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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

‘I was just showing Callum and Jaden the pups,’ Max said, hoping Mum could tell he was desperate for Jaden to go.

She looked at him, clear-eyed, and lit a cigarette, then turned to Jaden. He was leaning against the fence with his hands in his pockets, hair over his eyes. ‘Fun’s over now, boys,’ she said. ‘Max has jobs to do. Time to go home.’

Max wanted to hug her—she knew exactly what was needed.

Callum put Rosie Junior down gently and whispered to Max. ‘The pups are cool—you’re so lucky.’

Max would have liked to invite Callum over another time, but he didn’t want Jaden near the pups ever again. He followed his friend to the gate and waved goodbye. Jaden was already gone, slouching down the street. When Callum caught up with his brother, Jaden turned back and gave Max the finger.

13

13

Sunday night, after closing time, Kurt announced he was going to Hobart. Miki was thrown. It was unusual for him to do things out of pattern; normally he went on Monday after they’d been to the forest. ‘Why don’t you wait till tomorrow?’ she asked.

He was evasive. ‘I have a business meeting in the morning, then I’ll be home with a surprise.’

Miki was unsure how to read him. Since taking that key, she’d felt stilted and strange around him, always watching to see if he knew she’d been out. When he was quiet, she became tense; if he was grumpy, she was convinced he was about to explode. Now she stood in the hallway, watching him pack pyjamas and a change of clothes into his duffel bag. He unlocked the filing cabinet and removed the black leather folder, slipping it in his bag on top of his jeans. Why was he taking it with him?

‘Can’t you tell me about the surprise now?’ she asked.

He glanced at her with hooded eyes. ‘You’ll find out soon enough.’

Ordinarily, his surprises weren’t useful to her. Last time it had been gym equipment. The time before, a huge digital TV, which he controlled, selecting programs that didn’t interest her: sports replays, business videos, get-rich-quick schemes. When he was feeling upbeat, sometimes she was allowed to watch videos he’d chosen for her, like Little House on the Prairie and The Love Bug. But mostly he sat by himself watching shows that went late into the night. Occasionally she tried to open her door so she could see the screen, but Kurt had a sixth sense and he always caught her. She would try to listen from behind the closed door, but he kept the volume low so she couldn’t hear.