‘By the way, Carol, one of the firefighters came here looking for you.’
Carol froze. ‘Looking for me?’
‘Yes. It was your son. Justin.’
Carol struggled to find the right way to reply. Hope flared inside her like a burst of sunlight, but she was afraid to grasp it. She busied herself sorting branches, her face carefully turned away from Anna. ‘What … did he say what he wanted?’
‘To see you. He seemed like a really nice guy.’
Carol heard a hesitation in Anna’s voice, but was too shaky herself to try to figure out what it meant.
‘I didn’t like to give him your phone number without checking with you first, so he gave me his card and asked me to give it to you. I hope that’s all right. Hang on.’ Anna opened a drawer on a nearby desk and fished around inside. ‘Ah. Here it is.’
Carol took the offered card. Almost fearfully, she looked down at the text.Justin Turner. That’s what it said in clear black text, right next to the red and green RFS logo and a phone number.
‘His mobile number is written on the back.’
Carol murmured her thanks, as the hand holding the card started to shake.
‘Are you all right?’ Anna placed a solicitous hand on her arm. ‘You said the other day that you had been estranged from your sons.’
‘I have. For a long time …’ Carol’s voice trailed off as she continued to stare at the card in her hand. ‘But maybe …’
‘That would be a good thing. Wouldn’t it?’
‘Oh, yes. A very good thing.’ Carol looked up at Anna. ‘Thank you. I’ll … I’ll get in touch with him.’
Anna nodded and smiled. ‘Good. Now, I’ve got a call. I’d better get moving. Thanks for the leaf. It should keep them going for a few days. You’ll let yourself out.’
Carol released a pent-up breath as the clinic door closed behind Anna. She stepped back to lean against a bench, hoping the solid timber would give her the stability that had suddenly been whisked away from her.
Justin wanted to get in touch with her. But what about Ben? Did the younger twin even know she and Justin had met? He must have seen the video on the news or social media. She couldn’t imagine Justin would keep her identity a secret from his brother. They had never had secrets from each other. From her, yes. Always. But never from each other.
All she had to do was call this number.
She could see her boys again. Talk to them. Apologise again, and tell them again that she loved them and always had. But would they listen?
Carol pushed herself away from her support and put the card into the pocket of her jeans as she walked back to her car.
CHAPTER
6
Ben’s hangover was a killer and someone was pounding on his skull with a hammer. He rolled over in bed, groaning. The hammering persisted and, blinking his eyes to try to focus, he finally realised the hammer was hitting his door, not his head.
‘Come on, little brother. Time to get up.’ Justin’s voice from the other side of the door was way too loud for this morning.
‘Go away.’
‘Nope. Time to go to work. Coffee’s on.’ The bedroom door opened a bit and the smell of fresh coffee wafting into the room made Ben push himself to a sitting position.
‘Bacon and eggs?’
‘There will be by the time you get out of the shower.’
Ben grinned. Justin had long ago figured out how to deal with him after a big night out. After arriving back in Tamworth last night, a few of the firefighters had stopped by a pub to celebrate a successful effort. The fire was out. No lives had been lost and they had contained the structural losses to a single old wooden shed and the hay stored inside. There had been some close calls though, which were discussed in detail as the beer vanished. A hangover seemed a small price to pay for the feeling of work well done.
Slowly, Ben swung his legs over the side of the bed. When the room stopped spinning, he stood up and headed for the shower. He was feeling a lot better when, still damp, he walked into the kitchen to see his brother slide a plate of bacon, eggs and baked beans onto the table next to his coffee mug, from which wafted a reassuring puff of steam. ‘Thanks, bro.’
