Hope's Road by Margareta Osborn Read Free Book Online Page B

his attention. He loped towards the rocky outcrop which would give him a view of the whole Narree Valley. From here he could see his own driveway, and the vehicle currently traversing it. It was red, that much he could ascertain. Shiny and clean, judging by the glints coming off the duco in the late afternoon sun. Sporty looking too. Spoiler, mag wheels. A younger person’s car. Either that or a mid-life crisis kind of vehicle.
    The car kept coming and Trav weighed his options. He could disappear into the scrub but that would mean leaving his fire unattended and he really didn’t want to do that. He could put out the fire but any dumb fool would know it was very recent. He sighed. Damn it. He’d have to hang around and talk to whoever it was. Maybe they’d leave quick?
    As the car turned around the last corner to the house he strode back towards the yard, his hand automatically moving to smooth down the buzz cut which had forced his normally wavy brown hair into submission. He settled his face into an impassive expression while piercing blue eyes took in the vision exiting the vehicle, inch by inch. Something he hadn’t seen up on this hill in a very long time. A female. An attractive one at that.
    Ms Jacinta Greenaway slowly emerged from the snazzy car like a cat.
    â€˜Travis? How lovely to see you. Just thought I’d drop by.’
    Inwardly, Trav groaned. Outwardly, he slung a half-wave in the air and moved forwards quickly, in the hopes he could head her off before she moved too far from the vehicle.
    â€˜Jacinta.’
    â€˜Call me Cin, Trav. What a beautiful . . . er . . .’ She stalled as she took in the old and ugly cement-sheet cottage. ‘ . . . view. What a lovely view.’
    He’d give it to her: she was a trier. There had been a few of them over the last few years. Always trying to coax Trav into their bed. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the sights and sounds of a good woman. Far from it, he liked them all right – at a distance. It was just that in the early days he hadn’t been able to think beyond Katrina. And now? Well, now he just couldn’t be bothered. Worst thing was, women seemed to be attracted to ‘couldn’t be bothered’.
    â€˜Thanks. If you don’t mind I’ll keep it to Jacinta, you being Billy’s teacher and all.’
    Jacinta started flapping her hands as though she wanted to brush his words away.
    â€˜Billy might get teased by his mates if they heard me calling you by your nickname,’ he said, scrambling for another reason.
    â€˜Oh yes, I see. Of course.’
    Trav could tell she didn’t see at all. Hell. This one was going to be harder to put off than he’d thought. ‘So what brings you to McCauley’s Hill, Jacinta? We don’t often get visitors up here.’
    â€˜Well, I was just passing by –’
    â€˜On a dead-end road?’ Trav raised an eyebrow.
    Cin looked slightly pissed off. ‘Well, actually, now you mention it, there’s a little problem with Billy. Your son.’
    â€˜I’m well aware he’s my son.’ Trav might have been playing it cool on the surface, but his stomach muscles were clenching. ‘What’s he done?’
    â€˜It’s what he’s not doing that is the issue.’
    â€˜And that is . . . ?’
    Jacinta sighed, then right before his eyes pulled on another persona. In an instant, it seemed, the flickering eyelashes and the sultry expression disappeared. ‘He’s been wagging school. Over the last month he’s missed at least four days. And there’s been no note.’
    â€˜Four days?’ Shit. What was the little bugger up to?
    â€˜Yes. And I thought you should know about it. Much better for me to tell you in person rather than over the phone, don’t you think?’
    â€˜Four days,’ Trav muttered to himself. He never saw Billy off to