Outback Ghost

by Rachael Johns

  ‘Relax.’ He stood again and placed a hand on her arm. ‘She’s on the veranda playing with Mutton, but I’ll go check on them again. I really think you need this.’

  She looked as if she might object but finally sat back down and lifted the mug to her lips. As promised, he checked on Heidi, told her not to leave the veranda and went back to Stella. ‘Is that helping?’ he asked, gesturing to her mug.

  ‘A little. I’m…’ Her words died and she looked at him as if she had so much to say she didn’t know where to begin.

  He placed his hand on top of hers on the table. ‘You’re not feeling awkward about last night, are you?’

  ‘No.’ She linked her fingers with his and met his gaze with a smile. ‘That was amazing.’

  His body heated up at her words but he heard little feet pattering towards him down the hallway. Stella snapped her hand away and returned her attentions to her drink as Heidi came into the kitchen and climbed onto one of the chairs.

  ‘Have you two got plans today?’ he asked them.

  ‘No.’ Heidi said. ‘Why?’

  Chuckling, he looked at Stella. ‘I’ve got a surprise. How long will it take you to get dressed?’

  ‘I’m not sure I like surprises,’ she said, looking at him with suspicion.

  He grinned. ‘That’s okay because this one is more for Heidi.’

  At that news the little girl bounced in her seat and clapped her hands. ‘I love surprises.’

  ‘Great.’ Adam nodded at her in approval. ‘Then tell Mummy to drink her coffee quickly and get dressed so she doesn’t miss out on all the fun.’

  ‘Mummy, drink coffee quickly. Get dressed.’

  Stella sighed. ‘I can see I’m fighting a losing battle here. Give me five minutes.’

  While Stella went off to get dressed, Heidi took Adam’s hand and insisted he go with her into the lounge room. He guessed she wanted him to watch a favourite television show but she surprised him, leading him to the corner of the room.

  ‘I making nest for Whiskers.’ She pointed to where she’d dragged the coffee table into the corner. Draped over the top was an old, multicoloured crocheted blanket and underneath a pile of cushions.

  ‘She having babies,’ Heidi continued.

  ‘Is she?’ Adam hadn’t paid much attention to the old stray but now that he thought about it, she had seemed a lot fatter when she’d been sprawled on the couch last night.

  ‘Uh huh.’ Heidi nodded solemnly. ‘I loves kittens.

  Adam smiled. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that the stray would likely find a dark, quiet spot as far away as civilisation as possible to have her litter. ‘They’re pretty cute,’ he said instead.

  ‘What’s cute?’

  ‘Kittens.’ Adam spun round at Stella’s voice. She stood in the doorway looking like sunshine incarnate in a bright orange T-shirt and tiny denim shorts, matching orange Crocs perched on her feet. He’d never known a woman to get dressed so fast and still have the power to make every muscle in his body twitch. ‘Only you could look that good in plastic shoes.’

  She dropped her gaze to her feet, then shrugged as she looked back up. ‘They’re the comfiest shoes in the world and today I need comfy.’

  ‘You won’t get any arguments here. Shall we go?’

  ‘Yes. Yes. Yes.’ Heidi jumped up and down and grabbed hold of his hand. He was getting used to her hugging him or holding his hand but what he really wanted was to hold her mum’s. Still they’d agreed that whatever happened at night behind closed doors Heidi was not to know about any of it, so he resisted the urge and gestured for Stella to lead the way out of the house.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Stella asked as she stepped out onto the veranda, then waited for Adam to tug on his boots. Her heart and every organ in her body felt all twisted up at being so close to him. She had no idea how she’d manage to spend the day or at least a couple of hours in his company and it wasn’t his irresistible sex appeal worrying her.

  ‘I told you it’s a surprise. You’ll have to be patient.’ He straightened and then gestured down the steps towards his waiting ute.

  Her heart flipped at his sexy smile but irritation rose within her at his easy, flirtatious manner. ‘Are we driving?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Then we can’t take your ute.’ Feeling like a grumpy old school marm but unable to stop herself, she crossed her arms over her chest. ‘There isn’t room for us all.’

  He shrugged, undeterred by this minor obstacle. ‘We’ll take yours. I promise to drive safely and not cause any dents.’

  Dents hadn’t even crossed her mind. Him driving her car wasn’t an issue – she had insurance – but being in a confined space with him was. Although her body still longed for his, things had changed overnight. She worried she might blurt out something about ghosts and Lily-Blue before she had the chance to properly think through how to approach the issue. She’d thought about nothing else all night and still hadn’t come to a conclusion. Her head ached with conflicting thoughts – one moment she’d decided to come straight out and tell him everything, the next she wondered if she should tell somebody else first.

  Wasn’t this a police matter? Lily-Blue was still listed as a missing person. Maybe she should talk to Ruby’s fiancé. And maybe he would laugh in her face. Seriously, if someone had told her she’d be thinking about going to the police with ghost stories last week, she’d have laughed in their face. Even if he did take her seriously, could the cops re-open an investigation because of a little girl’s word about a ghost? And as far as Heidi understood Lily-Blue was a person. The only ghosts she’d ever seen were in picture books and looked like Casper. She might want to help her friend but Stella worried about the turmoil she might face if the police and other strangers started bombarding her with questions.

  ‘Mummy, hurry up,’ Heidi shouted.

  Stella looked up to see Adam had already strapped Heidi in and was sitting in the driver’s seat, the car idling as they waited for her. He must have gone back inside and grabbed the keys off the hook and, so distracted, she hadn’t even noticed. This worried her. She needed to get her head around this problem and work out what the hell to do about it before something bad happened because she couldn’t think about anything else.

  ‘Coming!’ She glanced behind her to check the door was shut and then hurried down the steps, realising as she got to the car she hadn’t thought to bring sunscreen or a hat for Heidi. Leaning into the open passenger window, she said, ‘I’ve just gotta run back inside and grab sunscreen and Heidi’s—’ The last word died on her tongue as she saw Heidi’s bright red and yellow sunhat perched on her head.

  Adam held up a bottle of SPF30 and nodded behind. ‘And I’ve got an esky with water and fruit in the back. Anything else you require?’

  At his teasing tone, she shot him a glare then got into the car.

  ‘I could be forgiven for thinking you didn’t want to spend time with me,’ he said as she clicked her seatbelt into place and he started off down the long gravel drive.

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Every feminine cell in her body longed for more quality time alone with him but she couldn’t relax. ‘I told you I’m just tired. You might be used to going at it all night, but I’m well out of practice.’

  Raising his eyebrows, he glanced in the rear-view mirror at Heidi and Stella almost swallowed her tongue at the realisation of what she’d just said. Thank God Heidi wouldn’t understand.

  ‘So, who’s for I Spy?’ she said, pasting a smile on her face. It was an innocuous game but one that needed enough concentration that Stella might be able to stop thinking about the ghost thing.

  ‘Me, me, me,’ Heidi sang from the back seat. ‘I pie with my little eye something yellow.’

  ‘Baby ducks,’ Adam shouted immediately.

  Stella frowned, amusement bubbling within as she scanned the paddocks on either side of them, both decidedly absent of ducklings. Or ducks.

  ‘No ducks,’ said Heidi, in
dignantly.

  ‘I know but I like ducks and I wish there were.’

  Stella couldn’t help but laugh along with Heidi at Adam’s silliness.

  ‘Be schensible,’ Heidi ordered. ‘Has to be something see-able.’

  ‘Okay. How about the sun?’

  ‘No. It’s in car.’

  ‘Adam’s T-shirt?’ Stella suggested, allowing herself a moment to appreciate how deliciously he fit inside the simple garment. Her mouth watered at the memory of running her hands up and down his torso.

  ‘Yes. Your turn, Mummy.’

  Knowing it was safer than thinking about Adam naked or the alternative of worrying about Lily-Blue, Stella tried her best to concentrate on the serious game of I Spy as they headed towards town. They took turns thinking up the silliest thing they could to stump each other and it wasn’t long before Adam slowed the car alongside a property on the outskirts of town.

  ‘I spy with my little eye something brown, furry, with four legs and a mane.’

  ‘Not your…’ But Heidi’s complaint died on her tongue as she glanced out the window and saw a beautiful caramel-coloured pony with a white diamond on its nose grazing by the front fence.

  Stella looked to Adam. ‘Is this Ruby’s place?’

  He nodded, a smug look on his face.

  Heidi found her voice. ‘I ride horsey?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know, honey, we’ll have to see what Ruby says.’

  ‘Who’s Ooby?’

  While Stella explained whom the horse belonged to, Adam drove up the driveway and parked in front of a large two-storey house with an immaculately kept garden. Ruby and the constable Stella had seen around town stood waving by the gate that led into the horse paddock.

  ‘Thank you for organising this,’ Stella said to Adam as he turned off the ignition. ‘It’s…’ She found she couldn’t get the words out. After the physical and mental exhaustion of the night, her vocabulary appeared to have taken a holiday.

  He placed his hand over the top of hers and she allowed herself brief enjoyment at the safe intimacy. Heidi was preoccupied gazing out the window so Stella didn’t need to worry about her bearing witness and the truth was, she didn’t know if she’d have been able to resist his touch if she tried. She wanted him so bad. The attraction hadn’t waned at all now they’d slept together and if anything the confusion over what to tell him about his sister only intensified her feelings.

  ‘It’s my way of saying thanks,’ he said.

  She laughed slightly and linked her fingers with his. ‘But after this I’ll owe you.’

  ‘It’s okay.’ He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. ‘I can think of at least one way you can repay me.’

  Her core tightened at his words. Would he want to sleep with her again after she’d told him her theory about Heidi’s new friend?

  Heidi’s feet slammed into the back of Stella’s seat, jolting her body and her thoughts. ‘See horsey,’ demanded the little voice from behind.

  Laughing, Adam squeezed her fingers gently and then extricated his hand. ‘Come on then, missy,’ he said, unbuckling his seat belt and opening his door, ‘let’s go see a lady about a horse.’

  Vowing to enjoy the morning, Stella followed suit. Heidi ran ahead of them, introducing herself to Ruby and her fiancé. Stella’s heart tensed a moment as she waited for the couple’s reaction to Heidi’s charismatic greeting but relaxed as both Drew and Ruby smiled and welcomed the little embrace. Behind her, Adam got the esky off the back seat and together they walked to join the others.

  ‘Hi Stella, lovely to see you again.’ Ruby smiled. ‘Have you met Drew?’

  ‘Not officially but I’ve seen you in uniform.’

  As he stepped forward and offered his firm handshake, it took all her concentration to reciprocate. Although he was a nice-­looking man, it wasn’t his looks distracting her. All she could think about was what he would say if she told him her Lily-Blue theory. Problem was, she still wasn’t sure exactly what her theory was.

  ‘Nice to meet you properly and speaking of which,’ he glanced at his watch, ‘I’m on duty in half an hour. Better go get changed. You three have fun with Roxie and Roberta.’

  As he turned to head into the house, Heidi’s face scrunched up. ‘Who?’

  Ruby laughed and took Heidi’s hand in her own. ‘My two naughty horses. Do you want to come and say hello?’

  ‘Yes, please.’

  Ruby led Heidi off towards the paddock. Adam deposited the esky by the fence and then they followed.

  ‘This is Roxie.’ Ruby introduced the larger horse first and let Heidi feed her an apple. As if sensing she were missing out on treats, the pony who’d been down by the fence when they arrived trotted up to join the little party and Heidi fell in love. She demanded Roberta have an apple too and then wrapped her chubby arms around the pony’s neck, all but burying her head in the soft mane.

  Stella looked to Ruby, hoping the horse wouldn’t bite Heidi or something, but Ruby waved away her worries.

  ‘She’s fine. Roberta is one of the gentlest animals I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Would you like to ride her, Heidi?’

  ‘Really?’ Heidi’s eyes widened as she looked up in awe at the pony.

  ‘Sure.’ Ruby nodded. ‘If your mum says it’s okay.’

  ‘More than.’ Stella felt almost as excited as her daughter and took her mobile phone out of her pocket, ready to take photos.

  ‘We’ll have to saddle her up first.’

  They walked Roberta up to a shelter where Ruby had a saddle waiting. Ruby patiently showed Heidi how to saddle up the pony, answering question after question without showing any irritation when some of the questions were double ups. And then Adam helped Heidi up onto the horse. Despite Roberta being a small pony, Heidi looked tiny sitting up top but there was nothing small about her grin, which stretched from ear to ear. Heidi was generally a happy child but Stella couldn’t recall ever seeing her as ecstatic as this.

  She hoped the happiness Heidi felt now would help to eradicate some of the anxiety that plagued her about Lily-Blue, although the moment Stella had promised to help with that, she’d stopped crying and slept stress-free. This morning she’d been preoccupied with building a ‘nest’ for Whiskers and hadn’t even mentioned Lily-Blue. Maybe if Stella could keep her occupied and busy away from the cottage during the day, she’d be too exhausted to be awoken by a ghost at night.

  ‘Mummy! Look me.’ Heidi’s voice startled Stella from her thoughts and she snapped up her head to watch as Ruby led Heidi round the paddock on Roberta. She took a zillion shots on her phone, wishing she’d thought to bring the proper camera, wishing she had someone who cared enough about Heidi to show the photos to.

  ‘She’s a natural,’ Adam said, standing alongside her.

  ‘Seems that way.’ Stella realised she was crying when Adam dug into his pocket and pulled out a tissue.

  ‘I promise it’s clean.’

  She laughed through her tears and accepted the offering gratefully. ‘I don’t even know why I’m blubbering. Thank you for giving her this chance. I used to go to pony club when I was a kid and I know Heidi would love it but there’s just not the same opportunities in the city.’

  ‘You’re the first person I’ve heard say that. Most people whine about our lack of facilities up here.’

  ‘Then most people don’t realise how lucky they are,’ she retorted.

  ‘Hey, you don’t need to convince me.’ He placed his hand against her arm and she flinched. Then cringed at the look of hurt that crossed his face.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m just…’

  ‘I know. Tired.’ His smile said he wasn’t too offended. ‘How about you head into the café and take five to have some you-time? Get a strong coffee and a slice of Frankie’s famous cake.’

  ‘But what about—’

  ‘Heidi will be fine,’ he said, anticipating her words. ‘I doubt Ruby and I will be able to drag her off that pony for
quite some time. We’ll be all right here.’

  Stella bit her lip, torn between leaving Heidi and the blissful thought of half an hour to herself. Lord knew she needed the opportunity to clear her head. ‘If you’re sure.’

  ‘Definitely.’ He reached into his pocket again and pulled out his wallet. ‘Can you bring back a takeaway coffee for Ruby and me?’

  She waved away his offer of money. ‘I’ll pay for it.’

  Without thinking she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Back soon,’ she said and then cursed silently as she walked towards the car. What on earth had possessed her to do such a thing? It had felt so natural, like she always kissed him goodbye when they parted, but what if Heidi had seen? Or Ruby? She was in dire need of sleep. And in the unlikelihood of getting that any time soon, coffee would have to do.

  Adam watched Stella go, trying but failing to keep a massive grin from spreading across his face. She’d been a little distant this morning and he worried that she regretted their night together, but this one little gesture suggested otherwise. Relief washed over him as he leaned back against the fence to watch Ruby lead Heidi round the paddock. The little girl always wore a die-hard smile but today she simply shone with excitement and happiness. He was glad he’d been able to do something special for her after the way she’d helped his mum and he hoped Stella enjoyed the reprieve as well.

  Chapter Sixteen

  ‘So, you’ve escaped on your own, well done, girlfriend.’

  Stella looked up as Frankie put a steaming mug of coffee and a slice of caramel mudcake on the table in front of her. The café owner had been busy doing something out the back when Stella had placed her order. ‘Hi, Frankie.’

  Frankie dragged out a chair and sat. ‘You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.’

  I feel like I do, Stella thought. ‘I’m just tired,’ she said instead. Geez, even she thought she sounded like a broken record. She needed to find a better excuse for being lost in her own little bubble.

  ‘Harvest will do that to you. Or so I’m told. Personally I left our family property the day I turned eighteen, went to Perth to cookery school and only came back here because I like the beach and the lease for the café was cheap.’ She picked up a serviette and twisted it between her fingers. ‘But you didn’t come here to get my life history.’