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“I suppose not.” Of course it didn’t matter. She was an adult woman, she’d moved on, gotten married, had children. Her broken heart had mended. Why would he tell her about an old boyfriend moving home?
“I was wrong about him, though,” Dad said, surprising her. “He turned out to be a good man. I guess you can’t always judge a man by the way he acts as a youngster. People change.”
“That’s big of you to admit, Dad. He was always a good guy, but he liked a prank or two.”
“That he did.” Dad’s eyes sparkled. “But when I saw the way he nursed his wife all those years… Well, that kind of thing shows a person’s true character.” He cleared his throat and stared at his plate.
Bea knew what he was thinking. He’d had his own test of character taking care of their mother. He’d known the pain of loss. No doubt he realised that he and Aidan shared some things in common. She hated thinking about what Aidan must’ve gone through. The pain he’d suffered would’ve been difficult to bear.
“He must’ve struggled.” She took a bite of pancake; the lemon was extra tangy. No doubt Dad had picked the fruit from the trees in his backyard.
“It was probably featured more in Queensland since he’s from the Brumbies, but she was sick for a long time, from what I saw on the news. Very sad that she didn’t make it.”
“No kids, either,” she added.
He sighed. “The best part of life.”
“Really, Dad? You don’t regret it, even after my teen years?” She laughed.
“Well, maybe… Just kidding. Of course I don’t regret it. You and your brother were my biggest achievements.”
His words warmed her soul and made her feel emotional. “I haven’t seen him in three years.”
“I know,” Dad said. “He’ll be excited to hear you’re around again. He misses you. We both do.”
Her throat tightened. As much as she wanted it to be true, she knew it wasn’t. Dad was trying his best to smooth things over, but she and Bradford hadn’t parted on good terms. They’d been so close once, but after Mum died, they’d had a falling out.
No matter what had happened between them, she shouldn’t have let it go this long without seeing him and at least trying to talk things through. She’d neglected the people who loved her most. All because it was too hard, too far away, too many memories to contend with. Those were only excuses, though. She should make time for the people she loved.
“I thought I’d take you and Dani to see the cottage after breakfast.”
“Oh, yes. Let’s do that,” Dani said, eyes sparkling.
“It’s in bad shape. You won’t be able to stay there right away—too much damage. But it’s close enough that you can ride a bike or walk down there when you need to, if you’re still keen on refurbishing the place.”
“We’re looking forward to it,” Bea replied.
“Definitely. I can’t wait. This is going to be so much fun.” Dani clapped her hands together.
Dad chuckled. “Fun. Sure, that’s one way of looking at it.”
They finished up breakfast. Bea washed the dishes while Dani showered. Then they both dressed in old clothing and tugged on the gumboots outside the back door. Bea showed Dani how to turn the boots over and tap them out in case anything had crawled inside overnight. A gigantic spider landed on the porch.
Bea shivered and made a gagging sound. Dani danced in place, squealing. They both watched it scurry away, disappearing between the timber slats. “I forgot how many of those there are around here.”
“Oh, disgusting. That thing was huge.” Dani wiped her hands up and down her arms. “Is there anything on me? I feel like there’s web on my jumper.”
Bea laughed. “There’s nothing on you. You’re fine. Come on—get your boots and let’s go. How did I raise such a city slicker?”
“You hate spiders too!” Dani objected.
“I have good reason. They have a vendetta against me.You’vegot nothing to worry about. You’re not on their hit list.”
Dani rolled her eyes. “That’s silly, Mum. Besides, if it were true, what’s to say they don’t come after me in the same way? We are related, after all. Maybe spiders can sense that.”
Bea huffed. “Now you’re being ridiculous.”
The drive down to the cottage was along a winding dirt track. It was overgrown, but Dad’s truck traversed it easily enough. It didn’t take long. Only ten minutes crawling along at a snail’s pace. Dad pulled the truck up beside a tiny rundown cottage. The front porch looked out over a stunning blond beach between a pair of pandanus trees.
