Queen of the Road Read online

  She listened carefully as Frank described where his shop was and where she could pull in to unload. From the sound of it, the trailer would need to be unhooked first.

  When she hung up, Claudia was dancing around her.

  ‘Mummy, Jimbo said I can go to his place. He’s got kids.’

  ‘I’ve rung the missus,’ Jim said, waving his mobile at her. ‘She’s happy to have an extra for a while.’

  ‘I don’t …’ Angela muttered. ‘I couldn’t impose.’

  ‘Please, Mummy.’

  Angela looked down as Claudia tugged at her hand. This was all so complicated. She didn’t know Jim or his wife. She didn’t know anyone, for that matter. How on earth had she thought she could manage the business and Claudia? Once again Janice’s words came back to haunt her.

  ‘There’s always extras at our place,’ Jim said. ‘Leanne will come and pick Claudia up – you can meet her then.’

  ‘Please, Mummy,’ Claudia begged again.

  Another vehicle pulled up outside and the phone began to ring once more. Angela knew she was out of her depth. She made a quick decision.

  ‘Okay, thanks Jim.’

  ‘Yes!’ Claudia yelled, jumping up and down on the spot.

  ‘It’ll only be for a couple of hours, until I can get some order here,’ Angela said.

  ‘Claudia can have lunch at our place and I’ll bring you something back from the shop,’ Jim said.

  Claudia skipped to the door.

  ‘Don’t go away,’ Angela called as she reached for the phone.

  ‘I’ll watch her,’ Jim said. ‘Leanne’s on her way over now.’

  ‘Ranger Transport,’ Angela spoke into the phone, sliding her sore body into the old wooden chair. She gave a brief thought to the bubble bath she’d shared with Claudia back in Melbourne. It already seemed so long ago. Then she picked up her pen and gave her full attention to the person on the end of the line.

  ***

  Coop got out of his ute and looked at the truck with ‘Ranger Transport’ printed on its door. He’d noticed the name, ‘Big Red’, in bold letters above its window as he’d driven into the yard. It was an impressive rig, fairly new too – hopefully a sign that Ranger Transport was going to stick with the run.

  He walked around the front of his ute and nodded to Jim and Ronnie, deep in conversation at the other end of the office verandah. A little girl with blonde hair, dressed in hot pink pants and a bright green shirt had hold of a verandah pole and was spinning herself around it.

  ‘Hello,’ she said as he moved to step past her.

  ‘Hello,’ Coop replied.

  ‘I’m Claudia. I’m going to Jimbo’s house.’

  Coop looked down at the little girl. She’d stopped spinning and was studying him with her big brown eyes.

  ‘Hi Claudia. I’m Coop.’

  ‘Have you come to pick something up or drop something off?’ She stood with her hands on her hips, her cheeks flushed from spinning and her hair fluffed out in all directions.

  Coop smiled. Normally he evaded busybodies, but this one was very charming. ‘I’m hoping there’s a parcel for me, Claudia.’

  ‘You have to wait. My mum’s on the phone. Then she has to meet Leanne. Then she can look for your parcel.’

  ‘Your mum?’

  ‘Her name’s Angela.’ The little girl dropped her arms and puffed out her chest. ‘She drove Big Red here for Grandpa, all the way from Melbourne. That’s where we live, but we’re having a venture in Money Real.’

  She said the last words very importantly, then grabbed the pole and began swinging around it again, singing to herself.

  Coop couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips. It seemed he’d been dismissed. He wondered if Claudia took after her mother or her father.

  The screen door of the office was closed and he couldn’t see through it. He swung it open and stepped inside.

  The woman on the phone glanced up to acknowledge his presence, then continued talking and making notes. There was no one else inside – she must be Claudia’s mother.

  Coop pulled off his hat and looked around the office. It hadn’t been used in a long time by the look of things. Someone had attempted to clean out the dust and cobwebs and had brushed the windows with a broom – he could see the bristle marks in the stubborn dirt. The walls were solid, made of large cement bricks that had once been painted pale green but now just looked murky. There was a door in the back wall through which he could see a rusty sink. The only furniture was a couple of old chairs under the front window and the desk and chair occupied by the woman before him. Along one side of the room was an assortment of parcels, large and small, set out on the floor. Coop scanned them, hoping he’d find his parts amongst them.

  ‘Can I help you?’

  He turned to the desk. The woman had put down the phone. Her hazel eyes looked tired and wisps of her long, fair hair, the same colour as Claudia’s, had escaped her ponytail to flop around her face. She stood up from her chair and rubbed the back of her neck. She was only short and looked almost vulnerable, but something about the set of her face made Coop think she was stronger than she appeared at that particular moment.

  He held out his hand. ‘I’m Coop. You must be Angela.’

  The hand she’d been about to offer hesitated. ‘How …?’

  ‘I met Claudia outside,’ he grinned. ‘She got me up to speed.’

  Angela held his gaze for a brief moment then her lips formed a smile. Coop saw a glimpse of sparkle in her eyes.

  ‘Oh, that’s my shy, retiring four-year-old.’ Angela shook her head. ‘She’s spent a lot of time in truck yards, I’m afraid.’

  Her hand took his in a firm shake, then quickly let go. Coop could still feel the softness of her touch. He looked down at his hand.

  ‘Have you come to collect something or send something?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ve …’ His eyes locked with hers, and for a moment he couldn’t speak.

  Angela put her head to one side and raised her eyebrows.

  Coop pointed to the parcels on the floor. ‘I’m expecting a parcel.’

  Angela turned and picked up her clipboard. Coop couldn’t help but notice the way her clothes hugged her in all the right places.

  ‘What name, Coop?’ Angela held the clipboard in front of her, forcing him to look at her face.

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘You didn’t say Coop who? What’s your last name so I can check my list?’

  ‘Oh … No …’ Coop struggled to get his mouth to form the words. ‘It will be in my boss’s name. Alice … Alice Tansell.’

  Angela consulted her list and Coop noticed the little frown that creased her brow. Right now he didn’t care if the parts were here or not.

  ‘Tansell, I thought I remembered the name.’ She tapped her clipboard then walked the length of the packages on the floor before stopping and pointing. ‘It’s here.’

  ‘Mummy, she’s here!’

  Claudia’s loud call startled Coop. He dragged his eyes from Angela’s face to the box she was indicating.

  ‘Mummy!’

  Angela made a sharp clicking sound. ‘Claudia, please calm down. I’m coming.’ She offered Coop the clipboard. ‘Can you sign here?’

  Coop signed the sheet next to Alice’s name and parcel number.

  ‘You can take the package now.’

  ‘Sure,’ he stammered.

  She gave him a quick smile as she passed him and headed for the door. He listened as she quietly cajoled her daughter. Her voice faded as she walked away.

  Coop stood for a moment, imagining that Angela was still in the room. It was a long time since a woman had stirred any interest in him, and it had taken him by surprise. He shook his head and came to his senses. Why was he even contemplating this? He was envious of Angela’s husband, sure, but Coop wasn’t the sort to chase another man’s wife. And he wasn’t looking to complicate his life right now anyway.

  Coop pushed his Akubra firmly into p
lace and stooped to collect his package. He had plenty of work to do after last night’s rain, he thought. That would keep him busy. There wouldn’t be any more trips to town for a while.

  ***

  Angela waved to the bloke in the ute as he drove out of the yard, but he wasn’t looking in her direction. She struggled to remember his name as she stepped onto the verandah and slumped into the seat. Coop, that was it. He hadn’t said much and he’d acted quite aloof, but there was a raffish gleam in his green eyes and she’d seen him look her up and down. He was a good-looking guy, that was for sure.

  Angela sighed and smoothed the loose strands of hair back to redo her ponytail. After her recent experiences with men, there was no way she was going to go looking for more trouble, especially while she was in Munirilla. Besides, she was going to be too busy. She had to get this office into shape, for starters, and work out a system for package storage and retrieval before she headed back to Adelaide with the next load. And from what she’d seen and heard, she’d have plenty to backfill with already.

  Then there was the added complication of Claudia. She’d gone off with Leanne, who seemed very nice and happy to have an extra child for a while, but if Angela was going to do this run for a month, she’d need to get more organised. Maybe it would have been better to leave Claudia in Melbourne, but a month was a long time to be apart. And there was no way Angela was going to give Janice the satisfaction of thinking she was right.

  Chapter 13

  A small black spider scurried away from Angela’s bare foot as she stepped into the kitchen. She froze and watched till it stopped beside the leg of the table, then she cast her eyes around for a weapon. One of Claudia’s shoes sat discarded near the door and the spider was quickly dispatched.

  Cautiously, Angela eased herself into a chair and glanced around. She wondered what other creepy-crawlies were hidden in the corners of the grotty little flat. Ken had given her a choice between this place and a small house on the other side of town. The house was closer to the shops and a park, but it came with a garden that needed to be maintained. The flat, however, was near the depot. It was basic, but Angela didn’t plan for them to be in it much anyway. They’d be in the truck or at the depot most of the time, not tending to gardens or making house.

  She recalled the surprised look on Ken’s face when he realised she was the driver. He’d been speechless for a full minute as he blatantly looked her up and down. Then the disappointment flooded his face. It rankled Angela to know he didn’t think she was capable of the job, but she was keen for her father’s business to do well so she bit back the retort she wanted to spit at Ken and put on her best smile. Then she reassured him that she was only the fill-in driver until her father could get a permanent person to do the job.

  Ken accepted this explanation and looked embarrassed when he showed her the flat. Obviously he’d thought a man wouldn’t care, and this annoyed her as well. Whoever the truck driver was, they were entitled to a decent place to call home.

  Angela pushed aside the remains of the casserole Leanne had given her for dinner. It was delicious and Angela felt overwhelmed by the kind gesture. Not only had Jim’s wife looked after Claudia all afternoon – and offered to have her again – but she’d cooked for them as well. Angela knew she’d have to get into a good routine or she and Claud would be eating too much fast food. And while it was tempting to buy the easy options, they were costly, and Angela had already added more to her credit card on the way over. She was determined to use this opportunity to cut back her debts. Maybe it would also be a chance to think about the future for her and Claud.

  Her phone jingled with an incoming message, reminding her of the one from her father that had come through while she was unloading at the IGA.

  She pulled the phone from her pocket and smiled. It was from Kate. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she read the message: she hoped things were going okay and reassured Angela that she was missed. Kate was a true friend. She’d stuck with Angela through good and bad. Angela sent a quick reply then went back to her father’s message. She smiled as she read that one too and the tears quickly dried up.

  How are things going? Garry to chat anytime. Sing of when you free.

  Why his phone turned ‘Happy’ to Garry she had no idea. That was a new one. Sing of was ‘Ring me’. She sighed and looked at her watch. It was too late to call now. She dropped the phone onto the table. She’d ring him in the morning and let Claudia have a chat as well.

  But no sooner had she thought this than the phone began to sing and vibrate. She glanced at the screen as she snatched it up. ‘Hi Dad.’

  ‘Angel. How are you? Not too tired? I didn’t wake you, did I? I just got in at the depot and thought I’d give you a quick call. How are things going?’

  Angela’s head spun from his barrage of questions. ‘I’m exhausted but I’ll be in bed soon. You’re working late though.’

  ‘Nothing much has changed since you left, but we’re managing.’ He paused. ‘How did Big Red behave?’

  ‘Perfect gentleman. All I did was steer.’

  ‘And how’s Munirilla?’ he asked.

  ‘After they got over the shock of finding out their driver was a woman, you mean?’

  He paused again. ‘I though it might be easier for them to accept you if they–’

  ‘If they were expecting a man and got me?’

  ‘No, I …’

  ‘It’s okay, Dad.’ Angela was too tired to press the issue. If her father hadn’t been so secretive there would have been no surprise, but most people had been welcoming anyway. And when it came down to it, it really didn’t matter to her what people at Munirilla thought. ‘No one even noticed I was a woman,’ she joked. She smiled as she remembered the looks on Jim’s and Ronnie’s faces. She’d had that reaction several times over the day. ‘Except maybe Ken Harris, he seemed a bit put out.’

  ‘You’ll be able to charm him.’

  ‘Maybe. The depot’s pretty run down. There’s a lot of work to do there.’

  ‘You organise it how you think. If you need anything, book it up to the company. You don’t have to worry about the customer accounts. Shell will organise those from Adelaide. All you have to do is pick up and drop off freight.’

  ‘I’ve still got to track it so Shell will know when and where to send the accounts though.’ Shell was Ranger Transport’s depot manager in Adelaide. She organised all the cargo and looked after the clients there.

  ‘I’m organising a laptop,’ he said. ‘Should have it ready for you soon, but I’ve no doubt you can manage, Angel.’

  ‘Thanks Dad.’ She felt encouraged by his faith in her, but he didn’t really know how messy it was at this end.

  ‘Much freight for the trip back to Adelaide?’

  ‘Nearly a full load already.’

  ‘That’s great. How did Claud go?’

  ‘Apart from eating too many red lollies, she was fine.’

  There was a pause then her father murmured apologetically. ‘My fault. I should have given the stash to you.’

  ‘It was a lesson for her. She’ll get used to life on the road soon, and I think I may have found someone to look after her while I’m busy at the depot.’

  ‘I’m glad she’s okay. Janice has been asking about her … About both of you, of course.’

  Of course, thought Angela, feeling her grip tighten on the phone. ‘We’re fine.’

  ‘You sure? Janice said I wasn’t thinking about Claudia’s needs, letting her go off with you. I just imagined it would be a big adventure for her. You used to come on long runs with me when you were her age.’

  ‘She’s all right, Dad. Fast asleep, dreaming as we speak.’

  ‘I’m glad. It’s best she’s with you.’

  ‘Where else would she be?’

  ‘Well, we’re her grandparents. She could have stayed with us.’

  ‘You’re even busier than me.’

  ‘Janice would have looked after her. I think she’s really missing
Claudia.’

  Angela frowned. ‘It’s only a month. And as you said, I used to go with you. It’s a great holiday for Claudia, a life experience.’

  ‘Good. I’ll be able to reassure Janice that all’s well.’

  ‘Mummy?’ Claudia’s drowsy voice, calling from the bedroom, startled Angela.

  ‘I’ve got to go, Dad. I’ll ring you tomorrow.’

  She hung up quickly as Claudia called again. Angela crossed the drab living space and stuck her head through the door of the only furnished bedroom. The dull glow from the bedside lamp illuminated Claudia’s sleepy face in the middle of the double bed. The room smelled musty but at least Angela knew the sheets and quilt were clean – she’d brought those with her.

  ‘What’s the matter, Claud?’

  ‘Something’s scratching.’

  Angela pulled the sheet back quickly. ‘Is something biting you?’

  ‘No, something’s scratching.’ Claudia turned her head and her eyes fluttered shut.

  Angela lay down beside her. Perhaps she’d been dreaming. Even though it sagged, the bed was quite comfy, and her every aching muscle began to relax. She knew she should get undressed before she fell asleep, but it was so peaceful just lying there.

  Then a scratching sound came from behind her. She stiffened, then slowly raised her head and listened intently. Claudia wasn’t imagining it after all.

  The scratching came again. Angela sat up quickly and glared at the wall but the light from the lamp wasn’t enough to show anything in the gloom.

  She eased off the bed and tiptoed to her backpack to fetch a torch. Dropping onto her hands and knees, she lifted the edge of the quilt and ran the beam under the bed. A thick layer of fluff covered the old lino floor but nothing else was in sight. She flicked the torch from side to side at the head of the bed. A lump caught her eye, right near the bedside table. She grabbed one of her boots and shuffled a little closer. The lump didn’t move. Holding her breath, Angela thumped it hard with her boot. It stayed where it was. Carefully, she dragged it out.