Wildflower Ridge Read online

‘Another top-shelf batch of biscuits by the look of it, love. I’ll check them for quality control.’ Angus grinned, helping himself to two biscuits.

  Tim snuck a look at Penny, noting her stiff back and lacklustre welcome. Not that she’d ever fussed over him or gone out of her way to engage him in conversation, but she had seemed a little more relaxed in his company since the day they’d talked about the local paper rehashing his father’s crimes. He declined Angus’s outstretched hand and reached for the Stock & Land instead, ignoring the crunch of biscuits from Angus and Eddie.

  ‘How was the test drive?’

  Tim knew without looking up that Penny’s question was directed at Angus, not him, and kept his focus on the newsprint.

  ‘Great. We’ve narrowed it down to two models. They’re both in stock at the local dealership, so it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.’

  Angus flicked the kettle on and pulled four mugs from the cupboard. He made the tea, leaning over Tim’s shoulder for a closer look at a full-page quad bike advertisement.

  ‘Though it looks like they’ve got them a bit cheaper at the Mildura Field Days. Might be worth the drive, hey, Eddie?’

  Eddie nodded enthusiastically, thrilled to be involved in the discussion.

  ‘Did you test the new side by side options?’ Penny wiped the spotless kitchen bench a second time.

  ‘Pfft, they’re as useless as tits on a bull with all that roll bar nonsense. They’re for the buggers who can’t ride to save themselves.’ Angus laughed, helping himself to another biscuit.

  Tim sneaked a glance at Penny and saw the tight set of her jaw. So that’s what she’s angry about, he thought, noticing the way Penny bristled at her father’s dismissal.

  ‘I would have thought they’re at least worth a test drive, seeing you’re in the market for a new one anyway. Did you ask about the government rebates and farm safety promotions?’

  ‘Those incentives aren’t worth jack. Quad bikes have served us well for decades—leave those rally cars to the nervous nellies who rely on roll bars and cages.’

  Tim watched Penny stalk towards him. Up close she smelled just like a bakery, the sugary scent contrasting with the anger that seemed to radiate from her. She jabbed a finger at his newspaper.

  ‘The Age is more my style, but aren’t farm accidents at an all-time high?’

  Tim spoke softly.

  ‘He’s right, Mac. They’re just another new marketing scheme, using scare tactics to part farmers with their hard-earned cash.’ He looked up from the newspaper, surprised to see Lara jogging up the steps.

  ‘Penny would know all about marketing schemes. Apparently, city suits know more about farming than us backward country folk.’

  Penny spun around at Lara’s voice, her face darkening as if her sister held an armful of snakes instead of a bag of lemons.

  Tim swallowed a sigh, knowing the potential for an argument was increasing by the second.

  ‘I never said that, Lara. Don’t you have better things to do than stir up trouble?’

  Folding the newspaper shut, Tim clapped Eddie on the shoulder. ‘C’mon, man, let’s go feed out some hay. Leave these guys to it.’

  He nodded a quiet hello to Lara and tipped his half-drunk tea down the sink.

  ‘Quad bikes, quad bikes, quad bikes,’ sang Eddie, pointing eagerly to the newspaper. Tim steered him away from the table and handed him his boots.

  ‘I’ll meet you back at the shearing shed in an hour, Angus.’ But it was as if he hadn’t spoken, his boss was wholly focused on his two daughters and the animosity between them.

  ‘Now c’mon, girls, don’t be like that,’ said Angus.

  Tim hastily shoved his feet into his size-12 boots. He tried to hurry Eddie along as the conversation volume moved up a notch.

  ‘You’re a nurse, Lara, you should talk some sense into Dad about the old-style quad bikes,’ Penny said stiffly.

  ‘Farms aren’t any different from any other workplace; the user accepts all liability, that type of thing. If he wants another quad bike, he should get one. You just like spending money, Penny,’ said Lara. ‘And as someone who’s just got out of hospital because of her own pig-headed behaviour, I wouldn’t be throwing too many stones about personal safety.’

  Tim looked up to see Penny clenching her teeth, angrier than he’d ever seen her. For someone who seems unflappable, she gets pretty fired up around Lara. Tim followed Eddie outside, shutting the door on their discussion. After spending years sheltering Eddie from family domestics, he wasn’t going to drop the ball now.

  Twenty-five

  Penny stormed outside as Tim’s ute rumbled down the laneway. She heard her dad’s footsteps behind her. His hand was warm on her shoulder, his tone appeasing.

  ‘Ah love, don’t mind Lara. She’s just trying to save me money.’

  Penny pushed at the gravel with her toe, the sharp bluestone piercing her skin. She shrugged his hand off irritably.

  ‘I don’t know why I bother. I’ll keep my opinion to myself in the future.’ She shoved her hands into her pockets, frowning.

  ‘Let me take you for a spin on one of the new quads we looked at,’ Angus prompted. ‘Turn back the clock a few years, get the wind in your hair.’

  She shook her head, resolute.

  ‘I think it’s a bit too late for that, Dad.’

  The house was quiet as Penny kneaded and thumped the scone dough, projecting her frustrations onto the soft blob. She knew their fat content was probably sky-high, but the kneading action was a better outlet for her anger than any of the alternatives running through her mind. Penny refilled her glass of red wine, surprised to see the bottle was almost empty. She took a sip and returned to kneading.

  ‘Steady on, love,’ chided Angus. ‘What did that dough ever do to you?’

  He settled his mug in the sink and folded his arms against his cotton pyjama T-shirt.

  ‘I can’t believe we’re even related,’ she said, slamming the dough against the benchtop. ‘I have no problems with Diana, no problems with Angie, no problems with you—except when you shot me down in the quad bike debate—but Lara … we might share some genes, but she’s in a league of her own.’

  ‘She’s had a tough time recently, with Sam and all that. Don’t let her get your goat. She’s gentle as a kitten; you just need to get past her claws.’

  ‘Talons, more like,’ muttered Penny. She could smell the oven was hot enough, felt the dough was ready to roll, but continued to work it emphatically.

  ‘This is baking therapy at its finest. Your Irish author-lady would be proud. What’s her name? Marion? And I didn’t deliberately ignore your advice, Penny. Tim and I tossed around the UTV pros and cons.’

  ‘Good old Tim, hey? Almost as cheerful as Lara. Tell me, Dad—’ Penny pushed up her sleeves, wiped her face on the inside of her forearm, and took a gulp of wine—‘is he angling for an inheritance or a way to buy the farm cheaply? Is that why he’s here all the time? Yes, Angus. No, Angus. Three bags full, Angus? You may as well tell me now because he sure acts like it.’

  She saw Angus’s expression change from playful to wary.

  ‘Course he isn’t. Damn shame you girls never showed the same interest as him though.’

  ‘I’ve looked at your books, Dad. I know it’s a successful enterprise. I’d hate someone to worm their way into the business and rip you off again. What about those dodgy deals his father was involved in? Sheep rustling, bogus trading. Don’t forget about that.’

  ‘Steady on, Penny. Tim is nothing like Roger Patterson and I reckon you know that just as well as I do.’ He picked up her glass of wine and poured it down the sink. ‘Sometimes you and Lara are more alike than you realise.’

  The trilling phone cut through the still air, jolting Penny’s wandering mind. She set the lamb down on the grass and jogged into the house.

  ‘McIntyre Park, Penny speaking.’

  ‘Babe, I was just about to hang up. Glad I’ve finally caught you.�
�� Penny felt anger rising in her chest at Vince’s strained tone. How dare he sound inconvenienced?

  ‘You’re glad you caught me? I’ve been trying to call you for a week! What the hell has been going on?’

  ‘Nothing, babe, just crazy busy with work. I’m on the phone all day, networking with the Sydney crew and clients most nights. You know how it goes, honey.’

  ‘Networking my arse! I’ve seen the photos, Vince. Don’t lie to me.’

  Her voice had dropped from indignant to dangerously low in just a few sentences, and she felt the little nerve in her cheek twitch.

  She waited for him to explain, but the line was completely silent. Penny blew out a furious breath.

  ‘You said it would never happen again, Vince.’ She looked out the kitchen window, her eye caught by a blue wren teasing the lamb, while her mind replayed the memory of an anonymous brunette slipping out of their apartment one rainy St Kilda evening. Brunettes, blonds, redheads. He’s nothing if not versatile, she fumed.

  ‘I can explain, Pen. It’s not what it looks like.’

  ‘Then leave Sydney right now, so we can fix this.’ Penny took a shaky breath, unsure whether to issue the ultimatum weighing on her mind. She thought of the future they had mapped out together, the years she had invested into the relationship, the trust they would need to rebuild to get over this hurdle. The thought of entering the dating scene again made her dizzy. Jade’s Tinder tales were only funny because they happened at arm’s length. She squared her shoulders and spoke quietly.

  ‘Or send back your apartment keys and get all your things freighted to New South Wales.’

  Vince’s reaction was immediate, as she had hoped it would be. ‘Babe, I fucked up. I’ve been missing you so much, I just needed some company. If you hadn’t got sick, none of this would have happened.’

  ‘Don’t you dare turn this on me.’

  ‘Give me one last chance. Please. You know we’re the perfect couple. I can’t come home right now—I’ve got a major pitch at the end of next week, and the apartment isn’t available until then, anyway.’ His confidence was gone and his voice had gained a pleading quality. ‘This presentation is my final chance to show the Sydney team what I’m made of. Think of our long-term future, babe. Melbourne’s hottest corporate couple, remember? Smashing the corporate ceiling together.’

  The wind had picked up outside and rose petals were fluttering past the window. Penny watched them fall softly to the ground, like the pieces of her fractured relationship.

  ‘We could stay in Jade’s spare room for the week?’

  ‘True, but …’ Vince hesitated.

  More rose petals floated past. She felt an axis shifting. The compass points keeping their relationship on target had altered, and true north was nowhere to be found. Penny took a shaky breath.

  ‘Penny, you know I love you. It’s only another few weeks until I come home. I’ll make it up to you then, I promise.’

  The ring she’d found buried beneath his socks and cufflinks wedged itself firmly between her sense of self-preservation and her carefully composed five-year plan.

  ‘You can’t throw it all away now, babe. We’ll get past this, you’ll see.’

  Penny cradled her head in her hands and tried to believe Vince’s words.

  Twenty-six

  Penny knew she was still a week away from returning to Melbourne, but she ripped open her suitcase anyway. She stalked around the room, throwing loose clothes into her suitcase; anything was better than dwelling on Vince. A text message came through on her phone and she glared at the illuminated device. After barely a handful of texts in the last seven weeks, the messages were suddenly coming in thick and fast. But instead of Vince’s name, Jade’s appeared on the screen.

  God, Pen, hope you’ve got some answers by now. Bloody bastard. Will track down voodoo doll for the harlot. Have arranged boxing classes as promised, new term kicks off June. Will Ross River fever come back if you thrash your guts out though? Keep me posted. Find me a cowboy yet? Last night was another fizzer. xxx J

  Penny sank down onto the bed, mentally composing a reply that didn’t sound like she was sulking. What a crap week. First Lara losing her shit, now Vince humiliating her. She was too mad to cry, and tonight’s yoga class was the only thing standing between her and the stash of red wine downstairs. She took a deep breath and typed a reply.

  Get your butt ready, Jade, I’m in the mood for boxing. Will check with Dr about virus returning. xx Pen

  Penny rolled up her yoga mat and made a beeline for the door. The class had been tougher than usual, but at least her shoulders had lowered a little, instead of hovering at the base of her ear lobes. Arriving a few minutes late had been a smart plan, and if she could just slip out the door before everyone else, she’d avoid the inevitable questions. Olive glanced in her direction, a mixture of pity and apology crossing her lined face, but Penny busied herself stuffing the yoga mat back into its bag. She wasn’t ready for a group discussion on the Vince issue. Diana’s, Angie’s and Jade’s interrogations had been bad enough.

  The sun had almost finished setting, cutting the sky above Bridgefield into swathes of apricot, gold and grey. The kookaburra that lived above the town hall called out to her as she rushed along the footpath.

  She tossed her mat into the back of the ute and fished the keys from the footwell. She wrenched the wheel, preparing to swing the ute around, when a lilac head hurried into her rear-view mirror, lifting an arm in Penny’s direction.

  ‘Penny, wait up a sec, will you?’ Pearl’s purple legging-clad legs moved pretty fast for an old lady, thought Penny, a smile beginning as she noticed how the pants perfectly matched Pearl’s hair.

  ‘Tim’s taken Eddie to Ballarat for a doctor’s appointment, and I don’t have the stomach for another ten minutes in Olive’s car. Those air fresheners are worse than a funeral bouquet.’

  Penny nodded. So that’s why he hasn’t been at the farmhouse today.

  ‘Hop in.’ Penny reached over and wrenched open the passenger door.

  Pearl shimmied onto the bench seat. ‘Beautiful night, isn’t it? You’d hardly know winter’s on its way.’

  ‘Sure is. Least I’ll be back in the city before the frosts really set in,’ said Penny, heading through the residential part of town. The small houses slowly spread out and Pearl pointed her towards the blue gum plantations beyond the Bridgefield town limits. Penny waited for the older woman to ask about Vince or use the drive as an excuse to get the inside scoop on the Facebook scandal. But she sat quietly in the seat, a content smile on her face as she watched the last rays of sunshine paint the fresh shoots of grass in the paddocks a rich, Kelly green. An intersection approached. Penny looked at Pearl for direction.

  ‘Left here, love. Then turn right when you get to the mailbox with a set of cow horns. That was Eddie’s touch, you see. He gets a kick out of them every time he visits. And Tim’s a whiz at rigging that sort of thing up. I thought the blue baling twine gave them a rustic touch, but they kept blowing down in those rotten sou’westerlies. He’s mounted them on blocks of wood now—they’ll outlive me.’

  The sight of two cow horns fixed to the sides of a forty-four-gallon drum came into view. She’d never pictured Tim as the type of man to craft ridiculous postboxes just to make his grandmother and brother smile.

  ‘He’s a good man, our Tim,’ Pearl said lightly as they drew to a stop in front of her cottage.

  Penny thought for a minute before nodding a farewell. For some reason the words remained stuck in her throat.

  Twenty-seven

  ‘I’ve got to get my life back on track, Diana. There’s no use sitting around here. Not now that I’m better,’ said Penny, scooping Leo onto her lap and tickling his chubby feet. Diana’s house had that same warm feeling as their mother’s kitchen. Important discussions took place around a sink of dishes or a bowl full of cake batter.

  ‘I could be in Melbourne, finding out where all my major projects stand, liaisi
ng with Georgie. Getting these brows waxed back into shape, freshening up the highlights in my hair. Start working off my baking at the gym.’

  Leo giggled as Penny waggled her eyebrows. Diana paused, then adjusted the angle of the carving knife and sliced off a slightly smaller piece of cake for Penny.

  ‘I can barely believe you’re letting Vince off the hook that easy. And you almost sound excited about working yourself back into an early grave.’

  Diana sat the plates on the table alongside a fruit platter. She turned and let out a loud ‘Coooo-eee’. A moment later, Cameron, Evie, Harry and Elliot came racing in from the playroom and clamoured around Diana’s square dining table.

  Penny rolled her eyes as she strapped Leo into a highchair. ‘Don’t you start. I’ve got enough to worry about without feeling guilty for leaving. We all knew this was temporary.’

  ‘What are you feeling guilty about, Aunty Pen?’ The red berry stains around Evie’s mouth undermined her serious expression.

  ‘Maybe she’s done something bad?’ Cameron’s hand hovered over the fruit platter, his face twinkling at the possibility of an adult getting into trouble.

  ‘She’s feeling guilty because she’s running back to the city a little bit early instead of following doctors’ orders,’ answered Diana, opening the discussion up to the younger members of the room.

  ‘No! Don’t go, Aunty Pen!’ said Evie.

  ‘We’ll miss you again. Stay here with us, just a little longer,’ said Cameron. ‘Puh-leasssssse.’

  ‘No, no,’ offered the twins in unison, unsure what they were protesting against, but keen to join the movement.

  Penny turned to Diana, who shrugged innocently and took a bite of cake as she waited for the furore to die down.

  ‘I’m sorry, guys, but I have to go back.’

  ‘Dr Sinclair will get grumpy with you,’ warned Cameron, cake crumbs flying from his solemn mouth. ‘And we’ll miss you. You do even better baking than Mummy, Aunty Lara and Aunty Angie.’