Page 10 of Road to Rosalee

Another sign came into view, the stained timber plank hanging from chains – Diamond and Dust Stud, Matthew and Sarah Walsh. Thank goodness the front gates were wide open, almost as if welcoming her in. If only it were so.

She came to a stop, drawing in a massive breath, followed by another, then turned and bumped over a cattle grid. Vibrant green paddocks stretched out on either side of the long driveway. The glint of a corrugated roof was just up ahead, around a small bend. A muscular bull glanced up as she rolled past, a long stalk of grass hanging out of his mouth. He eyed her, his pointed horns lethal. Three calves frolicked further down, chasing each other through the longer grass, one of them bucking as if had a rider upon its back. Just past them, two older cows moaned low bellows, as if telling their youngsters to quit playing around and join them. The calves heeded their calls, bounding towards what Melody assumed to be their mothers. She couldn’t help but smile – it was endearing.

The dirt track dipped down and over a gully where a shallow creek rippled beneath a little timber-planked bridge. Then the newly built house came into view, low-set and sprawling. It had shady verandahs stretching all the way around it, with views to die for. Windchimes dangled from the corners – the sound melodic as the gentle wind played them. Lush green gardens popped with tropical gingers and birds of paradise, and the lawns were trimmed to perfection. Someone clearly had a green thumb – unlike her. She had the ability to kill a cactus – apparently from over-watering it, but still.

Beside the house was a round-yarded paddock with two horses on the farthest side – a bay and an Appaloosa. On the other side of the house, just past a huge water tank, a Toyota Prado was parked in the shade of a carport beside a LandCruiser old enough to be classed as a relic. Up a little farther was another trayback LandCruiser, this one more modern. She wondered which one, if any, was her dad’s.

Her heart beating fast, she parked beneath the shade of an old gum tree and, after taking a moment to pull herself together as much as she could, stepped out. An old dog hobbled over to greet her, his muzzle silver-grey. Trying to decipher whether he was more border collie or kelpie, she warily reached out to pat his head. Panting like he’d just run a marathon, he pressed into her, his tail slapping the ground. All her attention on him, she didn’t see the incoming furry missile until it rolled to a stop at her feet. The puppy would have been no older than four or five months, and by golly, it was absolutely adorable. She scooped it up and it licked her face. The slap of a flyscreen door grabbed her attention and she turned to see a petite woman with curly blonde hair step onto the verandah, a little boy around three wrapped like an anaconda around her leg. Melody knew it was Beau, and he was even cuter than his pictures. And the striking woman was undoubtedly Sarah.

‘Hi there,’ Sarah called, her smile warm and welcoming.

‘Oh, hi.’ Placing the wriggling bundle back down then straightening, Melody shaded her eyes as she took steps towards the house, meeting Sarah.

Sarah patted the dog now basically sitting on her feet. ‘I see you’ve met Dukey boy. He’s not the best guard dog in his old age, but I’ll allow him his retirement. He’s earned it, haven’t you, buddy?’ She smiled towards the old dog then searched around behind her. ‘And this is his scoundrel of a granddaughter, Duchess.’ She drew Beau into her arms, balanced him on her hip, and then tipped her head to the side. ‘Can I help you with something?’

‘Oh, yes, sorry. I was sidetracked by how cute the puppy is.’ Melody swallowed down her nerves. ‘Does Matthew Walsh live here?’ She knew he did, but she had to start somewhere.

‘Yes, he does. I’m his wife, Sarah. And you are?’ With Beau wriggling, she placed him back down. He flopped onto the floor to be slobbered all over by Duchess, giggling madly.

‘I’m Melody Harrison.’ Noting where Sarah’s hand now rested tenderly upon her belly in the way only a protective mother’s would, she realised Sarah was possibly pregnant. Swallowing down an emotion she wasn’t sure what to make of, she tried to offer her sunniest of smiles. ‘My mother was a friend of Matthew’s, and I wanted to pop by to let him know that … she has passed away.’ Her voice broke and she choked back a sob – so much for holding herself together.

‘Oh, love. I’m so sorry.’ Sarah quickly closed the distance and reached out to touch Melody’s arm. ‘Matt’s not home but he shouldn’t be too much longer, so please, come inside.’

‘Oh … it’s okay. I can come back another time.’ Melody sniffed back her need to cry. ‘I don’t want to bother you.’

Sarah waved a hand through the air. ‘It’s no bother whatsoever. Matt’s just down the paddock, showing off his newest addition to the motley crew to his mate.’ She offered her arm. ‘Come on, I can make us a cuppa while we wait, if you like? And I have a couple of pieces of my mum’s famous lemon meringue pie hidden in the fridge, just waiting to be devoured.’

Melody couldn’t help but like Sarah immediately. She was a genuine person with the kindest of eyes. ‘Okay. Thank you.’ She cleared the ball of emotion jammed in her throat. ‘That sounds lovely.’

Sarah turned to her son, laughing at how Duchess had him pinned to the floor. ‘Come on, Beau. Mummy will make you some fairy bread.’

As if she’d just said magic words, Beau shot to his feet and ran to her side, Duchess hot on his trail. ‘Yummy!’ He looked to Melody with big brown eyes – very clearly his father’s. ‘Hello,’ he said a little shyly.

‘Hi,’ Melody said with a little wave. Heading into the shade of the verandah, she caught sight of something weirdly funny. She blinked as she slipped her thongs off at the door, wondering if she’d just lost her marbles. ‘I have to ask – am I really seeing a chicken riding bareback on the bay horse out there?’ She pointed in the general direction.

Sarah followed her gaze. ‘Ha. Oh, yes, that’s Chilli. She’s an absolute scallywag. And that horse, he’s my boy, Victory. He’s almost at retirement age now, too, the darling. He and I have shared lots of adventures together.’ She pointed to the horse stood beside him. ‘The Appaloosa is Matt’s, her name is Marshmallow, our little girl named h—’ She stopped short of ending the sentence, instead offering a contrite smile. ‘Our darling Eve named her Marshmallow, before she went to heaven.’

Melody’s hand went to her chest as she sucked in a breath – she’d had no idea they’d lost a child. ‘Oh, Sarah, I’m so sorry.’ She felt complete empathy for the pain in Sarah’s emerald green eyes.

Sarah’s smile was sad now, and she was blinking faster. ‘It’s okay, it’s been almost five years now since the accident, not that it gets any easier.’ She shrugged as she tugged the flyscreen open. ‘You just get better at dealing with the loss and heartache, I think.’

‘I couldn’t imagine what you went through,’ Melody offered by way of condolence as she followed Sarah inside. It was open-plan living at its finest, the lounge room, a chef’s dream kitchen and dining room all rolling into one big space, with wall-to-floor windows to allow the majestic views in. ‘How long have you and Matt lived here?’ She really liked their choice of timber and neutral coloured furniture.

‘Oh, about a year now.’ Sarah headed over to a floating island bench with copper pots and pans hung above the six-burner stove. She pointed to a row of stools opposite her. ‘Please, pull up a seat, Melody. Make yourself comfortable.’

Melody could tell by the appliances and layout of the kitchen that Sarah was a passionate cook. ‘Where were you before this place?’ She slid onto the saddle-style seat.

‘We were at our previous property, Tranquil Valley, in Malanda, which we both loved, but we sold it because I wanted to be nearer to my family now I’ve got this little rascal to contend with, and now another on the way.’ She patted her stomach. ‘A girl, this time round, apparently.’

‘Oh, how wonderful, a little sister for Beau.’

Beau screwed his face up. ‘Girls stink.’

Melody chuckled, as did Sarah.

Sarah shook her head, rolling her eyes skywards. ‘He’ll love her when she’s born, I’m sure.’ She busied herself making fairy bread while the kettle boiled. Then, plonking the plate down at a little kids’ dining set near the window, she got Beau settled with a chocolate milk, then wandered to the fridge and dug out the most delectable-looking pieces of lemon meringue pie. ‘I have to hide the last bits or Matt will eat it all in a heartbeat.’

Melody watched her place it down in front of her. ‘I can understand why. It looks amazing.’