Page 27 of Outback Reunion

‘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.’

Hehadto 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.’

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