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CHAPTER 27
Oliver was thoroughly enjoying himself. Every day he climbed into the driver’s seat of the Shaggin’ Wagon, popped the pink hat on the seat next to him, and asked it if it was ready to set off. Yep, he was guilty of talking to it quite regularly.
“I miss you,” he told Felicity’s hat. “I miss you more than I could have imagined possible. I feel like a crazy, wild man who is no longer in charge of his faculties. Like I’ve shed an old skin. And the thing is, I don’t miss any of it.”
He went and ate oysters. Got some strange looks for placing the pink hat on the chair back opposite and smiling at it inanely. He remembered her face, her screwed-up nose, the way she pulled back with distaste, before she gave in and let him feed her that first oyster. And his heart and loins ached for her, as they had every day since she left.
He took a photo of the hat next to a plateful of empty oyster shells before he left, and sent it to her.
After that, he stayed a night at Fraser Range and took a picture of her hat on the fence next to Maxwell. Then he gave Maxwell a handful of grass to thank him for posing so well.
She sent back a cryptic:We still haven’t discussed what that wrist kiss was all about.
He sent back:We will.
It spelt the promise of the next phase of their journey, or at least, he hoped so.
When he finally reached Two Gums, Sue and Len came out to meet him and Sue flung her wizened arms around his neck and smacked two huge kisses on each cheek.
“Where’s your lovely lady?”
“She had to go back to England.”
“Oh no.” Sue shook her head and looked at Len with a perturbed frown.
Oliver added hastily, “It’s okay. It’s not over,” and crossed his fingers tightly behind his back.
Sue gave a whoop of delight. “Me and Len said all that fuss you made about wanting separate rooms was one big show. We knew you could barely keep your hands off each other.”
Oliver grinned. “Really?”
Len nodded, adding, “We’ve sent off for your book.”
“How did you know I’d written a book?” Oliver was sure he hadn’t mentioned it.
“Well, here’s a funny thing,” said Len. “A group of campers came through and we got talking about funding our retirements and they said, we’ve read this great book, and the woman says I’ve even got a signed copy and off she goes and gets it and there’s your face, on the last page.”
A glance passed between Len and Sue. “Different woman, though.” Len coughed into his fist.
“Yes.” Oliver smiled ruefully. “She wasn’t the right one.”
“That English girl. She’s the one. We both said, didn’t we Len? They’re special together, those two.” Sue narrowed her eyes. “You better go after her.”
“That’s the plan, Sue,” Oliver laughed.
“Anyhows,” said Len, “we’ve now gotourplan sorted. We’re going to sell the servo. One of the big companies is interested.”
“But then there will be no-one left in Two Gums,” Oliver said, dismayed by the prospect.
“Nah,” Sue flapped a hand at him. “We’ll never leave Two Gums. We might buy a camper and travel around a bit is all.”
“I can recommend it,” said Oliver. “Now, would you mind if I take a photo of the two of you… and the hat?”
* * *
Felicity’s eyesflew wide at the picture of Len and Sue.
Sue was grinning fit to burst and wearing her pink hat. It suited her, made her look younger, softer and full of hope. The next one made Felicity laugh out loud, because there was Sam the dog, under theWelcome to TwoGumssign, wearing her hat. She was sure he looked a little more hopeful, too.
