The Saddler Boys (22 page)

‘BY
the look on someone's face I'd say we're making them uncomfortably jealous,' said Kim against Drew's ear.

‘What?' he said. Drew went to move but Kim gripped him like a vice. She was one strong woman.

‘Don't move, you idiot, and you can't look either.'

‘What are you going on about, Kimmy?'

‘Natalie. Who do you think?'

‘Natalie is jealous? Of us?'

‘Yes, you dummy. Glad you could catch up.' Kim dug her chin into his shoulder. ‘You like her and she likes you. Isn't it time you did something about it?'

Drew pulled back so he could see Kim's face. She really was a pretty girl. Her skin was flawless and tanned, her eyes lively, and she had a smile that always brightened his day. He couldn't imagine life without her. ‘What do you mean, I like her? Have you been talking to your brother?'

‘No, why? I already knew. So does Loz.'

‘Jesus, is it that obvious?' Drew clamped his hand over his forehead as if it would hide the bold letters of Nat's name stamped there.

‘Yeah, it's that obvious. I've never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her, Sadds. I know you so well. You've fallen for her, haven't you?'

Drew thought back to when Nat mentioned her theory on Kim. He studied her now and, sure enough, the way her eyes caressed his face said it all. How could he have not seen that?

This revelation only made answering her question that much harder. He simply nodded his head. Sadness flickered across her coffee-coloured eyes and Drew felt awful.

Kim stroked his face before moving her hand to his shoulder. ‘Then why aren't you telling her this?'

‘I can't go chasing another man's bride. What would that make me?'

‘It makes you a man in love. And from what I see here, she cares for you too. Maybe if you put your cards on the table, she might break off her engagement. Did you ever think of that?'

‘Or she doesn't and it ruins our friendship.'

Kim looked at the dirt and kicked at a stone. ‘Yeah, I get that. But maybe some things are worth the risk.'

‘She'll be going back to the city at the end of the year anyway. We knew at the start she wasn't the sort to stay out here long, even though she's making a good go of it. And anyway,' he added half-heartedly. ‘Life's been great so far, why complicate it?'

‘Andrew, you know what your mother would say to that.'

He smiled. Kim was right. Things would have been so much easier if he'd fallen in love with Kim instead. Didn't they say you should marry your best friend? Maybe they could work on it, see how it went. But even as he thought that, Nat's face swam before him and his heart ached. His heart wanted only her.

Drew tugged on her ponytail, like he used to when they were younger. ‘I'm sorry, Kim. I'm sorry I didn't realise.' He didn't know what else to say. This wasn't stuff they normally talked about.

‘It's not your fault, Sadds. That's life. You're still my friend. At least, I hope so?'

‘God, yeah. I can't survive without you. You know that, right?' He loved her, just differently, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He hoped this would suffice. The light of the fire danced across Kim's smiling face. She was still happy to be his friend. Thank god. He put his arm around her and directed her back to the fire, where their chairs waited.

‘Yeah, I guess you'd be a bloody wreck without me around to pick up the pieces. Who'd weld up all your broken crap?'

‘That crap you speak of is offended and so am I,' he said in jest. Everything was right again in the world. Kim was by his side and Billy was his son. And across from him sat Natalie. Gorgeous Natalie with those eyes that made his blood simmer.

‘Where are the kids?' he asked as they sat down.

‘Hopefully getting lost,' said Matty with a chuckle.

‘Guess I can tell you the good news, then. Billy's mine.'

Lauren, with her super hearing, gave out a whoop.

‘Bloody good news, Drew,' Matt said. ‘I knew he had to be. No one else could have spawned such a mini you.'

Lauren turned the sausages over quickly, then hugged Drew. ‘I knew it. She was just blowing smoke to make you back off. Take her through the courts, Drew. We'll all be behind you.'

‘Yeah, I guess I need to call Kent and see what my next move is,' he said, glancing at Nat.

Nat took a big swig from her wine glass and set those eyes on him. ‘I sent him a text with the good news. He's delighted and waiting for your call.' Nat didn't give him her usual smile as she turned back to the fire.

Soon the girls were serving up snags in bread and then they were singing happy birthday to him by the fire as Lauren produced his favourite lemon cheesecake. ‘Thanks, Lozzy,' he said, feeling as if his mum were there too.

‘Alice made it every year. I don't see why the tradition can't continue.'

‘Mum would have loved this. The dragon, the fire, all of us together – all of it,' he said.

Doris dabbed at her eye with the ratty sleeve of her jacket. ‘Aye, that she would have. And she would be making sure we didn't burn the bloody damper,' she added with a deep chuckle. ‘Miss you, Alice,' she murmured, glancing up at the stars.

It was a perfect night. The kids sat by the fire with their sticks, poking at the coals, waiting for the marshmallows. The stars were bright in the clear sky. Drew had a massive dragon at his front gate, and if that didn't scare away the thieves, nothing would. And he had his most treasured friends and family around the huge bonfire. Sometimes the simple things in life were just what the doctor ordered.

It was great to see Nat having a ball trying to roast marshmallows with the kids. The flames flickered across her face, making him love her more by the second. He tried to catch her eye but she was so focused on the children, so he ended up chatting with Kim and Matty for most of the night.

Doris started to tell some yarns of the old days, the things they did to survive on the land back when her Fred was alive. Drew had heard many of them before but every now and then Doris mentioned something new, like the time Fred had ridden his bike all through the night just to see Doris, only to find she'd fallen asleep waiting for him. Looking at Doris now, it was hard to picture a teenage version.

‘Did I tell you what happened yesterday?' she said now.

Everyone gave her a blank stare.

‘I had my chooks out for a scratch, and my dogs, they're well behaved. They leave the girls alone. Only, I had a visit from old Tom up the road. Didn't think nothin' of his dog Crackers, who'd jumped off to play with me dogs. Anyway, not long later I heard me girls cacklin' up a storm. Then Crackers goes past with one in his mouth, proud as punch, the little bugger.'

‘Was it dead?' asked Seth.

‘Well, I chased Crackers. Around the house I go and when I get around the corner I find Crackers digging a hole to bury the chook in his mouth. But right next to this hole is a pair of chicken feet sticking out of the dirt. He'd already buried one and was going back for a second! I started growling at him, thinking my girls were gone, when the feet sticking out of the ground wiggled. Bloody hell, I thought. Quick smart I plucked that chook from the dirt and there was my Betsy alive and well. A little dirty but alive and well.'

‘Crackers had buried her alive?' said Matt in awe.

Drew was starting to laugh and the kids were already rolling around on the ground, nearly skewering each other with their marshmallow sticks.

‘Yep. Didn't kill none, just liked burying 'em for later, I reckon. Warned old Tom to keep him on a chain next time.'

That was Doris. A story for every occasion.

A few wines later, Natalie stood up. ‘Well, I best head home while I'm still sober enough to drive.'

Everyone tried to convince her to stay but she shook her head. ‘It's been a fantastic night. Thank you all so much. But I'd better get home.' She hugged Lauren goodbye. ‘Hope you had a great birthday, Drew.'

Sadly she waved and walked off to her car. He was hoping for a hug but maybe the crowd was too large for that. He wanted to walk her to her car, to get that hug and maybe brush his lips against her neck, but it was too late now.

Kim leant over his shoulder, slipping another beer into his hands. ‘Don't let her get away,' she whispered.

Her words stayed with him all night.

IT
was ten minutes to lunchtime and the kids were struggling to stay focused on their maths. The younger ones had coloured counters in front of them, which Mia was using to make a pretty flower. Some of the older ones were counting on fingers and Billy and Isaac were staring at the walls as if they held the answers.

It was the last day of school before term two finished. Nat couldn't blame them for being unfocused. She was already thinking about her time in the city. Two weeks with Gary. He'd been the perfect fiancé lately – phone calls, romantic emails, gifts in the mail – which was all fine but the apprehension was building in her stomach at the thought of going home and seeing him in person.

Her phone vibrated and she glanced at it. Another message from Drew.

Are you avoiding me, Natty?

Nat closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Yes, she was avoiding him. Ever since the bonfire last week Nat had realised she needed to step back. To give him and Kim a chance to connect, which, based on their form that night, was finally happening. She couldn't have Drew all to herself, not when she was committed to someone else. And Drew was much better suited to Kim than he was to a city girl like Nat. So she was trying to let him go. At least that's what she was telling herself. It wasn't that she was jealous of them and punishing Drew by being distant.

All good, just busy with kids. See you after holidays.

She hoped that would stop any more texts. She just didn't want to deal with them any more. Which was funny, considering every time her phone buzzed she almost pounced on it, hoping it was from Drew. Like she did now.

Righto. Have a safe trip. Stay in touch.

Yeah, right, she thought after reading his reply. Gosh, she was just all over the place. Nat couldn't even make sense of her own mind. She had fifty frogs in there just jumping from one thought to another, none sitting long enough for her to get a grip on her feelings. Even the kids had picked up on her tense mood.

‘All right. Let's pack up.'

‘But I haven't finished,' Ruby said in a whiney voice. Her deep red lips pushed together as if ready to cry from the stress.

‘It's okay, Ruby. You don't have to finish it. If you want, you can take it home to complete.' Nat stood up and flattened out her knitted tunic, which went over her black leggings and boots. ‘When you're all packed up let's have a game of heads down, thumbs up.'

‘Yay!' said a chorus of voices and the packing became almost frantic.

Within moments their desks were clean and they were all sitting up like perfect soldiers. ‘Okay. Liam, Lucy and Noah, you can go first, because I saw you all working hard today and using lovely manners.'

The three kids sprang from their seats and headed to the front. While they played, Nat packed up her desk and got the afternoon artwork organised. Her phone sat silently at the end of her desk like a big hairy spider. She hated any spider bigger than her thumbnail.

The lunch bell went and the kids rushed back to their desks. Nat let them go and then followed the urgency of little bodies that went straight for their bags, pulling out sandwiches or leftover pasta from their lunchboxes. Jack seemed to inhale his egg sandwich in one go. ‘Jack, sit down to eat or you'll get indigestion.' He glanced outside. ‘Everyone else has to eat too. The footballs aren't going anywhere.'

Jack eyeballed her for a second, then sat his bum down on the bench next to Billy. Billy sat there quietly, eating his wholemeal sandwich slowly. He never played football with the boys, instead wandering around on his own or tagging between Mallory and Seth. Some days he was happy to be in the sandpit by himself, building roads and dams around pretend paddocks. Looking at him was a reminder of Drew. One she couldn't handle at the moment.

When they'd all eaten Nat headed for the staffroom, only to find Kath in there, holding some paper with tears rolling down her cheeks. Grace had her hand on Kath's shoulder, and her eyes were glassy but she was blinking fast.

Nat's heart sank. ‘Is everything okay?'

Kath started to talk, but decided after a fresh round of tears that she couldn't and waved her hand at Grace.

‘It's official. The Lake Biddy school will close at the end of the year.' Grace took some deep, steadying breaths but the tremble in her lips remained. ‘It is with great regret, yada yada yada,' Grace read from the letter over Kath's shoulder. ‘No point reading the rest of the spiel, not going to change things or make us feel any better.'

‘You're kidding me. I was so sure it would stay open. Hell, we did everything we could.' Nat felt like she'd let them all down. She stood at the open door and watched the kids in the long corridor, eating their lunches, talking excitedly. Their work hanging up on windows and walls. The colours and sounds. How sad to lose it, how bloody sad for the whole community. ‘I don't get it. How could they?'

Kath dabbed at her tears and passed over the letter. ‘They just couldn't see the worth in keeping it open while our numbers drop, even though they'll be picking up in five years. What am I going to do for work now? I love this job.' Kath reached for another tissue.

‘Does Lauren know?' Nat couldn't move from her position watching the kids. There was so much life in this little building. What would become of it? How soon until it was falling down and overrun by spiders? Just that thought made her want to cry. She'd become so attached to this place, which felt so much like home. She felt for the kids, for the parents, for the staff and for the community. It was losing part of its history, the place they'd been schooled and dreamt their kids would be too. Lauren had shown her where Drew and Matty had carved their names into one of the old gum trees in the playground when they were little boys. And above their names were their dads' names, almost unrecognisable. A legacy of sorts.

‘No, I haven't been able to get myself together to notify anyone. I figured, what's the rush? Nothing we can do about it now,' said Kath, reaching for a chocolate biscuit. Her lunch sat untouched in its container beside her.

Nat felt the urge to join her on a chocolate binge. They fell quiet, thinking their own sad thoughts. Lake Biddy just wouldn't be the same place without its school. Parents wouldn't come to town to do their shopping. They'd go into Lake Grace instead and shop when they picked their kids up. Poor Ida and Frank were really going to feel it. They scarcely scraped through as it was. Sometimes Nat just wished she could give them all some money to get them in a more comfortable spot. Her parents wouldn't miss it. Yet knowing Frank and Ida, she realised they wouldn't take handouts and were happy with their life, even the day-to-day struggles. It seemed to be what the town was built on: hard work, grit and determination. And a lot of volunteer sweat, passion and dedication to the community. How could you come to Lake Biddy and not fall in love with the place? This small community had touched her heart in so many ways.

Soon all the kids cleared out to play and Nat, Kath and Grace moved to the big windows to watch them and eat their own lunches. Ross was out on duty but Nat always tried to keep an eye out for Simone, even now.

‘You know, we should do something special. Something to celebrate the school.' Nat turned to face Kath. ‘How about a time capsule? Each student puts something in, and the staff too. And then we can bury it, as if we're burying a part of us all with the school.'

Grace clasped her hands together and Kath looked like she was about to cry again.

‘That's a wonderful idea,' said Grace. ‘A way to say goodbye.'

‘While I'm in Perth over the holidays I can find out what's available, maybe look at prices for a plaque.' Nat needed a mission to keep her focused on something positive, to keep her mind off Drew and the sad news about the school. ‘I'll go ring Lozzy and have a chat about it. She's going to be so upset.' Nat also wanted to hear her friend's voice. She couldn't turn to Drew, even though that's what she wanted most.

She was in the classroom on the phone to Lauren when the bell went and kids started coming in. ‘I have to go, Lozzy, the kids are back in. Yep, I'll call you from Perth. We'll get it sorted. I know, it sucks. Talk soon. Bye.'

Nat got up and took a moment to think about what she had to do. ‘Art. We're doing art, kids. Time to get out your paint shirts.' The kids flitted about the classroom getting organised, excited for the easy lesson. Nat used this time to gather her senses.

‘Right. Now, today you are simply going to paint whatever you would like. Maybe it's something you want to do on the holidays or something special. It's all up to you,' said Nat as she handed out A3 paper. ‘Then you'll be writing about your picture.' Emily had spent some of the lunch break putting out the paints while Nat had been chatting with Lauren.

‘Also . . .' Nat trailed off as she got to Billy's spot and found it empty. His chair was still tucked in. She glanced around the room. ‘Has anyone seen Billy?'

The kids looked around.

‘Toilet?' said Seth.

‘Can you please go and check? Thanks, Seth.' Nat wasn't worried. It was quite common for kids to have to go at the most inappropriate times. Billy was one of the worst.

She was helping Ruby decide what to paint when Seth came back. ‘I can't find him, Miss Wright. I checked the toilets and the playground.' Seth's eyebrows met and he looked so much like Matt.

‘Oh. Okay. Um, Emily?' she asked the aide who was down the back washing up some spilled paint. ‘Can you keep an eye on the class, please?'

‘No worries,' said Emily, who dried her hands and joined the kids.

Nat walked out and checked with Grace that Billy wasn't in her class. Then she checked with Kath in the office. ‘What about you, Ross? Did you see him while on duty?'

She didn't want to panic, but her heart was starting to race. Normally a kid would have popped up by now. Grace had told her about one boy a few years ago who'd got upset over an incident in the playground and had simply walked home – 5 kilometres away. Sure enough, they found him alone in the kitchen, eating cereal. They could laugh about it now but Nat was sure Billy wouldn't do that; his home was over 20 kilometres away. Unless he'd gone to her house? Maybe something scared him enough to seek another shelter?

‘I recall seeing him playing in the sandpit,' said Ross.

‘I'm going to run home and see if he's there. Can you take over my class, please, Ross? Emily is watching them at the moment.'

He stood up straight away, his face full of concern. ‘Yes, you go. Then we might have to let Drew know.'

‘I'll call Kath if I find him.' Nat rushed back into her class to get her phone and keys. Before she left she asked the class if anyone had noticed if Billy had been upset.

‘Or did anyone notice a lady by the fence, someone you've never seen before?' Nat asked, feeling like she was going to be sick. Surely not. She didn't want to believe Simone could have taken him away. And Nat was supposed to be watching out for Billy. Drew would kill her. Nat was about to drop the F-bomb when she remembered the room was full of kids.

‘I didn't,' said Seth, who was one of the oldest in the class.

All the little faces watched her, and she could tell they were picking up on her concern so she tried to smile. ‘That's okay. We'll find him. Finish your work,' she said as calmly as she could before rushing out past Ross. ‘I don't care what they do,' she mumbled before jogging up the corridor and out the door.

She checked her house, looked around for Simone's car, and even stopped at the shop to see if Ida had noticed anything or seen Billy. Nat came up totally empty. She needed to call Drew. She hurried back to the school, hoping to find he'd just been asleep in the cement tube or busy building a teepee near the bush reserve behind the school. It had to be something like that. God, she hoped so.

She caught up with Ross and Kath: still nothing.

‘Grace, can I quickly ask the senior kids something?' Nat said, popping her head in the door.

‘Yeah, sure. Kids, listen up, please. Miss Wright has a question.'

The older kids lifted their heads. ‘I just need to know if anyone saw a woman standing by the fence at lunchtime, maybe wearing a green beanie. She may have been talking to Billy. Can anyone recall someone hanging around?'

Summer, an eleven-year-old with bird earrings, shot her hand up. ‘I did, miss. She was smoking and it was wafting towards us where we were doing handstands on the lawn.'

Oh, god. Nat clutched the cupboard under the blackboard for support, her knees becoming two-minute noodles of the soggy kind.

‘She was wearing a beanie, I think,' added Summer.

Grace came over and put her hand on Nat's arm. ‘Are you okay? You look like you're about to be sick.'

‘Oh, no.' Nat's stomach was rolling, her head pounding so hard she was struggling to think.

Grace's voice seemed so distant. ‘Thanks, Summer. Guys, continue with your work. I'll just be a minute.' Grace helped her outside, away from all the prying eyes. ‘What's going on, Nat?' she demanded softly.

‘I think Billy's been taken.' Nat felt clammy and faint. The world was starting to spin. What did she do now?

The next thing she knew she was sitting on the senior's bench and Grace was shoving a glass of water under her nose. ‘Nat, please, what is going on? You've got us all worried. What do you mean Billy's been taken?'

‘Us' turned out to be Kath and Ross, hovering in her peri­pheral vision.

Nat looked at them and felt the weight of the world come crashing down on her. Tears blurred her vision. ‘I have to tell Drew.' Nat broke down and sobbed into her hands.