Ten
The house felt very empty when Rachel arrived home. There were none of the usual snuffling noises Molly made, and which Rachel wasn’t normally aware of… but their absence made the house seem like an empty shell. She was glad Jess had asked her to take care of the twins in the afternoon. Their company would go some way to fill the gap Molly’s absence made.
Rachel fixed herself a salad for lunch and carried it out to the courtyard, but only picked at it. Everything was so still and quiet. She gave herself a shake. Molly was going to be all right. It was only for a few days. It would pass in a flash. Then, she thought, she would meet Luke again. Her mind went back to her shock at the sight of him, of her surprise he’d recognised her after all these years. Back then, she’d been a shy teenager impressed her older sister was dating one of the stars of the rugby team, thrilled when he invited her along to the beach with them a couple of times, and once to the movies to see Grease . She’d love the movie, picturing herself as Sandy, and Luke as Danny. It was every teenage girl’s dream. But she was only fourteen, and Luke was her sister’s boyfriend.
Nothing had changed, she told herself. It might be over forty years later, but Luke Findlay was still way out of her league. What was she doing even thinking of him? The thought of another man had never crossed her mind since she met Kirk… till now. She remembered how, only a few weeks ago, she’d told herself there was no room for another man in her life. But she also remembered once telling Liz that grandchildren were no substitute for a man in your bed. She stopped herself and stared into space. Where had that memory come from? And why think of it now? She picked up her plate and carried it inside, determined to dismiss all thoughts of Luke Findlay. The man was Bob’s locum. He was taking care of Molly. And that was all. There was no need for her to behave like a starstruck schoolgirl.
*
By the time Jess arrived with the twins, Rachel was in a calmer frame of mind.
‘Where’s Molly, Mum?’ Jess asked, as the twins raced into the house shouting the dog’s name – she was usually at the door to greet them.
‘I had to take her to the vet this morning, a tick. She’ll be there for a few days.’ Rachel’s bottom lip trembled as she relived her distress about Molly.
‘Poor Molly. I heard Bob’s off on a trip. What’s the new vet like?’
Rachel swallowed. There was no need for Jess to know about her and Becky’s history with Luke. ‘He seems nice, competent, older than Bob, closer to my age, I think.’
‘Oh!’ But Jess wasn’t really interested. ‘Well, I need to go. I have to get Emily to this party. I should be back around four. That okay with you?’
‘Sure, we’ll have fun, won’t we girls?’ she said to the two little girls who had appeared again, bewailing the fact they couldn’t find Molly.
‘Molly’s sick,’ she told them, when they had waved Jess off. ‘She’s had to go to hospital. You know, like you did, Gemma, when you hurt your arm.’
Both girls nodded, clearly recalling the incident the previous year when Gemma had fallen out of a tree and broken her arm.
‘Will she have a plaster too?’ Indie asked – she had been very envious of her sister’s plaster.
‘No, but she needs to stay in the vet hospital for a few days, then we’ll need to be very quiet when she comes home. No running around or rowdy games. Promise?’
‘We promise,’ they said together. Then Indie asked, ‘Can we go swimming? Mum brought our togs.’ She pointed to the brightly coloured bag sitting in the hall.
‘I think that’s a great idea. Why don’t you two go out into the garden while I get changed. You can check if any of the strawberries are ripe.’
The girls ran off, and Rachel headed into the bedroom to change. A few minutes, later all three made their way down the steps to the beach.
As Rachel had predicted, the twins kept her busy, so busy she didn’t have time to think about what was happening with Molly… or to brood over the reappearance of Luke Findlay in her life. When the image of him did intrude into her consciousness, she quickly dismissed it. After spending a couple of hours on the beach, the girls clamoured to do some baking and in the chaos they always managed to create in the kitchen, there was even less time for Rachel to give in to her thoughts.
When Jess arrived with Emily to take the twins home, all three were sitting outside enjoying the results of their labours, the girls’ mouths rimmed with chocolate from the chocolate chip Nutella cookies.
As always, Jess was in a rush. She quickly rounded up the twins, accepted the box of cookies Rachel had prepared for them to take home, and was off, almost before Rachel had time to blink.
Now the twins had gone, Rachel felt Molly’s absence more than ever. The little dog was her constant companion and, although she knew her absence was temporary, she couldn’t help wondering how she was. It was a shock when the sound of her phone ringing broke the silence of the empty house.
Rachel recognised the number of the vet clinic, and her heart dropped. Had something happened to Molly? Luke had said she’d be fine, but what if… ‘Hello,’ she said, her heart in her mouth.
‘Red?’ Luke said. ‘I don’t want you to worry. Molly’s just fine. I could tell from your expression this morning you were anxious about her, and I wanted to put your mind at rest. She’s awake. I’ve given her the anti-toxin and I don’t expect any adverse effects. I’m pretty sure when you call on Wednesday, you’ll be able to pick her up.’
Rachel breathed more easily. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her eyes misted. ‘Oh, thank you, Luke,’ she said. ‘And thank you for calling. I was worried about her.’
‘No problem. It was good to see you again.’ He ended the call.
Relieved her pet was recovering, and somewhat bemused Luke had called her Red again, Rachel poured herself a glass of wine, the words, It was good to see you again , going round and round in her head. It didn’t mean anything. He was only being polite to a client. He probably had a wife tucked away in Bob’s house, the house which was only a stone’s throw away on the other side of the bluff and which shared the same stretch of beach.
*
Now why had he done that, Luke wondered as he put down the phone. It wasn’t his habit to call the owners of animals in the vet hospital to report on their condition. Then to say it was good to see her again… He shook his head. But it had been good to see her again. He remembered Becky’s little sister – Red. Back then, her hair had been a fiery red, the curls making a halo around her face. It had been a pretty face, he recalled. It still was. She’d aged well… and she’d obviously stayed in Pelican Crossing. He wondered briefly what had happened to Becky, if she was still in town. But he’d known from the start that relationship wouldn’t last. Ness had been Becky’s complete opposite… actually more like Red… Rachel. He must try to remember to call her Rachel. He expected she was married now, no doubt with a brood of children and grandchildren, whereas he only had Josh who had hurtled from one relationship to another. But he had hopes for this one with Abby. It was the first time he’d mentioned buying a house. Abby was a lot younger than his son – mid-twenties to his mid-thirties, but she was a lovely girl, mature for her years with a caring personality. He’d keep his fingers crossed about her. He was aware he hadn’t been much of a father to Josh since Ness’s death. At first he’d been too caught up in his own grief, then keeping his distance had become a habit.
Feeling restless, and aware he’d forgotten to do the shopping he’d intended, Luke fed Nelson and told him to stay, before heading out.
As he drove into town, he tried to remember the restaurants he’d noticed on the day he arrived, but the only one that came to mind was Crossings . It seemed too upmarket for a casual meal, so he kept driving, past The Grand Hotel , which was a possibility, though he didn’t feel like the forced camaraderie he’d most likely find there. Then, overlooking the marina, he spotted it. When he was growing up in Pelican Crossing, the yacht club had been the place for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and any other event. It had been a good spot for a casual meal or a special occasion. Like many of the other buildings in town, it had had a facelift sometime in the past forty years – perhaps more than one – but it still looked as welcoming as he remembered from the night their coach had taken the rugby team there to celebrate their victory. He parked his car and made his way to the entrance.
The restaurant was surprisingly busy for a Monday evening. Luke suspected many of the diners were tourists enjoying an early holiday before the Christmas rush. If what he’d read was true, Pelican Crossing had become a tourist mecca for both interstate and international visitors, eager to spend the holiday season in warmer climes. Luke was shown to a table by a window overlooking the marina by a cheerful waiter and handed a leather-bound menu much fancier than the one he remembered. Gazing out over the lines of vessels in the marina, he marvelled yet again how much the town had changed. The myriad lights glinting in the ocean could have been on the French or Italian riviera instead of his home town.
After a brief glance at the menu, Luke ordered fish and chips with the craft beer he’d enjoyed with Bob in The Grand to wash it down and leant back in his seat to observe the other diners. As his eyes flitted over the couples and families, several of whom appeared to be on holiday, his eyes were drawn back to three people seated at the far side of the restaurant. There was something about the set of one of the men’s heads, the way he tilted it to one side as he spoke, that was familiar. It took Luke a few moments, then it came to him. He’d seen that head many times before, but back then the hair had been long and blond, prompting the school principal to demand he have a haircut. But Troy Piper had never been one to stick by the rules. He’d managed to get Luke into trouble more times than he cared to remember. So, he was still here?
While Luke was debating whether or not to announce his presence to his old friend, the man turned round and caught sight of Luke. For a moment he looked puzzled then his eyes widened, and his face broke into a grin. He said something to his companions before heading over to where Luke was sitting.
‘What the hell are you doing here, Luke?’ he asked. ‘Thought you were well set up down in Sydney and had forgotten Pelican Crossing and all your old mates.’
‘Not so.’ Luke rose to give Troy a hug, noticing how the once well-muscled man was turning to fat. ‘Stayed there after uni, but I’m retired now.’
‘And what are you doing in Pelican Crossing?’ he repeated. ‘On holiday?’ He glanced around as if expecting to see a wife and family.
‘I’m on my own. I’m taking care of Bob Reed’s vet practice while he’s overseas.’
‘Right. I heard he had some expert from down south coming to fill in. So that’s you?’
‘Not really.’ Luke wondered what rumours were circulating about him. He remembered what Pelican Crossing could be like regarding a stranger in town. ‘Bob and I met at a conference last year. I gave a paper. That’s probably what he was referring to. You’re still here?’
‘As you see.’ Troy spread his arms. ‘Never left. Took over Dad’s landscaping business, married Carrie from school – you’ll remember her – three kids, grown now.’ His eyes clouded. ‘She passed away two years ago, so now it’s just me and the dog, but my daughters look after me, make sure I eat regularly and don’t burn the house down. You must drop round for a beer while you’re here, have a yarn about old times. Those were the days, weren’t they? We had good times. Not like the teenagers are today. My grandchildren! You don’t want to know.’
‘Sure, give me a call. You know where I am.’
‘Will do.’ Troy glanced over to where his companions were staring at him. ‘Have to go. Good to see you again, mate.’
Luke stared after his old friend. Life back here in Pelican Crossing certainly wasn’t going to be boring. It might be more interesting than he’d anticipated. There was his meeting with the mayor, now his old schoolmate… and there was Red …