Fifty-two
It was a week since Gill had made the mistake which had cost her Joe’s friendship. She’d never forget his expression when she pulled out of his arms and backed off from him. He’d left soon afterwards and hadn’t been in contact since. Gill knew he’d been busy. She’d heard on the grapevine that his nephew had finally prevailed, and his brother-in-law’s body had been transported back to Perth. Erica had gone too, and Gill regretted she hadn’t had the opportunity to say goodbye and wish her well.
So now Joe would be alone again, with only Coco for company. Gill missed him, missed him more than she thought possible. And she missed Coco too. She’d become attached to the labrador, her wet nose and friendly manner.
Gill was alone too. Now Max had retracted his demands, Freya had been persuaded to visit her dad, and was spending the weekend with him and his new partner.
‘Don’t expect me to like her, Mum,’ she’d said before she left. But Gill knew Freya was looking forward to seeing her dad again, and she was glad her daughter was going to be reconciled with Max.
Looking around her empty apartment, Gill was filled with regret. If nothing else, Geoff’s sudden and untimely death had shown her how short life could be, how you never knew what the future held. She was no spring chicken and every time she looked in the mirror, it seemed her face was more lined, and there were more streaks of grey in her hair. She sighed. What was to become of her? Freya would soon be off to Sydney – she was confident she’d be offered the position there – and Gill would be left alone again. It hadn’t seemed to matter before… before she met Joe. She’d been perfectly content with her life, telling anyone who’d listen how she didn’t need a man to feel fulfilled. When had that changed, and why hadn’t she realised ? And now it was too late… or was it? Maybe, now Erica had left, Joe would contact her, forgive her erratic behaviour, and they could begin again.
Suddenly, she felt the need to get out of the apartment. The home she loved with its Scandinavian design felt alien to her. Pulling on a jacket, she picked up her hat, and slipping her phone and wallet into her pocket, headed to the beach.
Once there, with the breeze on her face, the smell of the sea in her nostrils and the sound of the seagulls overhead, Gill felt better, energised. Pulling off her sandals, she wandered along the hard-packed sand by the water’s edge, happy until she spied a couple standing chatting some way ahead. They were accompanied by two dogs who were cavorting together in the ocean.
As Gill came closer to them, she realised the man was Joe. She didn’t recognise the woman. The couple appeared to be enjoying each other’s company, laughing together at the dogs’ antics. Gill was struck by a shaft of… jealousy. Who was the woman with Joe? How could he have moved on so quickly? It was only a week ago when he and Gill were… She’d been a fool. She hadn’t appreciated what a good man Joe was, even though she’d said so several times.
As Gill approached, the couple turned towards her. Joe smiled. ‘Gill, have you met Kate Warren? She’s the new town planner, and this is her dog, Bear. Kate, this is Gill Dickson. She’s our local solicitor par excellence .’ Gill managed to smile and say hello, before moving on, her thoughts in a whirl, her fists clenching and unclenching in her annoyance with herself and what she’d thrown away.
By the time Gill had walked to the end of the beach, turned and was on her way back, she had managed to calm down, but her memories, and images of her and Joe together continued to fill her thoughts. So much so that she thought she was imagining it when she felt Coco’s warm body against her, and a wet tongue lick her toes.
Looking up, she saw Joe. He was alone, his companion nowhere in sight.
‘Hey,’ he said.
‘Hey,’ Gill said shyly. Was she going to have another chance? ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, ‘for last week. I don’t know what came over me. I shouldn’t have…’ Her eyes met his, those brown eyes belonging to the man she now realised she loved dearly. Today, his expression was inscrutable, maybe because of the sun in his eyes. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She took a deep breath, deciding to take a risk. He could only refuse, and she wouldn’t be any worse off than she was right now, and perhaps…
‘I have a bottle of champagne at home,’ she said. ‘It’s the one we should have opened last Saturday.’
For a few moments, Joe didn’t speak, and Gill thought she’d made a dreadful mistake. Then he smiled, the smile she’d become familiar with, the smile that sent her stomach fluttering, and said, ‘Better late than never. Let’s go,’ and taking her hand, and with Coco lolloping beside them, the pair ran along the beach.
Back at Gill’s apartment, she took the champagne from the fridge, while Joe fetched two glasses. He poured the wine, then asked, ‘What are we celebrating?’
‘The future,’ she said, then… ‘No… our future. It’s time to move forward, Joe. If that’s what you want, of course.’
‘To our future together.’ He raised his glass. ‘I love you, Gill. I think I always have, ever since Coco and I bumped into you outside the medical centre when you were so upset. After Barb died, I never thought I’d fall in love again, but I was wrong.’
‘I love you too. I always vowed never to let another man into my life, but somehow you – and you, Coco,’ she said as the dog nudged her – have managed to sneak under the barriers I’d erected. I missed you all this last week, but I think it was only when I saw you with Kate, and I thought…’ she blushed. ‘It’s when I realised I didn’t want to live another day without you. To us.’ Gill raised her glass to meet Joe’s.
Seeing her humans happy, Coco sighed and lay down to watch them.
After downing one glass of champagne, Joe went to top up their glasses, but Gill stopped him, looked him in the eye.
Words weren’t needed.
Joe took Gill in his arms and kissed her. She responded with fervour, shivering as Joe kissed his way down her neck, desire flooding her as his hand moved to the buttons on her shirt.
‘Wait,’ she said, clamping a hand over his.
Joe gave her a worried look.
She grinned. ‘ Not in front of you know who ,’ she said in a whisper and jerking her head towards Coco.
Joe grinned right back. ‘You’re right,’ he said, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bedroom.
*
Next morning, after a night of wonderful lovemaking and very little sleep, Gill rose at her usual time, but before she could decide whether or not to go swimming, she found Joe at her side.
‘Stay with me,’ he said.
Gill needed no further urging. The ocean could wait. Joe couldn’t. She allowed him to pull her back into bed.
Later, they stood together on the balcony watching the sky change colour, the rosy glow of a new dawn over the ocean. And a new dawn for us too , Gill thought, as Joe’s arms tightened around her. She lifted up her face for his kiss.
The End