Read Online Beneath Outback Skies by Alissa Callen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alissa Callen
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mountain of books to the counter where Anne would smile, check them out and press a red star stamp onto the back of her hand.
Paige’s feet dragged. She still trod the same well-worn path towards the counter. A smile would still light up Anne’s ageless face. Emotion ached in Paige’s throat. But now her beautiful mother wouldn’t be there to hold her hand when a story made her cry, or reassure her happy endings really did exist. Paige stopped at the counter. If only she could press rewind to a time of childhood innocence when hope went hand-in-hand with happily-ever-afters. When there was no death and no drought.
‘Paige?’ As if from a long distance away Anne’s voice registered. The world rushed back into focus.
‘Sorry, I was off with the fairies.’
‘Hope it was raining there in fairyland,’ Anne said, voice soft.
Paige smiled a smile she didn’t feel. ‘Yes, yes it was.’
‘Now,’ Anne placed a small box onto the counter and pulled out a black phone, ‘while this won’t make it rain here any sooner, it will resolve the mobile issue.’
Paige opened her mouth to speak but Anne was quicker.
‘Before you say anything, Paige, please listen. You would be doing me a favour by using this phone. It has nine months of prepaid credit that is being wasted. It’s a long story but I bought this phone when I lost my other one. Needless to say my original mobile turned up soon after I purchased a replacement.’
Paige eyed off the black phone as if it would leap out of Anne’s hands and take a chunk out of her arm. ‘Can’t you transfer the credit to your other phone?’
Tait took the mobile from Anne and pressed the ‘on’ button. Music sounded as the phone carolled into life.
‘Is your other phone carrier the same as this one?’ he asked Anne.
She shook her head.
‘There’s your answer, Paige.’
She pursed her lips. At university she’d owned some antiquated mobile that was different to her friends’ snazzier versions, so she was far from techno-savvy. But there was something in the way Anne and Tait looked at her that tripped her suspicions. She didn’t know whether to believe the two of them or not. It was as though they’d formed an instant united front. They were up to something. She just had no way of knowing what.
Tait pressed some buttons and his phone sang in his pocket. He took out his mobile, typed in a number and Anne’s phone chimed. He pressed more buttons before reaching for Paige’s hand and placing the phone onto her palm. The mobile felt so cold compared with the warmth of his brief touch.
‘There you go. Numbers are exchanged and in contacts and you have about an hour’s worth of battery life.’
Paige stared at the phone. ‘Anne, are you sure?’
‘Yes, dear. Please take it.’
Since her mother died Anne had gone out of her way to keep an eye on her. Paige couldn’t understand why the kind-hearted librarian had never remarried. A year into her marriage to a local farmer she’d lost her husband when a wheat silo he’d been climbing on collapsed. She’d then moved into town and Paige guessed that the library had become Anne’s life.
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re very welcome. Now how about I get those newspapers and books for your father? I’m sure you’ve many jobs to do.’
Anne bustled away but Paige wasn’t convinced it was because of any urgency. She had a sneaking suspicion Anne disappeared before Paige could voice any second thoughts.
Tait scooped the box off the counter and passed it to her. The box hung suspended between them, forming a physical link, before Tait slowly let go.
‘Thanks,’ she said.
‘No worries.’ Seriousness lingered in his eyes and grooves again bracketed his mouth. ‘Now where did you say that coffee shop was?’
Three texts and two coffees later, Tait pulled up outside the local veterinarian. From Dusty’s trampolining on the back seat he knew they’d arrived at the place where Paige had arranged to meet
Paige’s feet dragged. She still trod the same well-worn path towards the counter. A smile would still light up Anne’s ageless face. Emotion ached in Paige’s throat. But now her beautiful mother wouldn’t be there to hold her hand when a story made her cry, or reassure her happy endings really did exist. Paige stopped at the counter. If only she could press rewind to a time of childhood innocence when hope went hand-in-hand with happily-ever-afters. When there was no death and no drought.
‘Paige?’ As if from a long distance away Anne’s voice registered. The world rushed back into focus.
‘Sorry, I was off with the fairies.’
‘Hope it was raining there in fairyland,’ Anne said, voice soft.
Paige smiled a smile she didn’t feel. ‘Yes, yes it was.’
‘Now,’ Anne placed a small box onto the counter and pulled out a black phone, ‘while this won’t make it rain here any sooner, it will resolve the mobile issue.’
Paige opened her mouth to speak but Anne was quicker.
‘Before you say anything, Paige, please listen. You would be doing me a favour by using this phone. It has nine months of prepaid credit that is being wasted. It’s a long story but I bought this phone when I lost my other one. Needless to say my original mobile turned up soon after I purchased a replacement.’
Paige eyed off the black phone as if it would leap out of Anne’s hands and take a chunk out of her arm. ‘Can’t you transfer the credit to your other phone?’
Tait took the mobile from Anne and pressed the ‘on’ button. Music sounded as the phone carolled into life.
‘Is your other phone carrier the same as this one?’ he asked Anne.
She shook her head.
‘There’s your answer, Paige.’
She pursed her lips. At university she’d owned some antiquated mobile that was different to her friends’ snazzier versions, so she was far from techno-savvy. But there was something in the way Anne and Tait looked at her that tripped her suspicions. She didn’t know whether to believe the two of them or not. It was as though they’d formed an instant united front. They were up to something. She just had no way of knowing what.
Tait pressed some buttons and his phone sang in his pocket. He took out his mobile, typed in a number and Anne’s phone chimed. He pressed more buttons before reaching for Paige’s hand and placing the phone onto her palm. The mobile felt so cold compared with the warmth of his brief touch.
‘There you go. Numbers are exchanged and in contacts and you have about an hour’s worth of battery life.’
Paige stared at the phone. ‘Anne, are you sure?’
‘Yes, dear. Please take it.’
Since her mother died Anne had gone out of her way to keep an eye on her. Paige couldn’t understand why the kind-hearted librarian had never remarried. A year into her marriage to a local farmer she’d lost her husband when a wheat silo he’d been climbing on collapsed. She’d then moved into town and Paige guessed that the library had become Anne’s life.
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re very welcome. Now how about I get those newspapers and books for your father? I’m sure you’ve many jobs to do.’
Anne bustled away but Paige wasn’t convinced it was because of any urgency. She had a sneaking suspicion Anne disappeared before Paige could voice any second thoughts.
Tait scooped the box off the counter and passed it to her. The box hung suspended between them, forming a physical link, before Tait slowly let go.
‘Thanks,’ she said.
‘No worries.’ Seriousness lingered in his eyes and grooves again bracketed his mouth. ‘Now where did you say that coffee shop was?’
Three texts and two coffees later, Tait pulled up outside the local veterinarian. From Dusty’s trampolining on the back seat he knew they’d arrived at the place where Paige had arranged to meet
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