Abby and the Bachelor Cop

She knew what would hurt most.

But… ‘Can’t,’ Lionel said briefly. ‘I live in a rooming house now. I had to sell the house when Baxter pinched Mum’s money. Lost the house, then lost me job when Mr Abrahams died. Someone said the Finns had Klep. Went up there to see and Sarah said he were yours. Sarah said he were happy. You’re looking after ’im?’

‘I…yes.’

‘He’s a great dog, Klep,’ Lionel said. ‘Makes a man happy.’

‘I… He’ll make me happy.’

‘Goodo,’ Lionel said. ‘That man… Dexter… They said you’re getting married.’

‘I…’

‘He’s the lawyer.’ It wasn’t a question.

‘Yes.’

‘He don’t like dogs,’ Lionel said. ‘He come up to Mr Abrahams’ when he made a will. Kleppy jumped up and it were like he was touching dirt. You and he…’ He stopped, the question unasked. You and he…

‘We’ll sort it out,’ Abby said. ‘I love Kleppy enough for both of us.’

‘That’s good,’ Lionel said. ‘You’ve made me feel better. And you’re a lucky woman. Kleppy’s the best mate you could have.’ He gave Kleppy a farewell hug and went back to mowing.

Abby kept on staring at nothing.

Like he was touching dirt…

She’d done the right thing. She didn’t need twenty-four hours. She was a lucky woman?

Maybe she was. She had Kleppy and she was…free?

CHAPTER TEN

ABBY told no one but it was all over town by morning.

Abigail Callahan and Philip Dexter had had a row. She’d flung his ring back in his face. He’d accused her of having an affair. She’d accused him of having an affair. The wedding would cost squillions to cancel. Abby was threatening to go to China.

Abby was threatening to take the dog to China.

Why, oh, why, did she live in a small town?

The phone rang at seven-thirty and it was her mother. Hysterical.

‘Sam Bolte said he saw you at the golf club and you weren’t wearing your ring. I’ve just had a call from Ingrid. Ingrid says Sam says Philip was rigid with anger, and he said it’s all about that stupid dog. Are you out of your mind?’

She laid back on the pillows and listened to her mother’s hysteria and thought about it.

Was she out of her mind?

Kleppy was asleep on her feet.

She could sleep with Kleppy for ever. If she didn’t do something about Raff.

She couldn’t do something about Raff. There was nothing to do.

‘It’s okay, Mum, I’ll sort it,’ she said.

‘Sort it? Tell Philip it’s all a ghastly mistake? You know, if it means the difference between whether you marry or not, your father and I will even keep the creature.’

The creature nuzzled her left foot and she scratched his ear with her toe.

‘That’s really generous, but…’

‘You can’t cancel the wedding. It’ll cost…’

‘No, it won’t.’ This, at least, she could do. She’d figured it out, looked at the contract with the golf club, had it nailed. ‘I lose my deposit, which is tiny. None of the food’s been ordered. Nothing’s final. I can do this.’

‘You’re never serious?’

‘Mum, I don’t want to marry Philip.’

There was a long, long silence. Then… ‘Why not?’ It was practically a wail.

‘Because I don’t want to be sensible. I like being a dog owner. I like that my dog’s a thief.’ She thought about it and decided, why not go for broke; her mother could hardly be any more upset than she was now. ‘I might as well tell you… I don’t think I want to be a lawyer, either.’

‘You’ve lost your mind,’ her mother moaned. ‘John, come and tell your daughter she’s lost her mind. Darling, we’ll take you to the doctor. Dr Paterson’s known you since you were little. He can give you something.’

‘I’m not sure he can give me what I want.’

‘What do you want?’

‘My dog, for now,’ she said, shoving another thought firmly away. ‘My independence. My life.’

‘Abigail…’

‘I’m hanging up now, Mum,’ she said. ‘I love you very much, but I’m not marrying Philip and I’m not mad. Or I don’t think I’m mad. I’m not actually sure who I am any more, but I think I need to find out, and I can’t do that as Mrs Philip Dexter.’

‘Rumour is she’s thrown him over. Rumour is she met some guy at that conference she went to in Sydney last month. Chinese. Millionaire. Loaded. Couple of kids by a past marriage but that’s not worrying her. Rumour is she wants to take the dog…’

Raff spent the morning feeling…

Surprised?

‘Go away. I’m not home.’

She was pretending not to be home. The first couple of times the doorbell rang Kleppy barked, which might be a giveaway, but she fixed that. She tucked him firmly under the duvet, and she put her jewellery box down there with him. Which reminded her…

Should she give the box back to Philip’s grandfather? He’d given it to her as a labour of love, on the premise she was marrying his grandson.

Maybe he was one of those out there ringing her doorbell, sent by her mother to tell her to be sensible.

It couldn’t matter. Go away, go away, go away.

How long could she stay under the duvet? She started working out how much food she had in the place; when she’d be forced to do a grocery run. She thought of the impossibility of facing shopping in Banksia Bay. Maybe she and Kleppy could leave town for a bit.

Where could she go?

Somewhere Raff could find her. If he wanted to find her.

Don’t think of that. Don’t think of Raff. Get this awfulness out of the way, and then look forward. Please…

The doorbell rang again.

Go away.

It rang again, more insistent, and it was followed by a knock, too loud to be her mother. Philip? Go away!

‘Abigail Callahan?’ The voice was stern with authority and it made her jump. Raff.

Raff was right outside her front door.

Panic.

What did he think he was doing, hiking up to her front door as bold as brass? She peeked past the curtains and his patrol car was parked out front. With its lights flashing.

She practically moaned. This was all she needed. Who knew what the town was saying about her, but she did not need Raff in the mix. It was all too complicated.

Kleppy whined, sensing her confusion, and she hugged him and held her breath and willed Raff to go away.

But Raff Finn wasn’t a man to calmly turn away.