Bella's Run (25 page)

Bella just sat and played with the grains of the table, tracing them to and fro. She heard Will call out a goodbye to Caro and the soft murmur of their voices outside. Then came the rumble of the ute as it cranked up and slowly pulled away.

Caro walked back in and placed a hand on Bella’s shoulder.

‘Are you okay?’ Her voice was soft.

Bella reached up and patted the fine, manicured fingers. ‘Maybe.’

‘You’ll be right, sweetie. Like Maggie said, it just takes time,’ said Caro as she swung around to sit in the next chair. ‘Do you think you did the right thing, sending him away?’

‘I don’t know.’ Bella finally looked up and her friend was shocked at the pain in her eyes, by the tears pouring down her cheeks. ‘I don’t know,’ she repeated as her gaze moved to look out the kitchen window at the brick wall of the high-rise flats next door. ‘I can’t go back yet.’

And now here she was heading towards the mountains, towards her past, and it was all coming rushing back to meet her, damn it. Even though she’d driven this way plenty of times in the past eight years, they had been fleeting visits. A night here, a night there – like air kisses thrown in the direction of an acquaintance’s cheek, a brief disturbance meaning little. Her life and love had been in Melbourne.

It had never felt like this.

In the early-morning light, driving across the lush irrigated plains of Narree, it felt disturbingly like Patty was sitting beside her, watching the mountains coming closer. It was almost like, together, they were being welcomed home. And with those feelings came a tumult of emotions. Tomorrow she would drive into those hills and face the memories embedded there. And the man who’d helped shape them.

Bella could feel tendrils of nervousness start to creep around inside her body. She clamped down on any thoughts straying in Will O’Hara’s direction and concentrated on the road leading to her old home. She didn’t
need
any more complications.

The first glimmers of dawn were spiking the sky to the east. Outside the air was still and Bella could see lights popping up across the paddocks as slowly but surely more farmers made their way to milk their cows. The CD in the car had ground to a halt and the local ABC radio had taken its place. The weatherman was spruiking of a sunny and warm weekend ahead in East Gippsland. Melbourne had been surprised by some decent showers overnight. Good. She hoped Warren had been drenched.

She’d gone to the rodeo with Caro in the end. And her friend had used the halfway interlude to tell her chief bridesmaid that she would be riding side-saddle at the wedding that weekend.

‘What? Why did you wait until three days before to tell me? I’ve never ridden side-saddle! Hell, I’m not even sure I can ride astride anymore!’

Caroline held out her hands in a plea. ‘You know me – I love anything that sounds romantic. Come on, Bella, it’s my dream.’

Bella sighed. A dream. Damn it. Bella knew all about dreams – and how they could be busted, like a balloon landing on a pin. She didn’t want to be the pin-head who busted someone else’s dream.

‘Jeez, Caro . . . okay, it’s
your
wedding. I suppose a girl should have what she wants on her big day. But I swear I won’t be responsible for what happens!’

Bella’s reward for succumbing was Brooks and Dunn roaring from the overhead speakers at the Rod Laver Arena. A cowboy dressed in a flamboyant orange-and-red chequered shirt erupted into the ring clinging with every sinew to the back of a bucking ebony horse.

The rodeo finished at ten, and after seeing Caro off, Bella ran to the toilets for a quick change from her jeans to a cocktail dress. She couldn’t believe she’d opened her big mouth and offered to meet Warren afterwards. So much for taking a stand and doing what
she
wanted to do. But there was something about that hang-dog look he used when he couldn’t get his own way that got to her. It made her feel annoyed but then guilty at the same time. Like, somehow it was all her fault. So she’d capitulated and offered the compromise, and now it was a bit late for regrets. He was expecting her.

She bolted from the loos, snagged a taxi and raced to the Crown Casino, where she found a disgruntled Warren waiting for her at the brilliantly lit main entrance.

‘You’re late!’ he snapped. ‘Most of the guests are already here.’ He grasped her elbow and pushed her along. He was gripping the sensitive skin inside her arm so hard, she knew there’d be bruises in the morning. She tried to shake free, but Warren was having none of it.

Lined up just inside a doorway, and overseen by hulking black-clad security men, was a crowd of elegant people in a long snaking queue. Warren jostled her into line behind the rest of the wives, partners and escorts waiting to be introduced to the new CEO.

She turned to try to spy the man whom all the fuss was about. From a distance he seemed short. Very, very short. It took a while, but finally she and Warren made it to the receiving party at the main doorway. Bella said a polite hello to Warren’s boss and his wife before turning towards the new bloke.

What she saw took her breath away.

Standing before her was a ghost from her past. A man she had last seen fleeing the Nunkeri Muster all those years ago – with his pants ripped to near shreds, his face a bloodied mess, his Cuban heels taking flight after she and Patty had whipped his hide.

Here he was in front of her, solicitous and saying how do you do, in a voice that still spat plums so quickly you couldn’t keep up with the drivel. ‘Oh Warren, what a beautiful partner you have here,’ he grovelled as he leaned to kiss her hand, eyeing off the cleavage passing right in front of his nose.

She snatched her hand away so fast Eddie Murray’s bulging eyes nearly popped from their sockets.

‘You’re not touching my hand, you lecherous prick!’

Warren stepped forward, shocked. ‘Bella! You can’t say that,’ he stuttered, sounding like a parent chastising a wayward child. ‘Now apologise to Mr Murray.’

‘I will
not
. Don’t you remember me, you arrogant dog turd?’

Eddie took in the ravishing creature in front of him; her stunning eyes spat luminous blue sparks, while the voluptuous breasts heaved in agitation. She was all curves and luscious lines, far too good for that weasel Warren standing indignant by her side. His quick mind flicked through his past liaisons. He was sure he would have remembered if he’d met this provocative creature.

‘The Nunkeri Muster? Eight years ago?’ Bella’s voice rang out, causing a series of uneasy whispers to flow down the line. ‘My friend Patty and I whipped your shiny white arse.’

Eddie’s face turned ashen then red and his little body started to huff and puff. Seeing his distress, a hovering security guard stepped in and hustled Warren and Bella on. They found a quiet corner, where Bella sat down before her legs collapsed.

Immediately Warren swung into attack. ‘What was the meaning of
that
? You’ve gone and shot down any chance I had of a promotion. Christ almighty, I nearly had it in the bag. I was
this
close.’ He pinched his fingers together in front of her face. ‘I’ve been working on fucking Murray for weeks. What has got into you lately? I thought you were going to
hit
that poor man!’

‘Poor
man
!’ screeched Bella. Warren flung a hand across her mouth.

‘Christ, not so loud!’ Spittle flew from his lips. ‘Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage for one night?’

Bella took a moment to calm herself. Breathe deeply. Quietly and precisely she tried to explain.

‘That. Man. Tried. To. Rape Me. If it wasn’t for Patty he
would
have.’

‘Well, you were both probably asking for it.’

‘
WHAT?
’ screeched Bella again, now completely oblivious to the scene they were causing. Warren sat down beside her and clamped a hand on her shoulder.

‘This Patty you were so fond of sounds like a fucking drunken idiot. It’s girls like her who give men the wrong idea, then cry rape. She was a bad influence. She was probably giving him the come on and you obviously got in the way.’

Bella was speechless.

‘And the damage you have just done to my career! I’ve spent weeks wining and dining Murray in preparation and you have just gone and . . .’

His mouth was moving up and down, forming and spitting words she no longer wished to hear. Patty a bad influence? Rape a come-on? He had to be joking, right?

Wrong.

Shaking off the hand that was still attached, lead-like, to her shoulder, she stood and smoothed her dress. She looked down at the man whom she had thought she would marry, and broke into his tirade. ‘Patty was one of the best people you could
ever
meet. She stood up for what she believed in and those she loved.’ Bella stopped and took a gulp of air. ‘
And
she put the people she loved
first
. Not like you. You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, Warren. It will come back to haunt you.
I
was the one being attacked by that
animal
over there, and Patty saved me.’

She went to walk away, to find a taxi to take her back to the penthouse, to pack a bag. But before she did she spat one more line towards the man who was sitting with his mouth open like a frog trawling for a fly.

‘I’m leaving for Merinda when I get home. Tonight. Then I’m heading to the wedding. You can find your own way there – that’s if you can bear to mix it with a bunch of country hicks and cattlemen,
you arrogant shit
.’

Chapter 24

After arriving at Merinda, Bella wearily collapsed into her bed and spent the rest of the morning fitfully trying to sleep. Justin saw her car in the driveway at lunchtime and called in to check on her and say hello. She blamed her groggy and bedraggled appearance on lack of sleep.

During the afternoon, the phone rang a few times and Warren’s strident tones boomed through the answering machine, echoing around the old house.

‘Bella, look it’s Warren. You mightn’t want to speak with me at the moment, darling, and maybe I said a few things I shouldn’t have . . . we both did. I just want to know if you got there safely . . . Ring me, will you, darling?’

He could grovel all he liked.

‘Bella, Bella! I’ve just rung your brother’s place and Melanie said you’re there. Pick up the phone, will you, darling? We need to talk . . .’

She wasn’t going to talk to the bastard.

‘Bella! For fuck’s sake, pick up the phone! Look, I’m sorry. What else do you want me to say?’

She’d heard enough.

Pulling on her mother’s old gumboots and slamming a hat on her head, she headed out the door to find Justin to see if she could help him bring the cows up to milk. Sensing all wasn’t right but not wanting to pry, Justin sent her off on the motorbike to set up the paddocks for the cows that night. Bella adored being out in the fresh air, the wind streaming past her as she rode along on the bike. It was just what she needed to push Warren and their troubles far to the back of her mind.