Page 118 of Outback Secrets
Rex shifted on his stool and gestured to the door. ‘Over there. Guess the old girl wanted a change of scenery.’
Liam let out a long breath at the sight of his dog sitting just inside the pub like one of those heavy stone doorstop statues. His heart squeezed—he wasn’t the only one who’d fallen for Henri, but at least he knew the reason for her absence. If only he could explain it to Sheila. Would she understand? He suspected life wasn’t so complicated in canine country.
Almost wishing he were a dog himself, he picked up the glass again and put it under the tap as Rex downed the dregs of his previous pint. It was the first thing that amused Liam all day and he stifled a smile. Rex had to be one of the stingiest people he’d ever met and always drank every last drop to make sure he got his money’s worth.
‘You’ll never guess what I found at the tip today,’ Rex said as Liam placed the full glass in front of him.
‘What’s that?’ The last time Rex had been excited about a tip find, it had been a blow-up, plastic sex doll with a hole in it, and not the kind of hole most people wanted in such a doll! Another time it was a bunch of old spoons—the cheap kind that tourists buy on vacation. Sure, one man’s junk was another man’s treasure, but Liam didn’t think there were many people who’d get worked up about the things Rex did.
His mind drifted, wondering what Henri was doing right now. Watching some stupid Christmas movie? Making a voodoo doll that looked the spitting image of him? A tiny part of him wondered if she might show up as usual. If maybe because he hadn’t answered her calls she’d decide to have it out with him face to face.
Rex banged his fist against the bar, startling Liam from his rumination. ‘Are you even listening to a word I’m saying?’
‘Maybe if you ever said something interesting I would!’
The moment the words were out, Liam regretted them. The hurt that flashed across Rex’s face only made him feel more like pond scum than he already did. He was pretty much the guy’s only friend and friends listened, even to the boring stuff.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘What was it you found?’
‘Ah, never mind.’ Rex took another sip of his beer, the froth lingering on his unruly moustache. ‘What’s going on here tonight anyway? Why all the casseroles? And why the long face? Has someone bloody died?’
‘Not that I know of.’
‘Well, something’s got your goat. Has it got to do with that Forward girl?’ Rex glanced at the large tarnished watch on his wrist—another tip find. ‘She’s usually here by now, isn’t she?’
Liam nodded. ‘I don’t think she’s coming tonight.’
‘Don’t tell me there’s trouble in paradise?’ Rex asked. ‘Didn’t I tell you that one was bad news?’
‘She’s not bad news. It just didn’t work out.’ He wouldn’t hear anyone say a bad word about her and told Rex the same as he’d told everyone else, while praying some other drama would happen in the Bay soon and he’d stop having to talk about his.
‘Man, I’m sorry to hear that,’ Rex said when Liam was finished. ‘I was only joking about her being trouble. We’ve had a few chats over the last coupla nights, and I was starting to worry I was falling in love with her myself.’
Liam smiled sadly. What could you do? Henri Forward was all too easy to fall for.
‘Is there anything I can do to help? I know women usually like talking about shit like this and I probably don’t know the right words to say, but we could shoot some pool if you want? Try to take your mind off her.’
‘Thanks,’ Liam said, touched by the offer—he didn’t even know if Rex could play pool. ‘It’s okay, I’ll be fine, but maybe you could take some of the casseroles off my hands?’
‘Really?’ Rex smiled more broadly than Liam had ever seen, revealing a dimple in each cheek that looked quite out of place on such a weathered, often sullen face.
He nodded. ‘You’d be doing me a huge favour.’
So, after Rex had finished his pint, he left The Palace with a swagger in his step and enough nutritious home-cooked dinners to feed him for a month.
Liam felt some consolation that at least someone was happy and his heartbreak was not completely in vain.
* * *
‘Mum, can you teach me to knit?’
‘What did you say?’ Henri’s mother looked up from where she was ironing pillowcases in front of the TV. When her dad was alive they’d both kept typical farming hours—early to bed, early to rise—but now that she was alone, her mother seemed to have taken to staying up late binge-watching the home renovation shows that had been his favourites. Henri guessed it was one way she still felt close to him. Tonight’s episode appeared to be a Christmas edition set in the North Pole, which boggled her mind.
Crutches still under her arms, she ventured further into the room. ‘Can you teach me to knit, please?’
Her mum switched off the iron, picked up the remote and muted the television. ‘Do I have wax in my ears, or did you just say you wanted to learn to knit?’
Henri nodded.