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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
WAZZA LET HIS lips brush Kee’s. A chaste kiss because her parents were watching, and not at all how he was feeling inside. He wanted to grab her around the waist and haul her up his chest, press their bodies together and drag her mouth up to his so he could taste her. Like they’d done last night. Last night would live in his memory as one of the best nights of his life; along with the night spent under the stars. Her stripped naked, watching him from the bed with dark, dark eyes as he slowly removed his jeans was an image that would stay with him for a long time. The way she’d pulled him to her, wrapped her legs around him and whispered his name into his ear as he’d plunged into her. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. She was his true north. She and Benni were his reason to look forward to a bright future.
Kee regretfully disentangled his arms from around her waist. “I’d better take my parents their drinks.”
“Yes,” he agreed, watching her hips sway as she walked away. She glanced back once over her shoulder, eyes burning with a promise of what was to come tonight. He was grateful to Dale and Daisy for giving them the night to themselves, but from now on, they were going to have to find a way to make love with Benni in the house. He was going to have to get over his discomfort at knowing that Benni was asleep in the next room. She already seemed to have accepted him wholeheartedly, that he was there to stay. So, he needed to do the same.
Kee had finally told Benni that her father, Jakov, was in jail because he’d done bad things. Benni being Benni, she’d wanted to know all the details, how long was he in jail for, would they go and visit him and what bad things had he done? Kee answered as truthfully as she dared, telling her as much as a four-year-old could handle, because in the end Jakov was still her father. Benni had considered it all with a thoughtful frown, then she’d changed the topic and asked Kee if she still loved Daddy. Kee had told her the truth about that one, too. That while she and Jakov would always love Benni, they no longer loved each other. Then Benni had surprised Kee—that little girl was full of wisdom beyond her age—by saying that was okay, because now Kee could love Wazza instead. And Kee had agreed.
Wazza looked over to where Benni sat on her grandfather’s knee as he leaned in and whispered something into her ear. Benni had taken to her new grandparents straight away. But that was Benni, so trusting, so unreserved, which made people open up to her joyfulness in return. His eye was caught by the bright-orange of Ritika’s sari. It was beautiful, and Wazza could imagine Kee wearing something similar. It was a stark reminder of Kee and Benni’s heritage, which Wazza had almost forgotten now that he’d become so familiar with Kee and her daughter. He never saw the color of her skin, never thought of her as any different. He made up his mind to discover more of the Hindu culture, learn about their festivals and their foods, their beliefs and way of life. It was a matter of respect for her heritage.
Which reminded him, he needed to call his mother. Arrange a visit for him and Kee and Benni down to the family orchard. His parents would approve of Kee. How could they not like a woman who was strong and wilful and whom he loved with all of his heart?
As he watched the interplay between grandfather and granddaughter, a sudden image popped into his head and he almost gasped. It was Ava. She was waving at him from across the room, smiling and holding up a pink everlasting daisy in her pudgy little hand. He hadn’t thought of Ava or Karri in a while. He remembered back to the day, right before he’d found Kee and Benni at the bore, when he’d been talking to Ava as he drove. He now realized he’d only been half-alive back then. Half a man, the other half stuck grieving for a wife and child that would never be. Now he was complete. Ava smiled at him again and toddled off behind the leather lounge. Wazza wondered if he’d ever see her again.
He’d never forget his little girl. But now with Kee… They hadn’t discussed more children yet, of course, that was something to think about in the future. But Kee had looked at him yesterday, a cryptic twinkle in her eye, and said that Benni had told her she’d like a sister to play with. “Soon, please, Mummy. Because Wazza will make a good daddy, and I want to share him with my sister.” And she’d told Benni that she was right, Wazza would make a good daddy, and that maybe they would think about it.
But Benni was more than enough for him right now.
There was a commotion over at the table where most of the Stormcloud staff were sitting. Nash stood up and clinked his glass to get everyone’s attention. He was wearing his police uniform, as he was still technically on duty and had taken an hour to come and be with his family before he went back to the office in town. A hush settled over the room.
“I have some good news, I think you’ll want to hear,” Nash announced.
A tingle ran through Wazza. He hoped this was the news they’d all be waiting to hear.
“The custody case has formally been dropped.” Nash raised his glass, and everyone clapped. Then Nash turned to face Kee. “You were right, Kee. Those claims your husband’s family made about you have been proven to be false. They had no right to file that custody suit, and all parental rights have been returned to you.”
Kee rushed to sweep Benni off her father’s knee, twirling her around and around. Benni squealed with delight, even though she had no real understanding of what Nash had just said. Kee had kept from her the fact that her paternal grandparents were trying to take her away. They were pretty sure this would be the outcome, but it was great to have it confirmed. The courts hadn’t looked kindly on the method Kee had chosen—kidnapping her own daughter—but they also understood she was doing it to protect her daughter and so they’d applied leniency to her kidnapping charge. She’d been given a suspended sentence and would need to carry out two hundred hours of community service work in lieu of incarceration. Kee was ecstatic with the sentence, as she’d half been expecting to go to jail. But the judge decided it was more important that she be at home to bring up her daughter. The judge had decreed the community service be carried out at a halfway house for single mothers who had nowhere left to go. It was a sobering thought, and Wazza knew Kee would find it hard to cope with the other women’s despair and heartbreak, but the judge was trying to teach her a lesson in humility, he guessed.
Kee had spent many long hours at the police station in Cairns, giving evidence. Wazza had also been grilled, as had Steve and Daniella. They’d even flown Diesel down to interview him. Nash had described him as a very helpful witness. The old man was still dressed in his greasy overalls and baseball cap when Wazza had run into him in the hallway of the police station.
“I hope that little girl of yours is okay,” Diesel had said.
“She’s doing great, thanks to you.” Wazza had slapped him on the back. He owed this man a debt of gratitude, if it hadn’t been for him and his boat… The kindness of strangers, sometimes that idea still overwhelmed him. Then, from some deep pocket within his overalls, Diesel had produced Dolly, wrapped in a clean piece of tissue paper.
“I found this after you got on the airplane to go to the hospital. Give her back, will you?” Diesel looked at him, blue eyes expectant, and Wazza felt suddenly sorry for the old man, living all alone up there in the middle of the estuary, missing his granddaughter, and for a second, he wondered at the circumstances that’d occurred for Diesel to end up that way.
Nodding his head, Wazza said, “I sure will. She’ll love to have Dolly back.”
“You and your lady and Benni are all more than welcome to come and visit whenever you want,” Diesel had added, before ambling off down the hallway.
“We might just do that,” Wazza called after him. In fact, he’d need to do that soon, to retrieve Kee’s car. But there was no hurry.
They’d found Bruno’s body washed up on the beach at the mouth of the estuary two days after he’d tried to steal Benni. Or at least, what was left of his body, after the crocodiles and fish had had a go at him. Kee had been asked to identify the body, but she’d refused. She still had deep episodes of guilt and grief over the fact that Bruno had died. It was hard for her to come to terms with the fact she’d killed someone, even though she said she would’ve done it again to protect Benni.
Wazza had asked Nash if he knew how Bruno had found them, but Nash couldn’t give him a genuine answer. Perhaps it’d been pure luck that Bruno had chosen to go north, toward the border. Maybe he’d deduced that was exactly where Kee would run. CCTV footage from Normanton showed Bruno’s car arriving in the town the day before Wazza and Kee drove through. Perhaps he’d been aimlessly driving around himself, and recognized Kee’s car and followed them. Perhaps he had contacts watching out for them in all the towns along the road to the border. But in the end, they’d never know, because dead men couldn’t tell their tales.
Everyone was on their feet, congratulating Kee and Benni. Wazza left his spot by the bar and strolled over to where Kee and Benni were the center of attention. Pooja had Benni by the hands and was dancing in circles with her, while her parents and Daniella and Steve looked on.
He caught Kee by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss while no one was looking.
“Shall we tell them?” he whispered in her ear.
She withdrew with a start, as if afraid of what he’d asked. But then a smile crept over her rosebud lips. “I guess now is as good a time as any. Are you sure you want to tell everyone at once?”
He nodded. He had to tell Steve and Daniella soon, so it may as well be now.
Tucking her beneath his shoulder, he raised his voice, and said, “We also have some news.” A rush of nerves hit his gut, and he reached up to pull his hat down over his eyes, forgetting that he wasn’t wearing it. Everyone turned to stare at him and Kee. Too late to back out now.
