Scones? Tea? To be talking about scones and tea when the world had just been turned completely upside-down was insanity, wasn’t it?
A phone started to ring. It was the theme to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That was her phone’s ring tone. She’d had her phone on her last night but it hadn’t been at the hospital so she assumed it was lost in the fire. She glanced around and noticed her handbag on the side table by the front door. How had that got here?
She’d left it in the car when she’d got home last night. Someone must have got it—and her car. Perhaps it wasn’t a burned-out mess like she’d imagined. Not that it mattered. It was hers. Something physical that was hers that had survived the fires. She ran across the room to grab it. Her phone was still ringing. She dug around in the handbag and grabbed it out. Papa’s face lit up the screen.
‘Papa?’
‘Aingeal. Thank the sweet lord. Are you okay? I’ve been calling and calling since I got the message that you’d been injured in a fire, but you weren’t answering your phone.’
‘I’m fine, Papa, I’m fine.’ She should have called him. Why hadn’t she called him? Oh, that’s right, she’d been out of it then Chandra had arrived and then she was released from hospital and in the car all the way back to CoalCliff she’d been busy calling the insurance company and figuring out how she could possibly run her clinic without even any of the basics. Then when they’d got here Flynn had had his episode and she’d gone and kissed him to distract him, which had, incredibly, worked except he’d left in a huff and then Barb had been all like, ‘he loves you’ and she had barely been able to breathe let alone put together a coherent thought process. So, plenty of reasons for not calling Diarmuid. But now she felt like a shit for not thinking of him and his worry first. ‘I’m so sorry, Papa, but I didn’t have my phone with me and there was so much to do at the hospital and calling the insurance company on the way back here—’
‘It’s fine, aingeal, I understand. I was just worried, that’s all. It’s such a relief to hear your voice though.’
‘It’s wonderful to hear yours too.’
‘Is Carter okay? I—’
The phone hissed and crackled and she missed his next words. ‘Sorry, Papa, I didn’t catch that. The reception’s terrible.’
‘That’s my fault. I’m on a plane.’
‘What?’
‘I’m on my way out to see you.’
Prita’s chest tightened and she had to blink back the rush of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. What the hell was with all the tears lately? She wasn’t a cry-baby. She cleared her throat and spoke past the thickening. ‘You didn’t have to do that. I’m fine.’
‘Of course I did. You think I could go and sing in front of a crowd when I hear my aingeal beag has been injured in a fire and lost everything? I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. Or Carter. I had to come. I had to come.’
His voice was thick, broken, and it tore something loose inside her. She’d never heard her papa like that before. Sure, he could wail out a song and make others cry their hearts out, but he’d never cried in front of her or even looked like he was about to since her mother had died. He’d lost his shit—the famous Diarmuid Brennan’s temper that had seen him in trouble multiple times before her mother had calmed him down—but not cried. Not once. Yet, he sounded very much like that was exactly what he was doing right now. Hearing those tears in his voice, it broke something inside her. It hurt. Too much. ‘Papa, Papa, we’re fine. We’re both fine. He wasn’t there, he was having a sleepover with Tilly and Aaron at CoalCliff. And they didn’t let him come to the hospital, so he didn’t see me right after, didn’t even find out until this morning.’
‘But he’s lost everything again.’
‘I know. I know.’ Hearing his distress made her pull herself together, made her think clearly for the first time about the fact that everything was gone. The knowledge that it wasn’t ‘everything’ like she’d been thinking. ‘We can replace things. He knows that. He’s a tough little kid really, and so far on from where he was when he came to us. And that’s the thing that matters to him. That he has us.’
‘Yep, yep.’ It sounded like, through the crackling, that her dad was sniffling, gulping. Oh god, she wished she was with him right now so she could put her arms around him and hug him close so he could see that she was fine. That everything would be fine.
And it was going to be. Fine. She’d been through worse. She’d started over before. And when that had happened, her papa was over the other side of the world and she’d not told him so he wouldn’t worry, so she’d had nobody. Except, this time, she wasn’t alone. She had the CoalCliff mob. Barb, Nat and Reid, and Flynn, wouldn’t let her go through this alone. They’d muscle their way in whether she wanted them to or not. She looked around her. They already had. She said as much to her papa.
‘They sound like wonderful people, pumpkin.’
‘They are. The best.’ And they were. She wasn’t sure how she’d got so lucky. ‘So you don’t have to give up the tour. I’d hate for you to disappoint all your fans.’ Not to mention what it might cost to reschedule those concerts or refund the tickets.
‘They’ll understand. Sebastien’s put out a statement about it being a family emergency. Besides, I want to be there for you and Carter. I know I haven’t been there enough. Not like I said I would.’
‘I understand, Papa. Your work is important.’
‘So are you and Carter. I can’t believe it took almost losing you for me to see that.’
‘You didn’t almost lose me.’
‘That’s not what Sebastien said after speaking to your Barb and then the hospital when they called.’
‘They over-exaggerated.’
‘You under-exaggerate. You always have. Some of the places you’ve been, the danger you took on.’
‘I was helping people.’
‘Sure you were, at your own expense. So, I’m not taking your word for it this time. I’m on my way to see you and won’t believe you’re one hundred percent okay until I have you in my arms. Okay?’
‘Okay.’ The pain in her chest released, the hole it left replaced with a warm glow that filled her and spilled out until she realised she was smiling at the phone. ‘I can’t wait to see you, Papa. And I know Carter’s going to be thrilled.’
‘I can’t wait to see my little man either.’
‘There’s room for you in the cottage, so you can stay with us.’
‘I don’t care where I am as long as I’m with you.’
The smile grew bigger, she couldn’t stop it. ‘Okay.’
‘Now listen. I have to talk to you about the will …’ There was some more crackling and then, ‘so you’ll have to look over them.’
‘Sorry, Papa, I didn’t catch that.’
He sighed, his aggravation showing clearly down the line. ‘You’d think with all the technology we have now that they’d manage a thing like a call from a plane better than this.’
‘CoalCliff’s in a low signal area as well, so that’s possibly not helping.’
‘Hmph. Well, what I was saying was—’ More crackling, ‘—legal papers in regards to the money she left. And now he’s filing for custody too.’
‘What? I didn’t catch half of that. Custody of what?’
‘Carter.’
‘What?’ Her mind blanked for a moment, and then her anger reared its head. It was so preposterous. Absurd. ‘Who on earth has more right than us to look after Carter? If there was someone, surely they would have been on Samantha’s files with the social workers.’ They would have placed Carter with an actual relative if there was one. As far as she knew, there wasn’t. Samantha hadn’t had anyone but that aunt, the one who had now died and left everything she had to Carter.
‘It’s his dad.’
‘Carter doesn’t have a dad.’ At least, Samantha had never listed the name of one on his birth certificate.
‘He does. At least, this bloke says he’s Carter’s dad and he
says he wants Carter to live with him.’
Her chest tightened, heart beating fast and hard, making it difficult to hear or think beyond its pounding. Hadn’t she been through enough? She couldn’t cope with this too. She wanted to escape, to go to her special place—except it was burned down and she couldn’t. Some arsehole had set it alight, just like someone had set her house alight. Anger furled inside, burning the edges of the panic and fear. She latched onto the anger. She preferred anger to fear. ‘It’s funny he didn’t come out of the woodwork until there was money coming to Carter.’
‘That’s what I said.’
‘Funny also how he’s made no attempt to see Carter in all this time.’
‘He says he didn’t know about him until just recently.’
It was possible, given Samantha hadn’t listed anyone as the father. Still … ‘How did he find out?’
‘Something about—’ crackle, ‘—will was read. Aunt’s husband’s son from a previous marriage. He stayed with—’ crackle, crackle, ‘—how Samantha met him.’
Despite the crackling, Prita heard enough to get the gist. She frowned. ‘So he really wasn’t interested in finding out about what happened to Samantha until there was money in the offing.’
‘True. But if he truly is the biological father, and he didn’t know—’ crackle, ‘—might be a claim. The lawyers are looking into it. There’s paternity—’ More crackling, ‘—sort it when I get there. Anyway, I’ve got to go. This line’s—’ crackle, ‘—worse. I can barely—’ crackle, ‘—you.’
‘Me too.’
‘I’ll see you— twenty hours, okay?’
‘Okay.’
‘Don’t worry. We’ll sort— Nobody’s taking—’ crackle, ‘—away from us Brennans.’
‘No. They’re not.’
‘Love you, aingeal.’
‘Love you, Papa.’
The phone clicked in her ear and then he was gone. She rubbed at her chest, the happy, longing feeling giving way to rising fury. Someone wanted to take Carter away from her? Not going to happen. She’d given up her entire life and changed everything for that little boy and she wasn’t about to give him up now without a fight. It was a life she’d decided on for him, but until now, she hadn’t realised how much she’d wanted it for herself too. And she did. She really did.
Hell. She needed to do something. She’d never been good at sitting around waiting.
Well, there was plenty to do, wasn’t there? If she was going to win any fight for custody, now more than ever she needed a home for them both. Security. More clothes and things than Reid had bought for them. Her clinic.
It looked like she really was going to have to take Flynn up on the offer of using the cottage not only as a place to live but to run her business from. She needed to get down there and look at the space and decide what could be used for her clinic and what she’d need to kit it out. But first, she needed to call the police. She still hadn’t spoken to them about the man who’d been at the fire last night. Flynn had spoken to them from the hospital, but she’d been asleep at the time and he’d told her they were waiting for her call.
She’d just hung up from giving her statement when Carter came spilling in the door with Aaron behind him. ‘Where’s Dad?’ Aaron asked.
Pulling her thoughts back into line and hoping there was no sign of the fury—and panic—she felt within, she said, ‘He’s gone with Reid to look for Maccy.’
‘I hope they find him,’ Carter said, hands clenched together.
She hugged him to her. ‘Me too.’ And she did. She truly did. He was family now. He had to be fine. If he was, it would be like a sign that nothing could break their little unit apart.
Barb appeared in the kitchen doorway, a smile on her face. ‘Typical. You’ve arrived in time for the scones I just took out of the oven,’ she said to the boys. ‘You sniffed them out, didn’t you?’
Carter broke from Prita’s hug and grinned up at her. ‘Aaron said you’d be making some fresh ones with Flynn and Mum coming home.’
‘Well, he was right. But the scones have to cool down a little before I can let the devouring hordes at them. But you can come and help me set the table with everything we need for afternoon tea.’
‘We’re not devouring hordes,’ Aaron said as they walked towards the kitchen. Then he leaned towards Carter and said, ‘What’s a horde?’
Carter solemnly told his friend the meaning of the word, as they walked to the kitchen. Pride swelled in her chest, warming her through. Then her heart lurched as the door slapped closed behind them. Nobody would take that little boy away from her. She wouldn’t let them.
‘So, what’s wrong?’ Barb asked.
Prita jerked. She’d been so focused on Carter, she hadn’t realised Barb had stayed in the room. ‘Nothing.’ Barb gave her a look. ‘I’m just tired.’ The eyebrow went up further. ‘I’m worried about the clinic and starting again and having no clothes.’
Barb nodded and gestured for her to take a seat on the couch, then sat beside her. ‘That’s part of it, but not what’s worrying you now. You’re too sensible to let things like that truly get to you. It’s something else. Something to do with that little boy.’
Prita gaped at her. ‘How do you do that?’
‘Do what?’
‘Know things?’
Barb shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I just do.’
‘Your superpower.’
‘Damn right.’ She patted Prita’s arm. ‘I also know that sharing your problems often makes them easier to deal with. It helped me before, sharing my worries about Flynn. Let me take some of your burden now.’
Prita sighed. Then found herself spilling everything her papa had told her.
‘I’m sorry, love. Truly sorry that all this is happening at once for you.’ She sighed and looked out the window. ‘It sometimes seems like the universe must have finished shitting on you but then, no, there’s more steaming dung being heaped on your head.’
Prita couldn’t help but snort at the analogy.
Barb smiled at her as she met Prita’s gaze. ‘All you can do is take one day at a time and go from there. You’re a strong woman. You’ve gone to some dangerous places in the world with your work, made incredible changes for that little boy, survived some personal tragedies. You managed to deal with all of that and you’ll manage this too.’
‘I know. I was just telling myself that.’
‘Wise woman.’
‘I’d be wiser if I took my own advice.’
‘Wouldn’t we all.’ She patted Prita’s hand, her smile softening. ‘I can take one burden away from you. Your clinic. I’ve already started to make calls. It’s amazing the things people have lying around. The rest we can buy or hire and have shipped here. We’ll have an office and treatment room set up for you in no time at the cottage and will get the word out you’re back up and running. Should only take a few days. It’s not perfect, but it will do while the insurance is sorted and you get your place rebuilt.’
‘Oh, Barb, you’ve done too much already.’
‘Nonsense. You’re part of the family. You belong here. There’s no way we’re going to let some arsonist bastard chase you away.’
She gaped at Barb. She hadn’t realised how much she needed to hear that. She was overwhelmed with everything happening so fast with no chance to get her thoughts together let alone deal with the last issue before the next one popped up. She needed her papa to be here. She also needed Barb and her CoalCliff mob’s help and support. She’d be stupid to keep denying it—especially now when the stakes were higher than before. ‘Thank you.’ She reached out and pulled the other woman into a tight hug. ‘Thank you.’
‘It’s my pleasure.’ Barb leaned back, her expression serious. ‘Also, Flynn needs you, so there’s me being a little selfish too.’
‘I will try and do what I can for Flynn, but I’m not a specialist.’
‘I know. But I think you’re good for him in a not-doctor-way as well.’
> ‘We went through this before. I’m not … there’s nothing …’
Barb wagged her finger at her. ‘I know. But there might be. And might be’s are exciting things, aren’t they?’ She stood and walked to the door. ‘Come have some tea and scones with your boy and pretend for a little while that everything is fine. The rest we can deal with later.’
Knowing Barb was right, Prita followed her into the kitchen, and even though she wasn’t hungry—there was too much going on inside her to leave room for food—she sat down and drank tea and ate scones with her boy and laughed and pretended for a little while that everything was going to be fine.
Chapter 18
Flynn wanted to vomit.
Everyone knows. That’s what she said. He’d denied it but she was right. He’d been seen. Barb, Reid, Prita—they’d all seen him lose himself to the weakness that lived inside him. And what was even worse, none of them seemed completely surprised. Well, Reid and Prita were a little, but not as surprised as they should have been if he’d been in control as much as he thought he’d been.
But his mum—no surprise there at all. How long had she known? Had she been covering for him? What must she think of him?
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
‘You okay, Flynn?’
‘Fine.’
‘You sound fine, Mr McSnapperson.’
Flynn snorted. ‘You sound like Nat when you talk like that.’
‘I’m happy to sound like Nat. I love my wife’s funny making up of names and words. You do too.’
‘Not really.’
‘You do, except right now you’re so far up your own butt you can’t see the sun.’
‘I am not up my own butt.’
‘Okay, maybe you’re not up your own butt, but you aren’t fine.’
‘I am.’
‘You are if fine means, “so wound up you’re scaring the horses.”’
‘I do not scare the horses. I’d never scare the horses.’ The horses were and always had been his salvation. In fact, if it wasn’t for his damn knee, he’d be out working with his horses right now. Or riding into the bush.
Blazing Fear Page 19