Chapter Sixteen
New Year’s Eve
Isla
“Can I have a quick word?” Nix asks.
We’re in Noah’s house, and he’s throwing a New Year’s Eve party.
Everyone’s here—all the staff from the Ark, as well as lots of his family and friends.
Music’s blaring, tables are filled with food, and there’s a temporary bar out on the deck with a member of the catering staff making any cocktail you could imagine.
And everywhere you look, there are dogs, from Cullen’s Ghost to Noah’s German Shepherds to Leon’s four crazy hounds to Hal’s beautiful and gentle rescue dog, Miss Daisy.
I was talking to Beth, Jude, and a couple of others, but I let Nix lead me out onto the deck that overlooks the garden.
The sun is setting, but Max is still out there, smothered in insect repellant, playing with a few other kids who are here tonight and some of the dogs.
His face has caught the sun, and his cheeks are rosy, while his eyes are bright and full of happiness.
I don’t think he’ll be able to stay up until midnight, but Abby has said the kids are welcome to crash out in one of the spare bedrooms if they want to.
I like that it’s a child-friendly place.
Lots of the couples here have babies, and nobody minds if one starts crying, or if a toddler has a tantrum—everyone either helps or looks the other way.
Tearing my gaze away from Max, I look back at Nix and smile.
“Sorry to drag you away from the party,” she says. “I just wondered how your meeting with Gavin went.” She’d organized an appointment for me yesterday at two p.m.
“Thank you so much for doing that,” I tell her. “It went very well.” I look at the cocktail glass in my hand.
“I’m sorry if it was tough,” she says softly.
I blow out a long breath. “It was super hard. We completed the forms for a Protection Order, and he took a sworn statement of the incidents of violence. Apparently a new faster divorce pathway has just come into effect if family violence is involved. It’s nicknamed Ashley’s Law, and it means I won’t have to wait two years. ”
“Well that’s good news.”
“Yes it is. As hard as it is to talk about the end of your marriage, I want it over with as soon as possible.”
“So what happens next?”
“Once the Protection Order is through, Gavin will apply for a divorce. He asked if I wanted a Property Order to grant possession of the family home and furniture, but I don’t want to go back to Auckland.
I just want to sell the house. He’s going to help with all that.
The only other thing to sort out is the care arrangement for Max.
The court can order supervised contact for the violent parent.
Gavin suggested returning to Auckland once a fortnight, and maybe dropping Max off with my parents, and Rob could go and visit him there. ”
“And your parents are okay with that?”
“Yes, they’re prepared to supervise. My dad will be very strict with him. He won’t leave him alone for a minute with Max.”
“How does Max feel about it?”
“He hasn’t said much. I think he’s conflicted, but he’s too young to sort out his feelings.
I’m trying not to poison his mind against Rob.
He is Max’s father, after all. And I don’t think he meant to hurt Max.
I’m not trying to make excuses for him. I hate him a little for what he did.
I just think that deep down, he’s not a bad man.
I’m conscious of painting him like a mobster who throws a right hook at everyone in his path.
I don’t want to put Max in therapy for the rest of his life, you know? ”
“I understand. Just remember that Rob’s lawyer will put his interests first. He’s not your responsibility anymore. I think it’s great that you don’t want to poison Max against him, but equally you need to do what’s best for you and Max now.”
“Yes, that’s true. I will try to keep that in mind.”
She smiles and rubs my arm. “You’re such a lovely person. It would be so easy to be vindictive toward a spouse who harmed you, and I wouldn’t blame you at all.”
“It doesn’t come easy,” I admit. “I have to fight against negative feelings. I don’t want my life or Max’s to be full of hate and fear.”
“Of course, and I think you’re right to try to find the positives in all this. Hopefully it means you’ll both come out of it in one piece and looking forward to the future.”
“I am.” I look across the room to where Cullen is standing talking to Archer, Albie King, and his father, Charlie.
“Yes… I heard about you two,” she teases. “How’s it going?”
I look back at her, my face flushing. “Very well, actually. I’m trying to take it nice and slow, but it’s hard when he’s so lovely. He’s so good with Max, and Max adores him.”
“You look very happy,” she says. “And Cullen is like a new man.”
“We’re both excited for the New Year and setting up PAWS. He’s keen to help people. He hasn’t said anything, but I think he kind of sees it as clearing a debt, you know?”
“A way to earn redemption?”
“Kinda. It’s not necessary of course. I don’t blame him for Jack’s death. But it’s given him a purpose, and it makes him feel better, so…” I shrug.
“It’s going to be really exciting to see PAWS grow,” she says. “Archer was saying he’s already got clients who are interested in going there for therapy.”
“Yes, and I think he has several associates who are keen to come and work there too. First we have to get it up and running though. It’s going to be a busy few months, but it’ll be worth it.”
“Definitely.”
We start walking back into the main room. “You know where I am if you need anything,” she says. “You’re always welcome to call or come and see me.”
“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”
We stop and hug, and she goes back to join Leon, while I walk over to Cullen.
“Hey gorgeous,” he says, sliding an arm around my waist and kissing my cheek. “Albie was just saying how he’s happy to help us set up the IT at PAWS.”
“That would be amazing,” I reply.
“Obviously you’ll have to keep patient records,” Albie says, “so I was saying that you’ll need a solid security system. I can organize that for you.”
“You’re going to be Practice Manager?” Charlie asks. He’s the father of both Albie and Poppy, who runs the Petting Zoo. He’s in his sixties, tall with short silver hair and rectangular glasses, and he’s gorgeous in a nerdy kind of way.
“Yes. I still can’t believe it!” I laugh.
At first I felt intimidated at the thought of running the center, but over the last four days Cullen, Archer, and I have talked a lot about what it would involve, and I’m realizing that what they need more than anything are my organizational skills, and that I can do.
“How many computers do you envisage at the center?” Albie asks me.
“Ooh… oh… well Archer and Cullen will both have an office, and we’ll need one for the front desk.”
“Your office?” Albie asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t need a separate office. I’m happy to share it with the other staff. I think we can fit four desks in that corner room, so we’re looking at seven PCs plus maybe a couple of laptops.”
“We’ll hire maybe two admin staff to begin with,” Archer says. “One will work on reception, one in the office room. That will leave two desks that we’ll have as hot desks for whatever therapists are on duty that day. Maybe we’ll have to expand that; we’ll have to wait and see.”
“No problem,” Albie says. “I’ll price up a deal for you and email it through.”
“I love it when a plan comes together,” Charlie says, and we all chuckle.
“What are you all concocting?” It’s Brock, together with his brother, Matt.
Both of them are also in their sixties. Brock’s a pediatrician specializing in childhood respiratory illnesses, and Matt is an author of children’s books.
I used to read his most famous one, Ward Seven, to Max when he was a toddler.
The characters from it have been made into soft toys that are used to decorate the specialist medical equipment that Charlie has helped create.
“The Three Wise Men,” I say with a smile.
“I still have no idea why you chose a name that was so far from the truth,” Albie says.
Brock grins. “Fake it till you make it.”
Archer chuckles. Then he says, “I wanted to say thank you to all of you, by the way, for the generous donation that We Three Kings has given to PAWS. It means we’re able to cover all the costs for renovation and initial set up, which is fantastic.”
“It’s close to all our hearts,” Matt says. “We all know people who have been through the mill and who’ve needed the kind of help that PAWS will be able to give.” He glances across the room, and we follow his gaze to see his adopted son, Noah, gesticulating as he tells some story to Hal and Stefan.
“He’s a force of nature,” Brock says, amused.
“It’s been a long journey for him,” Matt replies, “but creating the Ark was the best thing he could have done. It’s helped so many animals, and people, and PAWS will hopefully be able to do the same.”
I glance at Cullen. The corner of his mouth quirks up. He said to me last night that just the thought of setting up PAWS has already helped him, and it’s only going to get better.
Noah has cleared the furniture on the far side of the room and opened the sliding doors to the deck, and lots of the girls here are currently over there, enjoying themselves thoroughly as they dance to some of the old Christmas songs.
Now, though, Wham’s Last Christmas comes on the playlist, and immediately most of them turn and come hunting for their partners for a slow dance.
“Come on.” Cullen takes my hand, leads me toward the space, and turns me into his arms. “I’ll take every chance I can to get my hands on you,” he murmurs, nuzzling my ear and placing a kiss on my neck.
I shiver and sigh, lifting my arms around his neck. “Mmm. Have I told you today how much I adore you, Cullen Reeve?”
He moves back and gives me an amused look. “How many cocktails have you had?”
“Only a few,” I protest.