Page 107 of Outback Secrets
A lump swelled in his throat. ‘Well, Macca would say she was mad as a cut snake. She had two settings—asleep or on speed. Don’t think I ever saw her sitting down when she was awake. She wasn’t houseproud at all because she always said there were better things to do with her time than tidying, except in the bathroom. Mom reckoned the bathroom was the one place she got to properly relax—she didn’t really spend money on much, but her one indulgence was expensive bath sheets. Heaven forbid if any of us used one of her soft, fluffy ones. We’d always know when she was having her me-time, because she’d sing so loudly in the bath.’
Henri laughed. ‘Nothing wrong with singing in the bath, or the shower.’
‘True, but Mom used to sing all the damn time. Songs from really cheesy musicals, like Oklahoma and Singin’ in the Rain. There was usually a different one each week and it drove Lacey and me crazy because she’d sing wherever we were. Like on the sidelines at one of our hockey games.’
‘Was she any good?’ Henri asked.
‘Yes, actually, but it was still mortifying. Not that Mom worried about that. Nothing embarrassed her; in fact I think she thrived on it. You should have heard some of the conversations she had with me.’
‘Well, go on.’ Henri poked him. ‘You can’t say something like that and not tell me. What kind of conversations?’
‘Probably the most memorable one is the day she told me all about female pleasure.’
‘What?’
He grinned. ‘I was like, fourteen or something. Lacey had heard someone talking about masturbation at school and asked Mom what it was. Thinking I knew everything about everything, I decided to take it upon myself to explain. I told her it was something only guys do, and Mom stepped in and told me I couldn’t be more wrong. Then she proceeded to explain, drawing diagrams and all, how females got pleasure during sex and that they could self-pleasure just as well, if not better than men. She said women don’t need men, despite what society wants them to believe, but a good man was worth his weight in gold, and if I wanted to be a good man, I should remember one thing: Ladies always come first.’
By the time he finished Henri was laughing so much she was actually crying.
‘Oh my God! My brothers would have died if Mum ever tried to talk to any of them about stuff like that.’
‘Well, my mom had no embarrassment filter.’
‘I reckon I’d have liked her,’ Henri said, wiping her eyes with the bottom of his shirt.
Mom would have liked Henri too. They were similar in a lot of ways—both independent and passionate, and they shared a similar dry sense of humour. Sometimes when Henri said something, it took Liam a moment to realise she wasn’t being serious.
‘What about Lacey?’ Henri said. ‘What was she like?’
And although Liam had already shared more than he ever had with anyone since leaving America, somehow, he found himself talking openly about his family. And actually enjoying it. He shared memories with Henri he rarely even allowed himself to think about because they hurt too damn much.
He told her about how his parents were one of the most in love couples he’d ever met, and yet couldn’t go five minutes without bickering about something. He told her about the family board-game nights they’d had every Wednesday and how even though he and his sister moaned and groaned about it, they’d secretly loved them just as much as their parents. He told her about pets they’d had, vacations they’d been on, the over-the-top birthday parties his mom had thrown.
The words came naturally, and Henri listened, smiling and laughing in all the right places, only occasionally making comments herself.
‘Your parents sound like very special people,’ she said, squeezing his hand.
‘They were.’
‘I reckon they’d be super proud of what you’ve done here in the Bay.’
‘Not much to running a country pub,’ he scoffed.
‘But this place is so much more than just a country pub to the people of Bunyip Bay—The Palace is the hub of the community. And I can see how much you care about everyone too. You didn’t call the cops on Jaxon and Brad. Sexy Rexy told me how if it wasn’t for you, he probably wouldn’t even be alive right now. And I bet he’s not the only one. As you say, you listen to people when they need an ear. You make time for everyone, from Heidi right through to Dolce. This town is so damn lucky to have you.’
‘Don’t think I’ve forgotten about Max,’ he said, embarrassed enough to want to change the subject. ‘You were about to tell me about him when Stella went into labour.’
Henri shrugged. ‘He’s honestly no one.’
‘Then why are you so reluctant to talk about him?’
She sighed. ‘How about we make a deal? I’ll tell you about Max, if you tell me about Katie.’
Ice skated down Liam’s spine, and he sat up straighter. He’d never told anyone in Australia about Katie.
‘How do you know about her?’ he asked, failing dismally to sound nonchalant. Was Henri some kind of mind-reader?
‘When I was looking through your bookshelves trying to find something to read, I spotted your Baby-Sitters Club books, took a look inside and saw the inscription.’