A Chance of Stormy Weather

by Tricia Stringer

  She threw her arms around his neck. “I miss you,” she whispered.

  He kissed her and smiled. “See you tomorrow, Sweet Pea.”

  The next morning did not go as Paula had hoped. Lachlan, as the doctor had insisted she call him, wanted her to stay one more day. He wasn’t convinced she had regained her appetite well enough and her oxygen levels were still fluctuating.

  “We want to make sure we’ve hit this on the head. No point in you going home and ending up back here again. We’ll do blood tests then see how you are tomorrow.”

  Paula was disappointed. She rang Dan’s mobile but got his message bank, so she rang Rowena who agreed with the doctor – of course – and said she’d drop off Paula’s clothes when she came in to do the shopping.

  “An extra day will give me a chance to do a bit of housework for you.”

  “There’s no need.” Paula had tried to deflect her but Rowena had insisted on tidying up before Paula went home.

  * * *

  Dan was disappointed when he eventually got the message that Paula wasn’t coming home that day. Tracking in to the hospital every night was wearing after a long day and conversations always felt disjointed and unnatural. He still felt guilty about not being there when she needed him and he missed her. He wanted Paula to be home.

  He’d had a long conversation with Diane the night before. He’d just arrived home from visiting Paula when the phone had rung. Diane had been very concerned that Paula needed better medical attention and wanted her to fly to Sydney. He had managed to reassure his mother-in-law that Paula was in good hands and making a steady recovery.

  Diane had gone on about Paula getting sick too easily and not taking care of herself properly. She’d hinted at a previous illness that had taken a while to shake but she didn’t elaborate and Dan had the impression that Diane blamed the illness on Paula’s lifestyle at the time. Perhaps the woman was insinuating that he wasn’t looking after Paula properly. It was hard to tell. Paula’s mother asked more questions than Dan had the chance to answer. He had placated her by saying Paula would be home today and now he would have to explain that she had to stay longer in hospital.

  By the time he got home, it was late and he was tired. He’d had a few problems with the tractor, which had held him up, and now he’d have to go back and finish the job tomorrow.

  Tarzan came jumping at his feet as he had every time Dan had returned home since Paula had been away. Dan had been shutting him out of the house during the day and letting him into the laundry to sleep at night. Once he had finished spraying, he’d try to get time to fix up the house yard so Tarzan couldn’t escape. The silly mutt liked to roam and several times it had run at vehicle wheels.

  Dan headed inside then remembered the drums he had in the back of the dual cab. They would have to be unloaded in the shed before he drove into the hospital. He looked at his watch then jumped back in the car. If he did it now he could have a shower and enjoy the meal Rowena had left for him before he drove in to town.

  He heard the bark turn to a sickening yelp as the dual cab moved forward.

  “Bloody hell.”

  Dan jumped out of the car and ran around to the other side. The little dog lay on the ground beside the back tyre. Tarzan’s eyes were wide with pain. He tried to stand but his leg wouldn’t hold him.

  Dan knelt down beside him. “You bloody stupid mutt,” he murmured.

  There was no sign of blood. Dan ran his hands gently over Tarzan who whimpered when his back leg was touched.

  “Damn. Have you broken that leg?”

  Dan shook his head at his carelessness. If only he hadn’t been in such a rush he would probably have noticed the poor little bugger. He hoped there would be no other injuries.

  The nearest vet was in the next town. He pulled out his mobile and rang the out-of-hours number. The vet arranged a time to meet him. Next Dan rang the hospital and asked them to let Paula know he’d be late.

  With the plan in place he took an old towel from the back of the dual cab and carefully wrapped Tarzan in it. He placed him in a box on the front seat then climbed in beside him. Tarzan whimpered again. His head was the only part of his body visible. Dan could see he was quivering.

  “Hang in there, little buddy.” Dan placed a gentle hand on the dog’s head. Tarzan settled, let out a small whine and closed his eyes.

  Dan rested his head against the steering wheel. If only he’d shut the dog back in the house. He should have been more careful. What would Paula say? She loved the little mutt. How was he going to tell her he’d injured her dog?

  * * *

  Paula was sitting in a chair when Dan finally arrived. She looked so much better tonight. Lachlan had probably been right to make her stay in hospital one more day.

  She stood up as Dan came through the door but her smile froze when she saw him.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry, Sweet Pea…” he hesitated.

  “What? What is it?”

  “It’s Tarzan. He’s been injured. I’m so sorry.”

  Paula looked at Dan and he could see the confusion on her face. “Injured? How?”

  “He…I…” Dan looked at her, his distress at what he had to say making him stumble over his words. “I ran over him.”

  “Oh!” Paula slapped her hand to her mouth.

  “He’s going to be okay. He dislocated his leg but there don’t appear to be any other injuries. The vet put the leg back in and she’s keeping him overnight.”

  “I still don’t understand how.”

  Dan wrapped her in his arms. He felt so bad. He needed Paula to understand it had been an accident. “He ran at the wheel. I didn’t know he was there.”

  Paula pulled away. “You ran over him?”

  “Yes, I thought he was in the yard —”

  “But you know the fence has holes. It doesn’t keep him in.” Paula glared at him, her eyes wild with anger. “How could you be so careless?”

  “I don’t know…” Dan faltered at her fury. “It was an accident.”

  Paula glared at him a moment longer, the look full of recrimination, then she climbed onto her bed and lay down.

  Dan pulled up the blankets. “Can I get you a drink? It’s a nasty shock.”

  She looked away.

  Dan gripped his hands together, struggling for something to say.

  Finally Paula broke the silence. “You must wish you’d done a better job.”

  Dan could see the tears pooling in her eyes.

  “What?”

  She looked at him. The tears rolled down her cheeks but her eyes were dark, icy. “Killed him,” she said. “It would have saved the vet fees.”

  He shook his head. “You can’t mean that, Paula. It was an accident.”

  “I’m sure it was. I don’t think you did it deliberately, but you never liked Tarzan. He’s always been a nuisance to you.”

  He knew this wasn’t his rational Paula speaking. She was hurting. He wanted to hug her and tell her how sorry he was but her look warned him not to.

  She turned away from him again. He stayed by her bed not knowing what to say. The pain of her reaction stabbed him like a knife. She was wrong. He did like Tarzan. The little dog had been a nuisance at times but he was a loveable mutt and Dan had become quite fond of him. He wanted Paula to know he shared her distress.

  Silence stretched out around them. Dan made a couple more faltering attempts at small talk but Paula didn’t respond. Eventually, he stood up.

  “I’ll go home. I’ll ring in the morning to find out what time to pick you up.” He bent to kiss her but she didn’t respond. “Good night, Sweet Pea.” He hovered a moment and once more wished he could hug her and make everything all right again. But he couldn’t, so he left.

  CHAPTER

  26

  “Darling, you still sound rather flat. Are you sure you’re okay? Why don’t you come home to Sydney for a while? I could look after you and you’d meet Rupert. I fee
l terrible being so far away, when you’re sick.”

  “I’m not sick any more, Mum.” Paula caressed Tarzan’s silky ears with her fingers as he lay curled on her lap. “I’ve been out of hospital for over a week.”

  “Perhaps the doctor let you out too soon. I’m not sure those country doctors are up with the latest treatments.”

  “I’m much better, Mum. Lachlan and the staff looked after me exceptionally well. It’s taking me a while to get my energy back, that’s all.”

  “I still think a holiday here would soon help with that. Dan’s probably too busy to look after you properly and —”

  “How’s Rupert?” Paula asked, knowing that the mention of her latest grandson would deflect the topic away from Paula. She listened while her mother filled her in on Rupert’s every move, then she managed to end the phone call without too much reference to her own health again.

  Dan came in as she hung up. He had worked till after dark nearly every night since she’d come home. She had got into the habit of going to bed as soon as she’d cleared up after their evening meal and she was usually asleep before he followed her. They were both being very polite to each other.

  “Who was that?” he asked.

  “Mum.”

  “Is everything okay over there?”

  “Fine. Evidently Rupert is smiling.” Paula placed Tarzan in his basket. “Mum nagged me again about going over.”

  “Why don’t you go?”

  Dan stepped towards her but she turned away and stirred the curry she was cooking for their dinner. She could tell he wanted to hug her, but she still nursed her hurt about Tarzan and had added it to all Dan’s other riddles. They all festered together like an infected wound. If she let him get close, she knew she would fall into his arms and let him distract her from the secrets he was hiding. She wasn’t prepared to let him do that any more.

  “I don’t know if I feel up to it yet,” she said. “I need a certain amount of strength to cope with my mother.”

  They ate their meal, between disjointed conversations. Dan had been to see Bruce, who was frustrated about not being able to resume work yet.

  “I don’t know how Jane puts up with him. He’s like a bear with a sore head…or foot.” He gave a half-hearted grin. “Perhaps we could have them over for a meal when you’re feeling better.”

  “I am better,” Paula replied. “I don’t think I’ve got the energy for entertaining yet, that’s all.”

  “Maybe later.”

  They ate the rest of their meal in silence. Dan cleared away the plates and got out some mail and papers to read, while Paula did the dishes alone. He offered to wipe but she said they could be left to drain.

  When she was finished, he had his head down looking at accounts. The Stock Journal lay on the table beside him, the headline story outlining the effects of low rainfall around the state.

  She watched Dan for a moment. Even from the side, she could see his face was set in the serious mask he often wore these days. He shuffled the accounts into a pile, the notebook where he recorded the rainfall lying open and empty of figures.

  She wished he could have shared his burdens with her but now there was an invisible wall between them. It frightened her but she didn’t know how to begin to break it down, so she said goodnight instead and went to bed.

  Paula didn’t feel that tired but there was nothing else to do. The days were hard enough. She’d contacted Frank Williams and made a time to visit him and she’d looked at various options she could work on via the internet. Dan had helped her apply for a satellite dish to be installed so they could get better online connectivity than the phone line gave them. She’d even finished the advertising ideas she had for Dara’s place and dropped them in to the shop but her heart wasn’t in any of it.

  She felt empty, like she had when she realised her relationship with Marco was finished. That was the thing that scared her. She had left Marco. He had continued to chase her, pledging his undying love. He was always dramatic and full on. She’d given him two weeks’ notice at work and even when that was up it took him a while to realise she wasn’t going back to him, no matter what he did. She’d taken a partly furnished flat instead of going home to her parents and juggled temp jobs while she looked for something permanent. It had been a low point in her life. She’d lost weight and felt miserable.

  Finally she’d been getting back on track and feeling better when she’d met Dan. Now, here she was drifting away from him. Maybe the problem was her. Perhaps she wasn’t capable of maintaining a long-term relationship. She’d been naive enough to believe being married would make a difference. Now she realised it only added more complications.

  The phone rang but she didn’t answer it. Dan would get it in the kitchen. It rang several times. She sighed. Perhaps he’d gone outside. She picked up.

  “Hello?” Dan’s voice echoed loudly from the kitchen extension. He must have picked up at the same time she did. She was going to hang up until she heard the voice on the other end.

  “Hello, Dan.” Katherine’s honey tones dripped down the line.

  “What do you want, Katherine?”

  “Now, that’s no way to greet your lover.”

  Paula clamped her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t make a sound but she couldn’t make herself put down the phone.

  “Past tense.” Dan’s voice was a growl. “I’m tired, Katherine. What game are you playing this time?”

  “I think I’ve worked out a way we can tidy up our ‘little mistake’, as you like to call it.”

  “I can’t give you any more money than I already have. You’ll just have to take the monthly payments. That was our original agreement.”

  “But the other week you were ready to buy me out.”

  “And you backed out of the deal. I don’t have the money any more. I’ve invested it elsewhere.”

  “But I’ve made other plans.”

  “So have I.”

  “This way the whole mess will be out of your life for good.”

  “It already is, Katherine.”

  The clunk of the phone was loud and startled Paula. Dan had hung up. She quickly replaced her handset.

  She lay alone in the dark for a long time, thinking over what she’d heard. Dan had obviously tried to get rid of Katherine and her child with one large payout instead of the monthly amounts. That must have been what their meeting was about in Adelaide, but something had stopped Katherine from going through with it. Now she had changed her mind and Dan didn’t have the money any more.

  And what was the other investment that Paula wasn’t privy to? Her head began to pound as she tried to make sense of it all. Finally, she’d worked herself up so much she felt ill. She needed to get away from the farm and Dan and think it all through. First thing tomorrow, she would make arrangements to go to Sydney. Perhaps she’d be able to sort her life out from there.

  As soon as Dan left the next morning, she checked flights to Sydney on the internet. There was a seat on a flight that night. She hesitated. It was a lot of money and it didn’t give her much time. She typed in her credit card details then hesitated again as her finger hovered over the ‘process’ button.

  Dan and Tom would be gone for most of the day. She would have to leave Dan a note. It was a cowardly thing to do but he had suggested she go, and if she told him she was going he would try to help and probably want to drive her to the airport. She wanted to avoid that. She clicked the button.

  Tarzan pattered into the kitchen, gazed at her a moment and then settled himself into his basket. Thankfully he was making a good recovery but he still needed to be kept quiet for a few weeks, the vet had said. How would he take to a long flight in the bottom of an aircraft?

  Then there was the problem of getting to the airport. She didn’t want to take her car. That would mean leaving it there. There was a bus that left from the front of the post office in the early afternoon. If she could catch that to the city she could take a taxi from there and still be at the a
irport in time for her flight.

  It was just a matter of getting to the post office. If she drove in to town she could leave her car with Jim but he would think it strange that no one had given her a ride.

  In the end it was decided for her. Rowena called in and saw her bags at the door.

  “Dan said you were thinking of flying home to see the new baby. I didn’t realise it was today. Is he taking you to the airport? I thought he and Tom were fencing on Harvey’s place today.”

  “Dan is busy and it was short notice so I decided to take the bus to Adelaide.” Paula felt awful but she wasn’t actually lying. She just hadn’t told Dan she was going.

  “How were you planning to get to the bus?”

  “I’ll drive in and leave my car at Jim’s.”

  Rowena noticed the dog cage at her feet. “Surely you’re not taking Tarzan?”

  “He needs rest and care. Dan’s not around.”

  “He can stay with me.”

  “Oh…no…” Paula stammered.

  “The flight could be very upsetting for him. I’ll take good care of him. I’ll enjoy the company. Now why don’t I drive you in to town. I have some banking to do and bills to pay. I’ll pick up Tarzan on my way home.”

  Paula hesitated. She hadn’t imagined Rowena the type to have a pet.

  “Dan should really have taken a bit of time off to see you to the bus.”

  “He’s been so busy, Rowena.” Paula made up her mind. She needed to make a move in case Dan turned up. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll check I’ve got everything. Won’t be a moment.”

  She walked through the lounge on her way to the bedroom. There was no fire. They hadn’t lit it since she’d come home from hospital. Neither of them spent any time in there any more. She paused in front of the framed wedding photo on the mantelpiece. For a moment her resolve weakened. She traced Dan’s smiling face with her fingertip. Then she sighed, turned her back on the photo of her wedding day and went to the bedroom for a final check.

  Rowena helped her carry her bags to the car.

  “You’re taking a lot for a holiday.”

  “I didn’t know what I’d need and I’ve got presents for the baby.” Paula had never got around to posting the things she’d bought in Adelaide. That reminded her of the special night she and Dan had enjoyed there. Then she remembered the meeting she’d witnessed between Dan and Katherine and she climbed into Rowena’s car, determined to leave. She needed some thinking space.