"I don't know.Honestly, I just don't know how I'm going to face him." She picked at astray lock of hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I have to find himfirst, though."
"I thought Torywould have told you all that. Boy wants to keep you to himself, if you askme," Essie said. "Stevie is easy to find anyway. Just go to thepolice station."
Russ looked up."What are you saying, Essie?"
"He joined thepolice force. Doing well for himself too. Pretty much runs the place from whatI hear."
"Stevie is acop?" Rooney's voice shook with disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Hewas the worst kid in town. It's amazing he never ended up with a record."
"Don't go thinkingI've turned into a know-it-all but I reckon he did it to prove he could bebetter than what your father thought him to be."
Russ shared a glancewith Rooney. "What exactly do you know that you’re not telling us,Essie?"
***
"Your father tookit upon himself to go and visit Stevie when you ran away. I guess he thought hewould know where you were. Seems he gave the poor boy more than a piece of hismind, if you get my meaning." Essie wiped her hands on her apron as shespoke.
"Dad took it outon his hide, didn't he, same as he did to me?" She gripped her handstogether waiting for what she knew was the answer. Deep inside, Rooney hadwanted him to hurt as she had been hurt, but the adult woman she was cringed atthe thought of her father bashing her boyfriend. He was a hard man with a heavyhand. She still had the scars on her butt from his leather belt to prove howmean he could be.
"Yes, he did.After that, Stevie took it upon himself to prove to your father he wasn't thekid he thought he was. He went back to school at night to get his HSC. Joinedthe police force and made a name for himself. Still the determined little brathe always was too, by all accounts." Essie grinned as though she knew allthe secrets. "Pity those poor criminals who think they are cleverer thanthe police. They don't stand a chance against Stevie."
"Poorbastard." Russ shook his head. "So now you know where he is, when areyou going to do it?"
"When I feel thetime is right and don't go trying to push me, either of you. This is mybusiness and I'll do it when I'm ready." She slammed her hands on thecounter and stormed from the kitchen, annoyed at being put on the spot. It waseasier to think of Stevie being the one who didn't have to pay the price of beingcaught in the barn. Easier to hate him for the way he left her to fend off herfather by herself. That way she could blame him for how hard it had been byherself, trying to study and raise a toddler when all she wanted was to run tohis side for support.
Deep down, Rooney knewhe would have worried about her. Anyone would run from her father, he broughtout the fear in everyone at some stage. Stevie had every reason to be scared.
But the sight of himrunning out of the barn buck naked with his jeans in his hands had wrenched ather gut, leaving her with an emptiness she’d found hard to fill. Until Tam wasborn. Then she was too busy to miss what she didn't have.
Now she was back, thethought of seeing him again was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.
Rooney walked up thestairs and paused at her bedroom door. Tam had insisted she leave the curtainsopen so she could see the moon against the darkness of the sky. Her little girlwas afraid of the dark. A night light was plugged in the power switch by the door,casting a muted light across the beautiful carpet and antique furniture fillingthe room.
Tam slept on her backwith one arm thrown above her head and the other wrapped around an old stuffedtoy. Rooney leaned down to brush the thick dark hair from her daughter’s faceand smiled. All the hardship had been worth it to keep this precious littlebeing safe.
Rooney looked up whenshe heard soft footfalls behind her. Russ placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't mean topiss you off," he whispered.
"I know."
He looked past her tothe sleeping child and she watched the smile light up his face. "She isbeautiful."
"Yeah, I think sotoo but I'm biased. She has turned out pretty well, considering."
"I doubt you wouldhave it any other way, Rooney. I'm sorry Mum never got to see her."
"Yeah, metoo."
"Come outside andspend ten minutes with me. I'm too wound up yet to sleep." Russ looped hisarm through hers and walked her down the stairs. The front door stood open andthey walked out onto the wide wooden veranda to stand looking over the frontlawn. The huge Morten Bay fig trees in each corner of the yard swayed in thegentle breeze. Rays of white from the moon shone down on the dam at the frontof the property, and the sound of water birds drifted up to the house.
"So, tell me, howis the new job going really?" Rooney untangled her arm from Russ's and satdown on the front steps. She shuffled over when he lowered himself to join her.
"I love the changeof pace, if nothing else. The head nurse is pretty efficient and has everythingrunning well." He sighed and ran his hand around the back of his neck.
"What aren't yousaying?"
"I think all butone of the nurses have hit on me already and I've only been there a week."He laughed, the sound loud in the still night air.
"What's wrong withthat? You're young, good looking and available."
Russ nudged his sisterwith his shoulder, grinning. "The only one who appeals to me is playinghard to get."
"Looks like you'vegot your work cut out for you then." Rooney slapped her hand on her thigh,giggling. "Best you get out
