Page 34 of Outback Hearts

‘Good teacher,’ Amelia said softly.

‘No,’ Jake said. ‘Natural aptitude. I can teach technique, but I can’t teach how you see space and structure. That’s innate.’

They were very close now, bent over the same section of drawings, Jake’s hand inches from hers on the paper. The office was quiet; everyone else occupied elsewhere. The single hanging bulb cast warm light that made the moment feel suspended, separate from normal time.

The office door burst open. Sophie stood there, oblivious to what she’d interrupted, waving her phone excitedly.

‘Jill just heard from the Regional Community Foundation! They want to meet about the project. They’re interested in heritage funding!’

The moment shattered. Jake stepped back, ran a hand through his hair. Amelia tried to calm her racing heart.

‘That’s great,’ Jake said, his voice carefully neutral. ‘When’s the meeting?’

‘Friday. Jill and Alex are going. They want to see our plans and budget.’

‘I’ll prepare documentation,’ Jake said. ‘Amelia, can you help compile photos showing the current state and our progress?’

‘Of course,’ Amelia managed.

After Sophie left, Jake and Amelia stood in awkward silence.

‘We should—’ Jake started.

‘Yeah,’ Amelia agreed. ‘Probably.’

But neither moved for a long moment, the unspoken tension humming between them.

Finally, Jake cleared his throat. ‘Documentation. Let’s focus on that.’

***

Wednesday brought more good news and more complications.

The good news: Three local businesses in Emerald pledged donations totalling twelve thousand dollars. Ryan from the hardware store offered materials at cost. A retired builder from Barcaldine volunteered his labour for the foundation work, having done similar repairs on heritage buildings.

The bad news: Margaret had escalated her campaign.

Jennifer appeared at lunchtime with a formal notice: Margaret had requested an emergency council meeting to discuss “public safety concerns” regarding the Royal Hotel project. She was claiming the foundation issues proved the building was structurally unsound and should be condemned rather than renovated.

‘She’s using the foundation against us,’ Jill said, reading the notice. ‘Claiming we’re endangering workers and the public by continuing.’

‘That’s rubbish,’ Davo said flatly. ‘We’ve stopped work on the dangerous sections. Everything else is sound.’

‘Since when does Margaret need actual facts?’ Bec muttered.

Jake read the notice carefully, his expression hardening. ‘She’s technically correct that foundation failure is a safety issue. But she’s wrong that it makes the building unsalvageable. We need to prove we have a viable plan and the resources to execute it.’

‘The council meeting is Monday,’ Alex said. ‘We’ve got five days to prepare our case.’

‘And we’ve got the Community Foundation meeting Friday,’ Jill added. ‘If they commit funding, that strengthens our position significantly.’

That afternoon, Brian from the Creek Hotel appeared at the worksite, driving his distinctive red truck. ‘Heard you lot were dealing with foundation troubles,’ he said, climbing out. ‘Thought I’d come see what all the fuss was about.’

Jake showed him the foundation issues, explained the repair plan. Brian listened carefully, asked intelligent questions, then nodded.

‘You know what you’re doing,’ he said. ‘Margaret’s stirring up trouble because she can’t stand not being in control. Don’t let her rattle you.’

‘That’s what everyone keeps saying,’ Sophie said. ‘But she’s got the council’s ear.’