Read Online The Patterson Girls by Rachael Johns - Free Book Online

we’re supposed to get through Christmas.’
    â€˜Will Aunt Mags be coming?’
    â€˜Yes.’ Immediate relief rushed through her at the thought of Dad’s eccentric older sister, Margaret—more affectionately known as Mags. She lived in a retirement home in Port Augusta, where by all accounts she was having the time of her life.
    â€˜Well, there you go,’ Joe said, as if he’d just solved the problem of world peace. ‘No one can be morose when Mags is around. She’ll get you through it. What are you going to do today?’
    â€˜Dad asked us to help him start sort through the house, mostly Mum’s things, so I’m going to try to get everyone focused on that. Lord knows I probably won’t be able to rouse Abigail or Madeleine till early afternoon. Even without jet lag into the equation they’ve never been early risers. We also need to go shopping—there’s nothing in the house and I guess I’ll be organising Christmas lunch.’ She sighed again, already mentally writing a to-do list. ‘I saw Mitch McDonald last night and he reckoned Dad might be struggling a bit with the motel.’
    â€˜Charlie’s old friend?’ Joe asked.
    â€˜One and the same.’
    â€˜Maybe he’s got a point. And maybe your dad knows, otherwise he wouldn’t be considering selling,’ he said, ever the voice of reason.
    â€˜I suppose,’ Lucinda mused, ‘but I also talked to Mrs Sampson and although she was less forthcoming, reading between the lines, I’m pretty sure she’s just as tired and overworked as Dad.’
    â€˜You’ve got your hands full then. No time for missing your poor hardworking beloved husband.’
    Lucinda laughed. ‘I’ll miss you all right, but don’t pretend you’re all hard done by. We all know nothing gives you more joy than blowing things up.’
    â€˜What can I say? I like excitement. But seriously, babe, you look after yourself. Try to have fun with your sisters and Brian. It’s important for you all to be together at a time like this. Try and relax, okay?’
    Lucinda suddenly choked up. She knew what he really meant. He wanted her to put aside her ‘obsession’—he’d actually called it that last week in a moment of anger—with having a baby and concentrate on something else for a bit. Maybe she could do if it wasn’t for his mother and his baby-machine sisters-in-law. Then again, probably not. She wanted nothing more than to have babies, to start a family with Joe like the one her parents had happily made together.
    â€˜I’ll try,’ she promised, wanting to end the conversation before she fell apart. ‘You have a good day.’
    â€˜Will do. Love ya, babe.’
    â€˜Love you, too.’
    Not sure whether she felt better or worse after her conversation with Joe, but thoroughly awake now, Lucinda climbed out of bed and ventured down the hallway. The house was still quiet—she guessed Charlie must be asleep and Dad would be in the motel kitchen, doing the breakfast service. She filled the kettle, then flicked the switch so it’d be ready to make coffee after her shower.
    When she emerged from the bathroom, there was a loud discussion happening in the kitchen.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ She glanced from Madeleine to Charlie to Abigail. All dressed in exercise gear, Charlie looked serene but Madeleine and Abigail were drenched in sweat and Abigail looked like she’d seen a ghost.
    â€˜Madeleine and Abigail went for a jog and had a run-in with that old gypsy lady who lives on the outskirts of town,’ Charlie explained. ‘Remember Wacky Wanda?’
    â€˜It was hardly a run-in.’ Madeleine crossed the room to the kettle and poured Lucinda’s boiling water into her mug. She tossed in a tea bag and stirred. ‘She just gave us an odd look and mumbled something unintelligible.’
    Abigail ran her