She scurried up and recognised a local man who sometimes bought her eggs from the markets. ‘What’s happened?’ she asked him.
‘Rock fisherman. Got swept away, the helicopter has just located him.’ He pointed to an area to the far left of the lookout. Squinting, she could faintly see someone’s arm raised, and then it disappeared, then it surfaced again.
‘Oh no,’ she leaned over the railing. ‘Are they going to get to him in time, he’s clearly struggling.’ Her muscles buzzed with nervous energy and she wished she could jump in and save him somehow.
A rope extended down from the helicopter, a rescue person attached to it. ‘Oh thank God.’ After a few moments, the rope began to rise, two people now attached to it. She held her free hand to her heart, and took a sip of her mocha, which seemed trivial now.
‘Lucky bugger,’ said the man, as a few people clapped. ‘He was wearing a life vest, someone said. If he hadn’t, as many rock fishermen don’t bother to...’ the man shook his head. ‘We might be watching something completely different right now.’ His expression was sombre.
‘Lucky he did then,’ Hannah said. She breathed in relief.
The man turned with a shuffle to walk away, then stopped. ‘See you on Wednesday, for more of your lovely eggs,’ he said.
‘Oh, Yes. Of course.’ She smiled.
‘Your yolks are much creamier than the store-bought eggs.’
‘Great to hear. Thank you.’
‘I’ll be buying them till the day I die,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘Which at this rate, could be any day now!’
Hannah flicked her hand in front of her. ‘Oh, don’t be silly. Looks like you have many years left in you... I’m sorry, what was your name again?’
‘Reg.’
‘Reg,’ she said, holding out her hand. ‘Hannah.’
He shook it. ‘Ah, now it sounds familiar.’
How had she not known this man’s name all this time? And here she was about to leave town, and she finds out for the first time. ‘Oh, by the way, so you know, in another couple of months I won’t be doing the markets anymore. Iona Eggs will still be produced, but I’m not sure if the new owner will be doing markets or not. He might.’
Reg’s coarse eyebrows rose. ‘Well he’d bloody better,’ he said. ‘Or I’ll be having words with him, don’t you worry about that.’ He tapped the side of his nose.
Hannah chuckled. There were quite a few interesting characters among the older people of Tarrin’s Bay. ‘I’ll be sure to let him know there are people counting on him.’ She sipped her coffee and waved the man away as he shuffled down the hill.
Hannah checked her watch, and got out her phone, typing a text to her mum: I have some things to drop over, do you need anything while I’m out?
After witnessing the rescue, she felt a need to see her parents.
Life was so fragile and she was a lucky bugger.
***
‘Welcome to Senior Land!’ Douglas Delaney greeted his daughter with open arms, then faked back pain when he leant forwards to embrace her.
‘Oh, you poor senior you.’ She patted his back and he straightened up.
‘Stay for dinner,’ her mother said when Hannah entered the modern, compact, yet airy open-plan living area and kitchen. ‘Unless you need to get back to the packing. But a couple of hours break will do you good.’
Hannah nodded in agreement, the scent of something cooking enticing her, and then told them about the fisherman.
‘Those guys,’ her dad said. ‘Always putting their lives at risk.’
‘This one was wearing a life jacket, actually. Luckily.’
‘Oh, well that’s good then,’ he said. ‘Too many have died over the years.’
Hannah placed the large garbage bag next to the dining table. ‘This isn’t garbage, by the way, just some things I thought you might want to keep. Or look through before deciding what to do with them.’
‘Let me at �’em,’ her dad said, bending to the bag and this time wincing in real back pain.
‘Doug, your knees. Bend your knees first, remember?’
‘Apparently I forgot to remember.’ He straightened up with a hand to his lower back. ‘Pilates, I have to do, can you believe it?’ he said to Hannah. ‘Next thing you know I’ll be prancing around town in tights.’
‘You might give a few people a fright. Me included.’ Kathleen giggled.
‘Dad, no need to be scared of Pilates, it’s just a form of exercise. Will be good for you.’
Hannah moved the bag to a chair. ‘A few old things, and some photos. And slides.’ She untied the bag.
‘Coffee, tea?’ asked her mum.
Hannah shook her head. ‘Thanks, but I’ve just had one.’
‘Okay. Dinner is in the slow cooker and will be ready in an hour.’
That would be five minutes to six on the dot, Hannah noticed, as she checked her watch. Making it six pm serving time once it was plated up. ‘Great. I’m starving.’
‘Did you say slides?’ Douglas asked.
‘Uh-huh.’ Hannah sat at a chair. ‘Remember those slide-show nights we used to have?’
‘I was just going to say the same thing!’ Doug rubbed his hands together. ‘Let’s have one, for old times’ sake. Tonight!’
‘Tonight?’ Kathleen leant her hands on the back of a dining chair. ‘Do we even know where the old slides are, apart from the ones in this bag?’
Doug nodded. ‘I put them all in the middle drawer of the TV cabinet, underneath some farming magazines.’
‘Hannah has a lot to do and is probably tired, I’m not sure she’ll have time for one of your slide shows, dear.’
Hannah held out her hand towards her mother. ‘No, it’s fine. Actually, I’d like to. And it might give me some inspiration for something I’m working on.’
She was yet to tell them about taking on Luca’s job.
‘Work? For that company, already?’ asked her mum.
‘No, actually, I’m going to be helping Luca Antonescu launch his restaurant. In six weeks. Before I move.’
Both her parents raised their eyebrows and their mouths fell open a tad. ‘Hannah, honey, please don’t overwork yourself. You still have the chooks to care for and packing up years of house stuff is no easy task. How will you have the time?’
‘I can manage,’ she said. ‘I’ve worked out a bit of a timetable. And the extra cash flow will be good.’
‘But it’s not needed, you can always ask us for some extra cash if you need it, and once the sale is all finalised, you’ll have some profit to draw on.’
‘I know, but I want to do it. It’ll be like my last gig as a solo entrepreneur.’ She smiled and clasped her hands together. ‘Leaving my mark on Tarrin’s Bay, with a lovely new restaurant.’
Kathleen nodded slowly and appeared to ponder this. ‘Darling, it doesn’t have anything to do with that young man, does it? Didn’t you take a little bit of a liking to him all those years ago?’
‘Luca? What? No, of course not. It’s good to see him again, but I just want to help him out.’
She nodded again. ‘I do recall him, young Luca,’ she said.
‘Mum, he’s thirty-five now, like me.’ She tilted her head.
Her mum sat at the table. ‘Oh, I know. How does he look nowadays? I remember he had the most beautiful mane of dark hair.’
‘Kathleen!’ Doug said. ‘What about mine?’ He ran a hand over his balding head with an exaggerated smile, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
‘Nothing compares to yours, my darling.’ She blew him a kiss.
‘Oh you guys, still as corny as ever.’ Hannah shook her head and covered her eyes like she used to do as a teenager, then looked back up. ‘Don’t ever stop.’ She placed a hand over her mother’s.
Hannah’s phone rang. She pulled it from her handbag about to answer it, hesitating on seeing Luca’s caller ID.
‘Who is it?’ her mum asked.
‘Just Luca.’
‘Wel
l, answer it, dear!’
Hannah wasn’t one to answer calls if she was in conversation with others, but her finger pressed the accept button, and she stood. ‘Luca, hi.’
‘Hey there, HD.’
‘Good thanks.’
‘Good thanks?’
Oh God, he didn’t even ask ‘How are you?’!
‘Yes. I mean, Hi. Hey there too.’
For some reason she felt self-conscious talking on the phone to him in front of her parents... as a teenager, when he would call on the old landline she would extend the curly cord through to the hallway for some privacy.
Luca chuckled. ‘I’m good thanks too.’
Her face warmed, and her mum looked at her with a curious gaze.
‘Just got back from Sydney, Nathan’s out and I don’t feel like cooking, wanna grab a casual bite to eat? You know, suss out the competition?
‘Oh. Um,’ she glanced at her parents, then the rest of his words sunk in. ‘Wait, Nathan? Which Nathan?’
‘Nathan Sharp. My housemate. Oh yeah, he mentioned you guys know each other.’
Oh great.
The warmth in Hannah’s face intensified.
‘What about Nathan?’ her mother piped up, standing.
Oh, more great.
Hannah put her fingertip against her lips.
‘Yes, we did. Do. I didn’t know you were housemates. Well there you go.’
Stop talking, Hannah.
‘Ahh,’ her mother said, sitting back down now that she understood the connection.
‘Let the girl talk in peace!’ her father whispered.
‘So, dinner?’ Luca asked again.
‘Would be good, but I’m actually having dinner with my parents tonight, sorry.’
Kathleen stood back up suddenly, the chair falling over with a clatter.
Mum! Hannah mouthed as her mother bent down to pick it up, before it fell again with another clatter. Oh man.
‘No worries,’ Luca said.
‘Oh dear,’ her mum said, loud enough for the person on the other end of the phone to hear. ‘Looks like we’re going to have way too many leftovers, tonight, Doug. Shame there’s only three of us.’
Hannah eyed her mum with an irritated glare.
‘Sorry Luca, hang on.’ She put the phone near her chest. ‘Mum!’ she whispered. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Invite the poor guy over for dinner,’ she said.
‘No.’
‘Oh for goodness sake.’ She walked towards her. ‘Ask him.’
‘Mum!’
‘Ask. It’s only polite, and from what I heard he must have asked you.’
‘No, it’s too... anyway, Mum, do you mind?’ Hannah turned to the side, her face as hot as coals.
‘Sorry, Luca, it’s—’
The phone slipped from her hand and into her mother’s.
‘It’s Mrs Delaney here, Luca, how are you? Long time no see!’
‘Mum!’ Her jaw clenched.
‘Oh, Kathleen!’ Hannah’s dad buried his slowly shaking face in his hands.
‘That’s great,’ she said, ‘a nice classy restaurant is what we need around here. And I hear you’re buying our old place, well congratulations! It couldn’t have gone to a more worthy recipient.’
Oh God, Mum. What are you doing?
Kathleen waited a while, listening to Luca, then said. ‘Funny, I was just saying to my husband, Douglas—you might remember him—that we’ve gone a bit overboard with tonight’s dinner, and put a rather large amount of chicken and vegetables into the slow cooker. We would be more than happy, in fact, we would be delighted if you would join us. You can ask us anything you like about the property, like... a little orientation over a good meal! What do you say?’
Her mother wasn’t always this outspoken, only when she really wanted something, and for some reason, she really wanted him to come over for dinner. Oh well, at least she wasn’t asking Nathan.
‘Wonderful. We’ll see you at six. Unit 4, Wattle Lane, Hillview Estate. Although, I must say, I’m a little nervous inviting a chef to dinner!’
Hannah shielded her face with her hand.
‘Well thank you, see you soon.’
Kathleen handed the phone back to Hannah, who was now speechless.
Her father stood and approached. ‘That was sneaky of you, my dear.’ He placed a hand on Hannah’s forearm. ‘Don’t worry. We don’t embarrass you. Will we, Kath?’ He gave his wife ‘the look’.
‘Of course not.’ She smiled and went to the kitchen, withdrawing two different placemats from the drawer. ‘Sunset scene or farmhouse scene?’ Her eyes flitted from one to the other.
Hannah shrugged.
‘Farmhouse.’ Her dad returned to his chair at the table, then rifled through the garbage bag, and pulled out an envelope of slides. His eyes brightened. ‘Luca can join us for a slide show!’ he exclaimed.
Hannah’s eyes bulged. ‘This can’t be happening.’
‘Relax, sweetheart, it’ll be nice for him too. Poor fella, losing his dad so young. What about his mother, is she around?’
Hannah shook her head, and the big picture surfaced in her mind, diluting her immediate predicament. ‘She died only recently, actually. So sad.’
‘Oh no, poor pet.’ Kathleen stilled.
‘A slide show is exactly what this young man needs, then.’ Mr Delaney stood with purpose, and went to the TV cabinet, bending his knees first before crouching a little to open the drawer. ‘Here we go.’ He pulled out a box of envelopes. ‘I’ll get the best ones ready, and put them in order. Han, can you help me set up the slide projector?’
She sighed. ‘Okay, okay.’ She could simply explain to him that she wanted to experiment with the slide-show idea for the restaurant launch, get his opinion.
But if her mother hadn’t put on her little act, she’d be relaxing with a simple family dinner and a few memories, revelling in her comfort zone for a while, and going home to bed.
As though reading her mind, her mother came over to Hannah as she set up the projector. She gave her daughter a wise smile and said, ‘Darling. Sometimes it’s good not to wear a life jacket.’ She kissed her cheek and returned to the kitchen, and Hannah stood still, feeling like she was floating in a sea of water, not knowing which way the current would take her, and wishing she had something to hold onto.
Chapter 15
The sky darkened as Luca drove into Wattle Lane. He was a bit nervous, having dinner with the Delaney’s after buying their family property.
What if he didn’t do it justice? What if he couldn’t make it work?
He shook his head quickly, as though to shake away the self-doubt, then took a calming breath. He would be fine. Tonight would be fine. And he got to have a nice meal with Hannah, like he had hoped, even if with the addition of her parents. So they wouldn’t be sussing out the competition, but that had really only been an excuse to meet up with her. Truth was, after an emotional but rewarding day making progress at the house with his brother, then giving him some words of wisdom before his big date, he didn’t feel like being alone tonight. Yes, he could have responded to one of the Tinder matches and asked to meet up, but he simply wasn’t interested.
He parked in one of the available parking bays in the complex, and wandered through the manicured gardens to Unit 4. He was about to knock on the door but footsteps beat him to it and the door opened.
‘Welcome to Senior Land!’ A man in a woollen sweater, Mr Delaney obviously, stood at the door with arms outstretched and a smile just as wide.
Luca burst into a grin. ‘Why, thank you!’
Luca stepped in, smiled at Hannah who had rosy cheeks, and then her mother. ‘Mrs Delaney, hello. Nice to see you!’
She approached with hands outstretched, and he kissed her once on each cheek. She held onto his cheeks for a moment with her palms. ‘Luca Antonescu, my oh my you’ve grown into a strapping young man.’
He chuckled, and dropped his gaze for as moment with a bashful sm
ile. ‘I don’t know about young, but thank you!’
‘Of course you’re young, both of you.’ She eyed Hannah. ‘But oh how the years fly by.’
He nodded. ‘Tell me about it. I was just saying the same thing to my brother today.’
‘Oh, and how is he?’ She tapped her chin for a moment. ‘Stefan, isn’t it?’
Luca was impressed. ‘Yes, and he’ll be glad to know someone has remembered him. I asked him if he wanted to come and stay down here for a weekend but he thinks no one would remember him.’
‘Nonsense. Lovely young boy he was. Did he follow you into the cooking business?’
‘No, finance actually. Investments. He’s really good at what he does. I’m proud.’ Luca smiled.
‘Anyway, this lovely lady will talk your ears off, how about we show you around?’ Mr Delaney said, gesturing to the other side of the house. ‘And then we have a surprise for you.’
Luca held back a gulp. ‘A surprise?’
Hannah stepped forwards. ‘Don’t worry, Dad just wants to put on a little show.’ She waved her hand dismissively. ‘And I thought it might be an idea for your launch, so let me know what you think after we—’
‘Ooh, don’t give it away now, Han. Keep him in suspense.’
Luca’s focus went from Hannah to Mr Delaney, and back again. In the process, he noticed a screen against the living room wall. ‘Oh, have you been watching movies on the big screen?’ He walked over to it, remembering that his father sometimes liked to show old photos on a screen using a projector. But after his death they sold the projector and screen and never watched one again.
‘Not movies, but... slides!’ Mr Delaney seemed extremely excited by the fact. ‘Although we haven’t yet put any up, I guess the surprise is no longer a surprise.’ He feigned defeat and lowered his head.
A sense of nostalgia and curiosity welled up inside. ‘You’re going to put on a slide show? How cool!’
‘See, I knew he’d like it!’ Mr Delaney nudged Hannah, whose face was becoming pinker by the minute.
‘But after dinner,’ Mrs Delaney said.
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