Abby and the Bachelor Cop

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THEY took Kleppy to the vet and Fred declared he’d live. While he did, Raff made a quick call to Keith.

‘Dexter’s nicely locked up and he’s staying that way,’ Keith said. ‘I have a team organised to swarm through his files. You look after Abby.’

‘How did he know you and I…?’ Abby said and Raff grinned and shook his head.

‘Banksia Bay. Don’t ask.’

With his wound cleaned and dressed, they took Kleppy back to Raff’s. An hour later, a hearty meal demolished, Kleppy was watching television with Sarah. Lionel was with them. He’d just sort of turned up.

‘Heard Kleppy got kicked,’ he muttered, and Abby thought, How does this town do it?

Abby and Raff were in the back room, standing over Gran’s ancient tape player. Waiting for a repaired cassette to start.

Abby felt sick.

Raff was curious. Worried. Watching her. She hadn’t told him what to expect. It might not be anything.

But why was it buried there if it wasn’t anything?

And as soon as it started she knew she was right, at least in thinking she knew what it was.

She’d watched Philip over the years as he’d recorded his client discussions-‘in case I miss something’. She’d attributed it to his meticulous preparation.

She’d believed him, all those years ago when she’d found the Christabelle tape. She’d used it as a reason to break up with him, but had hardly thought any more of it. But in the box buried by the roadside where Ben died…there was more evidence.

Maybe Philip taped all his girlfriends.

For this was Sarah, ten years younger but still unmistakably herself. Young and excited and a little bit nervous.

It had been set to record as soon as Philip picked her up, and they knew immediately it was the night of the crash. They listened to Sarah asking if they could go up the mountain and see if the boys had their car going.

‘Sure.’ Philip was amenable. ‘I wouldn’t count on it going, though. Let’s show ’em what a real car can do. You like my wheels?’

‘Your car’s great.’ But even from the distance of ten years they could hear Sarah’s increasing nervousness, from almost as soon as they started driving. ‘Philip, slow down. These curves are dangerous.’

‘I can handle them. It’s Raff and Ben who should worry. They can hardly drive.’

More talk. Sarah asked if he liked her dress. Even then, Philip wasn’t into bright dresses.

‘Not so much. Why’d it have to be red?’

A terse response. Sarah sounded peeved.

‘Movies afterwards?’ Philip asked.

‘I’m not sure. If you don’t like my dress sense…’

‘There’s no need to be touchy.’

Silence. An offended huff? Then Sarah again…

‘Phil, be careful. That was a wallaby.’

‘It’s fine. Wallabies are practically plague round here, anyway. Why are they using the fire track?’

‘They can’t go on the roads. Their car isn’t registered.’

‘That hunk of junk’ll never get registered. Not like this baby. Watch it go.’

‘Philip, no. Slow down. You’re scaring me. There’ll be more wallabies-it’s getting dark.’

‘There’s nothing to be scared of. You reckon they’re on this track?’

‘Philip… Philip, no. You nearly hit it…’ And then… ‘You’re on the wrong side of the…’

‘There’s ruts on the other side. No one uses this.’

‘But it’s a crest.’ Her voice rose. ‘Philip, it’s a crest. No…’ Then…awfulness.

Then nothing. Nothing, nothing and nothing.

The tape spun on into silence.

Dear God…

Raff changed colour. Held onto the back of the nearest chair.

She moved then, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat, linking her arms around his chest and tugging him to her. She held him and held him and held him. She’d had some inkling, the moment she’d seen the buried box. But Raff… This was a lightning bolt.

Raff…

He’d been her hero since she was eight years old. He was her wonderful Raff.

Her love.

‘I didn’t…’ he said, and it was as if he was waking from a nightmare. ‘I believed Philip. He said I was on the wrong side.’

‘That’s why there was never a court case,’ she whispered. ‘The storm hit just as the crash happened. There was only Philip’s word.’

They’d believed him. They’d all believed him. It had been so hard-so unthinkable-to do anything else.

She saw it all.

Philip’s stupidity had killed Ben; had desperately injured Sarah. He couldn’t admit it, but what followed…

Some part of Philip was still decent. He was a kid raised in Banksia Bay, and he’d been their friend in childhood. His parents were friends with her parents. They’d loved Ben to bits.

He’d have been truly appalled.

So a part of him had obviously decided to do the ‘right thing’, and in his eyes he had. He’d come back here to practice law, playing the son to her parents, devoting himself to Banksia Bay as Ben would have.

‘He’s been making amends for Ben,’ she said, and she was trying hard to hold back the anger. Raff didn’t need her anger now. He just needed…her? ‘He came back and tried to make amends to us all.’

And then, despite what she’d intended, anger hit, a wave so great it threatened to overwhelm her. ‘No. Not to us all. He tried to make amends to me and to my parents. He would have married me, as if that somehow made up for Ben’s life. But to you… For ten years he’s let you think you were responsible. For ten years he’s let you hold the blame.’

Tears were coursing down her cheeks now. She’d thought she was comforting Raff but her rage was so great there was no comfort she could give. If Philip walked in the door right now…

‘I’ll tear his heart out,’ she stammered. ‘If he has a heart. I can’t bear it. He’s lost you years.’

‘No.’

Raff put her back from him then, holding her hard by each shoulder. He’d regained his colour and, unbelievably, he was smiling. ‘I believe you told me you loved me before you found this tape.’

‘Yes, but…’

‘Then it’s Philip who’s lost the ten years. I’ve faced it and come out the other side.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Whew. This takes some getting used to.’

‘We can tell the world. Oh, Raff… I can’t bear anyone thinking a moment longer that you…’

‘That I was dumb as a teenager? I was dumb,’ he said gently. ‘I shouldn’t have been up there that night. None of us should. I believe I might even cut Philip slack on this one.’

‘No!’

‘He’s lost you,’ Raff said and he tugged her against him and let his chin rest on her hair. ‘Winner takes all. That’d be me. And I need to think things through before I do anything rash-like spreading this far and wide.’

She stared at him as if he were out of his mind. ‘Why on earth…?’

‘You know, my reputation does no end of good for my street cred,’ he said, thoughtful now. ‘How many local kids know the local cop was dumb and someone died because of it? You get experts lecturing kids on speed and they shrug it off. They see how Mrs Fryer treats me? For a cop, that’s gold. I reckon it’s even saved lives.’

‘Raff…’

‘Don’t think it’s not important,’ he said, laughter fading. He was holding her at arm’s length and meeting her gaze with gravity and truth. ‘To look at Sarah now and know I wasn’t responsible for her pain… To look at you and know it wasn’t me who hurt you… I can’t tell you what that means. But Philip has some pretty heavy stuff coming to him anyway. I can cope without my own pound of flesh. Believe me, I can cope.

‘All I need I have right here. This tape is a great gift, Abby, but the greatest gift of all is you.’

He tugged her to him then, and he held her, close enough so their heartbeats merged. She was dissolving into him, she thought. She loved this man with all her heart. No matter what he decided to do about this tape, they could go forward from this moment.

‘Marry me,’ he said and the world stood still.

‘Marry?’ She could barely get the word out.

‘I hear on the grapevine you have a perfectly good wedding dress. I’m a man who hates waste.’

‘Raff…’

‘Don’t quibble,’ he said sternly. ‘Just say yes.’

‘You’re in shock. You’re emotional. You need time to think.’

He put her away from him again. Held her at arm’s length. Smiled.

‘I’ve thought,’ he said. ‘Marry me.’

‘Okay.’

Okay? As an acceptance of a marriage proposal it lacked a certain finesse but it was a great start. For a lawyer. He found himself laughing, a great explosion of happiness that came from so far within he’d never known that place existed. He lifted her up in his arms and whirled her round as if she weighed nothing.

She did weigh nothing. She was part of him-his Abby, his love.

His…wife?

He set her down, laughter fading. Joy was taking its place, a joy so great he felt he was shedding an old skin and bursting into something new.

She tilted her chin and he kissed her, so slowly, so thoroughly satisfactorily, that words weren’t possible. Words weren’t needed for a very long time.

She held him tight, she kissed him and she placed her future in his hands. She loved him so much she felt her heart could burst.

He was Banksia Bay’s bad boy no longer. He was just… Raff.

If he insisted, then maybe she wouldn’t tell the town about Philip, she conceded-but she would tell her parents. And she would tell Philip that she knew. And then… This was Banksia Bay. If things got around… Things always got around.

But right now it was becoming incredibly hard to care. All she cared about was that Raff was holding her as if he’d never let her go. He was kissing her as he’d kissed her when she was sixteen, only more so. A lot more so. He was grown into her man. He was her love, for ever and ever.

‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ he said at last in a voice that was changed, different. It was the voice of a man who was walking into a future he’d never dreamed of. ‘Abby, are you sure?’ And then he hesitated. ‘I do need to care for Sarah.’ There was sudden doubt.

‘I believe there’s room enough here for all of us,’ she said, deeply contented. She pulled back enough to peep through to the next room, where Lionel and Sarah were watching television. They were covered in three dogs, two cats and a vast bowl of popcorn. They were looking…self-conscious. On closer inspection… They were holding hands.

‘There must be something in the water,’ she said and grinned, and Raff tugged her close again, smiling wide enough to make her dissolve in the happiness of his smile.

‘So you’d take us all on? This place. And Sarah’s dogs and guinea pigs and hens and ponies and…’

‘And whoever else comes along,’ she said, and chuckled at the look on his face.

He caught his breath. ‘You’d…’

‘I think I would,’ she said, a bubble of joy rising so fast it was threatening to overwhelm her. ‘It might be fun.’

‘You’re talking babies,’ he said, feeling his way.

‘I believe I am. You know,’ she said thoughtfully, ‘if we sold my place we could even do up your other house as well as this one.’

He took a deep breath. Looked through to the sitting room. Saw what she was seeing. Sarah and Lionel…

‘We might just have found ourselves a gardener,’ Abby said, smiling and smiling.

Enough. This was going so fast he was being left behind. A man had to take a stand some time, so he took his stand right there. Right then. A simple okay was not satisfactory for what he had in mind. He dropped to one knee. ‘Abigail Callahan, will you marry me?’

‘I’ve already said…’ she started.

‘You said okay. I don’t think okay’s legally binding.’

‘You want me to prepare contracts?’

‘In triplicate.’

She smiled down at him, for how could she help it? She smiled and smiled. And then she thought this moment called for gravitas. It was a Very Serious Moment. It was the beginning of the rest of her life.

She stepped back and stood a little way away, looking down at him. At all of him.

At this man who’d be her husband.

She could still see him, she thought. The spiky-haired ten-year-old who her eight-year-old self had fallen in love with. That dangerous twinkle…

Her bad boy.

Her love.

‘If I turn out to be a sewing mistress instead of a lawyer…’ she ventured.

‘Suits me.’

‘If I’m not struck off the professional roll for this morning’s unprofessional conduct I might help out the Crown Prosecutor from time to time.’

‘You can’t get struck off for dropping a briefcase-and Malcolm surely needs some help. You know, I’m feeling a bit dumb, kneeling over here when you’re over there.’

She hadn’t finished. ‘I do want babies.’

‘How many?’ he asked and there was a trace of unease in his voice.

‘Six,’ she said, and laughed at the look on his face.

‘Can we try one out for size first?’

‘Sounds a plan. Raff…’

‘Yes, my love?’

‘That’s just it,’ she said, feeling suddenly…shy. ‘My love. Let me say… I need to explain. Only once and then it’s over, but I do need to get it out. Raff, I’ve loved you all the time without stopping but my pain stopped me thinking with my heart. I forced myself to think with my head. That’s done. I’m so, so sorry that I can’t take back those ten years.’

‘Hush,’ he said.

‘I have to say it.’

‘You’ve said it,’ he murmured. ‘I don’t like to mention it but there’s no carpet here. I’m kneeling on wood. I didn’t have the forethought to use a cushion. Any more quibbles?’

‘No, but…’

He sighed. ‘Then how about saying you’ll marry me and taking me out of my pain?’

‘Okay.’

‘Abigail!’

She laughed, and she hardly felt herself cross the distance between them. She knelt to join him and he tugged her close.

He kissed her again, so thoroughly, so wonderfully that doubts, unhappiness, emptiness were gone and she knew they were gone for ever.

‘We can’t take back those ten years,’ he whispered into her hair as the kiss paused before restarting. ‘How about we give ourselves the next ten instead?’

‘Ten…’

‘And the ten after that. And after that, too. Decades and decades of love and family and…’

And something was bumping against her leg.

Kleppy. He was tugging the popcorn bowl to his mistress with care.

She giggled and lifted him up and popcorn went flying. He’d tugged it with such care and she’d spilled it.

Who cared? A lawyer might. Not Abigail Callahan. Not the wife of Banksia Bay’s Bad Boy.

‘Decades and decades of love and family and dogs,’ she said, and Raff took Kleppy firmly from her and set him down so he could kiss her again.

‘Definitely, my love. Definitely family, definitely dogs, definitely love. For now and for ever. For as long as we both shall live. So now, Abigail Callahan, for the third and final time, will you marry me? I want more than okay. I want properly, soberly, legally, and with all your heart.’

‘Why, yes, Rafferty Finn,’ she managed between love and laughter. ‘Where would you like me to sign?’

Abby didn’t wear two thousand beads to her wedding.

For a start, it didn’t seem right that she wear a dress she’d prepared for her marriage to Philip. Almost as soon as Raff put a ring on her finger she was planning an alternative. Rainbows.

So Sarah wore her dress-Sarah, who’d looked at her dress of two thousand beads and burst into tears. ‘It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.’ And Sarah needed a wedding gown.

For: ‘Lionel’s not staying in that horrid boarding house a minute longer,’ she declared, but Lionel was old-fashioned. He was delighted to move to Raff’s farm; he was incredibly happy to start renovating the little house at the rear, but he’d marry his Sarah first.

They were even thinking…if Lionel got his money back from Philip…Isaac’s place wasn’t so far from the farm. Maybe they could be even more independent.

So Raff gave his sister away. Abby was maid of honour and if she was as weepy as any mother of the bride then who could blame her? Her gown of two thousand beads had found a use she could hardly have dreamed of.

And then it was Abby’s turn for her wedding, a month later, but on a day just as wonderful. They were to be married in the church-the church she’d been baptised in, the church Ben had been buried from.

Half Banksia Bay came to see. Even Mrs Fryer.

For things had shifted for the town’s bad boy.

Rumours were flying. True to his word, Raff refused to make public the contents of the tape, but the people of Banksia Bay never let lack of evidence get in the way of a good rumour. And there were plenty of pointers saying Raff might well have been misjudged.

For a start, Abby’s parents were trying their best to get to know Raff, and suddenly they wouldn’t hear a bad word against him. They even offered to move into Raff’s house while Raff and Abby went on their honeymoon, in case Lionel needed help with Sarah.

And people remembered. Raff had been judged on Philip’s word and nothing else. But now… Philip had abandoned the town and moved to Sydney. He was facing malpractice charges and more.

Philip’s parents were appalled. They owned an apartment in Bondi and rumour said they were thinking of moving themselves, leaving Banksia Bay to be with their son.

They were the only ones behind Philip, though. Even Philip’s grandpa was right here at the wedding. What was more, at Abby’s tentative request he’d made a beautiful box for the ring bearer.

The ring bearer…

Raff stood before the altar waiting for his bride and he couldn’t help thinking the choice of ring bearer might be a mistake.

Abby swore it’d be okay. She’d spent hours training him. The plan was for her mother to hold Kleppy, and then, when Raff called, he’d trot across, bearing the ring. What could possibly go wrong?

Who knew, but Raff organised for Keith to carry a backup ring in his pocket. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Kleppy.

Um…yes, it was. He stood in the church waiting for his bride and he thought he definitely didn’t trust Kleppy.

But suddenly he could no longer focus on Abby’s dog. The doors of the church swung open and Abby was right there. Holding her father’s hand. Looking along the aisle to find him.

His bride. His Abby.

She’d wanted rainbows, and that was what she was to be married in. She’d made this herself as well, and it was as individual as she was. The gown was soft white silk, almost transparent, floating over panels of pastel hues, every shade a man could imagine. Her tight-fitting bodice clung to her lovely figure and the skirt flared out in clouds of shimmering colour, with the soft-coloured silk shimmering from underneath.

She was so beautiful…

She wore her hair simply, no longer in the elegant chignon he’d hated for years, but dropping in tendrils to her bare shoulders. She wore a simple halo of fresh flowers in her hair-and she took his breath away.

Sarah followed her in, proud fit to burst. Matron of honour. She wore a matching dress, also rainbow-coloured but without the translucent overskirt that made Abby seem to float.

Sarah was also supposed to be wearing a ring of flowers in her hair, but that had been the one hiccup of the morning. ‘It might give me a headache,’ she’d said, doubtful.

‘Why don’t you take it and leave it in the car?’ Raff had suggested. ‘That way, you can wear it for the official photographs and take it off if it starts hurting.’

She’d approved his suggestion. She was happy now, bareheaded, beautiful, a married woman, fussing over her best friend’s gown.

She wasn’t as happy as Raff. Not possible. His Abby was smiling at him. His Abby was about to be his wife.

What could be more perfect?

The music filled the church. Abby’s father led her forward, beaming with pride, and Raff stepped forward to receive his bride.

His Abby.

What could go wrong with today?

Kleppy could go wrong.

There was a scuffle in the front pew. Abby’s mother had retired behind her handkerchief and forgotten her Kleppy-clutching duty. She made a wild grab but it was too late: he was free.

Kleppy was groomed to an inch of his life. He was wearing a bow of the same rainbow-coloured fabric lining Abby’s gown.

He was off and running.

He trotted straight up the aisle, tail high, a dog on a mission-and he disappeared out of the door.

Uh-oh. What was a cop supposed to do now? What was a groom supposed to do?

‘Leave him to me,’ Keith growled, setting a hand firmly on Raff’s shoulder. ‘Lights and sirens. Handcuffs. Padded cell if necessary. I’ll pull him in no time.’

‘Kleppy,’ Abby faltered.

‘You two get on with your wedding,’ Keith told them, and they looked at each other and knew they must. A hundred people were watching them. These people loved them and they were waiting to see them married.

‘But he has the ring,’ Abby faltered.

‘We have backup,’ Keith said and handed Raff the spare.

‘Oh, Raff…’ He could tell she didn’t know whether to be thankful or indignant.

‘It’s not that I didn’t trust him,’ Raff said-unconvincingly-and then he paused.

Kleppy was back. With a ring.

He had two rings now, the plain band of gold in the tiny box hanging round his neck-and Sarah’s halo of flowers, left on the front seat of the bridal carriage.

It was a ring of fresh flowers to match Abby’s.

He carried it straight to Abby and sat and wagged his tail and waited to be told how good he was.

‘He’s brought us a ring,’ Abby said and choked.

The congregation was choking as well-or laughing out loud. Kleppy’s reputation had grown considerably in the last couple of months.

But Raff had his priorities in order now. There were things to be done before he acknowledged his soon-to-be wife’s dog. He took her hands in his, tugged her to face him and lightly kissed her. ‘You,’ he told her, ‘are the most beautiful woman in the world.’

‘You make my toes curl,’ she said.

There was a light ‘harrumph’ from before them. They were, after all, here to get married.

Raff smiled and stooped and held out his hand, and Kleppy laid his ring of flowers into his palm. He lifted it up and gave it to Abby.

‘I guess this is Kleppy’s wedding gift.’

‘I’ll treasure it for always,’ she managed.

‘You should. For with this ring, I thee wed,’ he said softly. ‘With this dog, I thee marry. Before this community, with these friends, I pledge you my troth.’

There was a murmur of delighted approval.

Abby was looking…in love.

Kleppy, however, was still looking expectant.

Raff knelt and lifted the small gold band from the box around Kleppy’s neck. He pocketed it carefully-and then he placed the ring of flowers around Kleppy’s neck.

‘Sarah,’ he said to his sister. ‘Can you hold Kleppy? I have things to do.’

‘Sure,’ Sarah said, beaming. ‘Lionel will help me.’

So Sarah and Lionel held Kleppy. Raff took Abby’s hands in his and he faced her-a man facing his woman on their wedding day.

‘Enough,’ he said softly, for her ears alone. ‘Dogs have their place, as do sisters and friends and flowers. But for now… Are you ready to marry me?’

‘If you’ll take me. And my crazy dog.’

‘We’ll take whatever comes with both of us,’ he told her, strongly and firmly. ‘As long as we have each other.’

‘Oh, yes.’ She smiled at him mistily through tears. He kissed her again, lightly on the lips-and then the ceremony began as it was meant to begin. As Rafferty Finn and Abigail Callahan stood together, in peace and in love, to become one.