Forty-two
Luke was feeling good by the time he and Nelson made their way across the bluff to Rachel’s. The cool shower had rejuvenated him, combined with their success in finding the bait. He’d let Joe and Finn – and the local police – worry about identifying the culprit. He had the evening ahead to look forward to.
Rachel and Molly were in the front yard when he reached the gate, the little white dog’s tail wagging when she glimpsed Nelson, who while also pleased, was much better at hiding it. Rachel was wearing white pants and a bright top and looked amazing. She came out to greet him, Molly at her heels.
‘Hey,’ he said, as he pulled her into an embrace before kissing her. ‘You’re the best thing I’ve seen today.’
‘How was it? Find anything?’ Rachel asked, slipping out of his arms.
‘We found some bait pellets. Joe’s taking them to the police, but…’ he shook his head, ‘… it doesn’t help find who put them there. But it’s out of my hands now.’ Though he knew he couldn’t put it out of his mind as easily. ‘Let’s go down to the beach.’ He reached out to grasp Rachel’s hand.
Once on the beach the two dogs gambolling in the water, while Luke and Rachel kept to the hard-packed sand, Luke felt the troubles of the day fall away. There was something about the sea air, the scent of the ocean, the sand beneath one’s feet, that made everything seem better.
‘Have you done any more about checking out your grandparents?’ Rachel asked, when he had told her all about the day’s events. ‘You said Agnes wasn’t much help.’
‘Well, she was able to tell me my grandad worked on a market garden, which helped me work out they’d have come from the south of Italy. But that’s about it. You mentioned something about a retirement village?’
‘ The Haven . It’s an over-fifties resort style community and has an aged care home attached for residents who are unable to cope with looking after themselves. My friend Liz’s mother lives there – in a villa. She’d know if there was anyone there who might be able to help. I think there may be a couple of residents who’d be in their late nineties.’
‘Really?’ Luke had almost given up on his search for information, but it was worth this one more try. ‘When could we visit it?’
Rachel chuckled – probably at his use of we – but she was the one with the contact. ‘ We could drop in tomorrow. I’d just need to give Joan a call first. But I’m sure it won’t be a problem. She loves company.’
Back at Rachel’s, when both dogs had been fed, and Luke and Rachel were sitting in the courtyard, Rachel with a glass of wine and Luke with a beer, he found himself relaxing, his mind returning to the possibility of staying on in Pelican Crossing when his locum was over. He glanced at Rachel, wondering how she would feel about it. While passionate in bed, and always pleased to see him, she never gave anything away about her emotions. He knew it was some time since her husband had died, and she’d been on her own since then. Did she consider what they had together as merely a fling or was she looking for something more permanent? He could never work out women.
While he’d been very clear at the start that he was only here till March, and they’d both agreed to accept the temporary nature of their relationship, he was beginning to have second thoughts. He remembered what Joe had said, how women didn’t understand the meaning of temporary. But what if Joe was wrong, what if Rachel was satisfied with a short-term fling?
*
She was getting too used to this , Rachel thought, as she sipped her wine and gazed up at the sky where the stars were beginning to appear, too comfortable in Luke’s company . Although they hadn’t managed to have much time together since Verity’s arrival, tonight they’d slipped back into it like an old married couple. Luke was so easy to be with, like Kirk in some respects, and Kirk would have liked him. She pulled her thoughts away from the direction in which they were heading. Nothing could come of this, there was no future for her with Luke. She’d known that from the start, so why did she now wish things could be different?
Rachel jumped up, startling the two dogs who had been lying happily at their feet. ‘I’ll get dinner organised,’ she said. ‘I made a chicken casserole earlier. I just need to heat it up and throw together a salad.’
‘Sounds good. Need any help?’
‘No, you can stay here with the dogs for now. I’ll call you when it’s ready.’ Rachel knew she must sound odd, especially after the perfect time they had on the beach, wandering along hand-in-hand, stopping now and then to kiss. But she needed time by herself to work out her feelings.
By the time dinner was ready, and she’d gulped back another glass of wine, Rachel was feeling calmer. She was being silly. Nothing had changed. She could still enjoy Luke’s company for a few more weeks, then… then she’d manage to survive. She had before, she could again. And now she had Verity to care for.
During dinner they shared their memories of growing up in Pelican Crossing, laughing to discover to their surprise that they remembered things differently. Rachel thought it was probably the result of the four years difference in age, and the fact Luke had been a football hero, something he denied vehemently.
Afterwards, they sat out in the courtyard again with coffee and some leftover Christmas cake enjoying the sound of the ocean and the occasional snoring of the dogs. When Luke pulled Rachel into his arms, and their lips met, all her earlier doubts were forgotten in the magic of his kiss.
But next morning these doubts returned, as she gazed down at Luke’s face on the pillow beside her. She dropped a kiss on his forehead, wishing he wasn’t planning to return to Sydney, envious of her three friends who had found their second chance with men who lived right here in Pelican Crossing. What was she doing mooning over this Sydneysider, wishing for the impossible, just as she had when he was Becky’s boyfriend?
Thinking of Becky made Rachel wonder how her sister was doing. She hadn’t seen her since some time before Christmas and according to Andy, she was deteriorating rapidly. It was so unfair. Becky had been so bright, so full of life. It had been hard to see her on her last visit, and now… Now, Andy was checking out nursing homes, unable to cope any longer. She should visit before the inevitable happened, while Becky might still be able to recognise her.
Still thinking of Becky, Rachel slipped out of bed and was making her morning tea when Luke appeared in the kitchen. She had already fed the dogs, and they were playing happily outside. This is what life could be like if she and Luke were a married couple . Quickly stifling that thought, Rachel asked, ‘Coffee?’
Luke wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss. ‘Good morning, lovely lady. Sleep well?’
Rachel felt the defences she’d been trying to erect begin to crumble. Even if it was only for a little longer, what did it matter? Maybe she should just forget he was leaving and enjoy what they had together. ‘I did,’ she lied. ‘You?’
‘A man with a clear conscience always sleeps well. And yes please to coffee, but I can make it.’
‘Okay.’ Rachel took some eggs out of the fridge and proceeded to scramble them with baby spinach, dried tomato and goats cheese. It was a recipe she’d found in a novel by Barbara Hannay and had become a favourite with her.
While she was cooking, Rachel turned on the radio to the local news channel. This morning, along with the usual surf report, there was the added warning about the dog beach, plus the news that rat bait had been found near the beach and police were eager to receive any information about people behaving suspiciously in the area.
‘Fat chance,’ Luke said, his brow creasing. ‘Whoever did this would have done it when there was no one around. Joe said they’d be checking who had purchased rat bait recently, but…’
‘It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. A lot of folk would fall into that category… and it may be someone who’s had the bait in their shed for years.’
‘Mmm. This is seriously good,’ Luke said, forking up some scrambled egg. ‘Why does mine never taste like this?’
‘Secret recipe.’ Rachel grinned.
‘So, are we going to visit this retirement village this morning?’
‘I’ll call Joan after breakfast to see if it works for her. Then I need to pick up Verity.’
‘Verity, of course. How’s it going with her?’
‘Better. She still likes to crawl into my bed in the night, but she’s not sobbing herself to sleep anymore. She’s proving more resilient than I anticipated. I aim to enrol her in Pelican Pals tomorrow.’
‘ Pelican Pals ? Don’t tell me, let me guess. It’s a playgroup for pelicans?’
‘Good try. It’s an early learning centre. They take children from to zero to five and the three to five group focuses on school readiness. I think it would be good for Verity. She says she was enrolled in one in London.’
‘Good idea. It will free up your time too.’
‘Yes, but that’s not the reason.’ Though it had occurred to her.
When they finished eating, Luke insisted on clearing up and loading the dishwasher while Rachel called Liz’s mother. Joan was delighted to hear from her and readily agreed to her and Luke paying her a visit, telling her to come for morning tea.
Seeming to realise their people were now available, the dogs appeared in the doorway, their tongues hanging out.
‘Must be time for a walk,’ Luke said. ‘When are we expected at The Haven ?’
‘Not for another hour. Plenty of time to take these two to the beach.’
Once on the beach the scent of the ocean, the sound of the waves lapping on the shore and the feeling of the sand underfoot all worked their magic again, as the dogs ran free, splashing in and out of the waves, and Luke and Rachel ambled along hand-in-hand. If only it could always be like this , Rachel thought. But life was seldom so easy.