The Sunburnt Country (21 page)

DAN
was at Gabby’s shop when he heard the news that had the whole town talking.

He’d walked down for the Monday paper and an iced coffee, the morning a perfect twenty-eight degrees. He ended up queuing behind the lady who ran the small hairdressing shop opposite the butcher’s. Her hair was jet black, flat and shiny.

‘I heard there was an accident. Who was rostered on?’ the lady asked Gabby. Dan’s ears twitched.
So this is how stuff spread through town
, he thought. He had to smile at himself for being just as eager to hear more. If it was an accident, maybe Jonelle had been called out.

‘Judy and Chris were. It was Jonny who rang the ambo, but I don’t think it was a good idea for her to go out. What if it’s something serious, like when Ken went to Rick’s accident?’

Jonny? Now his ears strained to hear every word. What would Jonny be doing calling in the accident? Was she hurt too? Instantly visions ran through his mind of Gemma in Rick’s ute with her mobile on her lap.

‘Why not?’ said the lady. If she’d waited a second longer, Dan would have beaten her to it. His fingers clenched around the paper.

‘Didn’t you hear? The accident was on the Baxter farm.’

Shit.

‘Oh my God,’ said the lady, her hand going to her mouth.

‘Who was hurt?’

‘I’m not sure.’

Dan didn’t hang around to hear more. He left his paper and drink on the counter and ran straight back to his car, his mind whirling with thoughts of Jonelle the whole time. Her words kept spinning through his mind.
I’m scared that one day it will be my family.
Her biggest fear.

As he climbed in his car another thought crossed his mind. Could it be Zac? So many thoughts – who was hurt? How badly? How would Jonelle cope? Should he be rushing off to find out? His hand paused at the ignition, unsure. Hell, one thing was for sure, he couldn’t hang about waiting to find out. Without a second thought he started the car.

His mind didn’t rest as he drove out to the farm as fast as he dared on the gravel. He’d been in such a state to get there, and with his thoughts in chaos, he overshot their driveway.

‘Shit on it!’

He turned back and made his way down their driveway, spotting the ambulance immediately.

He pulled up at the side of the shed, a sweat breaking out on his skin and the nausea rising in his stomach. He couldn’t understand his feelings, this sudden worry and need to be with this family he’d befriended. Zac had just climbed into the back of the ambulance, his focus on the person inside as the doors were shut behind him. Dan wasn’t able to see who was in there with Zac. The ambulance officer didn’t waste any time getting inside and speeding off. This was serious. At least it wasn’t Zac, he thought with some relief. Then he spotted Jonelle. She had just got into her ute, not even seeing or acknowledging him, and tore off, following the ambulance and its unknown patient.

As the siren and lights faded in the distance, Dan wasn’t sure what to do or where to go. Did he follow? At least he knew Jonelle and Zac were okay, but who was in the ambulance and how bad were they?

Dan wandered into the shed. He could see drag marks and blood splattered into the dirt. Nothing like the blood at Rick’s crash, that haunting image still flashed through his mind. From what he could tell, it looked as if the car someone had been working on had fallen off the jack. So that could only be their dad or Ted. Either scenario would have Jonelle scared out of her mind. A car falling on top of someone was drastic. Dan could only imagine what that kind of weight would do to a person. God, let them be okay.

In a daze, he got back in his car, leaving the garage but still not able to shake the sight of the blood.

Back in town, Dan drove straight up to the hospital. Maybe they’d gone to the Narrogin Hospital? Dan checked his watch. He needed to get back to work, but work seemed so unimportant at this moment.

He jogged up to the hospital’s reception and saw a lady he recognised from around town. ‘Excuse me? Can you tell me if Jonelle or Zac are here?’ He couldn’t see the ambulance, but it could be around the back.

‘No, the ambulance has taken Charlie straight on to Narrogin and that’s all I know.’

Charlie? Oh God, her dad. ‘Do you know how he is? Is it serious?’

Before he had finished, she was already shaking her head, her ponytail of straight brown hair flicking over her large shoulders. ‘No, sorry, I don’t.’

Dan wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth but he could tell he wouldn’t get any more information. Should he try ringing Jonelle?

‘Thanks anyway,’ said Dan, before jogging back to his car.

He sat there for a few seconds, then pulled out his phone. Jonelle’s number went to her answering machine. Not much else he could do. Next he rang Jean.

‘Sorry I’m not back yet. I was just trying to find Jonelle,’ he said. He didn’t want to mention the accident just in case it hadn’t reached Jean yet. But he should have known better.

‘I heard about the accident. Do you know any more?’

‘No, just that it was Charlie.’ He could hear her sharp intake of breath.

‘Oh, I must rally the girls. Poor Sandra.’ Then all of a sudden, Jean remembered something. ‘Jonny. I just saw her ute go back to her workshop. If you hurry you might still catch her,’ Jean urged.

‘Jean, you are a legend, thanks. Look, I might be a while. Can you —’

‘Take all the time you need. Let me know if you find out how Charlie is. God, I hope it’s not a heart attack.’

Dan hung up and drove straight to Jonelle’s workshop. Her ute was still out the front and Dan wondered if she was just here to collect a few things before going to the hospital.

As he got out, he wondered what he was going to say to her and whether he should even be here. His dad would have advised against it, but what did etiquette matter? These people had changed him, and nothing mattered more in this moment than his concern for Jonelle.

Inside the workshop, it was still and empty. He turned full circle. ‘Jonelle?’ His voice echoed through the shed and off the tin walls.

Then his eyes fell on her door out the back. He strode towards it. Tapping on it softly, he slowly pushed it open. ‘Jonelle? You in here?’

She didn’t reply, but she didn’t have to. He saw her sitting on the edge of her bed frozen, staring at the wall opposite.

Dan let himself in and sat carefully on the bed so as not to scare her. ‘Jonny?’ He gently brushed a strand of hair back across her shoulder, and her gaze turned towards him. The pain he saw in her eyes was bursting to break free. ‘Hey, I know you must be freaking out, but I’m sure your dad’s gonna be fine.’ He had no bloody idea if Charlie was going to make it but he needed to reassure her in this frightened fragile state, even if only for a moment.

Her eyes never left him, her face static even as the tears began to fall, trailing down her pale cheeks.

‘I thought . . . I thought the worst,’ she whispered. ‘I was so terrified.’

Her strong hold began to crumble. It pinched deep in Dan’s chest to see her so cut up. With his thumb, he wiped away a tear. ‘It’s okay. I’m sure he’s going to be fine.’ Shit, there he went again. He prayed like mad he was right.

Jonelle’s frozen face began to thaw as it scrunched up in agony. ‘It’s too soon after Rick. I couldn’t bear to lose Dad too.’ She sobbed openly.

Dan pulled her into his chest, holding her close as she spilled out all her pain.

Her arms snaked around him. Even under these sad circumstances, it was the most wonderful feeling.

‘Jonelle, can I help you get organised, or go with you to the hospital?’

‘No, there’s no rush to get to the hospital,’ she sniffed.

Dan’s heart and breathing stopped. ‘What?’ he squeaked, thinking the worst.

Jonelle glanced at him through her tears and touched his face, which ached from the tension. Then she smiled. ‘Oh, Dan. You look awful, even worse than me. No, Dad’s not . . .’ she struggled with those last words. ‘He’ll be okay.’

‘Really?’ He wasn’t sure whether or not to let himself relax. What if Jonelle was in denial?

Just then his phone rang. ‘Zac, how are you going?’

‘We’ll know more when we get to the hospital in Narrogin. I saw you at home and thought I’d better call and let you know what was going on,’ he said shakily. ‘Silly bugger. Dad was trying to fix the muffler and check the brakes when the jack went on him. Luckily he had the tyre underneath the car with him . . .’ Zac was so shaken he could hardly get the words out. Dan’s mind was reeling with the possibilities of what might have happened.

Jonelle moved off the bed and went into the bathroom. Dan lowered his voice. ‘Will he . . . ? Is he going to be okay?’

‘We hope so. The ambos said the tyre probably saved him from major damage, but he had his bloody hand resting on it when the car fell.’

Dan winced. ‘Oh, Christ. So . . . ?’

‘So he’s a few digits short on his hand. He’s so bloody lucky. They had to cart his fingers off separately.’

‘Jesus.’ Dan took a few breaths to steady himself. Jonelle was still in the bathroom, so he asked Zac how she’d been. ‘Did she seem all right?’

‘Yeah, she was awesome. Mum called Jonny as soon as she found Dad. I was out of signal range and Ted’s off carting water. I was up the front block and heard the bloody sirens. I couldn’t do anything but hold Mum as the ambos worked on him.’

‘Did you get to talk to Jonelle? I can’t imagine what went through her mind, finding him like that,’ Dan probed.

‘Um, no. It was kinda chaotic when she got Dad out. She got the car off him all by herself. She tried to stop the bleeding until they arrived and she wasn’t game to move him just in case something had been crushed. Mum was hysterical.’ Zac paused and Dan could picture the scene in his head. Jonelle would have been so strong, just like she was at Ryan’s and Rick’s accidents, but then he remembered how she was afterwards and it brought home how fragile she could be.

‘Anyway, I just rang to see if you could keep an eye on her. We’ll call again when we reach the hospital and know more.’

‘Yeah, no worries. I’ll do that. He’ll be okay, Zac.’

‘I know, they breed us Baxters tough.’ With that he hung up.

Dan sucked in a deep breath. It felt like he’d forgotten to breathe all this time and his body relished the oxygen.

His next thought was for Jonelle. ‘You okay in there, Jonelle?’

A moment later she walked out, her face and hairline damp as if she’d tried to wash away her tears and fears. But they were both still there in her glassy green eyes. Dan felt as if he knew her so well that he could tell when she was really hurting, even if she didn’t admit it to herself.
How could I know someone so well in such a short time?
he wondered.

He stood and opened his arms to her. She stepped into them without hesitating. ‘Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?’

She shook her head. ‘No, I said I’d stay here and help Ted with the farm. Monique is already gathering some clothes to run in to them this afternoon. Then I’ll go visit tomorrow. No point us all rushing to see him. I was told he lost some fingers. Mum didn’t want us all racing to the hospital when he could be going straight into surgery.’

Dan cupped her head in his hands and ran his thumbs over her silky smooth cheeks. ‘Oh, all right. Can I help you with anything? Do you need a hand on the farm?’

A silent tear escaped and trailed down her stunning face. He bent and kissed her forehead before squeezing her close again.

‘Will you lie with me?’ she mumbled into his shirt, her breath still shaky and ragged.

‘I can do that.’ Dan sank down on the bed, taking her in his arms. He lay on his back as she half draped herself over him. Her hair fell out of its loose knot and he ran his hands through it. It was impossible not to. The smell of sweet apples mingled with grease and he smiled. Jonelle truly was unique.

‘I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Jonelle,’ he whispered, before planting another long tender kiss on her head. He could feel her breathing start to settle into an even rhythm. They stayed like that for nearly ten minutes. Just lying against each other, their breathing calm and tranquil. She was warm, and her breasts were crushed against his ribs. It was starting to take some control to stop his thoughts from wandering.

Her hand moved back and forth across his chest, making him catch his breath. She paused. He exhaled. Just as he’d relaxed he felt a finger slip between the buttons on his shirt. He flinched as her finger brushed over his skin. He couldn’t stop the tiny groan of pleasure that escaped his lips, nor could he stop the smouldering heat building in his core.

Dan ran his hand down her back to her waist and paused at the top of her shorts, not game to go any further. Every inch of her was torturing his restless fingers.

He pressed his face against her hair and breathed deeply just as he felt the give of a button, and then another. She brushed aside his shirt, her hand exploring his chest slowly and deliberately while her gentle breath tickled his skin. He hardened instantly. His breathing became jagged and quick. He was too scared to move or make a sound in case it broke whatever dream this was. Should he be trying to stop her?

Lips. Her lips were on his skin, trailing moist kisses over his chest. She made her way up his neck, along his jaw and then drew back, watching him intently.

A lot of unspoken questions passed between them before she said, ‘Life’s too short, don’t you think?’ Her blonde hair cascaded around her fine features and he brushed it back with his hand. Life was too short and if he died tomorrow or left in two weeks time without sharing this with Jonelle, he knew he’d regret it. How could he deny his heart this moment?

He reached out to meet her kiss, tender and soft at first, but then he had to taste her. Rolling her over, he tore his lips away to catch his breath and to kiss the skin beneath her ear, then her neck and down to the soft mounds at the top of her black singlet. His fingers wrapped around the fabric before he gently pulled it up. Jonelle lifted her arms, letting him slide it over her head. His eyes feasted on her body before he touched her hot skin, trailing a finger along her flat lower belly up to her breasts. Her bra was silky and light and her hard nipples taunted him from beneath it. Lowering his mouth over one, he flicked his tongue, soaking the bra. She wriggled underneath him, arching her back but groaning for more.