Purple Roads by Fleur McDonald

Author:Fleur McDonald
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000
ISBN: 9781742696119
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd
Published: 2012-03-19T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

The day of the wedding they dressed in silence, side by side, until Matt asked her if she could do his tie for him. She turned to face him and started to tie the knot.

In days gone by, she knew, Matt would have caught her hand and kissed it – and maybe that would have led to something more, if they had time – but today the silence between them was uncomfortable.

Her thoughts had been all over the place after she’d left Maggie’s shop. One minute she’d made up her mind to leave Matt, and the next she knew she couldn’t do it, upset with herself for even thinking about it when Matt was suffering so much. Her hands stilled as she stared at Matt’s chest, willing him to show some affection, even to call her by name, but he just stood there, tense, almost as if he couldn’t bear to have her near him.

‘Finished?’

Snapping out of her thoughts, she quickly tightened the knot and stepped away, watching as Matt reached for his sports jacket, threw it over his shoulder and walked out of the room. ‘Thanks,’ he called.

Sighing sadly, she buttoned up her long dark green dress, dashed on her makeup and rummaged in her wardrobe for her shoes. She grabbed her handbag and Ella’s overnight bag and walked out into the kitchen. Matt stood looking out the window and asked, ‘So you’ll drive tonight?’ Without waiting for an answer, he walked outside and got into the passenger’s seat.

Ella ran up, eyes sparkling. ‘Ready, Mummy? I can’t wait for sleepover!’

‘Well you won’t have to wait any longer – it’s here!’ Anna hugged her little girl then turned to Matt.‘Are you ready?’

‘Yep.’

They dropped Ella off at Matt’s parents’ place, then set off on the drive to Adelaide.

As Anna expected, the trip was a quiet one. It seemed they had nothing to say to each other anymore.

Anna pulled up to the kerb and parked. The church grounds were filled with people but there was no one she recognised.

‘Matt, am I going to know anyone here?’ she asked, suddenly nervous.

He shrugged. ‘You know Shane and Belinda, and Joel and Janey. And Jimmy.’ He scanned the crowd. ‘I probably won’t know many people either. Guess some of the other blokes from the yard will be here with their wives.’ Then Matt whistled and Anna turned to see a silver BMW pull in smoothly a few spaces behind their old Corolla. Its occupants were waving at them.

‘Well, will you look at that?’ Matt said in wonder.

‘Who is it?’ Anna asked.

‘Shane and Belinda. I didn’t know he had a BMW.’

Shane got out of the car and called, ‘Hi, Matt! How are you, Anna?’

‘Mate, where’d you get a car like this? You pinched it didn’t you? I bet there’s a report out on it this minute.’ Matt went forward to shake Shane’s hand.

‘Look and weep, my friend, it’s our new pride and joy!’ He rubbed the roof lovingly then flung open the door for Matt to look inside.

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