‘Jesus, Indi. You’ve got steel rods for fingers.’ His voice was muffled through the towel. ‘The pain I go through just to have you touch me,’ he teased.
She was just trying to think of a good comeback when Killer walked in.
‘Oh, man, I’m next. Should I get my gear off now?’
‘Sorry, Killer. I can’t fix what you’ve got,’ she said, straight-faced.
Spud’s body shook under her fingers as he laughed.
Indi let it all pass her by.
Out on the field they warmed up for their game against the Burracoppin Cats. When the game started Indi took her position beside Troy.
‘What do think about Brick?’ he asked as the ball headed down to the Cats’ end, and they scored the first goal.
‘What do you mean? As a player?’
‘Yep.’ Troy glanced at her, a serious expression on his face.
‘Oh, well, Brick is fearless. He throws himself at the ball and does a lot of work under the pack. He goes unnoticed a lot, but he’s a key player for the team,’ she said.
‘I think you’re right. He makes a great rover.’
Indi wondered where Troy was headed, then he finally spoke: ‘I like the potential of our team. You have your standouts, like Patrick, James and Jasper and even Spud. But the others have skills. You can see the way Killer reads the play, and Limp with his height has taken some screamers. With a bit of work, I can see them all coming together. We just need to find a way to harness what they’ve got, bring out the best and get them working together. Are we on the same page?’
‘Yeah, we are. You’ve already done so much to help develop the players. I’m keen to see what you do next.’ Indi smiled at him. Maybe if she learnt enough from Troy before he left, then one day she might be able to coach the team.
‘Indi, can you get Huey and Jaffa to switch positions?’ he asked.
She nodded and ran onto the field. But it didn’t help. The Cats scored again before the Saints finally got one on the board, thanks to Pat. By the end of the first quarter they were only twelve points down. By half time they were twenty points down and had a knocked-out player – Lucky had a run-in with a knee. By three-quarter time Indi knew there would be no great comeback – they were down by sixty points. The final siren rang out as James lined up for a goal. He kicked it, stopping Burracoppin from beating them by ninety points.
‘It was a flogging, but still they still played some great football,’ she said to Troy as they walked to the boys on the field. Half of them sat on the ground, panting and sweating.
Troy said as much in his talk to the guys. ‘We were playing a top team, so for me, you did well. I saw some great plays. Limp, great mark at half time. Brick, keep up those clearances under the packs, and James, brilliant kicking. Highest scorer today.’ The boys all gave James a clap and a cheer.
They all moved off towards the change rooms. Indi had to help Louie to walk there as he’d twisted his ankle during the final quarter.
‘Can you get me some ice, please, Indi?’ asked Brick after she helped Louie sit down to take his shoes off.
‘Sure, mate.’ She found the ice and began to strap it on Brick’s pulled muscle. Around her blokes were stripping off, coming and going from the showers and trying to distract her from her job.
‘Can you come scrub my back, Indi? I can’t reach it with my sore arm,’ teased Dewy.
She just kept her head down and finished her job. Once she was done she picked up a toilet brush and called out to Dewy seductively. ‘Did you say you wanted a hand, Dewy?’ Then she threw the toilet brush at him. ‘Here, this might reach.’
As she turned around to leave, a smile on her lips, she ran into Troy. He grinned and raised an eyebrow at her. It was playful and sexy, and caused her heart to stop. This Troy looked like he’d be lots of fun.
‘Nice one, Indi.’ He held up his hand for her to high-five.
She really liked it when he relaxed around her and joked like the other guys did.
Later, on the car trip home, Jasper detoured to the Munty pub. Indi had her head buried back in her pillow trying to sleep. But she kept sneaking glances at Troy across the backseat. At the pub they got out as night was setting in. She was the last to head inside and was following Troy when someone came out the pub door. Troy stepped back to give the guy room and backed straight into Indi.
‘Sorry,’ Troy said, reaching back to steady her.
But steady her it didn’t.
She sucked in a breath but not from pain. In fact, having her chest crushed against his back had set her skin on fire and it continued to burn where he held her. Indi could only stare at his long fingers, which wrapped around her arm.
He turned around to look at her. ‘Did I hurt you?’ he asked.
Indi glanced up, meeting his gaze. She opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out so she shook her head instead.
Troy let her go then, cleared his throat and continued inside. After a few deep breaths Indi followed, only to find half the team and spectators were doing the same Munty pub pit stop. Indi went to the bar and got a club soda. Troy was already swamped by people. They all vied for his attention like pre-schoolers trying to impress their teacher. Indi just wished they’d all disappear so she could talk with him and get to know him better. But he was the most popular kid on the block.
Indi sat with her dad while he chatted to a guy he knew, but she wasn’t listening. She was preoccupied with watching Troy and trying not to watch Troy. Every now and then he would meet her eyes and her heart would jump into her throat. Tingles would shoot across her skin. Indi sucked on her straw. It was her third club soda but it still wasn’t putting out the fire.
Eventually Allan managed to round up Jasper and Troy, dragging them from their circle of admirers.
‘Home time,’ Indi said unlocking the car and stretching out her tired limbs. Jasper was organising his takeaway drinks into his little esky on the other side of the car. Allan was in the front and was probably already asleep, and Troy leaned into the car to sift through his bag for something before standing back up to drink from his water bottle.
‘Trying to prevent tomorrow’s hangover?’ she asked him over the passenger window as she opened the driver-side door.
His laughter was sharp in the dark cold of night. ‘Two litres later and I might succeed, right?’
There was only Troy’s passenger door between them. Just the sound of his steady breath was causing hers to falter. She gripped his door for support as he stepped closer.
‘You going to be all right to drive home?’ he asked, softly. His hands came to rest on the door, right next to hers.
She could feel his warmth where their skin touched. And for the briefest second she felt his thumb brush over her hand.
‘Let’s get this bus moving,’ said Jasper as he shut his door.
With a flash, Troy was gone, sitting in the car. Indi let go of his door as he shut it. Had she imagined the touch? Standing out in the cold air didn’t help to clear her head so she got in behind the wheel and begun the drive home. Jasper and Troy were chatting away about the game while Allan slept. She couldn’t see Troy in the rear-view mirror, even though she kept glancing back and trying to catch a glimpse of him. Her stomach was a bag of butterflies the whole way home, especially listening to Troy’s voice as he talked footy with Jasper. There was more emotion in his words tonight than she’d seen or heard from Troy since she met him.
‘I was in the AIS elite athlete program,’ said Troy. Indi detected an underlying sadness in his voice.
‘Bloody hell, really? So what happened? You must have been a shit-hot player,’ said Jasper. ‘Why aren’t you still playing today?’
‘Ah, you know. Same old story. The body just gave up. Footy is a killer on everything. I knew a kid, not even eighteen, and he’d had two knee operations and even after that he still couldn’t play footy again. Not at the level he was.’
‘Yeah, tell me about it. Dad has a bad knee and a sh
oulder and he blames footy.’
Indi wondered what part of Troy had given out. He didn’t limp and every now and then he’d kick the ball with the boys and he didn’t seem in pain. In fact, he looked to be in great shape. She had a niggling feeling that something else was wrong. Perhaps it was the reason that Troy didn’t like discussing his younger years or his footy.
When Indy dropped Troy off at his house, she watched him walk to his house, letting the car lights guide him inside. He turned towards the light, shielding his eyes, and waved goodbye before heading inside. Indi couldn’t help the feelings that rushed up inside her when she saw him. His handsome face, his powerful body, and that cloud of mystery. Oh, why couldn’t she just treat him like just another one of the guys? Life would be so much simpler.
15
ANOTHER week had rolled by in a blink: it was game day again. Troy put the lost time down to being comfortable in his new town. He was happy and busy at work, the people were friendly and the team stuff kept his mind active.
Troy was doing a loop through town after getting a morning coffee from the bakery when he came across a guy walking down the middle of the road. He was shuffling along, a few inches at a time. Troy pulled up alongside him, recognising the old man instantly. He never missed a game and always had eyes for Indi. He had a lot in common with Trevor, he realised.
‘What are you doing in the middle of the road, Trevor?’
Trevor paused, wondering where the voice had come from, and seemed surprised to see a ute beside him. His hand went to the Saints scarf around his neck.
‘I’m off to the footy. Game’s on today,’ he said. He was studying Troy as if trying to place his face.
‘Well, it’s not starting for a few hours yet. How about I take you home?’
Trevor tilted his head then raised his finger. ‘You’re that bloke, the one coaching the team.’
‘Yep, I’m Troy.’ Indi had introduced them once but Troy wasn’t going to remind him.
The old man shook his hand. ‘Right. So I’m too early, you say,’ said Trevor, scratching at the thin grey wisps of hair above his ear.
Troy got out of his ute. ‘Come on, hop in and I’ll take you back home for a bit. Where’s your house?’
Trevor turned, glanced up the street and screwed his face as if thinking. ‘That way.’
Troy got out, opened his passenger door and helped Trevor climb in. ‘Don’t you normally get a lift to the footy?’ he said as he swung the ute around in the quiet street.
‘No. I like walking. That’s my house,’ he said. ‘I’m over there, that one.’ Trev pointed out the house they had just passed. Troy reversed and pulled into the old cracked cement driveway. Weeds were growing through the gaps, and he thought maybe Phil would let him come back to spray them on Monday.
The front door had been left wide open and there was a walking stick resting up against it.
‘How about I put the kettle on and make you a cuppa? What’s your poison?’
Carrying his own coffee with him, Troy followed Trevor inside. Trevor’s house smelt a bit musty but everything was as old as the man himself so it was no surprise.
‘A good scotch, but I’ll take a cuppa tea if you’re making,’ said Trevor as he sat down at the table. ‘I usually wait for Indi to come and get me. But I looked at my calendar and saw it was game day and just took off. When I get a bee in my bonnet, there’s no stopping me.’ He shot Troy a rascally grin. ‘Don’t worry about me, I’m not ready for a nursing home yet. So, you liking it here?’
‘Well, it’s been a few months already. I’m happy so far. Training on Thursday went well. The boys are really trying hard and shaping up. It didn’t even matter that they were flat out seeding – Pat turned up at training still dressed and dirty from work in the spray tractor. The lads have impressed me, for sure.’
‘Yes, Indi keeps telling me this year will be great,’ said Trevor, as the kettle whistled.
‘Yeah, it’s exciting. Even the new guys, the Kiwis especially, are showing promise. Killer’s turning into a good mark, too.’ Troy rummaged through Trevor’s kitchen for a cup and fixed his tea. ‘I’m almost willing to bet my left kidney that we’ll win at least one game this year.’
Trevor thanked him for the tea and watched him sit down. ‘You and young Indi are the same. She told me she’s betting on a finals berth.’
‘Well, Indi’s game. The finals are a long way off and I only focus on each game as it comes.’
‘Yeah, but you gotta have a bit of hope, Troy. Indi has a lot riding on this year. I just hope she’s not disappointed. She’s already had enough heartache.’
‘I know.’ Troy didn’t like that word ‘hope’. Hope had never helped him – all it had done was set him up for disappointment of the worst kind. Now he lived day by day.
‘Did you know that I nearly played for the WAFL? I could have gone far but alas, my Elsie stole my heart. I don’t regret one minute of giving up football for her. She wouldn’t move from here and I wanted to be with her more than the football.’ Trevor stood up. ‘I have some photos in the drawer. Let me show you.’
Troy glanced at his watch. He didn’t have anything else to do. ‘You sit, I’ll get them. Over here?’ he said, pointing to the big old chest of drawers by the wall. Sitting on top of the drawers was a photo of Indi, Trevor and another lady. By the resemblance, he figured it was Indi’s mum. He picked up the photo for a closer look.
‘A heart as big as her mother’s,’ said Trevor. The old man didn’t miss a trick. Troy quickly put it back. ‘She’s a beauty, isn’t she,’ he said.
‘Yes, she is,’ he agreed. He glanced back at the photo of Indi and wished his life were different. He wished it were as simple as falling in love and moving on. But it wasn’t. This was his life and wishing didn’t fix anything.
Two hours later Troy paced out the front of the change rooms waiting for Indi – one of the blokes needed her to strap his ankle.
Jasper had said she wasn’t working today, so Troy wondered what was taking her so long. It wasn’t as if she’d be working out what to wear. He didn’t think it mattered what she wore – she’d still look irresistible. He paused, disturbed by his train of thought.
He did another sweep of the Saints’ home ground. They were playing Bruce Rock today and it looked like a few extra supporters had turned up. Usually Troy could count them all on two hands. Seemed that word had got out that the Saints were worth watching this year. Or maybe Indi had been busy drumming up business. As he looked back down the verandah of the clubhouse he spotted Indi running towards him, her hair flying out behind her like a silk ribbon.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. Her hand gripped his arm as she stopped to catch her breath. ‘I went to pick up Trevor and he’d slipped over. Had to take him to the nursing post,’ she said, puffing.
‘What? Is he okay?’ Troy tried to ignore the burning sensation that her fingers caused. ‘I was with him this morning.’
As if sensing his discomfort, she released her hand. ‘Yeah, luckily he didn’t break anything, just bruised. They’re going to give him some painkillers but he’s gutted that he’ll miss the game. He reckons it’s going to be “a corker” – his words,’ she said with a smile. ‘He told me you stopped by for a visit. That was nice.’
He could tell that Indi thought it was more than nice that he’d been with Trevor. Actually, she was looking at him like he’d just saved Trev’s life. ‘More like I found him in the street and took him home,’ he said, playing it down.
‘Oh?’
As far as Troy knew, Indi and Trevor weren’t related. He wondered how they’d become so close. ‘Look, you’d better get in there. The guys are waiting for you. Some of them seem to think you’re their good luck charm,’ he said, smirking.
Indi laughed. ‘I don’t think Jasper would agree.’ She headed into the change rooms, shouting a warning as she went. He didn’t know why she bothered – the blokes tried to bare all on purpose.
T
roy hadn’t mentioned it to anyone, but with Bruce Rock on the bottom of the ladder, he had a feeling the Saints were going to win today. He knew the boys had what it took to win.
As the team ran out onto the oval in their white shorts and team jumpers he clapped them on. He was so proud.
Indi stood beside him again. He liked having her there. During their fourth game she’d had to work at the bins – she hadn’t been able to get out of it – and as much as it pained him to admit it, the footy just hadn’t felt the same without her beside him. He realised just how much he’d come to depend on her, how much they all depended on her. Because she couldn’t be there herself for that game, Indi had organised for Patrick’s wife to come and strap the guys. Maddie was good enough at strapping but she knew nothing about football, and he’d had to use one of the kids as a runner.
When Patrick kicked another goal to put the Saints three goals up by quarter time, Indi leaped into the air.
Troy kept his face emotionless but inside his heart was pounding. Everything was safer that way.
‘My brother is a legend,’ she said.
By half time Troy realised that the crowd had grown. Word must have got out that they were going to win a game. They were up by thirty points and playing well. Then in the third quarter Jasper had flown for a mark and come crashing down in a pack of big bodies. He didn’t get back up. He sat on the ground, reaching for his foot and gesturing for help.
‘Oh, shit! His ankle,’ Indi said as they ran towards him. The umpire blew his whistle to stop play.
‘Is it twisted?’ Indi went to touch his ankle when Jasper yelled at her.
‘Don’t touch it. I think it’s broken,’ he said through clenched teeth.
Troy waved both his arms to get the attention of the ambulance officers on standby. Eric and Paula jogged over.
‘Jasper thinks it’s broken,’ he told them. He hoped Jasper was wrong.
‘Sorry, mate. I can see the break. We need to take you to the hospital for X-rays and my guess is surgery, too.’ Eric was shaking his head.
Outback Heart Page 11
