Page 139 of Queenslander
She tried to remember what was on Nev’s calendar for the next few days.
Rainbow sat waiting in the truck. Ronnie tugged open the door, swung into the driver’s seat. Key already in the ignition. She turned the key. The engine purred.
“Where’s Nev?”
“We drove separately.” Ronnie put the truck in reverse, backed out carefully. “There’s something she has to do.” When the truck was lined up with the road she put it in park and turned to Rainbow. “Would you mind sitting in the back seat?”
Rainbow looked suspicious. “Why?”
Ronnie blinked.
Her daughter frowned, then rolled her eyes and climbed into the back.
“Thanks, baby.” She waited until the girl buckled her seatbelt, then pulled out onto the road.
Was this subconsciously what she wanted? Had she manifested this?
She turned the track on the CD player to Stevie Nicks singing “Edge of Seventeen.”
She had no idea what Nev would do. She wanted to be that type of person, someone who wasn’t afraid. Ronnie would go berserk if anyone messed with Rainbow the way people had messed with her. Nev had a thing about protecting kids. Maybe Ronnie did, too. Maybe that was called being a decent human being.
She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. By the time they turned east onto the Gillies Range road through the mountains her shirt was wet.
She should have fought Brad instead of Maude ten years ago. She had overreacted that night at Maude’s house because she had underreacted to him. Pent up energy will break free inappropriately in other situations.
No one had ever stood up for her before. No one had pressed charges against Maude or Brad. She hadn’t asked anyone to. Filing a report would have been her responsibility. She had been too embarrassed.
Her mother should have protected her. Even Reg, who would walk across broken glass for her, acted like he didn’t know Brad Collins used to rescue her from dangerous parties at night and take her to the Lake Barrine car park, down that long, dark road, kiss her gently, say he loved her, and keep the uniform on because she asked him to. Nothing to do about that now.
Nausea came in waves.Please don’t let Nev make a scene...Today could still end the normal way. Nev’s truck could roll up to Stone House and her friend could knock on her own door, hands jammed in pockets. They could go back to this awkward phase of whatever they were doing, growing older side by side but not together. Life would change now that Nev knew, but most things would stay the same.
She turned left onto Boar Pocket Road.
Her phone vibrated.
Like inside the strangler fig, the buzzing didn’t stop. Lump in her throat, she pulled over. This time it was all texts and calls from relatives and friends. She laughed.
46
HOME
Ronnie tossed the phone into the passenger seat, shifted the truck back into gear, signaled with her blinker, then merged onto the empty road. Neighbors were all home watching the rugby final. Her phone continued vibrating as calls and texts poured in.
Bloody hell, she actually did it.
She wiped her face with her shirt, amazed that someone cared.
No one had ever defended her honor before. She hadn’t had any. That invisible thing that didn’t exist.
It should have felt silly, but didn’t. Nev took it seriously; it must be serious.
Why had no one been outraged before? They must have known. Lionheart wasn’t a large town—the half-sisters played soccer together—people looked the other way to protect his career.
The past was all around her. If she stayed here on the Tablelands, where each soft green place, swimming hole and tourist attraction reminded her of childhood—for better and worse—she would always live in that magical state of perpetual youth, simultaneously all the different ages she had been,carrying those girls around inside her, a family of little Ronnies. That’s the best and worst part of staying in the small town where you grew up.
Saltwater, nature’s soap. Amazed, she cradled to her chest the lost thing Nev had found, picked up, brushed off, and returned. It felt soft and wobbly, fragile and precious.
At Stone House, she parked on the grass, cut the engine, and answered her phone. Nev’s collies tore barking across the lawn to greet Rainbow as she hopped down from the truck. Stadium noise in the background—Reg was in London at the Rugby World Cup. He shouted. “Brum! Where are you?!”
