Magpie's Bend Page 8

  She strode through the store, straightening shelves as she went. ‘I thought they’d never leave,’ she said to Toby, who was wiping sticky fingerprints off every glass surface.

  ‘At least that family would have the manpower to run the store. The younger ones seemed like a handful, but the teens looked old enough to be competent behind the counter,’ said Toby.

  Lara stared at him skeptically. ‘You always a glass-half-full type of guy? They’ll have a full-time job making sure those kids don’t tear the place apart. I thought Diana’s boys were spirited, but those girls took it to another level,’ she said.

  ‘Not afraid of making themselves heard, that’s for sure,’ Toby agreed.

  The back door burst open and Leo, Harry and Elliot raced through the storeroom, followed closely by Diana.

  ‘It’s as if I conjured the devil,’ Lara said under her breath. She heard Toby laugh, then yawn.

  ‘Hey guys. Just grabbing the paper and post,’ said Diana, looking between the two of them.

  ‘Whoa. Rough day?’

  ‘You betcha,’ said Lara. ‘You should see the crackpots keen to buy this place. I never knew there was so much wrong with our general store until today.’ Lara rubbed her eyes as another yawn escaped her lips.

  ‘I look forward to hearing all about it tomorrow,’ said Diana, tucking her mail under her arm. ‘See you at ours, nine sharp.’

  Lara groaned. ‘Oh God, is it really meat packing this weekend? My mind’s like a sieve.’

  Diana shook her head. ‘Nope, those steers have got a few good meals left in them yet. Tomorrow’s the twins’ birthday party.’

  Lara looked at Diana’s middle sons, wincing guiltily. She was so caught up in her own world, she’d completely forgotten.

  Harry and Elliot sidled up to her, their faces angelic. ‘Mum said you might do the party games if we asked nicely,’ said Harry, leaning into her side, fluttering lashes longer than hers.

  ‘Can you be my partner for the three-legged race?’ said Elliot shyly.

  Lara glanced at her older sister. ‘Last year was a one-off because you had the flu. I’m sure you’ll be fine coordinating the games.’

  Leo wrapped his arms around her leg. ‘But you’re the bestest, Aunty Lara. Mum doesn’t join in the sack race like you.’

  Eddie emerged from the kitchen, clapping his hands with delight. ‘Sack race!’

  ‘Yeah, you’re much more fun, Aunty Lara,’ Harry chimed in. ‘Mum only lets us have the boring hard-boiled eggs that bounce when you drop the spoon. Evie said you always did the most awesome parties.’

  Lara felt a rush of happiness. In every other part of her life, she was the serious one. The prickly one. The McIntyre who wasn’t born with the natural charm, green thumb and easy-going manner of her sisters. But in her nephews’ opinion, her enthusiasm for organising Evie’s annual birthday parties, and one stint as their party-game host had elevated her to hero status. She would never admit it, but she enjoyed it as much as the kids.

  Lara tousled the twins’ curly mops, then put her hands in her pockets. ‘I suppose I can clear my busy schedule.’

  The boys’ yahoos and cheers followed them all the way out the back door as Diana fished change from her purse. Her sister had the patience of a saint for managing a household of boys, and as much as she loved her nephews dearly, Lara knew all the noise and regular trips to the hospital emergency department would have done her head in.

  Eddie wrapped Toby in a big bear hug.

  ‘Three-legged race, Toby? Three-legged race?’

  ‘Where are my manners?’ Diana exclaimed. ‘You’re welcome to come too, Toby.’

  Eddie released Toby, still jiggling with excitement.

  Toby held his hands up. ‘I don’t want to intrude. It sounds like you’ve already got a houseful.’

  Diana waved breezily. ‘The more the merrier.’

  Lara groaned internally. All afternoon with Toby Paxton and now he’s going to be there tomorrow too? Gah! She knew her sisters would have their cupid’s bows locked, loaded and ready to fire.

  ‘You can help Lara with the games while I take care of the food and hand out bandaids.’

  ‘Bandaids?’

  Lara almost laughed as mild alarm crossed Toby’s face. He took a dramatic step backwards.

  ‘You’ll see,’ said Lara. Despite the stress of the day, and the parade of buyers, each more ridiculous than the next, Toby’s shocked expression put a tiny smile on Lara’s lips as she said goodbye and locked up.

  She meandered down Main Street. Gentle conversations from the pub’s beer garden floated on the warm breeze along with the distant rumble of cattle trucks bypassing the small town, to the backdrop of birds singing in the tall gum trees.

  Lara wasn’t sure which was worse: the idea of an outside investor buying the general store and modernising it beyond recognition, or the shop closing its doors for good.

  Eight

  Toby carried the wonkily wrapped presents to the car, along with his camera and the mud-map Diana had drawn him. Holly called as he drove, her news and recap of the school week and weekend better than a shot of caffeine.

  ‘As soon as I’ve finished band practice, I’m heading to Lake Wendouree, see if I can snag a few action shots at the regatta,’ she said. ‘Any cool photos on the horizon for you today, Dad?’

  Toby glanced at the camera kit on the passenger seat. ‘Tennis and cricket shots this arvo, but I’m heading to a kids’ birthday party first.’

  Holly laughed. ‘Wow. Totally random.’

  ‘Yeah, one of the local families invited me along,’ he said. Diana’s invitation had been unexpected but he had jumped at the chance to learn more about the McIntyre family.

  ‘What present did you get the kid?’

  Toby slowed the car as a weatherboard mailbox loomed into view. A bunch of balloons were tied to its pitched tin roof, and a property name was affixed to the fence, ‘Darling Downs’. When he turned into the driveway, he saw the letterbox was a miniature version of the house.

  ‘Kids,’ Toby corrected, pulling in next to various utes, four-wheel drives and the dinged-up Subaru he’d seen Lara driving. ‘Twins. It was a last-minute invite, so the best I could manage were two boxes of chocolates and a Disney DVD from the general store.’

  ‘They’ll be so inundated with Lego sets and fidget spinners they probably won’t even notice,’ Holly said.

  He whistled as walked towards the yard. The property was as pretty as the name suggested.

  ‘Geez, Hol, this place is like something out of Gardening Australia. Flowers everywhere, in every colour. Your granny would be in seventh heaven.’

  He signed off and strode into the party, slipping his gifts onto a decorated table. As Holly predicted, it was almost bowing under the weight of presents. He spotted Lara by one of the large sheds, ducking and looking over her shoulder. After greeting Diana and meeting her husband, Pete, Toby received high fives from their three younger boys and a handshake from their teenage son Cameron.

  Toby wandered towards Lara, who was now bent over a beautifully manicured daisy bush.

  He cleared his throat. ‘Lost something?’

  Lara straightened up and his reservations about intruding dissipated. He took in her striped linen shirt, fitted jeans and loose hair, and the smile that transformed her face. Was it the party entertainer role or the weekend casual look that suited her most? Both, he decided, returning her smile.

  She passed him a handful of wrapped chocolates.

  ‘Treasure hunt,’ she explained, tossing two Freddo frogs into a flowerpot.

  Toby could only imagine what state the plants would be in afterwards.

  ‘And then it’s your time to shine as the fun coordinator?’ he said, remembering how she’d brightened at the twins’ request last night.

  ‘Something like that.’ She nodded modestly, though he could tell she was pleased. He followed her around the garden and helped stash the chocolates as she ran hi
m through the games schedule. As unexpected as the invitation had been, he was glad he’d come.

  Lara wrangled the hyped-up ten-year-olds like a pro, and by the time the last prize had been awarded and the candles were blown out on the double-decker Minecraft cake, Toby felt exhausted. Holly’s birthday parties had always been held at venues with quiet activities such as cupcake decorating and plaster painting. There was no way his ex-wife would have survived a party like this, yet Lara looked born for it.

  ‘You can see she loathes getting dragged into these things, can’t you,’ said Diana with a wink as Lara lined up the boisterous boys in height order for a piñata.

  ‘Hates it with a passion,’ he laughed.

  ‘Kids like her no-nonsense approach,’ said Diana, assessing him with interest. ‘You know what? You should come to our family meat-packing day in a few weeks. It’d be perfect for your farming feature.’

  Toby glanced across the yard to Lara, wondering if she would mind him tagging along to another of her family events.

  Diana followed his gaze, sensing his hesitation. ‘An extra set of hands is always good.’

  What’s to think about? Say yes. ‘Sounds great, I’d love to,’ he said eventually.

  The next half-hour was a whirl as children scoffed fairy bread, honey crackles and cake and fizzed around on a sugar high before they were collected. Lara was nowhere to be seen when Toby made his exit, so he thanked Diana and Pete for their hospitality, farewelled the rest of the McIntyres and headed to tennis. He found himself whistling as he went.

  ‘You what!?’

  ‘I invited Toby to the meat-packing day,’ Diana repeated, tossing her long honey-coloured hair over her shoulder.

  Lara fished a party-popper out of a bowl of popcorn. She tossed a half-eaten quiche then a sausage roll into the chook bucket Diana held, before shooting daggers at her older sister. ‘First you invite him to the birthday party, now meat-packing day?’

  Penny was avoiding her eye, intent on tipping cordial dregs onto the lawn.

  Diana waved a hand, casually. ‘He was low on news for next month’s farming feature, so I mentioned it,’ she said.

  ‘I know what you two are doing,’ said Lara, jabbing a finger in Penny’s direction.

  A kookaburra laughed in the distance, no doubt finding the situation as amusing as her two sisters.

  ‘What?’ said Diana, the picture of innocence. ‘I’m giving readers what they love. Paddock-to-plate’s a feel-good story.’

  Pete wandered over and plucked a sausage roll from the container in Diana’s arms. He didn’t seem to notice the pieces of grass stuck to them, and before anyone could tell him they’d been picked up off the lawn, he’d demolished it and reached for another.

  ‘This birthday spread’s high on the feel-good factor,’ said Pete, kissing Diana’s cheek.

  Diana stifled a laugh. Penny covered her snort-laugh with a cough.

  ‘And nutritious too,’ said Lara, finding it hard to stay mad when her sisters were in stitches. ‘Instead of meddling in my love life, you lot should put your heads together to save the shop. I can barely fathom the chaos if any of those buyers take it on.’

  ‘Does it really matter? As long as they sell the papers, sort the mail and give our kids holiday work, then why not let it be somebody else’s problem?’ asked Pete. He mopped up the dregs of the homemade tomato sauce with his third sausage roll and patted his belly. ‘They’d need to keep the daily pie special, of course; can’t lose that tradition.’

  ‘That’s the problem,’ said Lara. ‘Not one of those buyers showed an ounce of interest in the current business model. One wanted to open and shut early, another wanted to whitewash the bluestone walls, and the others were adamant they could manage without any employees except their horrible children. And then there’s Dallas Ruggles, but I doubt the banks would loan to him again.’

  Tim and Angus wandered over from the shearing shed with Angie and Rob.

  ‘The shop buyers?’ Tim asked. ‘Reckon they’ll keep the all-abilities program going? Eddie loves helping out, he even made us a pie for dinner last week.’

  Lara looked across at Diana’s orchard, where Eddie was combing the ground for missed chocolates.

  ‘Greg asked me not to mention the all-abilities program,’ she said, gently. ‘Toby tried to pitch it to one of the buyers when the agent was distracted, but it went down like a lead balloon. Sorry.’

  Lara felt Angus’s gaze on her. He rubbed his chin, making the bristles rasp.

  ‘Sounds like you’ve got two options, love,’ he said.

  Lara guessed what he was going to say. ‘Put up or shut up, right?’

  A gentle wind picked up, and a weeping mulberry tree, identical to the tree at McIntyre Park that their mother had planted, waved in the breeze, as if Annabel were adding her support.

  Lara looked around at her family. All eyes were on her.

  ‘I’ve been thinking we could pool together to try to buy the shop,’ Lara said. ‘Cast the hat around the district, that type of thing.’

  ‘You didn’t even want to volunteer—now you want to buy the place?’ said Pete.

  ‘Better than the other options,’ said Lara, crossing her arms.

  ‘Like a community fundraiser? You need to sell a lot of cakes or raffle tickets to buy a shop,’ Rob added dubiously.

  ‘If Lara thinks it’ll work, then we’ll make it work,’ Angie said.

  Penny murmured her agreement.

  Diana set the party-food leftovers back on the table. ‘Where do we start?’

  Lara tugged on the town hall’s heavy doors and threw up the double-sash windows until fresh air breezed into the stale room. She made her way to the hall kitchen. A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II stared at her from above the sink as she filled the urn with rainwater. Someone had Blu-Tacked a moustache to the glass. Poor Queen Lizzie. It kept her smiling as she ferried milk, tea bags and coffee from the car.

  ‘Biscuit delivery,’ called a familiar voice. Penny came in, juggling Tupperware containers brimming with biscuits.

  ‘Anzacs and yo-yos in here. Diana’s bringing jelly slice and lamingtons,’ Penny said, pressing a kiss onto Lara’s cheek. ‘I almost brought wine too, to soften everyone up.’ Penny placed the biscuits beside the mugs and saucers.

  ‘I could do with a stiff drink right about now.’ Public speaking wasn’t Lara’s favourite pastime, but the thought of letting the general store fall into the wrong hands was even worse. ‘Hopefully we’ll get bums on all those seats,’ she added, straightening the rows of chairs she’d set out. They’d been busy the past few days, messaging everyone they could think of. Toby’s offer to write an article in the paper had been welcome, too.

  Angus and Diana breezed through the door.

  ‘If nothing else, it’ll be a nice supper,’ said Angus, sneaking a biscuit.

  Lara’s nerves grew as the room filled and she overheard snatches of conversation.

  ‘A city investor’s offered three hundred grand.’

  ‘Codswallop, that old building’s worth twice as much.’

  ‘Heritage-listed bluestone, they don’t make ’em like that anymore.’

  ‘I heard it’s being turned into a diner.’

  ‘Who wants to work thirteen hours a day?’

  Lara made her way to the stage. Toby waved to her from the front row and she paused by his chair.

  ‘You don’t mess around, do you?’ he said. ‘I had no idea you were planning to try to buy the store. When did all this come about?’

  She shook her head, still not sure if it was a good idea or not. ‘Somewhere between those ghastly buyers on Friday and the game of pass-the-parcel,’ she admitted. ‘I’m not sure what the reaction will be tonight, but the thought of those buyers …’

  She trailed off, wondering why she was explaining herself to him, a reporter of all people.

  ‘I think it’s a great idea, shows a lot of community spirit,’ he said. ‘Unless something astronomical
happens, I’ll run this article as another front-pager.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she said, impressed with his enthusiasm. ‘Even Mrs Beggs was pleased with our plan, and we’ll soon find out what the rest of Bridgefield has to say.’

  ‘Good luck,’ he said. ‘I’ll grab a few quotes, snap a few crowd shots. Ideally I’d take a picture of you, seeing as you’re the main organiser, but that didn’t go down so well last time …’ He trailed off.

  Lara shrugged a shoulder. ‘As long as I know about it, it’s okay. Go easy on the close-ups if you want people to actually buy the next edition. The more locals who pitch in, the more chance we’ve got of saving the store.’

  She took the steps to the stage two at a time, nerves tickling her belly.

  ‘A bit of shush, please.’

  The crowd continued chattering until Lara put two fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp, piercing whistle. The room fell silent. She took a deep breath and remembered why she was there. The general store had been the hub of the community for 145 years. Without a shop, there was no financial incentive for Evie to return home in the holidays, nowhere locally for Eddie and his friends to gain experience, important skills and a sense of purpose, nowhere for the craft group to sell their products, no easy access to mail, newspapers and local news. Lara pushed aside her nerves. You have to make this work, she told herself. You have to.

  Toby lifted his Nikon, peered through the viewfinder and rattled off a dozen photos of Lara on stage.

  ‘It’s just an idea at this point, folks, and I’d welcome alternative suggestions, but I propose we acquire the general store for the community. One way to do this is for people to purchase shares in the shop. Each share costs five thousand dollars, and you can buy as many shares as you want. We’ll fundraise to make up the shortfall, and if we’re still not close enough, we could apply for a mortgage,’ Lara said, her clear voice echoing through the hall.

  Toby watched as her passion for the town came through in her address to the hundred or so locals. Just as she’d managed Mrs Beggs’ medical dilemma in a cool, calm manner, she responded to questions confidently. He could imagine her in the theatre ward, or a triage station, addressing emergencies in an assured manner. Even the doubters didn’t seem to unsettle her.