“I always appreciated having Mum at home,” Ed said. “Though she worked out on the station when we were at school. She made the best scones.”
His wistfulness made her guilty. She should appreciate her family more.
It was getting dark as they approached a town called Meekatharra. Ed had switched on the headlights, but they barely highlighted the road. Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes and the seatbelt cut into Tess’s chest. The tyres screeched, and in front of them a kangaroo bounded across the road, just missing the van.
Ed swore as he slowly accelerated again, but not up to the speed limit.
Tess’s heart pounded. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s stop in Meekatharra for dinner. I still want to get a few more kilometres under us before we stop for the night, but dusk is when the ’roos are most active. There’s a roadhouse with a caravan park another couple of hours north if you don’t mind sleeping in the back.”
Tess glanced behind. There was room for both of them to sleep, and the van had come with a quilt and sheets. Ed had been nothing but kind to her since they’d started the journey, but she didn’t love the idea of sleeping under the same bedding as him. Her face heated.
“We can stop at the store and pick up a sleeping bag, so I don’t have to worry about you hogging the quilt,” he added with a smile.
Someone had been looking after Tess when they’d put Ed in her path. Relief filled her. “That would be great.”
“Can you check our food options?” He handed her his phone.
She searched for options, but there weren’t many.
“What have you found?” Ed asked.
She looked up and realised they’d entered the town. Ed pulled over to the side of the road in a parking spot. She gave him his phone. “There are a couple of motels ahead and the tavern.”
He scrolled through the options. “Have you got a preference?”
“How about the tavern?” The food looked cheap and she could offer to pay for them both. He was already paying for all the petrol.
“All right. But let’s buy the sleeping bag first.” They hurried inside a general store, which was about to close. At the back was a small camping section. She spotted the sleeping bags and her shoulders relaxed.
“I figured they’d have some,” Ed said, grabbing one from the shelf. “A lot of campers come this way, and someone always needs supplies.”
Ed paid for the sleeping bag and drove them to the pub, where she insisted on paying for dinner. She couldn’t keep taking advantage of his generosity.
As they sat at the bar, Ed heaved a long sigh. Under the bright lights, he looked exhausted. She reached out to him. “Thank you for driving, Ed. I really appreciate it.”
His smile was filled with fatigue. “I should thank you. It’s nice to have company.”
She pressed her lips together. “Maybe I can try to drive again,” she said. “After we’re out of town, we can switch in one of those rest stops.”
“Maybe tomorrow,” he said. “The headlights are rubbish and you’re not used to the wildlife.” He yawned. “I’ll be right after some caffeine and decent food.”
He had a point. She’d monitor him and find some vibrant tunes to play until they stopped for the night.
They shared a delicious pizza and then headed back to the van. Ed stretched before he got in.
“Are you sure you’re all right to drive? We could stay here for the night.” She wanted to insist, but he was the one with the wedding to get to.
“Yeah. I’ll take it slow. It will mean we’ve only got twelve hours to drive tomorrow.”
Which meant they would arrive late on the eve of the wedding. No wonder he was pushing his limits.
They drove out of town and were shrouded in darkness. Ed switched on the high beams, which made little difference in the abyss. He drove twenty kilometres under the speed limit and stared ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel.
Would music be too much of a distraction from watching for wildlife?
Tess turned her attention to the road. Any early warning of a kangaroo would be needed. They weren’t ten kilometres out of town when eyes glowed on the side of the road. “There!” She pointed.
