Mountain Ash

by Margareta Osborn

  In reality, the last six months had been hellish and cooler weather would suit them all. It might even help them start afresh, because the fires had affected more than a few lives. An experience like that was life-changing. It made you realise just how the little things that previously had pissed you off were nothing. Family and friends were what mattered the most.

  To give them this time to themselves, Mue was supervising Milly’s cooking practice down at her place and Clem had gone bush, although Jodie was sure Clem’s was a trumped-up excursion. That or the fact he was a loner and things had got too much for him. The last they’d seen of the new heir to Glenevelyn was the taillights of his old ute heading up into the mountains. Dogs, a swag and an Esky had cluttered the back of the tray.

  ‘We won’t see him for a few days,’ said Nate with a sigh. ‘The poor bloke’s got a lot to take in.’

  ‘You don’t feel resentful he got Glenevelyn and you didn’t?’ asked Jodie. She’d been wondering. Nate had taken the whole reading of the will so well.

  ‘To be honest, I’m more peeved he’s got the machinery. I could’ve done with a tractor and the dozer up on Mum’s place.’

  ‘I’m sure he’ll lend them to you,’ said Jodie. ‘He loves you. He’d give you the shirt off his back if he could.’

  Nate smiled a beautiful grin that made his eyes light up. ‘I know. That’s why I can’t ever be pissed off he got Glenevelyn. I much prefer Mum’s place anyway. It’s got the best pick of the river flats and the hill country is warm for cattle. There’s a terrific site for a house too, near where the old folks used to have theirs. It burned down in the ’68 fires but some of the garden trees are still there. You’ll love it.’

  She believed him, although it sounded almost too wonderful to be true.

  Nate was still talking. ‘Clem thinks he might turn Glenevelyn into a brumby camp. Run programs for troubled youth from the cities, like my mate Dan Caldwell up in the Snowy Mountains.’

  Jodie smiled. She could just imagine Clem working with the kids. He’d treat them like he did animals, beings whose trust had to be won, who needed to be nurtured.

  ‘He’s going up to see Dan in a few weeks. Work out how he runs the show. Have a chat and see what they can come up with.’

  ‘And what about you?’ she asked, acutely aware she was putting it all on the line. ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘Well, that depends on you,’ said the man beside her. His voice was tentative, like he wasn’t sure where to go, what to say.

  Jodie wasn’t sure either but decided to just let her instincts guide her. She turned and faced Nate, took his hand and placed it on her tummy. ‘Do you feel that?’ The baby was moving. Indiscriminate and swishy thumps and bumps, which she knew would only get stronger in the coming months. She watched as he squinted his beautiful eyes in concentration. She loved it when he did that, for when Nate was solely focused he was right there in the moment.

  He shook his head. ‘I can’t.’ He sounded so disappointed.

  She laughed, took up his hand and kissed it. Clasped it tight. ‘You will. Soon.’

  ‘I can’t wait.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ The question was loaded and she could see by his expression Nate knew it.

  ‘I’ve never been sure of anything so much in my entire life.’ He stood up. Pulled her to her feet. Solemnly gazed down into her eyes. ‘I want to marry you, Jodie, and I will love you all the days of my life.’

  His answer was music to her ears, her mind, her heart. Most of her adult life she had seemed like drift-wood floating down river rapids, bouncing off one rock only to slam against another. Since Rhys had ridden out of her life nothing had ever seemed certain. Until now. This man was her security, her strength. He was the one who would always be there for her.

  ‘Prove it,’ she whispered. ‘Show me with your body.’

  Nate’s eyes darkened. He clasped her close. Turned to lead her inside.

  ‘And just where do you think you two are going?’ Wallace Price walked onto the verandah, toting a gun. ‘I knew he’d done his nuts over you, Jodie, but I thought he’d at least wait until we were all safely out of the way before he bedded you again.’

  ‘Piss off, Wal,’ said Nate.

  ‘Now that’s no way to be speaking to your mates. If it hadn’t been for me you’d never have met her in the first place.’

  ‘That is the biggest load of shit I’ve ever heard.’

  ‘’Tis not. Tell him, Jodes, you were taken in by my stunning sewing machine. The very one this young buck tried to dump on the streets in Longreach.’

  ‘I threatened to dump you in Longreach.’

  ‘And then you’d never have met the best sheila this side of the Snowy Mountains – besides Muey, of course. Now there’s a woman after a man’s heart. She cooks like a dream, doesn’t nag or fart. I have no idea why your old man didn’t marry her –’ Wal broke off, turned beet-red. ‘Begging your pardon, Jodie. Of course he wanted to marry you, it’s just you can’t cook –’

  ‘Wallace Price. Leave. Now,’ said Nate. ‘That’s if you want a job in the morning.’

  ‘I’ve got a job, cutting up the fine sambar deer I’ve just shot.’

  ‘Well, go cut it up!’

  Wal sniffed. ‘I know when I’m not wanted. But I still say you owe me, young McGregor.’

  ‘He owes you, Wal,’ agreed Jodie, smiling. ‘As does this little person.’ She tapped her belly. ‘If it’s a boy we could call him Wallace.’

  ‘Like hell,’ said Nate.

  ‘Young ones. Never grateful. Next thing he’ll be calling it Ferris, or maybe if it’s a girl … Danielle. I’d best be going. Ta-ta,’ he said, smirking and sauntering off.

  ‘Danielle?’ said Jodie.

  Nate’s eyes were closed and he appeared to be counting to ten. ‘I’ll give him bloody Danielle.’

  ‘How about I give you Eileen?’ Jodie’s grin was wicked. ‘I-lean over and do delicious things to your body.’

  Nate laughed. Grabbed hold of her hand and drew her inside, making sure to lock the door as he went. ‘Done. Come here, you wanton woman. Let me ravish you until you scream for mercy.’

  A long time later, Jodie lay cushioned by Nate’s arms. They were both sated and dozy. The clock on the bedside table showed midday or midnight depending on which way you looked at it. The lack of light sneaking around the blind made the latter the more likely.

  ‘Are you awake?’ rumbled a voice near her ear.

  Jodie rolled over and peered up at the man staring down at her. His face was rumpled and soft, like a well-worn and comfortable blanket. She knew hers was rosy and looked like she’d been tumbled around a bed half a dozen times, which would be the truth of it.

  ‘I am. Are you?’

  ‘More awake than I’ve ever been in my life,’ he said, guiding her hand down to his groin.

  ‘You’re insatiable,’ she said, laughing at the evidence.

  ‘For you, yes, that’s about the way of it.’

  She was silent for a few beats, then asked again, just to be positively sure, ‘Will it always be like this, Nate? Will you want me in your life forever?’

  His look was measured with all the sincerity and levity he sensed she needed. ‘Until the end of time, my beautiful Mountain Ash.’

  Epilogue

  From the Narree Times

  TO JODIE ASHTON AND NATHANIEL MCGREGOR of Riverton Station (née Grumley’s), a beautiful baby girl, Elizabeth Joy Ashton McGregor, born 14 July. A much-loved sister for a delighted Milly. All well.

  Acknowledgements

  Mountain Ash is the story of a single mother – her vulnerabilities, her need for security and a place to belong, her internal and external battle to live the life she deserves and provide for her daughter. Having once been a single parent, I would like to pay tribute to this resilient and inspiring band of women (and men) who, for whatever reason, find themselves parenting and living life alone. In doing just what has to be done, you are amazi
ng. Inspirational. Never forget that.

  Another important facet of this novel concerns bushfire. In the past few years we have been hit by catastrophic wildfire here in Gippsland (and indeed in many parts of Australia). While this story focuses on a very personal account, I would like to take this opportunity to honour and praise the efforts of both our paid and unpaid firemen and women. As a volunteer firefighter myself, I know that in Australia we have some of the best firies in the world. I’m sure our communities, rural or urban, join me in thanking them for their continuing efforts to keep us safe.

  For the purposes of this fictional story my characters made choices that put themselves in great danger. I hope and pray my readers wouldn’t do the same. I should also make the point that once a wildfire has passed and the news services have stopped reporting on a particular catastrophic event, it takes many years, sometimes even a lifetime, for people who have been affected to rebuild their lives. Please know that my (and I am sure many other fellow Australians’) empathy and thoughts are with you.

  Thank you once again to the fantastic team at Random House, Australia: my beautiful and ever-supportive publisher, Beverley Cousins, along with the rest of the team, especially Catherine Hill, Jess Malpass, Tobie Mann and the hardworking and much-appreciated sales reps. To Kate O’Donnell, your pertinent suggestions once again were fabulous. Much gratitude also goes to my very wise and lovely agent, Sheila Drummond.

  To my wonderful readers who read drafts and again gave excellent feedback - Glenda Anderson, Pamela Beveridge and Kerry Barritt – thank you from the bottom of my heart. To the many, many people who answered a plethora of questions, especially Sidney Smith, Pam and Mal Beveridge, Kaylene Runciman, Jan Heaslip, Sandra Scumski, Rob Dean, Dick Waldron, Karen and Mark Whitehurst, Greg Powell, Angie Browning, Marion Kelly, Kenielle and Matt Bechaz, the lovely ladies from the Gippsland Campdrafting Association and my anonymous paramedic, to name just a few, thank you all for your time and efforts in helping me ‘get things just right’.

  Much appreciation goes to Roo and Sue Arcus (www.rooarcus.com) for allowing me to use the lyrics of their very special song ‘Church on the Hill’.

  To all my fabulous friends, a loud and heartfelt cheer, for without your love and support I couldn’t do this. Extra-special gratitude to Andrea Killeen (for all the miles and laughs along the way), Sandra and Doug Dekkers, Emma and Buck Williamson, Jenny Green, Michelle Sellings, Kenielle Bechaz, Sue Wilson, Liz and Trevor Watt (along with Tanya and Jayne) at Collins Sale and the amazing ‘Lardner Park team’ (Ev and Bruiser Bermingham - Glenevelyn is for you).

  To Helen White, we couldn’t manage without you, and Karen Chisholm, you are indeed a website maestro. To the Gippsland Country Life team, here’s cheers for another year; the Little Lonsdale Group (especially Kate Belle, Kathryn Ledson and Jennifer Scoullar), your support means the world; and to all the other authors I connect with (especially the rural ones), appreciation for your friendship.

  To my dearest mate and critique partner Kate Belle - your kindness, empathy, love and support got me through this book. I am so grateful. Alex will haunt us both forever, I am sure.

  To the readers of my books – I am delighted to be able to share with you my passion for rural Australia. Thank you for your continued encouragement, particularly via my website, Facebook, Twitter and when we meet out on the road.

  To my entire family - the whole she-bang lot (including Uncle Bob) - I couldn’t write without you all offering your time, love and support. I am so lucky to have such a fantastic bunch of caring relatives backing me the whole way.

  And now to the most important people in my world - a massive thank you goes to my gorgeous husband, Hugh, and beautiful children, Brent, Callan and Katie. You are the sun, moon and stars in my sky. Gratitude once again for allowing your wife and mother time off to ‘go write another book’. I love you.

  Margareta Osborn is a fifth-generation farmer who has lived and worked on the land all her life. She also writes about it in the Gippsland Country Life magazine. Home is the beautiful Macalister Valley of East Gippsland where, with her husband and three children, she spends many hours in the mountains in which her novels are set.

  She is also the author of three bestselling novels, Bella’s Run – a No. 1 bestseller – Hope’s Road, and Rose River, an adaptation of her No. 1 bestselling ebook A Bush Christmas.

  Visit www.margaretaosborn.com.au

  Margareta Osborn

  @margaretaosborn

  PRAISE FOR MARGARETA OSBORN

  ‘Margareta Osborn’s best book yet. Packed full of twists, turns, action and awkward situations, it’s a real page turner’ Sam Still Reading blog on Mountain Ash

  ‘Fun, love, adventure and tragedy are woven into this Aussie rural romance … This stands out from the pack’ Take 5 on Bella’s Run

  Also by Margareta Osborn

  Bella’s Run

  Hope’s Road

  Rose River

  Bella’s Run

  Bella Vermaelon and her best friend Patty are two fun-loving country girls bonded in a sisterhood no blood tie could ever beat.

  Now they are coming to the end of a road trip which has taken them from their family farms in the rugged Victorian high country to the red dust of the Queensland outback. For almost a year they have mustered on cattle stations, cooked for weary stockmen, played hard at rodeos and outback parties, and danced through life like a pair of wild tumbleweeds.

  And with the arrival of Patty’s brother Will and Bella’s cousin Macca, it seems love is on the horizon too …

  Then a devastating tragedy strikes, and Bella’s world is changed forever.

  So she runs – from the only life she has ever known. But can she really turn her back on the man she loves? Or on the land that runs deep in her blood?

  Margareta Osborn’s No. 1 bestselling rural romance – set in Victoria and Queensland – is brimming with the energy and vitality of country life and the Australia bush.

  Available now

  Hope’s Road

  Hope’s Road connects three very different properties, and three very different lives …

  Sixty years ago, heartbroken and betrayed, old Joe McCauley turned his back on his family and their fifth-generation farm, Montmorency Downs. He now spends his days as a recluse, spying upon the land – and the granddaughter – that should by rights have been his.

  For Tammy McCauley, Montmorency Downs is the last remaining tie to her family. But land can make or break you – and, with her husband’s latest treachery, how long can she hold on to it?

  Wild-dog trapper Travis Hunter is struggling as a single dad, unable to give his son, Billy, the thing he craves most. A complete family.

  Then, out of the blue, a terrible event forces the three neighbours to confront each other – and the mistakes of their past …

  From the author of the bestselling Bella’s Run comes another captivating rural romance set in the rugged Australian bush.

  Available now

  Rose River

  House-sitting in rural Burdekin’s Gap, high up in the East Gippsland mountains, is not an obvious career move for a PR executive like Jaime Hanrahan. But, hey, retrenchment is a kicker.

  Plus she’s determined not to spend Christmas in Melbourne with her friends, who still have company cars and six-figure salaries, or with her mother, Blanche, who has remarried too soon after her father’s death.

  However, it turns out that Burdekin’s Gap is a little more remote than Jaime had anticipated – the house is in the middle of a cattle station, and the handsome manager, Stirling McEvoy, doesn’t appreciate a new farmhand in Jimmy Choos and Sass & Bide cut-offs.

  Soon Jaime is fending off stampeding cows, town ladies wielding clipboards, sheep who think they are goats, nude sportsmen and one very neurotic cat. So why does she feel like she’s falling in love … with the life, with the breathtaking landscape, and with one infuriating cowboy …?

  Adapted from Margareta Osborn’s bestse
lling ebook novella A Bush Christmas, Rose River is a gloriously funny romantic comedy set in the beautiful Australian outback.

  Available now

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Random House Australia. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Version 2.0

  Mountain Ash

  EPUB ISBN 9781742758251

  Copyright © Margareta Osborn, 2014

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  A Bantam book

  Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd

  Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW 2060

  www.randomhouse.com.au

  Addresses for companies within the Random House Group can be found at http://www.randomhouse.com.au/about/contacts.aspx

  First published by Bantam in 2014

  This edition published in 2015

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

  Osborn, Margareta, author

  Mountain ash / Margareta Osborn

  9780857987525 (paperback)

  Love stories

  Country life-Australia-Fiction

  A823.4

  Cover images courtesy of Shutterstock

  Cover design by Christabella Designs

  ebook design by Midland Typesetters, Australia