Mandy and Trevor had come right over as soon as Nicole called to tell them the news, and now she was sitting at her dining table with a cold cup of tea in front of her. Mandy fussed about in the sink, washing Nicole’s breakfast dishes. Trevor stood beside the fridge, hands in his pockets.
‘Don’t suppose you feel much like eating?’ Mandy asked.
‘I should have insisted he go to hospital.’
‘None of us could have made Charlie do anything he didn’t want to. You know that,’ Mandy said as she sat beside her.
‘I should have been there. Stayed twenty-four seven till he got better.’
‘Oh, he would have just loved that.’ Mandy laughed. ‘He wasn’t going to get better, honey,’ she said. ‘Charlie’s been a lot sicker than most people realise for a long time now. Doctor Johnson’s been treating him a while. Cancer. I think they were at what you call the palliative stage. Just keeping him comfortable. Besides, what could you have done if you had been there?’
‘Held his hand. Let him know he wasn’t alone.’
‘He probably preferred it this way.’ Mandy put her arm round Nicole’s shaking shoulders.
He was sick, he got better, he got her to send one more letter, then he died. A thought occurred to Nicole.
‘Do you think people can choose when they die? You know, when they’re sick or hurt. Can they pick the exact moment?’
‘Maybe. I don’t know. But it’s a compelling thought.’
‘But he was alone,’ Nicole sighed.
‘He may have died alone, but because of you, he didn’t live alone. And that’s far more important. You were his friend. You made a difference.’
‘The whole thing sucks.’ Nicole slammed her hand down on the table.
‘Yep.’
‘The question now,’ Trevor moved towards the table, ‘is whether there’s anyone who needs to be told. Any long-lost family.’
‘Mr Dixon!’ Nicole shouted.
‘Sorry?’ asked Mandy, startled.
‘For a few weeks Charlie was getting me to send letters to a Mr Dixon in Sydney. I think there were three altogether. They were going to a business address.’
‘Do you think it could be a relative?’ Trevor asked.
‘Give me a minute.’ Mandy started pacing the floor. ‘Dixon and Dodge.’ She slapped Trevor on the shoulder.
‘Ouch.’
‘Doyle.’ Nicole stood up, seeing the address in her mind. ‘Dixon and Doyle. Why didn’t I put two and two together?’
Nicole ran into the living room and returned with a file and pulled out the lease for the cottage.
‘Dixon and Doyle.’ She slammed the document on the table. She’d only paid scant attention when she’d signed it and all her dealings had been with some office junior.
‘The bigwigs in Sydney who handled Ivy’s estate?’ Mandy raised her eyebrows. ‘They were sniffing around here not long before you arrived, when we all thought the cottage was going on the market.’
‘Charlie’s estate now, I guess.’ Nicole shrugged.
Mandy stood up. ‘What?’
‘Ivy left everything to him when she died. The boatshed, the cottage, the land, her money, too, I suppose. She wasn’t all that specific.’
‘Hang on.’ Mandy spun round. ‘She wasn’t all that specific? She, as in Ivy?’
Nicole nodded. She would have to explain that later.
Her phone rang.
‘Yes, this is she,’ answered Nicole. ‘No. He passed. This morning, actually. Oh. Okay. Of course.’
She listened for some time without speaking.
‘What? Are you sure? I … um … okay. Thank you. Sure.’
She hung up.
‘Sit down.’ Mandy guided her to a seat. ‘You’ve gone very pale.’
‘That was Mr Dixon. Charlie’s solicitor. He got a letter from Charlie saying he knew his time was up and he wanted to sort everything out. Dixon rang to see if he was still with us.’
‘Oh my.’ Mandy exhaled.
‘Why ring you?’ Trevor asked.
‘I’m named as his executor.’ A tear fell down Nicole’s cheek.
Mandy’s mouth dropped, but no words came out.
‘I’m confused.’ Trevor shook his head.
‘Mr Dixon said someone will be paying a visit in a few days.’ Nicole continued.
‘To un-confuse me?’ Trevor asked.
Mandy shook her head. ‘I need a drink.’
Trevor picked up her cup.
‘A real one,’ she said.
Trevor poured two glasses of red from the bottle on the kitchen bench.
‘Someone will come and go through his will with me, I guess.’
‘And what about the other letters?’
‘What are you talking about, Trev?’ Mandy snapped. ‘We’ve far more important things to worry about than a letter.’
‘Nicole said Dixon said he got a letter, singular. But Nicole sent three letters. If the first letter has created this much drama, what’s in the other two?’
‘Oh, yeah.’ Mandy gasped. She narrowed her gaze. ‘He’s a secret kazillionaire and he left it all to you.’
‘I doubt that.’ Nicole smiled. ‘I only sent the third one today, so who knows what’s in that one.’
‘I guess we’ll find out when Dixon sends his man.’ Trevor collected the teacups and put them in the sink.
‘I guess.’ Nicole put her glass down.
‘And, until then,’ Mandy looked at Nicole with raised eyebrows, ‘there are some other gaps that could do with some filling in.’
Trevor headed home, leaving the two women to talk and Nicole told Mandy all about the letters, all about Ivy.
‘Hang on.’ Mandy put her hand up. ‘You knew Charlie was behind this crazy rental-reno deal?’
‘I only knew for sure when I read the second-last letter. I was going to ask him about it, but …’
‘Oh dear. Well, whatever happens from here, there’s always a home for you with us.’
‘Thank you.’ Nicole knew now that she would stay in Rosella Cove. Once she spoke with Charlie’s lawyers, she’d figure out how. There was too much to think about right now, and not enough information.
‘Will you be all right, if I head?’ Mandy asked.
‘Of course. Thank you for coming over.’
They hugged and Mandy went home.
All alone, the afternoon hours dragged on relentlessly for Nicole. She thought about walking to the boatshed, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead she wandered aimlessly through her cottage, running her hands over walls and furniture until the sun set and the evening air took on a slight chill.
Though the night brought no rest, it had felt good to tell Mandy about Ivy, to share with her the stories of the old lady, how special the letters were. Somehow it made the grief of losing Charlie just a little more bearable.
‘You here, Nicole?’ A warm, familiar voice called from the verandah.
Nicole went to the front door.
‘Hey.’ She allowed a small smile to cross her face as she opened the screen door.
Danny came inside and as soon as he did, Nicole’s bottom lip started to quiver and a tear fell down her cheek. Then another. And another.
He scooped her up into his arms and she sobbed into his chest.
‘Shh.’ He stroked her hair. ‘It’s okay. I know what he meant to you.’
‘And to you,’ she whispered.
He nodded. ‘I wonder what will happen to this place now he’s gone.’
‘We won’t know till the lawyers come.’ Nicole frowned. ‘Hang on a minute. You knew? You knew Charlie owned the cottage?’
Danny cast his eyes down. ‘He made me promise not to say anything to anyone.’
‘That’s why you helped out with the renovations so much?’
‘He asked me to help out a bit. I did as much as I did because I liked spending time with you.’ He grinned. ‘Sorry I didn’t tell you.’
‘Will you make me a
promise, Danny Temple?’
‘If I can.’
‘Promise me, that no matter what happens between us, we won’t keep things from one another again.’
He touched his forehead to hers. ‘I promise. Total honesty. And in the interests of that I need to tell you this. I don’t know what anything that’s happened means for us, Nicole. Long term. Or short. I just know that when I’m this close to you, I don’t ever want to leave.’
Nicole gulped. ‘I don’t want you to resent me down the track, Danny. And I know how you feel about having kids.’
He stood up and walked around the room, running his hands through his hair.
‘I saw Charlie yesterday. He stopped me as I was going past and said something I haven’t been able to shake since. “Danny, lad, the things you regret when you’re my age, are the things you didn’t do anything about but could have.” I know what he means now.’ He pulled her into his embrace.
‘But …’
‘Nicole, I can’t do anything about the fertility challenges we’ll face, if we ever get to that point. But I can do something about the way the way I feel about you. There are other options for us if we decide we want to have children and we can figure that out later. Together.’
He took her lips in his and kissed her firmly.
Heat enveloped her entire body and she pressed into him. His hands reached beneath her shirt and slid it over her head. In a smooth movement he lifted Nicole and carried her into the bedroom.
The next morning, Nicole woke alone in the bed. On the pillow next to her was a note.
‘Go into the kitchen.’
She pulled her dressing-gown on and followed the note’s instructions.
On the kitchen bench was another note.
‘Open the oven door.’
Inside the oven was a tray of ham and cheese croissants warming on a low heat.
‘Check the fridge.’ Another note scribbled on the baking paper.
Freshly squeezed orange juice sat chilled in the refrigerator, another note stuck to the glass.
‘Last chance footy training this morning. See you at the game, xo.’
Nicole ate breakfast and felt warmed by Danny’s gestures, even though she had no idea what any of this meant. And maybe that was okay. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to know.
Thirty-seven
The morning rain had stopped, but the mud and the puddles were causing havoc for both teams. Men were slipping and sliding and the ball was being dropped by usually safe hands.
The hooter blew at half-time with the scores locked at six each. The teams gathered in two huddles, desperately trying to find a way to breach the other’s defences.
Nicole wrapped her black and white scarf firmly around her neck and went with Mandy to buy a hot drink. A cool southerly had blown in overnight, dropping temperatures.
On Woodville’s home turf there were no markets, but the smell of onions on the barbecue was irresistible.
‘Two sausage sandwiches,’ Nicole ordered. She gave one to Mandy, who handed her a hot chocolate.
Arm in arm, the two ladies walked back to the sideline and joined the sea of black and white stripes.
A stranger wouldn’t have been able to pick who had the home ground advantage that day. So many cove supporters had made the journey to the match, Nicole doubted there was anybody left back home.
The ref blew time on and Nicole’s heart quickened.
Trevor was going hoarse on the sideline, and Mandy and Nicole jumped up and down whenever the Rangers made any kind of break or good tackle. Nicole finally understood what people meant when they said they played every ball with their team. It was exhausting.
The minutes ticked down. The game was messy and muddy and sluggish. Woodville scored a try and converted. Danny tried to rally his troops with shouts and fist pumps. He looked up at Nicole, who smiled at him and he clapped his hands to rev up his teammates.
Greg crossed for a try with five minutes to spare.
Danny missed the equaliser. Oh, God, was this her fault?
She started biting her nails – something she hadn’t done since high school. Mandy rocked back and forth and flailed her arms about, willing the boys forward. Jack screamed at the top of his voice. Jacqui almost dropped Amy with each pass.
Bill Tucker got up from his chair and stood, silently watching every move.
Woodville started to count down.
Greg was awarded a penalty, took a shot at goal, and the score was tied.
A magnificent intercept from Jason as play resumed, and a run half the length of the field roused a cheer from the cove supporters, which swelled in volume as he offloaded to Matt, then collapsed from the effort.
Matt passed the ball to Danny.
Danny set himself for a field goal.
Nicole held her breath.
‘C’mon!’ The roar went up from the Rangers supporters as the ball sailed over the black dot.
The hooter sounded.
Mandy and Nicole hugged each other and then everyone around them. Wives and girlfriends ran to kiss their mud-covered heroes. Mandy dashed over to embrace Trevor. Danny, swamped by the crowd, looked at Nicole. She smiled at him and he smiled back before being swallowed by junior Rangers who piled on to him.
Back in town, The Royal was packed and draped in black and white streamers and balloons that hung from every possible hook, beam and light fixture. The jukebox was on continuous rotation with everyone joining in when ‘We Are the Champions’ played.
George and his two bartenders were sweating profusely behind the bar trying to keep the beer flowing, and Greg and Jason jumped back there to lend a hand. The younger kids and teenagers danced on the make-do dance floor created once a few tables had been moved.
Saluted with song and skulling, Danny was the first to be hoisted on to the bar. He was followed by Trevor and then Jason. Eventually, the whole team were celebrated with every player praised, even old Craig, who’d spent the entire eighty minutes on the sideline injured. Then it was Nicole’s turn.
‘Our lucky socks,’ shouted Trevor.
Nicole leaned over to George and asked for sparkling apple juice instead of beer, figuring no one would notice in all the excitement. She climbed up on the cedar bar top and smiled warmly as the entire establishment raised their voices.
‘Here’s to Nicole, she’s true blue …’
She swiftly and easily downed her drink, raising her glass in triumph at the end.
Danny helped her down, the press of the crowd keeping them pinned together.
‘That goal will become town legend,’ Nicole said, his body close to hers.
‘The match will.’ He smiled. ‘As will our lucky charm.’
‘Ah yes, every girl’s dream, to be forever remembered as a pair of socks.’ She laughed.
Danny smiled and raised his hand, brushing her fringe from her face.
‘Hey, Cap’n. Great goal.’ Matt bumped into them and put his arm round Danny. ‘Another round.’ He slurred and pushed Danny towards the bar.
Come midnight the celebration showed no sign of easing up, and Danny no sign of being free, so Nicole quietly slipped out and walked home. She had a lot to do before the picnic tomorrow and wanted to get an early start.
The black velvet sky sparkled with stars, the crescent moon smiled on its side, and a few wispy clouds painted her way home.
In the morning Nicole frantically ran around her kitchen, trying to get everything made in time. She chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, stirred pasta, blended pesto, cut up potato wedges and hulled strawberries. All according to the rules Mandy had given her during their cooking lessons. She kept checking the clock. The long, narrow hands appeared to be moving at an increasingly accelerated speed.
Surely no one would be early; more likely late, given the previous evening’s festivities. But she wanted to be ready on time anyway. She owed the boys at least that.
Trevor was bringing over his barbecue and Mandy had assured Nicole that everyone
would bring their own meat and drinks. But she was the host and that meant ensuring there was enough food for people to walk away happy and full. She had big shoes to fill – it was the first town picnic in decades, and it was taking place once more on Ivy’s lawn.
She wiped her forehead, leaving a trail of green pesto above her left eyebrow. No time to stop. She hadn’t even set up the tables yet.
‘Hello?’ A voice called from the front door.
Nicole looked up at the clock. There was still half an hour before anyone was supposed to arrive. She wiped her hands on her apron and rushed to the door.
‘I thought you might need a hand,’ Danny said with warmth as she opened the screen door.
‘You’re a godsend.’ She sighed.
‘That’s a good look.’
‘Sorry?’
He gently wiped the pesto from her face.
‘Oh. Thanks.’ She laughed. ‘As you can see, I’m quite literally in a mess. I’m so glad you’ve come early.’
He took her food-stained hands. ‘Relax. This is supposed to be a fun afternoon. For everyone. Breathe.’
She looked at the chaos spread across the kitchen bench.
‘Breathe,’ Danny said again. ‘People will bring their own stuff, and if there’s not enough we’ll get Telford to raid the store.’
Nicole squeezed his hands, which still had a firm grip on her.
‘That’s better. Now, what can I do?’
‘Can you set up the tables for me? Here are some tablecloths.’
‘Of course.’ He nodded.
Nicole had no idea what spending the night before last together meant. He was leaving for his annual trip to Bangladesh tonight and there was every chance that by the time he got back he’d have changed his mind about her. All she could do was go with it and see what happened.
While Danny took care of the outside, Nicole went back to work in the kitchen. When she was satisfied all her bowls and platters were complete, she carried vases and plates and cutlery into the front yard.
Danny helped her place them on the tables and she walked around the garden picking various flowers to put in the vases. Danny returned from inside with the packets of pink and purple and yellow and green paper napkins she’d left on the dining table. And after Nicole set them on the two tables under the shade of the tall gum at the centre of her expansive yard, she stood back and looked at the effect.
The Cottage at Rosella Cove Page 26
