Right As Rain (21 page)

Hugh got to his feet and raised his glass.

“I'd like to propose a toast to Mackenna. Not only is she a talented farmer but also a fantastic chef and I want to wish her every success with the Gatehouse.”

Mackenna glanced around the table as her guests echoed his sentiments and finally her eyes came back to Hugh, her good friend. Although they'd been apart for many years, their friendship was as strong as ever. She stood up and he leant in and kissed her on the cheek. Then Chris and Ginnie were doing the same.

“We must be off,” Chris said. “Congratulations again.”

“This will be a popular place,” Ginnie said.

Mackenna saw them out and returned to the dining room to find Cam with an arm around Adam's shoulder.

“I'll be staying at the farm tonight, my Kiwi friend.” Cam's words tumbled out. Mackenna noticed he'd tipped back a few extra glasses of red wine after the main course. “Sounds like it will be our last night together – unless you get a better offer.”

Cam winked at Mackenna and she glanced away. Her parents were in conversation with Patrick and Yasmine. Only Adam and Hugh heard his innuendo, but she had no idea why Cam would say that now even if he was drunk. She'd given no-one any cause to think there was anything more than a holiday friendship between them. Had Adam said something? She risked a look in his direction but his face was a mask as he extricated himself from Cam's hold.

Hugh hugged Mackenna and gave her another kiss on the cheek. She was beginning to think he may have had too much wine as well, but his murmur in her ear was steady and reassuring.

“You've done a great job, Mack. I'm sure this will be a successful venture for you.”

She glowed in his praise. “Thanks, Hugh.”

He shook Adam's hand. “Hope our paths will cross again one day.”

“Yes,” Adam said. “Maybe.”

“Night all,” Hugh called and let himself out.

“We've a busy day ahead,” Louise said. “We'd best be off.”

“Are you staying a while, Yasmine?” Mackenna asked. “We've hardly had a chance to chat.”

“She's staying all week,” Louise crowed, her face a beacon of delight. “Then she and Patrick are driving us to the airport on Friday.”

“Friday?” Mackenna gasped.

“Yes, they've got things on in Adelaide next weekend, so it works out perfectly,” Louise said.

“But you weren't going until the following week?” Mackenna's brain whirled with the amount of things that needed to be done over the next few days.

“We hadn't had a chance to tell you.” Louise grabbed Lyle's arm and gave it a squeeze. “The travel agent rang while we were in Adelaide. Our flights have been brought forward. It will put us in Christchurch at a better time to fit in with some tours we want to take.”

“You can manage the sheep,” Lyle said. “Cam will be here.”

“I'll be here,” Cam echoed.

“Patrick can come back next week to help,” Louise added.

Mackenna swished at the loose curls tickling her face. “I've got a bus group booked in here for next Saturday night.”

“This wasn't meant to take you away from farm work.” Louise glared at Mackenna. “We've talked about this.”

“It's only a small group.” Mackenna backtracked quickly. There was no way she wanted her mother to put the kybosh on the Gatehouse before it had begun. “I'll be fine.”

Her family left and Cam grabbed Adam in another shoulder grip. “Come on Kiwi, off to bed.”

Cam wobbled and they both stumbled. Adam put a steadying arm over Cam's. “Bye, Mackenna,” he called over his shoulder.

“Bye, Mackenna,” Cam mimicked.

She listened to their footsteps and Cam's slurry voice as they disappeared into the night.

She shivered. Suddenly she was cold. The house was totally silent. She went back to the dining room. She paused and studied the remains of her beautifully set table now in disarray. Then it hit her. Adam was leaving in the morning and she hadn't even thanked him for his help tonight. She'd have to get up early to make sure she caught him before he left. The lightness and excitement she'd felt evaporated, replaced by exhaustion tinged with sadness. In her heart she knew she didn't want him to go but she couldn't tell him that. She sucked in a breath and stood tall. She wouldn't tell him that. Slowly the breath slipped past her lips and she began to clear up the mess.

“Damn!”Mackenna muttered as she tried to find some clothes from the piles dotted around her floor. There'd been no chance to unpack properly. Each time she'd needed something she'd rummaged through bags and boxes and now her room looked like a clothes sorting room at St Vinnies.

She'd slept in. Adam had probably left already. She ran out to the carport and jumped into her car.

“Damn!” she said again as the only sound the car made was a click when she turned the ignition. “Flat battery,” she muttered and dashed back to the house for her jumper. The sun was shining but the wind was chilly. She pushed her hat firmly on her head, pressed her arms to her sides and hurried up the track to the house. Adam's car was gone from beside the garage where he usually parked it.

Mackenna scanned the yard but his car was definitely nowhere to be seen. Inside the house, all was quiet. There were signs that someone had eaten breakfast. Her parents would have gone to church. She took a few steps up the passage thinking she might peep into Adam's room but she was greeted by the rumble of snoring. Cam. There was no way she was sticking her head in that room again. No other sound reached her. Patrick and Yassie must still be asleep.

She set the coffee machine going and made toast. It was cold this morning and the air felt damp even in the house.

“Is there tea?”

Mackenna turned at the sound of Yasmine's voice. The younger woman looked even paler than she had last night and she'd wrapped herself in the thick blue dressing-gown that hung behind Mackenna's old bedroom door.

“Yes, of course. Come in and take a seat. Would you like toast?” Mackenna waved the piece she'd been biting into.

“Yes, thanks.” Yasmine slipped onto a chair. “Just one piece. No butter.”

No wonder the girl was so thin and pale, thought Mackenna.

“Did you sleep well?” she asked.

“Yes, really well thanks. I think I'm in your old room. I hope you don't mind me wearing this. I'm guessing it's yours?”

“Not at all,” Mackenna said. “I don't wear a dressing-gown much. Usually I'm up and dressed and outside early, but I slept in this morning.”

Yasmine covered her mouth with a hand to stifle a yawn. “I'm usually late to bed, so this is my normal get-up time.”

“Really? What do you do?” Mackenna's sleep patterns had been different in her chef days, depending on her shift but today's sleep-in was unusual for her now.

“I work in IT.”

“Hello. You're up early.” Patrick came in and wrapped Yasmine in a tight embrace, kissing her on the lips. “You should have come and got me.”

Mackenna turned away to the kettle. It felt odd watching her brother being intimate with someone. It made her feel the loss of Adam more keenly, no matter that she kept telling herself there was no longer anything between them.

“I don't suppose you saw Adam before he left?” she said as she put toast and tea on the table.

“I've been out to it since my head hit the pillow,” Patrick said.

“Me too. “Yassie picked up the teacup and wrapped her fingers around it. “Thanks for this.”

“I thought he was going this morning?” Patrick said.

“He was. . . did,” Mackenna said. “I just hoped to catch him, that's all. I didn't thank him properly for his help last night.”

“I'm sorry about that. Patrick should have warned you I was coming.” Yasmine gave Patrick a playful tap and he immediately wrapped his arms around her again.

“Mack didn't mind. She's a whiz in the kitchen.”

Mackenna smiled. No point in telling Patrick off. He just didn't get it.

“Your food was wonderful,” Yasmine said. “And you have a talent for decorating. Patrick said the old house was very run down. You've transformed it.”

“Thanks,” Mackenna said. Yasmine's words were warm and genuine.

“Our Mack's good at everything,” Patrick said as he stood up to make himself a coffee. “She can even run the farm single-handed. She's a marvel.”

Mackenna heard the teasing in his voice.

“I gather Adam's a friend of yours from New Zealand?” Yasmine said, turning her back on Patrick.

“Yes, we met while I was on holiday recently.”

“Why'd you let him get away?” Patrick asked as he drew his chair in close to Yasmine's.

Mackenna frowned at him. “I wasn't trying to catch him.”

“He seemed like a good bloke and he'd come all this way to see you. You acted like it hardly mattered. Does he have bad breath or a hidden evil streak?”

“No.”

“Ah-ha!” Patrick pointed a finger at Mackenna. “So you do know him quite well.”

“I didn't say that.”

“You really like him, don't you? I thought you were trying too hard to avoid him. Did you two hook up in New Zealand? What happened?”

“Patrick,”Yasmine chided. “Leave your sister alone. It's her business not yours.”

Mackenna's emotions were in turmoil. She was angry with Patrick but only because he was partly right. She spun away from them. “I've got work to do.”

“Of course you do,” Patrick said. “There's always work to do around here.”

Mackenna stopped in the doorway and turned. There was no way she wanted to have a blazing row with Patrick in front of his girlfriend.

“That's farming,” she said with a tight smile. “Always something to be done.”

“Damn it Mackenna, you're such a martyr. Surely things can wait while you eat some breakfast and make conversation. Even Mum and Dad have taken the morning off.”

“Because they know I'll check the sheep.”

“They don't need checking every five seconds.”

“No, but it's been warm and now we've had a bit of rain.” Mackenna nodded towards the window. “Besides keeping feed and water up to them we need to check for flies – and I've got a flat car battery to charge.”

“Perhaps we could help,” Yasmine said in a gentle tone.

“No,” Mackenna said. “You stay and eat some breakfast. We'll go for a drive later.”

“I'll show Yasmine around. You're so busy.” He waved his arms at her. “Off you go.”

Mackenna opened her mouth but thought better of it and turned on her heel. Her anger was gone, replaced by embarrassment. She shouldn't have been in such a rush. There was plenty of time for her to eat with them. She wanted to get to know Yasmine better, but Patrick's digging for information about Adam had unsettled her. She hadn't meant for it to turn into a fight. Now it was best to keep out of their way.

The dogs were waiting for her at the gate. She gave them both a pat and the pup jumped around in excitement.

“Evidently I'm not much company guys but I guess you won't mind.”

The chilly wind was still blowing strong as she crossed the yard to the sheds with the dogs close by. It added to her unease. If this wind kept up, the bit of moisture in the topsoil from the rain the other day would soon be gone and their early pasture sowing would be in jeopardy.

The distant sound of a vehicle travelling along the main road made her think of Adam again. She pulled back her shoulders, whistled the dogs onto the tray-top and backed out of the shed. She wasn't making up the work that needed doing. They really did have to keep a close eye on the stock in these conditions.

An hour later she was back at the shed. She'd found two flyblown sheep in a paddock they hadn't checked for a couple of days. The sheep were treatable but she needed to get on to it straight away.

“What's the rush?”

She looked up to see her dad approaching.

“A couple of sheep need cleaning up. They've got flies.”

“I'll come with you.”

“There's no need, Dad.”

“I'll come with you,” he repeated. “I want to look at those couple of paddocks we've sown as well.”

“Okay,” she said, and she loaded the things she'd need to treat the sheep in the back of the ute. “You stay here this time, boys,” she said as the two dogs milled about her feet.

King sunk to his belly straight away but the pup continued to dance.

“Get out of it,” Lyle commanded and the pup took a few steps back, a bewildered look on its face.

Lyle stepped out of the shed and looked up at the cloudless sky. “We can't afford to lose anymore sheep or that pasture,” he said. “Perhaps this holiday of your mother's isn't such good timing.”

Mackenna climbed back into the driver's seat. There was no need for her to say anything. Empty reassurances would be useless. The weather conditions were out of their control and if things did go pear-shaped, the cost of an overseas holiday would be an extra burden they didn't need.

Louise hung up the phone and hummed to herself as she went back to folding the washing. She'd just had a long chat with Mary McDonald and although they both danced around the topic, Louise felt that Hugh's mother was of a similar opinion when it came to Mackenna and Hugh.

Mary had rung about the art show fundraiser and as soon as they covered that topic Louise started fishing for information on Hugh. Without saying too much, Mary eluded to the possibility of Hugh settling into the family business. Louise said how much they were enjoying his visits and Mary said they felt the same about Mackenna. Mary had babbled on about the two of them being such good friends in their earlier days and how it was so nice to see them getting on well again now. Louise had agreed, of course.