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Ana stopped by Riley Road Shops on Tuesday to pick up the essentials she hadn’t managed to fit into her hatchback. She browsed the independent supermarket, bakery, and fresh produce store, pleasantly surprised by their variety. Carrying the groceries to the car, she passed the hair salon, hardware store, and butcher as she glanced across the road at the Tourist Centre. Construction fencing hid half of the dark brickwork and she frowned. What were they building?
Sighing, Ana loaded the groceries. She wouldn’t mind visiting the Tourist Centre as she’d love to browse the local crafts she’d heard they sold. But after the way Liam Maguire had made her body tingle yesterday, it might be best if she kept her distance. Men and romance weren’t part of her plan. Especially if the worst happened and she had to run again.
Ana slammed her hatchback closed and forced those worries away. She drove home and pulled into the shade of the carport, then lugged the groceries towards the unit. Sweat rolled down her back beneath the midday sun as she opened the screen and smiled at the kookaburra in the glazed windowpane of the wooden door.
‘Hey, Louis!’ Ana brought him inside so that he could enjoy the air-conditioning. He curled up on his bed and lowered his head for a nap while she put the groceries away. Then she finished setting up her new home.
Ana ached as she thought of everything she’d left in Sydney. Fine linen, cute ornaments, pretty artworks, and the books. She’d had so many precious things, all now packed away in a storage shed. But with new unread novels on the shelf, treasured knickknacks in her room, and Louis’ baby photos on the walls, the unit looked more like home. Curling up on the lounge for the rest of the afternoon, she devoured a few chapters of a romantic suspense novel until dusk approached.
‘Come on, Louis! Walk time!’
Not that the tropics were any cooler after the sun had gone down, but they both needed their daily exercise. Ana took a firm grip of Louis’ lead, keeping him by her side as they headed for the walkway that circled Elizadale. Striding a block up to Station Drive—the edge of town that overlooked parkland and Shadow Creek—unease settled in her belly as she glanced at her beautiful boy. Louis enjoyed walking but was often distracted by things his instincts wished to herd. Like cars. This led to frustration and since Ana didn’t want to deny him walks, she’d usually steer clear of roads. But she didn’t have any other choice in Elizadale.
They joined the pathway near the dog park and headed in the opposite direction, weaving their way along the path shaded by various palms and flowering trees. Ana glanced up at them. Maybe she’d learn their names one day.
They paused at the road that cut across the path towards the open gate, where the overhanging slab of wood read Shadow Creek. Pushing her hat up off her face, Ana absorbed the majesty of the bushland that spread towards the silhouette of the mountain beyond.
What did the Maguires do out there? And where were the banana trees? Meg had said that Shadow Creek was the most successful banana grower in the region and Ana would admit, she was curious. It’d be interesting to learn about life on the land. She’d never considered how farms worked, what it took to grow produce, or how the people who ran these properties lived.
‘Perhaps we’ll get to visit one day, Louis.’ If she made friends with the Maguires, that was.
For now, she put her energy back into her walk. She didn’t follow Station Drive as it curved around the golf course. Instead, she cut down past the greens and emerged onto Abbott Street. Crossing the road, Ana quickened her stride, getting the most of her exercise as she tightened her grip on Louis’ lead and admired the soft pink flowers on the trees lining the highway. Parkland spread beside her towards a thicket of bush lining the creek.
Pity she was only in this beautiful town for a year.
A car whizzed past and Louis’ ears perked. His gaze followed the sound, but he maintained his stride, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth as he panted happily. She smiled and the knots in her shoulders loosened.
Then the unmistakable sound of a semi-trailer approached and dread filled Ana’s belly. She held Louis tight and slowed her steps. His shoulders dropped. Head lowered.
‘No, Louis. Leave it.’ The semi-trailer zoomed past and Louis lunged, lifting onto his hind legs and twisting against his collar, barking at the offending truck. Ana groaned and fought down her frustration.
Would it ever end? Exposure, the experts said. But how much exposure did Louis need before he got used to moving vehicles?
She sighed sadly as they continued on. With little traffic, she and Louis thankfully returned home without further incident. But would walking ever be enjoyable if she couldn’t snap Louis out of his instincts?
* * *
Ana arrived at the dog park on Wednesday morning to meet Meg and Lola. Unclipping Louis’ lead, she rubbed his head. ‘Okay, go run.’
Louis ran towards the bushes, following his nose with his fluffy tail in the air. Ana sat on a bench beneath a large ficus—one of the few trees she could name—and watched him.
She’d made the right decision moving here, but it hadn’t lessened her fears or anxieties. Crossing her arms over her chest, she exhaled. She and Louis had both suffered trauma and no one was going to protect her, not even the courts. She hadn’t wanted Rick to be released and had begged the court to deny parole. But in the end, the only people who’d had her safety in mind were her family. So, along with her sister, Natalia, and their mother, they’d formed a plan that had uprooted their lives. But while they might be safer for it, Ana couldn’t stop worrying. Rick could still track her to Elizadale. She just hoped he’d turn Sydney upside down first.
As Louis picked up what she could only describe as a tree branch, Ana forced herself to smile as he dragged it to her feet. He shuffled back and lay low, his eyes focused.
‘You want me to throw a tree?’ Ana stood and planted a foot on the branch, snapping off a stick. She tossed it across the park and Louis bolted after it.
‘Nice tree.’ Ana turned as Meg arrived with a wriggling ball of caramel fluff under her arm.
‘He likes the big sticks. So, this is Lola?’ Meg placed her in Ana’s eagerly outstretched arms. ‘She’s so cute!’
‘Yeah, she is.’ Meg sat on the bench. Louis dropped his stick at her feet and Meg threw it.
‘How old is she?’
‘Four. I got her after uni.’
Ana placed the little dog on the ground and settled beside Meg. ‘Did you go to uni straight after school?’
‘Yeah, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher and Deb said I’d be good at it. I studied in Townsville and came back here when I graduated because I’m a small-town girl at heart.’
‘From what I’ve gathered, you’ll never leave Elizadale.’
‘Very true.’
Ana tossed Louis’ stick and laughed as Lola tried to chase him, stopping when she realised her little legs wouldn’t allow her to keep up.
‘So ... Ana, tell me. How is it that a woman like you moved to Elizadale all by her lonesome?’
Ana tore her gaze from Louis and glanced at Meg, who crossed her legs and sank back against the bench. Sighing, Ana mimicked her motions. ‘It’s a pretty uninteresting story.’
‘I don’t believe that. Leave anyone back home? Almost bring someone with you?’
Ana’s throat tightened. She considered sharing her past with Meg and the horrors that lay in it, but it was such a nice day and she didn’t want to inform Meg that she may have trouble following her.
‘No. I dated a little last year,’ she said, trying to keep her voice steady. ‘But there was no one but Louis to bring with me.’
‘I guess he’s the best man to bring with you.’
‘I think so.’ Ana twisted her fingers in her lap as Meg threw Louis’ stick. Her heart lurched as she contemplated the questions on her tongue, but she hadn’t been able to shake Liam Maguire from her head, so what was the harm in getting answers? ‘I saw the construction at the Tourist Centre. What’s going on there?’
‘Liam’s opening a café! It’s always been a dream of his. But like anything, it’s taken him a while. I’m excited about it though.’ Ana thought Meg would be excited about pretty much anything. ‘The Tourist Centre highlights everything about the region and the café will focus on our local produce.’
‘Sounds interesting.’ Ana didn’t know much about tourism or cafés, but it sounded like a solid idea. She’d passed a lot of roadside fruit stands on her drive, as well as many cafés and tourist spots. Considering Elizadale was close to Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands, she’d imagine they’d get their fair share of visitors. She’d also heard wonderful things about the Tablelands and hoped to take a drive there one weekend to explore the waterfalls, parks, and taste local produce. A café like Liam’s seemed like just the thing Elizadale needed.
‘When does he plan to open it?’
‘School holidays, just before Easter. He’ll have an opening day, which should bring people from neighbouring towns. He’s also contacted the newspaper in Cairns for media exposure.’
‘Wow. He’s going all out.’
‘Yeah, tourism’s Liam’s passion and he’s done a lot for this town and High Ridge.’
Ana frowned as she tossed Louis’ stick. ‘High Ridge?’
‘The holiday retreat out on Shadow Creek. They have a lovely campground, cabins, and many fun activities. That’s where Lucy works.’
‘Oh, right.’ The Maguires seemed to have a lot going on. ‘So, tourism’s a family thing then?’
‘Well, Wendy Maguire opened High Ridge when we were kids, but since Liam took over the Tourist Centre, Elizadale has boomed. We’re lucky to have him on the town committee, really.’
Nerves vibrated in Ana’s belly as she watched Louis chew his stick, now covered in dirt and saliva. ‘Liam sure seems like a nice man.’ They all did until they showed their true colours.
Ana resisted a sigh. No, she couldn’t think like that. She wasn’t afraid of men. They weren’t all like Rick.
‘Liam’s awesome. One of the town’s ultimate nice guys.’
Ana nodded as she stared absently at the dogs, Louis chewing happily while Lola rolled in the green grass, her little legs wriggling in the air. There was certainly something appealing about Liam. He’d made her blood stir on Monday afternoon and when he’d smiled, her hormones had done a little dance.
But her head remained in the game and getting involved with a man was not the best idea. She’d just moved to town and didn’t plan to stay. She couldn’t.
Ana glanced at Meg. ‘Where’s your man, then?’
Meg crossed her arms and examined her pink fingernails. ‘My man?’
‘Someone as outgoing and influential as you must have a man around somewhere. Or one in her sights.’ Liam had mentioned Meg’s ‘love of her life’. ‘No one you like around here, Meg?’
This time, Ana gave the elbow nudge. Meg shook her head at the ground, dropping her arms as a small smile curved the corners of her mouth.
‘Nah ... I don’t ... no one notices me around here. I’m just Meg Riley, former Show Queen, part-time country singer, and schoolteacher. As my mum says, too spirited to settle down, even if I am twenty-five and wouldn’t mind doing so in the near future. But for now, I’m happy where I am.’
Meg forced a smile and Ana returned the gesture, but she saw what was inside her new friend. Heartache. She’d either been rejected or overlooked for far too long.
‘I’m sure he’ll come around,’ Ana said kindly.
‘It doesn’t matter. Men are stupid. All they care about up here are their farms.’
‘Yeah ... men are stupid.’ Or mean, violent, and controlling.
A bird chirped in the ficus and drew Louis’ attention away from his stick. He lifted his head, his gaze following as the bird took flight. Barking, he ran after it. Ana smiled as Lola chased after him on her tiny legs.
‘She has no hope,’ Meg laughed, relaxing into the bench. Then her eyebrows lifted as she turned to Ana. ‘Do you like yoga?’
Ana blinked, her shoulders softening at the change of subject. ‘I guess. I’ve only done a little bit of yoga, but my sister’s into it and I took a few classes once.’
‘Then you should come with me tomorrow. My friend Grace just started teaching yoga at the community hall. She wants to open her own studio, so we should support her. What do you think?’
It couldn’t hurt. Ana had enjoyed the classes she’d attended with Natalia, she just hadn’t continued going because Rick hadn’t liked her being out of an evening.
So why not? She could strengthen and stretch her body while supporting a new community business. That’s what small towns were all about, right? Supporting local?
‘Sounds good. What time?’
* * *
For a small town, yoga was insanely popular. Ana seemed to meet nearly every woman in Elizadale—and a few men—as Meg introduced her around the room.
Grace White was their age, a nurse, and also lived in Jackson Villas with her two friends—Jessica Smithfield, who worked at her family’s pub, and Claire Taylor, the hairdresser. Isabella also came and set up her mat on the other side of Meg.
Ana met Meg’s mother Sue and her aunt Heather, who ran the homewares store. Ana hadn’t visited it yet, but they mainly traded in local crafts and if she needed a throw blanket, tea-towels, or tablecloth, that’s where she’d find them.
‘We also sell candles, made by my daughter,’ Heather said, ‘as well as other knickknacks. And if Adam Maguire got his act together and did more woodturning, we’d have his things to sell too.’
Meg glanced at Ana. ‘Mum and Aunt Heather are always pestering Adam to make a business out of his woodturning, but he keeps shrugging it off.’
Ana hadn’t met Adam, but considering he helped run Shadow Creek, he probably had more to do than spend his days woodturning.
As Grace called the class to attention, she and Meg returned to their mats and Ana glanced around the hall. It was located across the road from Riley House and quite standard, with a stage at the front, tiny kitchen at the back, and a massive wooden floor. Ana could imagine the country dances, bake sales, and other events it had hosted in its many years.
But today, it was yoga. The class was basic, but it’d been a while and Ana was happy just to get her muscles moving. Her pulse raced during sun salutations and warrior pose brought a strong burn to her thighs.
By the end of the class, Ana couldn’t stop smiling as she rolled up the mat Meg had loaned her. Ladies huddled in clumps as they hugged goodbye, waved across the room and called out they’d catch each other soon. Everything inside Ana relaxed and clenched at the same time. This was what she’d always wanted. Elizadale was a community. Here, she could be a part of something. She could have friends. A life. She could even settle down.
Her heart plummeted.
If only.
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