opportunity.’ Helen turned back to Tess. ‘Because I have plans for you, my dear.’
‘Oh?’ Tess’s voice was nothing but a whisper.
‘Every year we hold a two-week summer camp at the college, and we want you to give music tuition. Heavens, talk about a coup!’
‘But…but I couldn’t possibly leave Ty and Krissie for two whole weeks.’
‘My dear, they can come too. There’ll be all sorts of activities to keep them occupied.’
‘But—’
Helen’s eyes narrowed and hardened. Cam shifted his feet. The headmistress hadn’t got where she was today by taking no for an answer.
‘Miss Laing, you can’t possibly have a problem with wanting to assist The community that has taken you under its wing. Surely?’
‘Well, no, of course not.’
His lips twisted. The rotten woman should’ve gone into politics.
‘Excellent!’ She took Tess’s arm and led her back the way she’d come. ‘I’ll email you with all the details. And don’t worry, you’ll be handsomely reimbursed.’
‘How are you, Cameron?’ his mother asked, her question stopping him from following.
He rolled his shoulders. ‘Fine, and you?’
Her hand fluttered to her throat. ‘Fine.’
He shifted from one leg to the other. ‘Would you like to come around for dinner one day this week?’ The words burst from him. They burned and needled but he didn’t retract them.
‘Oh!’ She swallowed. ‘I…I’m afraid this week isn’t good.’
‘Right.’ Exactly the same response as the last time he’d asked her. ‘Let me know when your diary clears.’
She opened her mouth, but closed it again without saying anything more. ‘I’d better go,’ she finally said. ‘Goodbye, Cameron.’
‘Mum.’
He stared after her and then started in surprise when Ty slipped his small hand inside Cam’s. He glanced down. ‘You okay, buddy?’
‘What did that lady want?’
‘I think she wants your auntie Tess to do some work for her.’
‘Auntie Tess didn’t look very happy.’
No, she hadn’t. Why not? If she had a passion for music…Cam cut the thought off and focused on allaying Ty’s concern instead. ‘I think your auntie Tess is going to be just fine, Ty. She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to.’
Ty thought about that for a moment and then nodded. ‘Would you like to play fetch with Barney?’
CAM STRODE THROUGH the back door of the schoolhouse. If Stacy really wanted to turn that lower field into a play area for the children, they were going to need to talk about drainage, fund-raising and working bees.
He turned the corner and then pulled up short as Tess bolted through the school’s front door.
He swallowed. he’d spent two afternoons last week finishing off the chicken coop. Both times she’d invited him to stay for dinner. Both times he’d declined. Since he’d revealed he was leaving Bellaroo Creek, they’d maintained a polite but slightly formal distance.
Which was fine by him. As far as he was concerned the less time he spent thinking about her, the better.
He watched her halt now, press her hands to her waist and drag in a breath. Something was up. Before he could kick himself forward and ask what, she’d set her spine and moved straight for Stacy Bennet’s office. ‘Hey, chickadee, what’s up?’
Before she could enter the office, however, Krissie had hurtled out of it to fling herself at Tess, her face crumpled and her shoulders shaking with sobs. Tess held her against her with one hand while the other caressed the hair back off her face. His gut tightened as he watched her. Her love was evident in every touch and gesture. The set of her shoulders and her bent head told him that Krissie’s pain was her own. He had to swallow. He rolled his shoulders, but he couldn’t look away.
Krissie’s storm was brief. When she finally relaxed her grip, Tess led her back into the office. Had someone frightened Krissie again? Almost without thinking he moved towards the office, halting in its doorway. Tess, Krissie and Stacy all sat on Stacy’s sofa, and Tess wiped Krissie’s face with a handful of tissues. They didn’t see him.
‘You want to tell me what happened, chickadee?’
He marvelled at the calm strength in her voice, at her distinct I-can-fix-anything attitude. He shoved his hands in his pockets. Tess Laing was a hell of a woman. He took a step back. She obviously had everything under control. He should leave and give them some privacy. He turned away.
‘Do we have money troubles?’ Krissie hiccupped.
He stiffened and swung back.
‘Heavens, no,’ Tess pooh-poohed. ‘What’s brought this on?’
‘Mikey said we must be poor if we’re renting a house for a dollar a week. And I know that when you’re poor bad things can happen.’
Cam stiffened. A five-year-old should be happy and carefree, not constantly glancing over her shoulder waiting for bad things to happen. A five-year-old shouldn’t have so little faith in all that was bright and good.
Neither should a twenty-nine-year-old.
He shook that thought off.
For the first time he truly appreciated the task Tess had set herself.
Tess tucked the child under her arm and pulled her in close. ‘When you’re a bit older I’ll explain life insurance policies to you, chickadee. You’ll probably learn all about them at school when you’re fourteen or fifteen. But I can promise—cross my heart—that your mum and dad made sure that you, Ty and me would have enough money so we wouldn’t want for anything.’
She’d taken the perfect tone, and she had perfect—
He averted his gaze and wished he’d thought to do that before she’d crossed her heart.
He glanced back to see Krissie turn up a hopeful face. ‘Really?’
‘Really, truly.’
‘Daddy too?’
‘Daddy too.’
Tess might’ve taken the perfect tone, but some sixth sense warned him that she was horribly close to tears. Stacy jumped to the rescue. ‘You want to know why your aunt Tess wanted to come to Bellaroo
