Runaway to the Outback

by Nicole Flockton

  “Sounds good. Let me go get my purse and I’ll meet you out the front?”

  “That works.”

  Jonas blew out a breath when she walked out the door. The next few hours were going to be trying, but he could do it—for Pandora.

  *

  Jonas’s citrus scent swirled around her in the car, like it had the second she’d stormed into his office. She wasn’t even sure if he realised how much his cologne affected her. She turned her head to the left and surreptitiously sniffed her shirt, sure that when they’d hugged some of the scent had transferred to her clothes.

  Yep, there it was. A faint lingering hint of lemon and oranges.

  She sighed and looked out the window as the scenery whizzed past as they headed back to Bunya Junction. On the way to the hospital conversation had been sparse, both of them keeping their thoughts to themselves. She was pleased that Scott had allowed them a quick visit with Ray. Over the last couple of days, she’d grown to love the man. He was the grandfather she’d never had and she loved the tales he’d told her. He’d even shared a few of the antics Jonas had gotten up to when he’d been a teenager. There was no judgement with Ray and she believed that he would stand by her side no matter what. She was still on the fence with Jonas. His blowing hot and cold toward her was confusing.

  Although when they’d walked into the room she’d been grateful to have Jonas by her side, that she hadn’t made the trip alone. The older man’s grey pallor had frightened her and she prayed hard that he wasn’t having another heart attack. But after their short visit with the older man, Scott assured her Ray wasn’t in any pain and it was just fear about his upcoming surgery that was causing him to look so unwell.

  When they’d left she’d made sure to give Ray an extra-long hug and promised him that if he was still in Sydney when she returned, she would visit him. That seemed to perk him up a bit and she sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening to please let that be the case. Any other scenario wasn’t one she could contemplate believing.

  “Do you think Scott will be kept informed about Ray’s surgery and his condition afterwards?” she asked, when she’d had enough of the silence.

  “I’m sure he will. Or Ryan will, seeing as he is also listed as Ray’s main physician. Between the two of them they’ll keep us all updated. Everyone in town wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “That’s good.” She shifted in her seat so that she faced Jonas more than the front of the car. “It’s sad that he doesn’t have any family to look out for him.”

  “Yeah. For as long as I can remember it’s always been just him. I never asked Mum or Dad about him or his life, he was just Ray Garden. One of the town’s characters and an all- around good guy.”

  “He was married once.”

  Jonas glanced at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “Really? I didn’t know that. Do you know what happened to his wife? Did he tell you?”

  Pandora rubbed her chest, soothing away an imaginary pain. When Ray had recounted the story to her, she’d bitten her lip hard to stop herself from crying in front of him. Would he mind if she told Jonas his story? It appeared that not many people in Bunya Junction knew about his past. Or if they did, they didn’t say anything about it. “He told me,” she confirmed.

  “But you’re not going to tell me?” he asked again, looking at her with a wry grin on his face.

  “I don’t know if it’s my place. I mean if your parents didn’t know then I guess he hadn’t spread the news to everyone in town.”

  “No, that’s not what I said. I said that I hadn’t asked Mum and Dad about him. They might know, but because I haven’t asked, they haven’t told me.” He shrugged. “When I came back to town and took over the pub, he was a regular and I listened when he told his stories. But not once, when he told them, did he mention being married or having anyone special in his life.”

  She may have only been in Bunya Junction for less than a week, but over that time she’d seen the loyalty all the people had for each other. Slowly she was beginning to believe that the people of the town were genuine and wouldn’t abandon anyone, no matter what they did. So different to what she was used to.

  In all likelihood most of the people who knew Ray were aware of his past, but respected the man enough to keep it quiet. Plus, he’d told her about it, a person he’d known less time than he’d known Jonas.

  “It’s a really sad story,” she began, but Jonas held up his hand, halting her from saying anything more. “What?” Had he changed his mind? Didn’t he want to know the story now? He’d given her the impression that he did.

  “Before you go any further, I want you to know that I won’t breathe a word of this story to anyone. I won’t even let Ray know that you’ve told me.”

  “I know. I trust you.” And surprisingly she did. Even with his hot-and-cold attitude, she believed that Jonas wouldn’t let her down either. A fissure appeared in the protective casing she’d kept around herself. This town was doing more for her than she ever thought possible.

  Pandora reached across the console and squeezed his thigh, the muscle firm beneath her fingertips and even through the denim, a sizzle of delight zoomed through her. One simple touch and already she craved more. Like she had when they’d shared a kiss in his office.

  Before she could remove her hand, Jonas’s larger one grasped it and kept it in place. How had he known that she needed this connection to tell the story?

  Taking a deep breath, she started again. “Ray met Janette in a hospital when he went into the city to visit his dying grandmother. She was visiting her father, who’d been thrown from a horse and had broken his leg. Ray said the second he laid eyes on Janette, he was smitten and knew that his life wouldn’t be complete without her in it. Fortunately for him, she felt the same way.”

  She smiled and her heart ached for a love like that. One so pure and true that it was known from the first moment. But loving came with risks and she wasn’t a fan of taking them. “During his week-long stay in the city, they both visited their respective relatives and then they’d spend the rest of the day and night together. Ray said he didn’t have much money, so he couldn’t spoil her like he wanted to. Janette assured him she didn’t mind, that being with him was more precious to her than an expensive piece of jewellery or a fancy meal. When it came time to leave, they both didn’t want to be apart, so they snuck off to the courthouse and got married. Janette promised that she would follow him in a month’s time.”

  Jonas squeezed her hand and she squeezed back. “I’m guessing she didn’t follow him?”

  “Yes and no. She sent a letter saying she needed a little more time and, because he loved her, Ray agreed. But he said he would try and come to the city one weekend, which he did. He told me it was even better than the week they’d spent together. Their time apart hadn’t put any holes in their love for each other. The distance had strengthened and solidified it.

  “Ray and Janette had a picnic lunch and were strolling back toward the bus station so Ray could get home, when her father came out of a restaurant. Let’s just say Janette was from a very wealthy family and Ray wasn’t the type of person her father wanted her to associate with, let alone marry. Ray said Janette tried to defy her father and stand by him. Ray knew how much she loved her daddy and would be lost if anything happened to their father/daughter relationship.”

  She swallowed, the toughest part of the story was coming up and her chest ached with pain. Even though she hadn’t gone through what Ray had, she still hurt for the man.

  “In the middle of the sidewalk in Sydney he told her and her father that he would grant Janette her freedom and never speak to her again. He gave her one final kiss and left them there. Instead of catching his bus, he found a lawyer’s office and put in motion the dissolution of his marriage. He told me that for a while he’d watched the society pages and when he’d seen a marriage announcement for Janette, he stopped looking. He was happy that she’d found love again, but for him, she was it and he could
never love anyone as much as he loved her.”

  By this time the tears she’d managed to keep at bay while Ray told the story to her flowed down her cheeks. Her heart broke all over again for the sweet old man. While he seemed like he’d created a happy life in Bunya Junction, what with all the other stories he’d told her, she still believed that his heart had been broken and he would give anything to see Janette once again.

  “Wow, that is … wow, I had no idea. That’s so sad.”

  “I know.” Pandora sniffed inelegantly and wished she had a tissue or something. She must look a sight and far removed from the supermodel that she was.

  “There are tissues in the glove compartment.”

  Freeing her hand from Jonas’s grip she grabbed some tissues and blew her nose. “Thanks. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cry like that. But it’s so sad and Ray is such a sweet man. He didn’t deserve to be treated that way. Funny thing is, and again, not sure if you’re aware, but he made a success of himself with his family’s cattle farm and when he sold it, he got an incredible amount of money. He could’ve given Janette everything her father was worried he wouldn’t be able to because he was an upstart from the country looking for a meal ticket.”

  “Everyone in town does know he made good money from the sale of the farm. The new owners are really nice folk, but they keep to themselves and only come into town every now and then. I’m surprised he didn’t try and find this Janette over the years.”

  Pandora thought about what Jonas said. She’d had the same thought, but hadn’t been able to ask Ray after he’d shared his tragic story with her. “I’m not sure, maybe he did and she didn’t want anything to do with him.”

  “You didn’t ask him?”

  “I wanted to, but in the end I decided that it was probably best to let sleeping dogs lie.”

  “I suppose.” His voice trailed off and Pandora had a fair idea where his thoughts were heading.

  “But you want to find her, don’t you?”

  “The world is infinitely smaller now than it was when Ray and Janette were dating. I don’t think it would be too difficult to find her. I mean there would have to be a record of their marriage. Did Ray say what Janette’s last name was?”

  “No, he didn’t.”

  “Darn, that would’ve made things less complicated. But we have Ray’s name and his date of birth, so that should help with narrowing the search a bit.” The more Jonas talked the more she got the impression he wasn’t going to let go of this quest.

  “Jonas, I’m not sure this is a good idea. Ray has kept it quiet for a reason.”

  “I know, but what if Janette only married again out of duty and her heart still belonged to Ray? Maybe she’s free now and wonders what happened to her soul mate. Because that’s what it sounded like they were—soul mates. If they could fall in love so quickly, and then Ray remained single his whole life, it’s the only explanation that makes sense.”

  Pandora’s heartbeat doubled and a little ball of excitement unfurled in her stomach the more Jonas talked. “You know I would love for this to be true, but what if it isn’t? What if we do discover Janette’s whereabouts and find she’s happily married? What if she wants nothing to do with Ray? I don’t want to break that man’s heart all over again.”

  “We wouldn’t tell him. We’d do all the leg work. We’d check the records to see if she’s still living and married. If in our search we uncover that she is, we don’t tell him. On the other hand, if it turns out she’s alive and divorced, then we get in contact with her and find out if she would like to meet with him.” Jonas looked at her briefly, excitement made his blue eyes shine brighter than the water in the Caribbean. “Whatever happens, our first concern will always be Ray and his happiness. If it turns out that Janette doesn’t want anything to do with him, then only the two of us will know.”

  When she’d relayed Ray’s story she’d never expected Jonas to start a crusade to reunite two star-crossed lovers. “I think you need to slow down. And, honestly, I think you shouldn’t do anything until you talk to Ray. If I was in his shoes, I’d hate to be blindsided with my former love turning up on my doorstep.”

  They were reaching the outskirts of town and their ability to keep discussing this was diminishing.

  “I hear everything you’re saying and while I sound excited, and I am, I’m also not naïve. I know that it may not work out, but what if it does? Plus, I’ve already said if it doesn’t look favourable we don’t say anything to Ray and he’ll never know what we’ve done.”

  As much as she tried to talk herself out of joining Jonas on this adventure, the thought of being instrumental in giving Ray’s love story another chapter was tempting. It would also give her something to do with the rest of her stay. The days were zooming by quickly and all too soon she’d be heading back to the city and her former life. Like everything else she’d done since she’d stopped at Bunya Junction, she jumped in with both feet. Acting out of character was freeing in a way, but also scary. What if this turned out to be an unmitigated disaster?

  What if it didn’t?

  Her inner voice was right. As Jonas said, if things didn’t work out then Ray would be none the wiser.

  “Okay, let’s do this. But we don’t breathe a word of it to anyone and we don’t say a thing to Ray.”

  They’d arrived at the pub and the moment Jonas turned the engine off, he held out his hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

  As she slipped her hand in his, she reminded herself that not every relationship was a fairy tale, no matter how much she may want the fairy tale to come true for her and Jonas.

  Chapter Eleven

  The evening crowd was subdued, but Jonas kept their glasses filled and the meaningless chatter up. No one was interested in playing trivia and he was okay with that. It wouldn’t be the same without Ray anyway.

  The whole room was aware Ray had surgery in Sydney during the day and no news had been received yet. They’d all congregated in the pub, waiting for an update. Sindy was sitting at the bar, sipping her sparkling water. Ryan was out on an emergency call, so she was anxious on two fronts.

  “How much longer do you think it will be before we hear something?” Pandora asked as she grabbed some of the dirty glasses he’d collected from the patrons.

  “I’m not sure. Heart surgery can take a while; can’t it Sindy?” His sister looked up, a blank expression highlighting her features. What was it about this particular emergency that Ryan had gone on that made her look as if she was going to toss her cookies? He didn’t think it was due to her pregnancy, not this time at least.

  “Sorry, what did you say?”

  Throwing the towel on the counter he strode around the bar until he got to his sister’s side, pulling her off the stool and into his arms for a hug, his question about the length of Ray’s surgery forgotten. A shudder rippled through her. “Okay, what’s wrong? Ryan has gone out on quite a few emergencies since you got together, why is this time any different?”

  “He’s gone to Banksia Creek.”

  The significance of her words sank in. The last time Colin, the town’s former doctor, had gone to the town where Ryan was headed, he’d died in a car accident on his way back to Bunya Junction. “He’s going to be fine. He’s not going to have an accident like Colin. History isn’t going to repeat itself.”

  “Intellectually, I know that. Emotionally, I’m wrecked and I know it’s because of the pregnancy hormones as well as worrying about Ray. But until Ryan walks through that door, unscathed, I’m not going to be able to relax.”

  Jonas rubbed his hand up and down Sindy’s back. Over his sister’s head he spied Pandora deftly mixing a drink, she smiled at him and, with a quick nod, conveyed she could deal with the bar while he looked after his sister. Standing behind the bar, Pandora looked like she belonged in his world and their silent communication indicated they were connected in a way he’d never been with anyone in the past.

  “You need to relax, sis, this stress can’t be
good for the baby, or for you. And you know Ryan won’t be happy knowing you’re making yourself sick worrying about him.” He wasn’t above using a little emotional blackmail to get her to calm down.

  “I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work. I don’t give in to emotional blackmail.”

  He wasn’t surprised she called him out; she was older after all and was well versed in all types of brotherly techniques he and Scott used to get their own way. “Well, it was worth a shot, but you know it’s true that he’ll be upset you’re worried.”

  “I know. It’s just,” she shuddered again in his arms, “it’s getting dark and you know the roos come out and have no road sense.”

  “Yes I do, and Ryan has been here long enough to deal with the roads and the roos.”

  “I suppose.”

  “I know.” He gave her another quick squeeze. “Now can you answer my question from five minutes ago?”

  His sister pulled away from him and he was pleased to see the blank look had disappeared from her face and there was a little pink highlighting her cheeks. “What question?”

  “Pandora asked how long it will be before we hear anything about Ray’s surgery, and I said heart surgery can take a long time.”

  Sindy headed back to her seat and Jonas returned to his place behind the bar. “Sorry, Pandora,” his sister started. “The length of surgery depends on what they find when they go in. I think Scott mentioned Ray had two arteries blocked, so they’ll need to work on those and sometimes, once they get in there, there’re more issues. But Ray is a fighter. I don’t believe he will give up without one hell of a battle.”

  The door opened and everyone spun around to see who had entered. Sindy let out a little squeal of happiness and raced over to Ryan. His arms closed around his fiancée and Jonas met his gaze. He could see the question in Ryan’s eyes at Sindy’s reaction to seeing him, but he shook his head. Jonas would tell him later, when things had calmed down.

  “Do you think he knows anything?” Pandora asked.