‘Are you intending to hand out those snappy one-liners to your friends on little cards?’
Rachel pulled a face at her.
‘What can I tell you?’ said Mel, holding out her hands. ‘You can’t keep all of the people happy all of the time, yada yada. Some of your friends will be fine, no doubt, they’ll be happy for you. Others’ll take issue, but that’s the thing. It’s their issue, not yours.’
‘That’s what Tom says,’ Rachel nodded.
‘Ah, who cares what people think in the end,’ Mel declared with a wave of her hand. ‘At least you can quit all the sneaking around. It must be exhausting. You can have some normality finally.’
Rachel gave a wry laugh.
‘What?’
‘I don’t know if we’re ever going to have much normality.’
‘Why do you say that?’
Rachel couldn’t believe she was finally going to be able to talk about this out loud to someone. ‘Think about it. Okay, it’s out in the open, everyone knows, most importantly his daughters know, and so what do we do then? Have sleepovers at his house, in her bed?’
‘Eew,’ Mel grimaced. Then she shrugged. ‘So, he’ll get a new bed. You’ll go shopping for a bed together, it’ll be your bed.’
‘And then we put it into her room?’
‘Hmm,’ Mel thought about it. ‘Is there another room you could use? Can some rooms be changed around, maybe?’
Rachel shook her head. ‘The place doesn’t really allow for it, but it’s not just that. The thing is, it’s Annie’s house. If you knew her, if you saw it . . . She was a very distinctive woman with a very distinctive style. The house is all her.’
‘Well, that’s not all that unusual,’ Mel offered. ‘Not many blokes are into interior decorating, you realise.’
‘It’s more than that.’ Rachel twirled her glass by its stem. ‘Does anybody actually do this? Start a new life with a new woman in the dead wife’s house?’
‘There’s your answer. He has to sell up, obviously. You can find your own place to start your new life.’
‘But I don’t think that’d be fair to the girls. They shouldn’t have the memories of their mother pushed aside like that.’
‘Snap.’ Mel drained her glass. ‘You did say it was complicated.’
‘I did.’
They sat silently for a while as the buzz carried on around them; the music played, guys put the word on girls, girls accepted, or knocked them back. Like all the gin joints in all the towns . . .
‘See, this is what I’m saying,’ Mel said finally. ‘It’s like every relationship is doomed. It all starts off fine, and then you settle down and the cracks start to appear.’
‘Well, that’s just depressing,’ said Rachel.
Monday
Catherine arrived at work, still shell-shocked. She hadn’t slept well, and she’d felt like a caged lion all weekend. She paused at Brooke’s desk with a perfunctory ‘Good morning’ as she was handed her messages. She walked on slowly, glancing through them. She stopped suddenly, taking a few steps back to Brooke’s desk.
‘This one,’ she said, ‘from a James Barrett, did he have anything else to say?’
‘No,’ said Brooke. ‘He asked for you, I said you weren’t in, he gave me his details, asked if you could call back.’
‘Hmm.’ Catherine proceeded through to her office, put down her briefcase and sat in her chair. She flicked through the rest of her messages, but she wasn’t actually reading any of them. She was still thinking about James. And what Rachel had said. But she had to control how this played out.
She stood up and walked back out to Brooke’s desk. ‘Brooke, if Mr Barrett calls again, tell him I’m in a meeting.’
‘Of course, Catherine.’
She went to walk away, then she turned back again. ‘Actually, Brooke, always check with me first. You know the drill.’
Brooke nodded. ‘I’ll say you’re in a meeting, let me just check if she’s available.’
‘Good.’
Catherine went back to her office and closed the door. She wanted to know if he called. If he kept calling. Just how persistent he was prepared to be. Because this was too important. If she was going to risk opening this particular can of worms, as Rachel had suggested, she had to be absolutely sure about James, that she could trust him, that he was someone who would do the right thing.
Saturday
‘Hi,’ said Rachel, surprised, as she turned around to serve the next customer. ‘What are you doing here, Tom?’
Mel looked up. ‘Ah, so Mr Wonderful, we finally meet.’
‘Why’d she call you that, Dad?’
Tom put his hands on Hannah’s shoulders. ‘My daughter, Hannah,’ he said, by way of introduction. ‘And I’m guessing you’re Mel, Rachel’s new boss?’
‘Yeah,’ she said, recovering. She looked directly at Hannah. ‘Doesn’t everyone call your dad Mr Wonderful?’
Hannah frowned, glancing sideways up at her father.
‘It’s true, Han,’ he said. ‘I get it all the time, everywhere I go.’
‘La-ame,’ she rolled her eyes.
He grinned, looking at Rachel. ‘Hannah and I were wondering if you were having a break any time soon?’
She hesitated, glancing at Mel.
‘As a matter of fact, she’s due for one right now,’ said Mel.
‘Are you sure?’ Rachel asked her.
Mel turned around, her back to Tom and Hannah. ‘Oh, quite sure, I owe you for the foot-in-mouth thing just now,’ she said in a low voice. ‘And by the way . . . hot!’
‘Okay,’ said Rachel, smiling across at them. ‘Let me make you some drinks first. What would you like, Hannah?’
They waited for Rachel to wash her hands and shed her apron, and then they walked across the road to the reserve overlooking the beach, where they found an empty bench to sit down.
‘You’re not having juice?’ Tom asked, watching Rachel open a bottle of water.
She shook her head. ‘I’m all juiced out.’
Hannah giggled, slurping through her straw.
‘So Lexie called,’ Tom went on, ‘about the barbecue next week.’
Rachel nodded. ‘I’m looking forward to it. We haven’t all got together for such a long time.’
He gave her a meaningful look across the top of Hannah’s head while she was focused on her smoothie. ‘Yeah, it’ll be a good chance to catch up.’
She knew what he was getting at, they’d already talked about it. The first time they would all be together as a group – their ‘coming out’ party. Rachel vacillated between feeling enormous relief and sheer terror, as though she was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to take a step off. When she’d said that to Tom, he’d reassured her that he’d be holding her hand on the way down. Rachel wasn’t sure that was such a comforting idea.
‘So, do you want to ask Rachel, Han?’ Tom was saying.
Rachel looked at them.
‘No, you do it, Dad,’ Hannah said, nudging him.
‘Okay then. Well, we wanted to know if you’d like to come over tonight after work to watch a DVD? Just me and Hannah,’ he added quickly. ‘Sophie’s going out.’
That did make it more appealing, but still Rachel hesitated. ‘I wouldn’t be imposing on a father and daughter night?’
‘No way!’ Hannah jumped in. ‘It’ll be two against one if you come with us to pick the DVD. Dad’s totally hopeless.’
He pulled a face. ‘And there I thought I was Mr Wonderful.’
Hannah snorted. ‘Yeah, right. That lady was nuts.’
‘Oh, don’t mind her,’ said Rachel. ‘She says that to all the good-looking guys.’
Hannah screwed up her face. ‘Dad’s not good-looking.’
‘Thanks, Han.’
‘Oh, Daddy dear,’ she patted his leg. ‘You know I love you. But let’s face it, you’re no Zac Efron.’
Rachel laughed.
‘I don’t even know who he is,’ said Tom
. ‘Should I be offended?’
Rachel shook her head. ‘No, he’s about eighteen, and let’s face it,’ she winked at Hannah, ‘there’s no one like Zac Efron.’
‘Tell me about it,’ Hannah sighed.
‘So what do you say, Rachel?’ Tom asked. ‘Will you join us tonight?’
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I’d love to.’
‘Yay,’ said Hannah, giving her a hug.
Tom looked across at her, smiling broadly. And Rachel smiled back, because he looked so happy.
‘Okay, are you finished with that, Han?’ he said to her. ‘I’ll take these to the bin.’
He collected their containers and sauntered over to a bin nearby. Hannah turned to Rachel with an urgent expression on her face.
‘Do you like my dad?’ she asked quickly, her voice hushed.
‘Of course,’ Rachel said uncertainly.
‘No, you know, like him. ’Cause I think he likes you, and I’d hate him to get his heart all broken, after Mum and everything, so if you think he’s gross or something, then let me know and I’ll put him off.’
Rachel wanted to hug her. ‘I don’t think he’s gross, Han. Not at all. Actually, I think he’s pretty wonderful.’
Hannah’s whole face broke into a smile.
Rachel sat there, her heart racing, as Tom walked back towards them, feeling for the first time like this could actually work. And she was going to be part of a family.
‘What are you two grinning about?’ he asked.
‘Me and Rachel were just talking about which DVD we’re gunna get and we’re totally agreed on He’s Just Not That Into You.’
Tom nodded, frowning. ‘Is there a movie title in there somewhere?’
Monday
Lexie heard Scott coming down the stairs. He’d been in bed all day, and she was just finishing Riley’s bedtime story. She had put Mia to bed a little earlier, trying to keep things as quiet as possible upstairs. Scott hadn’t been feeling well since Saturday night, but she hadn’t been able to talk him into not going to work yesterday. Josh had had the good sense to send him home early, and he’d looked dreadful when he walked in the door. His face was drawn and pale, his eyes sunken, and he was shivering. He said Josh had overreacted, but Lexie told him he was being ridiculous. She only hoped that he hadn’t spread it to the customers. Lexie had packed him off to bed right away, but he was worse this morning. The café was closed Mondays, so she didn’t have to argue with him to stay at home, but he couldn’t have gone to work. He was aching all over, and he’d kept up a high temperature all day. It was all Lexie could do to get him to take Panadol at regular intervals, but at least he’d stayed in bed.
‘Daddy!’ Riley exclaimed as Scott slumped into the room. He went to jump off her lap, but Lexie held him back.
‘No, Riley,’ she said firmly. ‘Daddy’s not well.’
‘It’s okay,’ Scott said as he lurched at the sofa, falling into it.
But Lexie held onto Riley. ‘No, sweetheart, Daddy’s really sick, you can’t go near him or else you might get sick too.’ She shifted him in her lap to face her. ‘And if you get sick, you’ll have to miss school tomorrow, and then you know what you’ll miss?’
He looked at her wide-eyed. ‘The petting zoo?’
Lexie nodded. ‘That’s tomorrow, sweetheart, you know how much you’ve been looking forward to it.’
‘But I could still go.’
‘But then you might make the animals sick as well,’ Lexie pointed out.
He sighed, looking plaintively over at his dad.
‘Mummy’s right, mate,’ Scott croaked. ‘Blow me a kiss and I’ll blow you one back.’
Riley looked dubious. ‘But I might catch it from you, Daddy. You better not.’
Scott gave him a weak smile. ‘Will you still blow me a kiss anyway?’ he asked. ‘It might make me feel better.’
Riley nodded emphatically before blowing him a highly staged kiss.
‘Okay,’ said Lexie, ‘I’ll just get him off to bed. Do you need anything? I made you some soup.’
He waved her off. ‘I can get it.’
‘No,’ she said. ‘Just sit there, I’ll be back in ten minutes.’ She scooped Riley off her lap and stood up. ‘Don’t move,’ she ordered Scott.
And he hadn’t, when she returned. Though he had turned the television on to some kind of dance show.
‘What on earth are you watching?’ she asked as she came over to the sofa.
‘I have no idea,’ he said. ‘But it’s making my head spin.’
‘I don’t think you can blame that on the TV.’ She leaned over him and held her hand to his forehead, but he brushed it away.
‘I’m fine, feeling a lot better,’ he said, then broke into a fit of coughing.
Lexie’s stomach lurched, watching him. She sat down on the coffee table opposite him, passing him a box of tissues. The coughing fit eased, and he slumped back against the sofa, catching his breath.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I’ve called your mother –’
‘Why did you do that?’ he frowned.
‘Because she’s the only one who can stop you from leaving the house tomorrow.’
‘Lexie,’ he said, ‘I’ll be fine by tomorrow.’
‘No you won’t.’
‘The café can’t run itself.’
‘No, Josh and I will handle it.’
He sat up then. ‘No way.’
‘Way,’ said Lexie. ‘What else are we going to do?’
‘I’ll go to work as usual.’
Some hideous rap song was playing in the background, distracting her. ‘What the hell is that?’ Lexie snapped, grabbing the remote and pressing the mute button. She turned back to Scott. ‘It’s all arranged. Your mother will be here at seven, and I’ve called a friend to pick up Riley for school –’
‘This is crazy, Lex, you can’t run the café.’
‘Oh, and you can, the state you’re in?’
‘One more night’s sleep and I’ll be good to go,’ he said, and then he broke into another coughing fit.
Lexie sat there, trying to be calm, letting him ride it out, telling herself he didn’t have an undiagnosed heart complaint, he just had the flu. But she couldn’t deny feeling anxious, she’d even double-checked the family history with his mother. Lexie knew that Jenny realised what she was worried about, but she didn’t make her feel stupid for asking.
‘Okay,’ said Lexie when he’d recovered. ‘Would you like some soup?’
‘Lex, I know what this is about,’ said Scott. ‘You’re overreacting because of what happened to Annie.’
She shook her head. ‘I’m not going to deny this is bringing up some uncomfortable feelings,’ she said. ‘But I don’t think you’re going to die, Scott. However, you are sick and you need at least a couple of days off.’
‘Not going to happen, Lex,’ he said. ‘Josh can’t run the place on his own.’
‘He won’t have to, he’ll have me.’
Scott gave her a doubtful look. ‘You’re a good cook, Lexie, but you’re not a chef.’
‘No, but Josh is, and I can cook, and I can follow orders,’ she said. ‘Unlike you.’ She stood up. ‘Your mother will be here at seven, you can argue your case with her. I’m going to get you some soup.’ She reached down and grabbed the remote again, tossing it onto his lap. ‘There, watch your stupid show.’
Wednesday
‘Thank God for netball training,’ Tom murmured, nuzzling into Rachel’s neck.
The netball season had started last week, affording them a midweek tryst, which was just as well because they hadn’t had much other time together, apart from last Saturday night with Hannah, which, Rachel had been happy to admit, had turned out beautifully. Now that she had her little matchmaking plan in place, Hannah had quit the incessant talking about her mother, and Rachel felt much more at ease with her. Being in the house itself was another matter, but she did feel more relaxed this time. Especially as they just ordered in pizzas and ate
them at the coffee table while they watched the movie. Rachel didn’t step foot in the kitchen the entire night.
‘Three more big sleeps till Saturday,’ said Tom after a while as he rolled over onto his back, drawing Rachel with him. ‘Thank Christ, I don’t think I can do this for much longer.’
She propped her chin on his chest, looking up at him. ‘You don’t think one night is going to change everything, do you, Tom?’
‘No, but we’ll be on our way.’ He shifted so he could face her fully. ‘Are we together on this?’
‘Mm.’
‘So, on Saturday night at the barbecue, in front of everyone, I’m going to be very attentive . . .’
‘Not too attentive.’
‘I’ll top up your drinks, laugh at your jokes, even though that in particular will be a bit of a stretch.’
She nudged him.
‘And I’ll be a little affectionate –’
‘Not too affectionate,’ she warned.
‘No, just in a friendly way. And I’ll offer to drive you home.’
Rachel was pensive.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing, I’m just nervous, I guess.’
He held her close and kissed her. ‘Look, it’s going to be fine. If everyone has the same attitude as Hannah, we’ll be home free.’ He paused. ‘And in the end, nobody else matters anyway if the girls are okay with it.’
‘Yeah, well, don’t count your chickens, we haven’t got Sophie onside yet.’
Tom shook his head. ‘You worry too much, Rach. She’ll be fine. When it’s all out in the open I’ll actually be able to talk to her about it, and I can reassure her that nothing’s going to change.’
He still didn’t get it. And Rachel had not been able to bring herself to broach her very real concerns about how on earth they were going to conduct this relationship once they were ‘out’. She’d ended up deciding that maybe she should just take one thing at a time; that she would cross that bridge when they came to it. And although that approach had not always worked for her, she still hadn’t managed to come up with anything better.
Tom raised his arm to check his watch. ‘I have to go,’ he sighed regretfully. He kissed her lightly on the lips before unravelling himself from her arms to sit up. Rachel shifted to get up as well.
Three’s a Crowd Page 34
