Outback Reunion (Bunyip Bay #6)

Chapter Six

Gabi woke to Luna jumping up and down beside her on the bed, her ginger hair a messy mop and sleep crusting the corners of her blue eyes.

‘Mum. Wake up. We missed the sunrise. Why didn’t you set an alarm? Come on. Get dressed. I wanna go find a bunyip!’

Gabi sat up straight and grabbed her phone off the bedside table as dread filled her heart. The sun blaring in through the gap in the caravan curtains told her it was morning.

Oh God. She must have fallen asleep before Luna had. Guilt swamped her as she thought about Mark sitting alone in the pub waiting for her. What must he think of her?

She squeezed her eyes together, willing this to be a nightmare.

‘Mum,’ whined Luna, pulling at her hand. ‘Come on... get up. You promised.’

Gabi needed caffeine before she even contemplated any kind of beachcombing or bunyip hunting.

‘Please, Luna,’ she snapped. ‘I just woke up and the beach isn’t going anywhere. Go let the dogs out and give them their breakfast while I make a coffee.’

Luna huffed her irritation but flounced off the bed and out of the caravan anyway. As Gabi heard her talking to her dogs like they were babies—even though Basset was older than her—she climbed out of bed and crossed over to their little kitchen to fill the kettle. Her phone still in her hand, she stared at it, willing it to magically know Mark’s number, so she could send him a message to apologise.

But despite what they tried to make their audience believe at the circus, there was no such thing as magic.

‘I fed the dogs,’ Luna announced, coming back into the caravan. ‘ Now , can we go?’

Gabi put a heaped teaspoon of instant coffee into her mug. ‘How about you wash your face, eat some breakfast, brush your teeth and your hair, and let me drink this first.’

While Luna ate her Weetbix, Gabi jumped in the shower and tried to exorcise Mark from her head. What was done was done. She couldn’t turn back time and had more important things to do than worry about his feelings. Things like helping Luna recover from her loss, trying to be two parents now that she only had one, assisting her in-laws with the highs and lows of running the circus, and helping Eve make sure Lorenzo didn’t overdo it.

When Gabi emerged, dressed in shorts and t-shirt with her new bikini underneath, Luna allowed her to lather her in sunscreen, and then they set off.

The beach was only a short walk from the lot and it was a gorgeous summer’s day, so of course, there were already a bunch of people walking dogs, swimming and enjoying the serenity. Bunyip Bay almost seemed too perfect to be real with the beach on one side of the cute little town and bush and farming land on the other.

Mark must have really loved football to be able to tear himself away.

If she had a home like this, she’d never leave.

On the sand, Luna kicked off her thongs and grabbed the snorkel Eve had found her in town and tugged at Gabi’s hand. ‘Come on!’

‘Why don’t you build a castle to start with? I’ve got some admin stuff to do.’ They had a promo team who went ahead of them on the road to put up posters and blow-up clowns in the next town, but social media and all other publicity was Gabi’s responsibility and she needed to schedule some posts on Facebook and Instagram.

‘You’re always working,’ Luna groaned. ‘Daddy would have come in with me.’

Gabi’s heart twisted and she bit down on the impulse to say that perfect Daddy had demons too. He’d always found it funny to compete with her for their daughter’s affections and, even in death, he was still winning.

‘Fine,’ she relented, torn between spoiling Luna by giving her what she wanted and being selfish herself. Most of the work she needed to do could wait, but she’d also hoped to sneak in a few pages of her book while Luna played.

‘Yay!’ Luna’s face filled with a smile and Gabi looked longingly towards the novel poking out of her bag as she yanked her t-shirt over her head.

‘Not too far in, remember,’ Gabi called, as Luna charged into the water. ‘And stay between the flags!’

Luna wasn’t a bad swimmer, but unlike most kids her age, she hadn’t ever had proper lessons, so Gabi only let her in the water when she or one of her grandparents was with her.

‘Watch me,’ Luna shrieked, diving into a gentle wave and then popping her head up again seconds later. ‘I’m a seal.’

Gabi tried to enjoy her time splashing around with Luna, but her mind kept drifting to Mark. She not only felt guilty about standing him up but also disappointed. She’d wanted to have that drink with him. She’d wanted to find out if that night had meant as much to him as it had to her and to apologise for running out on him. If she were honest, that’s not all she’d wanted—it was impossible to be near Mark and not think about what it would feel like to kiss him again—so maybe standing him up had been for the best.

Maybe it had been fate stepping in before she did something stupid. Again.

‘Mum!’ Luna called. ‘You’re not watching!’

‘Sorry. Do it again.’

This time Luna spun around in the water until she was so dizzy, she fell.

They both laughed and Gabi felt her tension easing. Never mind Mark. This was what mattered, quality time with her daughter. Not thinking about a man she barely knew or a different life that might have been if she’d played her cards differently.

After a while, Luna tired of swimming and she and Gabi collected her plastic buckets and spades and plopped down onto the sand to create magic. She found it surprisingly therapeutic pummelling wet sand into buckets. The buzz she got when a perfect mould came out and didn’t crumble was almost embarrassing, but the joy on Luna’s face as they created tunnels and turrets in their rapidly growing sandcastle was even better.

Was this what a holiday felt like?

For as long as Gabi could remember, she and Dante had been so busy, so consumed with the circus, which travelled around Australia for eleven months of the year, that when they paused for February all he’d ever wanted to do was stay put. They didn’t have time off because they needed it—they couldn’t really afford it—but simply because in almost all parts of the country, February was too hot to perform under the Big Top. They usually retreated to the Jimenez property back in South Australia, which was basically a storage facility. The house was almost falling apart due to next-to-no upkeep, and its yard looked like a graveyard for circus equipment like broken clown heads from their sideshow and damaged seating. There was a pool, but it always took at least a week to make it swimmable again.

It was nice not to have to worry about hot water and generators, but that was the extent of the luxury during their break—and the only thing that made it feel remotely like an actual holiday. They still had to train, because if they didn’t their muscles would shrivel, and their fitness rapidly decline. A whole month off would have dire consequences for their bodies and the show.

Gabi made a mental note to try and book in more locations like Bunyip Bay, so that moments like these with Luna weren’t as few and far between.

‘That’s a really cool castle,’ said a sweet voice as two shadows, one small, one bigger, fell over them.

Gabi and Luna looked up to see a cute little girl, her hair a mane of strawberry-blonde curls, admiring their handiwork. She had the biggest smile on her face.

Luna beamed right back up at her. ‘Thanks.’

‘I’m Heidi. What’s your name?’

‘Luna.’

Gabi couldn’t help but notice that Heidi had the flattish nose and almond-shaped eyes that indicated she had Down syndrome. Behind her was a tanned man with a tiny baby in a sling at his chest.

‘Can I help?’ asked Heidi, already dropping to the sand.

‘Yeah, cool,’ Luna replied.

‘Only if we’re not interrupting?’ The guy looked to Gabi for permission, and she shook her head.

‘Not at all. We’d love your help.’ As much as she was enjoying getting sand in her nails and between her toes with Luna, her daughter rarely—make that almost never—got to play with kids her own age, so this was a welcome interruption.

‘Okay, then, Heidi, but we can’t stay too long; Lily will need Mummy to feed her soon.’

As Gabi sat back a little to let them play, the man—cradling the baby’s head with such tenderness it caused a lump in Gabi’s throat—lowered himself to the sand a foot or so away.

‘She’s so tiny. Is Lily your baby?’ Gabi asked with a smile, before realising how stupid the question sounded. She could just see the tufts of golden hair on the top of the tiny head poking out of the sling. It seemed so long ago, yet also as if it was only yesterday that Luna was that small and Dante was marvelling at her tiny perfection while Gabi was simply praying like crazy that she wouldn’t fuck it up. She’d felt so young and so unprepared for motherhood.

‘Yeah, she was born just before Christmas.’

‘Beautiful name.’

‘Thanks. She was named after my sister.’ He offered her his hand. ‘I’m Adam by the way.’

‘Gabi,’ she replied as they shook.

Adam adjusted Lily and she made the cutest baby mewling sound. ‘You on holiday?’

‘Not exactly. We’re with the circus.’

His eyes widened. ‘Wow. That’s very cool.’

Gabi was used to such a reaction. Although lots of people had been to circuses, it was almost as if they thought the people who performed in them were mythical creatures, like dragons and unicorns.

‘My wife and I are taking Heidi tomorrow for the matinee. She’s super excited—she’s been begging me to set up contraptions around the farm so she can pretend to be an acrobat—although I’m not sure how this little one will fare.’

‘It can get a little loud. Can you get someone to babysit?’

Adam laughed like that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. ‘Stella—that’s my wife—barely let me take Lily away from her this morning so she could have a lie-in. She had a late one with her girlfriends last night.’

‘Sounds like fun,’ Gabi said, not that she’d know. She had friends. Kinda. It was impossible to live and work with people and not form bonds, but although she sometimes shared a post-show drink with some of the other performers and crew, those friendships were tenuous. Dante got jealous if she got too close to anyone else, and eventually most of their employees moved on to another circus. If she had to name someone, Eve was probably her closest friend, but because she was also Dante’s mother, there were things Gabi could never tell her.

She probably wouldn’t believe her anyway.

Adam glanced towards the girls still playing happily in the sand. ‘A couple of Stella’s friends had been to the circus beforehand. She said they raved about it.’

‘That’s nice to know.’ Gabi felt a shot of pride as she followed Adam’s gaze towards the girls. Luna looked in her element. ‘Did you say you live on a farm?’ Her heart snagged on that word, and she immediately wondered if Adam knew Mark. Bunyip Bay wasn’t a big town. ‘Around here or are you on holiday as well?’

‘Nah. I’m Bunyip Bay born and bred. We’ve got a farm about ten minutes inland.’

He had to know Mark.

‘So... you must know everyone?’ It came out half like a question, half like a statement.

He chuckled. ‘It sure feels that way, but occasionally someone pops up who I’ve not had much to do with. Newcomers, people who grew up here but moved away and have come back.’

People like Mark.

Don’t ask. Don’t ask. Don’t ask. Don’t ask.

‘I met a guy... years ago... in a pub.’ She tried to sound nonchalant. ‘He was a footballer, I think. We only spoke briefly, but I’m pretty sure he came from around here. The town sounded familiar when we booked it, and I racked my brain trying to think of why.’

Shut up, Gabi. She was talking too much. Starting to sound weird.

Thankfully, Adam didn’t seem to notice. ‘That’ll be Morgs. Mark Morgan,’ he clarified with a grin. ‘Good bloke.’

Gabi nodded.

‘He played for Essendon until just recently. He’s back here now, farming with his folks—they own the property next to mine. Do you want me to give you his number? I’m sure he’d love to hear from you. Things have been a bit tough for him lately.’

Although Gabi’s head told her to decline, her mouth had other ideas. ‘That would be great. If it’s not too much trouble.’

‘Not at all.’ Adam slipped his hand into his shorts pocket. ‘Ah, shit. Looks like I left my phone in the car.’

‘Dollar in the swear jar,’ piped up Heidi, smiling adorably at her dad.

He shook his head. ‘Sorry, Heids. Just slipped out. How about I buy you an ice-chocolate at Frankie’s instead? We should be heading home anyway, before Mummy sends out a search party.’

Heidi dusted off her hands and pushed to her knees. ‘It was really fun playing with you, Luna.’

What a good kid, thought Gabi. Whenever she tried to drag Luna away from something fun, she moaned and groaned and begged for just a little longer. Maybe Heidi really liked ice-chocolate—or maybe she had a better mother.

Hadn’t Dante always said she was too easy on her? In her desperation not to be like her own mother, maybe she did spoil Luna a little.

‘You too,’ Luna said, and Gabi could tell she was struggling not to show her disappointment that their playdate was over. While she and Heidi had been playing, Gabi had seen glimpses of the full-faced grin she always wore before Dante died and it made her heart sing.

Adam stood and ruffled Heidi’s hair. ‘Hey, Heids, you’ll never guess what?’

The little girl jumped up and down in the sand, granules kicking up into Gabi’s eyes as she did so. ‘What?’

‘Luna and her mummy are from the circus. We’ll get to watch them perform tomorrow.’

Heidi’s eyes widened until they looked like they might pop out of their sockets. ‘Really? Are you acrobatics ?’

Gabi laughed and Luna shrugged. ‘I guess. I’m learning the highwire, but I also have a troupe of performing dogs.’

Heidi looked like she might faint.

‘Maybe when you come to watch the show tomorrow you and your family can come behind the scenes afterwards and meet the dogs and our camels,’ Gabi suggested.

‘Can I try the tightrope?’

Gabi stifled her smile. ‘Unfortunately not, but maybe Luna can teach you some floor tricks. Can you do a cartwheel?’

Heidi shook her head but appeared too in awe to say another word.

Adam smiled. ‘Wow. Thank you. That would be awesome, if you’re sure it’s not too much trouble.’

‘Not at all. Luna will love it just as much as Heidi. We’ll see you then.’

‘Yeah. See you then.’ He took Heidi’s hand in his and started away, but they were only a few metres up the sand before he looked back. ‘Oh, did you want me to go get Mark’s number? Or if you’ve got a pen on you, you could give me yours and I could text it to you.’

Gabi’s stomach fluttered at the thought of having his number in her phone. It would be good to be able to apologise for last night. But... she didn’t have a pen and the last thing Adam needed was to waste time trekking back to give her a phone number she might be too chicken to use anyway.

‘Don’t worry about it.’ She waved her hand in dismissal. Fate had intervened once again. ‘It doesn’t matter. We only met once; he probably doesn’t even remember me.’

‘Who’s Mark?’ Luna asked as Adam and his daughters left for good this time.

Her mouth went dry. ‘Um... just a guy I once knew. Years ago. He lives here.’

‘Did Dad know him too?’

‘Yes,’ Gabi lied, hoping to shut off the questions. If she admitted Dante hadn’t known him, Luna would want to know how Gabi knew someone that he didn’t. The three of them had always been together.

Thankfully, Luna accepted this with a nod, then asked, ‘Can we go swimming again?’

‘Of course. Race you.’ Gabi started towards the water, her daughter laughing right behind her as she dived into the gentle waves.