Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
"That is awesome!"
"Dawn made cakes," Mum says, tugging on my arm, urging me to twist and see. Next to the sink is a tray of chocolate cupcakes with creamy frosting.
"You made those?" I ask, already striding across for a closer look, with a watering mouth.
"She didn’t even need a recipe."
Mum is glowing with pride on Dawn’s behalf, which doesn’t surprise me at all. Dawn, on the other hand, blushes and shifts in her seat as though she’s not used to hearing and accepting compliments.
I grab a cake and a glass of water and sit at the table, smiling as Dawn screws up her nose in concentration, mouthing the words in, over, through and off, with every stitch. Mum tells me her news and we spend another thirty minutes in contented company.
When Dawn has managed an inch of very rough looking knitting, she lowers it again. "It doesn’t look good, but I’m so damned proud of myself."
"You should be." Mum rests her hand on Dawn’s arm. "It’s not easy, and you tackled it with determination."
"We should probably go," I say, glancing at my watch.
"Can I take this?" Dawn asks. "I want to keep practicing, but I promise I’ll send the needles back with Logie!"
Mum’s eyes sparkle at Dawn’s use of my nickname. "You keep them. I have plenty."
I stand and clear the table of mugs and plates, washing them quickly and stacking them on the draining board. Dawn offers to dry, but Mum insists we let nature do the work.
With knitting in hand, Dawn bends to hug my mum in such a gentle and tender way that I have to swallow to clear the burning sensation in my throat. "It’s been so nice to spend the morning with you," she says.
"The pleasure’s all mine. You come back anytime you want."
As we walk down the hall, Mum follows to show us to the door, the wheels of her chair squeaking against the wood. I open the ute so that Dawn can get in, but jog back to the door when Mum calls me back. When I’m close enough to hear a whisper, she says. "That girl’s a keeper, Logie. You better hold on to her."
"We’re not even dating," I tell her, wondering if she’d still think that way about Dawn if I told her what’s been going on at Cloud 9 since she joined our team.
"Well, you better change that. Women like that don’t come along often, honey. She’s got a light inside her that can never be snuffed out, a spine of iron, and best of all, she’s funny. You know I don’t like to get involved in your personal life, but this time I am. It’s time you had some fun. Let the past go." She reaches to take my hand and I give hers a squeeze.
"Okay, mum," I say. "I’ll think about it."
With one arched brow, she tells me thinking isn’t enough.
On the way back to Cloud 9, we pass my favorite coffee shop, and with Mum’s words still ringing in my ears, I decide we should make a stop.
"Are we going somewhere?" Dawn asks when I pull over.
"Yep. For the best coffee in town and a surprise treat."
"Is it a lamington?"
I groan, realizing that I’m late to this party and my friends have already had opportunities to share good things about Byron with Dawn. "Ah shit. Did someone get there first?"
"Yep, but don’t worry. I’m not lamingtoned out."
I throw open the car door. "Anyway, these lamingtons are the best in town. No competition."
Dawn follows me and we find a free table outside, grateful that it’s shaded by a broad white parasol. We order flat whites and a lamington each because they are just too good to share, and I ask Dawn about her life before Cloud 9. She talks about her dad and her friends back home, her green eyes sparkling with every funny story she tells me. She even has a story about meeting international popstar Luna Evans and helping her get a tattoo. It would sound farfetched from anyone else, but not from Dawn.
But notably, she never mentions her mum.
When the cakes are delivered, we take our time eating each delicious bite and I observe Dawn watching a middle-aged woman and her teenage daughter who are sitting a few tables away. It’s like she can’t take her eyes off them.
When we get back to Cloud 9, we have a couple of hours before our shifts start. "Well, thanks for entertaining my mum," I say.
"Thanks for taking me. I had fun."
"Time for a shower". I run my hand through my messy blond hair to illustrate the point. Dawn reaches for my other hand.
"I could use a shower too," she says and without any preamble, leads me away from the door to my room, towards hers.
Mum’s words ring out in my mind. That girl’s a keeper.