by Mandy Magro
Carefully sitting up so she didn’t land on her face, she tried to shake off her wooziness. She gave the dog a loving ruffle, its one blue eye and one green striking. ‘Where have you come from, mate?’ Her curiosity was piqued, even more so when she heard a car door slam shut.
Gravel crunched beneath footsteps. ‘Maxwell, will you please stop terrorising Nina,’ a stern male voice commanded.
Ears flicking, Maxwell instantly did as he was told and sat on his rump, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.
The thought that the voice could be Logan’s sent Nina’s heart into a scurry, so much so she almost upended herself out of the hammock as she locked eyes with an elderly man, possibly in his seventies, his smile as wide and warm as the landscape itself. She was both strangely disappointed and relieved it wasn’t her childhood sweetheart coming to welcome her home. She glanced to where a very snazzy looking pearl-white LandCruiser Sahara was parked beneath a towering gum tree – this man clearly had money.
‘Good morning,’ she called to the stranger as she tried to wriggle the pins and needles from her left foot while kicking the empty brandy bottle beneath the nearby settee.
Lifting his sunglasses to his thick head of silvery hair as he looked to the far-reaching blue skies without a cloud in sight, he nodded. ‘It is most definitely a good morning.’ Climbing the stairs with the limp of someone with a dodgy knee, he made his way over to her, chuckling when Maxwell skidded to his side. He gave the pooch’s head a ruffle and tutted. ‘Sorry about him, he’s just got too much love – and way too much doggy slobber – to give.’
‘No worries at all. I love dogs.’
Nearing her, he raised a hand in greeting, holding it out for her to shake. ‘William Jones, nice to finally meet you, Nina, it’s just a shame it’s under such terrible circumstances.’
Nina smiled as she took hold, noting his skin was unlike that of a hardworking country bloke, but instead soft, as was his handshake. Something told her he was from the city, and his job entailed a suit, desk and a computer. ‘Nice to finally meet you, too, William.’
William tucked his hands back into the pockets of his impeccably ironed slacks. ‘So how was your first night?’
Nina glanced around her, relieved to see the empty bottle was nowhere in sight. ‘Yeah, not so good, I ended up having to crash out here.’
‘From the looks of things …’ William half chuckled, although concern and compassion remained in his gaze. ‘… I kind of gathered that.’
‘Oh, yeah.’ Looking down at her skew-whiff pyjamas, she tried to flatten what she knew would be awful bed hair. ‘It all just feels so surreal, being back here after all this time. And it feels weird, being in the house without Bea, almost like I’m intruding.’ She wasn’t about to tell him the haunting memories were ultimately what drove her from cuddling up to Tom on the couch to out here.
Drawing in a slow breath, William nodded. ‘I’d no doubt it would all feel very strange. But try not to think like that, because as much as this was your home before, it’s even more yours now, and the place needs someone to love it now that Bea’s no longer here to do that.’ He cleared his throat, and then motioned towards the neatly fenced paddocks with a tip of his head. ‘As do all the critters she’s saved and rehomed here over the years.’
‘Have you been taking care of everything, since …?’ She stalled, unable to say it out loud.
‘Ahh, I wish I could say yes …’ He looked down at his fashionable attire. ‘As you can see, I’m clearly not cut out for the farming lifestyle. Bea hired some help when she got sick, an old ringer from town called Bert. He was a long-time friend of hers, and needed a little extra cash to go along with his pension. She was hopeful that if you chose to stay here you’d keep him on, too.’
There was no way she was planning on staying, but she kept that comment to herself. ‘Oh, okay, the surprises just keep coming.’ Nina honestly wasn’t sure how she felt about some bloke she didn’t know hanging around the place for the month she’d be here, especially when she could do it all herself. ‘I think I’ve got it covered, though.’
‘Yes, you may well, but in Bea’s very own words, he’s part of the place – comes with it, actually.’
Nina bit her tongue and took a breath – her hangover wasn’t helping. ‘Right, well, in that case, I suppose I can’t say no.’
‘That’s completely up to you.’ William shrugged. ‘I’m just passing on Bea’s wishes; you can, of course, do as you would like.’
‘I want to try and do whatever Bea wants me to.’
‘Good, that’s settled then.’ William flicked his gaze towards the horses, and back to her. ‘Bert will be out here a little later to give you a hand with whatever you’d like him to do.’
‘Okay.’ As much as a part of Nina was slightly annoyed this old bloke was telling her how things were and how they now needed to be, she nodded as she pulled her emotions into line. ‘And thank you so much for stacking the fridge, and even thinking of my cat. You really didn’t have to go to so much trouble.’
‘Oh, when you mentioned in your text you were bringing him along, it was no bother at all … it’s the very least I could do.’ He momentarily looked at her before glancing back out and over the paddocks.
She suddenly remembered her manners. ‘Would you like a cuppa?’
William stopped frowning in the distance and turned to smile at her. ‘Why the heck not? That would be lovely, thanks, Nina.’
‘Great.’ Gracelessly flopping out of the hammock, she made her way across the sun-warmed floorboards and through the flyscreen door, with William close behind her. Maxwell went to follow them in, but William stopped him.
‘No, boy, you better wait out here,’ he said, gentle but firm.
Maxwell whined in protest as he pawed the flyscreen door.
Nina’s heart melted with the sheer amount of pleading in Maxwell’s eyes. ‘Oh, he’s right to come in, if that’s okay with you.’
‘You sure?’
‘How could I say no to that look on his face?’ She shoved the door open with her foot. ‘Come on, boy, in you come.’
Maxwell didn’t need any more of an invitation.
‘Gee whizz, he’s won you over quickly, the clever bugger,’
William said with a chuckle as they all headed through the lounge room, Maxwell in the lead and heading in the right direction – he had clearly been in here a number of times before. Nina smiled to herself. Bea had always been a sucker for the four-legged kind.
‘Just don’t chase my cat, Maxwell, will you?’ Nina called out, swiftly realising Tom could stand his own ground as she watched Maxwell skid to an almighty stop when he was met by a very unimpressed cat at the kitchen doorway. Tom hissed, swiped at Maxwell with a clawed paw, barely missing him, and then jumped up on the kitchen bench, his tail twitching and gaze foreboding.
Maxwell whined and William chuckled. ‘Oh no, looks like there’s a new kid on the block around here, boy. You might have a bit of a challenge on your hands – or should I say, paws.’
Nina grinned as she watched Maxwell make a wide berth of the snarling feline and then settle himself in the corner of the room, his gaze never leaving the cat’s steely stare. She gave Tom a little tap on the bum in passing. ‘Now, Tom, that wasn’t very friendly. You be nice to our visitor.’ She busied herself making two cuppas. ‘Sugar and milk?’ she asked over her shoulder.
‘One sugar, no milk, thank you.’ Pulling up a chair, William folded his hands atop the table.
Nina wandered to the fridge to grab the milk. ‘So, do you live nearby?’
‘Yes, I have a lovely ocean-view home up on the hill in Port Douglas.’
‘Oh really? How nice.’ She could see William living in luxury, and Port Douglas certainly was the place for it. ‘That’s a bit of a drive here, though.’
‘Yeah, it’s not too bad, just a little over an hour.’ His phone buzzed. He silenced it and flipped it over. ‘I’m originally from M
elbourne, so an hour’s drive is nothing compared to what I’m used to.’
‘Oh, the big smoke, huh? So how long have you been in Port then?’ Plonking the steaming coffees down, Nina pulled up a chair and joined him at the table, her back to the sunlight pouring through the windows.
‘The past year and a half – I’m semi-retired and trying to enjoy life with the slower pace Port Douglas offers.’ He offered her a wonky grin. ‘Not that it’s working out that way; my clients just don’t want to let me go, and I’m afraid I have a hard time saying no.’
‘A bit of a workaholic by the sounds of it, huh?’
‘You could say that, yes.’ He took a small sip from his cup. ‘It helps to keep me busy, distracted, of sorts.’
‘I know all about doing that.’ Nina offered him a compassionate smile, and after a few lingering moments of silence, desperately felt the need to fill it with more than the ticking of the clock above the Aga stove. ‘So do you have a wife and kids?’
‘Ahh …’ William darted his gaze from her to the steam rising from his cup. ‘Yes and no, but I think I’ll leave all that for another time, as it’s a little complicated.’
Slightly taken aback, but not feeling like it was any of her business, Nina nodded. ‘Hmmm, life can get like that … a little complicated.’
Still staring into his coffee, his brows rose. ‘Ain’t that the darn truth?’
Nina settled back into her chair, coffee in hand. ‘I don’t think my life has ever really been, how do I put it …’ She shrugged and smiled a little. ‘… Uncomplicated.’ She eyed him over the rim of her cup. ‘So long story short, I totally get where you’re coming from.’
‘Yes, well, I hope this isn’t going to make it any more complicated for you then.’ His expression was a little strange as he placed a beautiful purple and gold envelope on the table and pushed it towards her. ‘This is the first letter from Bea …’ he added in explanation, spotting her confused expression.
‘Oh, right, yes.’ Nina was almost afraid to pick it up, but she did. Tears flooded her eyes and, before she had the chance to blink them back, fell and rolled down her cheeks. Annoyed she’d broken down in front of someone she hardly knew, she tried to smile though her sorrow as she roughly wiped them away. ‘Sorry for blubbering, I just can’t believe she’s gone.’
‘Please, don’t apologise, Nina.’ He reached out and gave her hand a light tap. ‘Neither can I.’ He heaved a weary sigh. ‘It’s been a tough few months, especially seeing her go through the worst of it, but even still, I’m finding it very hard to accept she’s no longer with us.’
Nina hated the fact he got to be beside Bea in her time of need, whereas she’d been kept in the dark. ‘At least you had a chance to prepare yourself and got to say goodbye to her,’ she snapped, at the same time shocked at her retort, instantly regretting her icy tone when William looked as if he were about to join her in tears.
‘Yes, that’s a very fair point indeed.’ He cleared his throat and took his gaze to the ceaseless view out the window. ‘I can’t even begin to comprehend what you must be going through right now.’
Nina sucked in a breath. ‘I’m so sorry, William, it’s not your fault she didn’t want to tell me about her cancer.’
He remained seemingly transfixed by the sweeping views. ‘That’s okay, you’re hurting, and I’m the one giving you all the news …’ He turned to her. ‘So you’re very entitled to shoot the messenger in this circumstance. I give you a free pass, and as many as you need to get through this, okay?’
‘No free passes needed, I’m not entitled to take it out on you, by any means.’ She offered him a sad smile and shook her head. ‘Bea was always in control of her life and very determined to do as she wished. I know she would’ve demanded everything be exactly how it is, and, of course, she would’ve also had a rhyme behind her reason. She never did anything off the cuff – there was always substance to her actions. It’s one of the many reasons I love her so very much.’
‘Yes, she was a woman of her word, and never a day passed that she didn’t do something for another, be it human or animal, to make a life easier.’ He stole a few moments, as if regathering his emotions. ‘She thought it was for the best, not telling you about her cancer, and I’m sure her letters will explain her reasoning over the coming weeks.’
‘I really hope you’re right, because at the moment, I feel as though I’m in limbo,’ she said gently, bringing her gaze to his. ‘It would be nice if Bea told me a few home truths in her letters, you know, explain why she’s gone about things like she has.’
His gaze locked onto hers, William remained silent, and she couldn’t help but notice how he was holding his breath as his fingers drummed the tabletop.
‘Nina, there is something else,’ he said, a little apprehensively.
‘Oh god, well, at least I’m already sitting down.’ She narrowed her eyes as she waited for him to respond, preparing herself for another blow.
Twirling his thumbs around each other atop the table, William looked over at Maxwell, now dead to the world, his paws twitching as if he were running in his dreams. ‘That beautiful boy over there is, well, was, Beatrice’s.’
Nina blinked, a little surprised, although Maxwell’s familiarity with the house now made perfect sense. ‘Oh, right … I vaguely recall her saying she’d adopted a dog, but I hadn’t thought it was permanent. She said she was trying to find a new home for him.’
‘Well, nobody wanted to take him, so she kept him.’ Closing his eyes for a fraction of a second, he smiled ever so softly. ‘She was even taking Maxwell to her Tuesday card mornings at the retirement village, before she got too sick – everyone loved having Maxwell there. Beatrice said he would lift their spirits no end.’
‘Forever the kind-hearted soul, she was.’ Nina’s heart swelled. ‘She was always helping the homeless and doing her best to brighten someone’s day.’ She smiled through her melancholy. ‘She was an amazing woman, our Bea. If I turn out half as virtuous as her, I’ll be a very happy woman.’
‘Indeed, she was … and I have no doubt in my mind that you’re already as virtuous as her.’ He smiled. ‘She raised you, so how could you not have her beautiful heart and clever mind.’
‘Thank you, William, that’s very kind of you to say, but trust me, I’ve a lot of work to do on myself before I am even fit to walk in her shadow.’
‘Now don’t be too hard on yourself, Nina, I think we all can do better in life, but that isn’t to say, in the heat of the moment, we didn’t do what we felt was best.’
Nina paused for a few short moments, allowing what he’d said to sink in and also wondering how much of her past Bea had filled him in on, although she wasn’t about to broach that subject. ‘You know what, William, I really like that analogy, but it’s always easier to say than do, though, hey?’
‘Yes, very true; I’m a man of many a wise word, just a shame I struggle to follow through with most of them.’ William shifted uneasily in his seat. ‘So, back to the subject at hand, would you want to keep Maxwell here, with you?’
‘Oh, I, ummm.’ Nina stole a few moments to consider this. She hadn’t owned a dog since she’d found her darling Roo, dead from a venomous snakebite two days before her world had been turned upside down twenty years ago – talk about everything happening at once. Burying him had damn near killed her. Yes, she’d adopted Tom, but a cat was very different to a dog.
‘I know it’s a lot to ask, with everything else going on, so please don’t feel obligated …’ William’s brows furrowed as he regarded her.
Nina shook off her concerns. ‘I’d love to have him, for now, that is. I won’t be able to take him back to the city with me, though. Not when I live in a tiny studio apartment, with Tom, too, mind you.’ She looked to where Tom was sprawled out on the windowsill at a perfect angle to keep his eyes firmly on his pooch target.
William chuckled. ‘No, that wouldn’t be an ideal situation, for all concerned.’
S
he smiled and gave William’s arm a quick pat. ‘But don’t worry, I promise I’ll make sure to find Maxwell a very good home when I go, even if it’s back in Brisbane, so he doesn’t end up in the pound.’
‘Well, that’s good to know.’ William offered her an almost forced smile before he swirled the last of his coffee and sculled it. ‘So you have no plans to stick around then?’
‘No longer than necessary. My boss has given me five weeks off and no more, so I have to get back or I risk losing my job.’
‘Yes, well, I suppose you do have your life and work in the city to think of.’ His phone vibrated from the tabletop. Picking it up, he shoved it into his shirt pocket and stood as though he’d been sitting on a thorn. ‘Anyways, I best leave you to it. I’m sure you’ve got plenty to do.’
Nina stood along with him, a part of her wanting him to stay so they could chat a little longer. She was really enjoying his company – it calmed her, made her feel less alone in this big homestead. ‘Thanks so much for calling in and dropping this off,’ she said, tapping the envelope.
‘Of course. I really enjoyed finally meeting you.’ He paused, regarding her. ‘And please, if you need anything, don’t be afraid to give me a shout.’
‘Thanks so much, William, but I don’t want to bother you when you live an hour away.’
‘Oh, codswallop, it’s no bother at all. I enjoy the drive here.’ He walked over to the sink, rinsed his cup and upended it in the drainer. ‘If I don’t see you beforehand, I’ll be back in a week to drop off the next letter. Is that okay with you?’
‘Yes, of course it is. Would you like to stay for lunch, or possibly even dinner, one of the times you call over?’
‘Oh, that sounds lovely, thank you.’ He smiled now, kind and heart-warmingly genuine.
‘Great, I’ll make Bea’s famous lasagne.’
‘Perfect. I’ll bring a bottle of wine – if you drink it, of course.’
‘I adore a good glass of wine or two.’
‘Excellent.’ He rested a hand on her arm. ‘Be gentle on yourself while you’re coming to terms with it all, won’t you?’