Lynsey wiped at her eyes as Penny Fordham took some documents from a leather case.
‘Are you alright, Lynsey?’ her mother asked.
Lynsey looked up to see five pairs of eyes trained on her. ‘I’d be lying if I said this was an easy and straightforward choice. I know he’s done the wrong thing, but it still feels like I’m betraying him.’
Julian’s arm came around her waist and he drew her closer to his side. ‘That’s only natural. He’s your father.’
She swallowed the lump in her throat and pictured her grandfather. A man of great patience who would walk through the mill offices with his granddaughter standing on his big feet, her arms wrapped around his legs when she was only knee high to a grass hopper. A man who would sit her on his lap and let her steer the trucks inside the mill, the trucks Julian now supplied with diesel.
An upstanding man. A man of great integrity who would expect her to do the right thing despite it being a horrible choice.
Lynsey took a deep breath and drew strength from her grandfather’s memory. She’d do this for Henry Carter. And with the support of her mother and Julian, she’d get through it.
‘We understand this is a delicate situation.’ Felicity Robinson spoke for the first time. ‘And remember—all you’re doing is handing over company documents that have come to your attention. It’s our job to look at them and decide if they should be given to the police for further investigation.’
After a short silence, Penny Fordham glanced at Lynsey. ‘Are we good to proceed?’
At Lynsey’s nod, Penny spoke to Felicity and David. ‘I’ve prepared a short Acknowledgement of Receipt for you to sign. The documents from the storage shed are …’ She stopped and looked around the room.
‘Over there.’ Lynsey pointed to where Julian had stacked the boxes in the corner.
‘My goodness. That’ll keep us busy, David,’ said Felicity.
David Gresham pushed his glasses higher onto the bridge of his nose. ‘Thank you for your promptness in turning these over to us,’ he said to Lynsey.
There was a pause in the conversation while Penny Fordham produced the Acknowledgement. ‘Lynsey has taken an inventory,’ she said, laying it on the table. ‘Thank you for sending through those screen shots last night. It made it easy for me to type this up this morning.’ The lawyer gave Felicity Robinson an enquiring look. ‘Shall we make a start?’
The next half hour was spent checking off each item and then the liquidators finally signed the Acknowledgement and carried the boxes out of the shop.
After some small talk, the next to leave was Penny Fordham. ‘You’ve done the right thing,’ she said as Lynsey accompanied her to the front door. ‘Try and enjoy the rest of your weekend.’
‘You too, Penny. And thanks again.’
Lynsey closed the door then stood watching as the lawyer walked to her car, slipped into the driver’s seat and drove off down the street. She envied Penny’s part in all of this. It was simple, straightforward and professional— and now it was over. But for Lynsey, the scandal of the mill’s closure, and the part her father played in it, would never be over—and it would always be personal.
She started as a couple of teenage girls approached the shop window and began discussing one of the dresses on display.
Lynsey turned away and walked back to where her mother and Julian were waiting for her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
While Veronica accompanied Lynsey to the doctor, Julian walked to the police station then hitched a ride with Boyd Dunbar back to his place. Boyd took photographs of the damage to the rear end of the Land Cruiser before giving Julian the okay to drive. Thanks to the bull bar, the front end didn’t have a scratch on it.
‘Geez, it’s copped a hell of a whack,’ Chappy said at the depot later that morning as he walked around the vehicle inspecting the damage. ‘What happened?’
‘It’s a long story.’ Julian tossed Chappy the car keys. ‘I have to go to Sydney this afternoon for a couple of days and I have a lunch appointment in an hour. Can I leave you in charge of the depot for Monday and Tuesday?’
‘Is everything alright, buddy?’
‘Everything’s fine. It’s just business that’s come up out of the blue and I can’t afford to miss the meeting.’
‘Okay.’ Chappy smiled. ‘Bit of a quick promotion though, truck driver to manager in a few days.’
Julian clapped his mate on the back. Julian wasn’t the least bit worried. He’d trust Chappy with his life. He was more concerned about leaving Lynsey on her own than leaving Chappy in charge. Especially when the driver of the car still hadn’t been caught.
She’s not alone, he reminded himself, relieved that they’d told Veronica everything when they’d picked her up this morning. And Boyd Dunbar had confirmed that, with Lynsey back at her mother’s place, it was going to be easier for the police to watch them both.
‘You know the drill,’ he said to Chappy. ‘The fuel orders start coming in from seven am. Split the fuel into the compartments and get the tankers on the road. Keep your eye on our storage. If you think we’re running low then order another tanker load from Sydney—just run it past me first.’
‘Will do.’
Julian thought for a minute. ‘If you get time, can you take the four-wheel-drive over to Mike Gleeson’s shed so he can assess the damage and start work on the repair?’
‘I can do that.’
‘I’ll take the work ute and leave it at Cobar Airport. There’s a chance I won’t be back until Tuesday. I’ll just have to see how everything goes.’
‘Okay. I can get in touch with you by email or phone if I run into problems.’
‘Of course, and you have Bridie here, she’s great. Okay, I think that’s it. Come inside, mate, and I’ll get you the set of spare keys.’
***
At home, Julian packed his gear and zipped his business clothes into a plastic suit bag. He chose a nice bottle of red from the wine rack in the lounge room and checked his watch. Twelve-thirty. Veronica’s lunch invitation had come as a surprise—a nice surprise, he had to admit. With Lynsey on his mind he ran his palm over his jaw and headed for the bathroom. He’d just have time for a shave before he left.
But when he arrived it was Willow, not Lynsey, who opened the door.
‘Eww.’ She peered at his lip and relieved him of the wine. ‘Who did you piss off?’ Without waiting for an answer she pecked him on the cheek and led the way down the hall. ‘We’re in the kitchen’, she said, dreadlocks swinging as she spoke over her shoulder like he turned up at her aunt’s place every day.
Lynsey was standing at the island bench cutting up cucumber for a salad. She’d changed into a short black skirt, black leggings and a silver-grey jumper with a cowl neck. There were ankle boots on her feet and a soft glow in her eyes. When she smiled at him Julian’s heart almost burst at the seams.
‘Lulian!’ Atlas dropped a handful of coloured blocks and barrelled towards him, stocky legs picking up speed as he got closer. He hit Julian at knee height, wrapping his chubby arms around his legs and nearly knocking him off balance.
‘Whoa, little buddy.’ Julian leaned down and scooped Atlas into the air, holding him aloft and turning around in circles so Atlas shrieked with delight. ‘I’m an aeroplane, Mummy. Look, I’m an aeroplane.’
Willow laughed. ‘I’m beginning to think the guys at the commune are too Zen for him. He adores your roughhousing.’
Julian settled Atlas on his hip and said hello to Veronica who was busy setting the table. Julian’s anxiety eased a touch. Lynsey was surrounded by her family and come nightfall the police would be back to watch the house. Maybe he needed to relax a little and leave the law to do the worrying for now.
‘How did you go at the doctor’s?’ he asked as Lynsey came over and took hold of his arm.
‘He thinks I have a slight concussion but nothing that warrants me going into Bourke for a CT scan.’
‘That’s good news.’
/>
‘He said I should take it easy for a few days.’
‘Then why aren’t you in bed?’
‘He said take it easy, Julian, not that I should go to bed.’
‘I don’t want to go to bed,’ Atlas said with a definite shake of his head.
‘It’s not your bedtime yet,’ Veronica said with a patient smile.
‘Lulian, what’s that?’ Atlas’s chubby index finger was homing in on Julian’s lip.
‘Ah, you don’t want to touch that.’ He lifted Atlas off his hip and handed him over to Lynsey. ‘Here. Go to your aunt.’
He watched as Atlas wrapped his arms around Lynsey’s neck and curled his legs around her waist. Lynsey closed her eyes and turned her face into the child’s neck, tightening her hold as she breathed in his scent.
‘Aunt Lynsey.’ Atlas wound a lock of her hair around his finger. ‘Will you help me do a ligsaw later?’
‘Did you bring a jigsaw with you?’
‘Yes.’
‘I tell you what. You eat up all your lunch and I’ll do a jigsaw with you.’ She pressed her lips to Atlas’s silky cheek. ‘And after that we might be able to watch a DVD together.’
A wave of longing washed over Julian. He’d like to watch a DVD too, or better still watch Lynsey. He could see her as a mother. Hell, he could see himself as a father too, maybe not anytime soon but in the future—for sure.
He turned away to hunt for a corkscrew. He was getting way ahead of himself. Just because he and Lynsey had made love this morning it didn’t mean they were looking at a long-term future together. It was a simple matter of logistics. She lived in Brisbane, he in Mindalby.
‘Lunch is ready,’ Veronica said, after they’d laden the table with platters of mouth-watering food. ‘Come on, everybody, sit up.’
Lynsey put Atlas down and Julian busied himself opening the wine. He filled a glass for Veronica, Lynsey, and then one for himself. Willow and Atlas had apple juice.
‘Need a straw for that, Juls?’ teased Willow as she sat down.
‘Don’t get drunk on your apple juice, Wilhelmina.’
They all laughed and Veronica served each of them a rack of lamb, except for Lynsey. ‘She’s been vegetarian for five years,’ Veronica explained to Julian. ‘There’s a vegetable risotto in that casserole dish, Lynsey.’
‘Thanks, Mum. It looks lovely.’
‘Well, I felt like cooking today. With everything going on it was good to do something normal.’
Julian watched Lynsey serve herself a generous helping of the risotto then fill the rest of her plate with salad. What other changes had she made in her life over the last nine years? They had so much to catch up on and he didn’t know whether to feel excited or scared at what he might learn. She looked up and caught him watching her, her soft smile sending a bolt of lust straight to his groin. He reached for his wine and took a sip. A vegetarian cyclist shouldn’t be too difficult to handle.
By the middle of lunch the conversation had turned to recent events. Willow’s eyes grew rounder and more alarmed as she learned of the recent goings-on. ‘Would you like me and Atlas to stay here until this guy’s caught, Aunt Veronica? There’s safety in numbers.’
While Lynsey and Veronica hesitated, Julian decided to speak up. ‘I think you’ll be safer at the commune, Willow. You have plenty of people around you out there.’
Veronica nodded. ‘And he mightn’t realise you’re a relative. If you stay here with us you might come to his attention. The police will have a harder job watching four rather than two.’
‘The police.’ Atlas spoke around a mouthful of food. ‘Where’s my police badge, Mummy?’
Lynsey put her hands over Atlas’s ears. ‘Stop talking about it,’ she whispered. ‘We’ll be fine.’
Atlas turned to look at Lynsey and she removed her hands. He laughed as though it was a game. ‘Do that again.’
Lynsey covered his ears a second time and then took them away. The child giggled. ‘Again.’
Why go after Lynsey, Julian asked himself as they resumed eating lunch. Why not take revenge against Don or Yasmin Carter, the two people responsible for the running of the mill?
They ate a dessert of panna cotta and finished the wine off along with a plunger of coffee. Julian stifled a yawn and helped clear the table. By the time he got to Cobar he’d be ready to go to sleep on the plane.
‘I didn’t contribute to this meal so everybody sit down while I stack the dishwasher,’ Willow ordered, shooing them all out of the kitchen.
‘Lynsey,’ he said, taking hold of her arm. ‘Something’s come up. I have to go to Sydney, urgently.’
Her face fell and Julian’s heart ached as though he’d left already. Then she smiled and squared her shoulders. ‘Hey, everyone, Julian has to go.’
Veronica looked up from the lounge and Willow dried her hands on a towel and intercepted Atlas as he ran towards Julian.
‘I’m sorry to eat and run but an urgent message came through this morning after we left the shop.’
‘That’s alright, Julian. Don’t worry about Lynsey. I’m going to call a casual who does some work in the shop for me and see if she can come in Monday and Tuesday so I can stay home. If she can’t, too bad, I’ll just close the shop. It’s not like anyone’s buying anything at the moment.’
Julian nodded. ‘That sets my mind at ease a bit. Thanks.’ He leaned down so Veronica could give him a kiss.
‘Have a successful trip and we’ll see you when you get home.’
‘Yeah, good form, Juls.’ Willow flicked him with the tea towel. ‘Not like you to eat and run.’
‘See you, little buddy,’ Julian lifted Atlas high in the air and set him down on the floor again. ‘I’m not swinging you around in circles this time, matey. Your mother will have my head if your lunch makes a reappearance.’
With a final wave he and Lynsey made their way into the lounge room. As soon as they were out of sight he pulled her into his arms and buried his nose in her hair. ‘It’s murder, not being able to kiss you.’ He closed his eyes and fitted her body against his so she could feel his desire. ‘You’d better brace yourself. When this lip clears up you’re in for a real workout.’
‘I can’t wait.’ Voice husky, she looped her arms around his neck then leaned back so she could look into his eyes. ‘I’m so disappointed you have to leave.’
‘Me too, but it’s important.’ He took her hand and they sat down together on the lounge. ‘I’ve been waiting for the oil company executives to be available so I can negotiate a new supply agreement. That’s happening Monday and it might run over to Tuesday morning. I should be back late Tuesday afternoon provided I can get a flight into Cobar.’
‘I’m going to miss you, Julian.’
‘I’ll miss you too.’ He took a deep breath and stared down at their entwined fingers. ‘Tomorrow, I have to meet with the company I buy my tankers from. They had a new one on order for me. I contacted them a few weeks ago and told them of the situation we have going on up here with the mill. They’ve been looking around to see if anyone can take it off my hands.’
‘Have you had any offers?’
‘Yeah. There’s another bloke waiting on a truck like mine. He might take it. I need to get down there and sign over the paperwork to him. The more money I can hold onto right now the better.’
She nodded. ‘Sure, I understand. That makes sense.’
Julian took her face between his hands and stroked his thumbs across her cheeks. ‘You do as the doctor says and rest up, alright?’
She nodded again. ‘I will. You have a safe trip.’
He rested his forehead against hers and swallowed hard. ‘I should go,’ he said, pushing himself to his feet. If he didn’t go now he doubted he’d be able to make the move.
She walked with him to the door but just when he was about to give her a final hug Atlas came hurtling down the hallway. ‘Aunt Lynsey!’
‘Yes, sweetheart?’
‘Are you seeing Mic
key?’
Lynsey frowned. ‘Mickey?’
Atlas nodded, a serious expression on his face. ‘He’s in Disneyland.’
‘Oh, sweetheart.’ Lynsey’s faced warmed as she bent down and spoke to her nephew. ‘I promise if I go to Disneyland, I’ll bring you home a toy Mickey Mouse.’
‘Sorry, guys.’ Willow came down the hallway and took Atlas by the hand. ‘Honey, don’t be rude. Aunt Lynsey just bought you a penguin. And anyway, she mightn’t even go to America.’
***
Julian’s body went rigid and his face drained of colour.
Lynsey gazed at him in dismay. Talk about awful timing. She opened her mouth to speak.
‘You’re going to America?’
She lifted a shoulder. ‘That was the plan but …’
‘A holiday?’
Shit. ‘No. Longer than a holiday.’
‘How long?’
‘Julian …’
‘How long?’
‘Two years. I got accepted to do my Masters at a prestigious school.’
‘Two years?’ He raised his hand and then let it fall to his side in frustration. ‘Then why did you … did we …?’
‘I didn’t know we were going to happen,’ she said softly.
‘Well, we did.’ He flung open the screen door and stepped out onto the porch. Fearful he was going to leave right there and then Lynsey hurried after him, reaching behind her to pull the wooden door closed. He went to lean on the rail, hands spread wide as he looked over the front garden.
‘Julian, listen.’ The violent beat of Lynsey’s heart was making her physically ill. ‘I won a scholarship. But now …’
‘Do you want to go?’
‘I … I don’t know. I did.’
He wheeled around and faced her, hands on hips, a storm brewing in his eyes. ‘Is it such a tough question? What’s changed?’
‘Us … the mill. Everything’s up in the air.’
‘The mill?’
She nodded. ‘If the family company goes under, and if Dad’s charged they might refuse to give me a visa. The US are strict about those kinds of things.’
A Daughter’s Choice Page 14