Outback Reunion (Bunyip Bay #6)

Chapter Eleven

His house was dark as Mark approached and the only noise aside from the swish of the plants in the garden was Rookie barking her disgust at being left alone.

‘Hey, girl, sorry.’ Mark let her out of her cage on the verandah and was immediately accosted as she jumped up at his legs.

Although he’d been looking forward to a break from his mum’s fussing, inside felt eerily quiet without his parents, reminding him that this was what he was destined to come home to once they retired. He supposed he should be grateful he had some company; Rookie was always happy to see him.

After tearing round the house like a banshee, she followed him into the kitchen where he made a beeline for the fridge and grabbed a beer. Then another, for good measure. He cracked the first on his way to the lounge room and took a long gulp as he flopped down onto the couch.

‘Cheers,’ he said to Rookie when she jumped up beside him and started digging under some cushions. She’d likely left one of her chew toys there.

Because there wasn’t anything better to do, he picked up the remote and started channel surfing free-to-air TV, unable to believe it when The Greatest Showman came on. He’d seen it at the cinema with Tahlia—their first or second date—and been surprised how much he enjoyed it. Musicals weren’t really his thing, but the story and costumes and colour of the whole production had drawn him in.

Now when he watched Hugh Jackman parading around in a sparkly red and gold suit with a shiny top hat, all he could think of was Gabriela.

Could he have been more of a dick tonight? He downed half his beer in one gulp.

What the hell was wrong with him, cracking onto a widow whose husband had only been dead six months? And in such a public place! What if Drew Noble had driven by in a patrol car and caught him with his hand under her dress? They might have been charged with indecent exposure, although that wouldn’t have been half as bad as the rumours that would circulate if that happened.

Mum would be mortified, and he’d never be able to show his face in Bunyip Bay again.

But it wasn’t his reputation he was worried about.

It was Gabriela.

He’d almost had her right there in the front seat of his ute like a horny teenager, and she deserved so much more respect than that. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to forget the horror on her face as she’d fled from his car, those two big blow-up clowns swaying on either side as she hurried through the temporary circus gates.

His fist still hurt from where he’d slammed it into the steering wheel. The whole way home he hadn’t been able to stop beating himself up, wishing he could go back in time and rewrite the evening from the moment they left the pub. They’d had such a great night—laughing about silly things, talking about serious ones. He’d been shocked to hear about Dante, wishing he could somehow ease her pain, but the last thing he’d expected after hearing about her husband was for her to kiss him goodnight. And with so much passion.

Blood had rushed to his groin, lust crashing over him, rendering all logical thought impossible.

Yes, technically she’d come onto him, but after what she’d told him, he should have hesitated. Instead of shoving his tongue in her mouth, he should have asked her if this was what she really wanted. Clearly the answer would have been ‘no’.

If only he had her phone number so he could text her and apologise, he thought, as he drank the rest of his beer. He didn’t buy that line about her not having a phone. Who in this day and age didn’t have a mobile?

He cracked the second beer and took a sip, slightly slower this time. There were only four in the fridge so he needed to pace himself.

Perhaps he could go back to the circus tomorrow and try to make amends. Then again, would she think him a crazed stalker if he watched the show for the third day in a row? Maybe he could get a message to her some other way. He could take a note over to Adam’s and ask him to deliver it.

Or maybe you should leave it the hell alone. Didn’t she make it clear she wants nothing to do with you?

The voice in his head was right, but the thought of leaving things like they were had Mark downing the rest of the next beer and heading to the fridge to grab the other two.

Many hours later, Mark woke to his phone ringing loudly on the coffee table beside him. The sun was up and he had a headache, which wasn’t surprising considering the last thing he remembered was opening a bottle of whiskey his dad had been gifted from the Ag Store for Christmas. The bottle—now half empty—sat on the table not far from his phone. Stretching over to retrieve the latter, he groaned when he saw it was his mum calling.

Not again. Didn’t she have anything better to do on holidays?

He contemplated ignoring it, but that would only worry her.

Worrying was all she ever seemed to do when it came to him lately.

‘Morning, Mum.’ He tried to sound awake so she wouldn’t suspect anything was up, but that was pointless because she already knew.

‘I’ve just had Eileen Brady on the blower,’ she said by way of a greeting.

‘Is that right?’ He glanced around, wondering where Rookie was. Had he put her back in her crate last night? This falling asleep on the couch was becoming a bit of a bad habit.

‘She’s very concerned about you fraternising with circus folk,’ Mum said with a chuckle.

Fraternising? Mark couldn’t help smirking. ‘Is she now?’

‘So, it’s true?’

‘Is what true?’

His mum let out an exasperated sigh. ‘That you were in the pub last night with a woman from the circus.’

How did bloody Eileen know about the pub? He swore she hadn’t been there. She must have spies. This fucking town.

‘Apparently you were all googly-eyed over each other.’

‘What?!’ Thank God Mum had no idea what had happened in his ute afterwards. Unless Eileen had eyes on the oval as well. He wouldn’t put it past the old biddy.

‘Who is she? This woman you’re cavorting around town with?’

Cavorting? Was she for real? ‘I thought you wanted me to start dating again.’

‘So you’re dating her?’ Her tone went from amused to excited. ‘What’s her name? Why didn’t you tell me about her?’

‘Her name is Gabriela, and no, I’m not dating her. She’s just an... an old friend.’

‘ Friend? I’ve never heard you mention her before. You didn’t say anything when I told you the circus was coming to town.’

She’d told him the circus was coming to town? He should pay more attention, but ever since he came home, she’d either been fussing over him, worried he was going to do something stupid, or encouraging him to put himself back out there. He was slightly ashamed to realise that he’d learned to zone her out.

‘I didn’t even know she was in the circus,’ he told her. ‘Gabriela and I met briefly eight years ago not long after I’d moved to Melbourne. This is the first time I’ve seen her since.’

‘Was there anything between you and Gabriela back then?’

There were certain things mothers did not need to know about their sons. Besides, he didn’t want to get her hopes up. ‘Men and women can be just friends, you know. Not everything is about sex.’

‘Pfft,’ she snorted. ‘You’ve obviously never seen When Harry Met Sally .’

‘What’s that old movie got to do with anything?’ He may not have seen the whole thing, but everyone knew about that scene. There was no way Gabriela had ever faked anything with him.

‘Watch it and you’ll see. So, is this Gabriela single?’

He shook his head. She was unrelenting. ‘Yes, but she’s not in the market for a relationship.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because her husband only just died.’

His mother gasped. ‘That’s awful. Was it a circus accident? I don’t remember reading about anything like that and I’m sure it would have been all over the news.’

‘No. He slipped and hit his head when he was coming out of the shower.’

‘Oh my, how tragic. That poor woman.’ She paused a moment, then asked, ‘What’s her star sign?’

Huh? Sometimes it was hard to keep up with her. ‘I have no idea. Why?’

‘It’s one of the questions in an article I just read on Facebook about how to tell if you and your partner are compatible.’

Mark shook his head as he forced himself up off the couch. ‘Sounds like a load of mumbo jumbo. Besides, it doesn’t matter if we’re compatible or not because—’

‘Yes, you’re probably right,’ she interrupted as he noticed two of her favourite pairs of shoes—yes, one from each—were now in chunks on the floor. Damn dog! She was probably hiding because she was about to get a bollocking.

‘What do you mean?’ he asked absentmindedly.

‘Well, I’m guessing if she works in the circus, she’ll be hard to pin down to a long-term relationship. You’d be much better getting Grant to help you find someone. He’s had a lot of success with his matches so far.’

He walked into the kitchen to find Rookie rolling about in a broken ten-kilo bag of bread flour like a pig in mud. What a freaking mess.

‘Look, Mum, I’ve gotta go, but please can you give the girlfriend thing a rest. I know you want grandchildren and everything, but I’m not interested in a relationship right now. Say hi to Dad for me.’ He had to put Gabriela out of his head and work out what the hell he was going to do with this dog.

‘Hang on a moment,’ she cried. ‘That wasn’t the only reason I was calling.’

His grip tightened on the phone. What now? ‘Yeah?’

‘What are you up to today?’

‘Um...’ Well, first on his agenda was cleaning up this fucking flour, then he’d probably head out to the far end of the farm to fix some fences that his dad had mentioned needed attention. If he wanted to torture himself some more, maybe he’d even attempt some more training with Rookie while trying not to relive the final moments in his ute with Gabriela last night. And he needed to see how the new chicks were settling in. ‘I’m still working through Dad’s list and—’

‘You’ve forgotten about your physio appointment, haven’t you?’ She sighed. ‘That’s why I’m calling. I knew you’d forget if I wasn’t there to remind you. What’s the point of that calendar on the fridge if you and your father never bother to look at it?’

Mark glanced at said calendar where she’d forced him and his dad to write down all their appointments, meetings, and any other engagements, so she knew if they were going to be home or not for smokos, lunch and dinner. He rarely looked at it unless he had to write on it, because, like a normal person, he kept his life in his phone.

‘Of course I haven’t forgotten,’ he lied. The phone would have reminded him but by the time it did, it would be too late for him to make it to Geraldton in time. ‘I was just about to say that when you interrupted.’

The noise she made told him she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t push it. ‘I love you, sweetheart. Take care, and I’ll see you soon.’

Less than a minute after he said goodbye, his phone beeped with a text message. She’d sent him the link to an article entitled, ‘52 Romantic Questions for Getting to Know Your Partner Better’, and the message: File this away for when you’re ready. It’s not mumbo jumbo. Love Mum.

What the?! He couldn’t help but laugh. He’d give her one thing, she was persistent.