‘All set?’ She was taking Fern to visit a friend at the other end of the bay that afternoon.
‘Raring to go,’ Fern said, and she rose from her chair with hardly any perceptible stiffness. She turned to collect her things from the kitchen counter, glanced up at her daughter, and frowned.
‘Lily, dear, you look so tired.’
‘Do I?’
‘Yes.’ Fern set her things down again, and peered more closely. ‘Here am I, almost cured, and you, poor darling, are completely worn out.’
Lily suppressed an urge to sigh. ‘I’m fine, Mum. Don’t worry about me. Anyway, I’m going to spend a deliciously lazy afternoon on the beach.’
Fern’s blue eyes were suddenly watchful. ‘Will that help? Your problem isn’t really physical exhaustion, is it?’
Ignoring the question, Lily snagged her car keys from the row of hooks on the wall. ‘Come on. Let’s go.’
‘Wait, Lily. There’s something I’d like to get clear.’
‘What’s that?’
‘I know I’m a bit vague, and don’t follow things through, but let me get this straight. When you came back from Gidgee Springs, I could tell that something wonderful had happened to you out there. Your eyes were alight with a special kind of happiness. And there was even talk of grandchildren and a “theoretical father”. I know we were being playful about that, but then there were endless phone calls with a man who made you positively glow. And then nothing. What happened?’
There was a stretch of silence, during which Lily tried to answer, but couldn’t.
Fern crossed the room, placed her hands very gently on her daughter’s shoulders, and studied her face. ‘I miss that wonderful light in your eyes. What happened, darling?’
‘He’s busy. He’s a widower, and he’s caring for his daughter and getting his cattle property back into working order.’
‘Too busy for an occasional phone call?’
Lily blinked, and then was forced to close her eyes against the threat of tears. ‘All right, Mum. You win. We broke up.’
We broke up. Three simple words. But so deeply distressing. They chilled the air in the cheery kitchen.
‘My poor Lily,’ Fern whispered, recognising the pain deeply buried in her daughter. ‘I’m so sorry. What went wrong?’
‘I’d rather not talk about it.’
‘But I hate to see you so unhappy. You’re still very much in love with this man, aren’t you?’
Lily was gripping the car keys so tightly they cut into her. ‘So much I can’t bear it,’ she whispered.
‘Lily, can’t you tell me how it happened? Why did you let him go?’
I was following in your footsteps, Lily thought, but she couldn’t say that. ‘I—I let him go because I knew it was for the best.’ She winced—it sounded so lame.
‘Best for whom?’
‘For Daniel’s daughter, Jess. And for him.’
‘But what about you, Lily? Was it best for you?’
The question reverberated through her, and, horribly, there was only one answer. Losing Daniel was the worst, the very worst thing that had ever happened to her. Far worse than losing her father or Josh Bridges.
But there was no way Lily would admit it.
‘That’s enough,’ she said sharply. ‘I know you mean well, Mum, but I can’t take any more of this interrogation.’ She headed for the door. ‘I’m taking you to Linda’s. Grab your things and let’s go.’
Sitting sphinx-still, with her arms locked around her knees, Lily stared out to sea. Her novel, a murder mystery, lay abandoned on her beach towel, while her mother’s questions pushed and probed at her.
You’re still very much in love with this man, aren’t you? Why did you let him go? What about you, Lily? Was it best for you?
She thought again, as she had so many times in the past painful weeks, of that last, terrible telephone conversation with Daniel. Over and over she’d berated herself for being so impulsive, for suggesting that they shouldn’t see each other, for hanging up on him. So many times she’d wanted to ring him back, to apologise, or at the very least to find out how he was. But she was too frightened.
I can’t believe I’m such a wimp.
What was the matter with her? Where was the woman who’d driven off into the Outback to face up to Audrey Halliday? Where was the woman who’d bulldozed her way into Daniel Renton’s life—in spite of his protests? Where was the feisty dame who’d charged into his home, bringing groceries and Smiley?
How could she have been so gutsy then, and so pathetic now?
Round and round the questions circled, and then suddenly, and with unexpected clarity, the answer came to her.
She’d faced up to Audrey, because Fern had needed the money. And she’d been bossy with Daniel because she’d known it was what he’d needed. And then she’d given up Daniel because it was what Jess needed.
Zap!!
The thought hit her like a lightning strike—I can be brave when I’m doing it for someone else, but when it comes to what I want, I back down.
She loved Daniel—loved him so much that every part of her ached with her need for him. Without him, she feared she might never be happy again.
And what was she doing about it?
Zilch.
She deserved better than that.
Yes!
Leaping up, she hauled her shift over her head, dropped it onto the towel and ran to the water. She gave a shout of exhilaration and dived in, slicing neatly beneath a cool, salty green wave.
Everything was perfectly clear in her head now. She would go back to Ironbark. She would face up to Daniel. She would win over his daughter. If necessary, she would fight—very nicely—for her right to be there with them. She was going to claim Daniel for herself—she would find a way. The thought was so exciting she was almost giddy. She swam quickly out to a little mound of rocks that marked a small inshore reef, and then she turned and swam back to the shallows again.
Jogging through the ankle-deep water, impatient to get to Fern and tell her this decision, she looked up.
There was a man walking down the beach, dressed in red and white Hawaiian-print board shorts. With Daniel on her mind, she thought for a crazy moment that the man was Daniel.
His beautifully wide shoulders and tapering lean waist were so much like Daniel’s. And he had dark, thick hair like Daniel’s, and he walked like—
Oh, goodness.
Lily felt as if she’d fallen into the vast blue void of a bottomless ocean.
It was Daniel.
It was Daniel, with a slender, laughing, dark-haired girl skipping beside him. She was wearing a lime-green two-piece swimsuit, and she was at that in-between age—all skinny arms and legs—but there was an unmistakable grace about the way she moved. She had to be Jess.
Father and daughter were chatting and laughing as they set their towels and a striped beach-bag down on the sand. And then, squinting slightly against the glare, Daniel looked Lily’s way. Her heart threatened to burst through her chest, and the bravado she’d felt thirty seconds ago vanished.
What was he doing here?
He shaded his eyes and took another look at her, and she wondered if he would recognise her. With her hair wet and stringy, dressed in a bright floral bikini, she probably looked like a dozen other girls at the beach.
But he was grinning and coming across the sand, calling hello.
Lily could see the crinkling of skin around his eyes as he smiled, the sky-blue of his irises. She began to shake. Why was he here? In her entire life, she had never felt so nervous.
He looked nervous, too, in spite of the smile. He stopped some feet away. No kiss hello.
She said, somewhat breathlessly, ‘This is a surprise.’
‘I know. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you we were coming. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.’
Why? She couldn’t bring herself to ask that, so she said, ‘And you’ve brought Jess. On a school day?’
He looked
back over his shoulder to Jess, who was standing by their things, watching them with hugely curious eyes. ‘Hey, Jess,’ he called. ‘Come and meet Lily.’ To Lily, he said, ‘It doesn’t hurt for her to miss a day of school once in a blue moon.’
His eyes moved restlessly over her, taking in details—her hair, wet and clinging, her floral bikini, and her suntan, deeper now after more than a month at the bay.
She thought of the last time she and Daniel had been together. The final blissful night of passion. And, irrationally, she felt embarrassed and self-conscious to be wearing so little now. She wished she’d had time to cover up.
‘It’s so good to see you,’ he said.
‘You, too.’
Jess arrived, and there were introductions. The girl smiled at Lily shyly. They talked for a bit about swimming, and the pretty coral fish on the little reef out near the rocks.
But all the time they chatted Lily wondered why they had come. What did this mean? ‘When did you arrive?’ she asked.
‘Not long ago,’ Daniel told her. ‘We went to your house first, but there was no one home, so we decided to drive along the bay, have a swim, and check again later.’
‘So, you’ve come to see me?’ Her heart raced.
‘Of course.’ Daniel’s eyes were intense as he looked at her, but he was still smiling. ‘Why else would we be here?’
Lily, in a kind of dreamlike haze, said, ‘Mum’s with a friend. I’m about to collect her. But we’ll be back at the house soon. You’re very welcome.’
‘We’ll be there, just as soon as Jess has had a swim and we’ve cleaned up. We’re booked into the motel out on the point.’
‘Right.’ It was ridiculous to still be so nervous. ‘See you soon then. You must stay for dinner. Have a nice swim, Jess. Bye, Daniel.’
Fern accepted the news of Daniel’s arrival without making a fuss. She didn’t ply Lily with questions on the way back to the cottage. She seemed quite content with her own conclusions.
When they found an enormous bouquet of white lilies and a basket of maidenhair fern set in a shady corner of the front porch, she wasn’t at all surprised.
Lily stared at them. Lilies and ferns. ‘Daniel must have left these.’
‘Of course he did, darling. Aren’t they gorgeous? How thoughtful.’ Fern’s eyes were sparkling. She seemed very excited, as if she could hardly contain herself.
Lily felt compelled to issue a warning. ‘Mum, I have no idea what this visit is about.’
‘Yes, you do, Lily. Trust me. These lovely gifts are a very good omen.’
They put the basket of ferns on the little table under the kitchen window, and the gorgeous white lilies in an enormous round glass jug on the coffee table in the lounge. The lilies’ beautiful perfume made the little cottage smell heavenly.
‘I’ve invited Daniel and Jess to stay for dinner,’ Lily said, and she opened the door of the fridge and peered in. ‘I could do that chicken and almond dish.’
‘I don’t think that will be necessary. Daniel will take you out to dinner, and Jess and I will have something simple here. Macaroni cheese.’
‘You can’t count on that at all.’
Fern flicked a knowing glance through the kitchen doorway to the vase of lilies, and then back to her daughter.
‘That man is courting you, Lily.’
‘But you don’t understand the full picture, Mum. It’s complicated. Jess doesn’t want us to get together. That’s why we broke up. That’s why—’ She looked down and fiddled with a button on her pocket. ‘That’s why I have no idea what’s going on. I don’t understand why Daniel’s turned up like this. The suspense is killing me.’
‘Oh, darling.’ Fern crossed the room and gave her a hug. ‘Be brave, Lily. Hang in there. It’s going to be all right.’
‘How can you possibly know that?’
‘Motherly intuition.’
‘Sorry. That’s not scientifically reliable.’
‘You’ve been a perfect angel looking after me, Lily. This is a thank-you gift from the universe.’ Fern winked. ‘Besides, I read your tea leaves at breakfast this morning.’
‘Oh, Mum.’ Lily gave her arm a playful punch, and pulled away. ‘I think I’ll take a bath.’
‘Good idea.’
‘Hold it, Dad,’ Jess called as they were about to leave the motel. ‘Turn around.’
‘Jess, we’re late. I don’t have time—’
‘Just turn around. I want to make sure you look nice.’
Daniel, so nervous he felt sick, turned. ‘I didn’t want to look too dressed-up,’ he said.
Jess narrowed her eyes as she studied his open-necked white shirt with the long sleeves rolled back, his blue jeans, his neatly shaved jaw and his damp hair, carefully combed. She gave him the thumbs-up signal. ‘Totally hot, Dad. Lily will love you.’
‘Totally hot? Is that better than totally cool?’
She grinned. ‘Don’t worry. You look hot and cool.’
‘You’ve lost me.’ With a rueful smile, and a hand on Jess’s shoulder, he shepherded her out through the door. ‘Come on. Let’s go.’
Fern appeared at Lily’s bedroom door. ‘A utility truck has just pulled up outside,’ she said.
From the street came the slam of a car door. And then another. Lily’s heart jumped each time. She turned to the mirror. She was wearing a simple dress in swirling aqua-blue, with thin shoulder straps and a softly flaring skirt. Daniel had never seen her in a dress. She’d added gold earrings and low-heeled sandals, and she’d left her legs bare.
‘Do I look as if I’m trying too hard?’
‘You look perfect.’
They shared a smile.
‘Shall I answer the door or will you?’ Fern asked.
‘I’d better go.’
On the doorstep, Jess said, ‘Dad, we forgot the chocolates and wine. They’re still in the glovebox.’
‘Damn.’ Daniel turned, about to head back to the car, but there was a sound of footsteps coming to the door.
‘I’ll go,’ said Jess. ‘Give me the car keys.’
She scampered back down the path just as the door opened.
Daniel knew Lily would look lovely, but even so the sight of her stole his breath.
‘Hello again,’ he said, in a voice barely above a whisper.
‘Hi.’
Her eyes shone and she smiled at him. Leaning forward, he dropped a light kiss on her flushed cheek. Her skin felt wonderfully soft, and she smelled divine.
‘I thought Jess was with you.’ Lily looked suddenly worried.
‘She’s just getting something from the car.’
‘We forgot these,’ Jess called, madly waving a box of ginger chocolates and a bottle of red wine as she ran back up the path. She presented them to Lily. ‘They’re really from Dad, of course.’
‘Oh, lovely. Thank you.’ Lily smiled at her. ‘And it’s lovely to see you here, Jess.’
Jess met her gaze and smiled shyly. ‘Thank you.’
Lily stepped back into the hall. ‘Please, both of you, come on in.’
‘This is a lovely house,’ Jess said.
At first Lily thought the child was simply being polite—a little girl instructed to be on her best behaviour. But then she saw Jess’s face, and the obvious delight with which she was looking about her.
The timber beach cottage was simple, shabby and old, and yet, thanks to Fern’s artistic talent—the talent that had interested Marcus so many years ago—her home had undeniable charm. The walls, ceilings, windowsills and frames were all painted in a surprising but very appealing array of bright colours. Plants abounded in all manner of hand-painted pots. A lovely leadlight feature caught the last of the afternoon sun. Suspended in an open window, a mobile made from driftwood, shells and sea glass spun in the breeze. A collection of handmade candles nestled on another windowsill.
‘These are so pretty,’ Jess said, looking at the gorgeous-coloured candles decorated with pressed flowers.
&n
bsp; ‘I could show you how to make a candle like that,’ Fern told her.
‘Could you?’
‘Lily knows how to make them, too.’
‘Oh, wow.’
Jess sent Lily another shy smile. And then she looked at Daniel. ‘Go on, Daddy. I’m OK. Off you go.’
There was an awkward moment, where Daniel tried to shush Jess and Lily wasn’t quite sure what was going on.
Fern took command.
‘Your daughter’s right, Daniel. You and Lily should take a walk. Jess and I want to get acquainted—don’t we, Jess?’
‘Sure,’ the girl agreed, without a beat of hesitation.
Lily swallowed a surprised gasp. Since when had her mother become so bossy—and Jess so co-operative?
She looked at Daniel. He seemed so tall and big in Fern’s tiny house. So handsome. His eyes burned with an intense light that made her heart flutter. She didn’t think a heart could do such a thing, but, yes, it actually fluttered. With apprehension. With hope.
Daniel addressed Fern. ‘I wouldn’t normally rush off. There’s a great deal I’d like to tell you about your wonderful daughter.’
Fern blinked, and reached in her pocket for a handkerchief. ‘That would be lovely, Daniel, but I might blubber and get sentimental.’
‘Mum!’
Fern winked at them. ‘Off you two go. I’m going to show Jess my collection of beads.’
Daniel turned to Lily. ‘Want to take a walk?’
What was she to say, but, ‘I’d like that. Thank you.’
He took her hand, and her fingers burned at his touch. They left the house via the door that led to the beach, and at the gate, where the garden ended and the beach began, they removed their footwear. Daniel rolled up his jeans.
And then they set off across the still-warm sand. A breeze blew in from the sea, bringing the smell of salt and the tang of coral, lifting strands of Lily’s newly washed hair and Daniel’s shirt collar.
She said, ‘I might never recover from the shock of seeing you turn up here, out of the blue.’
‘I should apologise,’ said Daniel. ‘But I balked at the thought of another phone call. I didn’t want to mess things up like last time. I needed to see you.’
‘It’s hard to get things right over the phone.’
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