The Outback Bridal Rescue (19 page)

‘You’re okay with it?’

‘Sure.’

‘Megan?’

‘No problem. Sorted a few things out for us, actual y.

Guess I was a bit too tight-lipped about stuff I’ve carried with me for a long time.’

‘I was with Kathryn, too,’ Mitch admitted rueful y. ‘Hard to open up. But makes a big difference when you do.’

‘Makes sense of everything for them,’ Ric remarked knowingly.

So they had held back, too, Johnny thought.

We all felt vulnerable…guarding ourselves.

Trust was such a huge thing, coming from their backgrounds. They’d learnt to trust Patrick. Yet even he, at the end, had confounded Johnny with his wil . Probably Mitch and Ric, too, though they’d set it aside, making up their own reasons for it.

‘So what’s this meeting about?’ he asked as he ushered them into the office.

‘A letter from Patrick,’ Mitch answered.

Johnny was stunned. He closed the door on automatic pilot, staring at the other two. It was clear they both knew about it. No surprise on Ric’s face. And Mitch was drawing an envelope out from inside the jacket he was wearing.

‘He left it with me, Johnny,’ he explained. ‘To be opened a year after his death when the three of us were together.’

Fair enough, Johnny thought. Mitch was the lawyer. Of course he would obey Patrick’s instructions. Yet if it explained the wil , why a year later? It would have saved a huge amount of heartburn and worry if they’d al known Patrick’s reasoning in the first place.

Mitch held out the envelope. ‘I think you should read it out, Johnny.’

‘No. He put it in your keeping, Mitch,’ he asserted, his stomach already churning over what its contents might be, whether Patrick would have wanted what he’d ultimately done. The other two had nothing to worry about. They could be at ease, while he… No, he fiercely told himself. He’d done right. It felt right. Megan felt it, too. Partners, in every sense.

‘You read it, Mitch,’ Ric agreed.

None of them moved to sit down. Somehow, it was a mark of respect to Patrick to keep standing. Mitch opened the envelope and withdrew a sheet of paper, slowly unfolding it. He cleared his throat.

‘Just let me read it through. Leave any discussion of its contents to the end. Agreed?’

Johnny and Ric nodded.

Mitch took a deep breath and read—

My three sons,

That’s how I think of you. I could not have loved you
more, nor been more proud of you, if you had been born
to me.

I get so tired now. I can feel my body slowing down,
time running out. Ric and Mitch, both of you have found
what you needed to fulfil the rich promise of your lives. I
believe you know this and will understand I want the same
for Johnny. To some measure, I think I stood in the way of
that happening, so the will I have written is meant to
correct that.

There’s Megan, too. I’ve made provision for Jessie and
Emily but Megan will need help to get past this drought
and rebuild. I know all three of you would step forward to
ensure her future on Gundamurra, but I have singled out
Johnny, not because I favour him above either of you, but
because it gives him my approval and blessing to make
his home at Gundamurra with Megan, if he so wishes.

I sit here thinking of the bond that has always been
between them—a natural gravitation towards each other
which has never lessened, though it has been much
strained in recent years. I believe the tension I have
observed between them is the tension of barriers raised
which neither of them feel able to cross.

I could be wrong. A year is long enough to break those
barriers if the desire to do so has the strength of love
behind it. If this has not proved true, I now put it in the
hands of the three of you to correct the inheritance,
returning it all to Megan, and sharing the financial onus I
put on Johnny to rescue Gundamurra for her.

You each offered help. I know it’s in your hearts to give
it. Let Johnny go free to seek what I hope he will find one
day—the peace of coming home to a woman he loves,
who also loves him. And Johnny, please forgive my
trespass on your life. I trust the year was not too hard on
you. On all three of you, wondering why I did what I’ve
done.

Stay brothers to each other. And thank you for all you
have given me through the years.

Patrick.

It took Johnny a while to swal ow the lump in his throat, to feel composed enough to speak. ‘Did either of you realise what the wil was about?’

‘We didn’t know for sure, Johnny,’ Ric answered. ‘We just figured Patrick knew what he was doing.’

‘Knight attack,’ Mitch murmured, waving to the chess table. ‘Patrick wanted you to capture the queen. That seemed to be the logic of it. And you did, Johnny.’

‘Wel , I wouldn’t put it like that to Megan,’ he said hotly.

‘We’re partners.’

‘Al the barriers down?’ Ric quizzed, a satisfied twinkle lurking in his bril iant dark eyes. ‘Seemed that way to me this morning.’

A quick train of realizations clicked through Johnny’s head. ‘That damned concert! Lara’s idea. And bringing a video of the movie home, shoving it in our faces…’

‘You helped me with Lara, Johnny,’ came the quick retort.

‘You
knew
something, Ric.’

‘I swear I just put two and two together.’

‘We were both here for Megan’s twenty-first birthday,’

Mitch slid in. ‘It was very clear that we didn’t make up for your absence.’

‘Right! So I’m an idiot for not seeing it before this.’

‘No, Johnny. Megan was ten years younger than you.

And Patrick’s daughter,’ came the sympathetic reply. ‘They were big blinkers to see past. Both Ric and I wore the same blinkers until Patrick’s wil was read. Then for the most part we stood back and let the two of you fight it out.’

‘Which brings us to the critical question…’ Ric paused, then pointedly inquired, ‘Have you come home, Johnny?’

‘Yes. Yes, I have.’

And he laughed because they were both grinning at him, and their grins plainly said, ‘Welcome to the club!’

‘In fact,’ he went on, ‘I was discussing with Megan last night—I’d like to start up an opportunity program for street-kids here on Gundamurra. I probably won’t be as good as Patrick at it, but I want to give it a shot.’

‘No question kids would relate to you, Johnny,’ Mitch said warmly. ‘It’s a great idea.’

‘Very fitting,’ Ric agreed. He nodded to the big leather chair behind the desk. ‘If anyone can fil Patrick’s chair, it’s you, Johnny. I wish you wel with it.’

‘I’l second that,’ Mitch said, smiling. ‘I can see that chair fitting you like a glove as time goes on.’

It embarrassed Johnny that they thought so much of him, but he was intensely grateful for their support and understanding. ‘Thanks, guys. I’l do my best to live up to it.

And Mitch, I was thinking since you’re high up in legal circles, you could help me organise the program.’

‘You can certainly count on my help.’

‘I take it you’re not thinking of doing any more movies?’

Ric posed.

‘No. It’s not real life. What I have with Megan here on Gundamurra
is
real. And it’s good. I wouldn’t swap it for anything.’

‘So there’s nothing to discuss,’ Mitch said decisively. ‘I think we should do what al brothers would do at such a time. Arm ourselves with a drink and raise a toast to the man who got it right for us.’

Which they proceeded to do.

‘To Patrick Maguire, who gave us the lives we now have,’ Ric said.

‘To the best father we could have had,’ Mitch said.

‘Rest in peace, Patrick. It was indeed a
good day
when we arrived at Gundamurra,’ Johnny said. Then with deep feeling, ‘Your mission is complete. We’ve al come home.’

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THE OUTBACK BRIDAL RESCUE

First North American Publication 2004.

Copyright © 2004 by Emma Darcy.

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