Rival Sisters

by Louise Guy

  ‘Don’t go too hard on Leon. He’s a lovely guy and has no idea what the goat has been up to. It didn’t hurt me, so no real harm was done.’

  ‘This time it didn’t, but who knows what it might have done if I hadn’t been here. It had you trapped against the shed.’

  Phyllie laughed unconvincingly. ‘I know, but it’s so dumb who knows if it even knew I was there.’

  Nat shook her head. ‘Why on earth are you defending a bloody goat? It could push you over and you might break something. I’m beginning to think Hannah had good reason to be worried about you.’

  Alarm registered in Phyllie’s eyes.

  ‘Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting anything more than we need to get that goat under control. How many times has it been down here now?’

  ‘Just one other time, I think. It didn’t hurt me then either, just ate the roses.’

  ‘What about a few weeks ago, when you needed stitches? Aren’t you counting that?’

  Phyllie’s forehead creased with confusion. ‘Stitches?’

  ‘Yes, and the tetanus shot. Surely you haven’t forgotten?’

  ‘Um, no, of course I haven’t forgotten.’ Phyllie’s tone was unconvincing. She sipped her whisky, appearing to be deep in concentration.

  Did she really not remember the goat incident? Nat was about to say something when Phyllie spoke.

  ‘Oh yes, when Damien dropped in and fixed me up.’ She smiled at Nat. ‘Sorry, love, you must think I’m a crazy old lady. I think the goat’s visit this afternoon has given me a bit of a fright. Don’t worry. I’m not losing it. I remember very clearly that bloody thing attacking me with its horn.’

  Relief flooded through Nat. She stood. ‘I’ll go and chat to Leon and see if he can do something to keep it in or keep it tied up.’

  Phyllie held out her tumbler. ‘Before you go, can you refill this? There has to be some benefit in having a run-in with a goat.’

  As she made her way along the footpath to number twenty-three, Nat wasn’t sure whether to be worried about Phyllie or not. The previous incident with the goat was hardly one you’d forget. But she’d had a shock this afternoon, so perhaps that did explain the momentary forgetfulness.

  Nat turned into the driveway of Leon’s home. The lawn was neatly mown and flowerbeds lined the fence. She couldn’t help but smile when she realised that the plants in the beds had mostly been chewed. Looking more closely she wasn’t sure that any of them had been untouched by the goat. Served him right.

  She was about to knock on the front door when she heard a deep laugh emanate from the back of the house. She walked around the side, through a carport to a small gate that blocked off the back garden. A man in his late thirties was holding out a carrot to the goat.

  ‘Jesus, don’t reward it.’ Nat couldn’t help herself. The goat could have done serious damage to Phyllie, and here it was enjoying what she assumed was a treat. ‘You need to punish the bloody thing.’

  The man’s sandy-blond head snapped round at the sound of Nat’s voice. His deep-blue eyes met hers. ‘Sorry?’

  She unlatched the small gate, pushed it open and walked towards him, her hands on her hips. ‘Your bloody goat had my eighty-nine-year-old grandmother pinned against her shed a short time ago, and it’s not the first time. She needed stitches a few weeks back when it came down to eat her garden and then gouged her with its horns.’

  ‘Rainbow did that?’

  Nat stopped. ‘Your goat’s name is Rainbow?’

  He nodded. ‘Is Phyllie okay? Why didn’t she say something earlier? I received an angry note recently, but I know that wasn’t from Phyllie. She’d be upfront with me, not hide behind an anonymous note.’

  Nat felt her cheeks burn, deciding not to admit that the note was from her. She was slightly thrown by his good looks and concern. She’d been ready to have it out with the bloody goat owner, picturing a yobbo who was too lazy to mow his lawn so had a goat to do it for him. ‘It’s been causing problems for her for ages. She said she didn’t want to cause you any trouble when I suggested we talk to the council. She’s just lucky I’m living with her at the moment and was there to help her. Surely you’re not allowed to keep a goat in your garden?’

  ‘Legally, on a block twelve hundred to twenty-four hundred and ninety-nine square metres, you are allowed one pet goat.’

  Nat looked at Leon’s garden. It was a reasonable size, but it wasn’t huge. She doubted the block of land met these requirements. ‘You say that like you’re a real authority.’

  ‘Of course I checked before I agreed to take on Rainbow.’

  Nat nodded. ‘Let me guess, you checked, realised your property wasn’t big enough and thought, oh well, I’ll look after it anyway.’

  Leon laughed. ‘You’re pretty switched on, aren’t you? Yes, you’re right. My block is only a thousand square metres, so doesn’t quite meet the requirements. I was thinking of moving when I agreed to take on Rainbow for a friend, but the right property hasn’t come up yet.’

  ‘You need to tie her up or do something to make sure she doesn’t get out again.’

  ‘You’re right there too. I’ve found her in the front garden a few times but couldn’t work out how she’s been getting there. There are no gaps in the fence and the gate is always shut. I didn’t realise she was visiting the neighbours until I received the note. I’ll have a look now.’

  He left and Nat watched him as he inspected the fences in the back garden. He returned a few minutes later looking puzzled.

  ‘The fences are all intact so there’s no obvious spot for her to escape.’

  ‘Want to bet?’ Nat nodded at Rainbow, who was heading to one side of the garden where a small tree stump sat at the bottom of a latticed fence. Rainbow jumped up on to the stump, giving her enough height to look over the neighbour’s fence. She looked briefly before using the lattice like a ladder to climb the fence. When she got to the top, she slowly inched forward, made a clattering sound on her way down the other side and disappeared.

  Leon and Nat stared at each other. ‘Okay,’ Nat admitted. ‘If I hadn’t seen her do that, I probably wouldn’t believe it.’

  Leon strode to the fence and looked over. ‘There’s a woodpile stacked about halfway up the other side. Nice and easy for getting down.’ He shook his head. ‘Unbelievable. But right now I’d better hightail it next door and get her. Don’t want her causing any more problems.’ He hurried to the gate leading through his carport and disappeared.

  Nat took a quick look around the rest of the garden. There were a few climbing plants on other parts of the fence, but the only section with lattice was the one the goat had just scaled. It didn’t look like there were any other places she could escape. She made her way back through the gate and up Leon’s driveway. Nat met him leading Rainbow into the drive.

  He grinned. ‘Caught her, and thanks. If you hadn’t come down, I wouldn’t have realised she was causing such a problem. I’ll remove the lattice as soon as I’ve got her into the garden. If she gets out again and you see her, can you let me know? I’d prefer not to tie her up, but it’s always an option.’

  Nat nodded. She could see now why Phyllie didn’t want to report him. He was lovely. It made her wonder why Phyllie had never mentioned she had a gorgeous neighbour who Nat could quite easily enjoy getting to know.

  ‘And tell Phyllie I’ll pop down later today or tomorrow to apologise.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘More likely tomorrow at this stage.’

  Nat nodded again. It was Friday night; he probably had plans. A hot date perhaps? She gave herself a mental shake. For all she knew he was married. She wasn’t sure why her thoughts were going where they had. She’d been cooped up playing poker for too long. She needed to get out and have some fun. ‘Okay, I’ll pass on the message.’

  She walked past him and the goat on her way out of the driveway, conscious that his eyes were on her.

  ‘I’m Leon, by the way.’

  She stopped and turned to face him. ‘Nat
.’

  Leon raised an eyebrow. ‘The mysterious Nat. Phyllie mentioned you a few years ago but I didn’t realise you actually existed. Might have to let Rainbow escape so I have an excuse to come and visit you at Phyllie’s.’

  Heat rose up Nat’s neck. ‘Turning up with a goat definitely won’t win you any brownie points. An apology for Phyllie will, though.’

  Leon saluted. ‘Right, boss. I’ll keep that in mind.’

  Nat’s lips curled into a smile as she turned and walked back to Phyllie’s. He was cute and funny. Once again, she wondered how come this was the first time she was learning of Leon’s existence.

  Phyllie was watching television when Nat returned. ‘How did you go?’

  ‘Good. We worked out where she’s been escaping, and Leon’s going to remove the lattice she’s been using like a ladder, which should, in theory, keep her in the back garden. If that doesn’t work, he’s agreed to tie her up.’

  Phyllie nodded. ‘He’s a good boy.’

  Nat sat down across from her. ‘How come you’ve never mentioned him before?’

  Her grandmother grinned. ‘Interested in my goat-loving neighbour, are we? The one you went to yell at and planned to dob in to the council.’

  Heat crept into Nat’s cheeks. ‘Not really. Just intrigued as to why a guy like that is living on his own with a goat.’

  ‘Who said he was living on his own?’

  Disappointment flooded through Nat. She shook it off. This was ridiculous, she’d only just met the guy, and of course he’d have a wife or partner.

  Phyllie laughed. ‘You should see your face. The reason I’ve never mentioned my gorgeous and charming neighbour is that I don’t want anyone ruining the rather lovely relationship I have with him. Leon pops in every couple of weeks and does all kinds of odd jobs for me. As a thank you I cook him dinner and we have a lovely evening. He’s the grandson I never had.’

  ‘And yet you’ve never mentioned him?’

  Phyllie shook her head. ‘He’s mine, why would I? I don’t want anyone else getting involved with him and ruining our friendship. Imagine if you did what you’ve done to many others – dated him for a few months then dumped him. That might be the last I’d ever see him.’

  Nat couldn’t believe her grandmother was admitting she’d deliberately kept Leon’s existence a secret. ‘It’s highly unlikely he’d be interested in me to start with,’ Nat said. ‘But it’s a bit disappointing that you think I’m not good enough for him.’

  ‘I never said that.’

  She couldn’t quite work out why Phyllie had such a twinkle in her eye.

  ‘I just said I didn’t want you breaking his heart, that’s all. Now, don’t you have work to do? You said you had to get a lot done for Anita tonight.’

  Phyllie was right. There’s no way she’d get ahead today if she didn’t get back to the tables soon.

  Her phone pinged with a text message from Pip as she climbed the stairs to her room.

  Call me. There’s wedding stuff to organise and you seem to have disappeared. Is everything okay?

  She sent Pip a quick message back saying she’d ring her the next day and then sat down at the computer. Weddings were the last thing she had time for right now.

  It was close to midnight when Nat tried to enter one last tournament for the night, but a box flashed up on her screen saying she needed to deposit more funds into her account. That didn’t make any sense. She’d set up her account to link to her credit card. Even with her donations to Shared she couldn’t be out of funds.

  She opened a new browser window and logged in to her internet banking. She stared at the screen in disbelief. There was no way her credit card statement could be right. Bile rose in her throat. It was maxed out. She started looking at the transactions. Playing the two-hundred-dollar tables, sometimes with two tables going at one time, could add up quite quickly. Of course, it only took one win every now and then to cover some of the losses.

  She looked through the transactions, her stomach sinking as she realised what she’d done. How could she have been so stupid? Donating half of her winnings to Shared had been a noble idea, but she shouldn’t have assumed she would be winning more often than losing. There were days when she’d played more than twenty games and only won three. Three wins was nowhere near enough to cover the losses. Donating from the winning games on top of that put her further back. Why hadn’t she waited and worked out a percentage of profit to donate rather than rushing to fix the world and make herself feel good by donating after each win? She imagined what Hannah would say if she told her. Actually, she imagined that anyone would say the same thing. You are a complete moron, Nat.

  Ten thousand dollars. An extra ten thousand added to the five she already had outstanding on her card. She’d blown through the entire credit card balance. She closed her eyes.

  Rather than move into Phyllie’s to save money and hopefully find a new job, she’d dug herself into an even bigger hole than before.

  Chapter Eleven

  Amy’s eyes shone with delight as she picked up the last of her presents from the dining table; the one in gold wrap. Hannah had sensed Amy’s disappointment when she’d surveyed the neatly wrapped pile of gifts, her eyes searching the garden, just in case. Hannah knew what she was hoping for, but she also knew Amy didn’t really expect to receive a dog. She was glad to see her daughter still getting excited about her birthday, even though she believed she wasn’t getting the present she had so desperately hoped for.

  Amy had risen early, waking both Hannah and Damien as she rushed down the stairs, feet deliberately pounding to ensure the entire house was woken. It was a birthday and Christmas tradition, and turning twelve wasn’t going to alter that. Hannah wondered if things would change when she became a teenager. Would they have to poke and prod her to wake up for the day?

  Amy loved the books and clothes she’d unwrapped, particularly the antique copy of Little Women, but Hannah knew she’d be wondering what the special present was this year. Hannah always wrapped one item in gold paper. The one she thought Amy would like the best. It was usually a reflection of the most valuable present. Last year it had been an iPad, the first device they’d allowed her to have.

  ‘What is it?’ Amy shook the package, which gave nothing away. ‘I bet it’s jewellery or a watch. Am I right?’

  Hannah was about to say no when Damien laughed. ‘You could call it that.’ He winked at Hannah. The studded collar could pass as jewellery, she guessed.

  Amy slid her fingers under the wrapping, savouring the opening of the last present. She flipped open the paper revealing a collar and lead. A note was attached to the lead: Time to go shopping!

  Amy looked up, her face flushed with pleasure. ‘For real? I’m allowed to get a dog?’

  Hannah nodded. ‘After breakfast we’ll head down to the shelter in Burwood East. We checked yesterday, and they’ve got quite a few to choose from.’

  ‘Oh my God!’ Amy threw her arms around Hannah. ‘I can’t believe you’re letting me get a dog. I love you so much.’ She squeezed her before turning and throwing herself at Damien. ‘And you too. You must have talked her into it.’

  ‘No, in fact, you can thank . . .’

  Hannah shook her head. She did not want Nat getting credit for this present. She wanted Amy to believe it was her and Damien’s doing, not a result of her losing a bet. And anyway, the bet was a bit extreme; she could still have said no if she’d chosen to yet she hadn’t. The more she’d thought about it the more she realised that Amy was growing up and they would have to allow her to become more independent. A dog in the house would also give Hannah some peace of mind if they were going to allow Amy to be home alone.

  ‘Can we go now?’

  Hannah laughed and pulled Amy to her for another hug. ‘They don’t open until nine for adoptions. How about we get dressed and go out for breakfast first? I’ve booked a table for seven thirty at Franklin’s. It’s only a five-minute drive from the cafe to the shelt
er.’

  Amy pulled away and was already running towards the stairs. ‘Hurry up,’ she called to her parents. ‘We’ve got a birthday to celebrate.’

  Hannah and Damien shared a delighted smile as they got to their feet, ready to follow Amy up the stairs.

  He put an arm around Hannah’s shoulders. ‘Looks like we got it right this year.’

  She smiled. Amy’s excitement was contagious, and she had to admit, she loved birthdays. They reminded her of her mother, who’d made sure it was a day full of excitement and feeling loved. After her mother had passed, her father had done his best to carry on this tradition, which had made Hannah love him even more. It hadn’t been easy for him, but he’d known what her mum would have wanted him to do, and he’d done it. A small part in making Amy’s day extra special was carrying on this tradition of her mother’s.

  Rather than have a party with her friends, Amy had chosen to only invite her best friend, Skye, over for the afternoon. Hannah had suggested they celebrate by inviting the family and Amy had readily agreed to this, knowing it would mean more presents. She’d requested that the celebration not be for dinner, but in the afternoon instead. For dinner she wanted to order pizza and for her and Skye to watch movies in the media room by themselves. Hannah had agreed, grateful that Amy’s requests made it the easiest birthday ever. Gone were the days of having fifteen screaming kids running around the house on sugar highs, with Damien trying to round them up and control them with party games.

  Hannah had prepared a spread of Amy’s favourite foods, appreciative of the fact that her daughter had a sophisticated palate. The family would be enjoying cheese platters, sushi, antipasto, dips and crackers.

  Hannah smiled as she looked from the kitchen across the open-plan living area to the large bay window that overlooked the backyard. For the first time in weeks she felt like she could relax. The worry of Zane Fox’s threats hanging over her were gone – for good she hoped – and her daughter was smiling in a way she hadn’t seen for months. She was, of course, still worried about Damien and his up-and-down moods, but doing her best to be supportive and understanding was preferable to dealing with the fallout if he learned the truth.