Page 33 of Return to the Waratah Inn

As he riffled through the cupboards looking for a cup, she stood behind him, wringing her hands together. “Come on, Luca. Look at me. I need you to look at me.”

He faced her, his cheeks red and his eyes thunderous. The loving, jaunty musician was gone, and the stranger in his place was sullen. “I’m looking at you. What you want from me?”

She took a step backwards, shocked at his expression. “Why are you angry?”

“You did this. You did it on purpose. I should’ve known.”

“On purpose? I wouldn’t do that. I thought you loved me.”

“Love?” He spat at the floor. “We barely know each other, Mima. Stop living in a fairy tale. Do you see this place? I rent it from a friend for cheap. It’s a dump, and I don’t know how long I can stay here. After that, I have nowhere to go. I’ll have to figure it out. I can barely take care of myself. How am I supposed to take on a wife and baby?”

“I…” She stammered, swallowing. She didn’t know what to say. She needed him to tell her how he’d love them through it all, how he’d take care of her and the baby for the rest of their lives. Her heart ached to hear the words come from his mouth. If anybody should care about what happened to her and their child, surely it would be him.

He shook his head and charged out of the apartment, hurtling past a group of men and women who stood in the doorway, shoving them aside.

“Where are you going?” Mima cried out, following him. But he didn’t respond.

He scurried down the stairs at a headlong pace and ran along the footpath. Mima followed, careful not to fall in the darkness on the uneven concrete.

“Luca, wait!” she called out to him, but he ignored her.

When he reached the street, he pivoted to look at her, his dark eyes gleaming with the light reflected from the street lamps. “So beautiful and untamed,” he said with a rueful smile. “I knew you’d ruin me. Goodbye, Jemima Everest.”

Then he turned to dart across the street. He moved quickly and was gone from sight before Mima could respond. She stood with both hands pressed to her mouth, her eyes wide. Tears blurred her vision, and she choked on a sob. What did he mean by that? He’d said goodbye. Was he coming back?

She knew the answer without a moment’s hesitation. He was gone. He didn’t want the responsibility of a child. They weren’t married, and he had no obligation to her. It was just as her father had always warned her—she’d allowed herself to be used by a man who didn’t love her. She’d hoped they could be married, dreamed that they’d build a family together. He’d play beautiful music, and she’d decorate their home and warm it with her love. They could be so good together.

But he was gone, and she knew in her heart he wouldn’t return. He wasn’t the man she’d believed him to be. He didn’t care for her the way she’d thought he did. He was a coward and a scoundrel, and she was all alone in a world that would hate her as soon as it discovered what she’d done.

Without a sound, she spun on her heel and headed back to the flat to get her things. She would return to the hospital and figure out what to do next. Right now, she was too tired and upset to think clearly about anything. She’d get some rest first, and then she’d be able to make a plan for her life.

Chapter Eighteen

January 1998

Cabarita Beach

It was good to return to the Waratah Inn. Kate looked around the office with a contented expression on her face. The piles of paperwork on the desk, the framed photographs on the walls, the printer that had driven her to the brink of insanity on more than one occasion—she was grateful to see it all again. Grateful to get out of the house, away from the monotony of her daily life with a newborn, even if only for a few hours.

Baby Noah was nestled in a carrier against her chest, fast asleep. Kate hung her purse and nappy bag on a hook fastened to the back of the office door and then headed into the kitchen. It was buzzing with morning activity for the end of the breakfast service.

Everyone greeted her enthusiastically as they hurried to carry plates of food out to the restaurant for inn guests and diners. It was a beautiful summer’s day. The bright sun was already hot in the sky. Kate had been woken by Noah with the sunrise at four thirty am. There’d been a flock of particularly noisy corellas in the Norfolk Island pine trees that lined the other side of the street across from their house. They’d descended on the trees to pick apart seed pods, hanging upside down or trotting across the ground looking for delicious things to eat, while chattering at the top of their small lungs to one another. And Noah had woken up crying.

Despite all of that, Kate felt good. She’d already fed Noah and then snuck in a cup of strong coffee before driving to the inn. She figured by the time he next fed, the caffeine would’ve left her system. And if not, he’d just have to develop a tolerance like she had because she wouldn’t last the day without at least two cups of coffee, given her lack of sleep.

“What are you doing here?” Bindi asked as she set a checklist down on the kitchen bench. “I wasn’t expecting you.” She gave Kate a hug and peeked at Noah’s sleeping face. “He’s growing more adorable every day.”

“I know, right?” Kate grinned. “How are things around here?”

“It’s going well. Business is steady. We’re not fully booked every day, but we’re close to it. It’s a decent occupancy rate for summer. And the restaurant is full most nights.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Are guests enjoying the summer menu?”

“They love it. Especially the BBQ spare ribs with lemon myrtle salad.”

“Great. I hoped they would,” Kate replied. She missed her restaurant and loved connecting with the guests. Seeing people enjoy her food brought her so much satisfaction, and she hadn’t had that in weeks. It’d been a long time since she’d spent so many days away from the inn.

“The intrepid chef is back on deck,” Jack said as he stepped through the kitchen door. His lips pulled into a broad smile, as he took off his hat and hung it on the rack, then kicked off his muddy boots. “How are you feeling, love?”