The House At Flynn's Crossing

by Elisabeth Rose

  ‘Let’s move on,’ said Flynn. The uncontroversial and long overdue plans for public toilets in the park had taken up the rest of the meeting. If they could get that project underway quickly, community sentiment would soften towards the council with beneficial consequences for future decisions.

  Antonia arrived with his focaccia.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘Could I have another coffee, please?’

  ‘Sure. How are the resort plans going?’ The Baldessin business name was clearly visible on the papers he’d been reading. He looked about quickly before replying. No one within earshot and the group closest had small, noisy children and couldn’t eavesdrop if they tried. But he kept his voice low.

  ‘So-so. Got an opinion yet?’

  A flicker of a smile appeared. ‘Simon said Baldessin wants to buy their land but they won’t sell.’

  ‘Sort of true. He’d like to have that block because it’s in the perfect position and the one for sale next door isn’t big enough.’

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘The resort would be really good for the town.’

  ‘About the co-op?’

  ‘It’s their decision.’

  ‘But you think it’s wrong.’

  ‘I can see their point but Baldessin doesn’t want the whole block. They have fifty hectares, they only use a small part of that and he’d buy half at most.’

  ‘The half closest to that fenceline. Where the houses and gardens are.’

  He nodded. ‘That’s the problem.’ She knew the score and he’d bet Simon and the gang had more than impressed their views on her.

  ‘I’ll get your coffee.’ She picked up the empty cup.

  Still no indication of her thoughts on the matter. When she returned a few minutes later, he asked, ‘What does Simon think?’

  ‘He loves that place.’

  ‘If the resort goes in next door, regardless of whether they buy co-op land or not, would he stay there?’

  She frowned. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘If he goes would you go?’

  ‘Flynn, I … it might not happen. Baldessin might give up and go somewhere else.’ Something akin to fear flickered in her eyes. Guilt for pushing her swamped the desire to know her feelings.

  ‘I’m sorry. You’re right. It might not work out. It’s your business, not mine, if you stay in Flynn’s Crossing or not.’

  ‘I want to stay here. I like it and my children are happy. That’s the main thing. I’m more worried our lovely house might be sold from under us.’

  ‘Perhaps you should make an offer on it.’

  She laughed softly. ‘Sure. Do you think she’d take a few hundred for it?’

  ‘There are ways to borrow money.’

  ‘I couldn’t get a loan. I’m a terrible credit risk.’

  ‘I thought you knew nothing about finance.’ He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.

  ‘I’m not a complete idiot.’ She sighed. ‘But I’d love to own the Mango House.’

  ‘Talk to your parents.’

  ‘Uh-uh.’ The ponytail swished from side to side.

  ‘They could go guarantor or take out a loan you repay.’

  ‘Uh-uh.’ Another firm shake of her head.

  Stubbornly independent. So was he. Sometimes it was good, sometimes not.

  She went to serve someone else. He took a bite of the neglected food on his plate. Antonia was changing. She was stronger and more confident, less wary of him, more ready to have a conversation without the fear of offending him or saying the wrong thing, progress that gladdened his heart. It didn’t sound as though she’d blindly follow Simon if he left, so if he could convince her to buy the house she’d have even more reason to stay in town.

  He stopped mid-chew. The smart thing to do was buy the place himself. In secret. That way she wouldn’t be evicted on the whim of the Tracey woman and the house wouldn’t be sold to anyone else. It wasn’t a great investment and he’d have to borrow but he might be able to beat her price down a bit. The pub was only just breaking even and the rent on the house in Vernon Street wasn’t quite enough to cover itself. He couldn’t possible raise the rent on Sharon and her kids.

  Making money to be rich wasn’t the point of the exercise, and contrary to the beliefs of some townspeople it never had been. The point here was Antonia and her children. Flynn gobbled down the rest of his lunch, wiped his mouth, collected the folder and paid Cath at the counter.

  ‘In a rush?’ she asked.

  ‘Things to do,’ he said. ‘Thanks. See you later.’

  He gave beautiful Antonia a brief wave as he left, smiling to himself at the security he was about to provide for her. Of course he’d never tell her who the buyer was, but as owner he could get the place painted and make a few improvements. Give her some comforts as well as security.

  ***

  Simon said the same thing as her parents when Antonia told him about going to Sydney. The twins were in bed and he sat with her on the back verandah talking and watching the moon slowly glide from behind the hills, a big round silver globe with a dent in one side.

  ‘You have to do it. That guy has to be locked away forever.’

  ‘They’ll want you to testify too. You could come with me to see this lawyer.’

  Her dad had told her that. He’d been talking to the prosecution lawyer, Michael Hodge, who said Simon’s testimony was important in establishing her state of mind before her abduction.

  ‘Fine. Whatever they want, I’ll do,’ he said. ‘We’re a family, we stick together.’

  ‘That’s what he wanted,’ she said softly. ‘He had this weird idea that we were his family. He wanted all the kids to call him Daddy. I always told the twins they had a real daddy but they had to call him that when he wanted them to.’

  ‘You were incredibly brave.’ His fingers curled into fists at the image of his two beautiful children living with that monster of a man. Antonia was an extraordinary woman.

  She shook her head. ‘I wasn’t. I never stood up to him. Not once.’

  ‘How could you? You were a child yourself, and he was violent.’ Simon took her hand and squeezed gently. ‘After the trial is over, you’ll never have to think about him again. We can really start our new life.’

  Antonia licked her lips. Our new life?

  ‘Flynn asked me today what you thought about the resort development plans.’

  ‘What did you say?’

  ‘That none of you wanted to sell any land.’

  ‘He already knows that.’

  ‘He asked what you’d do if for some reason the resort went ahead next door to you. Would you stay?’ She looked at him curiously. What did he think? Would he expect her to pack up and leave if he didn’t want to stay?

  ‘Are you asking too?’

  ‘I suppose so. I hadn’t thought about it until he asked.’

  ‘The answer is I don’t know.’ Simon still had hold of her hand. The pressure on her fingers increased. ‘Would you come with me if I did leave?’

  ‘I’ve only just arrived. The twins have just begun to settle. I couldn’t uproot them and go somewhere else. I want them to have a proper home, to feel safe and secure.’

  ‘But we’re a family. Shouldn’t we stay close to each other?’

  ‘Ideally … I suppose. Yes, but …’ What was he asking? How close did he want to be? ‘Simon, I’m not going to marry you. Or even live with you. I couldn’t do that. I need to be on my own.’

  He recoiled momentarily, as though she’d slapped him, but he said, ‘I know. But you might not feel that way forever and I’ll always be around.’

  ‘I hope you are, for the twins, but don’t ignore other chances that might come up in the meantime.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Now he had the totally bewildered expression that made him look about fifteen. In this regard, he was about fifteen.

  ‘Other girls, Simon.’ Poor Lauren had her work cut out here. ‘Lauren, for example.’

  ‘She’s
a friend.’

  ‘So am I. That’s all.’

  ‘Lauren’s very angry about the development proposal,’ he said. ‘I’ve never seen her so furious. She’ll chain herself to a tree or lie in front of the bulldozers if it goes ahead.’

  ‘Gosh.’ Lauren never would have let Murdoch beat her up. Lauren never would have gone with him in the first place. She would have confronted her family and taken the consequences. ‘She’s very strong.’

  ‘So are you but in a different way.’

  The phone started ringing inside. Antonia went to answer it, leaving Simon with his thoughts. With any luck he’d have got the message that she wasn’t interested in setting up house together. Steering him towards Lauren would be harder than she thought, given the situation. He sounded almost frightened of her. Antonia admired her.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Antonia, it’s Flynn. Is this a good time?’

  ‘Yes. Why? What is it?’

  ‘There’s a buyer for the house.’

  ‘Oh!’ She deflated onto the nearest chair. ‘Who is it? Will they throw us out?’ She was almost too scared to ask. His businesslike tone gave nothing away.

  ‘No. They’re happy to rent at the same price. It’s an investment for them. I just wanted to let you know so you don’t worry about it. Or if you decide to make an offer yourself, you still could.’

  ‘No, that won’t happen. Is it a done deal?’

  ‘The contract hasn’t been signed but the current owner has accepted the offer.’

  ‘Did she get what she wanted?’ Now the news was beginning to sink in. The Mango House was hers for the foreseeable future. A bubble of tension burst inside her, flooding her system with relief.

  ‘Not quite, no.’

  ‘Wow, I feel like celebrating. Thank you for telling me, Flynn. Thanks so much.’

  ‘I thought you’d be pleased.’ He sounded happy.

  ‘Why didn’t you mention it this morning?’

  ‘It hadn’t been finalised.’

  ‘Okay. That’s wonderful. Simon’s here, I must go and tell him. Thanks again, Flynn. Bye.’

  She hung up and danced out to Simon on the verandah.

  ‘Guess what? That was Flynn. Someone bought this house but they’re happy to rent it to me long-term. It’s an investment property for them.’

  Not even a smile. ‘Not a very good investment. Who bought it?’

  What a miserable response to such brilliant news. By the tone of his voice, he wasn’t in the least happy about it. Why not?

  ‘I don’t know and I don’t care as long as we can stay here.’

  ‘Well that’s good then. As long as you’re happy.’ He stood up. ‘I’d better go. Early start tomorrow.’

  ‘All right. Goodnight,’ she said to his back as he went down the steps. What had happened? He should be as happy as she was, she’d expected him to be as happy as she was.

  He went round the side of the house in the darkness to his ute without a word. What was his problem? Flynn understood how she felt about the house. He knew how she craved the security of her own home and the chance to establish roots in this town. He even rang at night, out of business hours, so she would know as soon as possible. How could she have ever thought he was a cold, self-centred man?

  ***

  Simon drove home slowly, keeping an eye out for kangaroos and wombats on the road, but mainly absorbing what Antonia had told him. He’d been operating in a little world of his own, besotted by his children and captivated by the idea of having a family. He’d ignored the fact Antonia may not love him as he loved her. He assumed she’d be thrilled to establish their real family but she’d effectively told him to find someone else to spend his life with. And chosen Lauren as the girl.

  He had to be fair. Antonia had endured a horrible situation and it wasn’t a surprise she wasn’t keen to live with another man. He understood that. What hurt was the fact she wouldn’t leave town if he did, evidenced by her excitement over Flynn’s news about the house. She’d brought their children to meet him but wasn’t prepared to keep them close to him. If he wanted to see them regularly he’d have to stay. And if he stayed she’d expect him to stop regarding her as his life partner.

  He shook his head and banged his hands on the steering wheel. He didn’t want Lauren, he wanted Antonia and his twins.

  Maybe he should pack up and leave regardless of what happened with the land. It would inevitably be very messy and emotional. It was going that way already with the others so vehemently opposed to any sale. Their quiet, peaceful life was no more, the tension palpable between Aidan and Georgia. She wanted him to resign from the council but he maintained he could do more good staying on and providing another opinion, being an insider. Bernie, Rufus and Lauren were implacable in their opposition to the whole proposal and when Aidan put forward the idea of perhaps selling some of their land, Simon truly thought Rufus might resort to violence.

  The co-op was no longer the happy place he’d called home. Maybe he should look for somewhere else to live, close enough to see his children regularly but not part of the co-op. Start his own gardening business. Sell tropical plants to tourists. Or do more photography and sell his work in the Baldessin resort shop.

  Lauren’s light was on when he pulled up outside his house. On impulse, he strode across the rough grass and tapped on her door.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘Simon.’

  The door swung open. ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Can I come in?’

  ‘I was about to go to bed.’

  He looked at her properly. She had on a singlet top and baggy cotton pants, her dark red hair falling loose over her shoulders. No bra, he realised with a shock that sent an electric current to his groin. He ripped his eyes away from her rounded breasts under the flimsy fabric.

  ‘Sorry. I … I’ll go.’

  ‘You’re here now. What is it?’

  ‘I’ve just been to see Antonia and the twins.’

  She waited. The lamplight fell across her face, catching the deep gold and red tones in her hair. Her breath smelled minty; she’d just brushed her teeth.

  ‘So?’ she prompted. ‘Is anything wrong?’

  He turned away before his eyes dropped to the creamy skin on her bare shoulders, and lower.

  ‘Antonia asked what I’d do if the resort project goes ahead.’ At a safer distance, he faced her. She hadn’t moved, still stood by the door, her expression almost bored, at best he’d say blank.

  ‘And? For God’s sake, Simon, get on with it. I’m tired.’ Wrong. Not bored or blank, but angry, with none of the usual warmth in her eyes.

  ‘I said I didn’t know, but if I did decide to move I asked her if she’d move too.’

  ‘Why would she do that?’

  ‘What?’ Was she operating on another wavelength too? The same one as Antonia?

  ‘Why would she pack up and follow you somewhere when she’s only just settled herself and her kids here?’

  ‘Because we’re a family. They’re my kids too and I thought she’d want to keep us all together. She came here so we could all be together.’

  ‘Antonia has raised those kids for five years without you. Sure, they’re yours, but she doesn’t need you. She only came here out of a sense of moral duty because she thought they should know their dad and vice versa. If you decide to move away from them that’s your decision, but you can’t expect her to pack up and follow you like some … puppy dog.’

  ‘But …’

  ‘But nothing. You don’t have a clue, Simon. Why did you come here in the middle of the night to tell me this anyway?’

  ‘It’s only a quarter to ten,’ he said plaintively.

  She shook her head and the waves of rich burgundy hair rippled in the light. ‘Just go.’ She yanked the door open and he had no choice other than to slink into the night. Behind him the latch clicked decisively.

  Why was she so upset? He’d dropped in to have a chat as a friend about something that wa
s on his mind and about the changes that were coming. She must have had similar thoughts. Not about Antonia, of course, but about her own future on the co-op. They’d often talked about stuff. Her opinion was important to him. Why was this different?

  Lauren wouldn’t stay, of that he was certain. She was a much stronger-minded person than he was. She didn’t shrink from confrontation. Antonia admired her strength. Weird how those two women seemed to understand each other instinctively right from the start, whereas Lauren said he didn’t have a clue and he’d known her for over a year and Antonia for much longer.

  It was a good thing he hadn’t mentioned to Lauren Antonia’s suggestion about getting together with her. In her current mood, she might have whacked him with the rake propped outside the door.

  ***

  ‘I want to buy that block,’ Baldessin said on the phone the following week.

  ‘Isn’t it too small?’ Flynn flicked through his files and found the information about the property.

  ‘For the whole project yes, but I like the site and we’re in negotiations with the Parks Authority. They’re pretty keen to make the area more accessible and it’s looking good that they might open up a few hectares of the land over the southern fence for the camping and information office, which would leave more room for my commercial activity outside the park boundary. They’d upgrade paths and establish hiking trails to link with the existing network as well.’

  ‘That sounds promising.’

  ‘Let’s say I’m quietly confident but I’ve learned never to celebrate until the deal is done and the papers signed.’

  ‘Yes, indeed.’

  ‘Any problems there with the protesters?’

  ‘No, it’s all died down since you were here. Would you like me to get the sale underway or do you want to wait for the other things to fall into place?’

  ‘Go ahead, please, Flynn. Don’t want that block snapped up by someone else.’

  ‘I’ll let the seller know. Will you meet his price?’

  ‘See what he says and we’ll take it from there. But I definitely want that land so if he won’t budge, that’s the price we pay.’