Roberta and Bob meandered towards the cottage while Nate went to fetch the gemstone stored in the teahouse safe.
“It’s been years since I’ve been back to the lake,” Bob said, staring out towards the lake.
They’d gone for a walk to the kauri pines, Bob wanting to reacquaint himself with their grandeur and to see for himself where her mother had buried the gem.
“Thanks for allowing me another look at it. I only saw it the once when Billy first found it. He told me he was cutting and polishing it. I figured I’d eventually get to see it again when he was finished. Apparently, it was a very rare find because its size was enormous. While not a diamond, white sapphires are still regarded as one of the four precious gemstones. So, take care of it. It’ll be worth quite a bit.”
“I’m sorry the damn thing has caused you so much heartache over the years.” Roberta caught his eye. “Why didn’t anyone ever suspect my mother of having it?”
“Because not once did Billy ever suggest he would give it to her. Word had gotten out that Billy had found this huge rock, so when the family couldn’t find it, they assumed someone stole it.”
Roberta opened the door of the cottage and invited Bob in. “Would you like a drink?”
“Yeah, a coffee would be great.”
While Roberta set the coffee machine on for their hot drinks, she motioned for Bob to sit at the small table.
“What I never understood was why anyone would accuse me of stealing from my best mate. My dead best mate. Did his family really think I would stoop that low?” Bob pulled out a chair and sat down, his elbows perched on the tabletop.
Roberta fiddled with the mugs on the island bench. With some trepidation, which wasn’t like her at all, she finally blurted out the question she’d been holding onto since Bob arrived. “Can … can you tell me a little about my dad?”
“Oh, Roberta, I can tell you everything. Billy and I were like this.” Bob crossed his index and middle fingers. “Always getting into mischief, probably from the day we were born.” He chuckled, his eyes unseeing for a moment, no doubt lost in memories of those happier days.
He straightened, sitting back when she carried their mugs to the table. When Nate walked in with the small box, a heated blush seared the back of Roberta’s neck as she remembered their kiss in the creek. Think about other things, girl.
She went back to grab Nate’s mug, putting it down on the small coffee table near the couch, the only other spare seat in the cottage, hoping Nate didn’t notice her reddened cheeks or shaking hands.
“Thanks, Roberta,” Nate said, a hole burning her back, certain he was following her with his gaze as she made her way back to the table.
Pushing in her chair across the table from Bob, Roberta chanced a quick glance over. Nate sat on the couch watching her every move, or so it seemed. A naked Nate flared up again in her mind, and she curled her fingers, needing to dislodge the image. Fast.
Didn’t she have more important matters to deal with?
Dragging her thoughts back to Bob, she took a deep breath before releasing it slowly, resisting the urge to rub her heated neck.
Bob reached for the box Nate placed on the table, curling his fingers around the small container. Was he hesitant to open it? The damn thing had caused him so much heartache, and she didn’t rush him.
“Wow.” Bob let out a low whistle when he finally prised open the lid. “Billy told me he was working on a surprise. I guess the star shape was what he meant.”
“It would’ve taken so much work.” The magnitude of her father’s craft suddenly occurred to Roberta.
“I’m guessing he wasn’t sleeping much at the time. Needing to get it finished would’ve consumed him, but he did it. Oh, Billy,” Bob finished wistfully, falling back in his chair.
“I’m sorry, Bob.” Roberta refrained from giving his arm a squeeze. She curled her fingers instead. The urge to comfort this man, who was obviously still suffering from the pain of what had happened to him all those years ago, surprised her. They were only loosely connected through her mother, so she didn’t owe him anything except for the fact that she was grateful he was helping her fill in the blanks.
“We did everything together.” Bob’s attention was still on the gemstone. He turned the box in different directions as she had done, light reflecting off the stone from where she sat.
“Billy’s family and mine own two adjoining farms. We grow potatoes. Lots and lots of potatoes. We’re still there growing lots of them,” Bob added with a grimace. “We supply the biggest percentage to Australian crisp manufacturers.”
“Oh, really? Like Smith’s Chips?”
“Yes.” Bob managed a chuckle despite his sadness. “Smith’s is one of them.”
Bob gently closed the small box, sliding it across the table towards her. “Thank you for showing me. It certainly sends a rush of memories back.” Bob rubbed his arm like he was trying to ease shivers along his skin.
Roberta opened the box to take another look at the stone. If only it could talk. How many secrets did its shiny, polished edges hold?
“I assume you knew my mother?”
“Ah … Lily.” Bob’s eyes fluttered closed momentarily, and she assumed his mind was drifting to another time and place. “Beautiful and full of life. How is she these days?”
Roberta was warming to the gentle giant who looked as Italian as she did. The similar black hair, now showing signs of grey threads, and the dark European eyes.
“She married her best friend. His name was Sam, and he was the only dad I knew. He died six months ago in a car accident. She’s taken it hard.”
“Oh … I’m sorry to hear that, but …” Bob deliberated, “I’m guessing if you’re here to learn about Billy, then she left the north pregnant?”
Roberta looked up from taking a sip of her coffee to find Bob’s gaze assessing her. “Yes, she was pregnant.” There was a lot of Lily he would see in her features.
“Have you seen a photo of Billy?” he asked.
Roberta chuckled wryly. “I’ve seen nothing. Mum wouldn’t even tell me his name. All she asked me to do was dig up the box and return it to her, and then she’d fill me in.”
“She knows you’ve found it?”
“Nope, and it’s staying that way until I’m ready to tell her.”
“Ah … the same spirit as Lily, I see. She was some girl back in the day.” Bob gazed into the distance, lost in memories again, as they continued to sip their hot drinks in contemplative silence. Nate caught her gaze from where he sat, giving her a nod of support. She had so many conflicting emotions zapping inside her body that she pictured tiny electrons running into each other beneath her skin, squealing with delight each time they bumped into each other.
Roberta took a moment to rub her temple to ease the tension. “You wouldn’t happen to have a photo, would you?” She wasn’t sure if she was quite ready to see it but prepared to take the plunge. Now or never. She wasn’t waiting for her mother to produce one.
Bob pulled out his phone and began tapping. “I have some old shots saved on my photo gallery. As much as Billy’s family screwed me over, I’ve never had a best mate like Billy again. Some days I miss him so damn much.”
Roberta absorbed the anguish so evident in Bob’s declaration and let it settle against her chest. Again, another absurd moment where she wanted to wrap her arms around a total stranger and hug him. No amount of time would erase the pain and turmoil Bob continued to suffer.
She waited with bated breath, digging her nails into her thigh. Shouldn’t she be relieved she was going to be armed with every conceivable piece of information when she returned to her mum? She was sick of the secrets and didn’t trust her mother to tell her everything. If she was expected to uproot her life and deal with this shit, then she was going for broke. If syphoning everything she could from Bob was what it took, so be it. Then she would introduce herself to her grandparents next.
Bob continued to scroll past photos. “Lily leaving suddenly was what I expected she would do. She wasn’t from around these parts and was only ever up this way on holiday with a girlfriend. I was one of the few people who knew what was going on between your mum and Billy. They were smitten, well I speak for Billy. I knew he was. For the first time ever, he didn’t have much time for me, but I was okay with that. Not once, though, did he hint he was close to proposing or planning to give Lily the white sapphire.”
“Hmm …” Roberta stored every piece of information, hoping it would tie in with what little her mother would tell her.
“Ah, here we go. I knew I had them on here, somewhere.”
Roberta’s breath hitched in her throat. She hadn’t realised Nate had come to stand behind her until the soft kneading of his fingers on her tense shoulder warmed her.
Bob passed her the phone; an image of a young man with hazel eyes stared back at her. His hair looked to be a very light honey colour. The photo wasn’t the best quality, but it was enough to show his killer good looks.
“You’re an exact clone of your mum, Roberta. Sorry, but I don’t think there was too much room left for any of Billy’s genes.”
For some stupid reason, a heavy weight lodged inside her chest, leaning heavily against her heart. She wanted one little piece of her dad. Yet here was Bob voicing her exact thoughts virtually seconds after thinking them. All her life she’d been told she was a mini version of her mother, and she had long ago accepted it. But today, she wanted that little bit more.
She blinked furiously. Why this was making her emotional, she had no idea. The continued relaxing touch by Nate would be her undoing if she didn’t get a handle on her wayward feelings. Some fresh air would work.
“Who wants to go for a walk around the lake and stretch their legs?” She swallowed back frustration as she got up out of her chair. “Then you can tell me all the stories you remember about my father.”
“Great idea,” Nate answered, collecting their mugs and leaving them in the sink.
When Roberta looked up, she observed a shared understanding between the two men. She shrugged. She was unsettled, and they both noticed. So what? Anyone would be after a day … a week … like this one.
Already dressed after that morning’s outing, she marched outside, not waiting for either to catch up. She needed to draw more air in, clear her head, press reset and find clarity. Fulfilling this damn promise to her mother was proving to be harder than she first thought.
With determination, she made for the well-marked track, so familiar now. In less than a minute, Nate and Bob were on opposite sides of her on the gravel path winding around the lake.
“Roberta, are you okay?” Bob gave her shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
“Yeah, look, don’t stress. Once I have this sorted out, I’ll be fine. It’s not like I have a father to meet.”
“True, but you have grandparents and Billy’s sister. She’s married with a couple of kids, your cousins. A lot to take in, I get it.”
“Mum told me he proposed to her and presented the white sapphire on the same night. Yet, she never met his parents.”
“Like I told you, it was a very intense time. Billy worked the farm during the week, skied every competition between here and Townsville on the weekends, probably polishing that damn rock instead of sleeping, and then spent every other available minute with your mum. I think it was a case of not enough time. Then he was gone—far too soon.”
“Grandad used to tell us about how legendary Billy was,” Nate added, his voice tinged with nostalgia. So enshrouded in her thoughts, she’d forgotten about Nate’s presence, but the sound of his voice lent her a comfort she hadn’t expected.
Bob chuckled. “I believe your grandad was just as good for his age. From what I remember, Jim Surrey ruled these waters. He was always at the top of the competition ladder.”
“How long ago are we talking about? I don’t see any ski boats here now.” It dawned on Roberta that this lake was once a mecca for waterskiing, and yet these days, it sat tranquil and still.
“Billy’s death happened at the height of waterskiing on this lake. Getting a spot on the lake’s edge was bedlam. People would turn up at the crack of dawn to claim their spot. It was only a matter of time before an accident happened. Billy’s death was an accident.” Bob sighed. “It was very tragic, and no one was charged. Within twelve months, the lake and its sister lake, Lake Eacham, were closed to waterskiing.”
“Where did everyone go to waterski?”
“Good question, champ.” Bob gave her shoulder another squeeze. “By this time, Tinaroo Dam was the place to waterski, and everyone easily transferred over to its more spacious spread of water.”
As Roberta walked along the uneven gravel path, she caught fleeting glimpses of the lake through the trees. Shadows and light played havoc with her eyes as the sun filtered its way past the canopy.
Roberta stopped suddenly as an idea came to her. “Bob, can I ask you a favour?”
“Yeah,” he drawled, coming to a halt beside her.
“I know you probably hate my grandparents, but would you come with me to meet them?”
“Do you think that’s fair to ask him?” Nate asked from behind.
His voice startled her, and she spun around, not sure what to expect. She was ready to blast Nate and tell him to mind his own business, but a look of concern had her dropping the bitch stance.
Bob cleared his throat. “Look, I’m not sure what’s happening between you pair, but—”
“Nothing!” they both said. Roberta turned back to find Bob had his head cocked to the side.
“I’ll be okay, mate,” he directed to Nate. Then he looked at Roberta, adding, “I had an inkling I would be seeing them soon. May as well get it over and done with.”
“Do you hate them?”
“Ah … Roberta, hate’s a big word. It can destroy you in ways you never understand until it’s too late. But heck, yeah, there’s still a lot of hate sitting here.” Bob rubbed his chest before curling his fingers into a tight ball by his side.
Bob looked out past the trees, lost in his thoughts, before bringing his gaze back to her. “They destroyed my life. Doing a jail term turns you into some kind of leper. No one wants a bar of you.”
“I’m sorry,” she offered. “How long was it for?”
“Three months before the verdict was overturned on appeal. It nearly ruined my family financially. They came close to losing the farm, and this guilt has never left me. It’s the reason I hung around to help Dad on the farm instead of leaving the area like I wanted to. By then, it didn’t matter what I did or where I went. I’d lost my best mate, and we now had a huge feud between both families. No amount of potato harvests was going to fix it. The sad part was the two dads always planted their crops in tandem, helping each other out. As families go, we were once very close.
“I also hated the justice system. How could they throw me in jail when I knew I was innocent? I was a mess and I can’t say I’ve fully recovered, but heck, I can’t wait to see their faces when you tell them what happened to the stone. Sometimes, a little revenge can go a long way to helping you recover.”
Roberta laughed unexpectedly but quickly pulled herself together, contrite at her sudden insensitivity. “I’m sorry, Bob. I didn’t mean to laugh, but you sound exactly like I would feel. I’m always up for a bit of karma when I’ve been wronged. So, you’ll come with me?”
“You bet.” Bob chuckled good-naturedly.
“When?”
“When do you want to go?”
“Tonight?”
“Heck, okay.” Bob ploughed a hand through his thick hair, probably realising the enormity of what he was getting himself into.
“Are you sure, Bob? I can go on my own.”
“Hell no. I’ve been wanting to prove them wrong forever. Damn them to hell; they probably still think I stole the sapphire. They’re going to deserve what’s coming their way.”
“Can I just say something?” Nate interrupted.
Roberta’s gaze shifted to Nate. Once again, she’d temporarily forgotten about him, and why the scowl? She and Bob waited expectantly for what he wanted to say. Neither denying him permission to speak or agreeing to it.
“While the same thought path is happening in both your minds, please don’t forget these people are Roberta’s biological family. Go easy, okay?”
Bob swallowed, rubbing his temple. “You’re right, mate. I was getting carried away. A bit hard to dislodge the hate sometimes.” Bob turned back to her. “How about I give your mother a call? Discuss this with her first and check she’s doing okay?”
“This means I’ll have to tell her I have the stone.”
“And you don’t want her to know?”
“Nope, not yet, and I’m not changing my mind. I’m going to meet my grandparents first and then decide.”
Bob chuckled. “Okay, how about I ring her in a week’s time? Is that long enough? It won’t hurt to check on how she’s doing. She could probably do with a chat from an old friend.”
“Will she remember you?” Roberta asked as Nate suggested they keep walking with a nod towards the path.
They continued walking, and she could sense Bob assessing her again as he darted glances her way. If he wasn’t careful, he’d trip over a tree root.
“She won’t have forgotten me,” Bob whispered, turning back to face the path.
Not before she spied an odd look pass over his face. What did it mean? There was enough in his expression to send a shiver along her spine, along with a hint of uncertainty. Did she really want to go there? Was she about to disturb an angry nest of wasps by introducing Bob into her mother’s life again? God help her, why couldn’t her mother have come on an innocent holiday to the north and just enjoyed all its tropical attractions?
How many lives had she touched and left changed forever? Her mother had so much to answer for, and Roberta was nowhere near done yet.