Chapter 24

CHAPTER

24

Matt wasn’t quite sure how things had happened so quickly. One minute he had been talking Keith into renting the shop to Bree; now he was doing the paperwork for an offer to buy it. From Rose. He shook his head. He was beginning to understand that nothing about Bree and her grandmother was what he might expect. From the minute Bree had walked into his office with her wild curly hair and those odd-coloured eyes, the stable, staid life he was trying to build for himself and Vicki had been turned on its ear.

Alpacas. Knitting classes. And those kisses last night at the dance. His world was not what it had been. And that was a good thing. As was the invitation for him and Vicki to go to dinner that night at The Gums.

He looked at the computer screen where he was composing the offer email for Keith. If this sale went ahead, he’d have some spare money. He might take Vicki on a trip somewhere. Just the two of them. That would be fun. He ignored the tiny voice at the back of his head that was telling him it would be even more fun if Bree came with them.

He hit send and closed his email down. He hovered the mouse over the icon that would call up the photo of Kim and Vicki. The photo he opened every day and looked at with a mixture of love and heartbreak. He lifted his hand from the mouse and stretched his fingers. Instead of clicking on the icon, he reached for the unopened brown envelope that had been delivered earlier. He didn’t recognise the solicitor’s name in the corner of it.

He read the first few lines of the letter inside and froze. This was not paperwork for the sale of a house—this was an attack on the very fabric of his life.

He dropped the letter on the desk and took several deep breaths before reading it carefully all the way through. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. The letterhead paper looked real, but it had to be some sort of cruel joke.

But deep in his gut, he knew it wasn’t.

Anger fought with fear for a place in his mind. His hand was shaking as he reached for the phone. His call was answered on the third ring.

‘Brian. What the hell is this?’ Matt’s anger was in charge now.

‘Matt? What is what?’

‘This letter. About Vicki. What …’ Words failed him.

‘I have no idea what you are talking about.’

Matt forced himself to calm down. Brian was a good bloke. The letter smacked very much of Sally—and her increasing instability. ‘I have a solicitor’s letter in front of me. About Vicki. I suggest you go and talk to your wife, Brian. You have got to stop this. For all our sakes.’ He ended the call and put the phone down.

As he was reaching for the letter again, the front door opened and Vicki bounced in. He picked up the letter and returned it to the envelope.

‘Hi, Daddy.’

‘Hi, honey.’ Matt raised a hand to Kelly, who had walked the kids back from school. Kelly waved in reply without coming in and continued across the street.

‘Have you finished work yet, Daddy?’

‘Almost.’ Matt slid the envelope into a drawer. He didn’t need to read it again—the words were already seared into his brain. ‘I have a special treat for you later.’

‘Ooh. What?’

‘How would you like to go to Bree’s place and talk to the alpacas again?’

‘Yay.’

‘And Bree and her nan have invited us to stay for dinner. How does that sound?’

‘Can I take my knitting to show her?’

‘Yes. Now, I’ve nearly finished work. Why don’t you read for a little while until I’m done?’

Vicki turned away, then hesitated. ‘Daddy, will I miss Granny’s call if I go to visit Bree?’

Tonight there was supposed to be a FaceTime session for Vicki and her grandparents. ‘I’m afraid you will, but that’s all right. Granny and Grandpa will understand.’ He hoped they would get the message when he didn’t answer their call. Hoped that might give them cause to rethink the action they were taking.

While Vicki entertained herself with her book, Matt sent a quick text to Bree.

Do you mind if we come a bit early? About 4? Will explain when I see you.

The reply came a minute later.

Sure. Come whenever you like. Is everything okay?

Everything is fine. See you later. X

Only as he hit send did he notice that last character. He had put it in without thinking, his mind still grappling with the shock of the letter. It was too late now to call the message back. He wasn’t too sure he wanted to, and even if he did, its significance was nothing compared to the issue he now faced. He put it out of his mind.

When he and Vicki left the office, Matt left the envelope locked in his desk drawer, where there was no risk Vicki might stumble across it. They walked through to the house behind his office and when they went inside, Vicki dived into her room to find her knitting and her alpaca books. Matt left her to it and quietly carried the iPad into his room, where he switched it off. There would be no FaceTime calls until he had figured out what to do about the letter.

The afternoon dragged by. Matt spent the time making sure that Vicki was occupied, but kept one eye fixed on his phone, waiting for some message from Brian or Sally. There was nothing and at last it was time to go.

Vicki chatted happily during the drive to The Gums, for which Matt was glad. He didn’t have the attention to carry a conversation. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen when he got to Bree’s place, he only knew that he wanted to be there.

Bree met them on the veranda.

‘Bree!’ Vicki gave a squeal and flung her arms around Bree’s waist. Bree laughed her lovely birdsong laugh and hugged Vicki back.

But when her eyes met Matt’s, her smile faded a little and a small crease appeared on her forehead.

‘Hi, Matt.’

‘Hi.’ Matt’s arms ached to pull Bree to him and bury his face in that mane of wild hair to chase away the horror that was haunting him. But he couldn’t. If he did, he’d lose control of his tightly pent-up anger and fear. He couldn’t do that in front of Vicki.

He said nothing more as they went inside and Vicki greeted Rose with equal enthusiasm. Mike was also there and greeted the little girl.

‘Did you know that Mike has shorn all the alpacas?’ Bree asked Vicki.

‘Ooh. Does it hurt?’

Mike laughed. ‘Who? The alpacas. No. Me? Sometimes, if they stand on my toes.’

Vicki giggled.

‘Nan. Mike. Why don’t you take Vicki down to see the herd with their new haircuts?’

Matt saw the look that passed between Bree and her grandmother.

‘Can I, Daddy? Please.’

‘Of course you can. But make sure you do exactly what Mike and Rose tell you to do.’

‘I promise.’

Matt watched his daughter, the great joy of his life, bounce out the door and head off towards the paddocks, holding onto Rose’s wrinkled hand and Mike’s strong, work-roughened one.

No sooner had Bree closed the door than she was waving him to a seat. ‘Something’s wrong. Tell me.’

‘How did you know?’

‘Anyone looking at your face would know something is wrong. If you can’t tell me, I understand. Instead, just tell me how I can help.’

Matt started to tell her about the letter.

‘Sally wants what?’ The shock on Bree’s face told him he was not overreacting to the threat.

‘She wants to take Vicki away from me.’ There. He’d said the words out loud. They were real now.

‘No.’ Bree took his hands in hers. ‘She can’t do that. Not without a court order. And not without evidence that something is very wrong. And that’s not the case. You are a wonderful father and Vicki loves you.’

Those were the words he’d needed to hear, but it wasn’t enough.

‘But the solicitor’s letter says she has a case.’ He gripped Bree’s hands like a drowning man would grip a life preserver.

‘Who is the solicitor?’

Matt struggled to remember the name.

‘I know them. They’re a small firm, and none too bothered about the morality of what they do.’

That was a surprise. ‘How do you know them?’

‘Matt, you do know I was a solicitor in Sydney? That my parents own a law firm? Well, Nan technically owns part of it too.’

He frowned. Had he known that? Maybe she’d said something when buying The Gums, but if she had, he hadn’t paid much attention. ‘No. I mean, I don’t think so.’

‘I wish you’d brought the letter with you. Sorry. I know it’s none of my business, but I’d like to help you, if I can.’

The weight on his shoulders shifted a little. It was still there, almost crushing him with fear and anger, but it was not quite as heavy as it had been earlier that afternoon.

‘What grounds did they give?’

He could see Bree’s mind spinning up to full speed. ‘They say I’m trying to cut off their access to her. That I won’t let them see her. So they are asking for the court to step in.’

‘And did you?’ Bree must have been—no, correction—obviously was a good lawyer, and tough too.

‘I did. But they pushed me into it.’

Matt described Sally’s increasing interference in his and Vicki’s lives. Saying it out loud, each incident seemed such a small thing. Insignificant. But clearly Bree didn’t agree. Her face got tighter with every minute. And when he told her about the phone, she shook her head firmly. She took him by the shoulders and looked him squarely in the eyes.

‘From what you’ve told me, they are the ones who are being unreasonable. That business with the phone could be seen as putting Vicki at risk through unsupervised access to the internet. It’s not going to be pleasant, fighting this, but the courts are not going to take Vicki away from you and give her to her grandparents without very good reason. And nothing you’ve said even comes close to that.’

The door burst open and Vicki came running in, full of chat and wonder at how different the alpacas looked. Matt swept her into his arms for a cuddle. He wanted to hold her so tight that no-one could ever take her away from him. Because there were other reasons the court might rule against him. Things Bree knew nothing about. Things he couldn’t bring himself to even consider.

But if Sally was willing to go that way, he might lose Vicki forever.