This was terrible. The last time she’d cried when moving on had been the day she’d left her favourite foster-family—the Bartletts.
The woman opposite stirred. ‘We’re docking.’
Ally blew her nose and swiped her eyes once more, drew a breath and looked up. ‘Thank you again.’
‘You’ll be all right?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Never again. With one last sniff she inched forward in the queue to disembark and headed for her real life; the one she’d worked hard to make happen and that now seemed lonely and cold.
Flynn felt a chill settle over him the moment he turned into his street. Ally’s car was gone. Somehow he wasn’t surprised but, damn it, he was hurt. How hard would it have been to say goodbye?
Spinning the steering wheel, he did an about-turn and headed for Kat’s flat to say to Ally the goodbye she hadn’t been willing to give him.
But it was Marie’s car outside Kat’s flat, not the one Ally had been using. As soon as Flynn pulled up Marie was at his window. ‘Do you know where Ally’s gone?’
‘I hoped she’d be here.’ He was too late.
‘She came to my place about an hour ago. She was very upset. I tried to find out why, but she left again. In a hurry, at that. That’s why I came around here.’
Flynn’s mouth soured. Ally was upset? Why? Did you want to stay on? With me? No, that was going too far. ‘I’d say she’s on the ferry, heading home.’ Except she didn’t have a home to head to. Just a bed she borrowed on a daily basis.
‘Flynn, what’s going on? Why’s Ally upset? As in looking like she was about to burst into tears?’ Marie’s voice rose.
Ally and tears didn’t mix. He’d never seen her close to crying. Duh. There hadn’t been any reason for it. His gut clenched. If Ally was crying, then he wanted to be with her, holding her, calming her down and helping sort whatever her problem was. ‘She’s finished her contract with us, but from what I’ve learned about her that wouldn’t be the reason for her being unhappy.’
Marie clamped her hands on her hips. ‘Unhappy? Broken-hearted more like. Downright miserable.’ She stared at him. ‘A little bit like how you’re looking, only more so.’
‘I look miserable? Broken-hearted?’ Here he’d been thinking he could hide his feelings. But, then, most people didn’t know him as well as Marie did.
Marie’s stance softened. ‘You love her, don’t you?’
Ouch. This might not go well, Anna having been Marie’s best friend and all. ‘You don’t pull any punches, do you?’
‘Have you told Ally?’
He shook his head.
‘What’s held you back? Anna? Because if that’s the case, you have to let her go. The last thing Anna would’ve wanted would be for you to be on your own for the rest of your life.’
Flynn growled, ‘Since when did you become my therapist?’
She smiled. ‘Just being a good friend. So? Spill. Why haven’t you talked to Ally about this?’
‘All of the above. And Adam. I’m totally focused on giving him everything he needs in life and I don’t know if there’s room for Ally. But, yes, I love her, so I guess I’ll be making space.’ Over the past weeks he’d begun to feel comfortable living here, enjoying his work more. Without Ally, life wouldn’t be as much fun.
‘I hope you come up with a more romantic approach when you tell Ally all this.’ Marie leaned in and brushed a kiss over his chin. ‘Adam adores Ally, and vice versa. What’s more, he needs a mother figure in his life. You’re not so hot on the soft, womanly touch.’
‘Thank goodness for that.’ Flynn felt something give way deep inside and a flood of love and tenderness swamped him. Ally, love, where are you? ‘She’s afraid she isn’t mother material.’ When astonishment appeared on Marie’s face, he hurried to add, ‘She’s a welfare kid, lived in the system all her childhood.’
‘Oh, my God. Now I get it. She was running from you. She doesn’t want to make things any worse for you.’
‘Yep, and I let her go.’ Actually, no, he hadn’t. He’d fully expected Ally to be waiting when he and Adam had got back. He should’ve known better. If he hadn’t diverted to the vet’s to pick up dog shampoo, would he have been in time to see her before she’d left? ‘Marie, thanks, you’re a treasure. Now, go home to that baby of yours and tell your mother to leave before Mark gets here.’
‘On my way. What are you going to do?’
‘Adam and I are taking a trip.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
‘THE COFFEE’S ON,’ Darcie said as she buzzed Ally into the apartment building.
‘Hope it’s stronger than tar,’ Ally muttered, as she waited for the lift that would take her to the penthouse. She was wiped out. All those tears and that emotional stuff had left her exhausted. No wonder she tried so hard not to get upset.
The apartment door stood wide open as Ally tripped along the carpet to her latest abode, and she felt a temporary safety from the outside world descend.
‘Hey, how’s things?’ Darcie appeared around the corner, took one look at her face and said, ‘Not good. Forget coffee. I think this calls for wine.’
A true friend. ‘Isn’t it a bit early? It’s not quite eleven yet.’
‘It’s got to be afternoon somewhere in the world.’
Good answer. ‘I’ll dump my bags.’ And dip my face under a cold tap. But when Ally looked into the bathroom’s gilt-edged mirror she was horrified at the blotchy face staring back at her. ‘Who are you?’ she whispered.
Cold water made her feel a little more alive but no less sad. She found her make-up and applied a thick layer in a misguided attempt to hide some of the red stains on her cheeks. Quickly brushing her hair and tying it up in a ponytail, she went out to Darcie. ‘Sorry about that. I needed to freshen up
a bit.’
Darcie immediately handed her a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. ‘Let’s go out on the deck. The sun’s a treat for this time of year.’
She followed, blanking out everything to do with Phillip Island and Flynn, instead trying to focus on what might’ve been going on at the midwifery centre while she’d been away. ‘Tell me all the gossip. Who’s gone out with who, who’s leaving, or starting.’
Sitting in a cane chair, Darcie sipped her wine and chuckled. ‘You won’t believe what’s happening.’
Ally sprawled out on the cane two-seater, soaked up the sun coming through the plate-glass windows, and tried to relax. Darcie was very understanding. She’d wait to be told what was going on in Ally’s life. And if Ally never told her she wouldn’t get the hump. A rare quality, that. Exactly what Ally needed right now. ‘Great wine.’ She raised her glass towards Darcie. ‘Cheers.’
At some point Darcie got up and made toasted sandwiches and they carried on talking about the mundane.
It was the perfect antidote to the tumultuous emotions that had been gripping Ally all morning. There was nothing left in her tanks. She’d given it all on Phillip Island, left her heart with Flynn and his boy. Thank goodness she had tomorrow to recover some energy and enthusiasm for work before turning up at the midwifery unit on Monday.
Then Darcie spoilt it all. ‘Who’s this Flynn you keep mentioning?’
Ally sat up straight. ‘I don’t.’
Darcie held her hand up, fingers splayed. ‘Five times, but I’m not counting.’
I can’t have. I would have noticed. ‘He’s one of the doctors I’ve been working with.’
‘Yet I don’t recall you mentioning any of the others. Guess this Flynn made an impact on you.’
You could say that. ‘Okay, I’ll fess up and admit to having a couple of meals with him and his wee boy.’
Darcie said nothing for so long Ally thought she’d got away with it and started to go back to her relaxed state.
Until, ‘Ally, what else do you do when you’re not being a midwife?’