Page 81 of Wings Above the Mallee

‘That one’s on you,’ Charlee said, scrambling to her feet. ‘I was ready an hour ago.’

‘Yeah, but you also pinched my favourite shirt, which is why it’s taken me so long to find something.’

‘Looks amazing, Lynnie,’ Sean said half an hour later as the pub owner delivered plates mounded with golden fried seafood. ‘But it’ll be even better if you take a wee minute to sit with us.’

Lynn chuckled. ‘Get off with you. You no more need me here than you need a blowfly at a barbie.’

‘Pull up a chair, just for five minutes,’ Sean insisted, and Amelia realised that he was looking beyond Lynn. She followed his line of sight to a bald man sitting at the bar, watching them intently.

‘Just for a moment then, loveys,’ Lynn said, sliding onto the chair alongside Charlee. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask how your lambs are getting on, Amelia?’

She’d been expecting the question for weeks, but being forewarned didn’t stop the unpleasant swoop of her stomach. ‘They’re weaned now, so I’ll move them out of your back garden soon,’ she promised.

‘Out? What on earth for?’

‘Well … because they’re sheep. In town.’

Lynn laughed. ‘No, they’re your pets, in Settlers Bridge. That house didn’t have much of a back garden anyway, and as long as they’re not bothering Tracey next door, they certainly aren’t bothering me. If it means keeping you, I’m all for having the sheep there.’

Sean had been right; she’d worried for nothing. ‘Thanks, Lynn.’

‘No problem, lovey,’ Lynn said, then broke off with a giggle as Sean draped an arm around the back of her chair and gave her an affectionate squeeze.

‘You’re a good egg, Lynnie.’

‘Goodness, all this flattery, you’ll have me looking for more things to set right, Sean.’

Amelia noticed the bald man at the bar had half-stood, keeping his stool by hooking the toe of his shoe through it as if he couldn’t quite commit. ‘Is there—’ she started, but Sean shook his head and winked. She had no idea what he was up to, but she trusted him, so held her tongue.

‘I think there are plenty of us willing to go to lengths to keep Amelia here,’ Heath said.

‘I don’t have any plans to leave,’ she stated carefully. ‘In fact, I’m going to start looking for some property.’

‘You’ll want to speak to Elaine down at the real estate office, then,’ Lynn said. ‘Though I did hear that the Jaensches are looking to sell a small parcel of land, just a couple of hundred acres, so they can consolidate closer to their farm.’

‘Dave Jaensch?’ Amelia asked.

‘No, Pete. Indigo’s dad. She was in here earlier, grabbing a takeaway. Her mum does some kind of Greek feast every so often, but she buys the seafood ready cooked. I know Daniel over at the Settlers has been angling for an invite from Indi for years. Though I’m not sure it’s the food he’s after.’

‘It’s a pretty cool name,’ Charlee said. ‘Indigo, I mean. Shame some of us couldn’t have had something half-decent like that.’ She rolled her eyes at Heath.

Amelia flinched. No doubt Heath and Sophie would have agonised over what to name their baby. It had taken her and Tim months to settle on Noah’s name. ‘Hey, give your dad a break,’ she murmured, but copped one of Charlee’s withering scowls. The girl could definitely be mercurial, today more so than usual. But that was okay; she was healing. Amelia suspected that even without her mother’s death, Charlee would have been hard work.

‘I was meaning to ask, Heath,’ Amelia said as she passed the crust of her garlic bread to Charlee, ‘are you free to cometo Keith any time soonish? I need to collect Gavin.’ She’d meant to say his ashes, but couldn’t bring herself to.

‘You’re going flying again? Together?’ Charlee demanded.

Amelia blinked at the vehemence in the girl’s tone. ‘Yeah. I mean, if your dad wants to.’

Charlee pushed the bread away. ‘Why do you have to go together? In fact, why do you have to go at all?’

‘I have to go because I promised Gavin I’d spread his ashes from the plane,’ Amelia said carefully.

‘That’s just stupid,’ Charlee snarled. ‘He’s already dead—’

‘Charlee!’ Sean exclaimed.

‘But you’re risking your lives for him.’

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