Long Way Home (Hearts of the Outback Book 3)

by Susanne Bellamy

  The front door opened before they reached it and a woman in her mid-fifties with eyes the colour of Caleb’s smiled up at him from a wheelchair. “Hello, darling.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Caleb leaned down to kiss his mother’s cheek while Sarah hung back, shy and uncertain of the surprise he’d landed on her. She clung to her swag as he stepped in behind the wheelchair and made the introductions.

  “Mum, this is Sarah Tait. She’s just completed that endurance ride for charity and her accommodation has flown out of town at the controls of a Flying Doctor plane. Sarah, this is my mother, Carla Richards.”

  Carla raised her hand and Sarah stepped into the spill of light from the hallway to meet her. “So pleased to meet you, my dear. I’m envious. I used to love riding when I was a teenager. Horse-mad, I was.”

  Cold air gusted through the door and Carla shivered. “Come in out of the wind. Have you eaten yet?”

  Sarah shook her head. “It’s very kind of you to offer me a bed for the night.” As she stepped inside, the hall light revealed her bruised cheek.

  “It’s the least we can do after the magnificent effort you’ve made for the new riding school. Would you like me to dress your injury after you’ve had a chance to shower?”

  Sarah touched her cheek as though she’d forgotten about it. Straightening her shoulders, she smiled but shook her head. “No thanks, Carla. It’s not that bad. The dressing makes it look worse than it is.”

  Caleb took Sarah’s swag from her hand and closed the door. He turned into the guest bedroom and deposited her gear under the window before following the two women into the kitchen. The aroma of lamb casserole wafted on the air, setting his tastebuds tingling as his mother deftly slid the pot onto a hot pad. “Smells great.”

  “Mrs. Richards, what can I do to help?” Sarah stood on the other side of the kitchen bench, her fingers locked together.

  “Carla, please, unless you want to make me feel old.” Carla manoeuvred her chair around the island bench with greater ease than before Caleb had gone away. “Sarah, dear, just hit the reheat button on the microwave and Caleb, could you get the yoghurt from the fridge, please?”

  They worked together and within minutes, were seated at the dining table, fine china plates of casserole emitting clouds of fragrant steam.

  “Tell Mum about the plans for the riding school.” He passed a basket of bread rolls to Sarah.

  She took one and tore it open. “I’ll begin with individuals and progress to small groups. The focus will be on developing confidence and skill in children with a range of disabilities.”

  “Intellectual, do you mean?”

  “And physical. There was a young boy and his family waiting to talk to me tonight. Luke is about nine years old and in a wheelchair following a car accident last year.”

  His mother pinned Sarah with that look Caleb hadn’t seen since before her accident. The look that meant she had an idea and it was going to happen. “How will you teach him to ride?”

  “On specially trained horses. I’m training my mare, Tabitha, to take an adapted rider. When she’s ready, I’ll road test her.”

  Caleb’s fork clattered on his plate as he laughed. “Road test a horse? I’d love to see that. How do you go about it?”

  Sarah set her fork down and propped her chin on her clasped hands. “A disabled rider with experience will work with Tabitha and me and check both of us out. If we pass muster, the school will be open for business.”

  “By yourself, Sarah?”

  “My plan is to expand down the track, when I find the right person to share the training work. Ideally, I’d like to be able to continue working with horses as I’ve been doing, as well as teach.”

  “Your horse whispering days aren’t over, Sarah. You’re too good to give it away.” He couldn’t imagine her not healing the fears of horses like Aladdin and comforting Sir Alain.

  Colour rose in her cheeks and in the vee of her shirt as she ducked her head and forked up a mouthful of casserole.

  As he finished his meal, his mother offered the bowl of casserole. “Second helping?”

  “That depends on whether you’ve got a pie warming in the oven for dessert.”

  “If you take the plates out, I expect there’s no one to stop you peeking in the oven. If you do happen to find a pie, there’s also a jug of custard keeping warm beside it.”

  He collected the dinner plates, and refused Sarah’s offer to help. “Stay and talk to Mum. I’ve got this covered.” As he rinsed the plates and served the pie, Sarah’s voice carried into the kitchen.

  “Carla, I want to say thanks for the wonderful apple pie Caleb was kind enough to share out on the track. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  “You’re welcome, dear. There’s so little he lets me do—he thinks he needs to protect me from all work; he does everything else—but I enjoy baking. Always have. And I used to love horse riding when I was younger. May I visit and watch you training Tabitha some time?”

  “I’d love to have you. How much riding did you do?”

  Caleb carried in three bowls of apricot pie doused in liberal quantities of custard before he heard the answer. Curious to learn more, he set a bowl in each place. “Here you are, ladies. Mum, did I hear you say you’d like to watch Sarah and Tabitha? I’ll take you if you want to go.”

  The women exchanged a look he couldn’t interpret before his mother smiled and patted his arm. “That would be very nice. You and Sarah can sort out the when and let me know. Now—”

  The staidly old-fashioned ring tone he’d assigned to calls from his boss interrupted whatever she’d been about to say. “Sorry, that’s work. I’d better take it.” He pushed back his chair and walked into the lounge room, hitting the accept button as he closed the door behind him.

  “What’s up, sir?”

  “Richards, it’s the Jenner girl. She’s missing.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “I’m coming with you.” Shoving her arms into her jacket, Sarah knew she sounded mulish. But Caleb was as tired as she was and if he could turn around and head back out into the night to find the missing teenager, so would she.

  “Sarah, for the last time, this is police business. You’ve got to talk to Kaiser in the morning.” Caleb picked up his keys and slapped his hat on his head. “And you’re injured. You are not coming with me.”

  Planting herself in front of the door, she raised her chin defiantly. “If Lily has taken off on Aladdin, there has to be a good reason for her flight. She’ll be alone, and struggling with a difficult horse. Who better to help than me?”

  “I’m sure Jace and Mark will handle him.”

  “And what if it’s males in general Aladdin has a problem with?”

  “Sarah, they’re trained to deal with all sorts of animals.”

  “What about distraught teenage girls? How will they handle Lily if she’s upset or— Besides, until my debriefing tomorrow, I believe I’m unofficially officially still on your team. You remember your team? The one you told me I belong to. Or was that a load of bull to make me feel like I was helping you?”

  He raked his fingers through his hair. “You were, you did help. Dammit, Sarah, I don’t have time for this. I’ve got to go.”

  Rubber tyres squeaked over wooden floorboards and Carla stopped beside her son. She slipped a hand into Caleb’s and tugged. “Caleb, why don’t you take Sarah with you? She’s got a point. Two good points actually. If the child has run away, a sympathetic woman who manages difficult horses will make your job much easier. A two-for-one team member. That’s gold.”

  He tipped his head back and sighed. “You don’t fight fair, Mum. Two of you against your son.”

  “Just making your choice easy, darling.” Carla’s gaze connected with hers and she winked.

  She looked up at Caleb. “I can come?” At his nod, she began a private war dance. Woman power win. Or the power of a mum. She mouthed a thank you to Carla and cleared the doorway.

>   Caleb opened the door and stalked out to the four wheel drive.

  Carla handed her a box. “Coffee thermos and leftover pie. Don’t mind Caleb. He’ll be fine once you get underway. Good luck, Sarah.”

  ##

  He couldn’t credit his mother had allied herself with Sarah against him. As a police officer—one never stopped being a protector—she knew how rough this type of search could be, especially if the worst came to pass and something had happened to Lily Jenner. Not for the world would he risk subjecting Sarah to an accident scene like some he’d attended. Not that there was reason to expect the worst. Not yet. Hours, not days, had passed since the teenager had last been seen. He clung to that positive.

  As they drove north of town, Sarah huddled in her jacket, her feet either side of a box he suspected contained food and drink quickly packed by his mother. Some things didn’t change. His annoyance lasted all of five minutes. His mother had been right, as usual. Silent as Sarah was, it felt good to have her beside him. Her connection with both Lily and Aladdin were more than enough justification for her presence.

  He turned onto the last stretch of bitumen on the way to Jenner’s property. Soon, they’d run out of sealed road and the search for Lily Jenner would take on a new aspect. “Can you check the glove box for a map of the area? There’s a torch in the door pocket. Where do you think we should start searching?”

  Sarah uncurled and stretched, before opening the glove box. Tucking the torch under her chin, she unfolded the map. The beam shone on orange and green highlighter, marks that tracked their previous journey through this area.

  “There’re a couple of possibilities, depending on where Lily was heading. Did Kaiser have any idea where she was going, or why she took Aladdin?”

  “None. One of the stockmen heard an argument between Lily and her father before lunch. He couldn’t tell what it was about but he said Lily seemed very upset. He thought he heard Townsville mentioned.”

  “Townsville? Do you know if her mother has been in contact? Lily was worried about her parents getting a divorce and her mum wanting her to move back to live on the coast with her.” Sarah measured the distance between their current position and Selkirk.

  “How do you know this?” And why hadn’t he picked up on the information? It seemed his mother was right on another count.

  “She talked to me when I worked with her and Aladdin that morning before we left Selkirk. Running away from a family break up doesn’t solve things but I’m guessing she’s lashing out.”

  “And another point to my mother.” The female communication system was a mystery he figured he’d never get a handle on. Carla, Sarah—Lily. Despite only just having met, Lily had confided in Sarah. And his mother had sussed out in a single meeting just how safe Sarah would appear to a troubled teenage girl.

  “Should I know what you mean?”

  “Probably not. I suspect it’s in my best interests not to tell you either.” He couldn’t help grinning at the confusion on her face. Sarah and Carla were an awesome combination. “Maybe one day. Okay, can you pick the most likely route Lily might take if she was heading for Mt. Isa?”

  “I thought the stockman mentioned Townsville?”

  “Do you think Lily would head towards the coast, or would she try to reach a friend in Mt. Isa, and maybe hide away from her parents?”

  “Good point. Hmm . . . ” Head bent close to the map, Sarah ran her finger along several lines before she stabbed a spot. “That’s got to be it. Cross the creek bed and take a right.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Lily’s secret place.”

  ##

  Insects flew up in the headlights and splattered on the windscreen as the four wheel drive bounced through low bushes along the bank of the dry creek. The night was dark with moonrise not due for another hour and Sarah kept a close eye on Caleb’s odometer. On horseback, she had a sense of time and distance travelled. In the car, that sense was distorted.

  “In about five hundred metres there should be a track on the left. If I’m right, Lily might have fled to a camping spot she told me about.” She had to be right. The image of the unhappy teenager alone in the darkness with only an unpredictable, untrained horse for company was worrying.

  “Tell me what you know.” The front wheel hit a deep pothole and shuddered through a second thump as the rear wheel followed the front wheel’s passage.

  Sarah thudded down hard, bounced up and dropped the torch as her head banged against the headrest. As she grabbed the seatbelt with her left hand and her hat with the right, the torch rolled off her lap, onto Carla’s food package and onto the floor. “My kingdom for a horse,” she muttered.

  “Sorry about that. No room to go around it.”

  “A little warning next time please.” She bent down and retrieved the torch before remembering the odometer. “Damn. I think we’ve passed the track. Can you reverse?”

  “I didn’t see anything.”

  “Yeah, like that giant pothole you took us through.”

  “I told you—”

  “Joking. Just trying not to dwell on possibilities. Look, this isn’t good vehicular traffic country. How about we park and do the last bit on foot? The place Lily told me about isn’t far.”

  “Okay.” Caleb turned off the engine and opened the back. He slung a first aid pack over one shoulder and his rifle over the other before handing a canteen to Sarah. “You’ve got the torch and the knowledge. Lead the way.”

  Night pressed in like a physical weight as Caleb closed the door and cut off the light. Sarah stood still, getting her bearings before switching on the torch. A faint stink of diesel lay beneath the sharp smell of stringy bark. Dust motes danced and swirled as the torch beam slashed open the darkness. She breathed deeply and set off.

  Not far from the pothole that had distracted them, a faint track angled away. Seldom used, it was overgrown and rough but there were fresh hoof prints, and signs of a recent passage. Brushing aside the silvery leaves of a small gumtree, Sarah pushed through.

  They’d gone no more than fifty metres when Caleb laid a hand on her shoulder and pulled her to a stop. “Did you hear that?”

  “What?” Closing her eyes, she listened hard. Tree branches scraped and leaves rustled and a night creature scuttled past her booted feet. And not far off, a horse stamped and harness jingled.

  They stepped off together, faster now they knew someone was ahead. “Please let it be Lily.”

  “It will be.”

  Unaware she’d voiced her hope, Caleb’s response surprised her. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Comforting. She felt comforted and strong and all of a sudden, she knew. Caleb was a good man who made the world a better place. He would never harm her. He was a protector who let her be who she wanted to be.

  A phantom shape appeared through the branches, as the torch lit the grey’s hindquarters.

  “Lily? It’s Sarah Tait. Where are you?” She called softly, trying not to spook Aladdin.

  “Sarah, over here.” Lily’s voice sounded strong.

  Some of Sarah’s fear leeched away and she directed her torch past Aladdin. “Are you hurt?”

  Huddled against a rock, Lily Jenner shaded her eyes from the torchlight. As Sarah lowered the beam, Lily jumped to her feet and threw herself into Sarah’s arms. “I hate them. I hate them both. Can I come live with you, Sarah?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Caleb slumped into an armchair and rubbed his eyes. “Kaiser got Children’s Services to agree to Lily staying here for the night. Her mother is on a flight out from Townsville tomorrow.” When had he last slept? He squinted at his watch. Three hours and he’d have to get up and go to work. And drag Sarah with him so the chief could poke and prod her memories.

  Surrendering Sarah in her vulnerable state to his boss’s less than tender care didn’t sit well with him. And yet he knew he had no choice. Despite her assistance in finding Lily and in convincing Aladdin to get into the horse float for the trip
back to Mt. Isa, last night’s effort offered no more than a brief delay. Kaiser had given them until ten a.m. before Sarah’s interview.

  His mother patted his shoulder. “Just as well he agreed. Both Lily and Sarah are asleep. You can’t do any more tonight. Go to bed, Caleb.”

  He covered her hand with his. “I’m sorry I’ve disrupted your evening, Mum. But I couldn’t let either of them down.”

  “I’ve enjoyed myself. I haven’t felt so useful since before my accident. And darling, you never let people down. On the contrary, look at Sarah. You gave her a chance by believing in her and she showed you just how right you were.”

  “Still, tonight was a lot of extra work. I’ll make it up to you.”

  “Caleb, there’s nothing to make up. I like Sarah a lot and I’m happy you brought her home.”

  He caught a glint in her eyes, and he recognised it as hope. “Don’t go all matchmaking mama on me.”

  “Me? Never. Now go to bed.” She turned her chair in a tight manoeuvre like a precision driver and the squeak of rubber on wood faded until she closed her bedroom door.

  Caleb pushed to his feet and headed to his bedroom. The king-size bed had never looked so inviting as he kicked off his boots and stripped off dusty clothes and let them fall in a heap. He hit the shower and emerged five minutes later refreshed but wondering if it had been a good idea. More awake than he should be, he slipped under the doona and stared at shifting patterns of light across the wall.

  It felt lonely. Which was ridiculous but he missed her. Even her snoring would be better than this nothingness pervading his room.

  Three nights he’d shared sleeping space with Sarah. Three nights with an almost-stranger who hated to be touched.

  But Sarah wasn’t a stranger. He knew the important things about her, like her fierce independence and her desire to restore rightness to her family name, and her caring nature and her bravery.

  In the space of a week, he knew Sarah was the woman for him.