Outback Dreams (19 page)

‘Yes. Thank you.' Faith hugged their hosts, and then Monty shook Tim's hand.

‘It was great to meet you. Thanks for having us to stay. And for…' How could he properly thank these people, total strangers, for the opportunity they were giving him? It was too big for words. Instead, he reached out and hugged Tim.

‘I feel a lot better about leaving this old place now I've met you.' Tim slapped Monty on the back, something he was beginning to get quite used to. ‘I'm going inside to ring Mack right away.'

As they drove up the long gravel driveway, Monty watched Tim and Nora waving them off through the rear-view mirror and a sense of rightness filled him. He couldn't believe the next time he returned this would all be his. Under normal circumstances, he'd share these thoughts with Faith, but today he kept his mouth shut. They needed to talk—would have to sooner or later—but he didn't know where to start.

He guessed Faith felt the same predicament because silence rang between them for a good half an hour. They'd made good progress up the Albany Highway when she finally broke it.

‘Well, that was a successful trip.'

Clearly she meant the farm. ‘Yes. Clancy's Breakaway is a dream come true. Thanks again for coming with me.' His voice sounded stilted and formal but he couldn't help it.

Faith sighed. ‘Oh, Monty, what are we going to do? Are we just going to pretend it didn't happen?'

If only they
could
just ignore it. Or even better, turn back time so they'd never been so stupid.

‘Of course not,' he said, ‘but I don't want to let one mistake ruin years of friendship, do you?'

He heard a sharp intake of breath. ‘No.'

‘I think we should be adults about it. We were drunk, neither of us has…' He coughed. ‘…been with anyone in a while, and we got lost in the moment. It's not like we haven't seen each other naked before.'

‘Naked toddlers in a paddling pool is hardly the same thing,' she said wryly. ‘Nor is skinny-dipping.'

‘No.' Skinny-dipping had never turned him on the way she had last night. He'd feasted on her, explored every intimate inch of her skin, and the feelings it had invoked had been…
Stop,!
‘But it's best if we don't do it again. I don't want things getting awkward between us.'

‘Okay then. Let's agree to forget it ever happened.'

‘Yes. Forget.' It was a good idea, so why did it feel so wrong? And why did Faith sound so unsure? ‘Oh,
shit.'
His heart slammed into his chest cavity, causing him to actually jolt.

‘What?'

‘We didn't use any contraception!'

She sucked in a breath, then slowly let it out again. ‘It's okay. I'm on the pill.'

He looked questioningly at her.

‘Bad skin.' She shrugged and gestured to a face that hadn't seen an acne problem in years. ‘And maybe I'm a little hopeful?'

He let out a breath of relief as Faith turned to look out the window. Her mention of hope reminded him of the date she'd had with Curtis, which he hadn't asked her about yet.

‘How are things going with Curtis?' he asked.

‘I don't want to talk about it.' She kept her gaze on the passing paddocks.

‘That good then?' He found himself secretly pleased.

‘What the fuck, Monty? We've just had sex and you're asking about my relationship with a mate of yours? How do you
think
it's going?'

What could he say to that? Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, he focused on the road ahead. The silence was like a lasso tightening around Monty's neck. Unable to bear it, he put some music on, but even when some of his favourite tunes filled the cabin, he couldn't relax.

His thoughts drifted to Ruby. He couldn't believe that after actively pursuing her for so long, he'd fucked up in this monumental manner. Although the relationship word hadn't been mentioned, there was no question that he'd betrayed her. He'd need to work out what the hell to do about that, but he couldn't think straight now—not with Faith only centimetres away, the scent of whatever she'd washed her hair with that morning drifting over and teasing him.

After another fifteen minutes or so, Faith spoke. ‘Do you mind stopping so I can get my pillow from the back? I'm tired.'

She'd barely finished her request before he skidded to a halt at the side of the road. He was exhausted too, but at least if she was asleep he could focus on the drive rather than the horrible tension hanging between them.

‘Thanks.' She tossed a tense smile his way as she got out of the ute.

On her return, she clicked her seatbelt back into place and leaned her pillow against the window. They hadn't driven more than five hundred metres before she was asleep. As Monty drove, he found his gaze drifting sideways. He couldn't seem to stop stealing glimpses at her. She looked mostly peaceful but even in slumber, fine lines creased her brow. He almost reached over and smoothed them, but stopped his hand in mid-air.

She barely made a sound or moved a muscle in the time it took to get to Perth. Having eaten his weekly requirement of food in the last two days, he didn't need to stop for takeaway, yet as he drove past a city travel agent, he found himself pulling into a parking slot just outside.

Faith woke at the lack of motion and rubbed her eyes. ‘Where are we?'

He pointed ahead to the travel agency window.

She frowned. ‘Planning a holiday?'

‘Yes, your dad's. Remember?'

‘Oh, that.' She ran her hands through her hair, tugged a black elastic hair band off her wrist and shovelled her hair into a ponytail. Wet when they'd left the farm, it had dried into a beautiful tangle of curls. He forced himself to look back towards the row of shops in front of them.

‘I doubt he'll go for the idea.'

‘You'll never know if you don't try him. Go on.'

Faith bit her lip as if in thought, then said, ‘Okay, back in a moment.' He couldn't tell if she agreed with him or was simply jumping at the chance to get out of the car and away from him.

Normally, he'd follow, but they both needed space today. ‘I'm going next door to get a bottle of Coke. Want anything?'

‘Uh, yeah, some more water, please.' At least she didn't offer to pay for it; that would have really highlighted the chasm between them.

When Monty returned to the car, he watched through the travel agency window as she spoke to a young man who appeared to be piling her high with brochures. She laughed at something the other bloke said, and Monty's chest ached at the ease of their conversation. He almost went inside and told her to hurry up, but instead settled for tapping his fingers on the steering wheel while he waited.

Five minutes later, she emerged with a massive grin on her face, a skip in her step and her arms laden with brochures. He reached across and pushed the door open for her.

‘Thanks.' Her smile seemed closer to her usual one.

‘You've got quite a selection there.'

She nodded, dumped the pile on her lap and clicked her seatbelt in. ‘If Dad doesn't find something to entice him here, he never will.'

As Monty reversed back into the traffic, Faith took the brochure from the top of the pile and opened it. ‘How does a cruise down the Nile sound?'

‘As long as there's a stop to see the pyramids, it sounds perfect. I could even be tempted to join him.'

She snorted. ‘Now you're just getting carried away.'

He laughed. She was right. If he ever decided to take a holiday, Frank wouldn't be on his list of top ten companions. ‘What's next?'

‘Hmm … let's see. There's a safari in southern and east Africa or a temple tour of India. Either of those take your fancy?'

Somehow those travel brochures kept them going the whole journey back to Bunyip Bay. While they planned holidays for the unsuspecting Frank Forrester, they could forget about the elephant in the cabin between them. But when they turned down the road to Faith's house, the tension returned like a storm cloud to a clear blue sky. Faith gathered up the brochures and sighed heavily as her house—lit up by lights on the verandah—came into view. No doubt her mind was occupied with thoughts of how to say goodbye, as was his. When he stopped the ute, there was no more time for pondering.

They unclicked their seatbelts in unison, and he got out to help her with her things, but by the time he arrived at the back of the ute, she'd already hauled her pack onto her back and had the esky in her arms.

‘It's okay, I can manage,' she said, not meeting his gaze. ‘The esky's light as a feather now. Thanks for a…' Her voice drifted off. ‘I'm glad Clancy's Breakaway looks like a goer for you. Call me once you've talked to Mack.'

‘Will do.' He nodded and went to hug her like he'd normally do, but something stopped him at the last moment. Instead, he offered a naff, ‘Have a good night,' and escaped to his ute.

As Faith climbed the front steps, she prepared herself for the mess that would be waiting inside. It would be the shitty icing on the crappy cake that had been her day, but maybe it would help take her mind of Monty. How could he shrug his shoulders and suggest they go on like before after what they'd done together? She'd never experienced anything like the pleasure he'd brought her in the tent last night, but maybe it hadn't been as mind-blowingly good for him.

Deflated, and wishing she could erase the last two days, she dumped the esky with its empty containers on the verandah, to be dealt with tomorrow, and entered through the flyscreen. Two steps into the house, she stumbled and glanced around in shock.

What the
?

As she ventured farther inside, she frowned at the tidy, clean floors and surfaces. The two baskets of washing she'd left to fold on the dining room table were gone. There were no dirty dishes in the sink. No socks in the hall. It was then she noticed an aroma she hadn't smelled since before her mother had been diagnosed with cancer: Cassie's famous lasagne—a dish Faith had never been able to bring herself to cook.

‘Dad? Ryan?' She called through the house, which appeared deserted.

A flush sounded from the bathroom and moments later Ryan appeared. He rushed forward and enveloped her in a hug. ‘Welcome back, sis. Let me get you a drink.'

‘Where's Dad?'

‘Gone to bed early, reckons he had a headache.'

Faith raised her eyebrows. She looked slowly around, wondering whether all the mess was stuffed into cupboards or under beds somewhere. But she held her tongue, not wanting to discourage Ryan's new helpfulness.

After checking the progress of dinner in the oven, her brother poured wine into two glasses. Even as she watched him do it, she was so stunned she didn't register what he was actually doing. Yet, when he crossed the kitchen and offered her a glass, she got a whiff of the fruity aroma and almost retched. She pressed a hand against her stomach and shook her head. ‘No thanks.' After last night, she wasn't sure she could ever drink a drop of alcohol again.

Ryan grinned. ‘Big night, hey?'

‘You have no idea.' She hadn't meant to groan at the recollection but couldn't help it. ‘And anyway,' she said, before he started asking questions she didn't want to answer, ‘since when have you drunk wine?'

He shrugged and looked a little cagey. ‘Since forever.'

‘O-kay then.' Everything in the world seemed a little crazy today. She sank into a chair and gestured to the oven. ‘Does that taste as good as it smells?'

Ryan shrugged. ‘Don't know. I was waiting for my guinea pig to return.' He grabbed a couple of tea towels to protect his hands and turned to the oven to take out his culinary efforts.

Faith glanced at the oven mitts hanging on a hook on the wall but couldn't summon the energy to direct him to them. She stared longingly at the glass of wine; if it had been a beer she might have overlooked her heavy stomach and downed it, just for the relaxing effect.

‘Are you okay?'

She looked up to see Ryan staring at her and for one second contemplated telling him everything. She swallowed the urge because, although Ryan was her brother and loved her in his way, he'd no doubt find the idea of Faith and Monty loose between the sheets a ripper of a yarn to share at the pub.

And it might have been funny if it had been just that, but the more she pondered what they'd done, the more she knew it was anything but. Never in her life had she wished more that her mother was still around.

‘I'm fine. Just tired. And hungry. How long are you going to make me wait?'

‘Anyone ever tell you how bossy you can be?' Ryan asked, but he was smiling as he dished up the lasagne.

‘This is amazing,' Faith said a couple of minutes later, after finishing her first mouthful. ‘Who'd have known you were such a good cook?'

He shrugged, then grinned, obviously pleased by her compliment.

‘And I'm guessing you're responsible for the clean house and non-existent washing pile?'

‘Guilty as charged,' he said, digging into his dinner. ‘All your talk of changing and standing up for yourself has made me start thinking about my own life. I realised you were right, lots of things need to change around here.'

‘Mmm … at least I know you and Dad won't starve to death if I get work elsewhere.'

‘You really think you might do that?'

‘Yep.' After what had happened with Monty, she was in even less of a mood to keep ignoring her own dreams. She might not be able to make him see her as a woman—if what they'd done in the tent last night hadn't done the trick, nothing would—but she could start being more proactive about other areas of her life. ‘I'm going to start looking straight after the Barking Ball. In the unlikely event that Dad changes his tune before then, I might reconsider, but I'm not holding my breath.'