McKellan's Run

by Nicole Hurley-Moore

  ‘He has to, Celine,’ said Laurie. ‘The entire business faces ruin if he’s not able to help us out. Please make sure things work out.’

  ‘Why can’t you ask Uncle Andrew and some of your friends to help you out? I’m sure they would give you some financial assistance if you asked them.’

  Laurie shook his head. ‘I can’t Celine, I’d be too embarrassed. I’m the one they’ve been coming to for answers and guidance about their business matters for the past twenty years. How would it look if they discovered I was about to lose it all.’

  ‘But still, Uncle Andrew would . . .’

  ‘No, Celine, I can’t lose face like that—I won’t. We’ll keep trying to sell off more of our assets and you need to work on Jason to shell out more money.’

  Celine’s phone rang and she hurried over to her handbag and checked the screen. ‘It’s Jason,’ she mouthed to her father.

  ‘Hi, darling. Yes, I’m almost ready. Ah huh . . . Sure, I’ll be waiting outside,’ said Celine, then listened to his response with a genuine smile on her face. ‘Bye.’

  Her father gave her a questioning look.

  ‘He’s picking me up in about ten minutes and we’re driving straight to McKellan’s Run to catch up with his mother and brothers and meet with the wedding planner. Apparently we’re staying at his cottage tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow evening.’

  ‘Okay, well just keep in mind what I said.’

  Celine walked around the desk and kissed her father on the cheek. Then, as she headed out the door, she paused and turned around. ‘Don’t worry, Dad. I know how much the business means to you, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.’

  ‘You’re not serious, are you?’ said Celine, who was leaning against the picket fence and staring at the little white weatherboard house.

  ‘Of course I am,’ Jason said. ‘There’s nothing wrong with the cottage.’

  ‘Well, I think the correct question would be—what’s right with it?’

  ‘Listen, babe, I’m not asking you to live here permanently. It’s just for tonight and a few days before the wedding. I’m sure you can cope with that.’

  ‘But it’s so quiet here. It’s as if we’re in the middle of nowhere—what if something happens?’

  ‘Nothing is going to happen. We’ve got about half an hour before we’re due to meet Mac, which will give us enough time to settle in,’ said Jason with a smile. ‘Okay, I admit we’re both used to a bit more luxury, but think of it as an adventure.’

  Celine grimaced.

  ‘Oh come on, Celine, it does have running water and a flushing loo,’ said Jason as he opened the gate, took her by the hand and tugged her along the path towards the front door. ‘I’ll finish fixing it one day. It’s just with work and everything, I’ve never gotten around to it.’

  ‘I don’t understand why you would bother,’ said Celine.

  Jason paused on the steps and looked back over the old garden, which was filled with fruit trees, shrubs and flowers. The sound of the nearby creek floated on the air along with the last swarm of bees hovering from one daisy to another.

  ‘Because I love it. I forget just how much it means to me until I get here,’ he said, unlocking the door and holding it open for Celine. ‘Mum got the place ready for us, so the bed will be made and the fridge will be stocked,’ he added as he followed her inside.

  On the left-hand side of the one big room they entered was an open fireplace with a battered old leather couch facing it. On the right, a narrow flight of stairs led up into a loft and at the far end of the room was a kitchen. A large old-fashioned sink sat next to a wood burning stove.

  Celine looked unimpressed. ‘But Jason it’s so . . . rustic.’

  ‘Yeah, I suppose it is but it has everything we need.’

  ‘Where’s the rest of the house?’

  Jason started to laugh but stopped when he saw the look on her face. ‘The bedroom is upstairs.’

  ‘And the bathroom?’

  ‘It’s through that door and along the back verandah to the left.’

  ‘Do you mean we have to go outside to go to the bathroom?’

  ‘Um, yeah.’

  Celine shook her head and started to back out the door. ‘I’m sorry Jason but I can’t stay here.’

  Jason pulled her back into a hug so she couldn’t escape. ‘Oh go on, Celine, give it a try, just for tonight. You never know, you just might like it.’

  Violet arrived at Mac’s at eleven o’clock on the dot. She squared her shoulders and made herself stand a little taller before brushing a speck of fluff off the lapel of her dark-grey suit jacket. Since she’d returned home her wardrobe had become more casual as most of the parties she planned were less formal. But today was different. Today she was seeing Jason McKellan for the first time in nearly eight years and meeting his fiancée Celine—so she wanted everything to be perfect. Today she was Violet Beckett, accomplished party planner and independent professional woman. So there she stood in her grey jacket and a pencil skirt that skimmed her knees, a crisp white shirt and her hair in a half messy up-do.

  ‘Be calm, together and professional,’ she murmured under her breath as she knocked on the door.

  Mac opened the door and gave her a smile. ‘Hey, you look great.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Violet, straightening her jacket yet again. Mac moved in to kiss her but at the last instant she turned her face and he ended up kissing her on the cheek. ‘Are they here yet?’

  Mac frowned and stepped back. ‘Nope, you’ll just have to make do with my company.’

  Violet felt some of the tension ease out of her shoulders. ‘I’m sure I can manage that,’ she said, smiling nervously.

  ‘Well, are you going to stand out there all day or what?’

  ‘Oh, right,’ said Violet and stepped inside.

  ‘Come on through and I’ll make you a coffee,’ he said as he followed her. ‘No need to be nervous, sweetheart, we’ve got home court advantage.’

  ‘Oh Mac, it’s just . . .’

  ‘That you haven’t seen Jason since he broke it off?’

  ‘Yep, pretty much.’

  Mac didn’t say anything, he just started fiddling with the coffee machine. Funny, all of a sudden there seemed to be an invisible barrier between them.

  ‘And besides that I still have to meet Celine,’ said Violet stopping herself from adding a string of colourful terms to Celine’s name. ‘Have you had a lot to do with her?’

  Mac shook his head. ‘No, I’ve only met her a couple of times. Not my type, that’s for sure.’

  ‘Mac, promise me you’ll step in, if things get tense. I don’t want to upset anyone, especially the bride but . . .’

  ‘You get the feeling you’re not going to be BFFs,’ he said as he handed her a coffee.

  ‘Thanks. Yeah, something like that.’

  ‘I’ll do my best. Anyway, it looks as if they’ve arrived,’ said Mac looking through the window. ‘Just breathe, Violet, and you’ll be fine.’

  Violet sat at the kitchen table and sipped her coffee while she waited for Jason and Celine to appear. After several ridiculously long minutes, she heard the front door open, muffled voices and the click of heels across the wooden floors.

  When Celine walked into the kitchen she was everything Violet had imagined she’d be—shiny, polished, blonde perfection. Violet put a bright smile on her face and stood up. She was going to be nice, polite and start the meeting off on the right foot. She was the professional and Celine was her client.

  ‘Hello Celine, I’m Violet the events planner. It’s lovely to meet you,’ she said, smiling and extending her hand towards Celine.

  ‘Oh, hello, Violet,’ said Celine coolly.

  ‘Violet?’

  She glanced up at the familiar voice. Jason stood in the doorway, looking almost exactly the same as the last time she’d seen him. Golden hair, golden skin and blue eyes that had once been able to see inside her.

  ‘Hello, Jason,’ she said a
s he walked forward and gave her a polite kiss on the cheek. For a second she allowed herself to remember how many nights she’d laid awake in bed wishing Jason was there with her, making everything alright again. Violet pushed away the memories, which were best forgotten, and stood stiff and awkward, waiting for what came next.

  Jason stepped back, his smile slipping a little as he looked at her. ‘It’s good to see you again, Violet. You look great.’

  ‘Thanks,’ was about all she could manage. An awkward silence filled the room. Violet moved over to the table to pick up her coffee, only to realise she’d finished it. ‘Um, Mac, I don’t suppose I could I get a refill?’

  Their eyes locked across the room. He was there, holding her up and supporting her. She gave him a smile.

  ‘Sure thing,’ said Mac and wandered over to the kitchen bench. ‘Anyone else?’

  Chapter 13

  ‘I mean it. Thanks for what you said in there,’ said Violet, sliding into the driver’s seat.

  Mac leaned in smiling, his arms draped over the top of the door. ‘It was nothing,’ he said with a shrug. ‘As I said, Celine can be a handful and I suspect she’s a bit jealous of you.’

  ‘Me! God Mac, what’s there to be jealous of?’ said Violet, laughing at the idea. ‘She’s the one wearing designer clothes, not me. Did you see those shoes she was wearing?’

  ‘Don’t sell yourself short, Violet,’ said Mac.

  ‘Yeah, because I’m just sooo intimidating.’ Violet gave him her best fierce look.

  ‘Now you just look crazy,’ he said, laughing and shaking his head. ‘You know what I’m saying.’

  ‘Yes, I do. I can understand she’d be wary of me because of Jase, but he and I were over a long time ago.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘It’s just that she can be so brutal.’

  ‘Yeah, she can be a total bitch.’

  ‘Well, I wasn’t going to say it but yes she can,’ Violet said with a grin. ‘Anyway, I better go. I’ve got to pick up Holly. Bye.’

  ‘Okay, drive safely. See you later,’ said Mac, stepping back and shutting the door.

  After giving Mac a final wave, Violet drove off. She had plenty of time to get to Holly, she just wanted to get the hell out of there. A headache was beginning to build and all she wanted to do was sit quietly by herself for a few minutes. She needed to think. Mac had stood up and defended her today. She wasn’t used to that. It made her feel . . . What? Warm, protected, vulnerable.

  Violet bit her bottom lip. Man, she was definitely in trouble.

  Mac watched Violet’s car disappear into the distance. He was glad she’d come today, and held her own with Celine, even if it had been difficult for her.

  As he turned to go back inside the front door banged open and Jason hurried out.

  ‘Hey,’ said Mac. ‘Are you going somewhere?’

  Jason looked down at his keys and jingled them in his hand. ‘Um, yeah, I just needed to pick a couple of things up at the store. We were in a hurry when we left this morning and I forgot to grab them. I, um, won’t be long.’

  ‘Alright, I’ll see you in a bit,’ said Mac, though he knew Jason was hiding something because of the way he didn’t meet his eyes.

  ‘Yep,’ Jason said with a curt nod before he strode towards his silver Merc.

  Mac headed back inside, wondering what he was up to.

  Violet was halfway up the new front steps with Holly when a car turned into her driveway. She looked over her shoulder and froze as Jason McKellan pulled up. What the hell was he doing here?

  ‘Who is that, Mummy?’ Holly asked.

  Wow, how exactly should she answer that? Violet swallowed hard before smiling down at her daughter. ‘That’s someone I used to know. Actually, he’s Mac’s brother.’

  ‘Oh, he doesn’t look like Mac. He’s got blond hair,’ said Holly with a frown. ‘Why is he here?’

  ‘I don’t know, honey.’ Violet watched as Jason got out of the car and walked towards them, his eyes fixed on Holly. Violet’s stomach tightened in nervous knots. She cleared her throat and winced at the shaky sound of her voice, ‘Jason, what are you doing here?’

  ‘I . . . I don’t really know. I just felt I had to come. Sorry, I suppose it was wrong,’ he answered, still not taking his gaze off Holly. ‘But I had to come and see for myself.’

  ‘Jason, this is Holly,’ said Violet, suddenly feeling a bit light-headed and leaning back on the handrail for support. ‘Holly, this is Jason, Mac’s brother.’

  ‘Hello, Holly. It’s nice to meet you,’ said Jason.

  ‘Hi,’ said Holly, clearly sensing an uneasy undercurrent between this man and her mother. ‘Mummy, are you okay?’ she asked, taking Violet’s hand.

  Her words made Jason start and immediately his frown disappeared. ‘I’m sorry, Holly. I didn’t mean to frighten you or your mum,’ he said softly.

  ‘Are you cross with Mummy?’ asked Holly.

  ‘No,’ said Jason, and shook his head.

  Violet bent down and whispered, ‘Holly, there’s nothing to worry about. Everything is fine.’

  Holly nodded but her gaze was locked on Jason. ‘Mummy, can I go inside now?’

  ‘Sure, why don’t you put your bag in your room? Then you could watch some cartoons if you want,’ Violet said as she climbed up the final step and unlocked the front door. ‘I won’t be a moment, Jason.’

  Holly disappeared inside and Violet tried to regulate her heartbeat before she turned back to Jason.

  ‘She’s beautiful, Violet, she really is,’ Jason said quietly.

  ‘Yes, I know.’

  An awkward silence fell between them. Jason’s face appeared pale and he opened his mouth as if to speak but then closed it again.

  ‘Why are you here, Jason?’

  ‘She looks like you, even down to the hair and the shape of your mouth.’

  ‘Yes, I know.’

  ‘But she has my eyes, doesn’t she?’

  Violet stared back at him, her face stony. ‘You know the answer to that.’

  ‘But I thought you were going to—’

  ‘No, you assumed I would. You have no business being here, Jason. You made your decision a long time ago,’ said Violet, crossing her arms. ‘So, unless you have a question or request about your wedding, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Violet. You’re right. I had no right to come. It’s just, um, it doesn’t matter. I’d better go.’

  ‘Yes, you should,’ said Violet going inside and shutting the door emphatically behind her.

  Violet wasn’t sure who was covered with more flour, Holly or herself. Holly had decided they should have cheese pastries for dinner, which had seemed a good idea until she’d accidentally dropped the bag of flour. The result was that both of them now looked like extras from a ghost movie.

  Ignoring the mess, Holly was now busy rolling out the pastry on the kitchen table.

  ‘Is that good, Mummy?’ she asked.

  ‘Fantastic. Now we just have to fill them,’ replied Violet, quickly dividing the pastry into squares before setting a couple of bowls in front of her daughter—one filled with a ricotta and spinach mixture, the other with water.

  ‘Right, now all you have to do is pop a couple of spoonfuls into each square, wet the edges and then fold them into a triangle. See, just like this,’ said Violet as she demonstrated what to do. ‘Got it?’ she asked Holly.

  ‘Yep, I’ve got it,’ replied Holly, reaching for the big bowl.

  Violet left Holly to her own devices and went to get the baking trays. What she really needed was a little time to try and make sense of her day. But a few minutes of quiet reflection wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, not with a budding chef and a flour-bombed kitchen to deal with. After grabbing the trays she headed back to the table.

  ‘So, how’s it going?’ she asked.

  ‘Great,’ Holly said with a grin. ‘I’ve made two of them.’

  ‘Good job,’ said Violet a
s she started to make a pastry.

  Soon each of the little triangles were sitting in two neat rows on the trays. Holly helped her carry one of the trays over to the oven.

  ‘They’ll take a little while to cook,’ said Violet as she slid them into the oven and then glanced at her flour-covered daughter. ‘Why don’t you go and get cleaned up?’

  ‘Okay,’ Holly said with a nod and wandered off towards the bathroom.

  Violet doused a sponge under the tap to clean things up before the flour made its way through the house, her mind on Jason.

  She should have known he would visit, whether out of curiosity or something deeper, Jason had wanted to meet his daughter.

  Over the years she’d convinced herself he would never want anything to do with Holly. Having rejected his unborn child eight years ago, Violet had just assumed he wouldn’t want to be part of her life now. But maybe she’d been wrong, she thought. She’d kept her secret to protect Holly, she hadn’t wanted to reveal that her father hadn’t wanted her. That sort of rejection could cast a long shadow, one that Holly might have carried all her life, and Violet had been determined not to let it happen.

  But now there was a chance that Jason had changed his mind. God, he was always so bloody self-centred. He never cared how his actions affected people, just as long as he got what he wanted. If Jason wanted some sort of relationship with Holly, she shouldn’t stand in his way but the implications would be far-reaching.

  How do you tell your daughter that the father she didn’t even know she had now wanted to see her? And if they forged some sort of relationship, would Jason step up and go the distance? Would he be a presence in her life or would he allow his work to be the number one priority? For a child, being forgotten was almost as bad as not being wanted in the first place.

  Violet scrubbed the last traces of sticky flour off the table and washed the sponge out.

  And how would Holly react? Would she blame Violet for not telling her the truth? Would their relationship change with Jason’s arrival? And what impact would this have on all of them—Holly, Mac, Sarah and Jason?