Looking out, p.1
Looking Out, page 1
PRAISE FOR FIONA McCALLUM
‘Always brilliant.’
—The Australian Women’s Weekly on Sunrise Over Mercy Court
‘A beautiful, unique and wonderful tale about love, loss, friendship, honesty, family, growing old and feeling unseen by writer extraordinaire Fiona McCallum.’
—Happy Valley Books Read on Sunrise Over Mercy Court
‘A heart-warming and humorous story about rediscovering the small pleasures that make life worthwhile, from one of Australia’s most loved storytellers … A lovely meditation on reclaiming ourselves and our hope … We can’t recommend this enough.’
—Better Reading on Sunrise Over Mercy Court
‘Fiona McCallum draws on her favourite topics to write about – human nature, care of animals and life itself. Sunrise Over Mercy Court is a tale of human relationships, connection, loss and renewed hope. It is another tender tale … Fiona McCallum is a heartfelt and sensitive storyteller … If you are seeking an in touch and personal novel about life, it is time to pick up Sunrise Over Mercy Court.’
—Mrs B’s Book Reviews
‘Fiona McCallum is one Australia’s favourite authors, and Her Time to Shine is another inspiring tale about finding strength and overcoming obstacles.’
—Canberra Weekly
‘A fantastic follow-up that you won’t want to miss.’
—Better Reading on Her Time to Shine
‘A master storyteller.’
—Good Reading Magazine
‘A heart-warming book that deals sensitively with issues of loss, financial uncertainty and emotional repair.’
—Canberra Weekly on Trick of the Light
‘A deeply moving story about loss and the unexpected benefits of having to find your feet when the whole world seems to be conspiring to knock you off them.’
—Australian Country on Trick of the Light
‘The Long Road Home is a lovely read that transported me away for the day … this story was as comforting as it is entertaining.’
—Better Reading
‘It’s an inspiring tale about finding hope.’
—Daily Telegraph on The Long Road Home
‘Fiona McCallum is one of Australia’s most popular authors and The Long Road Home is another inspiring tale about rebuilding your life and taking chances … a heart-warming and timely book.’
—Canberra Weekly
‘This is a story for readers on a quest to find their wings and fly.’
—Townsville Bulletin on A Life of Her Own
‘Her central character is usually a woman to whom the reader immediately warms … you stay loyal to her despite everything.’
—Country Style on A Life of Her Own
‘McCallum has a keen eye for fine detail and writes about raw emotion better than any other contemporary writer.’
—WarCry Magazine on Making Peace
‘This truly is a divine book about very close friendships, finding new friends and dealing with loss.’
—Beauty&Lace on Making Peace
‘Fiona McCallum writes Finding Hannah with tenderness and insight … will leave no reader with a dry eye.’
—The Weekly Times
‘I am not ashamed to say I cried in places for the heartbreak was real and the everyday situations easy to relate to … This is a wonderful story of recovery.’
—Books at 60 on Finding Hannah
‘McCallum writes to inspire her readers to find their true meaning in life and Standing Strong is certain to do this.’
—The Weekly Times
‘Standing Strong considers duty, how to do what you know is right even when it’s emotionally challenging. With its relatable characters, dialogue and issues, this is a novel that will ring true for many readers.’
—Better Reading
‘This is a very fine story, well-handled, and does not avoid the hard issues.’
—Weekly Times on Wattle Creek
‘If ever there was a farm-lit book designed for competitive horse riders, this has to be it.’
—Newcastle Herald on Leap of Faith
‘Fiona McCallum wears her literary heart on her dustcovers and with her stories swirling through towns we know and live in, she turns next-door-neighbours into larger-than-life characters – plus a little horse with a big heart.’
—Riverine Herald on Leap of Faith
‘A beautiful novel filled with romance, inner strength and above all, friendship.’
—That Book You Like on Time Will Tell
‘Saving Grace is a must-read.’
—Woman’s Day
‘McCallum captures the nuances of a country town and the personalities of the characters that live there.’
—The Big Book Club on Saving Grace
‘A moving melodrama.’
—Courier-Mail on Nowhere Else
‘A truly great read, I loved it from beginning to end.’
—Aussie Book Reviews on Nowhere Else
‘This is one story on track for success.’
—Woman’s Day on Paycheque
FIONA MCCALLUM was raised on a cereal and wool farm near Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and remained in the area until her mid-twenties, during which time she married and separated. She then moved to Melbourne and on to Sydney a few years later.
Fiona’s first novel, Paycheque, was published in 2011 and became a bestseller. In the thirteen years since, she has written another fourteen bestselling novels. Looking Out is Fiona’s sixteenth book.
Currently residing in Adelaide, Fiona is a full-time novelist who writes heart-warming stories that draw on her rich and contrasting life experiences, love of animals and fascination with human nature.
For more information about Fiona and her books, visit her website at fionamccallum.com. She can also be found on Facebook at facebook.com/fionamccallum.author
Also by Fiona McCallum
Paycheque
Nowhere Else
Leap of Faith
The Wattle Creek series
Wattle Creek
Standing Strong
The Button Jar series
Saving Grace
Time Will Tell
Meant To Be
The Finding Hannah series
Finding Hannah
Making Peace
The Ballarat series
A Life of Her Own
The Long Road Home
The Trick of the Light series
Trick of the Light
Her Time to Shine
Sunrise Over Mercy Court
www.harpercollins.com.au/hq
For Phillip, with my love and gratitude.
Contents
Praise
About the Author
Also by Fiona McCallum
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
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
A Note to Readers
Chapter One
‘Something smells good,’ Mitchell heard his wife Natasha call as she came down the long hallway, daughters Willow, nearly thirteen, and Lara, twelve, thumping along noisily behind her. Mitchell smiled at having his family come in, a sudden and rather loud disruption to the home and his workspace. It was a welcome addition to the stone house on the outskirts of the rural Adelaide Hills town of Balhannah. The rabble reached the door into the kitchen where he was putting the finishing touches on dinner – a lamb roast, being as it was Tuesday and the girls had just been to netball. It was a tradition of theirs, but he wasn’t sure it would last much longer with rising financial pressures. He shoved that aside – his family was here and that was all that mattered right now.
‘Hello, darlings, how was it?’ he asked, turning from the sink to smile at his daughters.
Willow and Lara threw themselves onto kitchen stools with a weight more akin to sacks of potatoes rather than the lithe teenagers they were.
‘Okay,’ Willow said, returning a tired smile. ‘We didn’t win – got slammed.’
‘Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good.’
‘We had a great game – winners, winners, chicken dinners!’ Lara said.
‘And you both played well, regardless of the outcome,’ Natasha said. ‘You should have seen them, Mitchell.’
‘Who else was there?’ Mitchell asked, keen to divert the attention away from him. Yes, he should have been there.
‘Everyone – Monica, Anastasia, Vanessa, Miriam – the whole contingent tonight. None of the men, though.’
‘It’s pretty awesome of Monica to come when she doesn’t have her own kids to watch,’ Lara said.
‘Well, she is our official photographer, so she has to,’ Willow said, swivelling on her stool.
‘But only because she was coming along anyway – to support us, which I happen to think is pretty awesome,’ Lara said.
‘That’s true. She is pretty awesome. We’re lucky to have her as our sort-of auntie.’
‘Maybe she’s hoping to meet one of the single dads,’ Mitchell suggested.
‘I think she’s sworn off men, full stop, after trying online dating,’ Natasha said, hoisting the several bags of groceries she’d carried in onto the benchtop.
‘I know. But I still think that’s a pity,’ Mitchell said.
‘I do know what you mean, though. She has a lot to offer, particularly as she’s such a nurturer.’
‘Exactly. And she’s very wise,’ Mitchell said. ‘A decent man would be very lucky to have her.’ He’d always had a soft spot for Natasha’s oldest and dearest friend – as well as being warm and friendly, she was smart, funny, sensible, easy to be around and good looking.
‘But, as she says, it’ll happen when and if it’s meant to, without any effort on her part,’ Natasha said with a shrug. ‘I tell you, the supermarket was bloody bedlam, wasn’t it, girls?’ she continued, opening the fridge to put things away.
‘Yep. Do you want a hand, Mum? Except I’m not sure I can get up again now,’ Willow said.
‘Hmm, me too,’ Lara said, slumping forward onto the island’s stone bench and resting her head on her folded arms.
‘It’s okay, I’ll let you off this time – you two rest for a bit.’
‘Well, thanks for doing it. I appreciate not having to head out,’ Mitchell said. He sighed to himself. He was finding it harder to leave the house these days, even worse than five years ago when he’d started fully working from home. He used to go to all their netball games, but had stopped recently, citing too much work. No one had seemed to mind. He felt a little guilty about it, but not enough to go. Anyway, what was the point in him doing the groceries if they were already out and going right past?
‘Hmm,’ Natasha said absently. She was standing with her head in the fridge. ‘Where’s the bottle of white wine?’ she asked, half-turning back, hand still on the door.
‘Over here. I’ve already poured you a glass – did it when I heard the door,’ Mitchell said, holding out the glass. ‘And it’s the last of the bottle. I’ll bring some more up from the cellar later. I’m having a glass of red.’ He tried not to think about the dwindling stash of wine downstairs.
‘Oh,’ Natasha said. ‘Okay.’ She shut the fridge door.
‘Cheers,’ Mitchell said, handing her the glass, condensation already sliding down the outside.
‘Thanks.’ They clinked glasses and leant on the bench near the sink underneath the large window facing the once carefully manicured garden outside, which was now cloaked in dusky yellow light. ‘Dinner really does smell amazing.’
Mitchell smiled. He loved hearing her appreciation, complete with a satisfied sigh. ‘It’ll be ready in a couple of minutes, so maybe go through and take a seat?’ He put his glass down and returned to the saucepan on the hotplate.
He’d almost forgotten about the peas, damn it. Close call, he thought, giving them a quick stir. He hated it when they became overcooked and floury instead of plump and sweet.
‘You’re the best, Dad,’ Willow said, standing beside him to fill a glass of water from the tap.
‘Yeah. Absolutely. Can you get me a glass of water too, Willow?’ Lara said.
‘And me too, thanks, sweetheart,’ Mitchell said.
‘Righto.’
Mitchell draped his arm around his elder daughter as she went about her task.
‘Daaad,’ she said with a giggle as water spilled. But instead of shrugging him off – it was only a matter of time at this stage, wasn’t it? – she leant into him for a moment.
He released her and returned his focus to dinner – this time stirring the gravy. ‘Lara, darling, could you please get the plates? They’re warming in the bottom drawer under the oven here.’ Mitchell pointed with his foot.
Lara slid off the stool.
‘Hopefully they’re not too hot, but use the oven mitts, just in case,’ he added, handing them to her. ‘On the table, thanks, it’s a help-yourself-night tonight.’
After everything had been carted in, plates were laid out on the table around platters of meat and roast vegetables and bowls of steamed greens and a jug of gravy. Having done a quick survey of the table and checking the oven one last time, Mitchell took his place at the end of the dining table.
‘How was work for you today?’ he asked Natasha. The girls’ cutlery scaped and clinked as they devoured their meals with more gusto than other nights, on account of their earlier sporty endeavours.
‘Okay. Same.’
He winced at seeing the tension and frustration clouding her features. ‘It’ll pick up. I have faith,’ he said. He resisted running his hand over his face in response to his own fears about their financial situation. Things really needed to pick up – and soon – for all of their sakes.
‘Thanks. Thank goodness for candles, diffusers and clocks,’ she said, smiling faintly and rolling her eyes.
‘Clocks? What’s with that?’ he asked.
‘Yes, wall clocks, of all things – there’s been a run on them.’
‘We’ve all got the time on our phones and most of us are wearing smart watches. Why would wall clocks suddenly be popular again?’
‘No idea. But I’m glad I decided to stock them.’
‘Yes. I remember you debating over them. Maybe it’s the clean lines everyone’s craving – you know, after the pandemic; the general mental chaos of it all.’
‘Maybe.’ She shrugged. ‘Though I’ve sold a few of those colourful abstract paintings, too. So, bang goes that theory.’
‘Oh. I know you wanted to be doing better, but you’ll get there,’ Mitchell said. They were in too deep to just close Natasha’s shop down now, and, anyway, the small business was pretty much all hers. He assisted with advice and behind the scenes, so he couldn’t make that call, even if he wanted to. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to ask her to. While it was tough going and far too often she’d bemoan, ‘What was I thinking, starting a retail store?’, she did still mostly enjoy it, he thought. They didn’t tend to discuss things in as much depth these days.
He shifted his attention to the girls. ‘Tell me about your day, girls. Willow, you first.’
‘Not much to report, Dad. Some bits were okay, some bits were dull,’ she said.
‘Same,’ Lara said.
‘Oh, I got a good mark for my painting I did in art,’ Willow added. ‘I’ll show you later.’
‘I can’t believe you forgot!’ Lara said. ‘It’s great. It’s really good, Dad, Mum.’ She looked from one parent to the other. ‘Hey, maybe Mum can commission some pieces for the shop.’
Natasha, busy chewing a mouthful of food, raised her eyebrows in an expression he couldn’t quite read.
‘I’m not sure she could afford me,’ Willow said, pretending to flick her hair before smiling sweetly.
‘Ha! Good for you,’ Mitchell said.
‘I think we’re doing ceramics next week. Great dinner, Dad,’ Lara said.
‘Yes, it totally is,’ Willow said.
‘Any homework tonight?’ Natasha asked. Mitchell was a little disappointed to not have longer basking under his family’s glow of appreciation.
‘Yes,’ the girls said in unison, complete with groans.
‘I’ll tidy up if you two want to head off and have showers and then get your homework done,’ Mitchell said, when they’d finished their meals.
‘Thanks.’ Willow and Lara got up, tucked their chairs in and practically bolted from the table.
Mitchell smiled at the clatter of feet and dog paws as Angel, their black kelpie cross, leapt up from her nearby bed and followed to provide her assistance.
Chapter Two
Natasha drained her glass and sat for a moment, savouring the peace and satisfaction of the lovely meal and the resulting lethargy from the wine and food.
