Always With You

by Hannah Ellis

  “You’re funny,” she declared.

  “It’s a good idea to rent a car,” I said as we stepped out onto the street. “Get off the beaten path a bit. My budget wouldn’t really stretch to it.”

  “I don’t have a car,” she said, glancing down the street and looking at her watch.

  “I thought you said—”

  “It’s not my car,” she explained. “I met these guys last night and they invited me along with them. It sounds wonderful. I’m so glad you can come. I didn’t want to go alone with them – I only met them last night.”

  “You didn’t tell me that!” I glared up at her, but she was busy looking around for her date. “I don’t want to gatecrash.”

  “You’re not. I invited you. Anyway, I really like this guy, Simon, but his brother’s really nice too. It’ll be fun. A double date!”

  “That’s what I’m worried about. I’m not dressed for a date. And I don’t want to go on a date!”

  Yvonne waved enthusiastically as an open-top jeep pulled up to the curb in front of us. I’d missed my chance to get out of this day trip.

  A tall, blonde-haired guy jumped out of the driver’s seat and greeted Yvonne warmly.

  “This is my friend, Libby,” she told him. “She’s going to come with us.”

  “Great!” he said.

  Turning to the jeep, Simon shooed his brother into the back and gestured for me to follow.

  “I’m Libby,” I said, buckling myself in.

  “Andrew,” he replied with a smile. He was very easy on the eye, with similar looks to his brother but darker hair.

  This might just be a fun day.

  We rolled out of town and weaved our way along a quiet coastal road. It was almost an hour’s drive and conversation didn’t go well. Words got lost on the air that rushed through the jeep. They were brothers from the north of England, Andrew told me. He was travelling for a couple of months and Simon had a visa for a year. That was all I got before we smiled at each other and gave up.

  Chapter 16

  LIBBY – August 2017

  Leaving the car in a pull-in by the road, we wandered along a sandy path through dry shrubs. Eventually we reached a line of low sand dunes which gave way to a stretch of white sand. As promised, it was deserted, and I paused for a moment, watching the tranquil waters lap gently onto the shore.

  “Not a bad beach, hey?” Simon said. He had a cool box in one hand and a towel slung over his shoulder. He’d peeled off his T-shirt when we exited the car and his physique was almost as breathtaking as the beach. I averted my eyes. There was definitely a lot of beauty around me.

  Andrew chose a spot for us halfway down the beach and spread his towel out before stripping off to his low-slung board shorts. I was self-conscious as I lay on my towel in my bikini.

  “I couldn’t hear a thing in the car,” Andrew said. “You’ll have to tell me your life story all over again.”

  “Not much to tell,” I said casually.

  Simon sat beside me in the sand. “Let me guess. You just finished studying and are having a year out before you go back to find a proper job and lead a sad, boring life!”

  “You got me,” I said, amused. It did seem to be a common theme among the travellers I’d met. “Though I’ve also met a few people who are trying to” – I did the obligatory air quotes – “find themselves.”

  “You’re not old enough for that,” Simon pointed out. “You have to live your sad, boring life for a while before you need to find yourself.”

  “Good point!”

  When Yvonne suggested a swim, we ambled down the beach together. The sea was amazing: crystal clear and perfectly refreshing. I bobbed around on my back, splashing at Simon when he dived into the water beside me. When Andrew headed back up the beach to sunbathe, I followed him, leaving Yvonne to flirt with Simon. I sat on my towel and watched them splash around in the water. Their laughter drifted up to me, along with the sound of the waves breaking against the shore, but otherwise everything was still and quiet. Andrew seemed to be having a nap.

  Without warning, thoughts of Mum popped into my head, and I imagined her in this exact same spot back when she was my age. Maybe she’d been right here, playing around in the sea with some cute guy. I think she’d have been a big flirt back then. She’d have had all the guys hanging around her.

  Glancing at Andrew, I was surprised to find him looking at me. His gaze shot down to the shore. “It’s a nice necklace.”

  I was unaware I’d been fiddling with it. “Thank you,” I murmured, pressing it to my chest.

  “Can you do me a favour?” he asked, sitting up and reaching for the bottle of sunscreen. “My back feels like it’s burning.”

  “Sure.” I shuffled over on my towel to make room for him. My hands glided over his back. His lovely silky smooth and perfectly toned back. There was a small birthmark on his shoulder blade in the shape of a diamond. Even his imperfections were attractive. Get a grip, Libby. The last thing you need is a holiday romance. You’ve got enough to think about as it is.

  “Done!” I told him, with a final swipe.

  “Thank you,” he said, moving back to his towel. “How long are you travelling for?”

  “I’ve got a visa for three months,” I said vaguely. “I just landed in Sydney a few weeks ago and I don’t really have much of a plan. I’m just going with the flow . . .”

  He nodded his head slowly and I felt suddenly uneasy, as though I were lying to him. “This place is beautiful,” I went on, changing the subject. “I’ve been having such a great time the past few weeks, but sometimes it feels like I’m stuck on a designated backpacker path and I’m missing some hidden gems. With a car, you probably see so much more.”

  He laughed. “It’s Simon’s attempt to impress Yvonne! You’re right though – it is nice to see something less touristy.”

  When Simon and Yvonne re-joined us, lunch was produced from the cool box. We spent a lazy afternoon sunbathing and swimming, and I was content when we packed up late in the afternoon and set off back to the car.

  “Simon’s great, isn’t he?” Yvonne whispered to me, slowing her pace to distance us from the boys.

  “He’s lovely,” I agreed.

  “He invited us for dinner tonight . . .”

  “Us?” I laughed. “I don’t think you need a chaperone any more.”

  “But Andrew will be there too.”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “It feels a bit weird. Shouldn’t you and Simon go on a date alone?”

  “I think Simon’s worried about ditching Andrew.”

  The conversation stopped as we caught up with the boys.

  “Shall we head back into town and find somewhere for dinner?” Simon asked.

  Yvonne’s eyes pleaded with me as Andrew climbed into the back of the jeep. “Why don’t you two go alone?” he said to Yvonne and Simon. “You don’t need us cramping your style, do you?” He turned to look at me. “Sorry, unless you wanted to?”

  “I really should go back and get some washing done,” I said, trying my best to hide my disappointment. Of course I didn’t want to go when Andrew clearly didn’t. But it felt distinctly like rejection and stung just a little. I told myself I was being ridiculous.

  On the drive back, I managed to put it out of my mind. The warm wind blew through my hair gloriously. The sun and the scenery and driving along the Australian coast with these people who I didn’t even know the previous day made me feel that anything was possible.

  I loved the adventure I was on.

  Chapter 17

  EVELYN – July 1994

  My birthday in Kununurra didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary at the time, but when I looked back on it, it was fairly memorable. Getting a fishing hook stuck in my hand, feeding a crocodile, and Cam and Joe getting into a fierce argument certainly made it interesting.

  “What are you wearing?” Leslie asked in surprise when she waltzed into the office at the Croc. I was having a cuppa with Sta
n. “Oh, and happy birthday!” she said with a grin.

  “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I asked, standing and looking down at my new purchase.

  “Nothing,” she said. “It’s cute. You’re just a bit dressed up for fishing.”

  “It’s my birthday,” I said, suddenly self-conscious. “And it’s only a sundress. What’s the big deal?”

  “No big deal,” she insisted. “You just look different. I like it. You look hot. Doesn’t she, Stan?”

  “Very nice,” he agreed.

  “Come on then,” Leslie said. “The boys are waiting. And Beth.”

  We didn’t usually see Joe or Beth on Sundays as they tended to spend their one mutual day off alone. An exception had been made for my birthday, and Mick had agreed we could take his boat out for a day on the water.

  Cam let out a low whistle when he saw me. He was waiting on the road with Joe and Beth. Mick’s boat was hitched up behind Joe’s ute. “Looking good, birthday girl!”

  “Thank you,” I said, giving him a shy twirl.

  “It suits you,” Beth said with her usual warm smile. “Happy birthday!”

  “Let’s get going then,” Joe said. He cast a cool glance in my direction as he wished me happy birthday.

  We drove for a while, eventually pulling off the highway and onto a dirt track which took us further and further from civilisation. A kangaroo bounded nearby, stopping to look at us before hopping off again. The wildlife still amazed me.

  Finally, we arrived at a little clearing, and Joe swung the ute around to manoeuvre the boat into the water.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked Cam as we stood knee-deep in water to push the boat from the trailer.

  “It’s just weird seeing you look so girly,” he said.

  “So I usually look manly?”

  “No,” he said, chuckling. “You just look pretty today, that’s all.”

  “Thank you,” I said as Joe appeared and put a hand on my elbow.

  “Stop yakking and get in the boat,” he said. “I’d hate for you to end up as croc food on your birthday.”

  Leslie sat beside me in the front of the boat. “Any other day it would be fine, just not your birthday!”

  I heard Beth laughing as Joe swept her from the shore to the boat in one fluid motion. “I don’t know how anyone can put their feet in croc-infested water,” she said. “All I can think of is all the newspaper articles about attacks. It makes me shudder just thinking about putting a toe in the water.”

  Cam looked at me and rolled his eyes. He glanced suspiciously at the water before dropping to his knees and screaming in a dramatic display of being dragged under. I had to laugh.

  “It’s all very funny until you actually lose a limb,” Beth told him coolly.

  When the boys were in the boat, Joe pulled sharply on the cord to bring the motor to life, and we puttered away down the river. The sky was the usual bright blue and the sun beat down. My sundress had seemed like a good idea in the shop. I’d felt like a change from the usual shorts and vest top. Maybe it was also because I knew Beth would spend the whole day with us. She always looked so sleek and elegant. With the heat and the dust, I never really felt fresh and clean. The little dress wasn’t practical though. Sweat trickled down my back, and I shuffled to get comfy on the bench seat.

  Sod it. Putting my beer aside, I pulled the dress over my head. My bikini was acceptable boat-wear.

  “Birthday suit would be appropriate today, wouldn’t it?” Cam said with a smirk.

  “Dream on!” I said then sighed. “It’s so bloody hot already.”

  Cam helpfully reached into the water and swept an armful over me. He was intending to be annoying, but it was very refreshing.

  “So what would you normally be doing on your birthday?” Leslie asked.

  “I don’t know.” Birthdays were never really a big deal at home. “I usually hang out with my friend, Mel, but it’s nothing special.”

  “Well today will be special,” she said. “I will make sure of it!”

  “This looks like a good spot,” Joe said a little while later, slowing near a sandy shore. “Reckon we might find some barra round those rocks.” Barramundi were the prized catch in the area. I looked at the rocks on the other side of the river, the water flowing faster as it diverted around them.

  “Throw a line out there and see if you can catch us some dinner,” Cam said, handing me a rod.

  I moved to choose a lure and attach it to the line. “You always choose the pretty ones,” Joe said, watching me.

  “Makes sense, doesn’t it?” I looked down at the glittery orange thing I’d use for bait. It had a feather too. “It’s a lure. It needs to be attractive!”

  “Ah,” Cam said with a sigh. “So that’s what you were thinking when you got dressed this morning? Now I get it. You can reel me in later!”

  “You’re closest, Leslie,” I said, smirking.

  She whacked him on the arm for me.

  “Look out,” I said, moving them aside to cast out. “And make sure you grab my camera when I catch a whopper!”

  “You and your camera,” Cam remarked. “How many films do you go through a week?”

  “A few! They love me at the print shop.” I enjoyed capturing all my crazy Kununurra moments. Thanks to Stan charging me less and less for my room every week, I could afford to splash out on camera film.

  I’d been determined to spend the evening in the pub bragging about the size of my catch, but it wasn’t to be. None of us had much luck. It was fun, nonetheless – fishing and chatting and drinking; it was all very chilled.

  I’d just reeled in a little bream and was about to throw him back when Cam stopped me.

  “What?” I asked, the slippery fish squirming in my hand.

  “Look.” Cam pointed down the river. “That looks like a hungry croc to me.”

  He was difficult to spot – completely still among fallen tree branches which were the exact same colour and texture as his rough skin. It gave me the creeps that he’d been there the whole time and we’d been completely oblivious. He was less than twenty feet from us.

  “Get him on the nose and I’ll buy you a beer tonight,” Cam said, looking at the fish in my hand.

  “Throw the fish to the croc?” I asked, sceptically.

  “Yes!” Leslie agreed. “Do it!”

  I looked at Joe, who said nothing but looked amused.

  “Yes,” Beth said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s annoy the croc, that’s sensible!”

  “Quick,” Leslie said, ignoring her and looking at the fish in my hand. “The poor little thing’s dying!” I shook my head as she realised the absurdity of her statement and fell about laughing.

  “Please don’t feed the crocodile,” Beth said with a sigh.

  Cam gave me a nudge and I threw the fish. It landed with a splash in the shallow water right by the crocodile’s snout. As it wiggled to swim away, the croc twisted violently, thrashing in the water as it snapped up its prey.

  “Think it might be time to leave,” Joe said, pulling up the anchor and starting the engine. The croc went back to its motionless state, and a silly smile crept over my face.

  “Not every birthday you feed a croc in the wild, is it?” Cam said excitedly.

  “That was amazing,” I said, feeling a rush of adrenalin.

  “Shall we head back to town?” Beth suggested. She had her usual pleasant smile, but I had the distinct impression she wasn’t amused.

  “Okay,” I said with a shrug. “I don’t mind.”

  I moved to the cool box for more beers and didn’t realise I’d blocked Joe’s view of the river.

  “Rocks!” Cam shouted. The boat swerved sharply and I lost my balance. I fell back onto the seat and then cried out as pain shot through my hand. The fishing hook stuck out through my palm, and I panicked at the sight of it. As I instinctively moved my hand close to my body, the taut line tugged the hook back, bringing a searing pain and a fresh shriek
from me.

  Joe was in front of me in an instant. His fingers wrapped firmly around my wrist. “Don’t move,” he ordered, his voice raw and rough.

  Tears filled my eyes, and I felt faint at the sight of the hook and the blood which began to seep around it.

  Cam moved nearer. “Oh, shit.” His pained expression did nothing to calm me.

  “Hey,” Joe said. “Look at me.”

  I swallowed as I met his gaze.

  “Flesh wound,” he said calmly. “Don’t panic.” He smiled, and his eyes sparkled beautifully.

  “It hurts,” I said, weakly.

  “I can get it out. Just don’t move.” His gaze shifted to Leslie, who shot into action, bringing him a pair of pliers and a wad of tissues. “I have to cut the end off the hook,” he told me gently. “It’ll just hurt for a second, okay?”

  “Okay,” I said, keeping my eyes firmly on him and trying to absorb his sense of calm.

  “Sorry,” he said, wincing as he clipped the hook and pulled it through the skin.

  All my muscles tensed with the pain, and it was an effort to stay still. Joe pushed the wad of tissues to the wound and closed my fist around it. He reached for my other hand, and I squeezed his fingers as I swallowed all the swear words I knew.

  “Breathe,” he said, his eyes meeting mine again. “You all right?”

  “Yes,” I said, wincing and taking a breath. “Thanks.”

  The boat bobbed. Beth had taken over and killed the motor. Her sympathetic smile reminded me I was still clinging to Joe’s hand. I removed it slowly and Joe turned to Cam, the concern in his eyes suddenly replaced by anger.

  “Great idea to leave tackle laying around, mate,” he snapped, not moving from his spot crouched in front of me.

  “Hey!” Cam shot at him. “Don’t have a go at me. If you’d watch where you were going, people wouldn’t be falling around the boat.”

  “I couldn’t see. That was an accident. What are you doing leaving your rod lying around with a bloody great hook still on it? Do you ever think?”

  “I think she’s fine. Chill out, will you?”

  “Don’t tell me to chill out, you’re lucky it wasn’t worse.”