Page 23 of Ruby’s Outback Love

I eased my four-wheel drive into a parking space in front of the motel reception, switched off the motor and stepped out.

Kate was on the desk; her parents owned the place and she obviously worked here full time these days. Her eyes widened on seeing me approach. She sprang from her chair, wrapped me in her arms, stood on tiptoes and kissed my cheek.

“I saw you were booked in to stay from today. Been a long time between drinks, stranger.”

“Sure has been. With mum and dad in Brisbane, I didn’t really have any pressing reason to come back until now. How have you been?”

“Really good. Dad passed away a couple of years ago so mum and I run the motel on our own. I married Ron King four years after leaving school and we have a couple of rugrats – boys aged ten and six. They keep me on my toes.”

“Ron King?”

“Yep, he’s a good man. Works over at the Castlevow Farm as Foreman.”

I was taken aback to hear Ron had married Kate. Growing up, he’d had eyes for no one other than Ruby. The way he’d looked at her had caused my blood to boil.

“Word is, you’re to manage the station now Ernie has retired.”

“Yep. Barry sent me the notice of his retirement, he thought I might be interested and I was. I applied for the transfer to the NSW Police and the job at the same time. I think I was accepted because of my ties to the community and the Aboriginal people.”

“So, you’ll be staying long term?”

Ah, the million dollar question I didn’t yet have an answer for.

“Honestly, at this point, I don’t know. I’ll wait and see how things work out.”

Kate tilted her head to one side, her eyes searching mine. “Ruby’s back. She joined the FDS about six months ago.”

Ruby was back in town?

The words had my knees weakening, my thoughts drifting back in time to the fateful night she’d told me to fuck off. She never wanted to see or hear from me again. How would she react when she found out I was back?

***

I didn’t have much with me, only the necessities, everything else had been sent to a storage locker until I found somewhere to live. So, after I unpacked a couple of suitcases and stowed my laptop in the bottom of the small wardrobe, I jumped in the shower to cleanse and refresh my tired body after the long drive.

I had a couple of days before starting work at the station which gave me a chance to take a look around town.

I stepped outside into the warm, late afternoon sunshine. The lock engaged after I pulled the door shut behind me.

Quickly covering the short distance along Mertin Street, I turned right onto Richard Street, traversed a couple of blocks and turned left into Oxley Street. Bypassing the police station, I headed towards town and a trip down memory lane.

The sound of adults chastising unruly children carried towards me on the soft breeze. Other adults shouted at kids who pushed and shoved each other as they moved down the street. The kids weren’t taking a scrap of notice of their flustered guardian. I laughed and shook my head as I passed by. Kids hadn’t changed since I was their age and probably never would.

I came to a new medical centre which appeared to be in the process of having the interior installed, when the door opened and two women stepped onto the walkway before me.

One woman was laughing, it was a sound I had never forgotten, it still caused my heart to hammer in my chest and my groin to twitch in interest. After fifteen years, Ruby was even lovelier than I’d remembered.

Both Ruby, and the woman she was with, wore matching uniforms – a red checked blouse with the FDS logo stitched over one breast pocket and long dark blue pants. It became obvious to me, they worked together on the FDS team I’d heard about.

The tall, blonde haired woman noticed me first and sent a smile my way which I returned. I remained where I’d stopped, rooted to the spot. I’d lost the ability to command my feet to move. Then, Ruby turned towards me and the smile, which had graced her gorgeous face only moments before, deepened into a deep scowl. Anger blazed in her eyes.

“What the fuck are you doing back here?”

Her friend glanced first at me, then at Ruby before asking, “you two know each other?”

“Not any fucking more.” Ruby stomped off down the street.

The woman watched her go, shrugged, turned back to face me and thrust out her hand.