Wildflower Ridge Page 5

  Angie’s laughter filled the bedroom and Penny allowed herself another smile. A knack for finding humour in every situation was one of the things she loved most about her little sister. For the past half hour, Angie had entertained Penny with tales about her beauty salon customers. Women Penny had known at high school, and even a few men, were among Angie’s customers at the bustling country salon, and she had laughed until her stomach ached at the stories from the waxing table.

  ‘It feels like old times,’ said Penny, pulling the blankets up around her chest.

  Angie nodded, leaning back against the iron frame of her old bed. ‘The only difference is the decade and a half that passed between now and then,’ said Angie, helping herself to another slice of mud cake.

  That and the utterly different direction our lives have gone since leaving high school, thought Penny. While she had rushed to the city straight after graduation, Angie had taken a local traineeship in the neighbouring town of Eden Creek, waxing, massaging and spray-tanning her way through the local population until she had enough clients to open her own salon.

  ‘Obviously I’d fire any of my girls if they talked about clients after hours, but you looked like you needed a good laugh, Penny. Between your crazy work and my salon, we never get to catch up anymore. We’ll try to make up for it in these next few months, okay?’

  Penny nodded, pushing aside her untouched plate of cake. The glistening chocolate ganache looked like it held more than her weekly intake of calories, and she wasn’t interested in returning to the city with hips like her little sister’s.

  ‘Weeks, not months, Angie. You’re right though, it’s always go, go, go. I would have averaged seventy-five hours a week in the office this month. And all for nothing,’ Penny said with a sharp shake of her head.

  ‘Plus all those hours you spend at that fancy gym of yours, and those fun runs. I stand by my decision to avoid exercise at all costs. Never know when an infected mozzie is going to swoop down and bite you on the bum.’ Angie laughed, covering her mouth to stop crumbs flying across the bedroom. ‘But the good news is, you get to hang out here with us and take exercise classes with the senior citizens. That reminds me, have you caught up with Lara yet?’

  Penny rolled her eyes at the mischief dancing across Angie’s face. Although Angie and Diana had always tolerated and excused Lara’s abrasive manner, there was a tension between the two middle sisters that had not eased with time. If there was an argument to be had at family gatherings, it was almost always between Penny and Lara.

  ‘Not yet, but Dad said she was dropping around this afternoon. Any topics to avoid this month? Is she still on the sugar-free bandwagon?’

  Angie groaned and nodded vigorously.

  ‘Holier than thou. She’s even worse than you. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your untouched slice of cake, Pen. But on the subject of conversation killers, best not to ask about Sam.’

  Penny thought back to her arrival, several days ago. She hadn’t seen anything amiss between Lara and Sam when she arrived at the farmhouse.

  ‘Really? She didn’t mention anything on the phone last month. Mind you, she was pretty busy reprimanding me for sending Evie “a ridiculously expensive knit jumper that will be a pain in the arse to wash” instead of making it to her tenth birthday party,’ said Penny, putting on a severe voice. Conversations with Lara were usually like that. Penny’s attempts at generosity and a genuine interest in her niece were met with suspicion and rebukes. She looked up with a wry grin, expecting to see Angie’s amusement. Instead, her sister’s face was sombre.

  ‘Give her a break, Pen. Things aren’t exactly rosy in her household.’

  ‘Don’t tell me they’re on the rocks again?’

  Angie nodded. ‘Yep. I babysat Evie last weekend, when Sam was away and Lara was working a late shift. Poor girl said she missed her dad, but the house was quieter without all the yelling.’

  Penny smiled sadly. Even though she often disagreed with Lara, she didn’t want her going through another messy breakup and make-up. The last time she and Sam had separated, Lara had sunk into a deep depression. And young Evie had been stuck in the thick of things. I’ll cut Lara a bit more slack instead of rising to her every barb. Muster up a little more patience. Surely it won’t be too hard to manage?

  Ten

  ‘So I’m on the train, right, sitting in our usual seat up the front, just swiping through Tinder when a match comes up. And you won’t believe who it was, Pen. Are you ready for this?’

  Penny adjusted her perch on the bedroom windowsill, nodding into the phone as she listened to another one of Jade’s tales from the battleground of singledom. Jade’s quest to find Mr Right kept them both amused on their daily commute, over the pounding of the treadmill and the thrumming of the rowing machine. From the sound of traffic in the background and Jade’s breathless voice, she knew her friend was late to work. Again.

  Penny leaned closer to the window as her friend’s voice cut in and out, waiting for the static to clear. The blue-tinted mountain ranges out her window were majestic, but they sure played havoc with the phone reception.

  ‘Let me guess, it was the nudist guy from Richmond. No, no, it was the married guy who forgot to mention his wife.’

  ‘Which one? They all seem to forget about their wives on Tinder. No, it was the seventeen-year-old again, the one that keeps popping up. I think he’s stalking me.’ Jade laughed down the phone line, her breathing laboured as if she were taking the steps from the train station two at a time.

  Penny had a sneaking suspicion Jade was taking advantage of her absence. Their fitness would both be back to square one at this rate.

  ‘What’s with all the huffing and puffing? Don’t tell me you’re already slacking off at the gym?’

  ‘You get a holiday, I get a holiday. It’s a win-win situation, Pen. Without you cracking the whip, I’m coasting through the workouts and I bet you’re resting a little easier without emails buzzing 24/7? I’ve got a little project for you though. Keep an eye out for a hunky farm boy while you’re down there. We’re not all lucky enough to have a Vince waiting in the wings.’

  Penny smiled. Jade had orchestrated Penny and Vince’s first kiss at the staff Christmas party, ordering the band to play a slow song and shoving them onto the dance floor together, and had been a loyal card-carrying member of team Penny and Vince ever since. She was the only one who knew about the engagement ring, but one of many who agreed the couple were a perfect match. Both were at the peak of their careers in the marketing industry, with a shared charisma and drive, and a confidence that only came from being highly successful in their chosen field. Jade’s right, I’m lucky to have found Vince. Even if he is momentarily ditching me for Sydney.

  A rap rang out from the wooden door. Penny’s cheeks burned bright red as she minimised the Facebook search page, dozens of unfamiliar Tim Pattersons flicking off her screen in an instant. She closed the laptop, sat it on her bedside table, and pulled the sheets up over her leggings as the door swung open.

  ‘Knock, knock.’ Lara’s voice boomed into the room. ‘Thought I’d smuggle you in something for lunch. Looks like you haven’t eaten in weeks.’ Evie followed behind her mother, waving a blue flask and mug in her hands.

  ‘And we’ve brought you honey and ginger tea,’ Evie chimed in, her gentle voice compensating for Lara’s brisk tone.

  Penny reached for the tray of muffins, a bolt of pain rocketing through her shoulder. She slid back against the cast-iron bedhead with the feeling of uselessness prickling like a clover burr inside her sock.

  ‘Careful, Evie. Don’t spill it everywhere,’ Lara chided, putting the tray down on the dressing table and turning to her daughter with a frown. The grey nurse’s uniform and tight ponytail did little to soften her look.

  Penny felt older herself as she noticed the threads of silver creeping into her sister’s otherwise russet hair, the lines that gathered around her mouth and eyes, just like Diana’s. ‘Thanks, they look g
reat. And I haven’t tried ginger tea before, so that’ll be a treat,’ Penny said.

  Evie lit up under her praise. Even her sandy ponytail was bouncing, Penny noticed, wishing she could tap into her niece’s energy source.

  Lara stared out the gabled window, her head turned towards the sheep yards. Angus and Tim had been working there for the last few days, their utes coming and going against the backdrop of dry paddocks and mountain ranges.

  ‘How are you feeling, Aunty Pen?’

  ‘Better than last week. Everything still aches, though, and with everyone’s cooking, I’ll be as big as a whale by the time I leave,’ she said.

  Evie grinned back at her, then perched on the side of the bed, her fingers tapping a tune on Penny’s laptop cover.

  ‘You could do with a bit of meat on your bones. How long are you staying?’ asked Lara, leaning against the window frame, her arms crossed in front of her.

  ‘The apartment is sublet for ten weeks. All going well, I’ll be back home as soon as it’s free. It’s going to be tough. Vince and I have only ever spent three weeks apart.’

  Lara’s expression twisted in amusement.

  ‘Your Vince sounds like a real catch. Clears out the second you need him and then tries to make a bit of cash from renting out your place.’ Lara laughed dryly, studying Penny’s face for a reaction.

  Penny’s temper flared. Lara didn’t know the first thing about her and Vince’s relationship, had no concept of their standing in the city’s corporate and social circles. And from what Angie had explained, it didn’t sound like Sam was about to win any Husband of the Year awards. She opened her mouth to reply when Evie interjected, seamlessly deflecting the argument.

  ‘I like your computer, Aunty Pen. Does it have games?’ she asked, drawing it onto her lap and flicking up the screen.

  Penny reached out as Evie’s nimble fingers flew across the trackpad but wasn’t quick enough to stop her search for Tim Patterson spreading across the page.

  Lara strode across the room before Penny could push the screen shut.

  ‘Why are you searching for Tim on Facebook? He’s just over there.’ Evie pointed in the direction of the sheep yards, puzzled. She reluctantly conceded the laptop to her mother, who sat it back down on the table and watched Penny with interest.

  ‘Thought you were supposed to tune out of social media? Wasn’t that the doc’s advice?’ Lara said.

  She turned to her daughter, poking Evie’s shoulder with a stern finger.

  ‘And even if Aunty Penny is face-stalking every man and his dog, it doesn’t mean you can help yourself to other people’s computers.’

  ‘Sorry, Aunty Pen.’ Evie’s hangdog expression deepened.

  Penny laughed in spite of herself. ‘That’s okay, Evie. And I hate to say it, but your mum’s right. I’m supposed to be having a “sabbatical”,’ she said, using the air quotation marks she knew irritated Lara. ‘It’s not easy breaking old habits though.’

  She watched her niece’s expression morph from despondent to inspired.

  ‘I could change your Facebook password. Then you can’t use it anymore,’ Evie offered, grabbing at the opportunity for redemption.

  ‘But then how can Aunty Pen snoop around without having to go to the effort of talking to people? You’re worse than the gossips at the post office,’ said Lara.

  Penny passed the computer back to Evie, clenching her jaw. Only twenty minutes into their first catch-up, and Lara’s negativity was wearing thin. She tried to rein herself in, remember that Lara was having a tough time at home, but her voice came out louder than anticipated.

  ‘It’s called research. And I’ll have you know that Vince and I are just dandy. We’ve got a big holiday coming up in a few months.’

  ‘I’ll bet you do. Tough life for some,’ said Lara, her nostrils flaring. She had never let Penny forget her suggestion that the whole family should go on an overseas holiday together, not long after moving to the city. The group holiday idea had never gained traction, largely due to Lara’s stout refusal, and Penny hadn’t raised the subject again.

  Penny sank down against her pillow, catching a glimpse of Evie backing towards the door. Her gangly arms hugged her chest and she slipped a lock of hair into her mouth. Penny reached out and rested a hand on Lara’s pale arm. Lara flinched.

  ‘I don’t want to argue, Lara,’ Penny said, searching her sister’s face for a trace of softness, and finding only sharp angles and disapproval. ‘I didn’t even want to come back home, but I had no choice. Least we can do is be civil, and before you know it, we can go our separate ways again.’

  Lara gathered up the tray. ‘I’ll bring food around, seeing Dad hasn’t got all day to spend baking—just don’t expect me to feel sorry for you. Way I see it, you’ve brought this on yourself.’

  Penny retracted her hand and turned to her niece, forcing a smile for Evie’s benefit, as the ten-year-old shrank further into herself.

  ‘It’s okay, Evie. Your mum and I were just having a discussion. A difference of opinion, that’s all. Thanks for the tea. Come visit me again soon,’ she said, beckoning her niece closer. She ruffled the young girl’s hair gently.

  Evie lifted her chin, pulling the end of her ponytail out of her mouth. Penny watched her glance back and forth between them. Her voice was small when she spoke.

  ‘Are you going to Hawaii again for your holiday? Or Japan? I’ve put all your pretty postcards in a special box, so I remember where to go when I’m old like you, Aunty Pen.’

  A smile tipped Penny’s grim expression upside down.

  ‘Just New Zealand this time. I’ll send you another postcard, all right?’

  Evie leaned in for a goodbye hug. Lara laughed bitterly, shaking her head as she left the room.

  ‘Just New Zealand? You’ll want a darn good job, Evie. Or a rich fella. Despite what some people think, money doesn’t grow on trees around here.’

  Penny’s chest pounded as she looked out the window, the friction in the room draining away as she heard Lara’s feet stomping down the stairs.

  Hands still shaking, Penny forced herself out of bed. She reached for the doorhandle, ready to shut the door on Lara’s disdain and cocoon herself in the bedroom. But a movement in the hallway made her pause, and she peered out to see Angus’s faded shirt at the top of the stairs.

  ‘Dad. I didn’t know you were there,’ she said softly, wondering how much of their conversation he had heard.

  He turned slowly, keeping his hand on the rounded knob at the top of the bannister. Worry lined his face.

  ‘Lara … you’ve got to admit, she’s pricklier than an echidna,’ said Penny, shaking her head.

  ‘Not nice to see you two bickering like children the second you get home though. She’s just trying to help, love. We all are. Especially after Diana filled us in on the doctor’s appointment.’

  Penny closed her eyes and shook her head silently. Of course Diana would keep everyone updated.

  ‘I couldn’t bear to lose you too, Pen, not after your mum went so early. And I hate that you feel so ripped off about being at home.’

  He had heard that bit. Penny searched his face, reading the disappointment and concern in the set of his jaw.

  ‘I’m sorry, Dad. I’ll look into the classes Dr Sinclair mentioned. And I’ll make more of an effort to enjoy my time here, I promise.’

  Eleven

  Tim held open the crimson-red door, running his thumb across a paint drip. He tutted.

  ‘Darn paint job is up the creek, Nanna. You should sack the bloke who did this,’ he said, as his grandmother stepped up and over her worn doorstep.

  Her lilac hair jiggled as if it had a life of its own, the freshly set perm and new lavender tint smelling like the hairdressing salon he had just collected her from. She beamed at him, and he smiled back as he spotted a smear of coral lipstick on her teeth. He lowered the groceries onto the floral hall runner, reached up and tapped his own teeth to signal the familiar problem. />
  ‘Lipstick, Nanna,’ he said, averting his eyes as she pulled her top dentures out and rubbed them on her skirt, before replacing them.

  ‘Looks like we’re both a little sloppy with our workmanship. I couldn’t possibly complain about your painting, Tim. Adds character,’ she said with a wink.

  Warmth filled him as he followed her into the kitchen, where he’d enjoyed a lifetime of hot meals and love from the woman who had all but raised him. He unpacked the groceries into the worn timber cabinets, as Nanna Pearl bustled about making tea. Years of practice made the silent routine seamless and companionable.

  Tim’s mind wandered to McIntyre Park as he stacked tins, bags and boxes into his grandmother’s pantry. Ever since Angus had given him the leading farmhand job, he’d dedicated more brain space to stock rotation and weather than ever before, soaking up Angus’s tutelage like a sponge so that when his finances were sorted, he’d have both the money and the knowledge to make his own farm a success. But in the last few weeks, his mind had drifted towards McIntyre Park for an entirely different reason. A five-foot-nine, redheaded reason, to be exact.

  ‘Cuppa’s up, darling. Now sit and tell me all about your day. I was so carried away telling you about mine that I didn’t even ask you yet. I’m turning into a self-absorbed thing in my old age, aren’t I?’ she said, carrying over two steaming cups of tea.

  Tim shut the pantry door, his low chuckle filling the small room. For a lady who had spent all morning teaching Eddie’s disability group how to bowl, then several hours volunteering at the post office and then another hour at the mercy of her relentlessly chatty hairdresser, Nanna Pearl was anything but self-absorbed.

  ‘Well, it wasn’t as interesting as your day, that’s for sure. More sheep work today, just going through stock. They’re looking pretty good for this time of year. Last month’s rain helped. I’m heading around to see Sam tonight. Not sure what he’s got going on, but he’s like a bear with a sore head.’

  Nanna Pearl watched him over her teacup.