Coming August 30: The Side Road by Sarah Lahey

 

A tender romance about the paths we take to escape and the detours it takes to reroute us.

When Oliver, a former MotoGP racer, returns to his hometown to raise his daughter, he doesn’t expect to find a party underway in his living room. The neighbours have gathered to celebrate the passing of his daughter’s grandmother. Among the revellers, he finds Mia, a newcomer to the small town, nursing a bottle of gin in his kitchen.

Seeking a fresh start, Mia has moved from the city, bringing her rescue dog, Snood, along for the journey. As the owner of the local craft store, she hosts the local Sit & Knit groups, where gossip flows as freely as the yarn.

Oliver and Mia find themselves drawn together in a way neither expected. But as their relationship deepens, shadows from Mia’s past threaten their blossoming romance.

Set against the stunning backdrop of wine country, Oliver and Mia’s love story unfolds amidst vintage motorbikes, a lively knitting circle, the ups and downs of raising an almost-teenager, and a colourful array of elderly relatives. But lurking beneath the charm lies a mystery – what happened to the missing money? Was the strict Baptist grandmother embezzling?

A novel about life's winding paths, the choices we make and the threads that knit us together.

Read an excerpt!

The Side Road

Chapter One: He did what? 

In the front window of Hook & Knot, a small independent store in the historic village of Eagle Nest, stood a life-sized model of a sheep. Called Fiona, it was named after the world’s loneliest sheep.

The real Fiona had spent two years stranded at the base of a Highland cliff in Scotland. After getting separated from her mother, she stumbled down the mountain and couldn’t find her way back to the top. Animal activists eventually rescued Fiona from a cave, where she had been sheltering from the harsh Highland weather. Her survival was a testament to the sheep’s strength and resilience.

The species, not known for its intelligence, was unlikely to star in a David Attenborough documentary anytime soon, but people around town knew Fiona for her colourful clothes and coordinated accessories. Several times, her picture had appeared in the town newsletter, and she was a feature on the regional tourist map.

In the shop window, Fiona wore a fluffy green jacket with matching socks and a long scarf. A lopsided beanie rested on her head. Early autumn, she radiated warmth and cosy comfort.

Inside the store, Mia was busy stacking small, knitted dolls – modelled on famous women from history. – in a basket on the front counter. After fixing the flower in Frida Kahlo’s hair, she added the doll to a pile of female icons.

A lover of hand-knits, Mia wore a pink cardigan with covered buttons and wide sleeves that cinched at the cuffs. Embroidery adorned the pockets of her frayed jeans. Her long, honey-coloured hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. She had a fine-boned but durable face and almost perfect skin, which made her look younger than her thirty-seven years. In her stylish but comfortable clothes, she radiated a girl-next-door glamour.

When the string of bells on the front door tinkled, she paused and looked up. Her clear blue eyes considered Saige; the sixteen-year-old part-time shop assistant was twenty minutes late.

Lost in her phone, Saige drifted toward the counter. ‘Mia, aliens just landed,’ she said.

‘I doubt that’s true.’ Mia flattened the edges of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s lace collar before adding the doll to the basket.

‘There’s a picture.’ Saige showed Mia her screen.

‘Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it true. Why are you always late?’

‘I honestly don’t know.’ Saige continued scrolling.

‘Please, no more late afternoons or unscheduled days off unless you really are sick. Then I’ll need a doctor’s certificate.’

‘Can my dad write a note?’

‘No. Come to work on time.’

Saige paused. ‘Did you just cancel me?’

‘I don’t think so…’ Mia held up Joan of Arc - the doll was missing her banner. ‘Have you seen Joan’s flag?’

Saige took this news seriously. ‘The woman on fire!’ Lifting her head, she glanced around the shop. Somewhere amongst the floor-to-ceiling shelves of yarn, the throw rugs that tumbled out of hampers, and the knitted gloves and scarves that filled the wicker baskets was a tiny white flag.

Overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, Saige promptly returned to her phone.

‘I need you to create a new seasonal display,’ Mia said.

‘Mild,’ Saige replied.

Saige had an eye for colour and a talent for visual merchandising, but her dreamy nature made her unreliable. Wearing a hoodie, a short skirt, and chunky boots, she had the air of a ballet dancer – despite the footwear – she glided past Mia and tucked her bag into the shelf behind the front counter.

When the shop phone rang, Mia picked up the receiver. ‘Good afternoon, Hook and Knot. How can—’ It was Blanche, her aunt. ‘Slow down,’ Mia said. ‘I can’t understand a word… Wait, he did what?’ Mia paused. ‘He put a chicken where?… Oh my god, I’ll be there as soon as I can.’

Mia turned to Saige. ‘I have to leave. There’s a family emergency. I won’t be long, but now is your time to shine.’

Saige frowned, chewing her lip. ‘All I ever do is clean.’

‘I’m leaving you in charge.’

The girl’s face lit up. ‘Can I dress Fiona?’

‘We changed her clothes yesterday, but you can set up the Spectacle of Socks.’ From behind the counter, Mia handed Saige a dozen cardboard display feet and a bag of knitted socks. ‘The socks go on the feet,’ Mia explained. ‘You place them around the store.’

Saige peered into the bag of socks. ‘I get to choose?’

‘Yes. But customers come first.’ Mia opened her phone and called Carlos, the local taxi driver. The town was too small to support an Uber business.

 

 

Forty minutes later, Mia entered the emergency ward of the regional medical centre. An attendant showed her to a cubicle where her Uncle Leo waited, perched on the edge of the bed. A dishevelled, good-looking man in his seventies, Leo had a wiry smile and the same optimistic blue eyes as Mia.

Beside him was Blanche, Mia’s aunt by marriage. Five years ago, in a modest registry ceremony, Blanche had married Leo. The couple met at a regional dance competition. Leo’s waltz had impressed her. Six months later, he proposed. After buying a small Federation house, they settled in a neighbouring town.

Blanche held a blood-soaked towel over Leo’s knee. She wore a black pantsuit under a yellow cardigan. Blond hair was tucked behind her ears, and chunky sunglasses rested on her forehead. When she saw Mia, her cautious expression softened into an amused, friendly smile. 

After Mia kissed her aunt on the cheek, she removed the sunglasses and handed them to Blanche.

‘Thank you. I would have forgotten.’

‘Tell me again, what happened?’ Mia asked.

‘It’s nothing serious.’ Leo waved Mia away. ‘You’re not needed. You can go back to work.’

‘He put a frozen chicken under his hat,’ Blanche said. ‘The cold gave him brain freeze, and he passed out.’

‘Why would you put a chicken…’

‘He was trying to smuggle it out of the supermarket.’

Mia considered her uncle. ‘Are you losing your mind?’

‘I don’t think so. By god, I almost got away with it.’

‘We’re still waiting to see the doctor. This room is giving me agoraphobia. There’s a kitchen across the hall; I’ll make us a cup of tea.’ Blanche handed the blood-soaked towel to Mia and walked toward the door.

‘She means claustrophobia,’ Leo said, his gaze on his wife as she left the room. ‘Now that we’re alone, I should tell you I hit my head on the way down, but I haven’t told them, so it’s our secret.’

Mia sat next to her uncle and stared at the side of his head. ‘You might have a concussion.’

‘I feel fine.’ He patted her knee.

Blanche returned with takeaway cups filled with scalding-hot tea. ‘I could only carry two cups,’ she explained. ‘Leo and I can share.’ After placing them on a high mobile table, she wheeled it closer so Leo could reach the cup.

‘Actually, I’m glad you’re here because we wanted to have a chat with you about freezing your eggs,’ Blanche said.

Mia choked on her tea.

‘Just give it some thought. Meredith’s daughter is your age, and she’s done it. We think it’s something you should consider.’

‘Along with my hair colour.’

‘You’re making light of a serious subject.’ Blanche blew into the cup of tea.

‘I’ve always loved a dark comedy.’

‘Dark comedy aside, you know what we mean? The success rate of pregnancy from frozen eggs is low – I did some reading – but it’s still a good backup plan. Just in case…’

‘Are we really having this conversation in the emergency ward?’

Leo smiled. ‘She’s lovely when she’s angry, isn’t she?’ He turned to Blanche. ‘If we sold her, how much do you think we’d get?’

Blanche slipped on a pair of reading glasses and looked Mia over. ‘I’m not taking anything under a million.’

‘We’ll need that much to get through our retirement.’ Under the table, Leo tickled Blanche’s knee, and she giggled.

‘If you could please restrain yourselves,’ Mia said.

The door opened. A middle-aged, dark-haired woman wearing a denim dress with comfortable-looking trainers entered. In her hand, she held Leo’s chart. After pausing inside the doorway, she read through the details, then she raised her gaze and considered Leo sitting on the bed.

‘More people steal meat than any other type of food. Did you know that?’ the doctor said.

‘It was a smoked Portuguese chicken breast,’ Leo confirmed. He looked at Blanche. ‘I guess it’s cat food for dinner tonight.’

Mia laughed.

The doctor frowned. ‘How old are you?’ she asked.

‘Seventy-six. Thought I’d be sitting in a wheelchair dribbling by now. No desire to be carried off in a box just yet. Lost some of my teeth, but I’ve still got most of my marbles.’

‘Did you bump your head?’ the doctor asked.

‘A slight bump,’ Leo confessed.

‘Okay, after the nurse dresses your wound, I’d like to run a few tests.’ She removed the stethoscope from around her neck and began her examination.

Leo was a surprisingly cooperative patient. He remained calm while the medical staff checked his vital signs and drew blood. The doctor scheduled a head scan for the following week.

 

An hour later, standing in the hospital carpark, Blanche took a set of keys from her handbag and passed them to Mia. ‘The bike is still at the supermarket,’ she said. ‘Would you mind driving it home? Leo will be in the car for the next few weeks.’

Leo rode a classic BMW R90/6. Built in 1974, it had a glossy black frame with a matching sidecar. Mia hesitated; the bike was Leo’s pride and joy. Confiscating his keys would not go down well.

‘Nonsense. I can ride it home,’ Leo insisted.

‘No, you can’t,’ Blanche snapped. ‘Not until your test results come back. And for the record, it wasn’t my idea – you can blame the medical profession for caring too much.’

Leo complained that his independence, symbolised by his motorbike licence, was integral to his masculinity. Blanche rolled her eyes. Again, she repeated the advice of the medical staff – the BMW was off-limits. Until further notice, Mia had the keys.

Mia jiggled the keys. ‘I’ll pick you up. You can ride in the sidecar,’ she told him.

‘I ride on the bike, not in the sidecar.’

A ringing phone interrupted their disagreement. Unsure who the phone belonged to, Blanche and Leo looked at Mia.

‘It’s not mine,’ Mia assured them.

Blanche searched her handbag. Finally locating the phone, she pulled it out and answered the call.

‘Oliver, darling, what a lovely surprise. How are you…’ Blanche paused. She clutched the front of her dress. ‘Oh dear, that is bad news. Darling, don’t worry about a thing. We’re on our way. Tash can stay with us until you get here.’ She ended the call. ‘Elsie Buchanan died this morning.’

‘Really? She was in fine health last week,’ Leo said. ‘Completely ignored me when I passed her in the street. When I said good morning, she looked the other way.’

‘Who’s Elsie Buchanan?’ Mia asked.

‘You know Elsie, she’s my second cousin,’ Blanche said. ‘You must know her. She lives in the old parsonage. Remember, I told you about the incident with the orange pork surprise?’

Mia shrugged. ‘Honestly, I only listen to half the things you tell me.’

‘Natasha found her in bed this morning…dead,’ Blanche continued. ‘Oliver is on his way, but it will be a few days before he gets here.’

‘Where does he live? On the moon?’ Mia asked.

‘Worse – in the Kimberley,’ Blanche said.

‘It’s a bloody big country,’ Leo confirmed.

‘The poor girl. We need to get to her as fast as we can.’

‘To the Batmobile,’ Mia said.

‘Ha ha.’ Leo smiled.

‘Explain it to me again,’ Mia said. ‘Who lives in the parsonage?’

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Sarah Lahey teaches sustainable design and creative thinking at a university in Sydney, Australia. Her Heartless series of sci-fi/romance novels has won the Chanticleer Book Awards, the American Fiction Awards, the Independent Publishers Award (IPPY), and the Indie Reader Discovery Award. Her novel, Louie the Lynx and Ryan the Lion, won the Indie Reader Discovery Award for the best romance book in 2024.

Her family includes her three adult children, her partner, and an Australian kelpie. She is based in a small country town in New South Wales, where she works and writes.

Website: sarahlahey.com 

Instagram: @sarah_lahey_author

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahlaheyauthor