Liam saw Poppy frown briefly as though undecided before she gathered herself together and smiled. “Sure. What’s the address?”
*
Poppy couldn’t believe she’d said yes. It was all Liam’s fault. Whenever he was around, her brain turned to mush. She’d come to Birrangulla with plans to attend her father’s funeral and leave again, yet somehow she’d managed to get herself caught up in a family drama. And as nice as Jenni and the boys seemed, neither the drama nor the family belonged to her.
Her brain screamed to back away and run, but her feet wouldn’t budge. In less than an hour Jenni had demonstrated that her heart and home were open and for the first time in Poppy’s memory she felt wanted – needed – and it felt nice.
After collecting Hamish from his mate’s house, which was only around the corner, Poppy followed his softly spoken directions, negotiating the quiet streets to the hospital.
It was a large facility perched high on the hill and the mix of old blended with new surprised her. Recently renovated, the original red brick building retained its original ornate ironwork and sat alongside a modern building that housed the emergency department. Hamish directed her to the car park and they walked together in silence to the entrance. The waiting room was empty.
A woman around Poppy’s age sat at the triage desk behind the glass window. She looked up unsmiling. “You must be Poppy,” she said, when Poppy approached the window.
“Um, yes. How did you know?”
“You’re exactly as Liam described.”
Poppy felt her face burn. “Let me guess? Tall, red hair?”
“Something like that, but the word ‘stunning’ was in there too.” The woman’s smile didn’t reach her eyes and there was no warmth in her voice.
Poppy’s forced her mouth closed.
“How’s Isaac doing?” she asked.
“Probably appendicitis. He’ll live.”
The woman had the compassion of a gnat and Poppy wanted to shake her and tell her that these boys had recently lost their father in this same hospital, but she held back.
The nurse reached under the desk and to Poppy’s right, the doors swung open. “Go through. He’s in cubicle four.”
“Thanks,” she said.
They found the cubicle easily and Poppy held back while Hamish went straight to his mum.
“Thanks for picking him up, Poppy,” Jenni said, after she’d hugged Hamish and assured him that his brother was going to be alright.
“That’s okay. Glad I could help. How’s he doing?”
“He’s just come back from x-ray. You were right. Appendicitis. They’ve called theater and they’re about to put in an IV and get him ready. I can’t thank you enough for insisting we come straight here. And for calling Liam too.”
“That’s okay. I’m glad I was there.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t end up having lunch. Are you staying in town much longer? Perhaps we could catch up next week when the dust has settled a bit. I’d really like to get to know you better and I know your brothers would too. I’d also like to know how you felt after reading the letters from your dad.”
Poppy dropped her gaze. “I’m actually leaving tomorrow,” she mumbled.
“So soon?”
“Yeah, I have to get up to Queensland to see my mother then head back to New York. I’ve only taken a month off work. I fly out on the first.”
“Oh, that’s disappointing.” Jenni looked like she really meant it. “But we’ll stay in touch of course. Get together when you’re back home next.”
A stunning blonde appeared at the curtain, interrupting any further discussion. She smiled straight at Poppy. Something about her was strangely familiar.
“Hi, you must be Poppy.”
How did everyone know who she was?
Before Poppy had a chance to reply the young woman smiled again. “I’m Emma. Liam’s sister.”
Poppy smiled. “Oh, hi. Nice to meet you.” Liam had talked so much about his family that Poppy felt like she already knew them. She’d met Sean at the funeral and hoped one day she’d meet Joel and Kate and Lorraine, Liam’s mum, too.
“He’s told me all about you,” Emma said.
He has?
“Anyway, I’m looking after Hamish,” she continued. “Great job on the diagnosis by the way.”
Poppy’s mind spun. Why had Liam told his family about her? “Thank you.”
“Hey, if you’re hanging around, would you like to join us for lunch on Monday at our place? Liam will be there.”
“Where will I be?” Liam asked, appearing around another corner.
The grumpy nurse from triage trailed behind him with a look of longing across her face.
Poppy held back a smile. She bet a million dollars the nurse would love an invitation to dine with Liam.
“Lunch at Lexton Downs,” Emma said. “For the Queen’s birthday.”
“Ah yeah, that’s right. I’d forgotten about that. Can you come, Poppy?” Liam asked.
“Thanks for the invite,” she said. “But I’m leaving tomorrow morning, remember? Sorry.”
Liam’s face fell. “I was hoping you might change your mind.”
Before Poppy could respond, an orderly appeared. They both stepped aside to allow Emma to finish getting Isaac ready for theater.
The triage nurse walked off.
“You could always invite her to lunch,” Poppy said quietly.
Liam frowned. “Who?”
“That nurse. The one who is clearly in love with you.”
The frown deepened. “That’s my sister.”
“The other one.”
“Who are you talking about? Renee? She’s not in love with me. I don’t think she’s ever spoken more than two words to me.”
“You need to open your eyes. You missed the daggers she threw my way when your sister invited me to lunch.”
“Really? Why? I’ve never done anything to make her think I’m interested in her.”
Poppy poked him in the ribs. “Don’t play dumb. You must know that women find you attractive.”
His smile widened and he wiggled his eyebrows. “Is that so? Women find me attractive?”
“Well, some women might.”
“And you don’t?”
“Eh.” She shrugged. “You’re okay. I’ve seen better.”
“Ouch.” He put a hand to his heart. “That hurt. Clearly I’m going to have to try harder to impress you. Perhaps another kiss —”
“Plus you need a haircut,” she interrupted him.
He ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t like it? If it means you’ll stay I’ll cut it.”
“Don’t bother.” She lowered her voice. “I told you before, Liam. I’m still leaving tomorrow morning. After dinner tonight I won’t see you again.”
He winked. “That’s what you think. I still have tonight and that gives me plenty of time to change your mind.”
Chapter 18
After arranging for Liam to drop Jenni and Hamish home, Poppy headed back to the motel for the rest of the afternoon. She retrieved the package of letters from the bottom of her suitcase and stared at them for ages. She got as far as undoing the ribbon that bound them together but still couldn’t bring herself to open them. Instead, she took a nap, had a long shower then spent considerably longer than usual on her hair and makeup. After googling the restaurant, she was looking forward to having dinner there with Liam. It looked amazing.
When Liam called fifteen minutes before he was supposed to arrive to say there was an emergency and he had to go to work, it was hard to rein in her disappointment.
“That’s okay,” she lied, glad he couldn’t see her face. “I understand. It’s your job.” Perhaps it was best to end things this way.
“If it’s not too late tonight, can I swing past?”
Poppy checked her watch and hesitated. “I don’t know. You have no idea how long you could be. I have to get up early tomorrow to get going. It’s a long drive.”
“I don’t think so, Liam. There’s really no point, is there?”
“If my kissing hasn’t worked, what else will I have to do to convince you to change your mind and stay?”
She smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with your kissing, but you can’t change my mind. Honestly. It’s been awesome meeting you, but I really have to go. My mother is expecting me, plus, you know, there’s my job and everything back in the States.”
His heavy sigh bridged the gap between them. “Okay. But if you change your mind you know where to—”
“I won’t change my mind. I really can’t. I’m sorry. But thanks for everything. You’ve been a great friend these past two days.”
She hung up before she caved in and stabbed at the tears forming. What kind of an idiot was she? One of the nicest guys she’d ever met was begging to get to know her better and she’d literally slammed the door in his face like he was an unwanted door-to-door salesman.
As she was removing her makeup there was a knock at the door. She frowned. When she opened it Liam stood there grinning. The light from the room bounced off the reflective strips of his uniform. Behind him Poppy made out the dark shape of an ambulance. The engine was running and the lights were on.
“I couldn’t take no for an answer. I had to see you again. No way was I going to say good-bye over the phone.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I convinced my partner to stop, but I can’t stay. I’ll be in touch okay?”
He gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek then he was gone.
Poppy closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Seconds later her phone pinged. She checked it and found a Facebook friend request. She smiled and accepted it immediately. Moments later her phone beeped again. This time she opened her inbox and laughed loudly. There was no message, just an image of a gold medal.
Seconds later a message appeared. This gold medal has your name on it.
You’ll have to catch me first, she messaged back.
I’ve heard you’re no good at sport so I don’t think catching you will be an issue.
She laughed aloud.
I have long legs, she typed. I’m sure I can run fast.
So I’ve noticed. Nice long legs. But I bet I can run faster. Just wait. I’ll catch you.
Later that night as she was drifting off to sleep she received another message and for the next half hour they sent messages backward and forward until she eventually fell asleep nursing her phone to her chest, having totally forgotten about reading the letters.
That night she dreamed of Liam’s face on the surface of a basketball as he chased her around a dance floor trying to place a gold medal around her neck.
She woke early on Sunday morning with a big smile on her face but an even bigger hole in her heart.
*
Liam woke on Sunday morning with a keen sense of loss. He dressed quickly without even bothering to shower and drove past the motel to see if Poppy had left yet. Disappointment stabbed him in the gut when he saw her car was gone.
He’d missed her.
He didn’t feel like going back to his empty unit so even though it was still early, he drove to his parents’ house – the house where he’d spent the first nineteen years of his life. When he slammed the car door, the neighbor’s dog barked, setting up a howling chorus of replies. A back door slammed, someone shouted and the dogs went quiet.
Using his key, Liam let himself in the way he usually did. The sound of the television came from the kitchen. He inhaled deeply and suddenly forgot all about Poppy. Sunday morning meant a cooked breakfast. His stomach grumbled. What would it be today? Pancakes and waffles or bacon and eggs? He sniffed again. Bacon.
It didn’t matter that he hadn’t told his mum he was dropping in, there would be plenty of food. Even after years of not having kids at home, his mum was hopeless at cooking for two people.
He jangled his keys so he didn’t surprise them when he walked into the kitchen. Chances are they hadn’t heard the door slam over the sound of the television. “Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad,” he called out.
Someone muted the television, plunging the house into silence.
“Is that you, Joel?” his mum called out.
“No, it’s Liam.”
“We’re in the kitchen, love.”
He stifled a smile. Where else would they be? He pictured his mum pottering around the small space, apron around her waist, face flushed while she cooked breakfast. His dad would be sitting at the table reading the Sunday papers waiting for Lorraine to serve him. His job was to clean up afterwards.
Liam reached the kitchen doorway and smiled. His guess was bang on.
His dad squinted at him.
“Glasses are on top of your head, Dad,” Liam said.
“What are you doing here, love?” Lorraine asked.
He leaned down to scoop his mum into a hug. She smelled faintly of the Estee Lauder perfume she always wore. The hug she gave in return was as strong as ever.
“I smelled bacon cooking from up the street.”
She planted a kiss on his cheek then narrowed her eyes to look at him. “You look tired.”
“Yeah, I had a late night.”
She hugged him again. “You need some more home-cooked meals. Now, why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would have cooked extra.”
“You’ve cooked enough food to feed an army, love,” Sean mumbled as he struggled out of the chair. It was the first time Liam realized his dad was getting older. His hair seemed to have receded further and he looked tired. Then again, he was getting close to retirement age from the force. And Macca’s death had hit him hard. Maybe he needed a holiday. Liam decided he would chat to Joel and Emma as soon as possible. Between the three siblings, they’d see if they could convince Sean to take Lorraine on the cruise she’d been dreaming of for years.
Sean pulled Liam into a bear hug and slapped him on the back before sitting back down. “It’s good to see you, lad. What’s news?”
Liam plonked down in a chair and accepted the glass of orange juice his dad pushed toward him.
“I’ve met someone.”
His mum inhaled sharply then turned from the stove and held the tongs to her chest like rosary beads. “Who is she? Is it serious? When can I meet her?”
“Poppy McDonald.”
Sean frowned. “Poppy? As in Macca’s daughter?”
Liam nodded. “Yeah. She’s amazing.”
Sean shook his head as though trying to formulate words. “But you only just met her. She was here for less than forty-eight hours. How do you know she’s amazing?”
This made Liam smile. “I move fast, Dad.”
Sean rubbed his chin. “Usually too fast. That’s what gets you into hot water.”
Lorraine frowned. “That was who you were sitting with at the funeral. How did you meet her?”
“Dad asked me to pick her up from the airport. One thing led to another and we had dinner and—”
“And?” Lorraine prompted.
Liam felt a weight pushing on his shoulders. “And now she’s gone.”
“What do you mean?” Lorraine asked as she placed a loaded plate in front of him.
“She’s gone to Queensland to see her mother,” he said.
“Is she coming back?” Lorraine asked.
“She says not. She’s already booked her flights back to America.”
“America? I’m not following.”
“She lives in America,” Sean explained. He turned to Liam. “So what are you going to do about it?”
Liam took a mouthful, chewed and swallowed. “I have no idea. I’ve thought about following her up to Queensland or maybe even going to America if I have to, but I don’t know if that’s a crazy idea or not.”
Lorraine sighed. “It’s not crazy. It’s romantic. You could wait for her at the airport and when she sees you, she won’t board the plane back to America.”
Liam burst out laugh
ing. “Mum, you have to stop reading romance novels. It doesn’t happen like that in real life.”
“It can happen,” Lorraine argued, folding her arms across her chest. “You don’t have a romantic bone in your body, that’s your problem.”
She placed a plate in front of Sean, piled with toast, bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms. No wonder his dad had issues with his cholesterol.
“I don’t know where I went wrong with you. Your brother and sister are romantics at heart.”
Sean scooped up his cutlery and met Liam’s gaze. “Ignore your mother,” he teased. “She just wants to see you happily married.”
“She wants more grandchildren,” Liam said. “That’s what she wants.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” Lorraine asked, glaring at him in mock seriousness.
“Judging by what Macca told me once, Poppy didn’t have a great upbringing,” Sean said. “Is that going to be an issue?”
“No. Why should it be?”
“Just saying, she’s probably carrying a lot of emotional baggage.”
“What kind of baggage?” he asked.
A warning sounded in his ears, but he blocked it out. He was sure Poppy was an open book.
“Not my story to tell. But be prepared that she didn’t have the kind of childhood you kids had. Macca left when she was thirteen and she refused all contact with him. Her mother is a difficult woman with a lot of complex issues.”
“I gather there’s no love lost between them, but I’m not interested in her mother, I’m interested in Poppy.”
“Then you need to do something about it,” Sean said before taking a mouthful of breakfast.
*
As planned, Poppy left Birrangulla early, stopping for coffee and breakfast at McDonalds first. She’d secretly hoped to hear from Liam before she left and was disappointed when she didn’t, but she couldn’t blame him for not calling. She’d made it clear there was no point. Even so, she drove past the ambulance station then the hospital in the hope she might catch a glimpse of him. When she didn’t, she turned and headed out of town, praying she’d quickly forget all about him.
But she couldn’t. The further north she drove, the more her mind wandered. Even when she turned up the volume on the radio, she was reminded of him when a song from his favorite band came on. Then she passed a paddock of sheep and remembered him saying he hated sheep but loved cows. Once she spotted a farmer on his motorbike chasing sheep. Three border collies were working hard alongside him and all Poppy could think was that Liam said he wanted a border collie puppy one day.
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