Forty-three
Despite her reservations about becoming involved with Joe, Gill was looking forward to seeing him again and resigned to them being seen together at the yacht club a second time. She had to accept that Pelican Crossing was a small town. Nothing could remain secret for long. It was probably better to get it over with rather than become involved in a clandestine relationship and ignite a lot of rumours.
Freya was peering at her phone when Gill came out of her bedroom. She was wearing her blue dress again, remembering how Joe had liked it last time she wore it. ‘What’s up?’ she asked.
‘Nothing.’ Freya closed her phone. ‘I spoke with Dad today.’
‘Oh, darling, I’m so glad. Did you make up with him?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘What do you mean?’ Gill sat down, dropped her bag on the floor and stared at her daughter.
‘I was so furious about what you told me… how he was making all these ridiculous demands on you. I tore a strip off him, told him exactly what I thought of him… expecting you to fund his new life.’
‘Oh, honey.’ This wasn’t what Gill had intended when she suggested Freya needed to speak with Max. ‘How did he take it?’ She was curious how Max would react to his daughter’s anger. They had always been so close.
‘Not well. He blustered a bit, tried to tell me you owed him… As if… Then I said if he wanted to see me again, he’d better rethink his position.’
‘You what?’ Gill’s mouth fell open. ‘Oh, Freya! What did he say to that?’
‘I don’t know. I rang off.’
So nothing had been resolved. Gill wondered if she dared hope Freya’s words would change Max’s mind, if his daughter could achieve what all the solicitor’s letters hadn’t managed to. ‘Oh, my darling,’ she said, giving Freya a hug. ‘I didn’t want you to become involved in our dispute. We both love you and want you in our lives. I don’t want to be the cause of you falling out with your dad.’
‘Well, it’s his problem now,’ Freya said, ‘and I think that’s your date,’ she added, as there was a knock at the door.
Gill felt the now familiar butterflies in her stomach as she rose to answer it. ‘Have a nice evening, darling,’ she said as she picked up her bag and headed for the door.
‘You too,’ Freya called after her.
When Gill opened the door, Joe greeted her with a lingering kiss on the cheek that had her butterflies swarming.
‘Hey, you,’ he said, taking a step back and looking her up and down. ‘You’re looking lovely… wearing that dress again.’
Gill blushed under his scrutiny. ‘Shall we go?’ she asked. She found it difficult to accept Joe’s compliments even though it was why she’d chosen the dress.
‘Let’s.’ Joe took her hand as they went downstairs to where his car was parked. But when they got there, instead of helping her into the car, he said, ‘It’s a lovely evening, why don’t we walk to the club? I can pick the car up afterwards.’
For a moment, Gill hesitated. But what did it matter? Even if they drove, they would both end up here later. And Joe was right. It was a lovely evening. It would be a shame not to take advantage of it.
As they walked along to the loud screeching of a flock of cockatoos overhead, Gill was very conscious of her hand in Joe’s, of his warm skin on her fingers. In the sky above them, the stars were just becoming visible. There had been a shower earlier, and as they passed a cluster of lemon-scented gum trees, the air was filled with their distinctive aroma.
Inside the restaurant, Gill peered around cautiously. Only two of the tables were occupied by people she knew – former clients, one with her new partner, the other with her family – but she did notice a few speculative glances being sent in Joe’s direction. Had it been like this last time they dined here, or was she especially conscious of it tonight, she wondered, as Joe smiled greetings left and right. As mayor, he was a well-known figure.
With Gill’s agreement, Joe ordered the seafood platter for two and a bottle of prosecco, and Gill attempted to calm her butterflies and relax. As they waited for their meal to arrive, they chatted about inconsequential matters, always circling back to Erica and the possibility of Geoff discovering her whereabouts. Gill was very conscious of their underlying attraction and their previous conversation in which she’d laid out her ground rules. Had she been too demanding, set unreasonable conditions?
Joe must have been thinking about it too. They had almost finished their meal when, as she’d been describing the challenges of one of her clients, he asked, ‘Any progress with your own divorce?’
Gill gulped. She drained her glass. ‘Not as such,’ she said, ‘but Freya has been talking to Max.’ She wasn’t sure how much of her conversation with Freya to reveal, but Joe was looking at her so intently, his brown eyes filled with such affection and concern, that she continued. ‘She’s given him an ultimatum. He gives up his unreasonable demands if he wants to see her again.’
‘Wow! She’s quite a girl.’
Gill smiled at the memory of Freya’s words and her determination. ‘Yes, she is, but I’m not sure she’ll get the result she’s hoping for. Max never did like to be put on the spot, and now he’s in a new relationship, with a baby on the way…’
‘But she is his daughter, and he loves her.’
‘Yes,’ Gill bit her lip. ‘It would be wonderful if it did work, but it could so easily go the other way… make him more determined to extract his pound of flesh, so to speak.’
‘Shades of The Merchant of Venice , but that wasn’t about a divorce settlement. I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you.’ Joe reached across the table to cover Gill’s hand with his.
‘Thanks.’ Gill felt her eyes moisten. Joe was such a good man, so compassionate. She didn’t deserve someone like him, and judging from some of the glares and nudges she’d seen tonight, a few others agreed with her. But she was the woman he’d chosen to be with and she was grateful. And here she was, burdening him with her problems when he had enough of his own with this latest news about Erica.
‘You need to be positive about this,’ he said. ‘Even someone like Max can change if sufficient pressure is brought to bear. Freya might just be the final straw.’
‘I hope you’re right.’ Gill had a sudden vision of how it would be if Max did change his mind and drop the majority of his demands, especially the one relating to her future income. It would be a weight off her mind and allow her to move forward with her life… and with Joe, she thought, gazing at the man who had come to mean so much to her. She trembled at the realisation which she had refused to accept before now. She was falling in love with Joe Harris.