Description
Love is in the air. Everlasting for some, disastrous for others. And the continual need to be accepted never wanes for the inhabitants of the small seaside village.
The council is up to its usual tricks, planning unthinkable horrors that could destroy the peace and tranquillity of the whole region. Everyone pitches in to fight against the redevelopment of their forgotten haven. But is it all to no avail?
Riley is still lurking around in the background trying his best to become one of the locals, and at the same time, causing more tension between them than ever before. His only real friend is a swearing cockatoo.
And whatever happened to Bryce?
PREFACE
ESCAPE To Patonga had always been a standalone story. I had never intended for there to be a sequel. The thought had simply never occurred to me.
After nearly fifteen years of assessments, rewrites, and edits, it was not until the second to last read through before publication that I finished the book and said to myself, “Oh? Whatever happened to Bryce?” Then I wondered if I should add another bit to finish off his story, or…leave him to dominate the sequel.
I agonised over the prospect of writing a sequel for about six months, trying desperately to not even think about it. In a moment of weakness, I hurriedly scribbled out a possible plot from start to finish. Again, I refused to entertain it. More months went by.
And then, in a mad fit, I bashed it out in six weeks of long, inspired nights. It was the first new writing I had done after a ten-year hiatus.
No! There will not be a third instalment. I made absolutely sure there were no loose ends this time.
Enjoy! TJ
SYNOPSIS
Spoiler Alert!
No seriously – if you don’t want to know the twist or the ending, DO NOT read any further.
Riley continued to be aloof, which made him even more alluring to Crystal. He had become a problem she felt compelled to fix despite his continued disinterest and her growing relationship with Nathen.
Out of the blue, Geoff, the publican, knowing Crystal had always had a dream to own a restaurant, offered her the opportunity to relaunch his restaurants. Suddenly distracted by her new enterprise, her now strained relationship with Nathen began to crumble further.
Now living in the village, Riley took over Danny’s handyman chores after the much-loved community member died. He also befriended the swearing cockatoo, determined to teach it some manners. He tried to mingle more with the community, but their insistence that he join their theatrical troupe had him questioning his desire to stay in the small seaside haven.
Bryce continued to phone with dire warnings for Riley’s business if he did not agree to do another deal. Like everyone else, he did not believe for a second that Riley had disappeared to Canberra. Everyone knew that was a lie.
The pub restaurants reopened with great fanfare. People travelled great distances to taste Crystal’s culinary masterpieces. It was a tremendous success. But with the sudden change in her life, she barely had time to share quality time with Nathen, who was busy with his own venture. They were now heading in two very different directions.
Council declared they had rezoned land to make way for an enormous resort hotel and marina for super-yachts, with very little or no local consultation. The proposed monstrosity would be a death knell for the village. Rumours spread. The shacks would be snapped up for a million dollars to make way for luxury apartments. The aging population may well become millionaires, but they would no longer have a place to live out their quiet retirement years. Once again, the community rallied for the fight of their sleepy, forgotten haven.
And then, just when Patonga appeared to be tearing itself apart, Leonard and Mavis suddenly found themselves smooching at the end of the wharf. Crystal was over the moon at the coupling. But then she began questioning her feelings for Nathen after working so closely with Geoff at the pub, despite knowing Nathen was in the throes of proposing.
Judith tried her luck at the online dating scene with disastrous results until she met Henry. Charming and wealthy, he treated her to a sailing cruise, and to dine at a new restaurant. She had no idea where he had taken her until a dire sense of déjà vu overwhelmed her, only to realise she was back in Patonga once more.
That very same day, Bryce arrived and stirred up the locals at the bar with boastful, hilarious, and bawdy stories of sexual innuendo and impossible conquests. He had them wound around his little finger in no time, sucked into his charismatic vortex to participate in a promised drug-induced beach party.
With the intent to shut Bryce down, Riley arrived at what appeared to be a rowdy poolside BBQ, only to find his former employee Nick manning the door, Keira flashed her bikini-clad body in a stupor, Judith with her tongue down some guy’s throat, and the ever-grinning Bryce, his gold chain shining and his loud shirt screaming. A second deal was offered. Riley refused, so Bryce unleashed carnage on the peaceful village with devastating effect.
The community awoke to police sirens ringing in their ears following the arrest of many on drug and public nudity charges, and no sign of either Riley or Bryce. Having also lost their fight with the council, the resort would be built, effectively destroying one of the last peaceful havens on the Central Coast. Patonga was now destined to become the Montecarlo of Australia.
A few weeks later, Riley re-emerged in Canberra to hide in plain sight. People still refused to believe he had moved there. No one relocated to the nation’s capital voluntarily. He was free now to rebuild his life.
