Home Among the Palm Trees Read online

  Home Among the Palm Trees

  RACHEL ARMSTRONG

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Copyright

  About the Author

  Dear Reader

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Epilogue

  Thank You

  Coming Soon

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgements

  Peanut Butter Paws

  Banana Bones

  Pumpkin Pupcakes

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  For Dillon

  Copyright

  HOME AMONG THE PALM TREES

  Copyright © 2022 Rachel Armstrong

  ISBN: 978-0-6453555-1-2

  Print ISBN: 978-0-6453555-0-5

  All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher and the author.

  The characters in this book are a work of fiction and have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  About the Author

  Rachel Armstrong has always loved making up stories and has never wanted to be anything but an author. She writes contemporary romantic fiction ranging from rural to suspense. Rachel enjoys creating epic feel-good stories and has a weakness for an adventurous holiday escape. Helping her characters find their happily-ever-after is her life’s joy.

  Rachel lives in Townsville, Queensland, with her border collie, Jacob, where she helps people live their best lives as an exercise physiologist. In her spare time, she is either reading on her exercise bike or plotting out her next novel while grooving at Zumba. Rachel’s a keen traveller and has enjoyed many holidays exploring historic London, flying through the Grand Canyon, and hiking volcanos in Bali.

  Rachel loves to connect with readers and fellow writers through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  www.rachelarmstrongauthor.com.au

  Dear Reader

  Welcome to Elizadale, North Queensland! I’m so glad you’ve decided to visit and I hope you enjoy your time here as much as I do. Ana and Liam have been with me for over a decade now, so I’m thrilled to finally be sharing their story.

  Ana is a survivor who, despite removing herself from a difficult situation, continues to feel victimised. Fear leads her to flee interstate and start over. Thankfully, Liam is just the man to help her considering his protective instincts and his sixth sense to recognise a troubled soul. Violence is a serious issue in our world and something too many of us have been exposed to in some form. I can only hope I have handled Ana’s situation with respect and done it justice.

  But while this story developed around a dark theme, it has kept its original light-hearted essence about a woman’s relationship with her beloved dog. I was born with a border collie big sister, Laura, so there was no other breed I’d have chosen to tell this story. Louis was inspired by my childhood border collie, Dillon. He was perfect in every way, obsessed with chasing balls, chewing sticks, and was far too intelligent. However, since he passed away, my baby boy, Jacob, has nosed his way into these pages with his cheekiness and fiery personality. It was within his herding instincts and obsessive barking that I found the inspiration to save this story.

  I wish you happy reading, warm puppy cuddles, and yummy banana treats.

  Rachel xoxo

  Chapter One

  Anastasia Hamilton stepped out of her car, opened the back door, and smiled at her border collie. ‘We made it, Louis. We’re safe.’

  Louis looked at her with his big brown eyes, tilting his black-and-white head as Ana glanced down the main road of the small North Queensland town where she intended to make herself and Louis a temporary home. Heat radiated from the bitumen and up her legs, but after three days of constantly checking the rear vision mirror, her knuckles white on the wheel, Ana’s pulse began to slow. She’d done it. She’d escaped Sydney and would find solitude in Elizadale.

  Where, hopefully, he wouldn’t find her.

  Ana shook that thought away, unclipped Louis’ harness, and led him across the road towards the historic Queenslander. Riley House, the wooden sign by the steps read. Est. 1878. Elizadale Town Centre.

  Ana stepped beneath the shade of the wide verandah, wrapped Louis’ lead around a pole and rubbed his head before going inside to collect the keys to her new home. It was as though the house had transported her back a century as the gleaming floorboards creaked beneath her feet. Her online research had told her it still belonged to the Riley family and that Ron Riley was Elizadale’s representative with the Mareeba Shire Council. Ana smiled as she glanced around the ornate entryway. They sure took great pride in their heritage.

  She approached the reception desk and greeted the lady behind the counter. ‘Hi, I’m Ana Hamilton, the new schoolteacher. I’m here to see Deborah Maguire.’

  ‘Of course.’ The woman stood. ‘Welcome. I’ll take you through.’

  Ana followed her down the panelled hall to the large meeting room where two women sat at an antique dining table. Charcoal drawings hung on the walls and windows overlooked lush green gardens. The receptionist introduced Ana and the older of the two women stood and extended her hand.

  ‘Hello, I’m Deborah.’ She smiled warmly. ‘How was your trip?’

  Deborah appeared to be in her mid-fifties and with greying blonde hair, she had the air and grace of a formidable school principal.

  Ana smiled and shook her hand. ‘Good, but long. You have a lovely town.’

  ‘Thanks, I think so too. The school opens next week, so I’ll get you to fill out paperwork then. Now, this is Meg.’ She gestured towards the woman beside her, who was about Ana’s age. ‘Her family owns Jackson Villas, where you’ll be staying. She’s willing to take you there and show you around town, if you like?’

  Meg flashed Ana a bright smile. ‘It might look like there’s not much to see, but every corner of this town has a story I could share with you. As long as you don’t mind.’

  ‘Not at all.’

  Deborah placed her hand on Meg’s shoulder and smiled fondly. ‘Meg grew up here and is ou
r grade two teacher, so unless you have questions, I’ll leave you in her capable hands.’

  Ana shook her head. ‘Nope. No questions.’

  ‘Lovely. Welcome aboard, Ana. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy your time here and we might convince you to stay for another year.’

  Ana smiled but was reluctant to make any promises. She’d signed a twelve-month contract with the school and that’s as long as she’d risk staying when her future remained out of her control. She couldn’t dare put down roots. It was best she kept moving.

  But Ana didn’t say that. ‘You never know. So, Jackson Villas?’

  ‘Yes!’ Meg clapped her hands together, her blonde waves bouncing off her shoulders. ‘Let’s go. Thanks, Deb. We’ll see you Monday!’

  A spring filled Meg’s step as Ana followed her out of Riley House. They returned to the verandah where Louis stood from a seated position and wagged his tail.

  ‘Oh, hello! And who are you?’ Meg grinned as she rubbed Louis’ ears with enthusiasm. His eyes closed in pleasure, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. ‘Aren’t you beautiful? Yes, you are.’

  Ana’s heart swelled. Yeah, Meg seemed like someone she could get along with. ‘This is Louis.’

  ‘He’s gorgeous.’ Meg straightened as Ana untied his lead and they started towards the car. ‘I have a Pomeranian who’s my baby. Louis will love Elizadale.’ Meg gasped and spun to face Ana. ‘I should introduce you to Liam! He has a border collie too and runs the Dog Sports Association, which he’ll surely pester you to join. Especially with this beautiful boy.’

  Ana raised her eyebrows as she opened the bright yellow door to her Toyota Yaris and Louis jumped onto his seat. ‘Are there many dogs here who train in sports?’

  ‘There are now that Liam has the association going.’ Meg rounded to the passenger side and slipped into the car with Ana. ‘He does agility and obedience training. Turn right just here at the school.’

  Ana followed Meg’s directions, eyeing the school through the passenger window before turning. ‘I guess I can walk to work.’

  ‘Yeah, you can walk anywhere in Elizadale. It’s only little and I could talk about my hometown all day. My great-great-great-great-great-grandfather—’ Meg counted the ‘greats’ off on her fingers ‘—settled Elizadale in 1878, naming it for his wife Elizabeth. He thought it’d be a nice place to graze cattle, which most people did until some farms started to diversify. Tobacco was big once, but now we grow a variety of fresh fruits. Stuart Riley developed Elizadale and my family has been here ever since. Turn here, Ana.’

  Ana turned into the driveway of a magnificent block of townhouses built of sand coloured brick. Meg directed her to the one on the far right, the unit built at a slightly different angle to the rest, and Ana parked in the open carport.

  ‘Thank you, Meg. I should get Louis settled, but after that, could you show me where I could get some lunch? I’m starving.’

  ‘Absolutely!’ Meg brightened as they walked towards the unit, the keys jingling between her fingers as she searched for the one for the flyscreen door. ‘We’ll go to the Royal Hotel. They have good meals. Although, come with me later and I’ll introduce you to some people. My friends and I always get together on Monday afternoons.’

  Nodding, Ana tried to force the knots in her belly away. It couldn’t hurt to make friends, as it’d been a while since she’d had a social life. She might not plan to stay, but she didn’t want to spend her year in the tropics alone either. ‘All right. Sounds like fun.’

  ‘Sorry.’ Meg slipped another key into the deadlock. ‘There are a few keys. I’ve suggested we get them all to match, but Mum hasn’t got around to it.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ Ana said, knowing she’d only use one lock regardless while she was out since she liked the convenience of easy entry. But she was grateful for the deadlock as she’d certainly lock up tight while at home. Old habits die hard, she thought as she stepped inside.

  The place was as cosy as described with white tiles spreading throughout the unit and a gleaming wooden staircase that led to the upper floor. Two red sofas occupied the living room and a round dining table sat by the spacious kitchen. Pulling the screen door closed behind herself and Meg, everything inside Ana softened.

  The place was perfect. A haven. Safe.

  ‘Look, Louis. Come outside.’ She slid open the door to the patio overlooking the small yard. ‘There’s plenty of room to play.’

  It wasn’t true. Ana pressed her lips together, her heart sinking as Louis sniffed the buffalo grass. A large hibiscus shrub provided shade, but the yard was no bigger than a large living room. It certainly wasn’t right for Louis. Ana hugged herself and watched his black-and-white coat blow in the warm breeze. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

  Everything would be okay. It had to be. She wouldn’t survive if she contemplated the worst.

  Meg joined her on the patio. ‘There’s a dog park on Station Drive where you can take Louis. Another insistence from Liam when he joined the town committee.’

  Ana’s shoulders relaxed. ‘That sounds wonderful.’

  ‘It is handy,’ Meg agreed with a nod. ‘Well, we turned the power on last night, so the fridge should be cold. The unit’s been cleaned and if you have any problems, call the number on your lease. That’ll put you through to my mum and she’ll take care of anything you need.’

  ‘Thanks, Meg.’

  ‘No worries. You want to get that lunch?’

  ‘Yep.’ Ana wasn’t sure if the pub would have a decent salad, but she needed food and company would help keep her mood bright. ‘Just let me get Louis his water bowl and we’ll get going.’

  Once Louis was settled, Ana and Meg set off towards the pub. On foot. Ana frowned as she pulled her hat over her face. Was Meg crazy? It was the middle of summer! But Ana wouldn’t complain about stretching her legs after spending three days sitting in the car.

  ‘I’d ask Isabella to join us if she wasn’t working,’ Meg said, glancing across the wide driveway of Jackson Villas. ‘She lives in unit one and is a close friend of mine. You’ll meet her this afternoon. Her dad’s also a teacher and her mum’s the local doctor, so the Brennans are a big part of the community. Just remember this, Ana. Family dynamics rule this town.’

  ‘Isn’t that how small towns usually operate?’

  ‘I suppose. You’ll also find many Maguires around as they run the region’s largest property, Shadow Creek.’

  ‘Like Deborah?’

  ‘Yep. Deborah’s married to Cliff, one of the brothers who runs Shadow Creek. They grow bananas.’

  Ana smiled. ‘I love bananas. There were many banana trees as I drove in. They were beautiful.’

  ‘You’d have driven in past Tropic Sun. Shadow Creek’s bananas are north of town. Both are two of the biggest banana farms in the region and yeah, I think they’re beautiful too. I hang out with the Maguires, so you’ll meet them all eventually. Just beware of the Kelly family.’

  ‘Why’s that?’ Ana asked as she spotted the wide verandah of the pub ahead. Her mouth watered at the impending taste of a cold drink.

  ‘If you hang out with me, you’ll be part of the Maguire clan and we’re sworn enemies of the Kellys. But don’t worry. Only the men get thrown out of the pub for fighting.’

  Ana’s breath caught as they slipped into the shade beneath the pub’s verandah. Her pulse began to pound. Fighting? Really? She’d made a friend and found herself part of a social group within less than an hour of being in town, yet had also become enemies with people she didn’t even know?

  Her chest tightened. ‘That’s hardly reassuring.’

  Again, Meg shrugged. ‘Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Now, let’s see what the lunch special is today.’

  * * *

  Ana sent her mum a text message to inform her she’d arrived safely, then started unpacking. Her heart ached as she lugged her suitcases upstairs. After tearful goodbyes with her family, Ana couldn’t bear to hea
r her mum’s gentle voice as she hung her clothes and aligned her shoes in the wardrobe. Thankfully, Nadia understood that as she replied with a lengthy message filled with reassurance, best wishes, and love. Ana smiled as she hung a lime green towel in the bathroom and texted back hugs and kisses. It’d been hard, but she’d made her decision to leave and would call her mum once she had settled in.

  Unloading her crockery, Ana reminded herself to visit the shop to buy fresh produce. At least they shouldn’t be in short supply in a town that thrived on fruit farming. But it was unlikely she’d get around to it today because she was meeting Meg at the pub again.

  After spending two hours with her new colleague, Ana had identified Meg as the crowning jewel of Elizadale. She was Megan Riley, heiress of the Riley Empire that owned many businesses and rental properties in town. Added to that, her mother came from a large avocado farm, which could potentially be Meg’s one day. Susan Riley operated the local homewares store and her father was Ron Riley, the unofficial town mayor and part-time solicitor. Her sister Christina lived an hour away in Atherton and had a young family. Meg was as local as they came, popular, and knew everyone.

  Ana could do worse in a self-appointed best friend.

  She leaned against the kitchen counter and glanced around, absorbing the comfort of her new home. It was perfect. Peaceful, private, and in a town where no one would think to look for her.

  She clenched her hands tight and let out a deep breath. Even though she might feel safe, she couldn’t afford to be complacent. She knew better than that.

  Moving to the back door, she sat and called Louis over to play. He lay at her feet and pushed his tennis ball towards her, his dark eyes focused as he readied for his favourite game.

  Smiling, Ana threw the ball and Louis took off after it to the small garden, retrieving and returning his prize proudly. She played with him for a while and the game effectively improved her mood. When five o’clock drew near, she threw the ball one last time before scooping food into his dish, kissing his soft head, and stepping inside.