Chapter 19
Nina shot up in bed. Something had woken her. Something out of the ordinary; she was sure of it. Her heart roared in her ears. The room was dark. Although the curtains were open, there was no moon. She got out of bed, padded over to the open window, and peered around the dark garden.
Nothing. But she was sure she’d heard a noise. She withdrew her head and stood indecisively in the room. The old weatherboard house was full of noises, especially at night. Timber groaned and creaked as it contracted once the heat of the day was sucked into the clear night sky. A possum sometimes scurried across the roof, or the occasional mouse darted through the kitchen. Binks leapt off Phoe’s bed with a soft thump. A snort from one of the ponies or a grunt from Sophia drifted over from the paddock. Traffic noise from the road. All of those noises were part of every night.
But Nina was used to those sounds, so they barely registered. This had been different. She sucked in a deep breath and listened again. Nothing.
Just as it had been nothing the night before and the night before that.
Nina bit her lip. There was no point in trying to sleep again until she was reassured all was okay and people and animals were where they should be. She dragged on her shorts and T-shirt from the day before and tiptoed down to Phoe’s room.
Phoe was sound asleep on her back, arms spread as if she’d fallen asleep in the middle of some grand gesture.
Nina went through the house to the back door. Nothing. She collected a torch, slipped into her sandals, and walked onto the veranda. A possum stared at her from its position on the railing. Maybe that’s what she’d heard. But she knew she wouldn’t sleep soundly again until she’d checked the animals.
It had been nearly three weeks since Jellybean had been let loose, and there’d been no vandalism since. But the thought that there might be was enough to disturb Nina. Banksia Farm was a big property, slap-bang in the middle of a populated suburb on the edge of a huge city. There was no way she could patrol the boundary like some gun-crazed militia. She knew that, but still, once or twice a week she got up, walked across the paddock, counted heads, and shone her torch on as much of the fence as she could see.
She swept her light over the rough ground. Jelly and Mr Petey dozed, nose to tail, under the gum tree in the corner. Sophia lay in the centre of the paddock. All looked quiet at the chook house and the goat pens. There was nothing unusual to be seen.
Nina went back to the house and made herself a cup of camomile tea. She sat on the veranda couch and propped her feet on the low table.
The possum paraded along the rail in front of her and jumped to the ground.
Not for the first time, she wondered what was happening with Billy’s claim. It had been over a week now, and there hadn’t been a word from Leigh. She hadn’t been out to the farm either. She’d rung and apologised and said she couldn’t get away from work. Several times since, Nina’s fingers had twitched on the phone. She’d wanted to call—about the claim, sure, but also to hear Leigh’s voice. She’d resisted. She’d hear soon enough.
Nina sipped her tea. Dwelling on the lawsuit wouldn’t make it any better. That only made her bitter and cynical, and that wasn’t how she was. She took a deep breath, set her tea down, stood by the railing, and stared into the night sky. Even on the edge of Sydney, stars blazed a trail overhead. The Milky Way fishtailed down until it blurred into city lights. Nina picked out the few constellations she knew. The Seven Sisters was her favourite, a dim cluster of stars that represented seven women. Folklore said they held together and were strong against the man who wanted to hurt them.
Nina needed to remember that. Stand fast with the people she loved, and all would be okay.
Was that what Leigh did? Nina picked up her tea again. Leigh seemed a bit of a loner. Maybe she’d had to be single-minded to get where she was in her career at such a young age. She and Grizz were obviously friends as well as colleagues, but who else did she have? Nina frowned. She shouldn’t waste her thoughts on Leigh. Right now, Leigh was probably curled around Meredith on Egyptian cotton sheets on a bed the size of an Olympic swimming pool.
She should go back to bed. Nina emptied the dregs of her tea over the railing and turned. She paused. What was that? A glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye? It had looked like a dim, bobbing light in the drive. As if someone was walking with a torch, heading for the barn.
Anger flared. There was no reason for someone to be on her driveway in the middle of the night. She grabbed her torch again but didn’t turn it on, not wanting to alert the intruder to her presence. Phoe’s hockey stick was propped against the wall, and she hefted it in her other hand. If she cut across the paddock, she would catch them faster.
Her heart beat wildly, and she pushed down the surge of fear. She’d have to leave Phoe asleep alone in the house, but instinctively, she felt this wasn’t about her or Phoe. This was the same person who cut the fence, coming back for more mischief. She locked the house behind her and slipped the keys into her pocket.
Nina reached the drive and walked on the grassy edge so the crunch of gravel wouldn’t give her away.
The light ahead had stopped moving. It shone at a point. The farm shop. A loud crack sounded.
Nina frowned. She sped up and jogged along the grass until she reached the shop.
The door stood open. The padlock that usually secured it lay on the ground in two pieces. Someone was inside the shop. Nina pressed her lips together. She was sure they didn’t want a jar of lemon curd for their breakfast toast.
A loud crash startled her—the sound of many jars hitting the tiles. The simmering anger built to a crescendo, and her instincts took over. Nina leapt into the doorway and flicked on the torch. Her other hand gripped the hockey stick. “Come out, you bastard. Show yourself.” Her words rang loudly, sounding a lot more confident than she felt. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she realised that no one knew where she was.
She swept the torch beam around the shop.
Another crash and then a person surged from the side straight towards her.
A scream clogged her throat. She dropped the torch, and the light went out. She gripped the hockey stick with both hands, anger and fear coiling in her stomach. The person towered over her, a dark and menacing shape. If they attacked, she wouldn’t have a hope. For a second, she thought of Phoebe alone in the house, and then the person loomed above her, heavy breath on her face as they pushed past her and out of the shop. Nina caught a glimpse of a figure in dark clothes, a hoodie pulled up, partially obscuring their face. Then they were gone, sprinting down the drive towards the road.
She knew she’d never catch them. And it would be foolish to even try. In under a minute, the roar of an engine started, then a car raced off down the main road.
Nina leant against the doorway. The surge of adrenaline that had made her confront the person drained away, and she was instantly very tired. Her knees wobbled, and she put the hockey stick on the ground to steady herself. Her stomach churned. For a moment, she thought she might throw up. I’m okay. I’m okay. The words rattled through her mind like a train. The intruder had gone.
Slowly, Nina bent to pick up her torch. The globe had shattered, and bits of glass littered the floor. She took a step inside and reached for the light switch.
The harsh overhead light showed a mess. Dozens of jars of jam, chutney, and other farm products were smashed, and a mess of glass and sticky preserves covered the tiles. Splashes blotched the shelving. It looked as if the person had swept an arm across an entire shelf. Nina closed her eyes. Hours of work wasted. A huge mess to clean up. And the volunteers who had spent their precious time making these things would now lose their small payments for the goods.
Nina walked gingerly into the shop. Glass crunched under her sandals.
A second shelf had also collapsed, and pickled onions covered the tiles. The acrid smell of vin
egar overwhelmed her.
The fridge that stored Fatima’s cheese was wide-open. Nina pushed it closed. Lucky the vandal hadn’t smashed the door. If she hadn’t interrupted them, it could have been a lot worse.
She should clean up the mess now before it dried and was harder to do. Tiredness caught up with her in a rush. It must be two in the morning, and she had to be up at six. But then she remembered Phoe sleeping in the house.
She couldn’t leave her daughter alone, not after this. No matter how hard it would be to do this in the morning, Phoe was her number-one priority.
Nina crunched carefully back to the door and turned out the light. She closed the door and made a quick trip to the barn to fetch a replacement padlock. Then she returned to the house.
It was still in darkness. Nina peeked around Phoebe’s door. She was curled on her side, the cover around her waist. Binks had returned and now purred quietly against her back.
Nina went to her room and set the alarm for 4.30 a.m. Maybe she could get the shop cleaned up before Phoe woke.
Nina put the mop back in the bucket and straightened. Her back ached, and she was soaked in sweat, but the shop was restored to its normal order. She’d rearranged the jars and produce so the shelves didn’t look so empty.
It had been easy enough to keep Phoe away. Nina had suggested she take Mr Petey for a ride to check the fences, maybe give him some schooling in the paddock. He was becoming a bit naughty after being ridden by the Barn Kids, who let him get away with too much. Phoe had agreed with alacrity and had disappeared immediately after breakfast.
A shadow fell across the doorway, and Nina jumped. There were all sorts of people it could be on a weekend morning, but after her broken sleep and the upset of the night, she felt as frayed as old rope.
“Hello, Nina.” Gino hovered in the doorway. “I’d come in and hug you, but I don’t want to mess up your shiny floor.”
“Gino!” Nina sprang across the floor and flung her arms around his neck. She needed a hug, and Gino gave the best ones: warm, firm, and unthreatening. A big old hug from a big old friend.
He wrapped his arms around her and engulfed her with his warmth. Then he set her back. “So, mi cara, you are pleased to see me. I will have to go away more often.”
She punched his arm lightly and grinned. What romantic inclinations she’d ever had about Gino were long gone, but what remained was so much better. He was a good friend, there for her if needed, and a wonderful father to Phoebe. “I thought you’d gone back to Western Australia.”
“In ten days. Back to the mines for five weeks.”
“Phoe’s riding in the paddock. Let me give her a yell.”
“Before you do, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“That sounds serious. Coffee or lemon cordial?”
“Cordial’s fine.” Gino stood aside as Nina left the shop and padlocked the door behind her.
The house was hot, the outside temperature already creeping towards the forties, and inside wasn’t much better. Nina found the cordial, added ice, and topped the glasses up with water from the fridge. Then she led the way to the veranda.
Gino sat on the couch and took a long draft. “So good that.”
“Take a bottle with you. It’s made by one of the farm volunteers.”
“I will.” Now that he had her undivided attention, Gino seemed hesitant to talk.
“So what’s on your mind?” Nina asked.
“I wondered if I could take Phoebe away for a few days during half-term. I’d like to go camping on the central coast. There’s a great spot by the beach. Good fishing.”
“Of course. I’m sure she’d love that. If she wants to go, that’s fine with me. You know that.”
Gino nodded once. “Nina, I’ve met someone. She’s a lovely woman. Warm, strong, kind, generous of herself. I’d like Emilia to meet Phoe. I’d like Emilia to join us for the last couple of days, but I want to make sure you’re okay with that before I ask Phoebe.”
“Oh, Gino.” Nina moved closer on the couch, picked up his hand, and squeezed it. “I’m delighted. Anyone you can love must be a good person. I’m so very happy for you.”
He squeezed back. “Thank you. I think this is the one for me.” He hesitated. “Emilia would like to meet you too. Maybe before we go up the coast. She wants you to be comfortable with her as well. After all, she’ll be spending time with your daughter.”
“Our daughter. And, yes, I would like to meet Emilia too.”
Gino’s smile was the spontaneous, exuberant, wide grin she knew so well. When she had been sixteen and he’d turned that same smile on her, she’d been unable to resist.
“If the short notice is okay with you and Phoebe, we’ll leave Monday and return on Saturday.”
“That works for me.”
“In that case, how about if Emilia and I come around tomorrow and take you and Phoebe out for dinner? There’s a new Korean restaurant opened up in Cherryhill. We could go there if you like.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Nina drained her drink and stood. “Shall we go and see if Phoe would like to go camping?”
Gino finished his drink and stood. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Before we do, I need to transfer some money to your account. Our daughter’s growing like a weed. I think she must need new clothes, and I haven’t given you money for a while.”
“You pay your child support, Gino. On time every month.”
“I would like to do more. Let me give you some money for her, eh?”
Nina smiled. “Then thank you.”
Gino pulled out his phone and tapped away for a while. “The transfer is done.”
Nina watched his bulky shape as he went down the steps ahead of her. Gino had finally found someone. She was surprised it hadn’t happened sooner. He was the sort of man who needed someone to love, but his heart had been stomped on in the past. Including by Nina, although she’d tried to be gentle. She hoped Emilia knew how lucky she was.
Something twisted in her stomach. Not jealousy, never that. What she and Gino had shared was a long time ago, and she loved him now as a true friend. But his happiness had been a radiant thing. A person secure in the love of another.
Would she ever have that for herself? Only a few weeks ago, she had been hopeful. There had been a seed, a whisper, a nugget of something between her and Leigh. Now there was only the bittersweet memory of what might have been.
“Nina, it’s Grizz from Petersen & Blake. Is now a good time to talk?” Grizz’s voice came clearly over the phone.
Nina glanced around. No one was within earshot. The closest person was Kiren, who was picking tomatoes in the veggie garden. “Sure.”
“We’ve heard from Billy’s lawyers. They’ve agreed to a conference.”
Nina’s heart raced. “That’s good, right?”
“That’s good. Now, I know it’s short notice, but we’re wondering if you can make next Wednesday, 2.00 p.m. at our office. Allow all afternoon.”
Nina thought fast. Phoebe would be away, camping with Gino. With luck, Kiren would be able to handle the farm. “I can do that.”
“Great. I’ll lock that in, then I’ll send you an email with the details.”
“Thanks, Grizz.” She hesitated. “Will Leigh be there? Or you?”
“Leigh. This is lawyer work.”
“I can’t help being a bit nervous. What if it goes wrong?”
“There’s no guarantee. I wish there was. For what it’s worth, Leigh’s confident.”
“I hope she’s right. Thanks.”
Nina put the phone back in her pocket, her mind whirling. At least one thing was assured: if Kiren was at the farm while Nina was in the big smoke, then Kiren wouldn’t need her fancy business suit.
Chapter 20
Nina looked stunning.
Leigh gave Nin
a her best professional smile as she entered Leigh’s office. Maybe Nina had raided Kiren’s wardrobe again, or maybe she’d been shopping, but she wore a charcoal-grey slimline skirt and white blouse. Her hair was in a French braid, and she had on low-heeled pumps and tights. Leigh’s gaze snapped to her lips. Cherry lipstick outlined their full shape.
“I’m nervous as hell.” Nina sat and crossed one leg over the other. The action revealed a line of toned thigh.
Leigh averted her gaze, moved around to the other side of the desk, and sat. “You don’t look it. You appear cool, confident, and ready for anything. The perfect demeanour for this.”
“Thanks.” Nina’s teeth worried at her lower lip. “I couldn’t sleep last night for worrying. What if this goes wrong? What if they somehow negate everything that Billy said?”
“They’ll certainly try. I doubt they’ll succeed. Those videos are gold. Now, I want you to sit in the conference room and look exactly as you are now: calm and unworried. You’re likely to hear comments about Phoebe’s unsuitability to be in charge of the pony. Don’t get angry. Be polite. Let me do the talking. They’ll present their arguments first and their offer of settlement. Don’t be alarmed. I want to hear what they have to say before we hit them with the videos.”
Nina nodded.
“We’ll offer for them to walk away bearing their own costs—that is, we’re offering them nothing. They’ll probably need to confer in private, but I think Stella’s lawyer will see sense.”
Nina nodded again. “And that will be the end of it?”
“I hope so.”
“Then I can get back to my life. Running the farm. Raising my daughter. Turning down that developer’s offer. Maybe you’ll keep volunteering. Maybe then we can—” Nina’s mouth snapped shut, and a rosy flush crept up her neck.
What had she been about to say? If only she’d finished the sentence. Had she been going to say they could tread the path to romance? With an effort, Leigh pushed it from her mind. One thing at a time.
A Heart This Big Page 20
