“Thanks, Bob,” I call out, raising my hand to him. “Just drop the car at Joe’s workshop. I’m going to take Morgan back to town.”
“No problem. If you hang around for five, I’ll give you guys a lift.”
I turn my attention to Morgan. “Are you okay if we walk? It’s not far, and it’s a lovely night.”
“I’m fine with that,” she replies, and if I’m not mistaken, I’m pretty sure the beginnings of a smile just formed on her pretty face.
No words are spoken as we walk the first fifty metres or so, but it’s a comfortable silence. I have an overwhelming urge to reach for her hand, but of course I don’t. It’s been a long time since anyone has affected me like this. I haven’t been in a serious relationship since I joined the force nine years ago. With the crazy long hours I work, and the limited pickings in this small town. Don’t get me wrong—I’m far from a saint. A man has needs, but I’m not a fan of casual relationships; I’m an all or nothing kinda guy.
“I can’t believe how many stars are in the sky tonight,” she says, breaking the silence.
“I bet you don’t see this many in the city.”
“Hardly any. Why is that?”
“The light pollution. You don’t get that here.”
“I see,” is all she says.
“Look, a falling star.”
“Wow, I saw that too. Oh, there’s another one.” She lets out a contented sigh, which makes me smile.
“We need to make a wish,” I tell her.
She stops, closing her eyes briefly, and my smile grows. I don’t need to think too hard about my wish because I already know what I want: her to stay. I barely even know her, but I’d love to get the chance to. I also want her to experience the kind of happiness I’ve had since moving here. I get the feeling she hasn’t had much of that lately.
“Morgan?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you stay at the B&B?”
She shrugs. “It was cheaper to stay in my car.”
“You don’t have any money?”
She lets out a long drawn-out breath, before looking down at her feet. “I have a little, but since somebody is making me spend all that money on getting my car fixed, it’s dwindling fast.”
“I feel bad for defecting your car, but your tyres were pretty bald.”
“It’s fine. I’ll need new tyres to get where I’m going anyway.”
“And where’s that?”
Her eyes move back to meet mine before she replies. “I don’t know… Tasmania.”
“What you’re running from must be pretty bad if you want to go all the way to the ends of the earth.”
“You could say that.” She starts walking again, and I know she’s said more than she’s probably comfortable with, so I don’t push her any further. “Have you lived here all your life?” She’s trying to deflect the conversation away from herself, but I’m okay with that.
“No, not all my life. I’ve been living here for almost twenty years. We moved here when I was eight. It’s such a great place to live. Best decision my mum ever made.”
I want to open up to her about my own past, but I don’t. Although our history is common knowledge around these parts, it’s not something I ever felt comfortable talking about. Besides, she has her own demons to deal with, so it would be selfish of me to burden her with mine.
“Does your mum still live in the area.”
“Yes,” Is all I say.
“No siblings?”
“Nope, just the two of us.”
“What about you? Have you always lived in Queensland?”
“Yes. The first sixteen years of my life were spent in Townsville. I moved to the Gold Coast just before my seventeenth birthday.”
“That would explain your sun-kissed skin.”
She lets out a sweet laugh before she replies. It’s like music to my ears. “You know what they say about Queensland weather—beautiful one day, perfect the next.”
“It’s a beautiful place,” I say in agreement. “I spent a few weeks on the Gold Coast when I graduated from school.”
“You went up for schoolies?”
“Yes,” I say with a chuckle. “What an eye opener that was, me being an innocent country boy and all.”
“Right,” she says, with a laugh. “I’ve seen first-hand how wild those schoolies parties can get—lots of sex, drugs and alcohol. That’s a teenage boy’s dream, isn’t it?”
She’s got me there, so I don’t bother replying. Well, the sex and alcohol part is true; I’ve never taken drugs.
“So what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“Yes, two younger sisters…well, half-sisters—same father, different mother. My dad remarried after my mum passed.”
I like that she’s opening up a bit. It’s nice to get to know more about her.
“I’m sorry about your mum.”
She shrugs. “I was only four when she passed. I don’t remember much about her.”
“My dad passed away when I was young too, so I understand.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It is part of life, I guess, but I often wonder what life would be like if he were still alive. Things changed so much after he was gone.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Are you still close with your father?” I ask.
“No, not really. He has his new family now. I always felt like I was in the way once my sisters came along.”
I don’t know what to say about that, so I don’t say anything. But hearing about her situation, only makes me feel for her more. No wonder she’s running away; she has nobody else to turn to.