Tess moved towards her. ‘I’m Tess Laing and this is my nephew and niece—’
‘Tyler and Kristina, yes, I’ve heard about you folk and I’m real pleased you’ve come to settle in Bellaroo Creek. I’m Edna Fairfield. I meant to make it to your luncheon, but my knees aren’t as young as they used to be. My husband, Ted, and I own a pocket of land just back that way.’ She nodded back the way Tess and the children had come.
After shy hellos, Ty and Krissie raced off to explore. Tess sat on the grass next to the older woman and Barney settled at her feet to nap. ‘I’m afraid we’ve been trespassing on your land. I’m terribly sorry.’
‘You’re welcome to wander through our holding whenever you want, lovey.’
They sat in silence for a while. Tess finally gestured. ‘Is this a private cemetery?’
‘Lord, no, it’s the Bellaroo Creek cemetery, but folks these days prefer to scatter the ashes of their loved ones on the land. Hardly anyone comes here any more.’
‘But you do?’
‘My dear mother and father are buried just over there.’ She pointed to a nearby grave. ‘And this here—’ she touched the edge of the grave she sat beside ‘—is where we buried my darling boy, Jack. He was only a tiny tot—eighteen months—when croup took him.’
Tess read the dates on the headstone and a lump lodged in her throat. Edna had been coming here for sixty years to sit by her beloved baby son. ‘Oh, Mrs Fairfield,’ she whispered. ‘I’m so sorry for your loss.’
‘Don’t you go wasting your sympathy on me, young Tess. Ted and me, we raised three healthy children and sent them out into the world—good strong folk we’re proud of. Into every life there comes some sorrow.’ She might be old but her eyes hadn’t faded and they glanced shrewdly at Tess now. ‘I understand there’s been some recent sorrow in your lives too.’
She nodded. Into every life…She glanced at Ty and Krissie, carefully walking around the graves. ‘I’m thinking, though, that moving out here means we can start focusing on good things again.’
Please, God.
‘I don’t doubt that for a moment.’
She couldn’t help smiling at Edna’s no-nonsense country briskness.
‘But, lovey—’ Edna sighed after a moment ‘—I can’t help wondering who’ll come here and tend my Jack’s grave when Ted and I are gone.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s a silly thing to worry about, I know, but it doesn’t stop me from thinking about it.’
‘I don’t think it’s silly.’
She didn’t think it was the slightest bit silly. She went to say more but suddenly found Ty and Krissie standing in front of her. Holding hands, no less! ‘Everything okay, poppets?’
‘Can we bury Mummy here?’ Krissie asked without preamble.
Whoa!
Okay.
Um…
She glanced at Edna. ‘Is it still possible to arrange a plot here?’
‘I expect so, lovey. Lorraine Pritchard would be the person to ask. She’s the president of the Residents Committee.’
‘That’s Cam’s mum,’ Ty said to Edna. ‘He’s our friend.’
‘He lives right next door,’ Krissie added.
‘He’s a good young man,’ Edna agreed. ‘He helps Ted out every now and again. Means we can still manage to keep a few head of cattle on our land.’
He did? Tess stared at Edna. What would she and Ted do when Cam left?
Cam’s farm ute was parked out the front when they arrived back home. Tess parked beside it and tried to school her wayward heart back into its normal pace and rhythm instead of a ridiculous speeded-up staccato.
‘Can we play on the computer?’
She eyed her nephew and her heart expanded. Two months ago he’d been listless with no enthusiasm for any kind of play. Understandable given the circumstances, but now it seemed the world held a whole list of endless possibilities.
She climbed out of the car and crossed her fingers, prayed the worst was behind them now. ‘As long as you promise to let Krissie have her turn too.’
He nodded.
‘Okay, go on, then.’
He was about to race off, Krissie at his heels, when Cam came around the side of the house. ‘Hey, Cam.’ He waved.
‘Hey, kids.’
Krissie flung her arms around Cam’s middle and hugged him. Tess couldn’t prevent a squirm of envy.
‘We found the bestest cemetery,’ she announced, releasing him. ‘You wanna come play on the computer?’
He blinked. ‘Um…Maybe some other time.’ He ruffled her hair. ‘I have to chat to your aunt about some stuff.’
Krissie ran off and Cam turned to her with a frown. ‘What’s so hot about a cemetery?’
‘They want to inter their mother’s ashes there.’
He pushed the brim of his hat back to stare at her. She nodded. ‘I know. It took me off guard too. It’s all kind of serious, huh?’ She twisted her hands together. Once they interred Sarah’s remains in the Bellaroo Creek cemetery, there’d be no going back. For good or for ill, Bellaroo Creek would become their home. For good.
‘Are you okay with that?’
‘Sure.’ As long as Bellaroo Creek flourished. As long as the primary school remained open. As long…
She kicked herself into action. Standing still for too long allowed doubts to bombard her. And what was the use in those? Striding around the car, she retrieved Fluffy and the cage.
‘So what’s wrong?’
She sent him a swift glance. ‘Who says anything’s wrong?’
‘I do. Your eyes are darker than normal and you have a tiny furrow here.’ He touched a spot on her forehead, before taking the cage from her.
She folded her arms. How could this man be so attuned to her and yet be so far out of reach? She clamped her lips shut. He was out of reach. That was the pertinent fact. Everything else was just…wishful thinking.
‘Tess?’
She turned away, swallowing back a sigh, and led the way down the side of the house. ‘They want to inter their mother’s remains in Bellaroo Creek’s cemetery, but they’ve made no mention of their father.’
She plonked herself down on the garden bench and watched Cam as he placed Fluffy into her mansion of a coop. He was a joy to watch. He might be big, but he didn’t lumber about like a bear. He moved with the grace of a big cat.
She forced her gaze away, only turning back when he took a seat beside her. ‘And that’s a problem?’
She thought about it. ‘I don’t know. Potentially, I guess. We had Sarah and Bruce cremated, but I had no idea what to do with the ashes. A counsellor suggested I let the children be part of the decision-making process, but they were appalled at the thought of scattering the ashes. So…’
‘So you brought them with you.’
‘They were very insistent that their mother should come with us.’
‘But their father?’
‘Not a brass razoo.’ She shook her head. ‘And I couldn’t very well leave him behind, could I?’
‘I guess not.’ He squinted