Head for the Hills, page 25
“It’s tops,” Tom said. “Wish I could stay longer but I’m heading to Western Australia in the new year.”
Amber nodded. In her short working history Fred’s pub was the best she’d had it. Fred worked them hard but he was fair.
“I’ll be sorry to lose you, Tom. You know where we are if you’re ever back this way,” Fred said and took a long draught from his can. “I’m glad you’re both happy here for now though. I’ve got a good team together.”
“Hey, slacker, Chef wants you.” The voice of the second chef bellowed from the door.
“Mostly.” Fred blew out a breath then muttered into his can. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“Ivan’s bark’s worse than his bite,” Tom said and gathered their empty plates. “Thanks for the beer.”
The second chef was an a-hole. The few words they’d exchanged had been gruff and brief but Amber kept her thoughts to herself. Her back was aching and she lifted one butt cheek and then the other before settling again on the rough surface of the crate.
“You’re sure you’re okay to do a second shift tonight?” Fred asked. “I don’t want to be accused of running my staff into the ground.”
“Just good to be off my feet for a while. I’ll be ready to get back to it soon.”
“Right, that’s my break over.” Fred drained the last of his can and tossed it into a crate, the hollow clank harsh in the quiet outside the pub. “You make sure you’re the first to leave tonight, young lady, once things quieten down.”
“I’m good.” Amber straightened so her shirt didn’t cling so firmly around her belly. She didn’t want any special favours.
Fred reached the door then turned back. “I forgot, there was a fella here the other day asking after you. Didn’t tell me his name though.”
The risotto in Amber’s stomach set like a rock while her legs went wobbly, like jelly. She was glad she was sitting.
“When was that?” She tried to keep the worry from her voice.
“Tuesday.” Fred frowned. “No, Wednesday. I reckon it was about four ’cause we had a lull and I sent the other two out for a break. You started later that day. You just missed him.”
“What’d he look like?”
“Big bloke. Tall like me but not as wide around the girth.” Fred chuckled and patted his rounded belly. “Dark hair, tats up both arms, bit of a scar here.” Fred scratched a finger at the side of his mouth.
Amber struggled to keep the lump of risotto from rising up her throat.
“What’d he want?”
“I don’t know but I didn’t get a good vibe from him so I said I’d never heard of you.” He fixed her with a sharp look. “Hope that was the right thing to do.”
Amber shrugged noncommittally. “I don’t know many people around here.”
“I’ve never seen him before. He wasn’t a local.”
“Maybe I served him in the bar one night.”
“You let me know if anyone hassles you. I won’t have my staff being bothered by blow-ins.”
“Thanks, Fred.” Amber pulled a smile. It felt good to have someone look out for her.
Once he’d gone her fear returned. Tyson had said he’d look after her too and that had ended badly. She couldn’t rely on anyone to take care of her but herself. The worry was the guy Fred had described had sounded like Tyson. He’d almost tracked her down.
She took out her phone and texted Immi, asking her if she knew where Tyson was. She didn’t have to wait long for the reply. Immi was at the pub where he worked and she sent a photo. It was taken from a distance but it was definitely Tyson behind the bar. So he was four-and-a-half hours away in the south-east of South Australia, but from Fred’s description she was sure he’d been in the bar of this pub only an hour before she’d started work the previous Wednesday.
She thought of Deb and Cory. They must have mentioned seeing her but that’d been kilometres away in Mount Barker. How had Tyson tracked her to the pub in Jesserton?
twenty-eight
Amber relaxed, arms and legs outstretched, head back with her ears just below the water, staring up at the cloudless blue sky through the clear roof of the pool shelter. The water was warm enough not to shock and the sensation of floating weightlessly the best thing for her body.
The lead-up to Christmas had been crazy at the pub. There’d been big groups in every night for dinners and parties as well as the usual crowds enjoying the good weather and celebrations of the Christmas season. Amber dropped into bed each night so tired she barely got her head to the pillow before she was asleep and then she woke each morning feeling as if she’d been run over by a truck. The bribe she used to get herself out of bed by midmorning was a swim. Roslyn had said she could use the pool whenever she liked and she’d taken her up on it, swimming nearly every day since.
A movement beside the pool caught her eye. She moved her head slightly. Roslyn peered at her, a worried look on her face. Amber pushed her feet down and her head up and shook the water from her ears.
“I said hello but you didn’t hear me,” Roslyn said.
“It’s peaceful…just floating.”
Roslyn waved a hand towards the small table setting beside the pool. “I brought out some iced lemonade if you’d like some.”
“Thanks.”
“I could see you from the kitchen window. You’d been floating for a while.”
Amber glanced towards the house. She hadn’t thought about Roslyn being able to spy on her. She dried herself with her towel and noticed the wrinkled skin on her hands. She’d lost track of how long she’d been in the water. “Did you think I was dead?”
“Don’t joke.”
A small wriggle of something in her belly that wasn’t the baby made Amber pause. It was a sensation she’d rarely felt, so it took her a moment to recognise the lift that came when someone actually cared if she lived or died. She chased the warmth of it away with a sip of the icy lemonade. Her stay here was short term. She couldn’t allow herself to get too settled or to think Roslyn cared for her any more than she had when she’d been a stranger in the doctors’ car park.
“Has Kayla called in?” Roslyn asked.
“Yeah, yesterday morning.”
“I must have been out.”
Amber shrugged. She’d liked Kayla but it was all a set-up. She’d talked about a place called the Hills Community Hub where she volunteered and the support they could offer. Amber was sure Roslyn was looking for a way to get rid of her and she’d sent Kayla with her suggestions for meeting other mums-to-be, relaxation sessions, cooking classes – all very well but none of it put a roof over her head.
“I wondered if you’d like to have Christmas with us.”
The lemonade Amber had just sipped fizzed back up her nose. She lurched forward, spluttering.
Roslyn gave her some tentative pats on the back then withdrew. “It’s not that terrible a suggestion, surely.”
Amber cleared the burn from her throat with another quick sip of lemonade.
“No…sorry…thanks. Not what I expected.”
“It’s only three more sleeps, you know,” Roslyn said with a sparkle in her eye. The previous week when Amber had had her first swim Roslyn had given her a small Christmas tree for the cottage. There had been a sparkle in Roslyn’s eye then too. She said everyone needed a little Christmas in their life. The tree was fibre optic and when Amber had plugged it in she’d been mesmerised by its constantly changing colours.
“We have lunch at Margot’s,” Roslyn went on. “You already know Kayla and Nick. They have two boys and then Margot’s daughter Emily and her—”
“Thanks, Roslyn, but I’ll be at the pub.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought you’d be working. I suppose they are open for Christmas these days.”
“Tom, the English backpacker, doesn’t have family here. I don’t think the second chef has any. He never talks about them. A few of the other staff have family interstate. Chef offered to work ’cause they’re doing meals so Fred’s putting on an early ‘pub family’ lunch.”
“That’s good of Fred.”
“He’s a much better boss than my last one, that’s for sure.”
“It’s going to be warm on Christmas Day so we’ll probably spend the afternoon here by the pool and eat the lunch leftovers for a late dinner. You’re welcome to join us when you get back.”
“Thanks.” Amber forced her lips up in a smile. “Don’t think your sister will want me here though.”
Roslyn huffed out a breath. “I honestly don’t know what’s got into Margot lately. She’s one of the kindest people I know and usually as soft as butter.”
“That’s not how I’d describe her.”
“By the time you get back from the pub she’ll have mellowed. She’ll be half asleep from the exhaustion of organising all the food and fanfare she does for Christmas lunch and too much wine. She probably won’t even notice you’re here.”
This time Amber didn’t have to force the smile. They both sat staring into the pool. Amber couldn’t get Margot out of her head nor the things she’d said to Roslyn the day they’d argued over the baby blanket.
“I’m sorry you got caught up in our little spat the other day,” Roslyn said. Obviously she was thinking about it too.
“I thought if I just stayed quiet in the bathroom there’d be a break or she’d leave but…she said some terrible things to you.”
“All of which she regrets now, I’m sure. She’ll apologise eventually.” Roslyn shifted in her chair, stretched one leg out and settled again.
“You still having trouble with your hip?”
“It’s not so bad now. I’ve seen a specialist.” Roslyn stared down at her legs and the silence stretched out a moment longer. “Evidently I have rheumatoid arthritis.”
Amber screwed up her nose. “Sounds nasty.”
“It can be. The doctor seems to think it can be managed with the treatment regime she’s given me.”
“Must be weird being a doctor and having to go to the doctor.”
“I have to admit doctors can be the worst at looking after their own health.”
“Some aren’t good with patients either. That guy in the car park the other week wasn’t very…what’s that word…em…empe…”
“Empathetic? I’m sure Dr Wu’s a fine doctor. He wouldn’t have had a lot of experience yet but he was worried about you. I’ve never practised as a GP. It’s a very different role to specialising in anaesthetics.”
“You knocked people out?”
Roslyn smiled. “I sure did. Most patients don’t remember me because I did my job well, caring for them through their operation and managing their pain afterwards. That was something I got very involved in beyond my surgical work. Pain management is a very interesting field and…” Roslyn’s smile turned into a frown. “I haven’t practised for a few years now.” She put down her glass and brushed the front of her shirt with her hands.
“Is that why you only had one child?”
Roslyn stared down at something in the direction of her feet, as if the answer to Amber’s question would come from there.
“Sorry, I’m being nosy. Tyson…my ex used to say I asked too many questions.”
“There were many reasons that we only had one child. My work life was much more demanding than my husband’s. He worked at the university, a professor, and could do some of his work at home. He took some leave while Jerome was small. But Richard was also ten years older than me. By the time we thought of the possibility of a second child I was turning forty and back then the risks were more of a focus than the successes.” Once more Roslyn stared down then she let out a short laugh. “Richard was turning fifty and wasn’t so keen on going back to nappies and sleepless nights. Margot’s children were right next door and only a little older than Jerome so almost like siblings.” She paused to take a mouthful of lemonade and this time she gazed off across the yard. “Margot also stayed at home with her children so she would have Jerome over but Richard often had all three at our place too, so it wasn’t as one-sided as she described.”
“She gets upset easily, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, but not usually so angry with it.”
“So what did Richard die of?”
Roslyn studied the glass in her hand. The silence stretched out and Amber chewed her lip, wishing she hadn’t asked.
“You are nosy, aren’t you?” Roslyn put the glass on the table with a purposeful thud. “Richard had cancer. Diagnosed too late, my fault according to my sister, and he went downhill very quickly.”
“Sorry.” Amber wasn’t sure if she was sorry because she’d asked the question or sorry for Roslyn’s loss.
“This Tyson you mentioned…your ex?”
The warmth drained from Amber’s body as if the sun had gone behind a cloud. “Did I?”
“You said he accused you of being nosy.”
Amber stared at Roslyn and shrugged.
Roslyn shifted awkwardly in her seat. “I guess it’s me who’s being nosy now, but is he the father of your baby?”
“Why does it matter?”
“Well, I…I don’t suppose it does…”
“Biologically, yes.” Amber’s hand went to her belly. “He didn’t want it though. It was a mistake. I’d been taking the pill but…we’d had a few big nights out, I…well, I wasn’t well for a few days, forgot to take it and…” She shrugged. “Tyson’s not a fan of condoms.”
“I see. So when you discovered you were pregnant you did consider all your options?”
“I was all lined up to have an abortion.” Amber whispered the words as if it would somehow protect her baby from discovering she’d almost got rid of it. “I changed my mind.”
“There’s always adoption.”
Amber pressed her hand tighter. “If I just had somewhere to live I could manage on my own. I’ve got a job, I’m putting money aside.”
“But once the baby comes…you’ve got no family you can call on?”
Amber snorted. “My mum and brother are useless. They’ve probably forgotten I even exist.”
“Someone else who could help you?”
“A few friends but they’re either back in Penola or in worse situations than me.”
Roslyn shook her head. “It can be a huge job raising a child.”
Amber stiffened. “Yeah, well, you hand-balled it, didn’t you?” she snapped. Margot had been right about one thing. Roslyn was pretty high and mighty. “I’ll be looking after my baby.”
Roslyn stood and picked up the glasses. “I’d best get going, things to do.”
Amber stood too, aware she’d ruined something but not sure what.
“Yeah,” she stammered. “I’d… I’d better get ready. Takes me a bit longer to walk to the pub.”
Roslyn turned back, her serious mask in place. “Is there something wrong with your car?”
“No.” Amber shook her head. “I decided walking was better for me.”
“In this heat? And what about late at night, walking home in the dark?”
“I don’t believe in the bogeyman any more.” Which wasn’t entirely true. The smallest chance that Tyson might find her lurked in the back of her mind. Since Fred had told her he’d been at the pub she’d been leaving her car out of sight at the cottage as much as she could.
Roslyn’s eyebrows raised. “I was thinking more of the poor condition of the path, the lack of lighting and how tired you must be at the end of your shift.”
“It’s fine.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with your car? I could give you a lift if—”
“The car’s good, really. I might take it today since it’s getting so hot.” There was a spot down from the pub she’d earmarked to park in back when she’d still been sleeping in her car. It was tucked away, not easily seen from the road.
“All right.” Roslyn nodded brusquely. “Well…I…don’t forget the invitation for Christmas Day if I don’t see you before.”
“Thanks,” Amber mumbled but she was talking to Roslyn’s back as she walked away.
Roslyn put the glasses in the sink. She couldn’t help flicking a glance at the pool, but it was empty. A few wet sploshes on the pavers were the only sign anyone had been in it.
The conversation she’d had with Amber had been so easy in places and downright awkward in others but she’d done her best. It just confirmed her feelings of being out of her depth when dealing with the more personal details of people’s lives, so different to her own. She didn’t know what to talk about. In Amber’s case Roslyn had tried to answer her questions honestly in the hope the girl might share more about herself. She’d been passionate about her baby, dismissed the idea of help from family or friends and that was it. Roslyn felt as if she knew little more about her than when she’d first taken up the offer of the cottage.
She drifted from the kitchen to the sitting room. There would be no video call from Japan today. They would do that on Christmas morning, opening gifts that had been sent and received several weeks earlier. Her only plans for the day were to continue to work on her ideas for Gunter’s legacy.
She paused to look at the ducks flying across her wall. Gunter had hung them on his kitchen wall in a line from largest to smallest but Roslyn had opted for a triangular cluster. Their beaks were wide open and their wings askew as if they’d just lifted startled from the water. Something about them amused her. Gunter had rightly assumed they’d be a humorous memory of him. She was glad he’d thought to leave them for her, although she’d have preferred his lovely cuckoo clock but evidently his oldest son had been bequeathed that.
She stared at the open beak of the lead duck. “If only you could tell me what’s best,” she murmured then spun at a tap on the glass behind her.
Dennis had his head in the door. “Talking to the furniture, Roslyn.” He grinned.
“They don’t answer back,” she retorted then noticed his smile slipped away as he stepped inside. She supposed he was here to have a go at her over helping Nick. She’d been expecting it ever since Margot had found out and blown her stack.
“Was that your tenant I just saw drive out?”
