Page 83 of Outback Reunion

Gabi scrubbed her face of make-up and brushed her teeth in the tiny bathroom. Today felt like the longest day of her life and one of the most traumatic. It couldn’t have been more than thirty seconds that Luna was under water before Mark dived beneath the surface and dragged her out, but it felt like hours and must have knocked at least a few years off her own life.

When Luna had opened her eyes, she’d wanted to throw her arms around Mark and show him just how much she appreciated him, but she’d also felt like slapping him across the face.

If not for him, she’d never have taken her eyes off her daughter long enough for near disaster to occur.

Desperate to be close to Luna again, she came out of the bathroom ready to listen to her chat and to answer any questions she wanted, no matter how impossible, painful, or even crazy, but was surprised to find Luna asleep again.

The day had obviously taken its toll on her as well.

‘Big nose. Big nose. Big nose.’

About to climb into bed, Gabi frowned at Loud Mouth’s favourite insult from just outside in his night cage. Was someone out there? Maybe Eve had come to check on Luna before going to sleep? Everyone had been horrified to hear about what had happened at the beach and her in-laws had been slightly upset that she hadn’t called them but relied on a stranger to bring them back.

But the thing was, Mark didn’tfeellike a stranger.

A knock sounded on the door, and she groaned. Oh, what it would be like to live with some kind of privacy? She supposed she should be glad Eve had knocked and didn’t just waltz in like Muriel sometimes did. That woman had no boundaries.

But it wasn’t her mother-or-grandmother-in-law. It washim.

‘What are you doing here?’ she blurted. ‘I can’t... Nothing can happen tonight.’ She’d all but made the decision that nothing could happen ever again, but her wayward body was already reacting to the sight of him with tingles down her spine and a heavy throb deep inside.

And even if her defences weren’t already crumbling, they would have when he smiled and his adorable dimple twitched in his cheek. ‘I wanted to check that you and Luna were okay after today and... I still don’t have your phone number.’

‘I told you I don’t have one,’ she said, trying desperately to hold onto her good intentions as she glanced left and right. There were still plenty of lights on around the lot and noises of chatter and other things coming from trailers and caravans.

‘So, what did Stella call you on that night you were at my place, then?’ he asked, his brows raised as he peered past her into the caravan and nodded towards the bedside table. ‘And is that iPhone over there just for decoration?’

Gabi sighed but failed miserably in hiding her smile. What was it about him that kept undermining her defences?

‘Whoops,’ she said as all her good intentions whooshed out the door. She grabbed his hand. ‘Quick, come inside before someone sees you.’

Thanks to Loud Mouth announcing his arrival, somebody probably already had.

‘How’s she doing?’ Mark whispered, nodding at the bed where Luna was curled up on her side.

‘Okay, I think. Just really tired. Hopefully she’ll be right as rain tomorrow after a good night’s sleep. Can I get you a drink? Tea? Coffee? Milo?’

He held up a calico bag she hadn’t even noticed he had and then pulled out a bottle of wine. ‘I brought supplies. I’ve also got chocolate, nuts, chips, Tim Tams, cheese and crackers.’

‘Sounds like you’ve brought half the IGA,’ she said with a laugh.

‘I didn’t know what you might feel like, but if you’re too tired, I can just leave it all with you. Now I’ve seen you’re both okay, I’ll be able to sleep.’

Good lord, he said the sweetest things. She wasn’t used to eating any of those things and she shouldn’t drink when she was so exhausted and Mark was so close—those two things were a dangerous combination—but with Luna sleeping only a few feet away, she should be safe.

It wasn’t like Gabi was going to give in to the urge to kiss him—to do awholelot more—with her daughter in the same room.

‘Maybe just the one,’ she said, already turning to grab glasses from the cabinet above the pint-sized kitchen.

He put the bag down on the table. ‘You deserve it after the day you’ve had.’

Gabi shuddered. ‘Don’t remind me. What kind of mother takes their eyes off their seven-year-old daughter at the beach when she knows she isn’t a strong swimmer?’

‘You’re not blaming yourself for what happened?’ He screwed the lid off the wine bottle. ‘It was just an accident. No mother—no parent—can watch their child 24/7.’

She snorted as she put two tumblers down on the table. Dante woulddefinitelydisagree. ‘Sorry, these will have to do because I don’t have any wine glasses.’

Mark frowned. ‘Never mind about the glasses, you can’t seriously think you’re a bad mother?’

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