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“A real beaut, that one. Rode it pissed as a fart one day and that was it, written off and one broken collarbone.”
“You were lucky.”
“Maybe. Maybe the world would be better off without me.”
“No, Ted, never.”
Ted heaved another heavy sigh then landed his big hands on his thighs and stood up. He cocked his head as he looked down at Solo.
“You going to let me ride on the back of the Monster? Reckon it’s the only way you’ll get me back to that gig.”
Solo laughed and stood up. The danger had passed. “If I agree to it, we’ll be going at a snail’s pace.”
“What, because I’m a fat bastard?”
“No, because you won’t have a helmet on.”
“Okay, I’ll accept that. And, lad, thanks for the chat. It’s eased my mind.”
“It’s not too late to get some help for this, Ted,” Solo said as they walked out into the evening air. The horizon still glowed red from the setting sun. Ted’s features softened as he looked at Solo in the deepening light. Solo pressed on gently. “Especially now with your first grandkid on the way.”
Ted scratched his head. “You mean the touchy-feely talk-talk stuff? The stuff our Poll does?”
“Well, obviously not with Polly. But there’s good people out there.”
Ted looked at him hard. His eyes were so like Polly’s, suddenly soft and clear. “If I give you my number, could you ask around for me? Get a name? Not going to ask Polly, not appropriate. But it would be good, maybe, if Mim and I could see someone together and sort a few issues out.” Ted hesitated, his eyes almost pleading. “Would you mind?”
“Of course not,” Solo said. “I’d be happy to help.”
He swung a leg over the bike. “Hop on, but I’m warning you, this isn’t going to be the Grand Prix.”
“Jesus Christ, spoil an old man’s fun on his birthday, would you?” Ted huffed. “All right, lad, all right.”
* * *
“And I wantto thank my long-suffering partner, Mim; my big ugly son, who’s worked his arse off for this place; and his lovely wife, who’s going to make me a very proud granddad shortly…”
Polly held her breath as Ted’s eyes sought hers across the crowd, “And my beautiful daughter, Polly.”
Dad’s big hand trembled on the microphone. He looked down at the floor. What was he going to say next? Please god, don’t let it be embarrassing.
Ted gave a wavery laugh. “She’s an amazing girl. You know, as a kid, she always used to know the right thing to say. Knew how to make a bad situation better. And, er, I’m not proud to say, but at my age I can admit it, there were a few of those. Guess that’s what makes her amazing at her job… she’s a… she’s a social worker, most of you know… and ah, a great artist.” A thick thumb jerked up to the swinging wonky 70 sign she’d made… Another embarrassed laugh then, gruff as old boots grinding on pebbles, Ted said, “I’ve never told you, Poll, but I love you, girl.”
Polly’s lower lip wobbled dangerously as a round of applause and whooping filled the air.
“Come up here, my four favourite people, and give a gnarly old seventy-year-old a hug.”
Polly’s legs felt like someone had removed the bones from them, but she got up there somehow and found herself in a group hug with Joe and Mim and Kate and… Dad.
And her heart felt like it might just jump right out of her chest. More cheering and laughter and someone—Dad’s old friend Bill, who’d stood by him all these years—hollered from the back of the crowd: “A toast to Ted Fletcher, the old bastard. May he live forever.” And suddenly it struck her—they all loved him. This community of Wadgigaree who had dragged him out of the gutter countless times and driven him home and got him out of the lock-up a couple of times, they all loved her dad.
Her head kicked back and she heard herself laughing and cheering, and then her gaze snagged on Solo standing quietly, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his beer and a look… a look so warm and soft andlovingon his face that suddenly she couldn’t breathe.
The laughter got caught in a strange little hiccup in her throat and in that moment, she knew, shefucking knew, she was at risk of falling for Solo Jakoby.
Sometime later he found her by the drinks table.
“Your dad’s done amazingly.”
