Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover Page B

fun.’
    In the closed confines of the ute, Jess was very aware of Adam, his shoulder almost touching hers as he steered the car around a sharp corner. Almost touching. Not quite. She wondered which one of them was more determined to avoid that touch.
    They had turned off the gravel road and onto a long straight stretch of grey bitumen. On either side, scrubby bush lined the road. Red dust, blown by the wind, left bright lines across the dull surface of the road. Jess felt as if she could drive for days, and see nothing but the red soil, the bright blue sky and the bush.
    A kilometre further down the road, the first of the town buildings appeared.
    â€˜That’s my hospital,’ Adam said proudly, as he pointed to a long low building, built on wooden stumps with the ever-present wide veranda. ‘The mine pays for it, of course. They built it originally to treat anyone injured at the mine. There are always a few of them, but luckily the injuries are usually slight. I had trouble convincing them they needed to expand it – but when the first baby was delivered there, they finally got the message. It’s pretty well equipped now, but anyone requiring surgery has to go to Mount Isa or Longreach. We also treat the people from the Aboriginal community. That’s why Sister Luke is here.’
    Jess liked the pride in his voice as he spoke. How wonderful to have something to be proud of. She’d had that once. Pride in her skill as a pilot. Maybe this job would help her find that again.
    More buildings started to appear. They were remarkably similar timber structures, all raised clear of the ground on wooden stumps. The paint on every building was faded by the blistering heat of the sun. There was nothing resembling the green lawns and colourful gardens of Jessica’s suburban upbringing. Out here there was barely enough water for people, let alone for plants. The vehicle started to slow down as they approached the intersection that Jess had seen from the air. The signpost on the corner pointed east towards Longreach and north towards Mount Isa. They had reached the centre of town. Jess took a deep breath and looked along the town’s main street. There wasn’t a single person to be seen. Not a car moved, apart from the one she was in. Coorah Creek was a long way from anywhere … slow moving and quiet. Some people would no doubt find it boring.
    It was exactly what Jess was looking for.
    In no time at all, Adam pulled up in front of the only two-storey building in the town. ‘Come on in and let me introduce you to the Warrens. Syd and Trish run the place. I should warn you, Trish does talk rather a lot. They’re good people. Most of the people here are. They’ll welcome you with open arms.’
    Adam grabbed her bags and ushered her through the doors into the pub’s one big room. It was cool inside, and dark after the sun’s glare outside. Adam left her in the lounge and vanished through an archway into the main bar in search of the publican. Jess turned slowly around. She hadn’t ever spent a lot of time in pubs. Brian had been more a restaurant and wine bar sort of person. This place would not have suited him at all. The big high-ceilinged room held a mismatched collection of tables and chairs and a pool table dominated one corner. The walls were painted wood panels, decorated by framed posters of outback scenes. It wasn’t exactly something out of
Vogue Living
, but Jess decided there was something to be said for the pub’s gentle homeliness. The wooden floors gleamed softly with much polishing. In a nearby kitchen someone was baking a cake, or biscuits. It smelled good. There was no television, which made Jess feel just a little more secure.
    She was starting to wonder what had happened to Adam, when she heard a scurry of feet behind her. She turned and by instinct caught a small blonde girl as she darted past. Just as Jess dropped to her knees in front of