Thirty-five
Despite spending his days in the clinic, for Luke it was as if every day was Christmas, as he and Rachel managed to spend more time together and became closer. To his surprise the clinic hadn’t become busier after Christmas and New Year, and to his relief there had been no further cases of poisonings. As a result, he’d been closing up at lunchtime and meeting Rachel on the beach for a swim or a walk, or sometimes just to talk before heading back to Bob’s. But after New Year’s Eve, she’d been careful not to spend the night there. He knew it would be hard to leave her when the time came for him to return to Sydney. But they had both decided not to discuss that and to enjoy what time they did have together.
Today, he’d made arrangements to meet Finn and Joe for lunch at The Grand , as part of his decision to get to know them better. Finn had been as good as his word and his warning about the beach in The Echo had been worded in such a way as to avoid any panic while, hopefully, ensuring dog owners took more care and kept an eye on their animals on the beach.
The two men were already there when Luke arrived. He ordered one of the craft beers he’d developed a taste for and joined them to discover they were discussing the poisonings.
‘I’ve been having a good look around when I take Coco to the beach,’ Joe said, ‘but haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary.’
‘Coco?’ Luke asked, taking a welcome sip of beer.
‘My chocolate lab. We go to the beach a lot, but since Finn told me about Lady and Bluey, I’ve been a lot more careful. Do you think it may have been something that washed up?’
‘It was definitely rat poison,’ Luke said, ‘but we may have seen the last of it. If it was done deliberately, your article may have scared off whoever was responsible.’
‘Coatts and Small?’ Finn asked Joe.
Luke was puzzled.
‘Two councillors who tried to ban unrestrained dogs on the beach last year,’ Joe said. ‘But I don’t think even they would go as far as to poison them.’
Luke remembered Finn mentioning something about this. He shook his head. ‘The courts take cruelty to animals seriously. I seem to recall the penalties in Queensland can amount to jail time.’
‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, much as I’d like to be rid of them from the council,’ Joe grimaced. ‘Now, pie and chips for everyone? My treat.’
After a bit of disagreement with both Finn and Luke offering to pay, Joe made his way to the bar to order.
‘Good to see you again, under more favourable circumstances,’ Finn said. ‘Sandy was relieved the second blood test showed a good result. He’s very attached to Bluey. The little dog managed to help him recover from his grief after his dad died. Sandy saw him drown and it made him terrified of the sea. It took Bluey to give him the confidence to take his first few step… him, old Agnes, and Lady.’
‘Wow. I saw Agnes and Lady this morning, by the way. She’s going to be fine. I expect Bluey to be the same when you bring him in next week.’
‘Good man.’
Joe returned, a waiter following him with three plates of food.
‘This takes me back,’ Luke said. ‘Pie and chips in The Grand , washed down with beer, though back in the day it wasn’t craft beer we’d be drinking.’
‘Still not for me,’ Finn said, holding up his glass of the more traditional brew.
‘So,’ Joe said, ‘How are you enjoying being back in Pelican Crossing, Luke? You’ve had time to get used to it now.’
‘I’m enjoying it more than I expected,’ Luke said, surprised to realise it was true… and not only because of Rachel. He had slipped back into the more laid-back lifestyle of the small coastal town and some days it felt as if he’d never been away.
‘You’d not think of staying?’ Joe asked. ‘I hear that you and Rachel…’
‘No, mate. This is a temporary thing, a favour for a colleague. My life’s in Sydney these days. Rachel understands that.’
‘Hmm,’ Joe said. ‘I’ll never understand the way women think but I do know one thing, they don’t comprehend the meaning of temporary.’ He chuckled.
Luke took another sip of beer and forked up a couple of chips. Was Joe right? Had he misinterpreted Rachel’s acceptance that what they had was only for the time he was here? It had never occurred to him she might be hoping for more. He couldn’t uproot his life, move here, return to this place he’d been so happy to leave. Then he thought about what waited for him in Sydney. He sighed. ‘Hope you’re wrong, mate.’
*
While the three men were having beer with pie and chips at The Grand , Rachel and her three friends were enjoying a healthier meal. It was Poppy’s turn to host the group and, although she was loath to leave Alexander and Verity, Rachel knew she couldn’t let her friends down. There was also the risk that if she didn’t go, they might talk about her… about her and Luke.
Rachel loved visiting Poppy’s house, the one she and Jack had built on the top of the cliff, glad her friend hadn’t felt the need to move when she and Cam got together. She wasn’t sure how she’d feel bringing another man into the home she and Kirk had shared. Stop right there, she told herself, knowing there was no likelihood of that happening. But she knew, deep in her heart, how much she’d miss Luke when he went back to Sydney. She’d allowed herself to become more involved with him than she’d intended. But there were still several weeks left, she reminded herself.
‘You’re first,’ Poppy said, greeting her with a hug, while Poppy’s little dog, Angus, a male version of Molly, sniffed at her ankles. ‘Wine?’ she asked, taking a bottle out of the fridge.
‘Thanks, Poppy.’ Rachel accepted the brimming glass – no careful measures in this house – and the two women carried their drinks out to the deck where Poppy had set a table for lunch.
‘How is everything?’ Poppy asked, when they had both taken a sip of the cooling wine. ‘Alexander and Verity still with you?’
‘They are,’ Rachel said. ‘I’m afraid to ask him when he’s going to leave. It’s so lovely to have them both with me. But I have guests booked in from Saturday week so it could be a bit of a crush.’ She grimaced and took another sip of wine.
‘Have you considered…’ Poppy began but was interrupted by a knock on the door and she hurried off to answer it, Angus at her heels.
She returned, followed by Liz and Gill, and in the flurry of greetings and hugs, Poppy’s words were forgotten.
As usual, Liz was eager to report the gossip – there had been a break-in at a local pharmacy, the high school had discovered a boy trying to sell drugs, and The Haven , the retirement village where Liz’s mother lived, was planning an extension. The report in the paper of the poisonings was a concern to all four women. Both Rachel and Poppy were dog owners and, although Liz and Gill didn’t own dogs themselves, Gill had become very attached to Joe’s dog, Coco, and Liz to Bluey, Finn’s grandson’s dog.
‘What have you heard from Luke?’ Liz asked Rachel.
‘Nothing more than you’ve read in the paper. There haven’t been any more cases. It looks as if it might have been bits of the same substance both Lady and Bluey have eaten.’
‘Let’s hope so.’ Poppy shuddered. ‘Your Molly’s safe on your beach, but the rest of us have always used the dog beach. I still go there but I keep a strict eye on Angus and worry all the time.’
‘I know Finn does too, and always makes sure either he or Adele are with Sandy,’ Liz said.
‘Joe, too,’ Gill added.
When Poppy brought out the lunch – a large spinach and ricotta quiche with a couple of colourful salads – the topic of conversation moved to children and grandchildren. After Liz proudly reported on the surfing success of the granddaughter she’d only discovered earlier that year, she turned to Rachel. ‘Your twins will be starting school soon, won’t they?’
Rachel flinched. She’d been trying to forget that she’d no longer have their company several afternoons each week. ‘I’ll still have Emily,’ she said, ‘but I will miss their chatter. They’re such good company, and Molly loves them.’ She thought Poppy gave her an odd look, but decided she was imagining it. ‘Anyway, I have no doubt Jess will call on me to pick them up from school on the days I used to look after them. It just means a change to my routine. What about Mandy, Liz? Her baby must be due soon.’
‘Any day now,’ Liz said. ‘I can’t wait. I know I now have Tilly, but I didn’t know her as a baby. And…’ she beamed, ‘Gary and Mandy plan to get married. I wish they’d do it before the birth, but I guess we can’t have everything we want.’
‘Oh, congratulations!’ Gill and Rachel said in unison, and Poppy followed suit.
‘No news about Freya?’ Rachel asked, knowing Gill’s daughter was taking up a teaching position in a university in Sydney sometime soon.
‘She’ll be off in a few days, then…’ She threw her hands in the air. ‘But at least she’s in Australia.’
‘Mmm.’ Rachel knew that when Freya returned to Pelican Crossing the previous August, Gill had hoped she’d stay, might even have had hopes of her forming a relationship with Rory Whittaker, Gary’s brother.
‘Aren’t we lucky,’ Poppy said. ‘All of our children are happy. Those who have married have chosen well, and three of us have grandchildren to spoil. I think we should drink to that.’
‘Hear, hear,’ Liz said, as they all raised their glasses.
Rachel was about to sigh with relief, that nothing had been said about her and Luke, when Liz stared at her.
‘What about you and our vet?’ she asked. ‘Is he still planning to return to Sydney? You’ve been very quiet about him, but a little bird tells me…’ She tapped the side of her nose with one finger.
Rachel felt herself blush. She should have known Liz would make some comment. Despite having curtailed her hurtful comments when she was in a similar situation with Finn, she had quickly reverted to her usual form. ‘Yes, we’ve been seeing each other, and yes he’ll be returning to Sydney. I always knew he would, but I decided to take the advice I was given.’ She let her eyes wander around the group. ‘After all, half a loaf is better than no bread,’ she attempted to joke, only to see three pairs of eyes fill with concern. ‘I’m fine with it, really. Now, can we talk about something else?’
To Rachel’s relief, Poppy steered the conversation in a different direction, giving her time to regain her composure. She drained her glass and pretended to be interested in what the others were saying, but she was glad when it was time to leave. As she drove home, all she could think of was how empty her life was going to be once Alexander and Verity returned to London, and Luke went back to Sydney.