Page 46 of Outback Reunion

‘No,’ she whispered, shifting her head slightly, unable to meet the older woman’s gaze.

‘Then how doyouknow him?’

Gabi sighed. ‘Years ago, when we did a show in Melbourne, I went for a walk late one night and found myself in this pub. Mark and I got talking and...’ She shrugged, unsure how much she was willing to admit. She didn’t want Eve to think even worse of her than she likely already did. It was bad enough kissing a guy merely six months after your husband had died, but even worse sleeping with the same guy while you’d been in a relationship with said husband.

‘And we hit it off,’ she said firmly. ‘I haven’t seen him since, but we ran into each other in the supermarket on our first day here. It was quite a shock.’

‘A nice one, I’d say, judging by the way his ute’s windows were heating up.’

Oh God.The only things heating up right now were Gabi’s cheeks. This was doubly embarrassing because Eve wasn’t only her mother-in-law but for most of her life she’d been as good as her actual mother, and no one wanted to talk sexy times with their parents.

‘It was just a kiss,’ Gabi said defensively. Technically, shewassingle, and she hadn’t gone all the way with Mark anyway. Not this time.

‘Darling,’ Eve said with a chuckle. ‘You don’t need to feel guilty. I’ve lost count of the number of men I’ve slept with while married to Lorenzo.’

What?!Gabi blinked, shocked not only by Eve’s confession but also by the fact that she’d spoken it while her husband was sleeping mere metres away. Hopefully her father-in-law was as heavy a sleeper as his son was.

‘I didn’t sleep with him!’ she objected, focusing on the matter at hand.

‘I don’t mean tonight,’ Eve said smugly.

A chill swept over Gabi; it was like the older woman could see right through her. Whatelsemight she know?

She couldn’t bring herself to verbally confess her past indiscretions, but a jury of twelve would not be necessary to find her guilty. Her silence and the shame that burned her cheeks spoke volumes.

‘Don’t beat yourself up so much,’ Eve said, as if reading her mind. ‘We’re humans, not saints. Lorenzo cheats on me too. Some of the circus tourists who pass through are too bloody nimble to resist. I don’t blame him, and I’d be hypocritical if I kicked up a fuss.’

Gabi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d always thought her parents-in-law the perfect couple. They were very touchy-feely and were always doing little things that showed how much they cared about each other—making cups of tea without having to be asked, doing a chore so the other didn’t have to, showering each other in praise and compliments. Laughter often drifted from their caravan. Then again, people would probably have said the same about her and Dante.

The shock must have shown on her face.

‘I can’t believe you didn’t know.’ Eve chuckled again. ‘And here we thought keeping secrets wasn’t possible in the circus. Did Dante know about...? I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten his name.’

‘Mark,’ Gabi clarified. ‘And yes, he generously forgave me.’

Eve snorted. ‘I loved my son more than anyone, but if he led you to believe that he didn’t do the same to you, I’m sorry. I’d hoped I’d raised him better than that.’

Gabi blinked, her heart hitching. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Darling, it’s the way of the circus. Hell, it’s the way of life. Monogamy is a social construct—we’re not biologically built to be faithful. Tell me, did Dante always go back to your caravan at the same time you did?’

No, he did not, but Gabi had never assumed he was with other women those times. She’d simply thought he was giving her the cold shoulder for something she’d done—he’d certainly made her think that most of the time. Had he been cheating on her? She shuddered at the thought of unknowingly performing alongside women who had been fucking her husband. Perhaps he’d even slept with one of the Saad sisters—they had a bit of a reputation.

She couldn’t work out whether she cared more about the cheating or that being oblivious made her feel like a fool.

‘Sometimes he didn’t even return at all,’ Gabi admitted.

‘There you go,’ Eve said, her tone slightly apologetic. ‘You should have gone home with Mark and bonked his delicious brains out. Actually, let’s be honest, it’s not his brains you’re interested in, am I right?’

Gabi coughed out a laugh in disbelief. Did she even know her mother-in-law or had grief warped Eve’s sensibilities? Even if she was right about her son, surely she’d expect Gabi to spend a respectable time in mourning. ‘Dante has only been dead six months!’

‘What’s that got to do with anything?You’renot dead, are you?’

Gabi shook her head—tonight she’d felt more alive than ever—but Eve was wrong about not being interested in his brains. She’d loved listening to Mark talk about his career and the farm and the plans he had to adapt and grow their family business. His passion for the land and the future of farming only made him more attractive.

‘Well then...’ Eve pushed herself out of the folding chair, making Gabi think she hadn’t been unable to sleep but had actually been waiting up for her. ‘I’m going to try to hit the sack again. See you in the morning, darling.’

As Eve slipped inside her caravan, Gabi continued the few metres on to her own, hoping she wouldn’t wake Luna. She was too exhausted to deal with her daughter’s middle-of-the-night chatter and all the questions she’d no doubt have about ‘Daddy’s friend’.

---