Echoes Of The Past (Fermosa Bay #1)

by Iris Blobel

  Had Ethan been right?

  Shaking her head, she focussed on the car in front of her; the driver didn’t seem to know whether to stay on the right or left side of the road. Neither did he seem to know where he was going. She tried to stay calm. She needed to, because it was going to be a busy day with lots of patients to visit and reports to fill out.

  Her last visit was with Jack. It hurt her so much that the old man wouldn’t make an effort to take his medication. She had hoped once Connor would be here that it’d be an incentive, but even that wasn’t enough to convince him to take the medication to help him. The ache inside her grew with each day as much as the cancer inside his body grew—hurting them both.

  “Hello, Jack. How are you today?”

  The old man stepped aside to let her in, and they headed towards the lounge room.

  “How have you been?” she asked again.

  They went into the lounge room where he sat down and leaned back, meeting her gaze. “Lots of talking. Lots of setting things straight.”

  “With Connor I assume.”

  Jack nodded. “His mother erased his memory, it seems, and told him lots of untruths.”

  Emily stopped looking for the thermometer. “Untruths?”

  It was obvious from only looking at Jack how hard the whole situation was for him. A few months ago, when Jack had told her that he’d hired an investigator to find Connor, she’d been excited about the idea to see him again. Then, a few days earlier, he’d opened the door for her and hadn’t even recognised her. But she’d never even considered Jack’s feelings once and pain shot through her.

  “Would you like to talk about it?” she asked as she sat next to him.

  The old man let out a long breath as he took her hands. Emily waited until he was ready to talk. The only noise in the room was the tick-tock of the old clock in the corner and the waves crashing against the rocks outside.

  “I never fooled myself thinking he’d come back, and we’d have a happy reunion. I’m old, but not a dimwit.” He paused and met her gaze. “I loved Connor’s mother. I truly did. And I’ll never forget the day she left with my son, telling me they’d have a better chance in life somewhere else. It broke my heart.”

  He paused, and Emily had to work hard holding back the tears.

  “It took me a long time to make peace. I tried so hard to forgive her. After all, she’s over twenty years younger than me. She didn’t belong here, I figured that pretty quickly. But I always missed my son. Always. His smile. His wit. His love for life. He cared for everyone and everything. He was my world. And when she took him away from me—”

  Emily saw he swallowed hard and struggled with emotions as well. It was only when he wiped a tear from her cheek that she noticed she was crying.

  “You came here every day after school asking whether he’d come back. Sometimes you even stayed the night. You always loved him.”

  Emily’s lips tugged at the corner. “We were kids. I didn’t understand.”

  Shaking his head, he said again, “You loved him.”

  Biting her lips, she stayed silent, not sure how to respond.

  Jack let out another big sigh. “Anyway, she left after Connor had the accident. It wasn’t anything major. A few stitches, and he was good as gold. But his mother packed the bags the same night and left. Apparently, she needed more in life and needed a safer life for her son.”

  It was clear to Emily how much resentment there still was. Jack always called her ‘his mother, but never by her name—Jane.

  “It must’ve been more than a couple of stitches, because he can’t remember anything.”

  Jack shook his head. “Nah. Once they’d left, he’d been fed lies.” Then he stood. It took him a lot of effort to stand up, and Emily had the urge to ask him to stay seated. He walked over to the window and looked out. “He was told I had kicked them out. Told that I’d never loved her or him.”

  Lowering his head to his chest, he said, “All those years, all those very long years my boy went through life believing I didn’t love him. Let’s hope the Lord will give me enough time to tell him the truth.”

  Grabbing the box of tissues from the coffee table, Emily cried for Jack. But also for Connor. For their lost time together.

  “Why haven’t you told him, yet?” she whispered.

  He turned towards her, his shoulders sagged. “What if he doesn’t believe me and I’ll lose him all over again?”

  Emily understood. Their relationship was new and still fragile. Although it was the truth, it wasn’t in Connor’s mind.

  “Where is he now?”

  Jack pointed to the beach. “He always loved the water, and it seems the love is coming back to him. Slowly, but surely.”

  “Did you tell him that she’d lied to him?”

  He nodded. “We often hear words, but we will not listen to them.”

  When Jack started to cough, Emily wiped her tears with a tissue and walked over to him. “You should rest.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “I’m running out of time, Emily. He needs to know—”

  “He will,” she assured him, knowing what he wanted to say. Jack loved his son and didn’t want to die before Connor understood. Following his gaze, she watched Connor for a while as he sat at the beach. His posture displayed a closed world, one he’d withdrawn into from everyone else’s.

  ***

  Connor turned when he heard the soft crunch of steps in the sand.

  “Hi,” Emily said. “May I join you?”

  “I’m probably not the best company.”

  She smiled and sat next to him.

  “How is he?” he asked.

  Gazing out into the distance, she replied, “I wish I could do more for him.” Then she turned to look at him. “He’s worried that he’s running out of time with you.”

  Connor wasn’t surprised at the honesty and the fact that his dad had talked to her. It was clear that Jack had a good relationship with all three of his childhood friends. He hadn’t given them money to make something out of their life, but his guidance, his patience, and a job for the boys in his company. After Jane had left with Connor, Jack had dived into work and established six hotels along the coast. Connor admired him for that. Yet, it left a sour taste when Jack had told him about the lies his mother had told him.

  Emily hauled him back from his thoughts. “You know he loves you, right?”

  He looked away. “Words. I’ve heard them all my life.” As a kid, his mother had given him a few pounds every time she’d forgotten to pick him up from school or cricket training. I love you darling, but Mum was busy. Duncan had dropped him off at boarding school, saying, You know we love you, Son, but you’re better off here.

  She placed her hand on his arm, turning him to face her. “You got hurt, but there isn’t enough time to be angry for too long. Jack loves you, and everyone around here will tell you that. They’re not just words. They’re his life. It’s what kept him going all these years.”

  Ethan had told him something to the same point, and he was hurt inside every time he heard the words. And confused. And angry. Angry at his mother, or at life, for all the lies he’d been told over the years.

  He didn’t want to hear any more.

  “Why aren’t you working in one of Jack’s hotels?”

  Emily laughed, and damn if that laugh didn’t stir something within him. She was beautiful. Not like Harriet was after she’d an hour in the bathroom getting ready for an evening out. Emily was beautiful outside and as it seemed inside, her wide smile showing her dimples.

  “Nah, I’m not good with numbers. I like to help people.”

  “Ethan said you have a heart of gold.”

  She laughed again. “Ask him again next time he thinks he’s still seventeen and able to try out his son’s skateboard.”

  That made him laugh. But at the same time envious. Everything seemed so easy in this place. People cared. Knew each other.

  “What happened to Skye?”
r />   “I take it Ethan was a bit hesitant on that part of the story?”

  “We ran out of time.”

  Emily shrugged. “She got pregnant with Nicholas when she was in her late teens. Ethan wanted to get married, do the right thing and all, but once Nick was born she left. Word is she wasn’t able to cope with a small baby and wanted more in life.”

  “Sounds familiar.”

  She looked at him. “Your mum?”

  He nodded. “Only thing is, she took me with her.”

  “Was it hard to leave everything behind?”

  He thought back to their early days in London. Living with his grandparents, trying to fit into one new school after the other, being the new one everywhere, being the one with the different accent. He didn’t like thinking of those days.

  “If you can’t remember what you had, you can’t miss it, right?”

  “We missed you, and it was very hard for us to accept that you were gone.”

  Her voice was quiet, and he stared at her for a long moment before gazing back towards the horizon. Everything inside him stilled when she took his hand into hers and entwined her fingers with his.

  “I missed you,” she whispered.

  “You missed a boy you knew when you were seven, Emily.”

  She shook her head. “I know that boy is still somewhere inside you. You just have to let go and trust.”

  He removed his hands from hers and met her gaze. “Emily. Ethan told me that you still have a crush on me, but—”

  “That little bugger.” She laughed and surprised him with her reaction. If anything he’d expected anger or irritation. But not laughter.

  “Okay, crush or no crush,” she said. “Fact is we missed you. You were part of our neighbourhood. We were friends. We all were. Then you were gone and nobody ever knew why. It’s got nothing to do with my crush, which by the way, I resent that. My best friend was taken away from me and I missed you. Don’t go all soppy on me.”

  “No crush?”

  She smiled. “Nah. Perhaps a little. Okay, yes, so sue me.”

  “I’m a lawyer, sunshine. Don’t say what you don’t mean.”

  Emily stared at him and then whispered, “See, it’s coming back to you. You always called me sunshine. Unless,” she paused. “Unless, you call every woman sunshine. Then I might get upset.”

  Connor watched her. He hadn’t had such a delightful conversation in a very long time. Talking to Emily was so easy, and it seemed he couldn’t say a wrong word. The corner of her mouth was pulled into a slight smile.

  “So. A lawyer?”

  “Yes.”

  “That might change the whole idea of having a crush on you.”

  Without thinking, he placed his arm around her shoulder and placed a kiss on her forehead. They sat like that for a while, neither one speaking. It was quiet except for the waves crashing onto the beach and the seagulls flapping lazily overhead.

  “Do you think you could come to Nicholas’ school concert on Friday? He’d love to meet you.”

  “He doesn’t know me.”

  Emily leaned back to look at him. “Haven’t we just established that we’re a tight knit community here? Of course he knows you. Jack’s talking about you all the time.” She laughed. “You should’ve seen the boy when Jack gave him your old surfboard.”

  “I’m surprised it’s still in one piece.”

  “Please come. You still haven’t seen Niall, yet.”

  “He’s the one who hasn’t contacted me, yet. Should I get worried?”

  “No. Not at all. He’s—” She shrugged. “I suppose a bit more wary. It took him a long time to deal with the fact that you stumbled over his shoes when you fell. He’s a bit worried about what to expect.”

  “I heard the story about the fall and the stitches.”

  “What do you mean you heard?”

  He shrugged.

  Emily came closer. “What happened, Connor? I mean, it sounds like someone erased all your memories from your childhood.”

  Choking back a chuckle, he turned towards to sea. “I wish they would’ve erased a few years more.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  He met her gaze. “Okay. I’ll be there. I suppose Jack will come, too.”

  “Of course,” she almost shouted and rolled her eyes. “He wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  She checked the time and instinctively, so did he.

  “It was nice crushing on you again, but I need to go. I’ve got one more visit to do and then I can call it a day. I’m starving.”

  She stood, and suddenly he noticed that with Emily moving out of his arms, he felt a sudden loss and the desire to pull her back in again.

  “Can I invite you for dinner?” he heard himself asking. Not quite sure how to read her surprised expression, he added, “There’s still more to find out.”

  “I’d love that,” she said in almost a whisper. “The thing is, though, I’m not sure whether you’re ready for the gossip and rumours that will follow. Eating out might not be the best idea.”

  He understood her train of thought. “Here?”

  “How about at my place? Cooking isn’t one of my talents, but I can whip up a nice salad and throw some meat on the barbeque.”

  When he saw her smile, he wasn’t able to say anything but yes. “Give me your address and I’ll be there at seven. With the meat,” he added. “Your job tonight is to fill in all the blanks.”

  She laughed. “Oh boy.”

  “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”

  Connor could’ve sworn he saw a little blush on her cheeks.

  “None of us were angels, but hey, we all turned out right.”

  She laughed again, and Connor couldn’t help but stare at her. How he loved that laugh. As much as he tried, he wasn’t able to remember Harriet ever laughing so openly and genuinely. It’d always been about appearance. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered what he’d seen in her. And again, jealousy crept up in him that he could’ve had this life here in Australia. But was it really what it seemed? He needed to finally confront Jack as to why his mother had left all those years ago. What had the reason been?

  “Earth to Connor.”

  Emily’s words hauled him back from his thoughts. “Sorry.”

  “Not sure where you were, but it didn’t look like a place you liked.”

  “How’s that?”

  She shrugged. “The expression on your face changed.” Then she added more quietly, “It’s the same expression Jack has when he reminisces about the time when you left.”

  He cocked a brow. “When we left? He kicked us out.”

  Emily’s face went blank and for some reason his inner lawyer instincts came out, knowing he hit a raw nerve.

  “He didn’t,” she whispered, her voice tinged with emotions he wasn’t able to pinpoint. Sadness? Anger?

  “No one knows the reasons, but I’ve never seen a grown man cry, so it’d be hard for me to believe he wanted you to leave.”

  It didn’t make sense. It was the scar story all over again—his story so different from theirs.

  He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I’d better talk to Jack. I’ll see you later?”

  She smiled. “I look forward to it.”

  Chapter Three

  Connor watched Emily as she walked up the dunes. Letting out a long breath, he turned and looked out at the sea towards the horizon. It was time to find out what had happened all those years ago.

  Time to connect more pieces of the puzzle.

  Ten minutes later he was back at the house and found Jack in the lounge room drinking a cup of tea.

  The old man looked up and smiled. “Son.”

  Connor took the seat opposite his father and studied the old man. His struggle with the illness was obvious, and Connor wished he could convince his father to take his medication. But it was something else he found out over the last few days; he was stubborn to the last minute, it seemed.

&n
bsp; “What happened all those years ago, Jack?”

  The old man let out a long breath before he took another sip of his tea. “I don’t know, Son. I wish I did, but—”

  Connor waited patiently until Jack’s coughing fit was over.

  “I need to know,” he said after a long moment.

  Jack nodded, looked up at the window, and then back to Connor.

  “Your mum was travelling through Australia with her friend.” He stopped and rubbed his chest. Guilt flooded through Connor. He knew how hard it was for Jack, not only physically, but emotionally as well.

  “I think her friend’s name was Cindy.” He laughed. “They were trouble. Double trouble. I saw that the moment she came into the bar and asked for a job. Your mum needed to get some money to fly over to Sydney. She wasn’t good with money. Budgeting was a foreign word for her.”

  Connor chuckled. “Still is.”

  There was a moment’s silence before Jack continued. “She flirted shamelessly with me despite the age gap. I loved it. Waitressing came easy to her. She was a goldmine, customers stayed and drank more.” He stopped, overcome by another coughing fit. “But each night we noticed a discrepancy in the till. She was the obvious suspect. When I confronted her, she wrapped me around her finger, so instead of firing her I ended up in bed with her.”

  Connor stared at his dad.

  Jack shrugged. “I’d fallen for her charm. Anyhow, she was gone the following day.”

  Their eyes met, and Connor had a feeling he didn’t have to ask the unspoken question.

  “Three months later, Jane stood in front of my door. Pregnant. I insisted on a paternity test. She hadn’t lied. We married, mainly for immigration purposes. The day you were born was the happiest day of my life.”

  Connor didn’t need any more words. Jack’s expression said it all. His face had lit up as soon as the words had been spoken, the memory mirrored in his eyes.

  Shaking his head from side to side, his eyes unfocussed, he continued. “Your mother, though, was never happy here. She was in Melbourne most days, spending money, leaving you with me. I struggled balancing work with fatherhood, but Sabrina, Neill’s grandmother, and Emily’s mum, Jacqui helped out a lot.”