Bushfire Bride

by Marion Lennox

  And one of the firefighters was with her. Gary. Toby had overheard Dad telling Rachel that maybe this was the best thing that could have happened to Sue-Ellen. Rachel said Gary was big and kind and besotted. He’d carried Sue-Ellen out of the dam with her burnt feet, he’d visited her in Melbourne, he was pushing her wheelchair now and Rachel and Dad thought things were looking really interesting.

  Dad said Gary even liked goats.

  There were all sorts of interesting things happening in Cowral at the moment. Myra said the fire had started people thinking how transient life was-whatever that meant. Myra said it had something to do with being happy. Being happy now.

  She said it also meant what was happening to Aunty Christine. She was here with that man. Michael.

  Michael had come down one day soon after the fire to collect Penelope. He’d blustered in, really angry, saying there was no way Penelope could stay. And then he’d met Christine. Christine had been in their kitchen when he’d arrived. She’d been angry about Dottie and Rachel redecorating Toby’s bedroom, so she’d been in the mood to yell, too. Anyway, Michael had yelled at Rachel, and Christine had yelled at Dad and then Michael and Christine had gone somewhere to complain some more and Rachel and Dad had grinned and Dad had said, ‘Well, well, wonders will never cease.’

  And it seemed Penelope could stay. Because of the mess at the dog show she hadn’t got enough championship points to keep her place in the state’s Afghan hound hierarchy, which meant Michael didn’t want to breed from her-which was just fine by Rachel and Dad. Dad said any puppies of Penelope’s would risk having a kangaroo loose in the top paddock and Rachel had giggled and agreed.

  What was keeping them? They were taking so long. Gee, if there was just time to get his football…

  But the oldies behind the sound system had finally succeeded. The sound system crackled into action and music blared out across the beach.

  What was the song? Toby knew it. He knew it! It was a bouncing song! And everyone else in town knew it too, because in seconds the whole town was singing about great balls of fire at the top of their lungs.

  Everyone was laughing as Rachel walked down the sandy beach. Lewis held her arm, as proud as any father, and Dottie fussed over her dress, but it was Hugo Rachel was watching. Hugo who was waiting, with so much love in his eyes that even Toby could see it.

  It was very satisfactory, Toby decided. He liked his dad looking like that. Soppy but good.

  Then the tune ended and another started. Softer. Lovely.

  ‘It’s Bach’s ‘‘Sheep May Softly Graze’’,’ Myra whispered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. ‘Because they’ve come home to each other.’

  Home. Here. Everyone was gazing at the shallows where once a township had sheltered to be safe and now a man and a woman were meeting each other, taking fingers in hands and turning together to make these, the most sacred of vows.

  Toby even forgot his football.

  With this ring, I thee wed.

  With my body I thee worship.

  From this day forth.

  I now pronounce you…man and wife.

  ‘I love you,’ Hugo whispered, and Rachel looked into the eyes of her second and most precious love and she whispered them back.

  ‘I love you,’ she whispered. ‘Hugo McInnes, I love you for ever.’

  Ace, thought Toby. It had gone off exactly as it should. Great vows! No one could wiggle out of this one.

  Not that he thought they’d want to. Rachel and his dad were looking at each other with the goofiest grins. Matching grins. Any minute now… Yep, here it was. Yuck! The kiss.

  If it had to be done, then it had to be done, he supposed. But he wished they’d get on with it.

  There was football to be played. Wedding cake to be eaten.

  Life to be lived.

  Right now.

  Marion Lennox

  ***

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