Gathering Storms by McGinnis Kerry

Author:McGinnis, Kerry [McGinnis, Kerry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Rural Life
ISBN: 9781761046919
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Published: 2022-06-14T14:00:00+00:00

Smiling gently, he said, ‘It’s okay, Penny. I told you, I’m a very patient man. Be seeing you,’ and with that he left, jumping lightly down the steps and striding off.

Meadow came by later, just before school let out. She was riding and slid off the tall bay at the front gate to tie him to the fence. Seeing her hesitating there, I stepped out onto the verandah to greet her. It was the first time we’d met since her rescue.

‘Meadow, how are you? Is that . . .’ What had she called him? ‘Joey? His leg’s better then? And your cuts are all healed up.’

‘Hello, Miss Carter. Yes, thank you, I’m fine. And, no, Joe-boy’s still a little lame. This is Baron. Can I come in?’

‘Well, of course. How are you? No ill effects from the accident?’

‘No, really, I’m fine.’ She twisted her hands awkwardly together. ‘I never thanked you – you and Mr Flint for saving me. I thought I was going to die so many times. I could hear that tree I was holding on to creaking, you know? Like it was going to break. You were so brave, both of you, to put a boat into that water.’

‘Well, your dad was there too, and at least Flint and I can both swim. Have a seat, Meadow. Would you like a cold drink?’

‘No, it’s okay, thanks. My mum sent me.’ She flushed in that vivid way I remembered from my own teens every time my words had come out wrongly. ‘I mean, of course I wanted to come – to thank you. She didn’t send me for that reason. But she wants me to ask if you could come to tea tomorrow afternoon? If it’s not inconvenient, of course,’ she added hastily.

‘I’d love to. Is there a particular time?’

‘About two? I’ll have finished school by then. We start early,’ she explained. ‘Mum’s very organised and it’s good, you know, because then I have lots of free time. It helps when we’re travelling.’

‘Mmm. Do you enjoy that, the travelling?’

‘It’s all right, I suppose,’ she said slowly. ‘I like seeing new places and that. But it would be nice to have a real home.’ Her gaze went to the open door and the hallway that led through to the back, where there was a glimpse of washing on the clothesline strung between two of the shadehouses. ‘Like yours,’ she said wistfully. ‘And friends. I make new friends like your niece and Roseanne from the shop, for a month or so, but then we move on and I never see them again.’

‘That would be a drawback,’ I agreed. ‘But Lisa isn’t my niece, you know. She’s Angus’s granddaughter.’

‘Oh,’ Meadow said blankly. ‘She told me her mother had died and she lived with her aunt.’

‘Did she? Well, I suppose it’s close enough. You sure you won’t have that drink?’

‘Thank you, but I’d best be going.’ She flipped back the dark mass of her hair and smiled at me. ‘It’s been nice talking to you, but Baron hates to be tied up for long.

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