Page 3 of Outback Secrets

‘Why are you wet?’ Frankie asked.

As she pulled back to take a proper look at Henri, it was hard not to miss the sparkly diamond on her ring finger. After years of being single like Henri, a journalist-slash-farmer from Mingenew had walked into her café and swept Frankie off her feet. Although he worked at the radio station in Geraldton, he now lived in Bunyip Bay and had apparently taken over the running of the Bunyip News from Susan O’Neil. Henri had only met Logan twice but he seemed like a good bloke and she was happy for her friend.

‘I’ve been at the beach,’ she said, surprised Frankie couldn’t smell the salt on her.

‘You went for a swim before you came and saw me?’

Henri shrugged. ‘Priorities. But I’m seeing you before Mum, Tilley and the boys.’

Frankie nodded her approval. ‘Do they know you’re coming?’

‘Nope. Thought I’d surprise them, although no doubt they’ll hear about it before I get back to Bungara.’ She glanced in the direction of Eileen Brady, who was definitely listening to their conversation. ‘Anyway, what’s been going on around here?’

‘Oh my God, so much. You got time for a drink and we’ll fill you in?’

‘We?’

Frankie gestured to a table in the corner where two women were sitting. ‘You remember Ruby, and you’ve met Stella before too, haven’t you?’

Henri barely had time to reply before her friend deposited her in a seat alongside them. More greetings were exchanged, and Henri asked Frankie after her older sister Simone, who’d remarried and moved to Mingenew a year or so ago.

‘Oh, she’s fab—loving living on a farm, and the girls are doing well too.’

‘That’s great. Hopefully I’ll actually get a chance to catch up with her now I’m home for a while.’ Henri nodded to the paperwork on the table that included various drawings of some kind of creature. ‘What’s all this about?’

‘We’re looking at submissions from sculptors to try and decide who to commission for the Big Bunyip.’

‘The Big what?’ It sounded vaguely familiar. Her mum had probably mentioned it during one of their obligatory Sunday check-ins, but the truth was Henri usually switched off after the first couple of minutes.

‘We’re organising the creation and installation of a Big Bunyip when you come into town from the south,’ Stella explained, rubbing her hand over her enormous pregnant bump. Henri probably should have asked when she was due, but the moment had passed.

‘What about the Bunyip statue in the park?’ She remembered when it was erected—her whole primary school had trekked down to the park for the unveiling and there’d even been a TV person from Geraldton. It had been very exciting for her eightyear-old self.

Ruby laughed. ‘We’re planning something much bigger than that. You know, like Wagin has the giant ram and Wyndham a big croc?’

Henri nodded; having travelled all around Australia for work, she was well aware of the many big things their country was famous for.

‘We want something that will really put Bunyip Bay on the map,’ Stella explained.

‘Aren’t we already on the map?’ The caravan park had looked pretty full when Henri passed it coming into town, and the beach was already busy, even though school holidays hadn’t started yet.

‘The truth is,’ Stella began with a sheepish smile, ‘my daughter read a library book about Australia’s Big Things and decided the bunyip in the park isn’t big enough.’

‘And,’ Frankie said, ‘when Heidi wants something—especially something as crazy and wonderful as a ridiculously massive bunyip—Heidi gets it.’

Stella beamed. ‘These two really do spoil her. I keep telling them they need to have their own babies to overindulge.’

‘Don’t you worry,’ Ruby said with a wink, ‘Drew and I are working very hard on doing just that. In fact, I’m hoping he isn’t home too late tonight so we can work some more.’

Oh God. The last thing Henri wanted to talk about was making babies. ‘Sounds like this project is going to be pretty pricey. Are you guys organising a fundraiser?’

Such events were frequent around here—cake stalls, sausage sizzles, quiz and bingo nights, the annual Undies Run, locally published cookbooks … there was always something happening. If there was one thing the residents of Bunyip Bay excelled at it was raising money.

Ruby shook her head as she reached for her mug. ‘No need. We received an anonymous donation just last week.’

Before anyone could say any more, the door of the café opened and a loud voice pierced the air.

‘I don’t believe it. Rosemary said Cecil was outside the café, but I had to come see with my own eyes.’ Henri’s sister, Tilley, dressed in her Ag Store uniform of black shorts and a bright red polo shirt, yanked her out of her seat and pulled her into a hug. ‘What are you doing here?’