Kakadu Sunset (11 page)

*

Gina checked into the lodge while David waited in the car with the kids. They’d paid for Friday night so they could get an early check-in this morning. It was still early and there were no other guests at the reception desk.

‘Welcome to Makowa Lodge, Ms Perini.’ The pretty Aboriginal girl behind the counter had a deep, husky voice. She took Gina’s credit card and swiped it over the terminal, before handing over the security card for the room. ‘I hope you enjoy your stay with us. There are many activities on in the lodge, and there are brochures in the compendium in your room outlining the tours available.’

‘Thank you –’ Gina glanced at the girl’s name badge ‘– Heather.’

‘And make sure you look at our day spa. It’s won national awards.’

Gina smiled and nodded before she put her credit card away. ‘So I have heard. I will, thank you.’

She decided to see if there was an appointment available at the day spa this afternoon. David could look after Andrew and Binny. Then they could have a romantic dinner in the room tonight after the children went to sleep.

David had parked the hire car in the middle of the car park and Gina put up her hand to shade her face from the sun. Despite the early hours, the heat was lifting in waves from the concrete. She smiled as the children’s happy giggles reached her. They
would
make the most of the weekend together and then she would try to enjoy the rest of the time when David was away.

She shook her head as he slouched down in the driver’s seat and pulled the baseball cap low over his eyes.

‘It’s okay, James Bond, it’s only me.’ Gina opened the door and looked at him with a wry smile.

David flicked her a glance and didn’t acknowledge her joke, and she turned away to the back seat. There was only so much she could take of this ridiculous behaviour. ‘How about we go and find some ice-cream after Daddy unpacks the car?’

The squeals from their two children showed her that someone still loved her anyway.

‘Which building?’ David started the car and she looked at the security card.

‘Over there. Block C.’ Gina checked the lodge plan that the receptionist had given her and pointed to the building on the other side of the pool.

‘Good.’ He reversed the car and drove across the car park before parking in the shade. The lodge was in the shape of a crocodile and they were in the wing at the end of one of the back legs. He came around, opened her door and held his arms wide as she stepped out. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have parked closer. I didn’t think.’

‘You haven’t been doing much of that lately,’ she said, but the feel of his arms around her and the steady beat of his heart against her cheek as he pulled her in for a hug softened her mood a little. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just that you have me worried with all this . . . this secrecy.’

David dropped his head and brushed a light kiss across her lips. ‘You take the kids inside and I’ll unpack.’

‘What if someone sees you? Is that safe?’

David cupped one hand around the back of her head and pulled her close. Gina stared at him and a shiver ran through her at the expression in his eyes. Uncertainty and . . . something else. This was not the man she’d shared her life with for the past ten years.

‘Please don’t hide things from me, David.’

He held her gaze for a minute and then let her go. ‘I promise.’ Gina opened the door and leaned in to unbuckle the children from their car seats.

David raised an eyebrow when he pulled out the first suitcase. ‘You really need this much for two weeks?’

‘Don’t forget the other bag on the floor of the back seat too,’ Gina said with an airy wave of her hand. ‘It’s full of toys.’

He grinned and her stomach did a little flip. She was carrying their third child, and even with all the worry surrounding them at the moment, he could still entice her with that sexy smile. Problem was she didn’t get to see it – or him – much lately. ‘You should know by now what I’m like when it comes to travelling.’

‘Everything but the kitchen sink, I know.’ As his phone rang with an incoming call, David put the suitcase down and moved away, his voice quiet as he turned his back to Gina and the children.

‘Come on, you guys. Let’s go explore our room while Daddy is on the phone.’ She held the children’s hands and looked at David, her stomach sinking as she listened to his conversation. ‘Then we’ll go and get our ice-creams.’

‘I could meet you there this afternoon.’ David’s words reached her even though he spoke quietly. He turned and held her gaze, and Gina’s cheeks burned as she read the plea in his eyes.

‘The bar where the cruise boats leave the harbour?’ He glanced down at his watch with a frown. ‘Yes, five o’clock will be fine.’

Gina turned away from David and left him to see to their luggage as he ended the call.

‘Mummy!’ Andrew protested as she hurried the children across to the building where their suite was located.

Dropping Andrew’s hand, she swiped the card across the lock, her movement jerky, reflecting the anger that was building in her. So he’d intended spending the weekend with them and she’d fallen for his promise? The cold air of the foyer rushed out to meet her when she pushed the door open and Gina welcomed the chill on her burning skin. She sat the children on the floor inside the suite and went back to hold the door open while David made three trips back and forth from the car, filling the foyer with their luggage.

Not a word was spoken until he brought in the last bag, and Gina closed the door of the suite where she and the children would be spending God-knew-how-long until David decided they could go home. She settled the children in front of a cartoon on cable television with a banana each, once again promising ice-cream, and when they were settled she went back into the kitchen. David was leaning against the stone counter top, waiting for her. He opened his arms but she ignored him, walking over to the kettle and filling it with water while she tried to contain her temper.

‘Where’s your bag?’ She looked at the pile of luggage stacked neatly inside the door.

‘I left it in the car. I’ll come back for the day tomorrow, and spend it with you. I have to go to this meeting.’

She arched her eyebrow before turning away to rifle through a container of exotic tea bags. ‘Don’t bother. I’d hate for you to go out of your way for us.’

Gina closed her eyes as she waited for the water to boil and shrugged David’s hand away when he gently touched her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes, staring out through the large window, and watched a family group cross the lawn to the pool area. She couldn’t hear their laughter but she could see the happiness on their faces as the couple watched two children run to the side of the sparkling pool.

‘You’ve changed so much, David.’ She flinched as he slid his arms around her from behind and dropped his chin onto her shoulder. ‘Tell me what’s going on. Show me you can trust me. What you are showing me now is that we are no longer important to you and you have dumped us out here in the wilds where we won’t bother you.’

His laugh held no amusement. ‘It’s nothing to do with trusting you. I just don’t want to frighten you.’

Uncertainty made her chest ache as his voice shook and she turned around in his arms. ‘Then
tell
me what it happening. Please.’

David dropped his forehead to rest against hers. ‘I made a stupid mistake and signed a document I shouldn’t have. Now I’m being pressured to uphold a decision in a committee meeting that may have consequences.’

‘So?’ Gina wrinkled her brow and waited for David to continue. ‘Can’t the other members of the committee see it is not a good decision?’

His breath was warm against her face and he didn’t answer. Screams and laughter carried in from the television show in the living area and Binny’s cute little chuckle followed soon after.

‘David, you’ve always followed your judgement, and your integrity is one of the reasons you got to be Chief Minister at such a young age. You
know
that. How can you doubt you are doing the right thing this time?’

‘I wish it was so easy. There’s more than that.’ He leaned back and the fear settled into Gina’s stomach as he held her gaze. ‘A very powerful man has threatened to hurt the children if I don’t recommend approval for a boundary change that could result in mining at the edge of the national park.’

‘Who has? What the hell are you talking about?’ She pushed away from his gentle hold. ‘How dare you not say that to . . . I mean . . . tell me that before. And you were just going to leave us here alone and go back to the city? Without warning me to be careful?’ Gina sought the right words, her voice becoming increasingly shrill. When she was really upset, her English deserted her and she would lapse into her native Italian. ‘How dare you play with us, with
la nostra sicurezza
, with . . . with . . . our lives, just to run your precious Territory?’ Her voice hitched on a sob and she pulled away from his hold. ‘Our
bambini
, David. You risk them for what? A fucking piece of land?’

‘Listen to me. No one knows you’re here. It’s safe here and –’ David’s voice was quiet and it was his calm that fuelled Gina’s anger even more. He ran his hand through his hair and then reached for her again, but she balled her fists and struck at his chest. David grabbed for her hand but she folded her arms.

‘Who are
they
?’ Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at him and she blinked them away. ‘Tell me.’

‘Keep your voice down.’ The patience in his voice despite his commanding words pissed her off even more. How could he be so calm? She and the kids were just there for him to be with at his whim, and she knew they always came second to his precious political career.

‘What are you going to do?’ Gina whispered and brushed away the tears that were now running down her cheeks. ‘I know you so well, David, and I love you for your high ideals. You will do the right thing as I would wish you to.’ She stared at him and her voice was cold. ‘But if anything happens to our children, I will never forgive you.’

Saturday
Makowa Lodge

Kane pushed open the door to the administration block of the lodge, and welcomed the cool air on his face. He lifted his hand and wiped away the beads of perspiration on his brow, although the sweat probably had more to do with the pain in his damned hip than the heat of the day outside. The walk into the waterfall yesterday had left him with a nagging ache down his leg, and he’d barely slept after he’d come back from a late visit to the farm – his mind fogged with pain and worry until he’d finally resorted to painkillers in the early hours.

Concern about what this job was going to require of him was interspersed with thoughts of his mother stuck in that rundown dump by herself, and of the fact that Ellie Porter had somehow snuck through his defences.

He was hoping Jock worked Saturdays; he needed to ensure that he wasn’t rostered on to fly anymore. That misunderstanding needed to be cleared up or he would be out of here in a flash. The office was empty and he was relieved that Heather wasn’t there striking her Marilyn Monroe pose in the doorway. She seemed like a friendly enough person, if a bit over the top with the come-hither glances.

Kane wasn’t interested in making connections. As soon as Mum was on the road to recovery, he was out of here. Where to, he wouldn’t know that until he moved on. He had no interest in the social bonding that was always a part of isolated work places. It had been different in the Army; there you relied on others just to stay alive. They’d had good times together in the mess – as much as you could have in the middle of a war.

A single drop of perspiration ran down his cheek.

He squeezed his eyes shut but the flashback slammed in without warning.

‘Look out. Lift up, lift up.’ Hawk’s voice was steady but Kane sensed his navigator’s fear in the same instant that the machine gun fire ripped through the oil lines of his chopper.

‘Brace, brace.’ His yell drowned in the thin, high-pitched scream as the bullets penetrated the airframe and smashed through Hawk’s body. Surprise filled her eyes as her life drained away. The smell of her blood mixed with the acrid stink of the burning oil.
Not my fault. Nothing I could –

Kane swallowed and forced the image away, focusing on the stand in front of him. Postcards, small stuffed animals and books about Kakadu filled the racks and he reached out and picked up a small green crocodile with huge teeth and a happy smile. He held it loosely, letting the soft fur brush against his fingers.

‘Hey, there. Do you need a hand?’

He put the crocodile back on the stand and walked over to the high counter.

‘I was wondering if Jock was about.’ Kane glanced at the name badge on the woman’s chest. ‘Hi, Jan. I’m Kane McLaren. I’m working over at the hangar.’

‘Nice to meet you.’ She held her hand out and he shook it. ‘Sorry, but Jock’s not here on weekends. He’s got a place in Darwin and he won’t be back till Monday.’

‘Okay, thanks, I’ll catch up with him, then.’ He turned to leave, but like seemingly everyone else in this place, Jan was on for a chat.

‘Are you staying in the staff apartments?’

Kane nodded. ‘For a while.’

‘Where are you from?’

‘Brisbane.’ He glanced down at his watch and forced a friendly smile to his face. ‘You?’

‘Oh, I’m from Jabiru. A died-in-the wool-local.’ She winked at him. ‘Anything you need to know about the place, just ask.’

‘Thanks.’ He tried to think of something else to say but the art of social chit-chat had left him a long time ago. Rescue came in the form of a fluffy toy. There was another pile of them in a small basket on the counter and he reached out and picked up one of the soft green crocodiles. ‘I’ll have one of these. A memento of Kakadu.’

As she took it from him, his gaze dropped to the assortment of Cadbury chocolate blocks on display along the front of the counter, and he picked one up and passed it over to her. If he couldn’t see Jock, he’d go for a drive to the farm and see his mother.

The thought of spending the day alone in the lodge didn’t appeal and it also meant there was more chance of running into Ellie. From now on, he’d shut himself off. Do his job. Look after the choppers and put his energy into taking care of Mum. And stay away from temptation – even though her apartment was only three doors away from his.