Page 42 of Outback Reunion

He frowned. ‘Downhill how?’

‘She didn’t really take to motherhood. From the moment I was born, it was Eve who pretty much looked after me. Mum would earn money in the circus then disappear for a while until she needed cash again.’

‘She’d just abandon you?’ Mark’s voice was loud.

Gabi nodded. ‘Yep. Then she’d return, pretend to be sorry. Saying she was going to change, give up the drugs and alcohol, focus on being a good mother. And she would for a while. She’d shower me with love and affection, and she’d go to NA meetings in the towns we visited. Those times were wonderful, but they never lasted long. One day, when I was eleven, she did a midnight runner. Only this time she never came back. The police found her body a few weeks later. She’d overdosed.’

‘How’s your meal?’ They both startled as the blonde waitress appeared at the end of their table, oblivious to the fact that she’d just interrupted a pretty heavy conversation. Maybe after patrons had downed a few drinks, such displays of emotion were the norm in a pub. ‘Can I get you anything else?’

‘Do you want another drink?’ Mark gestured to the glass Gabi had emptied while telling him her sorry story.

‘No thanks.’ She smiled at the waitress. ‘And the burger was delicious. Just a little too much for me.’

Dante had always made her watch what she ate—telling her that if she put on weight, she wouldn’t be as attractive to watch perform—and so she wasn’t used to eating such big meals.

‘No worries. Just let me know if you change your mind. I can recommend the apple pie and the espresso martinis.’

‘So, what happened after your mum died?’ Mark asked. ‘You stayed in the circus?’

Gabi nodded. ‘The only blood relatives I had were her mum and dad—my grandparents—but they said they were too old to take on a child.’ She was pretty sure that was just an excuse. ‘Dante’s parents had been my de facto parents and guardians until then anyway, but they were happy to keep me and because I’d grown up in the circus, the authorities thought it was probably for the best. Less traumatic than being dumped with foster carers.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Mark blinked and scratched the side of his neck. ‘Who’s Dante?’

‘Dante was my husband.’ She wished she’d said yes to that wine because talking about him unnerved her. ‘Eve was pregnant with him when Mum arrived. He was born a couple of weeks before me, so we grew up together. We were like siblings, cousins and friends all rolled into one.’

‘Until you became more?’ he prompted.

Gabi bit her lip and nodded.

‘When was that?’

‘Hard to say exactly. As the two kids that belonged to the circus, we did everything together, but I guess it was when we first kissed. I was probably about thirteen. Or maybe twelve?’

‘Twelve?!’ he exclaimed, then chuckled. ‘Sorry. It’s just I thought my first kiss behind the toilet block on the oval at fourteen was young.’

Although he wasn’t accusing her of anything untoward, Gabi felt her cheeks flush and the urge to defend herself was strong. ‘We didn’t sleep together until his sixteenth birthday. Dante said giving our virginities to each other was the perfect gift.’

The moment she revealed this, she realised how ridiculous it sounded.

Mark’s expression confirmed this. ‘He asked you to sleep with him as abirthdaypresent?’

‘I wanted to.’ At least, she’d thought she had, and she didn’t want Mark to think her pathetic.

He held up his hands. ‘I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. I’m not judging you.’

‘I should hope not. When didyoulose your virginity?’ she asked, desperate to even the playing field. She’d revealed far too much about herself. It was time to peel back some of his layers.

He grinned and leaned back in his seat. ‘Summer I turned seventeen with a girl I met during our local Christmas celebration on the beach. She was there with her parents and her little sisters and when all the little kids were getting presents, we walked into the dunes. I thought we were just gonna kiss, but next thing I know she whipped off her bikini bottoms and climbed on top of me.’

Now Gabi was appalled. It sounded like this girl had raped him. ‘Did youwantit?’

Mark gave her a sheepish grin. ‘I was a seventeen-year-old boy. Of course I wanted it.’

‘What was her name?’ She found herself feeling stupidly jealous of this stranger from his past.

He frowned a moment. ‘You know... I’m not sure she ever told me.’

‘Oh God,’ Gabi snorted.

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