Chapter Twenty-Six

Hal

At six p.m., Noah calls the heads of departments up to his house for a meeting. There have been some developments on the possible site for the new Ark in Hawke’s Bay, and he relays all the details with enthusiasm. I listen impatiently, only half listening, and when it’s time to go, he calls me over.

“Am I keeping you from something?” he asks with amusement.

“Sorry.” I run my hand through my hair. “Bad day.”

“All right. Don’t worry about it.” He watches Spike playing with Willow, another of his German Shepherds. Willow jumps, bangs into a table, and knocks over a vase of flowers with a crash. Noah purses his lips. “Didn’t like that vase anyway.” He turns his gaze back to me. “Have you come to a decision?”

“I need another day or two.” I’m not in the right place to decide.

He just nods, presumably sensing that. “You want to talk about it?”

“Not right now. I’ve gotta go.”

“Okay. Two more days, Hal. I can’t wait much longer.” He lets me out of the house, and I hear him scolding Willow as he closes the door behind me.

I put it to the back of my mind as I stride along the path to the Ark. All I can think about is Izzy. I need to talk to her. I walked out of her room earlier, furious with Rosie, with myself, with the world in general, and angry and frustrated Izzy won’t accept that my feelings for her are true. But as the afternoon wore on, my anger faded, and now all I feel is desperately unhappy. I don’t want this to be over. I want to marry the woman. I practically proposed. How was she able to twist that into saying I’m not committed enough?

I march into the surgery, only to find her door shut and locked. Cursing, I go to my car and drive home as fast as I can. I cross my fingers, touch wood, and make a wish she’s there when I get there, but deep down I’m not surprised to find the drive empty when I arrive.

I pull up and leave the engine running for a minute. She’s not coming home tonight. She’ll be at Albie’s probably. I contemplate driving over there, but I’m angry, and I don’t want to see her while I’m like that. Gritting my teeth, I drive instead into the town and park outside the gym. I need to let off some serious steam, and if I can’t have sex, a good workout is the next best thing.

I lift some weights, row for ten minutes, then run for thirty minutes flat out. When I stop, I’m covered in sweat and exhausted, but it’s done nothing to burn off my anger. How can I get rid of this clawing frustration inside me? I should have gone to a boxing class. I want to hit something, hard.

I shower, change, and check my phone, only then realizing I’ve missed half a dozen calls. My heart leaps, plummets as I see they’re from Albie, and then I get nervous as I remember the last time he called me, when Izzy went missing.

I ring him as I walk out to the car. It’s hot and humid, and even walking that short distance starts me sweating again.

“Hal?” Albie blows out a breath. “For God’s sake, where are you? I’ve been calling for fifteen minutes.”

“I’m at the gym. What’s up?”

“It’s Izzy.”

I go cold, despite the humidity. “What happened? Has she disappeared again?”

“No, she’s here. She’s drunk, but she’s here.”

“Drunk?” I don’t think I’ve ever seen her drunk.

“Hal, it’s Rosie. She’s been sending Izzy emails.”

I stop walking. “What?”

“Izzy moved them to spam after the second one but there are half a dozen more, and today Rosie’s also sent three texts from different phones.”

“Have you read them?”

“Yeah. They’re fucking nasty, man. Real spiteful.”

“Like what?” I recall Rosie’s comment about Izzy’s skin being like a Sphynx cat, and I curl up like a poked spider at the thought of her saying that to my girlfriend.

“Saying Izzy’s not good enough for you. Talking about… jeez, I’m sorry, dude, but saying what you’re like in bed and that Izzy won’t be able to handle it.”

I close my eyes and sink my free hand into my hair. “Can you read me one?”

“Well, I’ve got her phone. I can read you the latest text, but you’re not gonna like it.”

“Do it!”

“All right. Jesus, I’m sorry… It says: Does he like to come over your scars, you ugly bitch?”

I lean on my car and rest my forehead on the top. I feel violently ill, and for a moment I think I’m going to vomit.

“Hal?” Albie’s voice is gentle. “I’m sorry, man. You did ask.”

“Yeah.”

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t think Izzy saw that one. It came through after I took her phone away. The others aren’t quite that bad.”

It doesn’t matter. Rosie has purposefully set out to hurt the woman I love most in the world. I can forgive almost everything, but I can’t forgive that.

“Is Izzy okay?” I whisper.

Albie speaks to someone off the phone, then comes back. “Nix says she’s asleep. She’s drunk, like, a third of a bottle of whisky. She’s all right though. Nix’ll stay with her.” He hesitates. “What are you going to do?”

Briefly, I think about Hawke’s Bay, and how easy it would be to just move there and throw myself into the new role. I doubt Rosie would follow me all the way there. I could start again and put her behind me once and for all.

But would Izzy come with me? I don’t think she would. And I don’t want to go without her.

The realization is like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. I don’t want the job. I don’t really have any interest or motivation in starting up a new Ark. I’m nearly thirty—I’ve worked hard for the last five years or so, throwing every hour God’s given me into making the Ark in the bay work. I’ve devoted my life to helping animals, and I feel as if I’ve done real good. And now I want something for me. I want to get married, buy a house, and settle down. I want kids. With Izzy. I want to take my foot off the pedal, not step on the gas even more.

Keeping Izzy means staying here, and staying here means dealing with Rosie. It’s the only option.

“I’m going to see her,” I tell Albie.

“Rosie?” He sounds alarmed. “Hal…”

“I’ve got to sort it out. It’s the only way I’m going to keep Izzy.”

“Don’t go alone. Pick me up on the way.”

“I can’t have anyone holding my hand, Alb. I need to do this alone.” I hang up.

Rosie said the landlord had given her a week. It wouldn’t surprise me if her father had stumped up the cash for another rent payment. So it’s likely she’ll be at the house. I get in the car, start the engine, and head out of town.

I’m so angry I’m shaking. I need to calm down. I can’t go in angry because that’s what she wants—an emotional reaction. Coldness is the only thing that works with Rosie. I don’t know if I can be like that today, though. The words of her text are like acid, eating through me. I want to punish her, to make her hurt as badly as she’s hurt Izzy.

I turn left at the roundabout and head up the hill. I pull up outside and get out.

It’s a nice house, but now I look at it with dislike as I walk up the path. I still have my key, and I slot it in and open it, not bothering to knock. I’m still shaking, struggling to keep my anger under control.

I walk into the living room and stop dead. Rosie’s there, and so is her father.

Martin Jensen stands as I walk in, and his brow darkens. “What are you doing here?”

I ignore him and stare at Rosie, breathing heavily. She gets to her feet.

“How dare you just walk into the house,” she spits.

“Shut up.” I’m done with being civil. And all of a sudden, my anger drains away, leaving me icy cold inside. “Your daughter is harassing me and my girlfriend,” I say to Martin calmly. “She’s been sending Izzy hateful emails and texts.”

Rosie’s jaw drops. “I didn’t! I wouldn’t!”

I turn my glare to her, my hands on my hips. “Do you want me to tell him what your latest text said?”

She flushes scarlet. Martin looks at her, then at me. “What did it say?”

“It was vulgar, Martin, and spiteful. Cruel to Izzy, who’s only ever been a good friend to her.”

He swallows hard. “She misses you, that’s all.”

“She slept with someone else,” I tell him bluntly. “Before we broke up. She had a one-night stand with a guy at the Ark. I don’t know why—I think she was trying to make me jealous.”

Martin turns his stare to her. “Is that true?”

Rosie sinks onto the sofa and puts her face in her hands.

Martin looks at her for a long time, and then he turns his gaze back to me.

“I’m done with her,” I tell him. “I’m not having it, Martin. She can say what she likes to me, but when she starts causing trouble at the Ark, and when she’s abusive to my girlfriend, she’s overstepping the mark.”

“I understand,” he says.

I look back at Rosie. “If either I or Izzy hear one more thing from you, I’m going to the police and I’ll take out a restraining order. I won’t hesitate to have you put away for this, Rosie. I know you think I’m a soft touch, but when it comes to Izzy, I’ll do anything to protect her. I love her, and I’m going to marry her.”

A soft sob escapes her lips.

I exhale slowly. “You need to think about the choices you’re making right now,” I say, a little more gently. In my head, Izzy tells me I’m Dog Whispering, and it warms me through. “You’re a pretty girl, and you’re still young. You’ll have guys flocking around you. I don’t think that deep down you’re a bad person. You’ve let yourself get carried away on a high of resentment and anger. You need to take a step back and think about where that’s getting you, and what you really want in life. Because if you don’t get off this track, you’re going to ruin everything.”

She doesn’t move. I look at Martin, whose lips are in a thin line. “Leave her to me,” he says.

I pause. “I mean it, Martin. I will go to the police.”

“You won’t hear from her again,” he says. “I’ll make sure of that. I’ve got a sister in Christchurch. Rosie can go and stay with her for a while.”

I nod. Sliding a hand into my pocket, I take out the key and pass it to him. “I’ve cancelled the rent,” I tell him. “I’d appreciate it if you could help her find a new place.”

“She’s not your responsibility anymore. I’ll sort it all out.”

“Thank you.”

He hesitates. “Is the Ark going to renew its contract with us?”

“Of course. That’s nothing to do with this.”

“Thank you, Hal.” He gives me a stiff nod. “I appreciate that.”

I hadn’t considered that losing the contract with the Ark would be a big thing for his business.

I turn and walk out of the living room, go out the front door, and close it behind me.

It’s done. Rosie will be going away, and I have no doubt that Martin will keep to his word.

And I’m staying in the bay. I get in the car and head back toward town, then stop halfway along the waterfront and get out. I walk a short distance across the grass onto the sand, lift my face to the sun, and close my eyes.

It’s so beautiful here. Hawke’s Bay is amazing too, but the Bay of Islands is part of me; it runs through my veins. I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to turn into a businessman, worrying about contracts and costs. I love my job. I want to continue to run the Animal Welfare Team, and to help animals who can’t help themselves. I want to work with Stefan and Izzy and Summer and Clio, to expand the veterinary center and make it into something even more amazing.

And I want to get a house, with Izzy, and make it into a home. I want a place with a garden, maybe near the beach, too, where our kids can play with a couple of dogs.

I want her more than anything in the world.

My mind made up, I pull out my phone and call Noah.