decided he was probably a few years older than her mother, judging by the brush of expensively cut hair that held distinguished grey around his temples, and the creases from laughter etching lines at the corner of his kind eyes. Ava had met few Italians and wondered if many older Italian men looked this George Clooney-esque in their expensive shirts and trousers. He was also extremely polite and gazed warmly at Stella. She could see why her mother was flustered if she was the reason he’d called.

  Lorenzo made an infinitesimal but elegant bow. ‘Enchanted, Miss Ava. Mrs Mason.’

  ‘Call me Mim, please, Lorenzo,’ her grandmother said.

  Ava resisted the urge to say, Just Ava. ‘Nice to meet you, Lorenzo.’ He held out his hand and she shook, and slowly, while still holding his hand, turned his wrist. ‘Nice stitches.’

  ‘She is clever, no?’ Lorenzo laughed and it was a deep, delighted chuckle that had Ava smiling too. They dropped hands. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn’t catch it. ‘Your mother repaired my foolishness very neatly.’

  ‘She’s a good cook, too,’ Mim said and deftly avoided the daggers Stella shot her way. ‘The jug’s boiled,’ she went on blithely. ‘Would you like tea or coffee?’

  ‘Black coffee,’ Stella said for him and Ava hid her smile. She was so glad not to have missed this, or worse, to have had Jock in tow.

  They all sat at the table and Mim brought out her Anzac biscuits, and Stella had made one of her special carrot cakes with lemon icing and a magnificent bacon-and-onion quiche. Hana sat quietly amused. Quite the party, Ava thought, and tried not to catch her sister-in-law’s eye in case she laughed.

  Lorenzo complimented her mother on everything, and Mim on her biscuits. He turned to her. ‘Do you cook, Ava?’

  ‘Ava makes very nice scones,’ her grandmother said loyally. That was about all Ava made. Cooking held no interest for her and her grandmother knew it.

  ‘Thank you, Mim.’ She gestured to the food on the laden table. ‘Do you cook, Lorenzo?’

  ‘Sì, though I have no one to cook for. My wife passed five years ago. My son and his wife met while backpacking in Australia two years ago. She is from Australia. These young ones are fearless.’ He shook his head.

  ‘I thought you buying Dreamtime was a little fearless,’ Stella said with a shake of her head.

  ‘No. You thought it foolish when you discovered it, but you will see. Again, you underestimate me, Stella.’

  What was Stella underestimating? Ava raised her brows at her mother, who looked away.

  Lorenzo caught the silent question between them and went on smoothly. ‘I digress. My son, Leo, and his wife, Aimee, have worked on cattle stations in your Northern Territory for several years now and have held their wish to return here to Central Australia.’ He shrugged. ‘So I came to see last year, and I too –’ here he glanced at Stella – ‘was drawn by everything.’ He shrugged. ‘My wealth is only to see my family happy. Happiness is all that I need.’

  He certainly appeared happy while he was watching her mother. ‘I look forward to meeting them.’ Ava thought an outback station a particularly radical gift for his son, but she wished them well. If the son was used to working on stations, then with a good manager they’d work things out. It would be good for Jock to have young people near, too. Interesting changes were afoot.

  ‘Sì. And they you. They are in Sydney at present with plans for the station. I am home alone –’ he spread his hands and pretended a mournful face – ‘except for my Mrs Digby, the keeper of house.’ He looked at Stella. ‘And the cows. In Italy we have the Chianina, they are the oldest breed in the world. I will cook the bistecca alla fiorentina for you all one day with this meat and see how it turns.’

  ‘Turns out,’ Stella corrected gently.

  ‘Sì. Turns out.’ Another warm glance was directed at her mother.

  ‘Thank you for coming over last night. It was very thoughtful of you.’ Stella gushed a little and Ava stared. Her mother caught the look. ‘Lorenzo and I met at last year’s races. Do you remember, Ava?’

  Ahhh. Now she remembered seeing him in the crowd. ‘I did think you were familiar.’ Her mother had been flustered and unlike herself at the time. Behaving pretty similarly to this, actually. She’d thought then that it was just not her mum’s scene in her unaccustomed heels, though there’d been a small crowd she’d stood with. A merry crowd. ‘How lovely.’ This delightful man obviously remembered Stella very well.

  ‘Have you decided to settle in Australia, Lorenzo, or are you having an extended holiday?’ And her mother worried about her future with Zac. Italy was a long way away, so did this even have a future?

  ‘My son is settled, so I will not be far. I retain my villa in Italy, but my plans are fluid for the moment. It is not the place that is important but the people.’ This was said with a long look at her mother.

  Her mother actually blushed and Ava caught Mim’s look. Her grandmother’s satisfaction dusted the situation with another layer. If Mim was happy, and Hana avidly interested, then this situation had a history she’d been unaware of. But then that was fair. She hadn’t talked to her mother about the true situation with Zac.
>
  By the time Lorenzo had left, Ava was pretty darn sure her usually sober mother was slightly drunk with infatuation. Of all the left-field occurrences, this was the biggest she’d seen for a while, Zac notwithstanding.

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Stella

  It was after morning tea, on the fifth day since Ava had arrived home, when Stella May climbed the rocky hill to calm the agitation in her chest. The others were out in the back paddocks somewhere, and she’d cleared the benches and tidied. But the tablecloth of her family stability felt as if it were fraying at the edges on all sides and her own inner turmoil wasn’t helping anyone.

  For the last few days, Stella had watched her daughter battle to keep the heartbreak out of her eyes and her hands to herself. Stella knew just how that felt. She never saw Ava touch Zac, except for that day of hand-holding that never returned.

  She saw that Zac listened to Ava with intent concentration and appeared to soak up everything about the world that was Setabilly Station with avid interest, but the distance between them was growing and Stella suspected it was a kindness of Zac’s doing that he had taken a step back.

  In Ava, Stella saw the aching loss, and the gradual acceptance that while Zac had no memories, he would return to Sydney and the relationship would progress no further than the making of a ‘lovely’ friendship.

  The proposal Ava had quietly shared with Mim and Stella after Lorenzo’s visit, but it was never mentioned to Zac. Everyone skirted the edges of their strained relationship as if it were a minefield.

  Stella wished Lorenzo was there. It was extremely uncharacteristic of her to look for support from others. She stood alone, had done for twenty-four years, so why now did she need support?

  But the empty kitchen didn’t make her want to cook and the silent house didn’t ask her to clean. Even the dog had wandered off, because Jock and Hana had gone for a drive. Mim was resting. Everyone was doing something except her, the cattle were weak and the ground dry, and her brain gyrated and galloped with the worries of the week, with no one to spill it out to. She really wanted to walk and stomp and shout, but an unusual loneliness stopped her.