The Banksia Bay Beach Shack by Sandie Docker

Author:Sandie Docker [Docker, Sandie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781760890360
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Laura didn’t know what to bring to the birthday of a seven-year-old boy, whose party you had been invited to at the last minute. The only shop in town other than the shack that was open on a Sunday, was the general store, so she had to improvise. She bought a block of chocolate, because who doesn’t like chocolate, and a blue note pad.

Using the pages from the notepad, she designed an IOU for reading any book, any time. She hoped he’d appreciate it. She put on her blue A-line skirt and a loose white shirt, pulled her long brown hair back into a loose ponytail and set off along the beach to the shack, hoping Charlotte wouldn’t be too upset that she’d come. She wrapped her teal cardigan more tightly around herself.

There would be other people there, so she probably didn’t even have to talk to Heath, which would hopefully appease his sister. And help Laura keep a firm hold on her untrustworthy feelings.

As she neared the shack she could see everyone on the deck. Charlotte and Aiden, of course, Virginia handing out drinks, Yvonne following behind with a platter of nibbles, Ian at the barbecue with Heath standing beside him in a white linen shirt and dark denim jeans. He looked good. Really good.

Well, it wouldn’t please Charlotte if Laura started to drool now, would it? She would have to situate herself anywhere but near him.

There were also two other people there who Laura hadn’t met yet; both of them seemed to be around her age.

Aiden ran towards her when he saw her coming.

‘Did you bring me a present?’ he asked, looking at the gift Laura had wrapped in blue notepaper in her hand.

‘Aiden. That’s not polite.’ Charlotte joined her son. ‘Thank you. You didn’t have to.’

‘It’s nothing. Just a token really.’

Aiden ripped open the present, his eyes lighting up when he saw the chocolate. Then he opened the IOU.

‘Now?’ He looked up at her.

‘I don’t have a book on me.’

He ran into the shack and grabbed three books off Virginia’s shelves, handing all of them to her and sitting on the ground at her feet. She joined him down there and started reading.

Virginia whispered in Charlotte’s ear, looking at Laura, a scowl on her face.

‘Food’s up!’ Ian shouted. Trish, who’d been inside the shack, came out with some paper plates, her blue kaftan flowing behind her.

‘Thank you, dear.’ She kissed Ian on the lips.

‘Anything for you, Trishy darling.’

Laura stared. That day on the Bodhi Bus when Kaftan told Old Salty not to be late, Laura had assumed they were father and daughter. But daughters didn’t kiss their fathers like that. Ian and Trish were a couple? He had to be at least twenty years older than her. For someone who prided herself on being able to read people, she’d sure got some things wrong since landing in Banksia Bay. Could she still blame this on grief?

Everyone sat around the tiny mismatched tables and dug in to the sausages, steak and salad on offer.

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