Christmas at Coorah Creek (Choc Lit) (11 page)

‘It’s looking good,’ Scott said to the room in general, but his eyes never left his father’s face.

Ed didn’t hesitate. Still smiling he walked towards his son. This was an opportunity. It might be the last and he wasn’t going to waste it.

‘I think it’ll be all right come Christmas day,’ Ed said. ‘But there’s still a lot of work to do.’

‘I came to help. What do you need me to do?’

‘Ellen is giving the orders,’ Ed said, motioning towards a small blonde woman who was sorting decorations. ‘Let’s see what she needs.’

‘Decorations have to go on the beams,’ Ellen told them. There’s a ladder in the back room.

‘Yes, Ma’am,’ Ed bowed slightly. ‘And exactly how to you want them arranged?’

‘You are two big strong men,’ Ellen slapped Ed’s arm gently and smiled at Scott. ‘I’m sure the two of you can figure it out.’

‘Yes, Ma’am,’ Scott aped his father’s bow. Father and son exchanged a glance, and hesitantly they both smiled.

They worked together for about an hour. Ed held the ladder while Scott climbed to the rafters to drape tinsel over and along the beams. There were colourful paper lanterns to be added, and spinning paper balls. Any tension between them slowly faded. They didn’t talk much, but Ed didn’t mind. He was more than content with what they had. Around them, other workers were laying out the trestle tables and wiping away the dust that had gathered since they were last used.

‘All right – who needs a beer and a burger?’

Trish and Syd Warren walked through the door clutching boxes. Ed moved to take Trish’s load and she gave him a knowing smile as she handed the box over. The beer and burgers were good. Ed enjoyed the camaraderie and for the first time found himself thinking that he had spent far too much time alone with his bitterness and regrets. He realised now that his isolation from the townsfolk has been his own fault. Most of the newer townsfolk didn’t know about his past. Most of the long-time residents didn’t care. It had taken the return of his son to show him what had always been in front of him.

The working party disposed of the burgers and beer on no time at all and began to break up. Ed walked out into the night and stretched his back. As he did, he looked up into a sky glittering with stars.

‘I missed those stars when I moved to the city,’ Scott said as he came to stand beside his father. ‘There’s nowhere on earth with stars like these.’

‘There must have been stars back east,’ Ed said.

‘Yes. But they weren’t like this.’

They stood in silence for a few minutes more.

‘I’m heading back,’ Scott said. ‘Do you need a lift?’

‘Well, I kinda like walking at night.’

‘Do you want some company?’

‘Yeah.’

Scott put his car keys back in his pocket and the two of them set out. It wasn’t going to take long to walk back. After two or three minutes, Scott broke the silence.

‘I opened a workshop you know.’

‘Did you?’

‘Yeah. I restore old classic cars. I’m pretty good at it too.’

Ed smiled in the darkness, a feeling of pride growing inside him. Despite everything, his son had become a good man. ‘Well, as a boy you always loved those old cars. You had dozens of books about them.’

‘I sure did.’

‘There’re all still there you know. In your old room. You should come and get them.’

There was a long silence. Ed knew what Scott didn’t say. That he didn’t want to return to the house where he had experienced so much unhappiness. Ed couldn’t blame him for that.

‘I’ve been offered a job,’ Scott said at last, ‘restoring, among other things, a Lancia Aurelia and a 1956 Mercedes Gullwing.’

Ed let out a low whistle. ‘There aren’t many of those around.’

‘There aren’t.’

Scott hesitated and Ed knew there was something important about to be said.

‘Not in this country. The job is in England. At the National Museum of Motoring.’

Ed’s long stride faltered just a fraction, but he kept walking without looking at his son. ‘Ah. That explains why you were looking at their website the other night. That’s quite something. You’ll enjoy that. When do you leave?’

‘I was supposed to go this week, but I thought I might stay a bit longer. Trish has invited me to join the party and as I’ve put in the work …’ His voice trailed off.

‘It will be good to have you here for Christmas.’

They were almost back at the pub. Ed was about to suggest that Scott and he stop for a last beer, when movement up ahead caught his eye.

‘Candy?’

The old Labrador was limping slowly towards them, her tail wagging.

‘Hey, what are you doing out?’ Ed dropped to one knee to pat the dog. Candy’s tail waved happily, and she included Scott in the adoring gaze she cast at Ed. ‘That old gate doesn’t shut properly anymore,’ Ed said as he stood. ‘I’ll get on that in the morning. She shouldn’t be out on the road.’

Scott nodded his agreement.

‘I’d better take her back.’ Ed rose to his feet. After a moment’s hesitation, he held out his hand. ‘Goodnight, Son.’

Scott took it. ‘Goodnight, Dad.’

As they shook, Ed realised this was the first time he had touched his son since that last night. The night he had lifted his fist to a heartbroken and angry boy. The sense of shame he now felt was overpowering. He wanted to say something. To apologise and ask for Scott’s forgiveness. But instead, he turned and, with his dog at his side, crossed the road back to his dark and empty house.

Chapter Sixteen

‘It’s all right you know. There’s nothing to be ashamed off.’

Katie splashed some more water over her face.

‘Some people just don’t like small planes,’ Jess’s voice continued from the other side of the bathroom door. ‘Really. I have a pilot friend who throws up if he gets into anything smaller than a 747.’

Katie appreciated Jess’s good intentions, but right now, nothing was going to make her feel any better. She rinsed her mouth out again, then wiped her face on the towel. From the mirror, a white-faced woman looked back at her, her eyes rimmed with red. It wasn’t a very flattering image. She turned away.

Jess was waiting outside. The hangar doors were wide open. So was the door to the air ambulance. Jess was carrying a bucket.

‘I’ll clean it up,’ Katie said, her cheeks burning at the thought of what Jess was about to do.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll do it.’ Jess put a comforting hand on her shoulder. ‘It’s an air ambulance remember. I’ve had to clean up far worse.’

Katie wanted to insist. Perhaps salvage just a little bit of self-respect. But the thought of climbing back inside that plane was almost enough to make her retch again.

‘Thank you,’ she said in a whisper.

‘It’s not a problem.’ Jess hesitated. ‘You know, some people just aren’t cut out for… this.’ She waved an arm that seemed to encompass everything from the tin shed that was her hanger, to the aircraft and the whole of the outback. ‘I’m not trying to get rid of you or anything. And Adam says you’re a good nurse. But maybe … just maybe this isn’t the right place for you.’

That thought had already occurred to Katie. And she had trouble shaking it as she drove back towards the hospital and her small flat. It would be so easy to simply go home. Jess and Adam would understand why. And her family would too, when she arrived back in London. No-one would blame her. Well, no-one but herself. To leave now would be to admit that she had failed. Failed to prove to herself that nursing was the right place for her. Failed to recapture her passion for the only career she had ever wanted. And if she gave up now, what would she do? Get a job stacking shelves in a supermarket? Maybe she could get a job at a school. That wasn’t what she wanted.

Feeling pretty despondent she turned into the hospital driveway – and saw Scott. He was sitting on the hospital veranda, obviously waiting for her. Her heart did a little somersault.

There was another reason not to pack up and go home. Scott. As a nurse she’d been chatted up by more than a few doctors. She’d been taken out to dinner in fancy restaurants with fine wine. And not one of them had ever made her heart leap like that.

What was it about this man sitting on her doorstep with a bag that no doubt contained beer? In just a few days he had come to mean more to her than any of those smart doctors with their fancy restaurants and expensive wine.

Realisation crashed down on her like a block of concrete. She didn’t want to leave Coorah Creek because she didn’t want to leave Scott. Yet Scott was going to leave too.

She didn’t believe in love at first site. Attraction – yes. Lust – of course. And there was certainly a fair measure of both between her and Scott. Not love. Not yet. But maybe if they gave themselves a chance, this could become something special.

But Scott was leaving. All she would have is a job she didn’t really enjoy. Jess was right. Coorah Creek was not the place for her.

She parked the car, and almost before she was out, Scott was at her side.

‘How are you feeling?’

She frowned. ‘I’m fine.’

‘Trish said you’d been sick on the plane.’

‘How does that woman know these things?’ Katie shook her head. ‘Is she psychic? Does she have CCTV cameras all over town? How does she do it?’

Scott chuckled, and wrapped his arms around her in a mighty bear hug.

He doesn’t care, she thought, that I have been sick on the plane. I hate to think what I smell like. And god knows I look awful. But he doesn’t care about that. He cares about me. Me.

And suddenly she really did feel fine. Even better than fine.

By the time she had showered and changed, Scott had a cup of tea waiting for her. They settled on her couch and Katie felt herself begin to relax. She told Scott about the flight to help a stockman who had fallen from a windmill while fixing it, and broken his arm.

‘It was a nasty break. But Adam fixed it,’ she said. ‘He’s a good doctor. He does things on site that would require transport to a hospital back home.’ She sighed heavily.

‘I hope that sigh wasn’t caused by our handsome doctor,’ Scott joked.

‘No,’ Katie grinned. ‘I was just thinking
—
’

‘What?’

‘When I was younger I wanted to be a doctor. I imagined myself being some sort of hero and saving lives. Doing the sort of thing Adam does almost every day.’

‘Why didn’t you?’

‘I don’t come from an affluent family. They wouldn’t have been able to afford to put me through medical school. None of the kids at my school ever aimed that high. I was lucky to be able to study nursing.’

‘Any regrets?’
      

‘Sometimes. Nursing in a big London hospital isn’t really for me. It’s too impersonal. The patients all run together into a blur. There are times I felt I wasn’t really helping anyone.’

‘So it’s better for you here?’

‘The work is better. But the flying terrifies me. I doubt I will ever be able to do the air ambulance thing properly.’

‘You’ll get used to it,’ Scott said.

‘Either that or I’ll have to get some better travel sickness pills. The ones Adam gave me today didn’t help at all.’

Scott lifted her hand and gently kissed the back of it. ‘You’ll figure it out. I have faith in you.’

At that moment, as she looked into his smiling eyes and waited for him to kiss her lips, she believed him.

It was quite a few minutes before Scott was able to stop kissing Katie. He just loved the softness of her lips. He could go on kissing her for hours. He could do a lot more too, but he wasn’t going to. It was going to be hard enough to leave her now. If this thing between them went any further, he would never want to walk away.

‘I spent some time with my dad last night,’ he said.

Her face lit up. ‘That’s great. What did you do?’

‘It was that woman again.’ He grinned. ‘Trish roped me into helping them to set up for the town Christmas party. Dad was there. We worked together for a bit.’

‘Are you starting to mend the bridges?’

‘I think so. We walked back together afterwards and we talked.’

‘What did you talk about?’

It had come. He’d told his father. Now it was time to tell Katie.

‘I have a job offer. Restoring classic cars for a motor museum.’

‘Wonderful! That sounds just right for you. Tell me all about it.’

She was looking at him, her eyes shining with joy for him. But what would happen if he told her that the job was in England? He couldn’t do it. It was wrong, he knew that, but he wanted to postpone that moment as long as possible. He wouldn’t lie to her, but at this moment, he just couldn’t tell her the truth.

‘I met the manager when he came into my shop. He liked the work I was doing. They have two amazing new cars arriving soon. Really rare and valuable. He offered me the job restoring them. It’s an honour really.’

‘That’s great! We should celebrate. I can make that dinner I promised you last night before I got called away.’ Katie was getting to her feet. He reached out to pull her back to the couch.

‘Wait. Katie. I … I’m thinking of saying no.’

‘Oh.’

She sat beside him, looking at his face. He could see the question in her eyes.

‘The job would mean leaving Coorah Creek. There are a lot of things holding me here,’ he said. ‘I think I am starting to make some connection with Dad …’

‘That’s great,’ she said softly. ‘I’m happy for you.’

‘And there’s you, Katie. I don’t want to leave just yet. I want to spend more time with you. I’ve never felt this close to anyone before. And so quickly. I don’t know what it is … or what it might become. But I’m not ready to walk away. Not yet.’

He saw the tears in her eyes, adding to their luminous shine. Gently he reached out to run his thumb along her cheekbone. It came back damp.

‘I don’t want you to.’

He kissed her. Her tears added a spicy saltiness to the softness of her lips. He took her face between the palms of his hands, and kissed those tears away. Then they kissed some more, long deep slow kisses that drove the sadness away.

‘You know,’ Katie said with a smile when at last they could both speak again. ‘You are my oldest friend in this whole country. Not by much,’ she added hastily. ‘I only met you half an hour before I met some of the other people here. But that half hour; it means a lot when you’re a long way from home at Christmas.’