Nobody but Him (33 page)

‘My darling boy, why don’t you tell your mother what’s going on with you two?’

‘Well, I’m here and she’s organising all of us, including Lizzie and the pub. She’s been … amazing.’

A smile curled at Barbra’s lips and a light flashed in her eyes. ‘I like her, Ry.’

‘I do too, Mum.’

‘So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to be a complete idiot and let her go? Again?’

Ry smiled. ‘I stopped listening to you when I was sixteen years old. What makes you think I’ll listen now?’

‘I’m your mother. It’s my role in life to tell you what to do. And if you’re smart, which you usually are, you’ll listen to me. I know you, my darling. I know you’ve loved her since you were twenty years old.’

‘How the hell do you know that?’

‘Because I see the way you look at her. I know how heartbroken you were when she left all those years ago, even if you never talked about it to me. Boys. They think their mothers don’t know what they’re going through. And the other thing you have to know is that I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She loves you, my darling Ry. She’s just scared to give up everything she’s worked so hard for.’

Ry raked a hand through his hair.

‘Shit, Mum, it’s complicated.’

She squeezed his arm. ‘I’m not buying that. Look at Dan.
That’s
complicated.’ Ry looked at his friend and all the horrific possibilities of what might have happened flashed in his mind. Dan could have died in that smash or lived forever with the terrible after-effects. He knew how quickly his father’s life had ended. He knew how much his mother still missed him, every day a little less, but she still did. All this time he’d spent with Julia, seeing how much she’d supported him through this, made him absolutely sure he didn’t want to live without her. Was his mother right? Did Julia love him? Was there really a chance for the two of them?

‘I know what it’s like to lose the love of your life. Don’t waste this chance.’

Ry watched her. ‘When did you get so smart?’

‘The older you get, the smarter I am, right?’ They managed to laugh. ‘You know what Dan would say to you right now?’

Ry let himself laugh at the thought. ‘I can only imagine.’

‘He’d tell you to get your arse off the grass and go get her.’

‘Go get who?’ The cubicle curtain swished aside.

Julia met Ry with a beaming smile and a fierce hug. He kissed the top of her hair and met her gaze, and was struck by a bright light in her caramel eyes that he hadn’t ever seen. Before he had a chance to ask what had happened, he noticed Bob and Joan right behind her, looking hesitant.

‘Hello you two,’ Barbra called to Dan’s parents, holding them both in a warm embrace.

‘How is he today, Barb?’ The shock of the accident was still clearly etched in every line of Joan’s tanned face. Ry wondered if it was possible to get over such a shock, seeing your child, no matter how old, lying in a hospital bed unconscious.

‘His doctor was just here. She said the sedation is wearing off and they’re going to move him this afternoon.’ She grabbed Joan in another bear hug. ‘That’s good news.’

‘That’s good news, all right.’ Bob sniffed and gripped the bed railing with his big hands. ‘Can’t wait to say g’day to the little blighter.’

Joan managed a laugh with a sob attached like an apostrophe. ‘He hasn’t been little since he was fourteen years old, Bob.’

Ry took Julia’s hand in his, smiled down at her. There was that light again in her eyes. There was such care in her countenance, a kind-heartedness that seemed to radiate from the very centre of who she was. Everyone in the room could feel it, he was sure of that. She had reached out to every person, softened their grief, held their hands when they cried, shared their pain. His mother’s words repeated in his head.
Don’t waste this chance
. Julia was his missing puzzle piece.

For the first time since Dan’s accident, Ry let himself hope.

The sundeck leading off the hospital’s cafeteria had a panoramic view over the city and Ry led Julia to the edge of it. It was a cloudless winter day, crisp and fresh, and a breeze swayed the limp branches of the gums in the distance. They looked down over gardens of Australian native shrubs and rolling green lawns, and Ry nudged her with his shoulder.

‘I was joking about coming out here to get a coffee, by the way. I knew you wouldn’t go near hospital coffee with a barge pole. It was my ruse to get you alone.’ He turned into her, resting an arm on either side of the rail, enclosing her with his body. She laced her fingers behind his neck, pulling him closer until her breasts were pressed up against him.

Julia looked so lovely he could barely think straight. She was simply dressed in her jeans and boots, and since they’d been going to hospital every day, she’d taken to wearing some of his clothes. It was an incredible turn-on. Today, it was his navy knit jumper, the sleeves of which were pushed up her arms to ensure she wasn’t swamped in it. Her hair smelled of his pine-scented shampoo and was pulled back in a messy ponytail, curly tendrils escaped and tickling the pale skin on her neck, driving him crazy. He nuzzled his lips there, kissing a trail up to her ear.

‘God, I’ve missed you.’ He kissed her gently on the cheek and then her lips, full and soft.

‘I’ve missed you too,’ Julia murmured.

Ry brought his lips down to hers again, gentle at first and when she parted hers to deepen the kiss, he moved into her, more insistent. She lost herself in the feeling of being so wanted, so desired by him. His kiss was fierce now, plundering her mouth with heat and desire so that she had to hold him tighter for fear of collapsing on her wobbly legs.

He slowed and pulled back. Julia could see the desire in his eyes and felt it in her own. She knew what he was thinking. They hadn’t been together since the night of the accident. While they’d spent every night in the same bed, holding each other tightly as they fell into exhausted sleep, neither of them had the mental or physical energy for anything more.

Until now.

‘Julia.’ He tasted the soft, cool skin of her neck.

‘Mmm?’

‘All I want to do …’ he kissed her ear, ‘… is go back to your house,’ he nipped her neck, ‘… and lie in that ridiculous single bed and make love to you.’

‘You do?’

‘Oh yeah. I really do.’ He kissed her again just to prove it. ‘I need to get my head out of this place and everything that’s happened. I need to get back to Middle Point.’

Julia held him, found his eyes. ‘He’s going to be okay, Ry.’

Ry sighed. ‘It’s getting easier to believe that now.’

‘Before you know it, he’ll be out of here and back at work. Well, maybe not straight away. But he’ll be back.’

‘I think you’re right.’

‘Oh and by the way, Lizzie called me before. She said everyone in town wants an update on Dan.’

‘Really?’

‘You sound surprised that people care.’

‘That’s … nice.’

‘It’s what country people do, Ry. They look out for each other.’

‘Like you’ve done for me?’

‘You know what they say. You can take the girl out of Middle Point but you can’t take the Middle Point out of the girl.’

‘Thank God for that.’

She kissed him this time, passionate and insistent. The breeze picked up and whipped her curls hair about her face. Ry tucked them behind her ear.

‘Ry, there’s something I need to say.’

‘Please tell me it’s about having sex. With me. At the first possible opportunity.’

‘I had a call from—’

‘Wait a minute.’ Ry startled and he grabbed his phone from his jeans pocket.

‘Mum, what is it?’ He listened for a few seconds and then a broad grin split his face.

‘We’ll be right there.’ He grabbed Julia’s hand and broke into a run. ‘He’s awake.’

Bob, Joan, Barbra, Ry and Julia crowded around Dan’s bed. No one could take their eyes off him. The breathing tube had been removed and the kind nurse Louise and two doctors were watching intently, looking from Dan’s face to the monitors. When he slowly blinked and opened his eyes, there was a collective intake of breath from his family.

After a nod from one of the doctors, Ry leaned close. ‘Dan, can you hear me?’

Dan’s eyes moved slowly to Ry. ‘Bugger off,’ he whispered, his voice cracking and hoarse.

The group broke into sobs and laughter. Bob was behind Joan, his hands on her shoulders, tears streaming down his weathered face. Joan clutched her handkerchief to her mouth and Barbra clapped her hands to her cheeks.

‘It’s me, Dan. We’re all here.’ Ry said with a choking voice. Dan’s eyes slowly wandered to each face, as if he was taking everyone in.

‘Elizabeth.’ His voice was barely there, faint, not even a whisper. Everyone looked at each other.

‘Mate, what did you say?’ Ry moved in closer.

‘Elizabeth,’ Dan swallowed, licked his lips in slow motion.

‘The pub.’

Ry and Julia exchanged confused glances.

Louise moved in to check his pulse and adjust the blanket. She leaned over the bed so she was in Dan’s line of sight.

‘Dan, you were in a car accident and you’re in hospital. Do you know these people?’

He nodded and then his eyes fluttered shut once again.

Louise turned to them. ‘We’re going to run some tests now that he’s conscious. I have to ask, does that mean anything to any of you? Elizabeth? The pub?’

‘He was in the pub just before the accident. My pub.’ Ry searched Julia’s face, grasping for a clue. ‘But Elizabeth?’

Julia’s brow furrowed. ‘Elizabeth?’ Dan’s parents appeared as confused as she was.

‘Could it be Lizzie? But no one calls her Elizabeth. She hates it.’ Julia watched Ry’s face transform from confusion into a smiling understanding. He threw an arm around Joan’s shoulder and laughed.

‘Bob, Joan. I’m no doctor, but I get the feeling our boy is going to be just fine. It’s just like him to remember the last beautiful woman he talked to.’

Once they’d seen for themselves that Dan was making progress, Ry and Julia left the hospital and drove back to Middle Point. Julia had to pack and they both wanted to check in with Lizzie, so their first stop was the pub.

Julia spotted her behind the bar, taking part in an animated discussion with two grey-haired characters holding amber-filled glasses on the bar.

Her voice could be heard over the crowd as they got closer.

‘Reg, stop you’re whinging. It will be incredible. Think of all those lonely widows who’ll be moving to Middle Point. You might finally find a partner for those dances at the Memorial Hall.’

‘I dunno,’ Reg replied, taking a swig of his beer, shaking his head.

‘It’s just not the way we do things here,’ his mate Shorty added.

‘And how do we do things here?’ Julia sidled up next to Reg and Shorty. She winked at Lizzie, who responded with a quick lift of her eyebrows.

‘Oh g’day Julia.’ Shorty turned and patted her arm. ‘We were just yabbering about those big new plans for the housing thingamabob.’

Ry took his place next to Julia and extended a hand.

‘G’day fellas. I’m Ry Blackburn. I’m the man behind Windswept. If you’ve got any questions, fire away.’ Reg and Shorty shook hands with Ry, eyeing the outsider with concern.

‘Reg, Shorty.’ Julia started, and felt the comforting touch of Ry’s hand in the small of her back. ‘I was worried at first, too, I’ll admit it. But give him a fair hearing. Windswept will be beautiful.’ Ry’s hand moved to her waist and he gave it a squeeze, looking down at her with a heartbreaking smile.

‘Fellas, the drinks are on me. Why don’t we go and grab a table and you can ask me anything you want.’ The two old blokes would’ve sat talking about the finer points of Paris fashion if it meant free beers, so they followed Ry to a nearby table and began peppering him with questions.

Julia leaned over the bar and Lizzie stretched over it for a hug.

‘Oh Julia, what’s the latest?’

‘It’s all good news. He’s conscious and the doctors say he’ll make a full recovery. Unfortunately for him, a long one. But he’s going to be fine … just fine.’

Lizzie clapped her hands to her cheeks and tears welled in her eyes. ‘That’s … the best news.’

‘It’s such a relief. To Ry, to Dan’s parents. To Barbra. To everyone who loves him.’

Julia watched with interest as Lizzie’s cheeks blossomed pink and hot. Which was interesting.

‘He even said a few words.’

Lizzie laughed through her tears. ‘I can only imagine.’ She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and sniffed.

‘Two words in particular. “Elizabeth” and “pub”.’

‘Huh?’

‘What is up with that? Ry and I have been there at his bedside every day. And does he mention us when he comes to? No. You and the pub, Lizzie. That’s all he seemed to care about.’

Lizzie smiled through her happy tears. ‘Well, he’s only human. I pull a mean beer and I am gorgeous.’

Julia smiled at her friend. She was gorgeous, in every possible way.

‘Don’t you think this calls for a drink?’ Lizzie pulled a frosted bottle from the fridge behind her, grabbed two fresh champagne glasses and poured the liquid bubbles.

They lifted their glasses.

‘I think we need to make a toast. To Dan,’ Lizzie said.

‘To Dan.’ Julia echoed and caught Ry’s eye. He was beaming at her and her heartbeat caught in her throat. So much happy news. And wait until Lizzie heard the biggest news of all. Julia motioned her in close.

‘I’ve got something else to tell you,’ she whispered conspiratorially.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. ‘God, you’re not pregnant are you?’

Julia burst out laughing. The champagne tickled her nose and she had to clamp her lips together so it didn’t spray out in an arc all over the bar.

‘Oh you are hilarious. No. The answer is absolutely, definitely no.’

‘So what is it?’

Julia checked over her shoulder to make sure that Ry was deep in conversation with the two barflies.

‘Well, it’s big news. I’m coming home.’ Julia waited for a reaction that didn’t come.

Lizzie rolled her eyes. ‘News flash, Jools. You are home. Look around you. You are sitting in the Middle Point pub.’