Whispers At Wongan Creek

by Juanita Kees

  ‘You’re pretty awesome yourself,’ she said and gave Casey’s cute little button nose a tug. The kid was pretty hard to resist with her twinkling eyes and peachy cheeks. Almost as irresistible as her uncle, but Heather wouldn’t let her thoughts go down that track.

  Travis said nothing as he opened the passenger door and unfolded his long legs from the cabin. What the man did to denim should be illegal, and she shouldn’t even be noticing such things. Heather pushed open her own door and got out just as Travis reached the back door to let Casey out. His gaze flicked to hers and held a moment. The sadness in his eyes took her by surprise.

  He looked down at Casey. ‘Sweet pea, go inside and change out of your school clothes. I’ll be along in a minute to make you a sandwich. I just need a word with Miss Penney, okay?’

  ‘Okay. Thanks again, Miss Penney!’ She darted off, leaving them alone in awkward silence.

  Travis leaned back against the four-wheel drive and folded his arms across his chest. He toed the dirt at his feet with his boot and kept his eyes down. ‘I’m sorry, Heather. I was out of line back there.’

  Heather sighed and leaned back next to him. ‘Apology accepted.’

  ‘I called Doc Benson.’

  Her heart sank. She’d only been in town a little over six months. Too short a time to form any long-lasting friendships or know anyone well enough, but she knew the cost of making decisions.

  The strong bond between Travis and his neighbour would have made that a tough call to make. She crossed one ankle over the other, unfolded her arms and took off her hat. Twirling it in her hands, she ran her fingers around the trimmed edge, unsure what to say.

  ‘You were right,’ he continued. ‘I need to help Harry sort out his affairs before it’s too late, so we’re meeting with the doc tonight.’

  ‘It sucks, Travis, I know.’ She knew all too well the emotional and psychological cost of having to put someone into care. ‘But there comes a time when you have to realise there is nothing more you can do for people in situations like Harry’s.’

  Travis blew out a long breath and leaned his head back against the roof of the car, tipping his hat over his eyes. ‘He’s going to hate me.’

  ‘He won’t remember.’

  ‘But I will.’

  Yes, he would, and it would haunt him for the rest of his life, just like it haunted her. ‘Sometimes doing the right thing feels like the wrong thing to do.’

  He lifted his head and tipped his hat back into place on his head. ‘That sounds terribly Irish, Miss Penney.’

  She smiled, sadness tugging at her heart. ‘Growing up in Darwin doesn’t make me less Irish. You can take the girl out of Ireland but you can’t take Ireland out of the girl. At least, that’s what my mum used to say.’ He smiled back, albeit a little weakly, and it made her heart flutter. ‘If it helps you any, the pain and guilt lessens eventually, and knowing you did the best you were able to will be some consolation.’

  ‘Sounds as if you’re speaking from experience.’

  His gaze collided with hers again, but this time it was she who looked away. ‘I am. I had to put Mum in special care when we lived in Darwin. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. She had aggressive Motor Neurone Disease. Within five years, she had no muscle control and eventually became completely paralysed. I couldn’t care for her alone anymore. She needed life support to stay alive.’

  The heredity factor meant she may carry that same mutant gene in her blood, and that thought haunted her every day. The preliminary blood tests Doc Benson had taken earlier this month had showed an anomaly that was inconclusive. He’d recommended a specialist in Perth for further testing, the thought of which terrified her. The fear of knowing far outweighed the need to know.

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ He leaned closer until their arms touched in a small comforting gesture that lifted the sadness a little.

  ‘I went through all the stages—guilt, regret, blame. Mum was the daughter of Irish migrants. Pregnant, sixteen and kicked out of home, she had to give me up at birth. I never knew what happened to the man who fathered me. Maybe one day I’ll find out who he is. She never spoke about him or her family. I don’t even know my grandparents’ names.’

  Travis squeezed her hand but said nothing.

  ‘I spent six years in foster care until she got on her feet and came back for me. Then she spent the rest of her life battling to keep a roof over our heads. She struggled to make ends meet, but she was determined to take care of me. When her condition worsened, I couldn’t do the same for her.’

  ‘That sucks. I’m sure you did everything you could.’ His arm came around her shoulders and she blinked back her tears. ‘Did your grandparents know?’

  ‘No, they went back to Ireland a couple of years after she left home. She had contact with them once after I was born and then never again. Thankfully, she didn’t suffer for long in the end, but it’s a terrible way to die.’

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘Shit indeed.’ And because his arm felt far too comfortable around her shoulders, she straightened and stepped away from him. ‘Trust me when I say, it’s the best thing you can do for Harry.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘You’ve taken on a huge responsibility for someone who isn’t a blood relative. Not many people would do that.’

  Travis pushed away from the car and straightened. ‘We’re the closest he has to family. He’s a cranky but loveable old bachelor who cared for his parents until they died of old age. By then it was too late for him to begin living himself.’ He winked and followed it up with a cheeky grin that had her toes curling against the spike of heat that shot through her belly. ‘Although the Wongan Creek grapevine says there’s more to the story. There might even be the hint of a not so nice, not so romantic story of unrequited love.’

  Heather’s eyebrows rose. ‘Oh really?’

  ‘Yep. Gossip says his girl, Eileen, upped and did the dirty on him with John Bannister while Harry was away fighting in Vietnam. She was a young Irish nurse doing a little country practice as part of her studies.’

  ‘She cheated on Harry with John Bannister? From Wongan Creek Mining? Why am I not surprised? He has a hand in almost everything that happens around here and it’s not always good. Sounds like perfect grounds for a feud and a motive. Sometimes owning a chunk isn’t enough. There are those like Bannister who want it all.’

  Travis shrugged. ‘Ah look, the affair thing is nothing more than grapevine whispers. Neither of the old buggers will admit to anything. But I do know selling is the last thing Harry wants to do, especially to Bannister.’

  ‘But with no relatives, if he dies without a will, the land will end up in the state coffers and they’ll sell it off anyway.’

  ‘That’s the bitch of a thing. Whether WCM buys the land for property development or mining, my farm is pretty much screwed. Having an estate next door full of houses, no trees and tar roads will be as much of a threat to my land as the mine itself. Suburban sprawl comes with its own hazards—weeds, water contamination, that’s barely the start of it.’

  Heather patted his arm. ‘Development isn’t all bad. The town has benefited from the expansion.’

  ‘I know. I’m not against it. I’m just not convinced we need a housing estate in Wongan Creek right away. Not when it’s likely to stand empty again when the boom is over.’

  ‘Can’t you buy his land?’

  ‘I wish I could, but I don’t have the dollars. Rumours are already flying that I’m only taking care of him in the hope of inheriting it.’

  ‘Oh surely not. The people in this town love you, Travis. They only ever have nice things to say about you. And I heard Mrs Everett doesn’t knit a footy scarf for just anyone, but she made one for you.’ Heather grinned. ‘That would pretty much give you VIP status around here.’

  He smiled but then his eyes clouded over again and she missed the happy twinkle.

  ‘It’s not the townsfolk starting the rumours. It’s old man Bannist
er’s infernal one-upmanship and greed fuelling the gossip. It doesn’t take long before people start believing the things they hear.’

  ‘I think the people of Wongan Creek are smarter than that.’ Heather sighed. ‘Look, how about we reschedule Casey’s assessment for another day? I think it’s fair to say she’s in good spirits and well-cared for. I can come back tomorrow to do the official visit.’

  ‘Thanks, I appreciate that.’

  Heather touched his arm lightly, his skin warm, the fine layer of hair rough under her palm. ‘Good luck for tonight. I hope Doc Benson can come up with a solution for Harry.’ She dropped her hand back to her side.

  Travis pulled off his hat and raked a hand through his hair, leaving it tousled. God, it was a sexy look on him. One that had her picturing him against a pillow with morning stubble along his jaw. Turning to the car, she rolled her eyes at her wicked thoughts and blamed it on heatstroke.

  ‘I hope so too. Thanks for the ride. Casey will be singing that infernal song for days,’ he grumbled, but his smile took the bite out of his words.

  ‘You’re welcome. Now you know what to add to your Christmas shopping list.’ She pulled open the door and slid into the driver’s seat.

  ‘Right, thanks for that,’ Travis replied dryly as he stepped up and closed the door.

  Heather started the car and drove away before she was tempted to offer to come back later and help with Harry. Her stay in Wongan Creek was temporary. She couldn’t let herself get too close to the people of this warm-hearted town. She’d promised herself no relationships, no children for fear of reliving her mother’s life.

  What good would it do to pass on the Motor Neurone gene anomaly to her children? What if it had skipped a generation only to come out in the next? No, she was happy on her own. That way no one got hurt, no one had responsibility except herself.

  Besides, she hadn’t come down from the Northern Territory to find love and friendship. She’d come to get away from the sad memories Darwin held, to find her feet and feed her passion for helping others.

  This job offer to work in the rural community of Western Australia had come at the perfect time. It would add another layer to her experience. Now her qualifications could take her anywhere in Australia, or all over the world. She’d be able to take away fond memories of this sunburnt corner of the country and the welcoming arms of the locals when it came time to move on.

  If there was a time bomb ticking away in her bloodstream, she’d never put anyone through the pain of caring for a loved one with the debilitating disease, especially not a man who already carried the weight of the town on his shoulders.

  Chapter 3

  Travis smelled trouble, and it came in the form of a white Wongan Creek Mining four-wheel drive mine-spec’d vehicle with the obligatory orange flashing beacon on the roof of the cab. He pulled up next to it and turned off the engine of his own battered ute.

  ‘Casey, go check on the chooks, would you?’ he said.

  Hopefully the chickens would keep Casey distracted while he dealt with his neighbour’s unwanted visitor. Pity Doc Benson hadn’t arrived yet. He could do with the backup. And speaking of backup, where was Robbie? Harry’s old cattle dog worked better than an alarm system, barking the moment anyone set foot on the property.

  Hopefully he was putting his guard dog skills to use inside the house. How long had the bastards been here? He only hoped Harry’s mind was lucid enough not to sign anything they put in front of him or that he’d at least arrived in time to put a stop to whatever tricks they were up to now.

  He watched a moment as Casey ran down to the chicken pen at the bottom of Harry’s garden that was now little more than a rusty graveyard of abandoned tools. Then he turned and entered the house, following the voices until he reached the kitchen. Harry sat at the table with Robbie emitting low growls and baring teeth at his feet. Across from him, a man shuffled a pile of papers in front him.

  ‘So, as you can see, Mr Murchison, this could be a very profitable transaction for you.’

  ‘I don’t care about money, you mongrel. I care about my land. So you can take those papers and shove them right up your arse.’

  The man squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw angrily. ‘Well … then we’ll have to explore the alternatives—’

  ‘Trouble, Harry?’ Travis interrupted. ‘That sounded very much like a threat.’ He cocked an eyebrow at the man dressed in the standard high-vis yellow and blue WCM uniform, but Harry interrupted before the man could answer. He stood, wobbly on his legs as his arthritic knees took the weight of his body.

  ‘This drongo is trying to get me to sign his stupid bloody contract. Came in here pretending to be an inspector.’

  ‘Is that so? Impersonation and a threat? I might have to call Sergeant Riggs, then. That might mean some bad press for WCM.’

  The man gathered his papers and stood. ‘Mr Murchison misunderstood my intent.’

  Travis squared up and looked him in the eye. ‘He might have, but I didn’t. You can go back and tell Bannister that Murchison’s Run is not for sale and never will be to him. And if I find you on this property again, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing on private land.’

  A burly man with broad shoulders, a handlebar moustache and a beer belly, the visitor held out his calling card. ‘I only ever enter premises by invitation.’

  ‘I doubt that.’ Travis took the card even though he knew well enough who the man was, read it and grinned despite the fear it struck in his heart. ‘Big deal, so you’re a lawyer the Bannisters can buy to do their dirty work. You’re in this house uninvited. Get out. Now.’

  ‘I’ll pass your dissatisfaction on to Mr Bannister.’

  Travis clenched his fists and bit his tongue, praying for patience before he decked the bloke. As appealing as the thought was of breaking the arrogant man’s nose, he didn’t want a charge of assault on his record to put his guardianship of Casey in jeopardy.

  Luckily, the arrival of Doc Benson’s car seemed to make up the arsehole lawyer’s mind. He turned and walked towards the front door. Travis followed to make sure he left.

  As they reached the veranda, Doc Benson was making his way up the stairs. He narrowed his eyes at the visitor, but said nothing as Travis escorted the man to his vehicle with Harry and Robbie close behind him. The three men stood and watched until the car disappeared down the drive and Robbie barked at the cloud of red dust his wheels raised.

  ‘Looks like we decided to have this discussion at the right time,’ said Doc Benson.

  ‘Yep,’ said Travis, unclenching his fists and flexing his fingers.

  ‘Who was that bloke?’ Harry stared at the disappearing brake lights and scratched his head.

  Travis looked at Doc, his heart breaking for Harry’s sake. He only hoped they could come up with a solution before John Bannister put his plans into action to take over Harry’s land.

  ‘Harry,’ said Doc, ‘we need to talk.’

  ‘Always ready for a chat, Doc. Been talking to you since the day you were born. Delivered you myself when you decided to make your appearance during harvest. No hospital back then, no doctor, just me and your father. Not a part of your mother I wanted to see.’

  Travis smiled at Doc. ‘He never gets tired of telling that tale.’

  Doc groaned. ‘No, he doesn’t. Come on, Harry. I think I’m ready for a cup of tea.’

  ‘Billy’s on the boil out back. Always is for you.’ Harry turned and hobbled inside.

  ‘Every time he says that, I’m scared he really has made a fire in the middle of his kitchen to boil the billy.’ Travis shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.

  Doc sighed. ‘Me too. I think I might have a solution to the problem, at least until we can convince Harry to go into care in Perth. It’s a pity we don’t have aged care facilities here.’

  ‘I don’t like the way the Bannisters keep upping the pressure on him.’

  ‘No, me neither, which is why I think my plan will w
ork, but it will take time to sort out the legalities. I hope Bannister’s money doesn’t buy that time from under us.’

  ‘Well, let’s hear it.’

  ‘It’s complicated.’

  Travis shrugged. ‘What in life isn’t?’

  ‘True that. Let’s go in and have a chat to Harry about it, shall we?’

  ‘Righto. I’ll just check on Casey quickly and I’ll be there.’

  Doc smiled and patted his shoulder. ‘You’re a top bloke, Travis. You need a good wife to stop you becoming just like Harry—an old and lonely man.’

  Travis laughed. ‘Not until Casey’s all grown up. I think I’ll have my hands full until then.’ His smile subsided. ‘Besides, I owe it to Tracy to give Casey my full attention. I can’t afford any distractions.’

  ‘What happened wasn’t your fault. When will you stop punishing yourself, son?’

  ‘Never.’

  The pain might have subsided but the guilt remained. He’d lost his family that day, in some way or another, and now he was set to lose his best friend and neighbour. Life sucked.

  ***

  Sundown crept across the sky as Heather turned her four-wheel drive into Travis’ driveway. She hadn’t planned on visiting after she’d finished work, but she was worried about Harry, and if she allowed herself to be honest, worried about Travis too. So the glass of wine she’d promised herself at the end of a long day would have to wait a little longer.

  Heather braked to a stop and the tyres crunched on the gravel. Her heart skipped a beat or two when she spotted Travis on the veranda.

  Relaxed with his bare feet up on the rail and seated on a worn out old sofa with Casey snuggled up beside him, they were reading together. Heads bent close, he smiled as Casey pointed to the page then turned her angelic face to his. He high-fived her little hand and pressed a kiss to her shiny strawberry-blonde head.

  Travis lifted a hand to wave, dropped his feet from the rail and stood as Casey clambered off the sofa. She slipped her hand into his and looked up at him with excitement beaming on her face. What a beautiful pair they made, Heather thought. Travis was a good father to the little girl who’d lost her mum in such tragic circumstances.