Chapter Eighteen

Ed was awake before it was fully light. He showered, scrubbing his hands for a very long time to get the years of oil and grease stains from under his fingernails. Satisfied at last, he dressed in his Sunday best. He made coffee, but was far too nervous to even attempt to eat anything. His eyes kept returning to the clock on the wall. It was almost time.

He felt something touch his leg and looked down. Bill, his grey tabby cat, was sitting staring up at him with an accusatory look on his face. Bentley was sitting a short, safe distance away from the cat. Ed shook his head. He had almost forgotten to feed the animals. That would never do. He opened the cupboard and reached for the necessary cans.

‘If today goes as I hope,' Ed said as he put the dishes down in their respective corners of the kitchen, ‘it won't just be the three of us anymore.'

At last he left the house. His car was waiting. He'd washed it last night and cleaned the interior until not so much as a speck of dust remained. He didn't get behind the wheel, but instead he walked across the road to the pub. Steph had left last night. He'd seen her car pull away not long after they'd talked. For that he was glad. He didn't want anything to cast a shadow over today. It was an important day … for many reasons.

He found Max drinking coffee in the bar.

‘Ready?'

Max nodded. ‘They're almost done out the back. Wouldn't let me help. Said I had to keep myself looking smart.'

‘And very smart you look too.' Trish bustled into the bar. ‘That suit looks very nice. Much nicer than the uniform. It'll look so much better in the photos. Which reminds me … Syd, have you got the camera?' Trish hurried out of the bar.

Ed risked a glance through the doorway into the lounge. Crisp white tablecloths and vases of flowers gave the area a celebratory look. Syd was busy untangling several miles of fairy lights while his wife, looking very smart herself in a pink dress, gave instructions.

Ed turned to Max. ‘Do they know?'

Max shook his head. ‘I told them someone would pick them up. They don't know it's you.'

‘Thanks.'

‘No worries. We'll head out to the house as soon as Syd gets those lights sorted. So give us a good half hour head start before you go to pick them up. There's still a few things I want to do before the girls get there.'

‘Will do.' Ed perched himself on the edge of a bar stool.

‘Mum. How do I look?'

When Helen turned to look at her daughter, she almost burst into tears. Tia was the most beautiful bride she had ever seen. Her long hair curled over her shoulders, and the tiny headband sparkled amid her auburn locks. The dress was simple yet elegant. And somehow every line of the dress, right down to the ballet slippers, seemed to perfectly suit the woman her daughter had become. But the most perfect thing of all was the way Tia's face glowed with happiness.

‘You look beautiful.' Helen's voice caught in her throat. ‘I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am to be here with you … and for you … today.'

Tia reached out and hugged her mother. ‘Me too,' she whispered.

Someone knocked loudly on the door.

Helen dabbed swiftly at her eyes. ‘That must be our driver.'

When she opened the door, Ed looked as if someone had knocked the breath right out of him. He looked from her face, down the length of her and back again. Helen knew she was blushing, but that didn't matter. All that really mattered was the way he looked at her. No man had ever looked at her like that. Not once in her entire life. Until today. Until this man.

‘Helen. You look … wonderful.'

‘Thank you.'

Ed's face creased with uncertainty. ‘Max asked me to drive you to the house. I will understand if you don't want me there. I can get Jack or someone to drive you instead. But first, I need to tell you something.'

Helen's heart was pounding. She fought to maintain her composure – but today of all days, composure was hard to find.

‘I want to say I'm sorry. I am an idiot. I thought the right thing to do was honour my wedding vows. But I was wrong. The right thing to do is to follow my heart. My marriage was over years ago. I just didn't want to accept it. I want you to know that I have signed the rest of the paperwork for my divorce. And Stephanie is gone.'

Ed paused, waiting for her to speak.

‘I know.' Her voice was just a little bit shaky.

‘How?' Then understanding dawned on his face. ‘Trish is back in town.'

Helen nodded. ‘Now I understand what everyone says about her.'

‘She's good people though,' Ed said hurriedly. ‘The best.'

‘I know. I think we may end up being friends.'

‘Does that mean you're thinking about staying in town?'

‘I could be persuaded.' Helen arched her eyebrows and tilted her head as she waited.

The man standing in front of her looked so handsome in his suit. He looked strong and kind … and just a little bit nervous as he took a deep breath.

‘Helen, I don't know how to do this. It's been so long. I don't know what these feelings are – but it's the first time I have felt like this for so very long. I don't know where it's leading. And I won't make promises I can't keep. Nor do I ask you to …'

Tears were filling her eyes. His hands closed around hers. They were strong and gentle and as their fingers entwined, her hands stopped shaking.

‘We've both been a bit knocked around by life. We know how it feels to fail someone you love – and how it feels to get them back again. If you'll give me a chance, I promise I will never fail you.' His voice tailed off. He stopped breathing as he waited for her reply.

Blinking back the tears, she gently pulled him inside. She raised herself on her toes and kissed him. Just once. Gently. On the lips. She couldn't speak, but she didn't have to. His arms came around her and pulled her close and he kissed her again. This was not quite so gentle. It was powerful and strong, but it was also filled with love. It felt wonderful.

‘Excuse me … aren't I the one supposed to be getting kissed this morning?'

Helen slowly pulled herself away from Ed and turned to look at her daughter. Tia looked even happier than she had before, if that was possible.

‘You are as beautiful as your mother,' Ed said, and Helen's heart almost exploded.

‘If the two of you are ready, I think we need to get going,' Tia said. ‘I don't want to be late.'

‘Isn't the bride supposed to be late?' Ed asked.

‘I think Max has waited long enough,' Tia replied. ‘We all have. Let's go.'

Helen sat in the back seat next to Tia as Ed drove them out of town. She held her daughter's hand, too overcome with emotion to say much. She watched Ed as he drove, his strong hands on the wheel as he turned off the highway onto a narrow dirt road that had only recently been graded. They passed through a gate, still shining and new, and followed a track to the clearing. She got out of the car and looked around. The house that Max was building for himself and Tia was still only partly constructed, but the solid timber frame seemed to speak volumes about the life they would be building there together. Ed stepped to her side and offered her his arm. She took it. Tia was on his other arm as they turned towards the small cluster of people they could see on the banks of the creek.

‘I see no one was able to keep this a secret from Trish,' Tia said, giggling.

‘That was never going to happen,' Ed replied. ‘Apparently, Trish is the only marriage celebrant in town.'

Trish stood in the shade of the big gum tree. On her left, Max, with Jack as his best man, was waiting for his bride. To her right, her own husband of nearly fifty years was standing with Jack's wife Ellen.

Scattered among the tall river gums, more of Coorah Creek's residents sat on bales of hay. There was Doctor Adam and his wife Jess. Dan, the national park ranger was there. His photographer wife Quinn was holding a camera. There were Tia's fellow workers from the mine, and faces lined by the sun during long hours of working the outback stations. This was the community that Trish loved.

This small shady area on the banks of the creek had been decorated with native flowers and ribbons. Nothing too gaudy, it met with Trish's approval – despite the fact that Max and Jack had done it without asking her opinion.

There was movement near the house. Three figures … one wearing white.

Everyone stood and turned to watch as Tia and her mother, arms linked, walked towards the place where Max was standing, his eyes suspiciously shiny. Helen kissed her daughter and Max, then reached for Ed's hand, as the two of them stepped back to join the other townsfolk.

Trish nodded. Everything was perfect. From the arc of brilliant blue sky above to the sunlight shining on the waters of the creek. This was her town and her place. These were her people. And she was about to do the one thing that gave her even more pleasure than spreading good news.

‘Hello, everyone. I would like to welcome you to this beautiful place, where we will witness the joining together of two lives.'

Her voice seemed as much a part of the land as the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves of the giant gums that towered over them as she spoke the words. When she was finished, there was a moment of profound stillness as Tia and Max kissed for the first time as man and wife. Then the small gathering began to applaud.

Startled by the sudden noise, a kingfisher flew from the trees, his wings a brief flash of brilliant blue as he swept low over the sunlit water of Coorah Creek.