Wish You Were Here, page 1
PRAISE FOR A Stone’s Throw Away
‘Fans will not be disappointed and new readers are likely to be converted … those looking for romance, suspense or contemporary novels will all find something to enjoy.’ —Beauty and Lace
‘With its appealing characters, well-crafted setting and layered storyline, A Stone’s Throw Away is an entertaining read.’ —Book’d Out
‘Karly Lane has delivered a wonderfully immersive novel with a highly engaging plot, gripping suspense and compelling twists. A Stone’s Throw Away is a story of courage, resilience and a passion for the truth.’ —The Burgeoning Bookshelf
‘I’m always highly impressed by Lane’s ability to write compelling, entertaining and emotional storylines and weave some of Australia’s history through her stories … it was an absolute treat to be back in one of her stories.’ —Noveltea Corner
‘There was so much emotion captured in these pages … Karly’s novels never fail to entertain.’ —Mic Loves Books
PRAISE FOR Once Burnt, Twice Shy
‘Well written, and bravely done … Once Burnt Twice Shy is Karly Lane’s best yet, celebrating the power of community working to support one another in terrible calamity.’ —Blue Wolf Reviews
‘… an enduring story of the courage and resilience shown by so many.’ —Mic Loves Books
‘Karly Lane gives it her all in Once Burnt, Twice Shy … a story of faith, courage, strength and future prospects, Lane’s eighteenth novel is a sizzling summer read.’ —Mrs B’s Book Reviews
‘Karly Lane is truly writing about the amazing work that people who live in these communities do, from the RFS on down. This book has a huge amount of hope after loss, a wonderful read.’ —Noveltea Corner
‘Heart in mouth stuff, readers. You won’t be able to put the book down till you know what happens to Jack and Sam.’ —Australian Romance Readers
PRAISE FOR Take Me Home
‘Full of romance, humour and a touch of the supernatural, this is another engaging tale by the reliable Karly Lane.’ —Canberra Weekly Magazine
‘Karly Lane is back with another beautiful, cosy story that will sweep you away on a journey.’ —Noveltea Corner
‘Such a fun read … Karly has smashed the contemporary fiction genre with Take Me Home.’ —Beauty and Lace
‘Take Me Home is a delight to read. I loved the change of scenery while still enjoying Karly Lane’s wonderful, familiar storytelling.’ —Book’d Out
PRAISE FOR Something Like This
‘Another unmissable rural romance story of pain, loss, suffering and the power of love … Karly Lane is firmly on my must-read list.’ —Beauty and Lace
‘A great book from an author I love … Karly Lane never fails me.’ —Noveltea Corner
‘There is more to this narrative than rural romance; this is a multi-faceted exploration of loss, grief, families, second chances and courage … I loved this!’ —Reading, Writing and Riesling
‘An engaging story, set at a gentle pace, told with genuine warmth for her characters and setting, Something Like This is a lovely and eminently satisfying read.’ —Book’d Out
‘Engaging, genuine, with a storyline we can all relate to … Karly Lane has the wonderful ability to bring the many facets of everyday existence to life. Another fantastic story.’ —Blue Wolf Reviews
PRAISE FOR Fool Me Once
‘Fool Me Once is a guaranteed perfect light read … Karly Lane has woven a delicious tale of lust, love, betrayal, consequences and chasing dreams, which as time passes often need to be reconsidered.’ —Blue Wolf Reviews
‘I adore Karly Lane’s books—they always signal a wonderful time curled up on the couch with a cup of tea … Lane writes compelling characters and relationship realities, and I’m all here for it.’ —Noveltea Corner
‘With its appealing characters, easy pace and happy ending, I found Fool Me Once to be another engaging and satisfying rural romance novel.’ —Book’d Out
‘Karly Lane’s affinity for the land shines through in her stories … Fool Me Once is a feel-good story not to be missed.’ —The Burgeoning Bookshelf
PRAISE FOR Return to Stringybark Creek
‘Captivating, entertaining and most enjoyable, this return visit with the Callahans encourages the understanding that sometimes there are, even from the darkest of times, huge positives to be discovered.’ —Blue Wolf Reviews
‘Lane has added additional depth to this story that highlights the plight of Australian farmers and farming communities who are under strain … I’m grateful for the calm and considered way Lane has approached the topic. The Callahans have become a favourite book family of mine … they define family and friendship and it’s been a real pleasure to read their stories.’ —Noveltea Corner
‘Karly Lane creates likeable, warm characters as she twists and turns her story … an entertaining read with an intriguing love story set against the challenges of farming and its stresses.’ —The Weekly Times
Karly Lane lives on the beautiful mid-North Coast of New South Wales, and she is the proud mum of four children and an assortment of four-legged animals.
Before becoming an author, Karly worked as a pathology collector. Now, after surviving three teenage children and with one more to go, she’s confident she can add referee, hostage negotiator, law enforcer, peacekeeper, ruiner-of-social-lives, driving instructor and expert-at silently-counting-to-ten to her resume.
When she isn’t at her keyboard, Karly can be found hanging out with her beloved horses and dogs, happily ignoring the housework.
Karly writes Rural and Women’s Fiction set in small country towns, blending contemporary stories with historical heritage. She is a passionate advocate for rural Australia, with a focus on rural communities and current issues. She has published over twenty books with Allen & Unwin.
ALSO BY KARLY LANE
North Star
Morgan’s Law
Bridie’s Choice
Poppy’s Dilemma
Gemma’s Bluff
Tallowood Bound
Second Chance Town
Third Time Lucky
If Wishes Were Horses
Six Ways to Sunday
Someone Like You
The Wrong Callahan
Mr Right Now
Return to Stringybark Creek
Fool Me Once
Something Like This
Take Me Home
Once Burnt, Twice Shy
A Stone’s Throw Away
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
First published in 2022
Copyright © Karly Lane 2022
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.
Allen & Unwin
Cammeraygal Country
83 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Australia
Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100
Email: info@allenandunwin.com
Web:www.allenandunwin.com
Allen & Unwin acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Country on which we live and work. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, past and present.
ISBN 978 1 76106 610 8
eISBN 978 1 76118 571 7
Set by Bookhouse, Sydney
Cover design: Louisa Maggio Design
Cover photographs: Alamy/iStock/Shutterstock
For Kaitlin,
Thank you for being the best personal assistant, farm manager and offsider a mum could ask for, especially since you do it for love and not cash!
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Acknowledgements
Prologue
LONDON, TWO YEARS EARLIER.
Reggie MacLeod stared out her office window at the gloomy grey skies and watched the raindrops dribble down the windowpane, trying to remember the last time she’d seen the sun. She should be used to it by now—the UK weather—but somehow it continued to surprise her just how often it bloody rained!
The cold never bothered her here—she’d grown up in Ebor, a little village in the New England region of New South Wales in Australia on her family property, River Styx. She knew about cold. Early mornings feeding animals before school in winter were still not her favourite memories. But the summers were hot and long, and even now if she closed her eyes she could almost smell the sweet scent of wattle and eucalyptus on a warm breeze.
Reggie shook her head as though trying to dislodge the glum mood she was in and looked back at the computer screen in front of her. Focus, she instructed herself firmly.
She couldn’t pinpoint the reason why she’d been feeling so miserable lately—she had no reason to be, her life was pretty much perfect. She had the job she’d always dreamed of having, an apartment in one of the most beautiful parts of London, friends and colleagues who respected her and an income that allowed her the freedom to travel and explore Europe as much as she liked, and yet this annoying melancholy kind of emptiness kept poking its head up more and more often, sapping her joy and making her long for something she couldn’t quite define, which always seemed just out of reach.
Her mother was convinced all she needed a good man—although she knew her parents were secretly worried that she’d end up falling in love with an Englishman and staying in the UK forever. So far, despite the fact Reggie had an active social life, she’d never found anyone she’d been serious about. There had been that one Scotsman she’d spent a lovely weekend with in Edinburgh a few months ago. Too bad it turned out he was married and away on a boys’ rugby trip.
She let out a frustrated sigh as she once again forced herself to concentrate. She was handling one of the firm’s biggest client’s new ad campaign—she should be running on a high since her boss had put so much faith in her ability to pull this thing off. It had been something she’d been working towards ever since she got here, and yet, now that she had it … it really was crazy, but it almost felt as though she’d lost interest. She closed her eyes briefly as the thought materialised. She could never allow herself to utter those words out loud. Ever. It was ridiculous to even be thinking it. How could she think a career she’d spent years working so hard on was suddenly … overrated?
Thoughts of home had been playing on her mind lately, and with each phone or video call, she missed her family more. Maybe she just needed a visit. She was homesick, that was all. Maybe once she went back, she’d recharge her batteries and find the passion for her job again. The thought cheered her up no end. As soon as she finished this presentation, she’d put in for a few weeks’ holidays and go home.
Her phone rang and she gave a small chuckle when her brother’s name flashed across the screen.
‘Talk about ESP,’ she murmured. ‘Hey, great timing, Goober,’ she said, wedging the phone between her neck and shoulder as an interoffice message flashed up on her screen that she needed to answer immediately. ‘I’ve just decided I’m going to book a trip home soon.’
For a moment there was no reply on the other end of the line and Reggie frowned as she finished typing a reply on her keyboard. She pulled the phone away from her ear and put it back again. ‘Brent? Are you there?’
‘Yeah,’ her brother’s deep voice answered, as he cleared his throat quickly. ‘Reg, something’s happened.’ His usual laidback teasing tone was missing, and instantly Reggie felt her blood freeze in her veins. ‘It’s Mum and Dad.’
‘What’s happened?’ Her voice sounded hollow—empty.
‘They were in a car accident. They’re both in a bad way. I think you should come home as soon as you can get a flight.’
Reggie didn’t remember much after that, just snippets of things—informing the receptionist she was leaving, muttering something about her parents, booking the plane ticket, going back to her apartment. Her neighbour, Tiffany, had answered when Reggie knocked on her door and, taking one look at Reggie’s pale face, helped her organise everything.
It was Felicity, Brent’s fiancé, who picked Reggie up from the airport. The city traffic blurred as they headed for the hospital where her parents had been transferred from the accident scene.
‘They’re going to be all right,’ Felicity said to her, taking her eyes briefly from the road to give her a reassuring look. ‘Ray and Peggy are two of the strongest people I know. They won’t give up without a fight.’
Reggie desperately wanted to believe her, but the initial prognosis hadn’t been so promising.
‘How’s Brent?’ Reggie asked. Her eyes felt gritty and sore from the long flight and minimal sleep.
‘He’s doing his best to stay positive. But he’s trying to do too much. Be everywhere. He wanted to pick you up himself but he had to drive back to River Styx yesterday. He’ll be back tomorrow.’
‘Thank you for staying here with them,’ Reggie said, reaching over to squeeze her soon-to-be sister-in-law’s hand. ‘I know Brent couldn’t have managed without you. He’s lucky to have you—we all are,’ she added, noticing the strange, tight smile on the other woman’s face. ‘Are you doing okay?’
Felicity was like a second daughter to her parents—and a sister to Reggie. She and Brent had been together since high school and was a part of the family. It couldn’t have been easy trying to comfort Brent as well as deal with her own grief over her in-laws’ accident.
‘I …’ Felicity started, then abruptly clamped her mouth shut, shaking her head and quickly wiping away a stray tear.
Reggie bit her lip against the threat of her own tears. She couldn’t break down now—not before she went in to see her parents. She had to hold it together for them.
‘I’m just really glad you’re here, Reg,’ Felicity finally managed.
The smell of the hospital, so clinical and alien, confronted Reggie the moment she walked through the front doors. She followed Felicity along a corridor and into an elevator, arriving at the ICU where they waited for the doctor to finish his rounds.
Her mother had what they suspected were severe spinal injuries, which would put her into a wheelchair for the rest of her life, requiring extensive physiotherapy and help with day-to-day care. Her father’s leg injuries were going to require multiple operations.
Her parents were situated in two different parts of the hospital and Reggie was allowed to see each of them briefly. Her mother was still sedated—they’d put her into an induced coma until the swelling eased so the doctors could continue to assess her—but it was already obvious that her injuries were extensive. The doctors were waiting to see if there was any brain damage. Reggie felt the blood drain from her face as she lowered herself into a seat beside her mother’s bed.
If it weren’t for the name above the bed and the slender hands on top of the blankets, Reggie wasn’t sure she’d have recognised her mother beneath all the bandages, tubes and bruising. She was so still, so quiet—nothing like the animated, happy mother Reggie knew.
‘You can hold her hand,’ Felicity said gently. ‘They say it helps.’
Reggie reached for her mum’s hand and slid her own warm ones around it, willing some of her own energy into the almost lifeless-looking body beside her. ‘Please be okay, Mum. I can’t lose you.’ She blinked rapidly to try to disperse the gathering tears but there were too many of them and they overflowed and ran down her cheeks. Felicity put an arm around Reggie and held her tight as they sat together silently, willing the woman in the bed to come back to them.
A few floors up, her father looked almost as bad as her mother. He was covered in bruises and cuts, his eyes swollen shut and his legs … Reggie did her best to keep the horrified expression from her face as she took in the bulky, medieval torture devices piercing her father’s lower legs—the wounds still fresh and raw from the accident.
‘I look like a pig on a spit,’ her dad’s croaky voice sounded, making Reggie jump. She’d thought he was asleep.
‘Hi Dad. How do you feel?’ she asked, before rolling her eyes, and shaking her head. Dumb question.
