Page 71 of Outback Reunion

‘Thanks.’

‘Anything else you dream of?’

She shrugged a shoulder. ‘It’d be nice to make some friends and join a club or something.’

‘So why don’t you give it a try?’

She sighed—‘You make it sound so simple’—then turned towards the window.

Although he could no longer see her expression, her body language had changed. When she’d been talking about books and kitchens and gardens and bees, she’d been almost bouncing in the seat, but now her shoulders looked tense.

‘What’s stopping you?’

‘Let’s see... money, a place to live, mydaughter!’

‘You don’t think Luna might like to try some of those things too?’

Gabriela shook her head. ‘I don’t know—she’s too young to know what she wants—but even if she did, I couldn’t abandon Lorenzo and Eve. They basically saved my life. Who knows what would have become of me if not for them. I owe them so much. And now that Dante’s gone, Luna and I are all they’ve got. Lorenzo had a heart attack last year and he needs us. He needs me to help him run the circus and Luna needs them.’

On the one hand, Mark understood where she was coming from—he’d always known the farm was his destiny. The difference was, Mark had moved away, and he’d had the chance to fulfil a dream of his own before coming home.

Everyone deserved that, surely?

‘I understand you wanting to be there for your in-laws after everything they’ve done for you, but what aboutyourwants and needs? Have you ever put yourself first?’

His question lingered in the confined space of the cabin as they turned onto his farm track, and just when he thought she wasn’t going to provide an answer, she did.

‘Good mumsdon’tput themselves first.’

‘Not all the time, no, but you’re allowed to—’

‘Please, just leave it,’ she snapped. ‘You don’t know anything about being a parent.’

Ouch.She was right and it touched a nerve. Was that why he’d been disappointed when she’d told him Luna wasn’t his?

He was scared to risk his heart to another relationship, but he did want kids. If Gabriela told him Luna was his, he’d have been upset, maybe even angry about missing out on all these years, sure, but he’d have gotten over that.

Neither of them said another word as he parked the ute and she leapt out before he’d even removed the key, but the moment he got out she looked over to him—her deep brown eyes a pool of regret. ‘I’m sorry. That was cruel. I know you were only trying to help, but...’

‘But...’ He held up his hands and offered her a conciliatory smile. ‘It’s none of my business. I get it.’

Rookie barked from her crate on the verandah, and Mark had never been more grateful for the distraction.

The way Gabriela’s eyes lit up told him she felt the same. ‘Can I go let her out?’

‘Sure. If you’re game for a tongue bath, I reckon she’d love that.’

As she headed through the gate and up the garden path, Mark—forcing himself to tear his eyes from her butt—grabbed the new battery from the tray and went over to pop her bonnet. He might not be able to do anything about her dreams but at least he could fix her car.

‘Good morning, gorgeous girl,’ he heard Gabriela cooing as she let Rookie out of her crate. ‘It’s lovely to see you too.’

He looked over to see Rookie in her arms, bestowing sloppy wet puppy kisses all over her face, and couldn’t help but smile. Moments later, she put the dog down and Rookie shot out the gate and over to him, jumping up at his legs as if he’d been gone for days, not barely an hour.

‘Down, you stupid thing,’ he said, fighting a chuckle as he shook her off and bent back over the car.

‘How much do I owe you for the battery?’ Gabriela asked.

Mark shook his head. ‘Don’t worry about it. I went to school with the mechanic and got it for mate’s rates.’

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