Chapter 12 HAMISH #2
Ant pointed a thick finger at one of the men. ‘But you’re out, no matter what. You don’t blindside a man in my pub then get another drink.’
‘We’ll go across the road, then,’ the guy huffed, massaging his knuckles. Hamish assumed he was the guy who’d gone for the thigh kick and wild punch.
‘I can guarantee you won’t get a drink there either,’ Ant said. ‘Dan, give Lynn a bell at the Overland, mate.’
The bartender nodded and picked up the phone.
There was a brief conference between the shearers, no more than a couple of ‘what ya reckons?’, and as quickly as it had started, the argument was over, the fight defused. The banned shearer and one of his mates banged out of the door, and the rest crowded toward the bar.
From the corner of his eye, Hamish made out Jack’s sister, Sam, hustling Tara from the bar area to the dining room.
His instinct was to follow, but he knew it would be poor form not to have a drink with the shearers, so he accepted the pint the bartender pulled at Ant’s nod and pressed the tea towel full of ice cubes Dan handed him against his cheek.
‘Bloody women, man,’ one of the shearers confided cheerfully as he elbowed in alongside Hamish at the bar. ‘Root of all evil, right?’
‘It’s the whole rooting thing that causes the problem,’ one of the others said, then guffawed.
Hamish drained the last of the foam as Pierce’s eye met his.
The older guy tipped his head toward the lounge.
As Hamish made to leave, Pierce slid into his spot, talking far more loudly than he’d usually do.
‘So the rain screwed you guys for a few days or have you got a dry shed to move on to tomorrow?’
Hamish internalised his grin. Pierce knew nothing about farming, but was intent on causing a distraction so Hamish could get into the adjacent room to check on Tara.
He touched two fingers to his eyebrow in a salute to Ant and shot Jack a wink.
Looked like his mate was going to be late for dinner at his mother-in-law’s, but it was bloody lucky he’d hung around.
Hamish knew he could have got a few decent punches in, but his left arm wouldn’t have been good for a full-on blue.
Justin and Indi almost walked into him as he made his escape. Justin looked around suspiciously. ‘Air’s thick enough to cut with a knife. What’s going on?’
‘Just a scuffle. Where were you when we needed a brick shithouse to stand behind us, Juz?’ Hamish said. The cabinetmaker dwarfed him and every other man in the room.
‘Sharna’s in town for a couple of nights. We were catching up at the diner before she heads out to her folks,’ Justin replied, as though he actually did owe an explanation for his absence.
‘That flame’s never going to die down, is it?’ Hamish teased. It didn’t matter that Sharna was married; Justin was steadfast in his first love. ‘But does she know you’re here with Indi?’
‘Indi’s just a mate,’ Justin said staunchly.
‘Ta ever so,’ Indi cut in dryly, though her eyes danced.
‘Come on, Indi, you know I didn’t mean—’
‘I’m out of here.’ Hamish interrupted Juz’s justification. ‘But Pierce is buying a round for the house, so I suggest you get in on that.’ He hiked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the bar.
The dining room was far quieter than the front bar. There was a good reason for that: the Settler’s was infamous for its deep-fried, greasy menu and, on a Saturday night, anyone wanting a decent feed would be across the road at the Overland.
Samantha sat with Tara in the furthest corner of the room, her fleecy jacket draped around the younger woman.
She looked up as Hamish approached, a frown contracting her brow.
He’d thought maybe she was the person to lay his concerns about Tara on, but now he wondered.
Sam had had enough shit go down in the last couple of years to deserve a break from any worry.
‘Ready to make tracks, Tara?’ he said in a hearty tone. If he could get her home, they could keep this mess quiet. Finding out she’d been shit-faced wouldn’t go down well with her folks or her brother.
‘She’s with you, Hamish?’ Sam sounded doubtful.
‘Sure is. You knew I’d have to give in sometime,’ he added with an offhand laugh.
‘I’m not getting any sense out of her.’
Tara was slumped, eyes open, but leaning against Sam. Hamish took a seat on the other side, putting his arm around Tara’s shoulder and pulling her upright under the guise of giving her a hug. ‘Guess we celebrated a little too much. We’re heading back to mine now.’
Sam pinched her lips together, then nodded. ‘Use the back door, Ham. And you’ve got my number if you need me?’
‘Of course.’
‘Just keep an eye on her. I know Tara’s a bit wild at the moment, but I’ve never seen her like this.’
‘She’ll feel better once she chucks.’
Sam stood, still looking worried. ‘If she throws up too much, call Taylor Hartmann. Or maybe get her straight to the hospital in Murray Bridge.’
‘Of course.’ He tapped his chest. ‘Voice of drunken experience here, remember?’
Maybe his playboy reputation was good for something, as Sam smiled, looking more relaxed. ‘Yeah, of course. All right, I’ll catch you later. Be good.’ Her gaze slid back to Tara. ‘To her. She’s liked you for a really long time, Ham.’
As Sam left, he stood, pulling Tara up with him.
She was conscious but unresponsive, so he scooped her into his arms and shouldered through the narrow, unmarked door that led to the rear car park.
He’d hoped the cold air might rouse her, but Tara snuggled in closer to his shoulder, muttering something unintelligible about ducks.
Home was only a couple of blocks away, and Tara weighed nothing.
And he was out of options. He needed to get her somewhere safe, away from the too-interested gaze of the locals.
Though they’d look out for one of their own, that wouldn’t protect Tara from the gossip.
If he could quickly spin a story that she was with him, her indiscretion would be forgotten soon enough.
And as soon as he built on that story to say he’d used her and dumped her, the sympathy would be all in her favour.
Made him look like a shit, but he was used to that.
Like Jemma said, there was one set of rules for guys, another for girls.
His breath frosted as he walked the quiet streets.
Everyone in Settlers Bridge was either at home or at one of the pubs.
There was nowhere else to be on a wintry Saturday night.
Which meant that Tara had been at the Overland.
That surprised him. Lynn was a mother-hen type, and would never let one of the girls get drunk in her pub.
But then, maybe she was off for the night?
The lights were on in his house, signalling that Ethan was back from Charlee’s place. Good. It was one thing pretending to the pubgoers that he was with Tara, another thing completely to be stuck alone in the house with a vulnerable young woman.
The door was unlocked, as usual, and he managed to twist the handle and open it without dropping Tara.
Ethan was kicking back on the lounge, but got up straight away. ‘Sorry, man, didn’t know you were bringing someone home. I’ll make myself scarce.’
‘Nope. Just make room on the lounge,’ Hamish said, unceremoniously dumping Tara on the seat Ethan had vacated.
‘Don’t know if you’ve met Tara? Tara, meet Ethan.
’ Now the adrenaline was draining, he was annoyed.
He’d avoided Tara’s infatuation for months, but now he felt like he’d walked right into a trap set for him.
Ethan frowned, leaned down and pressed his fingers to Tara’s wrist, then her neck. The girl slurred something.
‘Drunk,’ Hamish supplied unhelpfully. ‘Like I’d rather be.’
Ethan shook his head. ‘I’m not so sure. Tara? Tara, listen to me.’ He levered Tara up so she was sitting upright, then took her chin between his fingers. ‘Tara, what did you take?’
The words were again incomprehensible to Hamish, but Ethan seemed to understand.
‘Okay, what did you drink?’
Tara’s eyes rolled, focused on Ethan for a moment. ‘One Bundy.’ It almost sounded like a request. ‘For the duckies,’ she added. Then she shook her head, but the movement unbalanced her and she slid down the lounge.
Ethan lifted her legs and settled her more comfortably. ‘She was drinking with you, Hamish?’
‘Hell, no!’
‘Chill, man. I’m just trying to work out what she’s had. Her pupils are gone.’
‘She must have been at the Overland drinking.’
‘No,’ Tara said, suddenly clear.
‘Not the Overland?’ Ethan said, but Tara was mumbling again. He shook his head. ‘Get me a bucket and a teaspoon, mate. And a towel.’
‘What?’
Ethan glanced up from where he was crouched alongside the sofa. ‘I want to test her gag reflex.’
‘Gross. Why? She’ll chuck soon enough.’
‘I don’t reckon she’s drunk.’
‘She just said she had Bundy,’ he called over his shoulder as he made his way to the kitchen and took a bucket from beneath the sink.
He emptied out the wastewater it was set to catch and grabbed a spoon from the draining board, giving it a quick swipe with the tea towel he’d pulled from the front of the oven.
‘Yeah, but she said only one.’
‘So she’s a lightweight. Or can’t count.’
Ethan shook his head. ‘I reckon she’s on cherry, man. Tara, one more chance: did you take something with the Bundy?’
Tara stroked Ethan’s head, tugging at his dreads. ‘I like this,’ she slurred. Then she shivered. ‘Cold.’
Hamish shrugged his incomprehension. ‘Cherry?’
‘Cherry meth.’
‘Meth?’ The thought chilled his blood. ‘What the hell?’
Ethan took the bucket and spoon and turned away. Within seconds, Tara retched violently. ‘Okay, still got a gag reflex. Definitely cherry meth.’
‘Why the hell would she do that?’
‘Cherry meth is GHB, man.’ Ethan glanced at Hamish, then sighed at his blank expression. ‘I reckon she may have been roofied,’ he clarified. ‘Looks like it was a starter dose, though, seeing as she’s not completely out of it. We’ll keep her warm and let her sleep it off.’
Though Ethan’s casual confidence made it obvious he’d lived too much on the wild side, Hamish was already digging in his back pocket for his phone.
Surely they needed an ambulance, the cops, something.
Someone. ‘She can’t have been roofied,’ he said, clinging to a glimmer of hope.
Booze was one thing; at some stage, every kid in Settlers was going to get trashed.
But drugs? There was a bit of weed floating around, but he’d never heard of anyone dealing the hard stuff.
Not here. ‘She was already wasted when she came into the pub, and Lynn wouldn’t have let her leave the Overland like this. ’
‘I’m aware,’ Ethan said, his tone suddenly grim.