Twenty-one
When Rachel wakened next morning, she felt something momentous had happened. Then she remembered. Luke Findlay had kissed her. It was the first time she’d been kissed since Kirk died and, although it had felt strange, unfamiliar, it had been good. But, she reminded herself, he was only here for a few months. There was no point in becoming involved. And, no matter how much Luke seemed to like her, for him she was probably only someone to while away his time in Pelican Crossing with, before he headed back to Sydney.
So, despite how much she was tempted, despite the hints of her friends, there was no way she was going to allow this relationship – if that’s what it was – to go any further than friendship. Rachel enjoyed Luke’s company and it was a pity they lived so far apart, but her life was here, and his was in Sydney. There was no way they could be together even if… Her imagination started working overtime before she reined it in.
It was only a week till Christmas, and Rachel had a lot to do before then, enough to keep her so busy she had no time to think about the man who lived only a short distance away and who was proving to be such a good companion. Companion… she liked the word. That’s how she’d consider him. And no more kisses. It would be too easy for her emotions to become involved and trick her into wanting more. She wasn’t used to having feelings. It had been so long, she’d forgotten what it was like. It was dangerous.
Having made her decision, Rachel rose and showered, before pulling on one of her favourite caftans and going to let Molly out of the study.
The little dog greeted her with more enthusiasm today, ready for the beach walk Rachel had planned. She picked Molly up and collected her leash, before making her way down the steps to the beach. To her relief, there was no sign of Luke and Nelson. One of the challenges of the proximity of Bob’s house was the risk of meeting the pair on the beach.
Molly was delighted to be back in one of her favourite spots, straining against the unfamiliar restrictions of the leash, but happy when Rachel allowed her to splash at the edge of the water. For Rachel, it was a relief to get back to some sort of normality with her little dog beside her on the beach. She did seem to be a lot better. Maybe in a couple of days, she could allow her to run free again.
Back home, with Molly fed and watered and once more settled in her usual spot in the kitchen, Rachel made her own breakfast and sat down at the kitchen table to make a list of all the things she needed to do in the week ahead. First, now her guests had gone, she’d do a full clean of the house, then make up the beds for Alexander… and his surprise – two in case they didn’t want to share. She remembered when she and Kirk got together, she’d felt embarrassed to sleep with him under his parents’ roof before they were married.
Next, was the garden. She wanted to make sure it looked its best for the big day. Maybe a trip to the garden centre was in order. And she still had a few last-minute gifts to buy for the grandchildren. When the twins, then Emily, were born she’d bought special red felt stockings for each of them and took delight in filling them with lollies and small surprise gifts. Then she needed to do the large Christmas food shop before the shops became too busy.
Last, but not least… Rachel looked down at the outfit she was wearing. She remembered Luke’s comments, what Lou had said, and wondered if she could fit in a trip to the boutique in Bellbird Bay before Christmas and surprise everyone with her transformation. She knew she’d need help. She couldn’t trust herself not to return with one more caftan. It took her only a moment to decide to ask Poppy for help, giving herself the excuse that Liz would be working. But she knew it was more than that. Poppy would be more tactful than Liz, would gently steer her in the right direction, help her choose garments which were flattering and not too extreme.
Satisfied she had covered everything, Rachel picked up the phone. Ten minutes later, she had arranged to spend Wednesday with Poppy in Bellbird Bay. Now, she needed to ensure everything else on her list was completed before Friday when Alexander was due to arrive.
*
The day passed quickly as Rachel set to cleaning the house to the sound of Christmas carols, singing along and smiling a lot, remembering singing the same tunes with Luke in his car. By late afternoon everything was spic and span, the beds ready, and she had even made a start on the garden, accompanied by Molly. When her phone rang, and she saw Luke’s number, her heart was suddenly racing. She was tempted to ignore it, but with the word companion at the forefront of her mind, she pressed to accept his call.
Despite her vow, Rachel felt her stomach give a slight flutter at the sound of his voice. She managed to subdue it sufficiently to speak normally. ‘Hello, Luke.’
‘Hello, Red. I’ve been thinking of you. How was your day, and how’s Molly?’
‘Busy, and Molly’s a lot better. We went to the beach today and she enjoyed getting her paws wet again.’
‘And you? What’s been keeping you busy?’
‘Cleaning.’ Rachel chuckled. ‘Now all my B&B guests are gone for a while, I need to get ready for my son to arrive, and for Christmas.’
‘About Christmas. I need some advice.’
Rachel sighed. Keeping Luke at arm’s length wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d thought. And it was compounded by the fact she really didn’t want to. ‘Yes?’ she said.
‘The tree arrived today, but it looks very bare standing there in the window. Nelson’s beginning to get ideas about it.’
Rachel laughed. He sounded so forlorn. ‘What would you like me to do about it?’
‘We…ell,’ he took a breath, ‘yours looks so good. I thought you could give me some advice on decoration, lights and so on.’ He paused.
Rachel laughed again. He did have a way of getting under her defences, but she said, ‘You’ll find lots of both in the local store, and I’m sure someone as capable as you can work out how to hang them.’
‘Hmm. I don’t suppose you’d come with me?’
Rachel hesitated. This wasn’t part of her plan for the week, but… ‘I suppose I could,’ she said. ‘When did you have in mind?’
‘What about tomorrow? The clinic closes early on Tuesdays. I’ll buy you dinner as a thank you.’
Rachel thought quickly. ‘Tomorrow won’t work. I’m minding my granddaughters all day, then Jess and Paul are going to his work Christmas party. The girls are staying for a sleepover.’
‘Oh!’
Rachel hardened herself to the disappointment in Luke’s voice. She could have invited him to join them, sure the girls would enjoy shopping for Christmas decorations, and the twins would love having a new person to try out their jokes on. But who knew what it might lead to once the girls were asleep? ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, in an attempt to soften the blow.
‘I am going to see you again before Christmas to celebrate Christmas together?’
Rachel hesitated again. It was a reasonable question, and a reasonable request. After spending so much time together, it would seem odd to suddenly refuse to see him before they were both tied up with family. Tuesday was out, she didn’t know when they’d get back from Bellbird Bay on Wednesday, but it would be churlish to refuse… and she knew she wanted to see him again. ‘I can be free on Thursday evening,’ she said.
‘Wonderful. I’ll book a table at Crossing s. I understand they have a special menu all week.’
*
What was he doing ? Luke pulled on his beard when he ended the call. Kissing Rachel last night hadn’t been planned, but she’d looked so lovely standing there in the moonlight, her upturned face, lips parted, just waiting to be kissed. He hadn’t been able to resist. It had been a sweet kiss with no hint of the strength of his desire for this woman who’d appeared in his life so unexpectedly when he’d thought himself past all that.
But, he reminded himself, while he wanted to see more of her, to take what they’d started further, it wasn’t fair to Rachel. He was only in Pelican Crossing for a few months. When Bob returned at the end of March, Luke would be off back to the big smoke, back to Sydney, to his own home, to Josh and Abby. He flinched at the prospect of sharing his home with them again for however long it took for them to save the necessary deposit. But it was what he’d agreed to, what Ness would have wanted.
Ness. Luke had barely thought about Ness since he set foot in Pelican Crossing. It was as if he’d travelled back in time. But his life wasn’t here. Luke sighed, and Nelson made a similar sound in sympathy. ‘Life’s not fair, Nelson,’ he said. ‘Just as I meet the woman who could make me happy, help me move on with my life, she lives here in Pelican Crossing… and my life’s in Sydney.’
It was still light outside and warm after another glorious day. One thing Luke couldn’t dislike about Pelican Crossing was the weather… and the beach. Nelson loved the beach too, so, giving in to the pleading expression on the dog’s face, Luke headed out and down towards the stretch of white sand. Once there, on discovering the tide was out, he took off to pound along the beach, Nelson at his heels, no doubt surprised by his master’s turn of speed.
When he came to the far end of the beach, Luke stopped for breath, leaning over, hands on his knees, the ache in his joints reminding him he wasn’t eighteen any longer, not even close. But the run had done what he intended. He felt a lot better about himself and determined to remain friends with Rachel and to make every effort to avoid any situation which tempted him to be anything else. Friends was good, he thought. We all need friends, and as we grow older new friends are more difficult to find. He conveniently ignored the fact that there were others he could call friends right here in Pelican Crossing, men who’d been his friends when he was growing up, men with whom he shared memories – Troy and Phil to name only two. And he was sure he’d meet others before long, especially if Troy had anything to do with it. Thinking of Troy reminded Luke of his offer of a beer and a meal to his old friend.
As soon as he got back to the house and ensured Nelson had food and water, he called Troy. By the time the call ended, he’d arranged for Troy to come round on Wednesday evening. When he bought the tree decorations, he’d stock up the pantry and fridge ready for Josh and Abby’s visit and ready to prepare a genuine Italian meal for his old mate.
Then he poured himself a beer and settled down to lose himself in the book about Italian migration, wishing he’d asked more questions when his mother was still alive, and wondering if anyone here in Pelican Crossing would know anything about her parents, his Italian grandparents.