Page 42 of A Home Among the Snow Gums
‘Relax,’ she said, rising to her feet. ‘I’ve left my right hook at home.’
‘So it’s a joke now, is it?’
‘What? No. It’s just … you’re looking a little intimidating, if I’m honest. I crack jokes when I’m nervous.’Or get sarcastic. Or punch expensive cameras.But that last one was new and she was determined not to make a habit of it.
‘I’m not intimidating.’
Said the python to the pet rat.She took a breath and let it out, calm and easy, the way she’d practised. A lot.
‘I know you asked me here for something different, but I wanted to apologise to Bruno for messing up his outing on Saturday. I could see how much he was enjoying being the centre of attention.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about Bruno. He’s thrown a few punches of his own in his day.’
‘Really? I wouldn’t have—’ She broke off. She wasn’t here to get distracted and she didn’t know what Tom wanted to talk about, but she was going to lose her nerve if she didn’t speak up. ‘Look, can we talk?’
He sat on the sofa by the fire and she sat next to him, but instead of looking at her he turned to stare into the flames. ‘Have you been charged? Property damage or assault? Because I’ve done a little reading up and—’
‘No. I’ve apologised and paid for the damage.’
‘Well, that’s good news.’
‘Yeah. Um, look, about wanting to talk, can you listen for a minute?’
‘Sure.’
‘I have a goal. I’ve been unsure about how to … actuate it, and—’ Jeez, was that even a word? She cleared her throat. ‘Anyway, I’ve been considering my options and I’ve come up with a plan to make it happen.’
‘A goal to conquer your fear of leaving Hanrahan?’
She breathed in and out. Of course he would know that now. The whole town must know it. Sheesh, this was hard. How could she phrase it scientifically so it didn’t get too personal? ‘Um, no, this goal is a little different, and you may be uniquely qualified to provide that help.’
‘Wait. That’s it? We’re not even going to talk about what happened with the photographer?’
She swallowed. ‘We can do, if we have to.’
He was frowning. ‘We do have to. That is … if you want my help with whatever this goal of yours is. I wasright there, Han. It’s not something I can just unsee.’
She frowned back at him. ‘Look, can I just explain to you that I had my reasons, and I know I’m totally in the wrong, and I know I’m going to have to do better from now on.’ This was not going the way she’d hoped. She’d wanted to very calmly ask him to be a sperm donor, to which he would very calmly nod his head, and phrases like ‘nominal paternity’ and ‘scientific protocol’ would make up the rest of the discussion.
‘Spit it out, brat. I want the actual whys and wherefores.’
She stabbed the fire poker into a blameless log. Hell. ‘I suppose you can have the short version.’
‘I want the long version.’
Hannah resisted the urge to grind her teeth. Sure, she could change her mind about the baby, about finding a donor, about how sad and lonely the rest of her life was looking all on her ownsome. She could buddy up with Mrs Grundy. Maybe there was someone in the district breeding dalmatians? She’d give up campdraft, buy herself a Spot-the-dog all of her own and renew her acquaintance with the dragons at the library.
Or, she could talk to Tom.
She bit her lip. ‘How good are you at keeping secrets?’
His hand tightened on his knee. ‘Good enough.’
The smile had gone from his face and he looked like he’d take a secret to the grave. She was grateful for the warmth of the fire.
‘Okay. But I have a request, first.’
‘What’s that?’
