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Back The Orchardist's Daughter Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. PRAISE
  3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  4. DEDICATION
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART I SEEDS
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. PART II GERMINATION
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. PART III GROWTH
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. PART IV UNDERSTOREY
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. EPILOGUE
  57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Leon nodded thanks to Shane and Robbo, then gently scuffed a hand over Max’s head. The boy had been the trigger for all this; if he hadn’t offered to help, the outcome might have been different.

At that moment, a thin little girl with hair like sunshine rocked up and hooked arms with Max. She had to be Mooney’s daughter—she had his face without all the bitterness.

‘I’m bored with this,’ she said to Max. ‘Where’s your dog? The one who saved you. She must be clever. I want to meet her.’

‘She lives next door to me.’

‘Okay. Let’s go.’

As the girl took Max’s hand and they weaselled off through the crowd, Leon saw that the glint of sunshine in her hair had transferred to the boy’s face.

It was the colour of happiness.

41

41

A few weeks after the rally, the boss gave Leon the task of transporting signs up to the forest, with instructions to leave them beside the timber that had already been dropped off for the boardwalk. Once the signs were there, everything would be ready for work to commence. The sooner it got under way, the sooner the area could be opened to tourists.

At the rally, the locals had voted to let the reserve go ahead. They’d decided it made sense to link it with visits to the sky walk. Mooney was the only one who’d voted against it; he was the sort to choose conflict over compromise every time.

Before leaving the Parks office, Leon checked the weather so he knew what he was in for. The forecast was grim: rain and storms were predicted, which wasn’t unusual for spring—this time of year was always unstable. Leon hoped to drop off the signs and be out of there before the cold front hit the mountains. He checked that the signs were secure, then he headed off in the Toyota with the trailer rattling behind him.

On the way, he lobbed in at Miki’s to buy hot chips and coffee. But Kurt was the only one serving, and he glared as Leon put in his order.

‘Where’s Miki?’ Leon asked.

Kurt’s face soured. ‘Out the back. I don’t like her being familiar with customers.’

Prickliness was normal for Kurt, but for some reason Leon was especially unsettled by him today—something to do with the venomous twist of his mouth. He was a caustic bastard; Leon pitied Miki having to live with him. It was clear he inflicted emotional abuse on his sister, and Leon wondered if he also physically hurt her.

‘What are you up to today?’ Kurt asked.

This was definitely out of character: Kurt never asked questions. Leon paused in surprise before he answered. ‘Dropping some signs at the big tree.’

‘They started work up there yet?’

‘Not as far as I know. But it should be happening soon.’