Bella's Run (49 page)

‘Thank God,’ he said. He quickly looked back down at his daughter, cupping her fingers with his own. But not before Bella saw the tears come into his eyes. She reached up and wiped one away.

‘I’m sorry I’ve been so pig-headed,’ she whispered. ‘Wes told me that, and he was right. I’ve never given you a chance to explain. Not in Melbourne, not at Hugh’s Plain, not with Prowsy. I’ve just run a million miles in the opposite direction, assuming all kinds of things.’

Will nodded before looking up. ‘Probably . . . but I’m guilty too. I just jammed my running into months rather than years. I still love you, regardless.’

‘You’re a bit of all right too, you know.’ Bella’s voice was teasing.

‘Only
a bit
of all right?’

‘Well, maybe a
big
bit.’

‘Does that big bit have any love in it?’

‘Maybe a bit.’

‘Only a bit?’

‘Maybe a
big bit
.’

Will leaned over his daughter’s head again and stared deeply into Bella’s eyes, his gaze holding a challenge.

‘Okay. Okay. You win. I love you too, my darling man.’ She tapped him on the nose. ‘Now give me back my daughter. I’m supposed to be trying to feed her, even though my bloody milk hasn’t come in.’

‘What are we going to call her?’ said Will, passing his little girl to her mother.

Bella paused for a minute, before lifting her hand to caress the tinge of red down on top of the baby’s head.

‘I was thinking Sophie. Sophie Patricia O’Hara.’

Will smiled at his tiny daughter. ‘Perfect.’

Epilogue

Three years later

Will O’Hara drove the four-wheel drive through the farm gate that passed as a check-in for the Nunkeri Muster. After paying their dues and passing the time of day with the blokes manning the gate, the family wended their way along the track beside the creek.

To the right-hand side of the track, flash off-road camper trailers, caravans and horse-movers were scattered across the plain; mixed among these were utes with tarps attached and held up with anything from sawn-off tree limbs to electric fence posts. Swags littered the ground in all directions.

‘I wonder who had a dawn dash this morning?’ Bella’s eyes twinkled at Will.

Will grinned and Bella could see that memories of another time were on his mind.

Strapped in her seat, Sophie squealed excitedly, returning them both to the moment. ‘See horseys, Mummy . . . horseys!’

‘Yes, sweetheart. Hang on a minute and we can go have a look.’

Sophie started to chant. ‘Horseys, horseys, I see the horseys!’ Her little brother Matt tried to join in, ‘Ga, Ga, orss.’

Will looked at Bella, who had turned and was gazing at both her children with a mixture of exasperation and adoration. How could he have once thought he didn’t want this? He loved them all, so much that he thought his heart would burst. He could hardly believe he and Bella were here, back where it all started.

Finally they found a place to park the twin-cab ute. After helping the children from the car, they walked together towards the huge crowd gathered around the marquee in the distance – Bella carrying Matt, and Will toting Sophie.

They passed the remnants of a massive bonfire lying in the middle of the plain, witness to a celebration held the night before. Country music blared from the big speakers. Horses cantered past, warming up for the Stockmen’s Challenge.

They heard the distinctive sound of two whips cracking. Near the marquee a young woman stood in the middle of a circle, enthralling the audience with her whip-cracking display. Trains clacking across railway tracks, windscreen wipers, whip passes to the front and back, were all on show with breathtaking speed and style. Bella knew it took hours and hours to get that good at cracking one whip, let alone two. She was mesmerised.

Will leaned across his son’s head and whispered to Bella, ‘I dare you to!’

Startled, Bella shot him a look, amazed that he could read her so well.

But Sophie couldn’t be held any longer. In her little brown leather elastic-sided boots, cowgirl shirt and tiny Wrangler jeans, she was having no more. Pushing her legs straight and twisting to the ground, Will was forced to put her down.

‘Daddy, I want to see the horseys
now
.’ A stomp of a size-six boot followed, and then a moment or two later, a very small, ‘
Please
?’

Bella and Will each took a hand of their gorgeous little girl. Auburn hair that twisted into corkscrew ‘kissing curls’ at the first touch of damp accompanied a flawless complexion and cornflower-blue eyes; a winning, toothy white smile touched by twin dimples on each side of her mouth – at three, Sophie was already breathtaking. There were those who said she resembled the late Patty O’Hara. Others said that apart from the colour of her hair, she was a dead ringer for her mother.

And then there was one-year-old Mattie, who was already showing signs of being a little devil. As he was hoisted up to his father’s hip, little legs dangling, he was spellbound by all the action on the plain. His dark brown eyes never missed a trick.

The genes worked, guys!
Bella could still hear Patty sometimes. Every now and then, her friend’s voice rang clear and true in her head.

The loudspeakers announced it was time for the Stockman’s Challenge. The four of them wandered over to the strings of flags marking the start of the course. Will kneeled down and plonked Sophie on one knee and Mattie on the other.

‘Now, Sophie, you have to stay here, okay? On my lap, and then you’ll see all those horseys over there come thundering down straight in front of us.’

Sophie nodded seriously, her gaze immediately taken by the big horses lunging about the start area of the track to their left. Bella, standing behind them, was also watching the finest of bush riders prepare to start the race of the year. The horses lined up.

‘But, Daddy, they’re going the wrong way! Didn’t you say they were going past us? Daddy?’

At that moment the loudspeaker beside them squawked, ‘
Go!
’

The horses and their riders spun on the spot, turning about-face and into an immediate canter then gallop. They thundered down the track towards them. Sophie shrunk back into the safe folds of her father’s shirt. Mattie was oblivious to the danger, leaning as far out from his father’s arms as he could.

Momentarily distracted from the showy start of the race by Sophie’s piping voice, Bella gazed down at her family. She would have loved to be down there with Sophie, cuddling into the muscular, broad chest of that caring, wonderful man.

Will looked up at Bella and caught the end of her sigh into the damp mountain air. His pupils dilated, eyes darkened and he quietly groaned as he read her thoughts. He winked wickedly. ‘Hold that thought for later, cowgirl.’

Bella blushed, then grinned. ‘You’re on a promise.’

Then the horses were upon them.

‘
Go
, horseys!’ Sophie was in her element.

The crowd yelled with her, cheering on the riders and their horses as they raced at breakneck speed up the hill, then down across the flat, through the creek and up out of sight. Moments later they were back, down through the creek again, another run across the scrub-laden flat, up into the surrounding bush, dodging massive gum trees strewn in their path. Disappearing again around a bend. Minutes ticked by, the crowd rumbled with anticipation and then Sophie cried, ‘Daddy! Horseys again!’

The crowd went berserk. The horses thundered down the hill, slipping, sliding, riders hanging on for dear life. Scrambling to catch their feet as they hit the bottom, the horses and their riders hit the long straight for home. The moment of truth had arrived.

Who would be this year’s winner of the Stockmen’s Challenge?

As the horses flashed across the finish line, Isabella Vermaelon O’Hara knew she really didn’t care. She was just happy to be here. She watched her little daughter going crazy in her father’s arms.

‘Did you see
that
, Mummy? Can we go see the horseys?’ Sophie was twisting her way free of Will’s arms once more in her eagerness to watch her beloved horses parade past in a winner’s lap of honour.

Will took in the tears in his wife’s eyes. ‘Are you okay?’

Bella shook her head.

‘Hmm. Now why is that?’ Will queried as he put down a struggling Mattie and stood up.

Bella shook her head again.

Putting his comforting, warm arms around her, he said, ‘Come on, Hells Bells, you’re scaring me.’ He looked apprehensive.

Bella smiled at the man who breathed joy into every day of her life. He was her lover and her best mate. They had the world in front of them. A life filled with farming, laughing, loving.

‘I love you, Will. You are
so
good for me.’

‘I love you too, cowgirl, but why the tears?’

‘Just happy, I guess.’

‘You’ve got a funny way of showing it.’

Bella nodded and snuggled in close. Will could barely hear her as she spoke into his chest. ‘We wasted so many years. But we wouldn’t have been right for each other back then. Before Patty died – before Warren and Prowsy. I think we needed to take the long way so we could become the people we are now.’

Will stared off into the distance, thinking. ‘Yeah, probably.’

Bella’s voice suddenly became stronger. ‘You know what, though?’

‘What?’

‘Being back here, we’ve finally made it home.’

‘Yep, I think you’re right.’ Will lowered his head and kissed his wife with love and satisfaction.

‘You know, sometimes I hear her . . .’ Bella said sometime later. She cleared her throat. She’d never said this aloud.

‘You hear who? Sophie?’

‘No. Patty. I hear her talking in my mind.’

‘Yeah, I used to as well.’

Bella looked at Will in surprise.

‘I mean, you know realistically it’s just your imagination. Your own thoughts or conscience talking,’ explained Will, looking uncomfortable. ‘I don’t hear her anymore, but when I did, it was comforting to have her voice in my head, second-guessing my choices. She always was a bloody know-it-all.’

Bella smiled, remembering.

‘You sure you’re okay?’Will raised an eyebrow.

‘Yeah. I know it’s my imagination, but still . . .’ She trailed off, looking across the plain towards the massive mountain ranges surrounding them. Her eyes were wistful as she took in the magnificence and splendour of the place.

Imagination, my arse! Pah, what do brothers know? You’re not going to be rid of me that easy, Hells Bells!

Bella smiled to herself. She didn’t want to be rid of Patty. Ever.

She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes . . . YEE HA!

Acknowledgements

A novel is a huge undertaking, particularly the first. I’d like to thank my agent, Sheila Drummond, for her work and support. Also, Random House Australia for making this dream a reality, particularly my publisher Beverley Cousins for her enthusiasm, guidance, expertise, and for loving
Bella’s Run
as much as I do, and Claire de Medici for her incisive editorial suggestions.