Page 29 of Outback Reunion

‘Of course. Race you.’ Gabi started towards the water, her daughter laughing right behind her as she dived into the gentle waves.

Chapter Seven

Mark’s phone buzzed in his back pocket as he hammered the last nail into the wood. He’d started on the chicken coop at the crack of dawn—deciding to use scraps from the shed after all—just after he and Rookie had done a drive through the paddocks checking the sheep had enough water for the day. And even though the sun had reached its peak in the sky a couple of hours ago and sweat was pouring off his skin, he hadn’t stopped until he was done. It was like he’d been possessed by something, but only when he kept busy did he manage to put Gabriela and last night’s mortification out of his mind.

He’d been a fool to ask her out when she’d already run away from him once. But why did she say yes if she was only going to stand him up?

He knew even before he looked at the screen that the caller would be his mother. Who else was going to ring him these days?

‘Hi, Mum.’ He bit down on the impulse to tell her she didn’t have to check in on him so regularly as he tossed the hammer on the ground. ‘What’s up?’

‘Dad and I just got back from Wise Wine for lunch—the food was amazing, and you should have seen the view over the ocean—and now he’s having a nap on a lounger by the pool and I’m reading my book. What are you up to?’

‘Building a chicken coop.’ The words were out before he remembered he’d planned to surprise her with it on their return. ‘I’m almost finished.’

‘A chicken coop?’

‘Yep. Ran out of eggs the other day and thought how handy it would be to have our own.’

‘Not a bad idea. We’re probably one of the only farms without our own chickens.’

He managed a laugh despite not being in a laughing mood. ‘Yes, but the rest of them don’t have pet magpies and joeys who like to eat roses.’

She gasped. ‘Oh dear, has Roo been into my garden again?’ Marian Morgan was never original with naming rescue animals. All her kangaroos had had the same name, unless she’d had more than one at a time. Then it was Roo 1 and Roo 2, just like the Bananas in Pyjamas.

He glanced back towards the pen where their current Roo was resting under the shade of a eucalypt tree. The joey was in much better shape than when he’d been found in his dead mother’s pouch on the side of the Brand Highway six months ago. In the branches just above sat Maggie, another rescue. ‘No. I’ve kept him well away.’

It was Rookie who was the problem, but thankfully she seemed to have forgotten him mentioning that the other day.

‘And is everything else okay?’

‘Peachy.’

‘Dad and I are so grateful. Knowing you’re there to take care of things takes a weight off. I’ve not seen your father look so relaxed in years.’

‘That’s great. And have you made any progress with the house hunting?’

‘We looked at a lovely little cottage in Dunsborough yesterday.’

Mark went inside to get a drink as he listened to his mum tell him all about the house that she was in love with. ‘Your father doesn’t think it’s the right fit.’ He secretly suspected she was fighting a losing battle trying to buy a retirement home that far away from Bunyip Bay and that eventually they’d end up in town, but at least they were enjoying their holiday.

‘Any progress on training Rookie?’ she asked.

He looked out the kitchen window and eyed the pup who was still madly running around the garden chasing invisible rabbits or something. Thankfully she was too small to jump into Roo’s pen or the two of them would cause chaos together.

‘No comment.’

Mum chuckled. ‘And have you seen anyone while we’ve been away?’

For once he could give her an answer that would please her.

‘Yeah, as a matter of fact I went into town last night for a few drinks with some old mates at the pub.’

He didn’t mention where he’d been beforehand or why he’d gone to The Palace. One whiff of him having a ‘lady friend’ and she’d probably drive all the way home to check her out herself. Not that hehada lady friend. His heart squeezed at the knowledge that Gabriela hadn’t even bothered to show up.

‘That’s splendid!’ From her tone you’d think he’d just announced he’d been chosen by NASA to fly to the moon. ‘Anyone I know?’

‘Mum.’ He shook his head and let out a half-laugh. It was surprising word hadn’t got back to her about his night out. Even on holidays, he knew she’d be in constant contact via WhatsApp with her tennis friends and book club, the latter which Eileen Brady was a part of too. ‘You knoweveryone.’

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