Country At Heart

by Mandy Magro

  CHAPTER

  9

  The distant crunch of wheels coming up the driveway forewarned Summer that her parents had arrived, along with Sara and Vince Avolio. Groaning, she pulled the doona over her head, wishing she didn’t have to do this today. She’d successfully avoided Marcus up until now, and she was fairly sure he’d been avoiding her too, but with the arrival of both their parents, it was inevitable that they were going to have to face each other, and try to act normal in front of everyone. She also hadn’t informed her dad that she was going to be taking on the part-time job at the café in town after New Year’s. He was not going to take the news lying down. Actually, he was most certainly going to hit the roof. Nerves filled her stomach like a tsunami.

  Thank God she had her escape planned for the day: helping Dean and Tony with the renovations at the beach shack. She was really looking forward to spending time with them and learning more about Dean. He was the most intriguing man she’d ever met, and the fact he fought for his country, her country, was damn admirable. She’d always held strong regard for soldiers, their lives always at risk for the sake of others. It took a real man to be able to take on such a huge responsibility. And she loved that he worked alongside a dog, it made him even more appealing.

  Closing her eyes for a few moments more, she wondered how the girlfriends and wives of soldiers dealt with the uncertainty of never knowing if their man was going to come home alive. Did she have the inner strength to cope with that uncertainty? She smiled and brought her finger to her lips, the memory of Dean kissing her last night sending a tingle all the way through her. Not for a second had she felt uncomfortable, like she usually did when kissing someone for the first time. It was hard to make any sense of but it was as though she had kissed his lips a thousand times before. Why did they have such a deep connection without even really knowing each other? She made a mental note to go and see her wise old friend, and world-renowned clairvoyant and medium, Dorothy Wicker. She’d met Dorothy eleven years earlier at a yoga class, the then 64-yearold astounding Summer by being able to tuck her ankles behind her head – and with a smile on her face – and they’d instantly become firm friends. Dorothy might give Summer an explanation of what was going on between her and Dean. Everything Dorothy had told her in the past had been correct, so she trusted everything she had to say, even if sometimes she hadn’t liked it. Dorothy was the real deal when it came to being gifted in the art of telling people’s futures, and had even helped the police solve many crimes around the world.

  Rolling over, Summer grabbed her mobile from her bedside table. Now that she’d spent some time with Dean, she couldn’t wait to tell Fiona about him. She propped herself up with pillows to begin texting, smiling when she spotted a text from Fiona. Her friend had beaten her to it this morning. Hi Sums, I hope you’re feeling okay, mate. I’m worried about you … I hope Marcus isn’t being an areshole. I’m here any time you want to talk. Love ya!

  Summer began to text back. I’m doing okay, Toots. Staying away from Marcus as much as possible. Got something to tell you … I met the most beautiful man and I like him, HEAPS!

  Fiona’s reply came almost instantly. OMG! I want all the juicy goss! Who is he? Where did you meet him? What’s he look like?’

  He lives just down the road on his family’s property. Met him down on the beach. He’s so damn sexy … kinda looks like Channing Tatum! And he is just the loveliest guy ever!

  A knock at her bedroom door distracted her from texting. ‘Summer, darling, are you awake?’ Her mother’s voice was so different to hers, very posh.

  ‘Yeah, Mum, come in.’

  Gotta run, toots, Mum’s here, I’ll call you later. xoxo

  Okay dokey. xoxo

  Marie Milton entered, the familiar scent of Versace Noir drifting in with her. ‘I would have thought you’d have been up by now, seeing as it’s almost nine thirty. You’re normally up at the crack of dawn. Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?’

  Summer climbed from her bed, her arms outstretched for a hug. ‘Of course I’m okay, Mum, just had a sleep in, that’s all. I had a bit of a late night.’

  Marie gave her a tight squeeze. ‘That’s good, darling.’ She pulled back, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. ‘And how’s it going with you and Marcus? I bet it was a nice surprise when you saw him here.’ Her eyebrows wiggled. ‘Is that why you had a late night, because you were enjoying time with him?’

  Summer turned away, sighing wearily, and pretended to be engrossed in making her bed. ‘Oh, Mum, please don’t start on Marcus and me already. You and Dad really have to forget the idea of him and I ever getting together again – and so does Marcus for that matter. I’m just not interested.’

  Marie sat down on the end of the bed, patting the spot beside her, her perfectly groomed blonde bob swinging about her face. Summer rolled her eyes and plonked her butt down, gritting her teeth for fear of spilling her shameful secret. ‘Darling, you know we love you dearly, and your dad and I only have your best interests at heart. You and Marcus seem to have so much in common and he really is a lovely boy.’ Marie chortled softly while resting her hand on Summer’s leg. ‘That perfect man you long for may not exist, trust me on that one, Summer – they only live in our dreams. The reality of life is a little more black and white than that.’

  Summer was biting her tongue so hard she was afraid she was going to bite it clean off. Why couldn’t her mum – and her dad, for that matter – just let her live her life the way she wanted to? She sucked in a deep breath as her eyebrows met in middle, trying desperately to calm her snowballing frustration. ‘Please, Mum, lay off. I can’t help who I fall in love with, and unlike you, I believe that it’s out of my hands and up to the universe.’

  Marie shook her head. ‘Oh, darling, when are you going to let go of all that airy-fairy stuff? You certainly didn’t learn to think like that from your father or me …’ She exhaled forcefully. ‘We can thank Astrid and old Dorothy Wicker for that one.’

  Summer stood, hands on hips. ‘Mum, I’m begging you, please, stop. Take my word for it: Marcus isn’t the perfect guy you all think he is – he’s far from it, and not a man I would want to spend the rest of my life with. I would appreciate you and Dad letting me live my life how I see fit, and allowing me to be the adult woman I am. Please stop questioning everything I do. I’m getting really tired of it!’

  Taking a few moments to answer, Marie straightened her impeccably ironed white linen pants. ‘I’m sorry you feel your father and I meddle in your life too much, but we have invested a lot of money into your future, and we both just hope you choose your path in life wisely, and that includes marrying a man who will be able to support you financially once you decide to have a family of your own. We thought Marcus was the best candidate for that, for you, that’s all.’ Summer went to retort but Marie shushed her. ‘We have obviously made a mistake in inviting Marcus to the house, and I’m deeply sorry about that. I won’t say another word about him to you. But please, dear, Sara and Vince are very good friends of ours, so at least try to get on with Marcus while he is here, for your father’s and my sake?’

  Marie’s dejected gaze pulled at Summer’s heartstrings, and like water to flames, her frustration was extinguished. Her mum had no idea of the events of the past few days, so how could she hold it against her? She sat down beside Marie once again and took her hands. ‘I promise I will try my very hardest to get on with Marcus while he is here. And thank you for understanding that I don’t want to get back with him.’

  Like a confused puppy, Marie’s head tipped to the side. ‘Can I ask why you’re not as friendly with Marcus any more, Summer? I always thought you and he were the best of friends. Even after you broke up with him and went off to different universities, you still kept in touch.’

  Determined to hide her stormy emotions, Summer smiled, her lips quivering ever so slightly. ‘He’s not the Marcus I grew up with. People change, that’s all. And Mum, just for the record, I know you and Dad are try
ing to do what you think is best for me. But when I fall in love, I want it to be with a man that I love so deeply, so intensely, that I just wouldn’t be able to survive a day without him. You must be able to understand that, I mean, you have that love with Dad, don’t you?’

  Marie’s eyes filled with tears and she quickly stood and turned away from Summer, her back stiffening as she pulled a tissue from the box on the dresser and blew her nose. An uncomfortable silence descended on the room, leaving Summer at a loss for what to do next. It was very unlike her mum to cry, she was always so poised, so controlled. Pushing herself from the bed she hurried to her mum’s side, wrapping her arms around her. ‘I’m so sorry Mum, I didn’t mean to upset you. Do you want to talk about it?’

  Sniffling, Marie turned to face her daughter, eyes heavy with intense sorrow. ‘Believe it or not, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age, sweetheart. I may not seem like it now but I was once a dreamer, a believer in things beyond our understanding. But the harsh reality of life stole that belief away from me a long, long time ago, and I just don’t want you to go through the hurt I have by being young and naive.’ Placing her hand on Summer’s cheek, she took a few moments to gaze into eyes identical to her own and then continued. ‘I experienced the kind of love you speak of when I was a little younger than you are now, but it wasn’t reciprocated, and it shattered my heart. Don’t get me wrong … I love your father, he has done his very best to provide a lavish lifestyle for me, leaving me wanting for nothing—’ Tears filled her eyes once more, but this time she let them fall. ‘Other than the love you speak of. Ever since I met your father, his focus has always been more on his political career than on me, and that makes for a very lonely life. I hope you find this man who is going to move heaven and earth to love you in the way you crave, I really do, but just don’t hold your breath, Summer, okay? I don’t want your world to shatter if you don’t find him, or if he’s already committed to another.’

  Her heart breaking for her mum, Summer pulled her into a tight embrace. ‘Oh Mum, I’m so sorry. I never knew you felt like that. I understand where you are coming from with Dad, ’cause I feel like that with him too. He missed out on a lot of things when I was growing up because he was always at work.’ She kissed her mum on the cheek and then grabbed two tissues, passing one over and using the other to wipe her own tears. ‘But I just know I’m going to find my dream man, in fact …’ She bit her lower lip. ‘… I think I may have already.’

  A smile shone on Marie’s tear-stained face. ‘Really? Oh my goodness! Who? When? Where? And why haven’t you told me sooner?’

  Summer giggled. ‘Well, I haven’t told you sooner because I only met him yesterday. He’s the reason I had a late night. He took me for a motorbike ride and we sat on the beach until after midnight, in each other’s arms, just staring at the stars and talking about our dreams and desires in life. He’s so beautiful, Mum, inside and out, and he lives just down the road.’

  ‘Oh darling, that’s wonderful news. I’m so excited for you. What’s his name?’

  ‘Dean Lockwood.’ Just saying his name out loud brought a wide smile to Summer’s lips.

  Marie’s hand fluttered to her chest and her face paled. She took a step backwards, before quickly recomposing herself. ‘Lockwood? As – as in … Tony Lockwood’s son?’

  ‘Yep, why? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!’

  Waving her hands through the air as if swatting away a fly, Marie laughed a little too loudly. ‘Oh no, nothing like that. I went to high school with a Tony Lockwood down in New South Wales, I wonder if it’s the same one.’

  Summer released the breath she was holding. ‘Oh thank God for that. I thought you were going to tell me something awful.’

  ‘Of course not darling, but let’s just keep this budding relationship between us for now. Okay? Your dad is so hell bent on you and Marcus getting back together and I just don’t want him getting upset about it over Christmas.’

  ‘Okay, Mum. Deal. Love you.’

  ‘Love you too, Summer. Now, let’s get ourselves tidied up and join the others downstairs for morning tea. They’ll be wondering where we’ve gotten to.’

  Balancing a wriggling Fonzie on her lap, Summer forked the last of her mango, relieved morning tea was almost over. Unbeknown to her pooch, he was providing her with much needed support, his company giving her the courage to pretend everything was hunky dory. The conversation between herself and Marcus’s parents had flowed easily, as it usually did, but any eye contact with Marcus had been kept to a bare minimum. He seemed as uncomfortable around her as she was around him, and it was as if he was ignoring she was even in the room. It irked her; he was the one who had spiked her drink – shouldn’t he be the one making more of an effort to put things right between them, especially when she had promised not to tell anyone about what he had done?

  With everyone’s plates of sponge cake and fresh fruit finished, Summer prepared to excuse herself from the table, lifting Fonzie from her lap to give him a loving nuzzle. An excited Fonzie responded by licking her cheeks, his little tail going twenty to the dozen. Sara Avolio giggled at his antics and Fonzie took it as an invitation to do the same to her. Leaping from Summer’s arms, he scuttled across the table, pausing to lick the leftover cream from Marie’s plate and bowling the empty milk jug over in the process, before landing in Sara’s lap.

  Patting the corners of his mouth with his napkin, Donald Milton frowned in Summer’s direction. ‘Summer, I really wish you wouldn’t bring Fonzie to the table. It’s not good dining etiquette. I’d rather sit at the table with a gay man than have a dog as a guest, and you know how much I detest homosexuals.’

  Summer bit her tongue, not wanting to start an argument with her father at the table, especially in front of their guests. But his homophobia grated on her nerves, massively.

  Marie pouted and rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, come on now, Donald, lighten up, Fonzie is part of the family. And it’s Christmas, so we can all relax just a little and enjoy the festive spirit, can’t we?’

  Donald replied with a discontented grunt before taking a swig from his black coffee.

  Vince chuckled as Fonzie dived in to his lap and showered him in doggy kisses too. ‘We don’t mind at all, Don. Marie’s right, Fonzie is part of the family here. And you shouldn’t compare the poor little bugger to a poof – I like the little fella.’

  As if understanding Vince was defending him, Fonzie yapped. Donald chuckled.

  Sculling the last of his coffee, Marcus stood, his chair scraping noisily across floor as he rested his hands on the table. ‘Dogs shouldn’t be at the table. It’s rude and puts people off their food, and it’s got nothing to do with homosexuals, so I don’t know what you two are even on about.’ Whirling around, he stormed off, a heavy air left in his wake.

  Summer wasn’t going to let him get away with his snide remarks … over her dead body was he going to insult Fonzie. She raised her voice. ‘I totally agree, too, Marcus, but then, it all depends who the dog is at the table to begin with.’

  Reeling around, Marcus scowled in her direction, his lips pursed to say something, before he obviously thought better of it and turned away, determination in his steps as he stamped away down the hall.

  Sara giggled uncomfortably, looking in Summer’s direction. ‘Geez, anyone would think you two were in the middle of having a lovers’ tiff. Is everything okay?’

  Avoiding everyone’s questioning eyes, Summer stood to leave, gathering Fonzie from Vince. ‘Um, yeah, something like that, Sara, but everything’s fine. I’m heading out for a few hours so I’ll catch you all later.’

  ‘I’d like you home for dinner tonight, Summer,’ Donald called after her, but she pretended she was already out of earshot as she ran down the hall.

  With specks of paint now covering her, Summer climbed the step ladder and began to apply the second coat to Dean’s kitchen wall. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s entrancing country voices floated from the stereo, their duet
of ‘I Need You’ bringing goose bumps to Summer’s skin as she softly sang the words. Being a country music fan, she adored the fact Dean’s favourite music was country too – it was a wonderful thing to have in common. Country music was so very deep, so full of emotion, and she hoped one day to have the chance to make love to Dean in a candlelit room while country music played softly in the background. But first she had to let go of the anger she felt after what happened with Marcus, and she wasn’t sure just how long that was going to take. No way was she going to give her body to Dean without first coming to terms with what had happened with Marcus. It just wouldn’t feel right.

  Glancing in Fonzie’s direction, she smiled. Dean had placed an old blanket in the corner of the kitchen for Fonzie to nap on and Matilda had joined him. They looked so peaceful together, curled around each other, muzzles resting so they were touching. Even their dogs loved one another.

  Distracted, she misplaced her step, and the ladder wobbled unsteadily beneath her. Trying hard to regain her footing, she dropped the paintbrush and squealed as she grappled for the wall, hoping to soften what was going to be a painful crash to the floor. Then strong hands grabbed her waist as she toppled sideways, the ladder thudding loudly, startling the dogs.

  She landed in Dean’s arms and smiled timidly, slightly embarrassed he’d had to come to her rescue yet again. He grinned at her, his paint-speckled face only centimetres from her own. Lost for words, she cupped his cheeks and gently lingered a kiss on his lips. Succumbing to her, Dean opened his mouth and she groaned as he caressed her tongue with his own. Their kiss deepening, tingles filled her entire body, the sensation of Dean’s breath mingling with hers, sending her to places she’d never been before. Lost in the moment, Summer forgot Tony was helping with the painting, until a small chuckle snapped her back to reality. Her cheeks glowing red, she tipped her head backwards, only to be met with Tony’s smiling face in the lounge room.