Page 35 of The Side Road (Love Chronicles #3)

HOW FAR?

A search of the house and backyard confirmed Buttons had not returned.

Oliver suspected the rabbit had joined the band of wild relatives who lived in the mess of bracken and lantana that grew along the banks of the river.

He consoled his daughter with the fact that rabbits had plenty of food, water, and companionship.

The animal also had a strong survival instinct; he was now living his best life in the wild.

For a week, Tash walked around the house with a heavy heart, but her grief didn’t last long, and soon she was more worried about conquering the intarsia knitting stitch – she wanted to add brilliant pops of colour to her hand warmer project.

While the technique wasn’t too difficult, it required planning.

Oliver bought graph paper, and they plotted a curved, wavy pattern of contrasting colours.

That evening, they were expecting Mary for dinner and standing at the kitchen bench, Oliver was slicing potatoes for a salad he was making.

One of Mary’s favourites, the dish was served warm and included a dressing made with bacon fat.

Oliver had also hidden spring onions, parsley, and lemon juice in the salad.

Tash, seated at the far end of the table, was reading Romeo and Juliet . Deep into the play, Oliver noticed she was halfway through the book.

When the doorbell rang, he looked at Tash, but she wasn’t moving. He took this as a good sign; she was hooked on the literature and may not have heard the bell. He threw the tea towel over his shoulder and headed down the hallway.

As he opened the front door, he flinched. Standing on the porch was a woman. The hazy afternoon light cast a copper glow over her hair. Her dark eyes gleamed and she smiled at him, seductive as always.

‘Cindy?’ He intended it as a statement, but it sounded like a question. He couldn’t understand why she was in Eagle Nest. It was five o’clock on a school night. She belonged in the Kimberley.

‘In real life,’ she replied. ‘Miss me?’

‘What are you doing here?’

‘It’s your lucky night. I’m passing through. Thought we might catch up for old times’ sake.’

‘ Really ?’

‘No. You live in the middle of Bumfuck-Idaho. Why would I be passing through?’

‘How did you find me?’

‘The parsonage in Eagle Nest is not a hard place to find.’

Underneath her favourite leather jacket, she wore jeans and a T-shirt that was a little too tight; this was her standard attire when she had taken motorcycle rides with him.

At her feet was a suitcase. An alarming sight.

As his eyes travelled the full length of her body – boots, long legs clad in tight jeans that sat low on her hips with a wide belt, and then her midriff… his eyes moved to her face .

‘ You’re pregnant !’

‘That I am,’ Cindy confirmed. With her forefinger, she poked him in the chest. ‘Don’t look so surprised. We both know who the father is.’

Oliver knew one thing for sure – it wasn’t him. For a long moment, they stared at each other. Then he asked, ‘Are you okay?’

‘No. Can I come in?’

‘Sorry. Of course.’

She moved to pick up her bag, but Oliver got there first. He held the door open, and she slipped past him into the hall. He followed her inside. ‘Turn left at the end,’ he said.

When Cindy entered the kitchen, Tash looked up from her book.

Oliver was one step behind. ‘Honey, you remember Cindy? She worked for Vickie and Allen.’

Lured by the jobs in agriculture scheme for young people, Cindy had been working on cattle stations for over a decade.

Many horse-mad, dog-mad, and animal-obsessed young women were well-suited to droving.

Often more settled than men, the women were cleaner, neater, and usually more even-tempered.

This was all true of Cindy, except for the even temper.

The woman had a short fuse, but she had a lot to prove to male colleagues, and she could hold her own on the back of a horse or a dirt bike.

Dedicated, she had a lot of energy; she didn’t mind sleeping in a swag, and she was an early riser.

Cindy was already working at Shrub Valley Station when Oliver and Tash arrived.

In the kitchen, Cindy had taken her jacket off and Tash was eyeing the woman’s pregnant stomach.

Oliver pulled out a chair for Cindy. ‘Why don’t you sit down? Can I get you something to drink?’

‘Water.’ Cindy took a seat .

Oliver poured a glass of water and set it down in front of her.

‘Ice?’ she asked.

Retrieving the glass, he added ice and handed it back. She took a sip, then buried her face in her hands and wept.

Oliver and Tash stared at each other. Neither knew what to do. In exaggerated slow motion, Tash slipped off her chair and slunk out of the room. As she walked toward her bedroom, Oliver could see her shaking her head.

Retrieving the tissue box from the kitchen bench, he passed it to Cindy.

She took multiple tissues, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose. He left the box on the table. Unsure if congratulations were appropriate, he asked, ‘How far along…’

‘Five months.’ She looked him in the eye. ‘I wish it were yours.’

The air collapsed from his lungs. ‘Does Steve know?’

‘Yes. Steve wants to get married. But I don’t love him.’

‘He’ll still do the right thing.’

‘What is the right thing?’

Oliver pulled at the collar of his t-shirt; the room was suddenly very warm. ‘You and the baby, that’s the most important thing.’

‘Oliver, you don’t understand. He’s not the one.

I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with Steve!

He pronounces all his words phonetically.

The man drinks enough coffee to know the word is cappuccino and not cuppuccino .

There are no sheets on his bed and his coffee table is covered in empty Coke bottles. ’

‘No sheets?’

‘He uses a sleeping bag.’

‘Efficient.’

‘He doesn’t even have a bed. Just a mattress on the floor. ’

‘I’ve slept on a mattress on the floor,’ Oliver counted. ‘But I get your point. He’s no longer twenty. Perhaps he’ll make more of an effort now that he knows…’

‘It’s not my job to domesticate the man.’

Oliver thought it probably was her job, but he didn’t admit to this.

‘You think I should stay with him?’

‘Well, that’s your choice, but if you’re asking my advice, then yes. I like Steve. I like him a lot. What did you think I was going to say?’

She didn’t answer.

It was time for the most important question. ‘Cindy, what can I do for you?’

A long moment passed before she answered. ‘For the first three months, I pretended I wasn’t pregnant. I hoped . . . I thought it might go away. Sometimes they don’t stick.’

Also aware of the twelve-week deadline, Oliver nodded.

‘My sister is thirty-five and she’s freezing her eggs.

I’m thirty-three. I don’t have a partner, and I’m still having random sex with strangers.

To be fair, that’s usually Steve.’ She took a long breath, and for a moment, she closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she said, ‘Honestly, I’m scared to death, but I want to have a baby. This is a crazy idea, isn’t it?’

Oliver didn’t answer. He wasn’t altogether sure what her idea, crazy or otherwise, was.

‘You know that group of gum trees by the river at Vickie and Allen’s?’ Cindy continued.

Oliver nodded. Directly behind the homestead on the river flats was a cluster of ghost gums. It was a great place for a swim or a picnic.

‘Well, a pair of wedge-tailed eagles made a nest there. A massive platform of sticks in the fork of the tallest tree. About two metres wide. I thought it might be a sign.’

‘A sign for what?’ He needed her to get to the point.

‘Well, you’re a single parent, and I’m about to be one. Honestly, I thought you might help me and we could make something of this together.’

Oliver froze. ‘Cindy, that’s not going to happen. We’re friends – it was never anything more. And I never gave you a reason to think otherwise.’

Holding her head in her hand, Cindy stared at the table. ‘I know.’

She raised her eyes and looked at him. ‘Have you ever been in love with someone who doesn’t love you back?’

‘Of course.’

She sniffed. ‘I need a friend. There isn’t anyone else. At least not anyone who understands. I’m also going to need a place to stay.’

‘There are a few hotels in town. I’ll check…’

‘A hotel – what the fuck? I didn’t come all this way to stay in a hotel. It’s just a few days.’

‘Sure.’

What else could he do? Asking her to leave felt like throwing her out on the street. But where was Cindy going to sleep? There was only one answer to that question. When Mary arrived, she took the news better than he expected. She was Catholic.

Oliver parked the Citroen outside Mia’s house. He knew exactly what he was going to say. There was only one way to approach the situation and that was to rip off the band-aid.

On the porch, Snood greeted him like a long-lost friend. The adoration from the dog was a pleasant, momentary distraction that boosted Oliver’s mood. The unwavering love of a dog, if only life were that simple.

In the kitchen, Mia stared at him. ‘Oliver, what’s wrong?’ she asked.

‘Something has come up. I need to talk to you.’

Visibly, she stiffened. ‘Have you changed your mind? Because, if you have, I…I understand. I mean—’ She turned away from him and started wiping a bowl that was on the drying rack.

Knowing the bowl was dry, he took it off her and placed it on the bench. ‘Come and sit down.’

They sat on the window seat. In this soft light, he saw her lips quiver.

He noticed her hands were trembling. In matters of the heart, she was unexpectedly fragile.

This was a revelation. He had seen her stand up to rude drivers.

Hold her ground with feisty knitters and step between Miles and her front door.

She protected the people she loved, but she had no expectations the support would be returned.

As efficiently as he could, Oliver explained the circumstances of Cindy’s arrival.

When her expression shifted from surprise to concern, he said, ‘I’m not the father. But I’m sitting in on her online prenatal appointment next week.’

‘Why?’

‘Because she doesn’t have anyone else. Apparently, someone needs to take notes. She also doesn’t have any money.’

‘Neither do you. How pregnant is she?’

‘Five months.’

‘And she’s staying with you.’

‘Yes…but?—’

‘How long is she staying?’

He shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. ’

‘Can I ask…I know this is none of my business, but I’m going to ask, and you don’t have to answer. I won’t mind. You can tell me it’s none of my business. But have you slept with her in the past?’

‘Yes. A few years ago.’

‘So, just to be clear, you have had sex with this woman. But you’re not the father.’

‘I’m not the father.’

‘Then why don’t you tell her to leave?’

‘Because she has nowhere else to go. She’s scared. A few days and she’ll be gone.’

‘But you said her doctor’s appointment was next week.’

‘I don’t want this to be your concern.’

‘Well, it sort of is. Because of you.’ She patted him on the hand. ‘But it’s fine. Of course it’s fine. She could even stay here, if you like. In fact, that makes more sense. I have another bedroom. If she stays at your place, where will Mary sleep?’

‘I can’t ask you to do that. And I’ve already offered her a hotel. A house is more homely.’

‘Of course.’