Page 43 of The Me I Left Behind (Tuckaway Bay #4)

The pounding on the door wouldn’t stop. Lilly rose from the bed and headed toward it, but it seemed she was walking in quicksand. Her feet were heavy, dragging against the sandy plank floors, and it was difficult to walk. The pounding reverberated through her skull.

My God, would it please just stop? I’m coming!

“Lilly! Let me in.”

Max? He wants in? What is he doing here? No.

“Lilly! I want to see Leo.”

No. No. I won’t let him.

“Max, stop. You’re waking the baby. Leave us alone.” She glanced in the corner at the crib where Leo was sleeping. He was standing up in the crib, holding onto the side, looking at her.

Sit down, Leo! You can’t stand yet. What are you doing?

“I will never leave you alone, Lilly. Get that through your skull. You have my son.”

She whipped around, looking at the closed door. Yelling through it. “You don’t deserve a child, Max. You’re too self-centered.”

“Don’t tell me what I deserve. I’m the one who tells you.”

“What a pig-headed ass you are!”

Mommy? Daddy.

Leo. She turned his way again, but now the crib was by the window. The breeze blew the curtains straight up until they almost touched the ceiling. The mosquitoes swept in, landing in droves on her arms and biting.

She batted at the pesky creatures.

Mommy!

Leo! Covered with mozzies! She tried to run to him. Her feet were stuck in the sand, sucking her back. Leo!

“Come on, baby. Come with me, Lilly. I’ll take care of you, and you and Leo will never want for anything.”

“But you still get to bloody fuck around. Right?”

“But you’ll have everything you need. Leo too.”

“You mean that really works on women?”

“Some women. Yes, it does. It worked on my ex.”

No. No! “No. Not on me. Go away!”

The pounding stopped. Lilly quickly rotated toward the door and the absence of sound. Then back to the crib when she heard Leo call out.

Max was in the window, reaching for Leo. Leo reached for him. Daddy!

Max tugged him toward the window, smiling at her. “See, I always get my way.”

“No!”

She reached for her legs, trying to pry her feet free, pounding her fists on her useless limbs. She was stuck. Goddamn it!

“Leo!”

Max pulled him all the way through the window. The wind and the mozzies carried them both away, tumbling with the twirling gale, like Almira Gulch carrying Toto off on her bicycle in the Wizard of Oz.

Lilly jolted up in bed and screamed. “No! Leo!”

Footsteps rushed down the hallway. “Lilly!” Poppy burst into the room with Freya on her heels. “What is it?”

She was breathing too hard, too fast. “Leo. Is he there?”

Freya went to the bed. “He’s sleeping. I don’t know how, but he is. Are you okay?”

Lilly tried to slow her breathing. She knew if she couldn’t, she’d hyperventilate soon and get lightheaded. “Fine. Dream.”

Poppy sat on the edge of the bed and put her arms around her. “Maybe a nightmare.”

“Maybe.” She laid her head on Poppy’s shoulder.

Freya sat on the other side of the bed. “Don’t mind saying you gave us a bit of a fright. What was that dream about?”

Lilly shook her head. “Maybe later.”

“Alright.”

She wound her arms around Poppy’s thick waist. “Stay a minute?”

Poppy nodded against her, smoothing Lilly’s hair with a free hand. “Always.”

“Nate. Tell us about Ballymore,” Poppy said later that evening, after they’d finished tea and kitchen cleanup. They’d settled in the O’Brien’s casual family room, finishing their meal with cups of tea and conversation. The television was on in the background.

Freya turned down the sound. “We usually watch the evening news after tea, to stay up on the weather and other goings on in the area but let me turn that sound down for now.”

“Whatever works for you, Freya. We don’t want to interrupt your routine,” Lilly said.

“But I do want to know about Ballymore, Nate,” Poppy pointed out.

“Of course.” Nate shifted in his seat. “It’s a family station. We’ve been running cattle and sheep over this land for nearly one-hundred-and-fifty years. The O’Briens claimed it in the late 1800s, and we’ve been on the land ever since.”

“How much land?” Poppy inquired.

“About eighteen-thousand square kilometers, give or take.”

“Whew!” Poppy said. “That’s a fair piece to muster up cattle and sheep on.”

Freya smiled. “We manage.”

“I bet there are stories here,” Lilly said.

“Oh, for sure.” Nate laughed. “Maybe we’ll get into some of them later this week.”

Freya turned to the television. “Oh, look. Mind if I turn this up? Looks like there is news about that chopper that went down in the Northern Territory a couple of days ago.” She turned up the sound.

“No problem.” Lilly fussed with Leo while she listened.

The television anchor droned on….

“We have an updated report on the missing helicopter that went down in the Northern Territory earlier in the week. After locating the crash scene by air this morning, a rescue and recovery team hiked into the ravine to search for survivors. One crew member and one passenger were on board the chopper, with both found deceased at the site of the wreckage.”

“Oh no. Those chopper accidents are never good,” Poppy said.

“Territory up there is rough.” Nate scooted to the edge of his seat, listening. “They’ve been trying to find ‘em for a few days.”

Lilly bounced Leo on her knee, smiling at her boy.

The anchor continued. “The helicopter pilot, Jack Roberts, owned an adventure excursion company out of Melbourne. His passenger, a business partner from the states currently living in Brisbane, was Maxwell Oliver. Mr. Oliver leaves behind a wife and three children in North Carolina, U.S.A.”

Lilly lifted her gaze and stared at the television set. “What?”

Poppy turned toward her, wide-eyed. “That your man?”

“Leo’s dad?” Freya echoed.

“I… I think so. What was said, exactly?”

Freya moved across the room to sit next to Lilly. “He said the man’s name was Maxwell Oliver. Is that your Max?”

“Yes. And, but no… What did he say about a wife and….”

Nate stood, letting go of a lengthy breath. “Let me see if I can find out more information.” He left the room.

Poppy joined Lilly and Freya. “I heard what he said clearly,” she told her. “He said that Max left behind a wife and three children in the states.”

Lilly sat stunned, shaking her head—but to her surprise, remained calm. “That bloody mongrel.”

Freya took her hand. “Oh, Lilly. I’m so sorry.”

“He’s dead?” The reality was sinking in. “I really should be more upset. Shouldn’t I?”

Poppy took Leo, holding him on her lap. “He was a pig-headed arse. So, he’s dead. Good on him. I don’t feel sorry for you or Leo or his family. Instead, I feel better.”

Just like Poppy to put it out there like she saw it.

“I don’t understand,” Freya said.

Lilly clasped her hand tighter. “The reason I wanted to visit is because I caught Max with another woman, and he was getting a little…” She wasn’t sure what the word was she wanted to use.

“Mean and nasty.” Poppy stared at Lilly. “Like bloody blokes do sometimes. I call it like it is. You’re better off, and so is Leo.”