What Rosie Found Next (14 page)

Rosie wrapped her hands around her mug of tea. Goose pimples peppered her arms in her short-sleeved dress, but she didn’t know whether it was from the air conditioning or from the shock that Bella not only knew about every item in the box, she knew a whole lot more.

‘Have you mentioned the box to Owen?’ Bella hooked her fingers through the handle of her mug.

‘I haven’t said anything.’

‘Good.’

‘I didn’t ask to be a part of this secret. I shouldn’t have been put in this position.’ Rosie’s defensiveness unleashed.

‘Calm down, Rosie.’

‘No, I won’t calm down. If Owen hadn’t turned up in Magnolia Creek, if we hadn’t become … friends, then I’d be able to stay out of it. But the fact is, he did, and we are, and he doesn’t deserve this.’

‘He does that to people.’ Bella smiled.

‘Does what?’

‘Owen comes across as being very different from the man he is inside, and when you get to know him, he’s someone you value as a friend. He’s a keeper.’

Ignoring Bella’s character analysis, Rosie told her, ‘It’s not my place to show Owen what I found, or to tell him what you’ve told me. But I’m fighting with myself that that’s exactly what I
should
do.’

Bella looked across the room, past Rosie, way out the window to the bush the other side of the road. ‘I wrestle with my conscience every time that boy looks at me, each time he winks at me when he leaves the café and when he smiles and calls me sweetheart. When he looks out of sorts, I want to hug him and tell him why his mum is the way she is.’

Rosie looked down into the depths of the brown liquid in her cup. This house-sit had pulled her into a family who had woven a web of lies yet still held strong. ‘It was all well and good when Owen was doing his thing and I was doing mine, but—’ She glanced up to find Bella looking at her, eyes begging the question. ‘We’re just good friends.’

‘We’ll see.’

No matter what Owen had become, or became, when Rosie left the café her only dilemma now was how she was going to face him knowing what she knew.

*

Owen pulled off his helmet and rested back on the Ducati’s seat as Rosie walked up the driveway. ‘Hey, I wondered where you’d got to.’

‘I walked to the shops.’ His face must’ve registered surprise because she added, ‘It was fine. It’s daylight.’

‘I know, but after last night—’

‘I’m a big girl, Harrison.’

‘Nah, it doesn’t sound as good as “Stevens”, Stevens.’ Smiling, he rested his helmet on the Ducati and unzipped his jacket, shrugging off the heat of the day that was trying to cook him. ‘How’s the knee?’

‘It doesn’t hurt this morning, and the mark on my neck is already fading.’

‘I can see.’ He had to stop himself from reaching out his fingers and gently tracing the outline of the mark.

She scurried off inside the house before he could say anything else. The space between them today was like the Grand Canyon compared to the closeness they’d shared last night. But after what had happened, he couldn’t blame her. If he ever got his hands on the fucking lowlife, he’d string him up by his balls for what he did to Rosie.

*

‘It’s great to hear your voice,’ Rosie spoke into the iPad for FaceTime with Adam. She desperately needed some semblance of normality right now rather than thinking about the mugging and the secret she’d found and wished she knew nothing about.

‘I hope you’ve got some champagne handy.’ Adam grinned into the camera.

‘Why?’

‘I didn’t get the promotion that keeps me in Singapore, but I did get headhunted for a nine month contract in the U.S. It’s much more money, more responsibility.’

‘It’s great news,’ she said flatly. It looked as though bad things really did come in threes.

‘Come on, Rosie, once I’ve got this experience I’ll be heading home to Australia with much more to offer. I’ll buy us the dream home you deserve.’ He breathed deeply. ‘I know you like life to be laid out in front of you and you don’t like too many surprises, but this is an amazing opportunity to set us up for a great future.’

She grunted.

‘Rosie, come on. We can’t live our lives adhering to some master plan.’

Fuelled by the pressure of secrets she didn’t even want to know, she yelled, ‘I don’t have a master plan, you arsehole!’

‘Rosie!’

‘I’m sick of it, Adam. You make out that it’s me wanting this, wanting to buy a place together, settle down and have a family, when all along you’ve wanted the same. Or at least I thought you did.’

They let the air settle between them, and when Adam spoke again Rosie softened.

‘I’m sorry about my
master plan
jibe,’ he said.

‘It’s okay.’

‘Do you really think I’m an arsehole?’

‘A big arsehole,’ she laughed. ‘A big arsehole with a big promotion.’ She couldn’t help but beam a smile back at him, and she forgot all about positioning the iPad to hide her neck.

His face got larger as he peered into his own device. ‘What happened to your neck?’

Rosie opened her mouth and surprised herself at the words that came out. ‘I caught my necklace on a door, ripped it right off.’

‘Bloody hell, were you running? It looks a nasty mark.’

‘It’s fine.’

‘Are you really upset?’

Tears sprung into her eyes at his sympathy. ‘I’ll find another one.’

‘That’s the spirit.’ He ran a hand through his fringe and it flopped right back where it had been in the first place.

‘Do you think you’ll be able to come home for Christmas?’ Rosie asked.

‘I can’t, I need to wrap things up here, get myself organised for the new job. I’ll be back in the New Year, and by the end of next year we should be sharing a place. We’ll be together next Christmas and every single one after.’

‘Sounds perfect.’ The thought of every Christmas in the future was enough to placate her.

‘Is Owen going to be around for Christmas?’ Adam asked. ‘If he is, then you could always come here.’

‘Adam, we’ve been through this. When Magnolia House is up and running again it’ll be all hands on deck.’

‘Did I ever mention how proud I am of you, Rosie?’

‘No, tell me again.’

‘I’m very proud of you, and I love you.’

‘I love you too.’

When they hung up Rosie lay on the bed and traced the pillow where Owen’s head had rested last night. She’d felt guilty the second she saw Adam’s face today and heard his voice. She’d never, not for even a minute, thought that she’d share a bed with another man as she told him her life history. Life had caught her out good and proper this time, but lately it felt as though Owen lightened the load of life on her shoulders, whereas Adam continuously added to it.

Tom Harrison laid something called a Baby
Björn
on the sofa and untangled its straps as Owen watched on, fascinated. ‘It’s like watching
The
Krypton Factor.
’

‘What’s that?’ Tom successfully attached the baby carrier to his body and scooped ten-month-old Ryan up from where he lay on the kiddie gym on the lounge room floor. He expertly slotted his son into the carrier and pulled the straps at either side to hold him in place.

‘It was a British game show,’ said Owen. ‘Mum visited Auntie Sarah once and was hooked on it. I watched it with her a few times on Foxtel. I’m pretty sure the contestants would’ve had a big challenge in the intelligence test if they were given that baby carrier thingamajig.’

Owen tickled Ryan’s cheek and coaxed a giggle from his nephew, who was well-practised at the art of blowing bubbles at the side of his mouth. Like Owen and Tom, Ryan had dark hair curling in wisps over his ears when it was allowed to get too long. All three of them had Jane Harrison’s deep-set green eyes too.

‘Right, let’s go.’ Tom grabbed the navy-blue sunhat from the side table in the hall, put it on Ryan’s head and scooped up a big black bag.

Owen gallantly took the bag from his brother, surprised by its size. ‘What’s in this?’

‘Nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, hand sanitiser … the regular stuff you need for a trip out the door with a baby.’

‘Whatever happened to grabbing your wallet and keys?’

‘Those days are long gone, bro. And lucky for you, Sadie chose the masculine-coloured change bag rather than a bright pink, orange, or worse, something covered in flowers.’

‘Lucky for you, you mean,’ Owen retorted, ‘otherwise I would’ve made you carry it yourself.’

They left Tom’s house in Port Melbourne and Owen acted as Ryan’s assistant, picking up the hat every time the kid threw it on the ground. He soon realised he was merely a pawn in his nephew’s game.

‘So how’s the property business treating you?’ Tom tilted his head to indicate the park across the road.

‘Not bad.’

‘Still hoping to make it big in Europe?’

‘I’m hoping to expand, yes, maybe nab a bargain while the UK property market is still moving slowly. It’s a big commitment though.’

Tom lifted the latch on the gate and let them into the park. ‘I guess it’d be difficult, too, if you weren’t there to oversee the rentals or renovations.’

‘If I ended up going for it, then I’d have to spend a bit of time over there, probably six months or so. I think I could get a visa easily enough.’

Owen noticed heads turning as they walked past the swings and over to the grass area. ‘So having a baby strapped to your chest appears to be a real babe magnet,’ he whispered to his brother.

‘They probably think we’re gay dads,’ said Tom.

Owen almost turned around to say that he was as heterosexual as they come, but actually it was quite amusing. Let the three women sitting on the bench, hiding behind their sunglasses, think what they like.

‘Have you heard from Mum and Dad?’ asked Tom.

‘Not since I told them I was in town.’

‘I wouldn’t read too much into it. Mum’s probably preoccupied with the funeral and sorting through Auntie Sarah’s things.’

As the boys journeyed into adulthood and Tom had moved out, Owen had confided in him about his feelings towards his mum and how he’d never felt good enough in her eyes. But he still hadn’t shared what he’d overheard his parents talking about that night, or about the article, because in a way he wanted to protect his brothers. He was terrified, too, that the truth could be something devastating, or worse still, something that could come between the siblings.

Owen played tug of war with Ryan using the navy-blue cap. When Owen fell backwards, feigning weakness, Ryan thought it hysterical. ‘Have
you
heard from Mum and Dad?’ He returned Tom’s question even though he already knew the answer.

‘We’ve had iPad FaceTime calls for Ryan. Mum likes to read a bedtime story.’

‘She was always good at those.’ Owen smiled at the memory of cuddling up to her on the sofa in his pyjamas – usually of the superhero variety – and Chanel N°5 the cloak of familiarity around him. In those moments she’d never been a better mum. As he got older she’d been there too, at least physically, watching sporting events, applauding when he’d won the school chess tournament one year.

‘She’s always been proud of you, you know.’ Tom took over the tug of war game Owen suspected Ryan could carry on all day. ‘She told me so.’

‘I’m sure she has.’

Tom rolled his eyes. ‘She did. Why would I lie? She’s always running on about her independent son with the successful property business, his voluntary work with the CFA, how great he is. Actually, it gets on my bloody nerves. It makes me feel pretty inadequate.’

The congratulatory remarks over the years had always felt weak. The words had always been there, the smile too, but something had been missing, and it was as though in some way Jane Harrison had always held herself back when it came to her eldest son.

Owen lifted Ryan onto his lap when he started fussing, and Tom passed his son a teething rusk to chew on. The rusk felt as hard as a rock, but Ryan slobbered over it quite happily.

‘I don’t get why Mum’s making such a fuss about me being at the house when Rosie’s okay with it.’ Owen pulled a face when the brown, now soggy, rusk landed on his hand.

Tom sniggered and handed him a wipe. ‘You know what Mum’s like. She likes to know what’s happening and she wants everything aboveboard. If she had a formal agreement with a house-sitter, she’d want to honour that.’

‘Yeah, I suppose.’

‘Talking of
two
people in the house …’

‘Rosie’s the house-sitter. Nothing more, nothing less.’ It had been a week since they’d spent a night in the same bed. A week of doing his level best to see her as nothing more than a friend.

‘So why did she let you stay? Why didn’t she find somewhere else?’

‘She has a job in Magnolia Creek, and there’s nothing much available to rent within a distance that doesn’t involve a ridiculous commute. I think she also realises that she needs a man around the place.’

‘You’ll be a real catch one day, you sexist pig.’ Tom threw the rusk at Owen’s head, which caused much amusement to Ryan, who reached down and picked it up and threw it too, clapping his hands together when it flew through the air.

‘I think Rosie’s lonely,’ said Owen.

Surprised, Tom said, ‘Wow, my brother: “Mr Sensitive”.’

‘Seriously. All joking aside, I really think she is. This boyfriend of hers works away and, well …’ He didn’t want to tell all of Rosie’s secrets now she’d confided in him. ‘I help out around the house, cleaning gutters and keeping it bushfire ready, and I think she sees the value in having someone else there.’

Tom nodded. ‘I guess Mum’s master bushfire plan and instructions could freak anyone out if they weren’t used to it.’

Not to mention the fact she’d lost her father in a fire, Owen thought. But he kept that to himself.

When Owen caught a waft of something distinctly non-edible, he promptly handed Ryan back to his dad.

Tom rolled his eyes. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to change his nappy? It’s all good practice.’

‘I’ll leave it to the professional.’

‘So what’s she like?’

‘Rosie?’

‘Yes, Rosie.’ Tom pulled out a change mat from the magic bag that contained just about everything and set about changing Ryan’s nappy as though it were a military operation. ‘It sounds as though you two have become friends.’

‘She’s a nice girl and yes, we’re friends.’ When Tom glanced at him, Owen added, ‘I’d probably make a move if she wasn’t attached. But she is. End of story.’

Tom’s look told Owen he didn’t believe a word of it, but he went along with his brother’s claim. ‘Are you still seeing that other girl?’

‘Carrie? On and off, it’s not serious.’

‘It never is with you.’

Owen had wondered whether part of his attraction to Rosie was her unavailability, but after the night they’d laid next to each other, bodies touching, he knew it was more than that.

‘I can’t take a man seriously when he’s using hand sanitiser,’ he said, watching Tom. ‘You’ll be whipping out the hand cream next.’

‘Oh, get stuffed. And I’d be using a far more severe phrase if little ears weren’t listening. So, is Rosie’s boyfriend coming over for Christmas, or is she going away?’

‘We haven’t really talked about it.’

‘Well, we always have Christmas in Magnolia Creek. I know Mum and Dad won’t be there this year, but are we still going to get together and honour tradition?’

Owen knew of friends’ parents who told them to please themselves during the festive season, or there were those who went away without their tribe to Europe for the classic white Christmas, or to Fiji to get away from it all. But this was the first year Jane Harrison hadn’t pulled the whole family together for that one day. She usually insisted on it and truth be told, Owen loved the concentrated time with his siblings.

‘Ben will still be away too,’ said Owen, ‘so I guess we could skip the traditions for one year. What’s that face for?’

‘I was looking forward to being with family this year.’ Tom stroked Ryan’s downy dark hair. ‘It’ll be Ryan’s first Christmas.’

‘True. But what about Sadie’s parents? Won’t they want their grandson with them this year? If you go there, you won’t have to do the Christmas battle this year or next because it’ll be Mum’s turn next year.’

‘You’ve got a point, but Malcolm and Nadine are in Canberra this year with Sadie’s gran.’

‘So you’re going to force me to put on an apron and rustle up a Christmas lunch for you?’

‘Oh come on, it’ll be fun with the four of us.’

Owen laughed, his face tipped upwards towards the sun. ‘Well, well, well … look how that worked out. You’re not trying to do a spot of matchmaking are you by any chance?’

Tom smirked. ‘I actually meant Carrie.’

‘You’re pissing me off now, Tom.’

Tom covered Ryan’s ears.

‘Oops, forgot his lordship here.’ Owen pulled a face. ‘Carrie will be skiing in Aspen this year with a friend.’

Tom whistled. ‘Well, why don’t you ask Rosie first? If she’s going to be there and doesn’t want us descending then we won’t do it.’

‘I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.’

‘Did you hear that, Ryan?’ Tom tickled his son’s tummy. ‘Uncle Owen is cooking Christmas dinner this year: the full works with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and a nice big Christmas pudding.’

‘We’ll see.’ Owen laughed as Tom fixed the Baby
Björn
back in place and slotted Ryan into it.

So far Rosie had done a grand job putting up with him, and he made up his mind there and then that if she agreed, and if she wasn’t flying out to see Adam, then he’d make this Christmas at home the best one ever.