Page 72 of Wings Above the Mallee

Charlee dropped the boot and clapped both hands to her face. ‘Oh my God, you’re serious, aren’t you? We’re actually doing this?’

‘Why not?’ The decision and commitment made, Amelia felt suddenly light. ‘Life is for living, right? Let’s get in there.’

Charlee deflated. ‘We can’t be equal partners. I don’t have any money and I don’t know how much Dad will put in. I’ve … I’ve blown a lot of his dough over the last couple of years.’ She tapped her forearm, where the track marks were gradually fading.

‘It’s not about the money, Charlee. A partnership is about committing to turning up and putting in. I’ve got the money, but I needyou.’ Amelia took a deep breath. She’d promised herself to always be straight with the younger woman, to lead by example. And that started with facing her own demons. ‘It won’t be easy for me to deal with young children. So sometimes I might have to step back. I’m relying on you to catch me, Charlee. And in return, when you feel that you’re battling or you’re slipping, you have to be straight with me, okay? There’s no judgement—I’ll have your back, no matter what. But if we’re in this as partners, there are no secrets.’

Much as she liked Charlee, Amelia wasn’t sure how laying down the law so blatantly would go. On more than one occasion, she’d witnessed Charlee arc up, headstrong and rebellious. But Amelia was willing to take the risk.

‘I want—’ Charlee started, then stopped, frowning at the ground while she chewed on her lower lip. ‘I want to make you a whole bunch of promises, Amelia. I want to say I’mgoing to do everything right, that I’ll never let you down. And right this minute, I could confidently promise you that I’ll never use again. Except, that’d be a lie, you know? Addiction doesn’t work like that. It’s always going to be in me, like an incurable disease. I have to fight against it every day. More than anything, I want this …’ She waved a hand, searching for the word.

‘The travelling farm?’

Charlee shook her head. ‘No. Well, yes—Fur and Feathers Farm.But I mean this, us …’ She scribed an invisible arc between them. ‘I want our partnership, our friendship, more than I’ve wanted anything for a long time. But that makes me so scared I’m going to mess up. And then I’ll lose everything.’

Amelia’s heart clenched. She could see the very real fear in the girl’s eyes, her desperation to be able to trust, her terror at what doing so could cost her—again. They were all emotions Amelia understood far too well. But she also knew that they couldn’t be permitted to rule Charlee’s life—or her own.

‘I already told you I’ll have your back, Charlee. You’re not going to lose me. I will promise you that.’ She knew she had no right to make promises, but surely there’d already been enough pain in her own life; God couldn’t have more in store for her? And Charlee needed something to cling to, she needed to know that her world wasn’t going to slide from its axis again.

‘So … you’re not planning to leave?’

‘Leave?’

‘Dad said you have itchy feet.’ Charlee gave her a grin. ‘Well, he didn’t say it to me, but I heard him talking about you to Daideó.’

Amelia fought the juvenile desire to beg for details. She wanted to absorb the information, dissect it, work out whatit could possibly mean. Why had Heath been talking about her? Did he care that she had planned to move on? But right now wasn’t the moment to give in to her own insecurities—or to chase the potential of unrecognised, unformed dreams that she didn’t care to explore.

‘No. I’m going to stay put, Charlee.’ She nodded slowly, a sense of peace and joy swelling within her until, like the petals of a daisy unfurling to offer itself to the sun, she felt herself open up, ready to embrace life. ‘I’m done running away.’

Amelia collapsed onto one of the hard wooden chairs, fanning herself with one hand. ‘Who knew this was such a workout?’ she said.

‘I know, right? Here, hydrate.’ Charlee handed her a plastic bottle. ‘I’ve never felt so unfit. All these ancient farmers are jiving around the place, and I’m just trying not to pant out loud. I’ll tell you one thing: I’m never going to take out a gym membership. This is way more fun.’ She ran the back of her arm over her forehead.

‘How’s Sean going?’ Amelia had harboured a tiny hope that Heath might turn up at the line-dancing class to practise for the fundraiser, but after a couple of sweaty hours of tangled feet, she was relieved Sean had come alone. Well, not entirely alone, as both Lynn and Tracey shadowed him, fending off the flock of women who’d immediately gone into twittering over-excitement when he’d entered the large room.

‘Flirting up a storm.’ Charlee lifted her chin to the far side of the room.

Far across the echoing vastness, Sean sat against the timber panel–clad wall beneath fly-spotted portraits of pompousmen in gilt frames. Amelia frowned. He had taken several breaks during the session, but then, he was older—although, until today, she wouldn’t have used that description. Charlee was right, though: he wasn’t alone. Each time he sat, a meticulously attractive woman made a beeline for him.

‘Do you know who that is?’ she asked Charlee, then chuckled. When had she become so invested in Settlers Bridge that she needed to know all the residents?

‘That—’ Tracey said as she took the seat alongside Amelia ‘—is Denise.’

Amelia waited a beat, disconcerted by Tracey’s snappish tone. She was unaccustomed to the older woman being anything but sweet and slightly ditzy.

‘Roni Krueger’s … mother,’ Tracey clarified, although the hesitation made it seem that she wanted to apply a different label.

‘Oh, Roni didn’t mention her mum being handy when we were discussing childcare,’ Amelia said. ‘I assumed Roni had come here from Sydney alone.’

‘She did. But Settlers Bridge was already inflicted—or should that be infected? I’m never sure—with Denise’s presence. The only blessing is that she regularly disappears on overseas sojourns. Unfortunately, just like a blowfly, she returns. Anyway, just saying, keep your money close and your men even closer. Both Sean and Heath are fine-looking men and as you can see, Denise hasn’t been back in town a week before she’s worked that out.’

Amelia was startled at her desire to want to unravel more of what seemed a mystery, but perhaps she was more shocked at the sudden surge of possessiveness that swept her.

The mischievous grin lighting Charlee’s face made the sullen teen Amelia had met only months earlier disappear. ‘Looks like you gotta get your game on.’

‘I don’t have agame,’ Amelia protested, the heat from the exercise suddenly nothing compared to the fire that rushed up her neck. She examined the pastel-painted carved plaster ceiling rose above their heads, anything but look the delighted teen in the eye.

‘Exactly!’ Charlee laughed.

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