Race Girl by Leigh Hutton Page A

about this.’
    â€˜As if.’ Tam flared her eyes, like she was really offended. ‘Just a pic, Tull!’
    â€˜ Fine, Tam—but only for Insta.’
    Tam moved her face against Tully’s, pushed her lips into a duck-bill pose and snapped a shot in the cast-off light from her flat-screen telly. She was still staring at her phone, obviously hash-tagging the crap out of it, when she asked, ‘What’s with you two, anyway?’
    â€˜Who?’
    â€˜Your family and the ‘Royal’ Westons.’
    Tully shook her head, hugged her pillow. ‘I remember bits and pieces,’ Tully said. ‘From the stories Mum told me when I was little . . . the Westons don’t retire their horses, like we do. They don’t even try to find many of them new homes, they just get shipped to the doggers. My grandfather started Avalon on the principle that the horses would come first, for their whole life – not just when they were on the track and in the money. He may not have been a rich man, but he developed horses that had long, illustrious careers. He was very well respected and loved. Just like Mum was.’
    Tam smiled sadly. ‘Your dad’s struggling, eh.’ It was more of a statement than a question.
    Tully gritted her teeth and raised her eyebrows, as her father’s harsh words from their fight over Dahlia clattered through her mind. ‘He seems to be getting worse.’
    â€˜I can’t imagine what it’s been like for him,’ Tam said. ‘But he does need to get on with it. And this rivalry with the Westons – I can understand it, but your mum never seemed to let it bother her too much. Why is it so different for your dad?’
    Tully sighed, shaking her head. ‘Old Mr. Weston and pops never got on either, apparently. Mum told me that nana spent a few years living across the road, with old Mr. Weston.’
    â€˜The minx!’ Tam cried. ‘No way.’
    â€˜She was a fiery Italian—all passion, and a killer jockey. She was one of the first female jockeys in the country, the best of her generation. But Mum and Dad never had problems like my grandparents did – in their relationship, I mean.’
    Tam nodded gravely. Dahlia and Gerald were high school sweet hearts, everyone knew it. Tully had never seen anyone more in love than her parents – they’d been the perfect team.
    Her heart stung, and she squeezed her pillow. ‘Mum said nana’s affair didn’t last long, though,’ she continued, ‘Her and pops were happily married for another forty years afterwards.’
    â€˜Just needed to get it out of her system, hey?’ Tam giggled. ‘You never think oldies will go there . . .’
    â€˜Something like that,’ Tully grinned in reluctant agreement. ‘We’ve been at odds for decades, but it’s even more personal for Dad. Apparently it started even before school for Dad and Mr. Weston. Dad came from a really poor family in town, a family who were always jealous of ‘the richies’ who had so much more than them. I guess it’s hard for kids to have anything but hatred for someone when their parents are on about it all the time.’
    Tam thought for a moment, then snuggled in close. ‘Tru-dat,’ she said. ‘Mum hates Kath and Kim. I mean, they seriously irritate the crap out of her, and now I feel like I’m missing out on these great Aussie icons because I just can’t get into them.’
    â€˜Oh, my Lord!’ Tully rolled her eyes. ‘You know it’s not the same.’
    â€˜Had to lighten the at-mos somehow.’ Tam grinned. ‘Want some more choccy?’
    Tully sighed, then put two fingers over her wrist like she was checking her pulse. ‘Am I breathing?!’ They giggled together. ‘Thanks for talking to me, Tim-Tam. I feel like you’re the only person I can talk to about anything.’
    â€˜What’re besties