She was a failed owner of an art gallery.
How could this woman fail at anything? For a moment he almost felt sorry for the stupid ex-boyfriend who’d betrayed her. Mike was lucky he’d only got a bucket of iced water.
He grinned.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘I was thinking of Mike.’
‘Of Mike?’
‘And iced water. And microphones. I’m thinking maybe we need to get you boxing lessons. Slugging might be easier.’
‘Not half as satisfying,’ she said, and she smiled back.
‘There is that.’ He hesitated. ‘Shanni, I’m really grateful.’
‘I know you are,’ she said smugly. ‘That’s why I did it.’ Her smile faded. ‘You know, it’s occurred to me that if you’re taking the kids to the beach then you don’t actually need me.’
‘Pardon?’
‘This castle. I asked the doctor about it. After I yelled at him he started being a sweetie. We looked Dolphin Bay castle up on the internet. It’s a refuge where disadvantaged kids get a holiday, and their carers do, too. There’s more than enough staff to take the kids off your hands while you get your work done. I could…’ She took a deep breath. ‘I could go find somewhere else to stay.’ But then she brightened. ‘Or I could stay at the farm by myself. I could paint. Someone has to babysit Clyde.’
‘But you have to come,’ said Donald from the back seat.
‘What if there are bulls?’ Abby demanded. ‘We need you to look after Donald.’
‘Yes,’ said Donald.
‘We certainly need you, and I’ve found a Clyde-sitter,’ Pierce said with a sidelong glance at his passenger. She was looking weary. It’d been a hell of a day yesterday. The bull’s attack must have taken its toll. Yet her behaviour in the supermarket…It had been amazing.
Ruby would have fought like that, he thought, and he smiled.
‘You keep having private jokes,’ Shanni complained, and he tried to stop smiling. But she sounded so righteous that he wanted to smile all over again.
‘You remind me of Ruby.’
‘I love my Aunty Ruby,’ she said warmly. But then she frowned. ‘But I told you-stop saying that. She’s short and dumpy.’
‘And you’re short and cuddly.’ It was out before he realized what he’d intended to say. He hadn’t intended to say it. Had he?
‘I don’t do cuddles,’ she said.
‘No?’
‘Why not?’ asked Wendy.
‘Cos I had a boyfriend who was a rat, and I’ve promised I’ll never cuddle anyone again.’
‘Our Mum said Pierce didn’t do cuddles,’ Abby piped up. ‘We had to teach him.’
‘Kids’ cuddles are different to adult cuddles.’ Pierce knew he sounded desperate but that was how he was feeling.
‘Why didn’t you do cuddles?’ Shanni asked, interested. Then she remembered something. ‘Ruby says all her boys are emotionally crippled.’
‘Gee, thanks.’
‘There’s one thing I can’t understand.’
‘What’s that?’ He sounded cautious, but who could blame him?
‘Why did you buy your farm?’
The question caught him unprepared. He had no answer.
‘You didn’t know about Maureen and the kids before you bought it, did you?’ she asked.
‘Um, no.’
‘You hadn’t heard and decided to be super-nice?’
‘I’m not super-nice.’
‘No?’ She screwed up her nose, deep in thought. ‘You were working in Sydney on your super architect projects that earn you megabucks. You decided you wanted a weekend getaway, so you looked around here. And lo-a five- bedroom farmhouse. Two living rooms. Three bathrooms. Three dog houses. Have you ever owned a dog?’
‘No.’
‘There you go, then. Do you have lots of friends and relations?’
He hesitated. ‘Only Ruby.’
‘And the boys. Your foster brothers. Ruby’s boys.’ She smiled a little at that. ‘Ruby thinks the world of you guys. Though you’ve blotted your copybook with the apartment.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Buying her a fabulous apartment that she can’t share. Whose cork-brained idea was that?’
‘Not mine,’ he admitted.
There was a lengthy silence. The kids didn’t understand where the conversation was going, but they were good kids. They were content to listen.
‘So,’ Shanni said at last. She sank back into her seat, and he had the feeling she would have crossed her arms if she didn’t have an arm in a sling. Judgement had been pronounced.
‘You sound like the secrets of the universe have been revealed.’
‘They have,’ she said in tones of satisfaction. ‘Aunty Ruby always said you were a nice boy.’
‘I bet she says that about us all.’
‘No. She had tags. I don’t know you all, but she has you categorized. The silent one. The dangerous one. The wild one. The deep one.’
‘And I’m just nice.’
‘She said it in the kindest way. She thinks the world of you.’ She hesitated. ‘Aunty Ruby says you see nothing of your own family.’
‘No.’ Short. Clipped. Brusque. Intended to give her a message which she clearly didn’t receive.
‘Okay.’ She looked sideways at him. ‘So, you bought your farm for Ruby?’
‘I didn’t.’
‘No, not specifically, cos she’d never have taken it. But if you had a great big farmhouse that was rattlingly empty, and Ruby knew it was there and some kid or other was in trouble, she’d have filled it up. I bet that’s what you were thinking. Only Maureen got in first and filled it before Ruby could.’
‘It wasn’t for Ruby.’ But he knew he didn’t sound convincing.
‘Maybe it was in your subconscious, but I bet it was there. But then the rest of the boys had their great idea about giving Ruby an apartment for herself. But you knew she’d hate it.’
‘I didn’t know.’
‘Of course you did, because you’re the nice one. But you were stuck then, cos of course you couldn’t be the only one who wouldn’t give Ruby the apartment. And you’ve got five kids who you know Ruby would adore to have as pseudo-grandkids, but of course the rest of Ruby’s boys would think you were lower than the low if you foisted them on her.’
‘What’s “foist”?’ Bryce asked.
‘Let Ruby near you,’ Pierce said desperately. ‘I can’t.’
‘Which is why you told her you had one baby and only one. You knew she’d never be able to resist more.’
‘She couldn’t resist one. I had to practically straitjacket her to stop her coming. I didn’t want to tell her that much, but I needed my foster brother Blake to help with the legal stuff. We were staying with Ruby at the time and she overheard. She knew I was hiding something. So I told Ruby one baby.’
‘And you told Ruby you didn’t want her?’
‘This is too damned convoluted,’ he growled. ‘Plus it’s not your business.’
‘I don’t want to meet any more bulls,’ she explained. ‘No more unpleasant surprises. But, meanwhile, you don’t need me at Dolphin Bay.’
‘I do,’ he insisted.
