by Cathryn Hein
They were. The rabbit’s ears fell down either side of its face far below its chin, giving it a maudlin look, like a basset hound. Teagan gave the rabbit a dutiful stroke, then another as she felt its soft fur. ‘Another of Bunny’s rescues, I take it?’
‘Yes. Poor thing was going to be put down. Nibbles belonged to a little girl over Emu Plains way, but her dad has a new job in Queensland and keeping pet rabbits is illegal there. No one else wanted her so Vanessa kindly agreed to adopt her.’
‘Temporarily,’ said Ness. ‘Until we can find her a good home.’
Teagan smiled. ‘Like Betty and Wilma and Claudia and Mouse were temporary?’
Vanessa’s chin lifted. ‘I mean it this time.’
Teagan gave Nibbles another pat and climbed the stairs. She nodded at Blanche, now stalking along the rail, following Penny and Nibbles’s progress around the yard with her shoulders hunched like a hunting leopard. ‘Looks like Wilma’s lost her place at the top of Blanche’s menu.’
‘Yes.’ Ness moved to settle into one of the chairs. She elegantly crossed a leg and tilted forward to place her forearms over her knee. ‘I hear you went to a meeting Tuesday night.’
Teagan stared at the ground. Tony must have broken his promise and dobbed her in. Then again, it could have been Col or any of the others. Ness knew a lot of locals and Teagan’s attendance would have been impossible to keep secret.
She expected admonishment, perhaps even disappointment, but Ness surprised her.
‘I appreciate you have strong feelings about the Wellness Centre, and I’m not one to tell anyone what to think. You’re an adult perfectly capable of forming your own opinions. But Kathleen Ferguson is not your friend.’
‘I know.’
‘Be careful, darling. This could get very unpleasant. You don’t want to get caught up in it.’
‘It’s just petitions. I threw the forms away.’
Teagan tried not to squirm as Ness contemplated her for a long moment, then her aunt let out a doubtful ‘mmm’ noise and changed the subject. ‘You’re looking happier today. Astonville seems to suit you. Perhaps leaving here was a good idea.’
The reminder that Falls Farm had been her temporary home dampened Teagan’s feelings. ‘I really am sorry for how I behaved. I didn’t mean it.’
‘We know.’
Vanessa’s smile was kind, but it was clear apologies weren’t enough. Teagan had to prove her contrition, and that meant making sure she didn’t lapse again.
Her mother returned to the verandah, Nibbles cuddled in her arms. Immediately Blanche leaped down from the rail to curl around Penny’s feet, her body sinuous and mesmerising, as if this would entice the rabbit from her arms.
Ness sighed. ‘That cat’s going to give poor Nibbles an ulcer. Which reminds me, I’ll have to buy a bigger cage. It’s too crowded with Betty and Wilma.’
‘Ask Lucas,’ said Teagan. ‘I’m sure he wouldn’t mind making one.’
Penny looked up from her rabbit cuddle. ‘How are you and Lucas?’
Teagan touched the front of her shirt, feeling the outline of her necklace beneath. ‘Good.’
Ness and Penny exchanged a glance that made Teagan’s cheeks heat, as if they knew exactly what she and Lucas had been doing that morning.
‘Did you bring your bathers?’ asked Ness. ‘We should all have a swim.’
‘I did,’ said Teagan, hoping that didn’t make her sound presumptuous.
‘Good. An invigorating dip followed by margaritas will be just the ticket.’
Which was how Lucas found them all when he arrived – bar Nibbles, who was safe with Betty and Wilma in their hutch. He stood at the side of the pool wearing a pair of thongs, bright-red board shorts and a blue T-shirt that stretched tight across his chest, with his hands on his hips and an admiring smile. Almost a white-toothed Hollywood caricature of the perfect boy next door. And though his grin bounced from Ness and Penny, Teagan couldn’t help the flutter of her heart when it remained anchored mostly on her.
‘Isn’t this a sight for a bloke on a hot day.’
‘You should come and join us,’ said Ness, stroking her way to the shallow end, and pulling herself out of the water. Even with her skin lightly age-crinkled, Ness filled out her fifties-style bathers like Marilyn Monroe. Penny followed with her businesslike breast-stroke. ‘Go on. Us oldies will leave you to enjoy the water in peace.’ Grabbing up her towel, she raised an eyebrow at Lucas. ‘Just remember the rule.’
Teagan almost melted with embarrassment, but Lucas only laughed and began pulling off his T-shirt. ‘Spoilsport.’
He dived into the deep end as Penny and Ness left, and stroked to the midpoint where Teagan was resting with her back to the pool’s edge. He emerged dripping and sexy in front of her and angled in close for a long kiss.
‘I missed you.’
‘A part of you certainly did.’
His eyes sparkled like the sunlit water drops shimmering on his skin. ‘I really hate Vanessa’s rule.’
‘I’m not sure I do. Getting caught having sex in a pool by my aunt or mother would be death by mortification.’
He rested his forehead against hers. ‘We could always head home.’
‘And miss cocktails?’
‘You’ve been invited?’
Teagan nodded. She bit her lip. ‘I think Dom’s coming.’
‘Don’t worry about him. He’ll be fine. He’ll have me to deal with if he’s not.’
‘Hero.’
He winked at her. ‘Glad you think so. I do try my best.’ He touched her necklace. ‘You’re wearing it.’
‘I don’t want to take it off.’
He continued to touch it. ‘What you said this morning. About seeing things.’
‘I’m sorry. It was a silly thing to say.’
‘No. No it wasn’t. It meant a lot.’ He studied her face in a way that made her think he wanted to say more, then his focus dropped to her mouth and he was kissing her with a passion that left her too brain-scrambled to interpret anything, other than the overwhelming longing for this to last.
They swam and groped and kissed and mucked around for another half an hour before reluctantly getting out. By the time they made it to the verandah, Bunny had arrived along with Domenic. All of them had their heads close together, jumping apart the moment the door squeaked open. From their guilty looks Teagan knew they’d been talking about her.
Lucas must have sensed it, too, for he took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.
Dom nodded at Lucas before returning his attention to Teagan. ‘Enjoy your swim?’
Teagan swallowed, still unnerved about being talked about and flummoxed by the tone of Dom’s voice. This was their first encounter since their confrontation, yet he didn’t sound remotely censorious. ‘It was good, thanks.’ She took a deep breath and stepped closer. Ness was occupied pouring drinks, Bunny and Lucas had launched into a discussion about small-animal cage design, while Penny had lifted Nibbles’s enormous right ear and was whispering in it. Teagan doubted she’d get another chance to have a quiet word. ‘I’m sorry for what I said the other day.’
‘As am I,’ said Dom. ‘You were only concerned for your mother. It must’ve been very distressing seeing her so ill.’
‘It was.’ She wished she owned the grace to say that it wasn’t his or the centre’s fault, but the words wouldn’t come. Like the hospital doctor, Teagan simply couldn’t approve of what the centre practiced. Not that side of it.
He gave her a look that said he knew exactly what she was thinking. ‘If you’d ever like to take a tour, I’d be more than happy to show you around. It might alleviate some of your concerns. It’s an offer open to all members of the Progress Association.’
The comment left Teagan cringing inside. So Dom knew she’d been at the meeting, too. Talk about awkward.
‘Thanks. But I’m a bit busy myself with work and . . .’ Her eyes flicked to Lucas, golden and handsome. ‘Things.’
Dom nodd
ed in Lucas’s direction. ‘It’s good to see him happy.’
Teagan frowned. Since when did Dom care about Lucas?
As though sensing their attention, Lucas looked up. He quickly crossed to drape a possessive arm around Teagan’s shoulders. ‘You’d better not be trying to steal my girl.’ Despite the words there was no threat in Lucas’s tone.
Dom laughed. ‘I’d say you’re safe. I’m far too old and grizzled to be attractive to a woman as young and pretty as Teagan.’
‘Good,’ said Lucas, kissing her temple.
Ness interrupted with drinks. She handed a margarita tumbler to them each before picking up her own and sipping. She listened for a moment to Bunny’s and Penny’s animated chat and smiled wryly at Lucas. ‘Careful, darling, or they’ll have you building the Taj Mahal.’
‘I don’t mind.’ He took a sip of his drink. ‘It mightn’t be a bad business idea. Plenty of people with pets around the place. Horse types don’t usually stop at equines and dogs. They have all sorts of animals.’
Dom nodded. ‘Custom-made hutches. Not a bad concept.’
The discussion moved to how Lucas could expand from there, into dog kennels and bird cages. Ness thought the idea brilliant, pointing out local sales points like produce stores and agricultural supplies. Bunny was even more encouraging, promising free advertising in the clinic.
Teagan could tell from the way Lucas’s face lit up that the prospect appealed to him enormously. He would be good at it, too. Not only with his blacksmithing skills, but because of his creativity and innate empathy for the needs of animals.
Once again she felt the glow of hope and happiness, feelings that for so long had been elusive and impossible. For Lucas mainly, but also for herself. The way he kept including her in his ideas as if she was at Astonville to stay left her breathless.
‘By the way,’ said Ness, when the discussion moved on and the group had split into pairs again. She glanced to where Dom was resting against the rail with Lucas. The two of them talking too quietly for Teagan to hear, although both appeared to be watching their conversation closely. ‘Penny has decided to return to the Wellness Centre for a few days.’
Disbelief seared across Teagan’s brain. Her fingers went tight around her tumbler, a tick flickering in her jaw. The expression she held felt as brittle as old bones, as though one false move would see it splintering. Her mother back at the place that had landed her in hospital. Were they mad?
She concentrated on her breathing. She would not comment. She would not.
Ness was watching her closely. Lucas and Dom had stopped talking. In the yard, alerted by the break in conversation, Penny and Bunny looked up from settling Nibbles in for the night. Teagan lowered her head and closed her eyes, digging for strength. She had to say something. Words to prove she could think of others’ wellbeing more than her own selfishness.
She took a shaky sip of margarita to moisten her throat and lifted her head, her smile rigid but in place. ‘I’m sure Mum will enjoy that.’
Teagan could have sworn a breeze was created from the simultaneous exhalation of breaths.
Ness patted her shoulder as though she’d done well. ‘Yes, I’m sure she will.’
The horribleness of it made tears burn. She couldn’t let them see. Keeping her eyes down, she mumbled something about needing the loo and bolted inside.
She sat on the toilet lid with her face in her hands, feeling juvenile and angry. Juvenile because it was clear now how carefully they’d been inching around her, like an over-hormoned adolescent capable of exploding at a single wrong word. Angry because her mother was going back to that place and there wasn’t a thing Teagan could do to stop it.
A tap sounded on the door. ‘Teagan, are you okay?’ Lucas asked.
‘Yep. Fine. Just needed the loo.’ She stood and flushed, even though she hadn’t used it. She took a few seconds to run her damp palms down her thighs and settle her shoulders, before opening the door.
Lucas was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. ‘All right?’
‘Yep. Yep. Fine.’ She slipped into the bathroom to wash her hands. Her reflection showed how red her cheeks were, the crazy burn in her eyes. The thinness of her mouth. She spent a moment trying to force calm through muscles that were locked with tension, aware that Lucas was at the door, watching. Teagan licked her lips, nervous under his scrutiny.
She dried her hands and turned.
He jerked his head. ‘Come here.’
She stepped into his hold and let his muscular arms fold around her.
‘Your mum will be fine.’ He tilted her head back to gaze at her. ‘And so will you.’
Her throat roughened even further. She wanted to believe him, to clutch at all he offered.
He smiled. ‘You know why?’
‘Why?’
‘Because you have me.’
*
‘That’ll fuck All-dim,’ said Bunny, slapping her hands together.
Lucas watched the council ute as it laid a dust trail down the drive. Montague’s boss had spent five minutes observing Merlin before declaring his underling’s report a farce and spending the next twenty minutes trying to chat up Bunny.
He couldn’t blame him. In jeans and a T-shirt she looked broad-shouldered, athlete fit and magnificent. Dunks must be having a hell of a time.
‘Vanessa will be happy.’
‘All-dim deserves a good kick in the gonads for the stress he’s caused.’ She sniffed and draped her arms over the fence rail. ‘I’ve told Cherub to cut him from the Falcons. Can’t have an idiot like that in the side. He’ll only ruin morale.’
‘We don’t have enough players to go cutting people.’
‘We will.’
‘You’re confident.’
‘With good reason.’ She gave him a smug smile. ‘Vanessa and I have discovered an ace hidden in the Falls pack.’
‘Who?’
‘Oh, you’ll find out soon enough.’
Lucas could guess but decided to let Bunny enjoy her game. If he was right in his suspicions, it wasn’t a bad coup. Certainly surprising. ‘I hope Dunks appreciates how lucky he is.’
Bunny’s smile dropped. She stared at her boots, her lips pursed. ‘He’s asked me to marry him.’
‘But that’s great.’ Lucas’s happiness at the news faded as he caught Bunny’s expression. ‘Okay, what’s up?’
She crossed her arms. ‘I’m too old for him.’
‘Yeah, and he has two girls and an ex-wife who wants to screw him over. We’ve been over this. You love him, don’t you?’
‘It’s not about love. I’ll be old when he’s still young. He won’t want to be wiping slobber from my chin.’
‘Jesus, Bunny. That’s years in the future. You’re so fit you’ll probably end up taking care of him.’
She said nothing.
‘Don’t do this to him. He loves you.’ He sighed and scratched his head. ‘So you’ll sacrifice happiness now for something that might happen in the future? Come on. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow.’
Bunny squinted into the distance. ‘I don’t want to disappoint him.’
‘That’s never going to happen. He’s in awe of you.’ He joined her at the fence. ‘What does Vanessa say?’
‘That I should say yes.’
‘There you go.’
She threw him a wry look. ‘Easy for you to say.’ Her expression turned serious. ‘Speaking of love-lives, how’s yours with Teagan?’
‘We’re kicking along.’
Which was the truth. Sort of. After a few upbeat days, Teagan had faded into quiet again. This morning he’d kissed her goodbye only to check outside five minutes later when he hadn’t heard her ute start and catch her staring blankly at the forge door, her head slightly tilted as though listening for something. At the sound of the screen door closing she’d started and broken out of the trance, then fobbed off his worried questions as she always did by promising she was fine.
She wasn’t. He
knew it. So did Dom, Vanessa and everyone else.
‘You know she went to the Fuckuppa meeting.’
‘Yeah.’ He didn’t want to talk about that. The discovery that she’d lied still cut, but the way she was acting meant he couldn’t bring it up.
‘You’d best keep a close eye. Vanessa’s worried enough about her as it is and getting mixed up with that lot won’t do her any good either.’ Bunny checked her watch and gave his back a comradely pat. ‘I’d better get going. Janice is probably savaging my waiting room.’
‘What’re you going to tell Dunks?’
Smoothing her palm over her spiky blonde hair, Bunny released a tired sigh and grimaced. ‘No idea.’ With leggy strides she headed for her car, tossing over her shoulder, ‘Whatever the answer, you won’t be first to hear.’
Vanessa kissed her sister on the cheek and passed her over to one of the Wellness Centre’s perfectly coiffed and made-up receptionists. Worry tightened her insides as Penny was escorted down the hall towards the Bourke Wing. It was ridiculous, but she couldn’t help herself. Her sister desperately wanted validation that returning to Graham would be best for everyone. What if counselling gave her that?
‘Come have a drink,’ said Dom.
She liked the feel of his palm on her back, the gentlemanly care, and wished she could linger a while longer. But if Vanessa was nervous for Penny, she was even more nervous for herself. Maintaining decorum in Dom’s company was becoming increasingly troublesome with each passing day.
‘Tempting, but I should get back to the farm. Blanche has probably frightened poor Nibbles to death and I have no idea where Saffy’s disappeared to.’
‘Your animals will look after themselves.’ He lowered his voice seductively and bent close. ‘Be a devil. Say yes.’
The tickle of his breath on her ear shot Vanessa’s willpower somewhere near her groin. ‘You know me too well, Domenic Ashe. I never could resist being devilish.’
Dom’s quarters at the Wellness Centre were typically masculine; sleek stainless steel and glass, and soft furnishings in impractical arctic white. It had a hard, cold feel, and while it suited the man others considered Dom to be, it was nothing like the man Vanessa knew he was.
