Thirty
Ever since he’d seen Gill with her daughter at Crossings the previous evening, Joe hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. They looked so alike, mother and daughter, it had made him feel the lack of a child of his own more strongly than ever. But he’d noticed a sadness in the eyes of the younger woman and wondered what had caused it. He also wondered what they’d said about him when he returned to join Erica.
He’d heard Erica leave early this morning in the second-hand Mazda they’d purchased yesterday at a local caryard, despite Erica’s protests. It being Sunday, he’d turned over and gone back to sleep. Now he wakened again to the smell of bacon cooking. Checking the time, he saw it was almost eight o’clock. Erica must have been back for ages and got tired waiting for him to wake up. Coco would be wanting her breakfast too.
He rose, took a quick shower and dressed.
‘There you are,’ Erica said, as he entered the kitchen to see Coco standing over her food bowl.
‘Thanks for feeding Coco,’ he said. ‘Something smells good.’
‘I thought the scent of bacon might get you up,’ Erica chuckled. ‘I saw Gill and her daughter at the beach this morning but didn’t speak to them. Olivia did.’
So, Gill’s daughter was joining the wild swimmers too. He wondered how she and Gill were getting on. It must be strange for them both… after so many years apart, and with no communication, on her daughter’s part at least. He’d call her after breakfast, he decided. He wanted to see her again, but perhaps she’d be too busy with Freya to spend time with him. Maybe he should ask Erica’s advice. She’d been eager to give it to him last night.
His plan to call Gill after breakfast was thwarted by Coco who, now her master was awake, was ready for a walk. ‘Okay, Coco,’ he said, incapable of disappointing the dog, who had been his sole companion for so long.
Joe wandered along the beach, throwing a stick into the waves for Coco, who loved diving in to fetch it then dropping it at Joe’s feet and standing there panting and waiting for him to throw it again. Joe always tired of the game faster than Coco. He greeted several other dog owners as he and Coco made their way along the beach, only stopping to speak with Agnes who was there with Lady.
He was on his way back when he spotted Gill’s daughter. She was sitting hunched up on a patch of grass at the edge of the beach, and looked as if she was crying.
Deciding to avoid her, he called to Coco who was padding along at the edge of the water, stopping from time to time to sniff at something Joe couldn’t see. But when the dog raised her head, instead of coming to Joe’s side, she bounded up to the woman huddled into a ball, pushing her wet nose into her lap. With a sigh, Joe followed her.
‘Sorry my dog’s bothering you,’ he said. ‘Come, Coco,’ he called. But to his annoyance Coco refused to move.
‘It’s okay. I like dogs,’ she said, fondling Coco’s ears and causing the dog to emit a low-pitched moan of pleasure. ‘You’re Mum’s friend. You spoke to us in the restaurant last night.’
‘Joe. You’re Gill’s daughter, Freya. You’re on your own?’ It was a stupid thing to say, but he couldn’t think of anything else. He wondered where Gill was, why Freya was on the beach all alone, and why she’d been crying.
‘I needed to get away,’ she said, dislodging Coco and getting up. She brushed the sand from her jeans, ‘but I should be getting back now. Mum’ll be worrying.’
‘Can we walk back with you?’ he asked, as Coco seemed reluctant to leave her new friend.
‘Sure.’ She fell into step with him, and Coco padded alongside.
‘How are you finding being back in Pelican Crossing?’ he asked. ‘Your mum mentioned you’d been gone for some time.’
‘Too long. It’s good to be back.’ She didn’t volunteer any more information, and Joe didn’t feel game to ask. But he was glad to see she seemed more cheerful than when he’d first seen her. Something had clearly upset her. He hoped she and Gill hadn’t argued. He knew how much she had been looking forward to her daughter’s return.
‘I’m this way,’ she said when they reached the end of the dog beach. ‘Thanks for sharing your dog with me.’
‘No problem. Coco seems to have found a new friend.’
‘Coco. I like it. It suits her.’
Suddenly, Joe felt the need to say something before she disappeared. ‘Your mum loves you,’ he said.
‘Thanks, I know but I don’t deserve it. I love her too.’ And she was off, running across the road in the direction of Gill’s apartment block.
Joe shook his head as he attached Coco’s leash and continued on his way. Freya wasn’t a child, but she was clearly a confused young woman. Seeing her, talking to her, made him all the more eager to speak to her mother, but it might be better to wait till later, to give the pair time to sort out whatever was bothering Freya.
*
Gill was still sitting on the balcony gazing into space and trying to work up the energy to do some housework, when Freya returned.
‘I met your friend on the beach,’ Freya said.
Initially puzzled by Freya’s emphasis on friend , Gill blushed. Did she mean Joe?
‘The mayor. He was on the beach with his dog, a chocolate labrador called Coco.’
‘You spoke to him?’
‘I was sitting on a patch of grass, and the dog came up to me. She’s very friendly. He followed her and we had a chat. He seems nice.’
Although curious what Freya and Joe might have found to talk about, Gill waited, hoping for more information. But she was disappointed.
‘What are we doing for lunch? The fresh air has made me hungry.’
Checking the time, Gill was surprised to discover how late it was. She’d been sitting there, lost in her thoughts for a couple of hours. She tried to remember what was in the pantry and the fridge. She’d done a big shop in preparation for Freya’s arrival, intending to get back to cooking. This wasn’t a good start. ‘How about I heat up a pizza?’ she said. ‘I’ll cook us a proper meal tonight.’
‘Works for me. No need to go to a lot of trouble. I’ve lived on takeaway a lot for the past few years.’
‘I’d like to. I’ll enjoy having someone to cook for again. This morning… time got away from me. I don’t know what happened.’
‘No worries. I’ll just freshen up, then I can set the table. Shall we eat out here?’
‘If you like. Thanks, Freya.’
After lunch, during which Gill didn’t learn anything further about her daughter’s conversation with Joe, Freya disappeared into her bedroom, saying she was still suffering from jetlag.
Left alone, Gill reverted to her usual way of filling her time, opening her laptop to catch up on work. She was busy checking out information for a new client when her phone rang. Seeing Joe’s number, she felt the flutter in her stomach his calls now triggered, whether of excitement or apprehension, she wasn’t sure.
‘Hello.’
‘Gill. Joe here. I promised to call.’
‘You did.’ She didn’t know why she couldn’t be more welcoming. ‘Freya tells me you met on the beach,’ she said, trying to sound friendlier.
‘How is she? I could see she’d been crying. I tried to comfort her.’
Gill was suffused with guilt. She should have been the one to comfort her daughter, but she’d allowed her to go off on her own. ‘She’s gone through a difficult time… relationship wise… and with her dad.’ What was it about this man, she wondered, that encouraged her confidences. He’d soon know more about her and Freya than anyone else in Pelican Crossing. But there was something about him, something that invited confidences in the knowledge they’d go no further. She remembered him telling her how Barb said he was a good listener. But it was more than that. He’d have made a good dad, better than Max had. It was a pity he and Barb had never had any children. ‘She’s having a rest,’ she said. ‘I’m not a great comfort, I’m afraid. Too many sharp corners.’ She gave a sigh. She hadn’t been a great mother either, but maybe it wasn’t too late to change. There was that word again.
‘I’m sure that’s not true. You help a lot of women, you’ve helped Erica. I’m sure she’d never have gone down the track of seeking an AVO against Geoff without your help.’
‘Maybe.’ But that was work. She’d always been good at her job. It was in her personal life she was lacking in empathy.
Seeming to read her mind, Joe said, ‘And I haven’t noticed too many sharp edges.’
Gill gave a short laugh. ‘You don’t know me very well.’
Joe cleared his throat. ‘Which brings me to the purpose of my call. I’d like to get to know you better.’
Gill’s stomach fluttered again. Definitely not apprehension, maybe anticipation ?
‘I’d like to see you again,’ he continued, ‘have dinner again, though perhaps this time we should go farther afield. I’ve heard the food at Addisons is pretty good,’ he said, naming a restaurant situated in the hinterland.
Gill remembered Poppy mentioning it… and hadn’t Liz gone there too… with Finn?
Joe was speaking again, ‘I was thinking maybe Wednesday, or will you be too tied up with Freya?’
‘Freya? I’m not sure what her plans are. I do know she wants to catch up with old friends. But I’m afraid Wednesday’s no good. It’s my book club.’
‘Of course. I should have remembered. It was always on our calendar when Barb…’ He was silent for a few moments, then, ‘What evening would suit? You will come?’
Gill realised she hadn’t actually accepted his invitation. Did she want to have dinner with him again, go on another date with the town mayor, risk getting involved with him? Because, no matter what she might tell him, even tell herself, about only regarding him as a friend, she knew that the flutter she kept experiencing meant some part of her wanted more than friendship.
‘Gill?’ Joe prompted.
‘Yes,’ she said before she could decline. ‘Dinner will be lovely.’