Jacaranda

by Mandy Magro

  Molly gently turned Rose’s face towards her so she could look deeply into her daughter’s emerald-green eyes, a mirror image of her own. ‘I’m so sorry you don’t know your dad, Rose, but Heath loves you like a dad and that’s something very special to be thankful for. One day we might find your real dad, but for now, we have to be thankful for having each other. Okay?’

  Rose’s eyes filled with sadness. ‘I know, Mum. I just really wish I could meet my own dad one day. I know he left before he even knew you were going to have me. And I know you’ve looked for him. But all my friends at school know their dads. It’s not fair.’

  ‘You will, sweetheart, you will. I will do my very best to try and make your wish come true. Promise.’ Molly tenderly wrapped her arms around Rose, wishing she could take the pain away, knowing there and then that she had to find a way to bring Mark and Rose together even though part of her wished to never see Mark again.

  Heath wandered back into view with the shovel in hand and Molly stared dreamily at him. Rose was right – he would make a wonderful dad and a perfect husband for some lucky woman one day. Molly secretly wished things could be different but life was never that easy. And she was too messed up at the moment to get into a relationship, what with Mark coming back into her life; she didn’t want to drag Heath through all the crap she was going through. He’d dealt with enough. No, now wasn’t the time to fall head over heels in love. Instead she had to focus on Rose and what was best for her. As she understood, there were always webs of reality weaving their way through your everyday life, making it impossible to have what you wanted all the time. Some days you were the spider, dancing upon your beautifully spun web, and other days you were the prey, stuck fast to the web and unable to move from its grasp, no matter how much you struggled to break free. And right now, she felt like the prey, struggling to break free of her past so she could get on with her future. A future that she had no clue as to what was in store.

  Once Heath had cleared up after Skip he came back over to the two girls. ‘Hey, ladies, us blokes were thinking about going to the drive-in this weekend to watch Toy Story 3. Are you up for going?’ Heath winked at Molly, letting her know he was really aiming the question at Rose.

  Rose leapt from Molly’s lap and jumped up and down on the spot. ‘Oh, can we, Mum? Can we? Pretty please, with sugar on top!’

  ‘Of course we can, sweetheart.’

  ‘Yippee! Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Heath. You guys are the best!’ Rose squealed.

  ‘You’re more than welcome, little buddy,’ Heath replied.

  ‘Mum, why don’t we ask Aunty Jade to come too?’

  ‘I reckon that’s a beaut idea, Rose. We’ll give her a call later on to see if she wants to come along’

  ‘Okay, Mum, done deal,’ Rose said, giving them a thumbs up. ‘Now, I have to go and tell GG and Grandma.’

  Molly and Heath watched as Rose raced up the front steps and into the house, accidentally slamming the screen door behind her in her haste. ‘Sorry!’ they heard her call out.

  ‘She’s a doozy, that little girl of yours,’ Heath said, smiling fondly.

  ‘Yeah, she is, isn’t she?’ Molly said proudly. ‘Thanks for doing this for her, Heath. I really appreciate it.’

  ‘Doing what?’

  ‘Saying you wanted to go and see Toy Story 3. I know you’ve only offered to go for Rose’s sake.’

  ‘Oh that! No worries.’ Heath lowered his voice to a whisper, covering his mouth with his hand as if he was about to reveal a state secret. ‘Believe it or not we really do want to see it. I’ve even heard it’s 3D. It’s going to be a hoot wearing those crazy glasses.’ Heath looked at her seriously. ‘Don’t tell anyone, though. Us blokes have got a reputation to uphold around these parts.’

  Molly gave Heath a friendly hug. ‘I’m so lucky to have you in my life.’

  Heath wrapped his arms around her. A soft, sweet scent of shampoo drifted towards him, making him want to run his fingers through her hair. ‘And I’m lucky to have you and Rose in my life too.’

  Molly pulled away, quickly wiping back tears. Heath gently touched her cheek. ‘Hey now, what’s all this about?’

  Molly shook her head. ‘I don’t want to worry you with my dramas. I’m sorry. I’ve just had a horrible day.’

  ‘I’m all ears, Molly. Please trust me. You can talk to me about anything. You know that,’ Heath replied tenderly, his voice caressing her heart.

  Molly sniffed, trying hard to take stock of her emotions. She felt a burning desire to tell Heath the truth. Besides, he knew the whole story about how she had fallen pregnant, that she had never seen the guy again since that night at the rodeo. He really did have a right to know. Didn’t he?

  ‘Mark is Rose’s father, Heath. That’s why I’ve been spending time with him, getting to know him.’

  Heath gasped, everything suddenly making perfect sense, his eyes flaring in understanding. He reached out and tenderly squeezed Molly’s shoulder, his eyes full of compassion. ‘Holy hell! I had no idea. So what’s the problem?’

  ‘Well,’ Molly said, looking down, ‘Until today, he didn’t know he was Rose’s father. I told him when were out riding and he lost it. He stormed off, basically saying I could be lying, telling me he didn’t want to talk about it and making it very clear that he was only with me for a quick fling.’

  Heath’s face twisted with rage. ‘That bastard! Saying that to you! And he doesn’t know how lucky he is to have Rose! Do you want me to go and have a little talk with him? I promise I’ll be civil, even if it kills me.’

  ‘No, Heath! This is my battle and I need to deal with it. Besides, I know you too well. There’s no way you’d be able to remain civil in this situation. You’re too close to Rose and me to be an outsider in it all,’ Molly replied, touched by Heath’s offer.

  Heath took her hand, looking her straight in the eyes, his love for her undeniable in his warm gaze. ‘I respect that, Molly. And I’ll stay out of it, for now. But if he hurts you or Rose, he’ll be a very, very sorry man. You and Rose mean the world to me.’

  ‘I know we do, Heath. You mean the world to us too.’

  Heath smiled and gently touched Molly’s face, wiping her tears away with his fingertips. ‘Just know I’m here, whenever you need me. Okay?’

  Molly cleared her throat and took a deep breath. ‘Thanks. I know you always have my back and it means a lot.’

  Heath shoved his hands in his pockets, a smile lighting up his face. ‘Hey, I have an idea, Molly. I have to head up to Mum and Dad’s place next weekend, just for two nights, to help my brother with some bull catching. David said he can do without me for a few days and it’d be nice to catch up with the family. Why don’t you and Rose come along too? It might do you good to get away for a few days and Mum would love to see you both. She’s always asking about you two.’

  Molly took a few moments to think about it. She didn’t want to give Heath the wrong idea by going out to his parent’s station with him, or did she? Damn it! She wasn’t sure of anything any more. She had been there a number of times with him before, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary. It was always an adventure out bull catching, and Rose loved visiting Heath’s mum Alice who spoilt her rotten. Yes, it would take her mind off things here for a while, and give Mark some time to cool off, too, before she spoke to him again, which she knew she had to. She wasn’t giving up on the notion of him being a part of Rose’s life that easily. She couldn’t. It meant too much to Rose. ‘That sounds great, Heath. We’d love to come along with you. Thanks.’

  ‘Fantastic. I’ll give Mum a call tonight and let her know – she’ll be thrilled. We’ll take Buck along for the journey too, if you like. We can hitch the trailer on the back of the Toyota. It’ll be good for Rose to bond with him a bit more, now that you’re happy with his progress. Rose must be getting pretty close to riding him; he’s developed into a trustworthy horse, thanks to all your hard work and dedication. Maybe she might even be able to ride him out there.�
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  ‘That’s a great idea, Heath. Rose is going to be so excited. I just want to take Buck out for a trail ride over the next week, before Rose gets in the saddle. He’s performing well in the round yard, but as you know, it’s a whole different ball game once you get the horse out into the scrub, where there’s a load of distractions.’ Molly glanced at her watch. ‘Speaking of Rose, I better get in and get her into a bath. It’s coming up to dinner time and it’s my turn to cook tonight.’

  ‘Yep, no worries. Oh, before you go, your granddad wants us to muster the cattle tomorrow for the saleyards as the meat prices are good at the moment. It’s going to be a bit tough as the scrub is really thick out there, but it’ll be nice to have a break from picking. Are you coming along with us?’

  ‘Count me in. I’d love a day out mustering.’

  Molly gave him a smile before turning and heading towards the homestead as the sun began to set on the horizon. Her horrible day hadn’t ended so horribly after all.

  Heath watched Molly head off, and wandered back to the workers’ cottage. He was over the moon that Molly and Rose would be coming with him. The understanding of why Mark had been so prominent in Molly’s life was easing his heartache, giving him hope that something might be possible between him and Molly. He let his thoughts wander repeatedly over the fact that Mark was Rose’s father, infuriation at Mark’s reaction crashing against his chest like a raging sea. Mark had no idea what he had given up, but Heath sure did, and if it was he who had been Rose’s father, he would have felt like he was the luckiest man in the world.

  Chapter 13

  Molly loved the early-morning starts when she went out mustering with the men. To watch the sun rise gloriously in the sky as she settled into the saddle for the day was always exhilarating. She smiled as Leroy whinnied beneath her. ‘You guys good to go then?’ she asked, pulling the rim of her akubra down and swatting the persistent flies away from her face.

  ‘Ready when you are, boss,’ Trev replied, heaving himself up and into the saddle.

  Kenny smiled broadly, his breakfast of bacon and eggs still hanging onto his teeth. ‘I’m always ready.’

  Heath nodded as he gave JD a yank on the reins and a few sharp orders to steady up. ‘I reckon JD’s going without us if we don’t make a move soon. He’s got bloody ants in his pants today. We’ll follow you, Molly, seeing as you know which unlucky buggers are going to be on someone’s dinner plate.’

  Molly laughed. ‘Oh, good on you, Heath, make me sound like the grim reaper, why don’t you? We all eat meat, don’t we? I think some people just forget how it gets onto their plates. Hopefully I get to keep some of the tails this time. I’m hanging out for a good ox-tail stew.’

  ‘Yum, my mouth’s watering just thinking about it,’ Heath replied, licking his lips. ‘Don’t you worry. I’ll go and pick the tails up from the slaughterhouse myself if it means you’re going to cook your famous ox-tail, mushroom and Guinness stew.’

  ‘Who said anything about sharing?’ Molly teased as she tapped Leroy in the ribs, galloping off. The men followed, trying their best to steer clear of each other’s trails of dust.

  As Molly cleared the thick scrub that surrounded the main part of the property she spotted a large mob of cattle in the middle of a clearing, well away from the trees that would make for an easy getaway. She smiled smugly at the luck of it until she laid eyes on a brawny bull standing in the middle of the mob, its disposition changing the minute it caught sight of her. It clearly wasn’t happy, kicking vigorously at the dusty ground and snorting loudly to warn her off. Molly remembered the aggressive bugger from the last time she mustered this area and knew that he wasn’t afraid to charge. The bull had massive horns that could easily kill a horse and she didn’t want Leroy, or herself for that matter, to get hurt. She kept a tight hold on the reins, letting Leroy know he was to stay put, or else.

  Trev, Kenny and Heath took their positions around the huddle of bellowing cattle, keeping their eyes firmly fixed on the hostile bull, readying themselves for whatever he wanted to throw at them. They tried to keep their distance, not wanting to antagonise the bull, but at the same time well aware they had a job to do. And if that meant dealing with an argumentative bull, then that’s just what they’d have to do. It was all part and parcel of being a stockman.

  The outside world faded away as they focused all their energies on the job at hand, their senses acutely alive as they eased their way closer and closer to the herd, attempting to edge them in the direction of the yards where they would be sorted out tomorrow. The bull seemed to be losing some of its aggression as it began to follow the other cattle. Then, without warning, it broke ranks and made a frenzied dash for freedom towards a nearby cluster of trees, sending the mob into utter disarray. Thick clouds of dust and the bellows of calves filled the air as cows ran helter-skelter in panic, causing absolute chaos for Molly and the men.

  Kenny gave an almighty whistle and signalled his decision to chase the wayward bull as the others did their best to take control of the cattle. Molly shouted after him, calling for him to wait for help, but he couldn’t hear her over the rumble of cattle and horses’ hoofs on the hard earth. Her instincts screamed at her to follow Kenny; she knew he would need help with such an unruly beast. She gave the reins a sharp flick, letting Leroy know to break into a gallop with the added aid of her spurs.

  She bolted after Kenny, holding the reins with one hand and her hat on her head with the other. The bull abruptly changed directions, swerving all over the place like a car out of control. Molly heard Trev cracking his roo-hide whip behind her as she wheeled Leroy sharply around and continued the chase.

  Kenny was behind her now – she could hear the thunder of Frank’s hoofs just metres away. Kenny rapidly passed her, his face full of sheer determination to catch and corner the disobedient beast. Molly couldn’t help but smile at his long lanky form as he overtook her.

  The bull drew close to a rocky outcrop that dropped twenty metres to the ground below. It skidded to a halt as Kenny and Molly vigorously pulled their horses up so they didn’t slide over the cliff themselves, both of them breathing heavily from the energetic pursuit. Not uttering a word to each other, they kept their attention entirely on the strong-willed beast now only metres from them.

  The bull realised it was cornered. If it backed up a certain death would follow, but to go forward it had to deal with Molly and Kenny. It assessed its choices, turning and looking in the direction of the drop and then staring back menacingly at Molly and Kenny, its nostrils flaring as froth spluttered from its mouth.

  Molly and Kenny tried to slowly walk the horses around behind the bull, allowing them to push it forwards towards Trev and Heath off in the distance. Abruptly, the bull charged Kenny, its deadly pointed horns aimed straight for Frank’s chest. The horse reared up, neighing loudly in panic. Molly watched in horror as Kenny was thrown from the saddle; his face contorted in terror as his body flew through the air and slammed onto the dangerously rocky ground. Time ticked by painfully slow, everything moving in slow motion. Molly let out a heartfelt cry. Kenny might be badly injured or even worse, dead.

  Frank galloped off, the leather reins dragging on the ground behind him. The bull stood beside Kenny’s prone form, determining its next move.

  Out of the blue Heath came tearing in on JD, yelling determinedly for Molly to back off. He had to protect Molly and Kenny – Kenny was defenseless and there was no way in hell Heath would let Molly get hurt. The bull looked ready to kill, and Heath wasn’t going to risk losing a mate or the woman he was madly in love with. He would protect Molly with his own life if need be. He galloped straight towards the bull, and, after a moment of hesitation, it retreated, much to his relief. Finally facing defeat it made a mad dash towards the huddle of cattle.

  Molly and Heath jumped down from the saddle and ran over to Kenny, who was lying deathly still on the ground. Heath touched Kenny’s throat and Molly prayed he would feel life pulsing beneath his tremb
ling fingertips. Both Molly and Heath jumped back with fright as Kenny abruptly came to and sat up, swinging his arms frantically and screaming blue murder. They ducked his wild and reckless blows as the shock of what had just happened threw Kenny’s survival mode into overdrive. Heath tried to grab Kenny’s arms, shouting for him to calm down, telling him it was all okay now. Molly could see blood oozing from Kenny’s nostril and she worried that he had done damage to his head in the fall.

  Kenny took a few seconds to realise that the threat was gone and his two best mates were the ones he had been trying to knock clean out. Molly noticed he looked dazed, and now that it was safe to approach him again she did so, placing her hands on his.

  ‘Are you all right, mate? You’ve had a pretty bad fall.’

  Kenny rubbed the massive egg that had popped out of the back of his head then took a good hard look at his hand. ‘Well, no blood, so that’s a good sign, hey.’

  Molly pointed to his nose. ‘You got a bit of blood coming from your nose.’

  Kenny wiped at it with his sleeve. ‘Oh, that. No worries about that, Molly. I get a nosebleed whenever I get really stressed out. Always have done, ever since I was a kid.’

  Molly shook her head. ‘Really? I’ve never seen you get a nosebleed before.’

  Heath chuckled. ‘That’s because Kenny never gets stressed out.’

  Kenny nodded in agreement, licking his dry lips. ‘You got that right. I’m as dry as a Pom’s towel right now, though. Could anyone spare a torn and broken man a nice drink of cold water?’

  Heath smirked. ‘Sure thing.’

  Molly gave Kenny a quick hug before standing up and heading over to her saddle bag. ‘I’ll grab my water for you, buddy. Just give us a sec. You keep sitting there until you feel a bit better.’

  Kenny slowly pushed himself up off the ground, ignoring Molly and Heath’s persistent pleading for him to stay sitting, checking his limbs for any deep cuts or broken bones as he stood. ‘I reckon I’m all right. My head feels like I’ve been slogged with a sledge hammer, but it’s nothing a few painkillers and a shot of whisky won’t fix.’