Page 84 of Wings Above the Mallee

‘Nope,’ Amelia said with a small smile. ‘Like I said, Ihadput it on there. I think Dusty isn’t keen on expanding our family: she shredded the list to confetti. So we’ll have to start from scratch. While you’re in there, could you have a scrounge under the desk—Dusty’s stolen a couple of my favourite pens and stashed them somewhere.’

Although she kept her tone light, Amelia’s eyes were sombre. She tilted her head toward the back of the house, indicating that Heath should follow.

He didn’t want to. He had a sudden premonition that Amelia was going to tell him that he was right; that he was in no position to consider a new relationship. And that wasn’t what he wanted to hear from her. What he needed was a night to get his head straight, to make sure that the next time he spoke, his brain, heart and mouth were all linked. He couldn’t ignore the vast disconnect between what he wanted and what he felt heshouldwant.

As Amelia opened the back door, the sheep rushed over, bleating loudly.

‘You’d think they were still on the bottle with all that carry-on,’ he said, hoping to distract Amelia from whatever she planned to say. ‘Don’t they like the sheep nuts and lupins?’

‘They like them far too much. I found Kismet had nibbled her way into the sack of lupins and was hoovering them up. She’d have given herself tummy ache if it wasn’t for the fact that she likes to crack each of the beans separately, so it slows her down.’

‘I guess with only one row of teeth, it’d be a task,’ he said, bending down to pick up one of the small, dried legumes that had escaped the foraging animals.

‘I had to get a steel bin from the stock fodder shop to hide the food in.’ Amelia fondled Karmaa’s ears absently,her forehead creased. ‘Heath, you know that I don’t beat about the bush.’

He did, and any other time he’d admire that quality.

‘I guess that’s because I’ve spent too long outinthat bush, instead of learning how to make polite small talk.’ She gave an apologetic grin but it was forced, and her tension seemed to vibrate in the air around them. ‘So I’m going to tell you straight up: I understand how you feel about Sophie. Honestly, I do. And I’ve made promises to Charlee, so I’m not about to cut and run, regardless of what happens here. But I don’t play games. You have a journey to take, I understand that, but I’m telling you up front: I like you. And I need to know whether, eventually, there’s a possibility of something between us.’

He was stunned to silence. Whatever he’d expected, it wasn’t to have Amelia openly address his inability to commit. ‘I don’t mean … I think …’ He struggled to find the words. Hell, there was nothing for it but brutal honesty. ‘The thing is, I’m scared.’

‘Of … this?’ She waved a hand between them.

‘Of life. I know we talked about being done with guilt and embracing the grief, but …’ He huffed out a frustrated breath. ‘If I’m greedy enough to look for … joy—’ it wasn’t the word he’d reached for, but he wasn’t courageous enough to throw ‘love’ in there this time ‘—I’m inviting tragedy. Again.’

Amelia nodded as though his words, his emotions and inadequacies, made perfect sense. But she opened a hand, palm up, inviting his consideration. ‘Yet if we wait until we’re not scared, is there a risk we’ll run out of time? Haven’t we both already been robbed?’

She was right, but how could even the most intelligent of words dispel his fears? ‘I don’t—’ A raucous, urgent shriek interrupted him.

Amelia whipped around. ‘Dusty!’

The bird came in low and fast, barely clearing the back fence, a blurred missile in the darkness. It hurtled straight into Amelia’s chest, landing with a soft thud, a cloud of down and feathers erupting on impact.

‘Oh my God, Dusty!’ Amelia dropped to her knees cradling the bird, who seemed stunned. Or worse. ‘What’s happened to you?’

Blood stained Amelia’s hands. Dusty opened her beak twice, though she didn’t make a noise now. Her inner eyelids closed white over the dark eyes.

‘No!’ Amelia wailed.

Heath seized her elbow, hauling her to her feet. ‘Roni’s husband, the vet. He’ll know what to do.’ He practically dragged Amelia into the house.

‘Charlee!’ he bellowed. ‘Look after the animals. We’ve got to get to the vet.’

He snatched Amelia’s keys from the side table and hustled her out of the house. Bundled her and the stricken bird into the passenger seat of her car, snapping the seatbelt across the shocked woman.

Halfway down the street, he remembered to buckle his own belt, steering with one hand. ‘Do you have the Kruegers’ number?’

Amelia nodded and fumbled the phone from her pocket. She pressed the numbers.

‘Hello, Roni speaking.’

It was obvious Amelia was too shocked to respond. Praying the phone signal wouldn’t cut out, Heath yelled across the car: ‘Roni. It’s Heath Brennan. We have an injured bird we need to get looked at immediately. Is Matt home?’

Roni’s tone was instantly businesslike. ‘Are you in town, Heath, or at the farm?’

‘Settlers Bridge. With Amelia.’

‘Take the bird straight to the clinic, then. Matt had a late surgery, and he’s either still there or just left. I’ll call him to meet you.’ She hung up and Heath squealed the car around the corner. Thank Christ he only needed to double back a few streets to reach the clinic.

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