North Star (24 page)

Sliding his hands from around her back, he moved her away slightly in order to search her face. ‘You said they were having a sleepout last night. What time did you last see them? Who else was with them?' He was in police mode, automatically assessing the situation logically and carefully. As he scanned her face, she saw him frown; her panic must be written there clearly. ‘Kate, who was with them at the sleepover?'

‘They were with their father.'

It took him a moment to register the implications of this information. ‘What the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you tell me last night?'

Kate flinched but held his gaze determinedly. ‘He turned up yesterday afternoon. I walked outside and there he was.' Her eyes glistened. ‘The kids have missed him so much. He's their dad—they love him.'

‘What about that small thing called a restraining order, Kate?'

‘You don't think I didn't want him thrown in prison? You don't think I didn't want to call you straightaway?'

‘Then why didn't you? I was there, damn it.'

She pulled out of his grasp and began to pace. ‘I don't have the luxury of thinking about myself all the time, John. The kids don't know everything that happened, it's not their fault.'

‘Why are you protecting him? Let them see what a scumbag they have for a father.'

‘I'm not protecting
him
by keeping the truth from them. I'm protecting
them
!'

‘How do you think they'll feel when they finally learn the truth about him?'

‘I don't know! Hopefully by then they'll be older. They're just kids, they don't need to know how dark and ugly the world can be. That's why I brought them here, to give them back a childhood. They almost lost that back in the city.'

His expression softened slightly. ‘Okay, let's just focus on getting them back. When did you realise they were missing?'

She rubbed her hands over her face and took a breath. ‘This morning, when I went to get them up for school.'

‘What was he driving?'

‘He didn't have a car. It didn't register with me until this morning. I don't know how he got here.'

He looked surprised but didn't comment. ‘All right, I'll get on to the bus company and a few other places, find out how he got here.' He turned and walked towards the door, already absorbed in what needed to be done.

Glancing back, he took in Kate's red-rimmed eyes and drawn features. ‘Why don't you go home in case they turn up there?' His voice was almost clinical. ‘I'll call you when I find out something.'

Kate returned to North Star, feeling as fragile as a piece of hand-blown glass.

She headed for the house, then spun around in amazement as she heard Liam shouting and waving to her. He was running ahead of his father and sister as they walked towards her from the direction of the waterhole.

Automatically she opened her arms to receive Liam's small body as he hurtled himself at her excitedly. ‘We got up early to show Dad the waterhole.'

Kate did her best to smile back at her son but felt that her face was about to crack with the strain.

‘Morning, Kate.' Lifting her gaze to meet her ex- husband's smug grin, she suddenly knew the meaning of hatred. He'd deliberately taken the kids away to prove to her that he could.

‘It's a school day. Didn't you think I might be upset that they didn't go, or that I might not know where they were?' She was amazed to hear her voice sounded almost calm.

‘I said it wouldn't hurt for them to have one day off, since I'd come all the way to visit.' Andy stepped forward and clamped a firm hand on his son's small shoulder. His arrogance made her feel sick.

‘Have you guys had lunch yet?' she asked, knowing there was no point arguing it further in front of the children.

‘We're starving.' Liam was already breaking free from her embrace and heading towards the house. Georgia followed, after casting a suspicious glance between her parents as she tried to gauge their mood.

Hearing the back door bang closed, Kate straightened and allowed the strangle grip on her temper to release. ‘How dare you take those kids anywhere without telling me first!'

‘I'm their father, Kate. I don't have to ask permission to take them anywhere.'

‘Are you insane or just plain stupid? There's a restraining order out against you! You don't have any rights where these kids are concerned. I want you gone now, or I'm calling the police.'

His eyes searched out hers and for a moment she caught a glimpse of the man he'd been when she first met him. There was a vulnerability in his expression that made her resolve waver slightly. ‘Kate, just listen to me for a minute. I came back because I wanted to see the kids, but I also wanted to see you. I miss being a family. Don't you miss that?'

‘It's a shame you didn't miss it a bit earlier, on any of the countless times I gave you another chance.'

‘I'm not proud of the way I've behaved in the past, but when you and the kids left the city, I finally realised what an idiot I'd been . . . What I'd thrown away.' He took a small step towards her, holding her wary gaze. ‘I was hoping you'd give us another chance. I've changed, Kate, I really have. I've been trying to clean up my act. I miss you and the kids so much.'

Kate stared at the man she'd been married to for over thirteen years and felt . . . nothing. ‘I really hope for your sake, and the kids', that you have changed, but it's too late for you and me.'

‘It's not too late, you just need to spend some time alone with me,' he pleaded. ‘Think how good it would be for me out here, with nowhere to go. You'd always know where I was, I couldn't sneak away and gamble out here. It'd be like your safety net.'

‘I don't need a safety net any more, Andy,' she said.

‘Kate, those kids need their father. You can't turn me away just because you can't forgive me. They're the ones who will suffer.'

‘How dare you of all people stand there and tell me to think of my kids! You're unbelievable. Thinking of my kids is all I ever do. I won't let you back in their lives just to disappoint them all over again.'

‘Then you leave me no option.'

Kate eyed him warily. What was that supposed to mean?

‘It would be really . . . unfortunate if somehow everyone, including that policeman friend of yours, found out the truth about the night your mother died.'

Kate felt her head start to spin.

‘The kids have been happy to fill me in on everything that's been happening around here. Kinda ironic, though, that here of all places you find a boyfriend and he's the town cop.'

‘What do you want, Andy?' She felt ill and very, very tired.

‘I want us to be one big happy family again. I want you to give me another chance.'

‘What part of “I don't love you any more” don't you get?'

‘The part where you go to jail and I get custody of the kids. What about that part, Kate? You know that you owe me.'

Her face contorted into an expression of outrage. ‘
I
owe
you
?'

‘I gave you everything, Kate. The big house in suburbia, the white picket fence, two kids, a life you'd only ever dreamed of. If I hadn't come along you'd still be living in that derelict caravan park and working in a supermarket. I changed your life.'

‘Yes, you did. Especially when I had to work two jobs while you sat on your backside and fed our entire life down a damn poker machine?'

‘I had an addiction!' he yelled and Kate's gaze flew to the door to make sure the kids weren't listening.

‘Then do something about it. Start taking responsibility for your actions.'

‘It's so easy to be responsible when you've obviously fallen on your feet,' he snarled, flicking his hand out to indicate the property.

‘I'm trying to make a future for our kids, to give them something stable in their lives.'

‘You don't need to keep this place to do that. Sell it and move back to the city. You don't belong here any more than they do.'

Kate's pride reared at the sting in his insult. ‘I'm not selling and we're not moving back. Just leave us alone. There's nothing left for you here.'

‘Mum, can we go back to the waterhole?' Liam came running out the back door.

‘No. You can go and feed the chooks and make sure they have fresh water. While I was out looking for you this morning, the chores didn't get done,' she snapped.

‘But Mum—'

‘Now, Liam! And tell Georgia to hang out that load of washing in the laundry,' she added as he walked away, his little shoulders slumped.

‘I don't want you anywhere near these kids,' she said to Andy. ‘So this afternoon you tell them you're leaving.'

Had he yelled at her, threatened her or tried to bully her, she would have at least known where she stood with him, but he did none of those things. A feeling of utter despair weighed down her shoulders as she watched him stalk back to the bunkhouse. Her world, so full of promise only yesterday, was about to come tumbling down around her feet . . . again.

She listened to the ring tone and concentrated on breathing.

‘Cafferty.' His short greeting was met with a slight hesitation. ‘Hello?'

‘John, it's me. The kids are back.'

‘Where were they? Are they okay?' he demanded, his voice sounding gruffly official.

‘They're fine. They were down at the waterhole playing hooky from school.'

‘Where's their father?' He sounded as though he was gritting his teeth.

‘Everything's under control now, thanks,' she said, ignoring his question.

‘I'm coming out.'

‘No!' Kate panicked. God no, she couldn't have him out here.

The silence over the line spoke volumes. She could almost hear his expression harden on the other end.

‘I don't want to take up any more of your day, John. I'm sorry to have wasted your time. Thank you for the help.'

‘Let me help.'

At his quiet words, she almost weakened. He was so safe and strong, the urge to surrender all her problems onto his broad shoulders was almost physical. ‘You can't.' Gently she replaced the phone and blinked back tears.

No one could.

‘But Mum!'

Kate's nerves were at breaking point. ‘I said you're going, Liam!'

After yesterday's fiasco, she'd put her foot down and the kids were going to school today. Andy just looked on, neither reassuring nor helping as she herded them out of the house and into the ute.

Kate's jaw clenched as it became obvious that he hadn't told the kids of his departure, or there would have been tears and tantrums greeting her this morning. Steeling herself, she decided he'd had his chance to act like an adult and had blown it—he'd be leaving without saying goodbye then.

‘I'll see you when you get back, Kate,' he told her pointedly and a ripple of unease ran through her as she headed down the drive.

Georgia had been strangely quiet since the initial excitement of seeing her father again. A brief glance at her in the rear-view mirror confirmed to Kate her daughter's troubled thoughts. Something was wrong. She didn't have her ever-present iPod with her for a start. Kate couldn't read Georgia's expression. Hostile, angry, sarcastic and downright rude she could recognise blindfolded, but the look on her daughter's face was almost searching, as though Georgia was asking herself questions she had no answers to.

After driving the kids up to the bus stop Kate parked the ute back in the shed. As she slammed the door shut and turned towards the house, the sound of a vehicle approaching made her glance up in alarm. It was John. Immediately Kate's gaze darted to the bunkhouse—there was no sign of Andy.

‘John, what are you doing out here?' she demanded irritably as he climbed from his car and walked towards her.

Instead of answering her, he walked straight past, unclipping his gun from his holster. At that moment the bunkhouse door opened but before Andy could emerge, John kicked it open wide, catching Andy by surprise.

Kate couldn't move; for an insane moment she felt a shudder of relief, until she realised what this would mean. Instantly she snapped out of her stupor and raced across the yard.

John stood in the bunkhouse doorway, calmly levelling his weapon at the man sprawled awkwardly on the hard wooden floor. ‘Who are you?' John demanded.

‘Tell him, Kate,' Andy called out, spotting her from his position on the floor. ‘I'm Kate's husband.'

John gave a flicker of a smile. ‘From what I hear, you blew that chance, big-time. I think you meant
ex-
husband.'

Andy's eyes hardened. ‘Those kids are still mine—and I'll see them whenever I want to.'

‘That's strange, because in my pocket I have a copy of the restraining order Kate took out on you. Gotta tell you, mate, you're in a spot of bother right now.'

‘Well, I'm sure if you ask Kate you'll see she's decided to forget about the restraining order. It was all a big misunderstanding and we've put it behind us. Guess she hasn't told you we're trying to repair our marriage,' Andy said, slowly easing into a sitting position on the floor.

‘Really? That why you're confined to the bunkhouse?' Lowering his gun and reholstering it with a practised ease, John ordered Andy to his feet and slapped on a set of handcuffs. ‘I'm taking you back to the station and we'll sort it all out there.'

‘I don't think that's a good idea. Tell him, Kate,' Andy demanded.