Nathan had refused to fight with her in front of Xander. It wasn’t the kid’s fault he and Jacqui didn’t get along. It probably wasn’t all her fault either, Nathan could admit in his more honest moments. It had been a hard few years, both being married and being separated, and since Jacqui had left, he’d found that sometimes he did feel better. Like when he was lying in the back of his car with a nice Dutch barmaid. But he always missed Xander.
Nathan sometimes wondered what would have happened that day if he had ignored Keith at the service station, got in his car and driven straight home. He could have shaken his father-in-law’s hand on the way past – he could have punched him full in the face – and things still would have worked out better in the long run.
He hadn’t done either of those things. He’d finished paying for his fuel and Keith called out to him across the forecourt.
‘You need to know, Nathan, Kathy and I are going to pay for Jacqui’s lawyers.’
‘Bullshit.’ Nathan stopped mid-stride just metres from his car.
‘It’s true.’
‘I don’t bloody doubt it’s true.’ Nathan changed direction and came close to Keith. ‘I mean it’s bullshit that you’re sticking your oar in.’
‘We feel you’re being unreasonable –’
‘Me?’
‘– and we want to make sure Jacqui’s well represented. And Xander.’
‘Xander’s fine, mate. He doesn’t need your help. He needs to see his dad from time to time, that’s what he needs.’
‘Nathan –’
‘If your bloody daughter –’
‘Hey, watch yourself.’ Keith sounded out of breath.
‘No, you watchyourself. If your bloody daughter had her way, I would never see him at all.’
Keith didn’t reply, but the answer played out across his face as clearly as if he’d said it.Yes, ideally.
Nathan felt a stirring of fear. He’d expected some pushback on the custody arrangements, but he hadn’t considered they would go that far. They couldn’t cut him off from Xander completely, could they? He thought not, but then Keith had some pretty deep pockets.
Nathan took a step in, raised a finger and pointed at his former father-in-law. He could see Kylie, the service station attendant, watching them through the window. Later, she would be quick to say that Nathan was behaving aggressively. Right then, he didn’t care.
‘Keith, mate.’ Nathan kept his voice soft and controlled. ‘You listen to me carefully, because this is the truest thing you are going to hear all year. You might be able to buy and sell every bloody cow in this district, but you can’t keep me away from Xander.’
‘It’s what Jacqui wants.’
‘Tough shit. Jacqui’s going to have to live with it.’
Keith jangled his keys, perhaps a touch nervously. ‘Not if I can help it. If you’d been a better husband and father in the first place we wouldn’t even be in this position.’
‘Mate, there’s nothing in this world that would keep that woman happy. Maybe if you hadn’t always been in her ear telling her what a waste of space I am, then maybe she wouldn’t have left.’
‘You think it’s my fault she saw some sense? I tried my best with you, Nathan. I gave you that land, didn’t I? Gave you a chance?’
Nathan laughed. ‘Yeah, right, you keep telling yourself that. I never had a bloody chance with that land, and you know it. You wanted me to stuff up and you wanted Jacqui to see it, and you got your wish, mate. Well done. But you’re not going to get what you want when it comes to Xander.’
‘We’ll see.’
‘Would you seriously be happy if I abandoned the kid? You think that would be better?’
‘Honestly? Yes. I don’t think Jacqui or Xander are better off for being around a man like you.’
‘Why?’ Nathan felt a genuine stirring of curiosity beneath the anger. ‘What’s so bad about me? You’ve never even bothered to get to know me, Keith.’
‘I know men like you,’ Keith said. ‘I’ve lived my whole life in the outback and I know what goes on out here. I know what men like you do.’
