by Chris Taylor
She turned slightly toward him, her mouth open in surprise. “A detective? You’ve done well for yourself over the years.”
She said it pensively and he wondered what she’d done with herself after graduation. As he checked his mirrors and pulled out onto the road, he found himself asking the question.
“So, what about you? I assume you graduated from nursing?”
“Yes. I left for Sydney straight afterwards.”
He eyed her curiously. “Is that where you live?”
“Yes. I come back as often as I can for visits, especially since Dad’s on his own, but my life’s in the city, now. I like it.”
“You don’t miss the country? The fact that there are only a handful of cabs in service at any given time?” he teased. “I take it that’s why you’re walking?”
She blushed a little under his regard and it pleased him to know he could still affect her. It shouldn’t have mattered to him how she felt, but he was relieved she didn’t seem to carry a grudge against him.
Not that he’d given her any reason to hate him. It had been a mutual decision to end the pregnancy. He hadn’t forced her into it and he’d made it clear he’d support her if she decided to keep the child.
Still, he couldn’t deny he’d been relieved when she’d agreed to the termination. The pair of them had been way too young to be parents. Besides, they’d known each other less than a month. The circumstances weren’t exactly conducive to a long and happy relationship.
As if aware of the nature of his thoughts, she threw him a sad look and folded her hands in her lap on a quiet sigh. She turned to gaze out of the window.
“There’s a lot about living in the country I still miss,” she said after a while. “The peacefulness, for one. The city never sleeps. It doesn’t matter what time of day or night, you can always hear something. It doesn’t help that my front window is two hundred yards away from a major road.”
She chuckled derisively and he found himself smiling back. He liked to listen to her speak. Her voice was soft and soothing, pleasant after his long day at work.
“Are you still a nurse?” he asked, wondering if she’d put her education to good use.
“Yes. I was lucky to get a job at the Sydney Harbour Hospital straight out of college. I’ve been there ever since. I started in orthopedics, but I found dealing with broken bones and traction didn’t really suit.” She flicked him a wry glance. “I worked in a trauma unit where patients would come in with several serious fractures, mostly from car or motorbike accidents. They’d be in there for weeks, often bedridden, waiting for their bodies to heal. It wasn’t the kind of nursing that appealed to me.”
“So what did you do?” he asked, filled with curiosity.
Back when they’d been dating, her entire world had consisted of college and her parents. At that point, she hadn’t experienced the big wide world. He was fascinated to know more.
“I trained as a midwife and I love it. The excitement and joy is contagious. Assisting a newborn into the world… Witnessing the miracle of life every day… It’s…amazing.”
He stared at her in surprise. She’d willingly had an abortion the week of her twentieth birthday and now she was a midwife? What the hell was she doing? Punishing herself? He could feel her eyes on him in the dimness and he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said quietly.
He glanced at her before turning his attention back to the road. “Do you?”
“Yes. It sounds weird, me being a midwife, after…what happened. But I don’t think of it like that. Yes, I had an abortion, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate and enjoy the miracle of a new life. Every now and then I feel a little sad at the thought of what I did, but I accept it was necessary at the time and I get on with it.”
“What we did,” he said softly.
“Excuse me?”
He looked at her. “What we did, Morgan. We both made the decision. It wasn’t yours alone. I hope you don’t look back and feel like you didn’t have a choice.”
She shook her head and looked away. “Of course not. We did what we thought was best at the time. I still think it was the right thing to do. It’s only that… Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if that was my only chance to be a mom. I mean, I turned thirty a week ago. Thirty! My time to be a mother is fast winding down. I think about the possibility that I might never hold a baby of my own and… It saddens me.”
Her quiet admission rocked him. He was both surprised and flooded with guilt. Whenever he thought of their baby, it was mostly followed quickly by relief. He’d still been at the Police Academy. Morgan had another year before she finished college. A baby would have been an unnecessary complication that they didn’t need.
Deciding now wasn’t the time to remind her of all the reasons they’d agreed to terminate the pregnancy, he kept his mouth shut and was grateful when they turned into her father’s street. There were lights on in the front windows of his house, showing through the curtains. An early model Toyota HiLux pickup was parked in the driveway.
“At least he’s home.”
She tossed him a wry smile. “Yes, that’s another one of the problems with a surprise visit. There’s a chance the person you’re surprising won’t be home. But I don’t recognize that truck. I wonder who owns it.”
“Are you sure it’s not your father’s?”
“Yes.”
She seemed so certain of it, Colt frowned. “How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”
“It’s been awhile,” she admitted. “I was rostered to work over Christmas, so I didn’t get home then. I guess it was the Labour Day weekend in October when I was here last.”
“Perhaps he bought another car?”
“No.” “Dad’s a Ford man. There’s no way he’d buy a Toyota, even an old beater like this one.”
“Maybe it belongs to someone else? Maybe he’s borrowed it?” Colt suggested.
“Mm, maybe.” She didn’t sound convinced.
Popping the trunk, he climbed out of the squad car and went around to the back. He lifted out her suitcases and put them down in front of the car. He moved to the passenger side and opened her door. With a murmur of thanks, she got out and reached for her luggage.
“It’s all right,” he said. “I’ve got it.” Without waiting for her to answer, he started up the paved driveway, a suitcase in either hand.
CHAPTER FIVE
A security light attached to the corner of the house came on at their approach and Morgan blinked. She followed Colt up the front steps. He stood aside for her to knock. Though she wanted to tell him it wasn’t necessary for him to wait, something told her she’d be wasting her breath. He had an air about him, like he wanted to make sure she was safe.
She was sure it had nothing to do with their past. It was just the way he was. In the short time they’d been together, so long ago, he’d often shown that protective streak. She supposed it was one of the reasons he’d been attracted to the police force. It was their duty to serve and protect. Besides, she didn’t really mind.
She knocked again and called out. She couldn’t imagine what was keeping her dad. Evening had fallen, but it wasn’t late. He’d always been a night owl.
At last, the front door opened, startling her from her thoughts. An unfamiliar man stood on the other side of the screen door, looking enough like her father to snatch her breath. Her heart pounded.
“W-who are you?” she stammered, blinking hard.
The man’s eyes widened, like a deer caught in the headlights, but a moment later, he smiled.
“You must be Morgan. You look just like your pictures. Your father never stops talking about you.”
She frowned in bewilderment. Apart from his striking resemblance to her father, she’d never seen the man in her life. “Excuse me? Do I know you?”
The man pushed open the screen door and stepped closer. Morgan stepped back, her mind still spinning.
“You should,” the man said. “But it’s no surprise that you don’t.” He put out his hand. “I’m your uncle. Leslie O’Brien. I’m your dad’s identical twin brother.”
Morgan gasped and her mind went blank. Did he say he was her father’s twin? How could that be? Her father had never mentioned a brother. In fact, as far as she knew, he was an only child. And yet, the man looked just like her dad. A bit more weathered and rougher around the edges, but the main features were very much the same.
“Are… Are you sure?” she stammered, shaking her head from side to side in an effort to come to terms with what was in front of her eyes.
“Of course I’m sure. Take a look at me. Can’t you see the resemblance?” Leslie replied with a lop-sided smile.
Morgan continued to stare at him, confused. “How…. How come my dad didn’t say anything? Where is he, by the way?”
Leslie frowned. “You mean, you don’t know?”
Foreboding curled its icy veins around Morgan’s heart. She hardly dared ask the question. From the corner of her eye, she saw Colt move closer and was grateful for his presence.
“Kn-know what?”
Leslie cursed under his breath and then looked at her again. With his hands on his hips, he heaved a heavy sigh. Morgan’s dread increased.
“Rex told me he’d email you. I guess he didn’t.”
“About you?” she asked, her voice unsteady.
“Yes, and to tell you about his trip.”
“Trip?” she repeated, feeling like her words were pushing through a fog.
“Yes. He packed up his pickup and threw in a few supplies. Said he was heading out west, for the Red Centre.”
She frowned, once again confused. “You mean, he’s gone to Alice Springs?”
“Alice Springs, Uluru, Kakadu, Darwin. He wanted to explore Australia, while he still could. I think my arrival on his doorstep last month skedaddled his senses. He said he needed to get away for awhile to think. He left a few days after I got here. He asked me to take care of the place.”
Morgan stared at the man who purported to be her uncle and tried to think through her confusion. First, her father had never once mentioned a brother – an identical twin, no less – and secondly, he’d gone away on some voyage of discovery and hadn’t said a word. It was so out of character. She could barely fathom his state of mind. Then something else her uncle said snagged her attention.
“You arrived here without his knowledge, surprised him… Is that what you’re saying?” she asked.
Leslie compressed his lips and nodded. “He never said anything about me because until nearly a month ago, he didn’t know I existed. Our parents never said anything to him about me. I was put up for adoption at birth.”
Morgan was taken aback by the flash of venom in his eyes. It made her wonder what horrors he’d endured as an adopted son. She still couldn’t believe the story that her father was a twin. The very thought blew her mind. She could understand why her dad felt the need to get away. She just wished he’d told her before she’d boarded the train. After all, she’d received emails from him since then.
Still, it wasn’t his fault she was in this situation. He had no idea she was on her way. It served her right for wanting to surprise him. It also explained why he hadn’t returned any of her calls. And then she remembered something else. She looked at her uncle.
“Are you sure he left nearly a month ago? Dad sent me a birthday card less than a week ago. It was postmarked in Armidale. I’m sure of it.”
Leslie acknowledged the question with a nod. “He gave it to me before he left. He told me your birthday was on the tenth and asked me to mail it when it was time. He wasn’t sure if he’d come across a post office in the outback.”
Morgan absorbed his explanation, still feeling dazed and confused. “If he left a month ago, maybe he’s on his way back? Do you know how long he’s going to be gone?” She couldn’t keep the hope from her voice.
“No, I’m sorry, honey.” Leslie scratched at the whiskers on his cheek. “He didn’t say.”
Though she didn’t want to judge him, she couldn’t help but notice the scars that crisscrossed his hands and his general air of neglect. She didn’t know what kind of life he’d lived, but it hadn’t been sitting at a desk. She was sure of that.
It was so unlike her father’s upbringing. Ivy and Alan O’Brien might have started out young and poor, but by the time her father was in kindergarten, times had definitely looked up. Her grandfather studied to become a doctor and had run a very successful practice in Armidale. Her dad had grown up with his every need seen to, both physical and emotional. And not once had his parents mentioned the existence of another son. She found it hard to believe.
“Where’s Rusty?” she asked quietly, referring to her dad’s faithful golden retriever.
“Who’s Rusty?” Leslie asked.
“My dad’s dog. A golden retriever. You must have seen him.”
Leslie shook his head. “Can’t say that I have.”
Morgan frowned. “You mean, you haven’t seen him once since you arrived? That can’t be right. Dad and Rusty are inseparable. He sleeps on the back porch, right outside the door. They go for a walk every morning. They—”
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you, honey,” her uncle interrupted. “I don’t recall seeing any dog.”
Morgan’s confusion increased. Leslie had arrived at least two or three days before her dad left on his trip. How come her uncle hadn’t seen Rusty? It didn’t make sense. Unless the dog had been at the vet’s for some reason. But that didn’t explain why Leslie hadn’t seen him since.
Perhaps Leslie was mistaken or perhaps Rusty had stayed out of the way. He wasn’t all that good with strangers. Her dad might have tied him down by the shed, out of the way and then taken him along on the trip. It was the only explanation that made sense.
She glanced back at Leslie and was filled with a fresh surge of disbelief. When she looked past the disappointments and hardship life had etched into the leather of his face, it was uncanny how much he resembled her father.
She still had a million questions, but it wasn’t fair to pepper him with them all at once. Besides, she needed time to come to terms with all she’d discovered, including the fact her father was no longer in town. She suddenly realized she’d have to find somewhere else to stay. Despite the fact Leslie was her uncle, she didn’t know him from a stranger on the street. She wasn’t comfortable enough with him to ask him if she could stay the night.
She glanced at Colt who stood off to one side. She wasn’t sure how much he’d heard. He’d remained silent throughout the exchange. But now, as if reading her mind, he spoke.
“We’d better get going.” He stepped forward and offered Leslie his hand. “I’m Detective Sergeant Colt Barrington. I’m a friend of Morgan’s.” He glanced at her. “It’s getting late and you’re probably hungry.” He looked back to Leslie. “Both of you.”
Leslie chuckled in agreement. “Matter of fact, I have dinner waiting for me on the table. I’m sorry I only made enough for one. I hope you don’t mind.”
Morgan nodded and turned away, still caught up in her thoughts. She heard Colt thanking Leslie for his time and reassuring him she’d be fine. With all the craziness of the past moments, she couldn’t help but wonder if Colt were wrong. She was so far from feeling fine, it was almost laughable.
* * *
Colt strode down the driveway toward the squad car with Morgan’s suitcases in his hands. She was already waiting for him. She hadn’t had to tell him she wouldn’t be staying the night. The whole situation was like something out of a movie. Even to him, it felt surreal. He could only imagine how weirded-out Morgan felt.
A surge of protectiveness went through him and he was immediately irritated. Morgan O’Brien was his past. It was best she stay that way. His attitude toward marriage and lifelong commitment hadn’t changed in the years since they’d parted and it was clear she longed for a child. They wer
e wrong for each other on so many levels and he refused to break her heart a second time. Still, he wouldn’t see her spend the night on the streets and he was afraid she might not have another choice. He unlocked the car and opened her door and as she slid into the passenger seat, he broke the bad news.
“I’m afraid it’s the Guyra Lamb and Potato Festival this week. We also have the overflow from the Tamworth Country Music Festival and others are here for summer vacation. Every hotel, motel, bed-and-breakfast, and everything in between, is booked. Do you have anywhere else to stay? A college friend, perhaps?”
She stared at him for a moment with a glazed expression on her face. A moment later, comprehension dawned. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in surprise and then she shook her head back and forth.
“No, I haven’t kept in contact with anyone. I left Armidale right after graduation. Apart from coming home to see Dad, I haven’t really kept in touch. Do you mean, there won’t be a single room available? Are you sure?”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but yes, I’m sure. People book out these places months in advance.”
Her shoulders slumped on a heavy sigh. She looked defeated. She’d suffered one shock after another and to just discover she had no place to spend the night… He could well understand her dejection.
Knowing he’d probably regret it, he opened his mouth. “I have a spare room at my place. You’re welcome to stay. It isn’t much, but it’s better than the last place I had. I could probably even drop by the supermarket and pick up a couple of steaks if you don’t feel like eating out. I do a mean barbeque.”
She stared at him for a long moment and he wondered what she was thinking. Ten years ago, he’d shared a cramped apartment with his brother. It had been furnished with an assortment of cheap items sourced largely from thrift shops, and pieces borrowed from their mom. It had looked like the student digs it was.
