Page 109 of Outback Reunion

Luna groaned and rolled into Basset, who was snoring peacefully beside her. ‘I’m too tired.’

Well, that was a turn-up for the books—Gabi couldn’t remember another time when her daughter had admitted fatigue, but the last week had been particularly busy. Beach days, daily performances, a near-drowning and more socialising than they usually did in a year. Bunyip Bay was supposed to have been a relaxing almost-holiday, but things hadn’t exactly turned out according to plan. Mark certainly hadn’t been in the plan, but life had a way of making its own arrangements.

She blinked, tears threatening as she recalled their heartbreaking conversation on the beach and the awkward goodbye when he’d come to collect the camels. They couldn’t talk properly with Luna and everyone else around, and maybe that had been for the best. No amount of talking could change things, but just because it was for the best, didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell.

‘Weetbix is on the table,’ she said, shaking her head of Mark as she grabbed Basset off the bed and shoved him out the door. ‘Get up, get dressed and eat your breakfast. If you’re not out in ten minutes, I’m sending your great-grandmother in.’

Not listening to any more of her daughter’s complaints—they all had to do things they didn’t want to sometimes—she stepped out onto the lot, which was already a hive of activity even though the sun had barely risen.

Here we go again.

The temporary fence that circled the lot had already been taken down last night. During the second half of the show, the tent boys had got to work dismantling everything they could: the fence, the foyer tent and everything in it, leaving the Big Top, all the equipment, the ring, the flooring, and everything else for today. The guys would do all the heavy lifting from the king poles to seating; the women and older men would take care of the lighter tasks, and Luna, as usual, was on rubbish collection duty.

That’s if she ever dragged herself out of bed.

This was the non-glamorous life of the circus. Let’s face it, almost everything was non-glamorous from the inside, but the good thing was they’d done this so many times that they all worked on autopilot, everyone eager to pack up and get on the road.

Pull-down took most of the day—especially when they’d had a night-time show rather than a matinee the day before—then everyone would pack up their caravans and either hit the sack early, ready to leave first thing the next morning, or get a head start to their next destination. Today, Gabi was even more keen than usual for the latter. The sooner they got out of Bunyip Bay and away from the memories of Mark, the better.

The men were dismantling the seating, carrying the beams and stringers out to the waiting trucks, Luna—finally awake—was picking up rubbish at a snail’s pace ready for them to roll up the mat, and Gabi, Eve and Muriel had just finished packing up the curtains when Mark appeared through the opening in the tent.

Luna shrieked in excitement, dropping her black plastic bag on the ground, rubbish spilling out as she ran to him. ‘What are you doing here? Did you bring Rookie?’

‘Yes, whatareyou doing here?’ Gabi asked, hurrying over. Her heart and body were of course overjoyed to see him—her hormones dancing low in her belly—but her head knew that seeing each other again would only make things harder.

The smile he’d offered Luna fell as he met Gabi’s gaze. ‘I need to talk to you. In private.’

‘Mark, I can’t. We’re very busy.’ She could feel Eve’s and Muriel’s eyes boring into her back as they watched in disapproval. Eve was all for Gabi having a bit of fun, but not when it disrupted work.

He was not deterred. ‘I’m not going anywhere until you talk to me, and I think you’d rather we didn’t have an audience for what I’m about to say.’

The tone of his voice and the darkness in his eyes lifted the hairs on the back of her neck. What was going on? ‘I can give you five minutes,’ she told him, ‘but that’s it.’

‘Can I come too?’ asked Luna.

‘No,’ he and Gabi said at the same time.

Neither of them said a word until they were outside the tent that would soon be rolled up and packed away. Tomorrow there’d be no evidence that they were ever here; she wished she could say the same for the imprints she and Mark had left on each other’s hearts.

‘You’re just making this harder for both of us than it already is,’ she whispered, aware that Lorenzo, Desmond, the technicians, the tent boys and the Dangerous Duo had all stopped work to watch them. ‘Nothing you can say is going to change my mind.’

‘Did you lie to me about the paternity test?’

She almost stumbled at his words. ‘What?’ Anger poured through her at the accusation. ‘Why the hell would I do that?’

‘Can I see it then?’

‘What’s this about?’ she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

In reply, he pulled a photo out of his pocket and held it in front of her face.

Gabi frowned as she examined the picture of a bride, two bridesmaids in gold dresses and a little girl who looked almost identical to Luna. ‘Who is that?’ she gasped.

‘My mum’s sister—my Aunty Karen—as a child.’

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

‘Maybe we should go into your caravan to talk about this,’ he suggested, touching her elbow lightly.

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