The birthmark extended from the bottom of her left eye and spread over her cheek. Reddish purple, like a wild berry growing on the porcelain pink of her skin. Daniel knew this only because he’d seen it the previous week, in an unguarded moment when she’d failed to shield her left side from view.

But tonight the birthmark had gone. Though the scar, he saw, remained.

He watched her for a while, contemplating how best to approach, as if she were a deer or rabbit. A quivering, frightened animal unaware of its delicate beauty, its fascination. She should have been off limits. She was the captain’s younger sister. Toby wouldn’t want one of the boys messing with his sister, especially someone unknown. Someone who’d drifted into town a month ago looking for work and a cricket team.

That Daniel had been welcomed meant nothing – not in tiny communities like Barons Creek. He was, for all they knew, just a drifter. He wasn’t, though. He was here to stay. He’d known it from the moment he saw her.

She touched her hand to her cheek and drew it away to inspect her fingertips, rubbing them together and staring intently. The make-up was heavy and she wasn’t used to it. It hid the birthmark but he knew, for her, it would still feel like an aching bruise. He wondered why she hadn’t had laser treatment and remembered Barons Creek was a long way from Brisbane. Specialists weren’t exactly on the doorstep. Not much was.

He took another mouthful of beer and moved through the crowd, grinning as Brett the wicketkeeper slapped him on the back, congratulating Daniel for the three wickets he’d taken that day. He wished he’d had the chance to go home and change out of his whites but the boys had insisted on heading straight to the pub. The Barons Creek Bulls hadn’t won an away game in three seasons and today they had something to celebrate.

This was his third outing with the Bulls. The last two matches had been home games and she’d been at both but elusive, hiding in the stands, tugging her broad hat low over her face. Daniel hadn’t had the guts to make his own introduction, but he’d wanted to. Desperately. When the boys came off for tea he kept casting smiles in her direction, wishing she’d come down and join the other women fussing over their men.

Then today as he waited in the shade of the stand for his turn to bat she’d caught his stare and smiled. A tiny, careful smile of hope he’d captured like a fluttering butterfly and held in his heart ever since.

Her hand was back on her cheek. Daniel pushed through the pub, rehearsing words that would make her know it was all right, that she was as beautiful with the birthmark as she was without it. That he understood.
He was three feet away when she looked up. Immediately, her hand dropped, like a child caught in an act of naughtiness. Then she smiled shyly and his sunburnt cheeks flushed with delight and hope.

“Hi,” he said.

Her mouth twitched and her fingers rose to touch her neck and he knew she wanted to check her birthmark again, to see if the makeup was still in place.

“I’m Daniel.”

“I know.”

His smile broadened. He couldn’t help it. She’d obviously asked Toby or someone who he was. He waited, wanting to know her name. It’d be something pretty. Something that had probably taunted her for years with its sweetness.

Her fingers crept further up her neck. He crouched down. Not close, but near enough so only she could hear.

“Don’t touch it. It’s fine.”

Her eyes widened. 

“I know,” he said simply.

She looked away, hazel eyes pooling.

“You okay, Laura?” It was Toby, mouth fixed, eyes like granite.

Daniel ignored him, his mind savouring her name. Laura. Definitely pretty. Like her.

“I’m fine,” said Laura.

Toby slapped a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “You right there, mate?”

It was a warning. Daniel couldn’t blame him. If Laura was his sister he’d have done the same. He didn’t look up.

“I just wanted to talk to Laura.”        

The hand on his shoulder tightened. “You should come back to the boys. Feral wants to buy you a beer. First time in living memory that’s ever happened.”

Laura glanced at him, then at her brother, before casting shiny eyes once more over Daniel’s face. He smiled and leaned forward slightly, and touched her hand.

“Trust me. I understand.”

And before she could say anything he stood and walked away, hoping like hell it was enough.

Toby followed on his heels. As they stood by the bar Daniel waited for him to comment but he didn’t. Perhaps Toby had deemed the hand on the shoulder warning enough.

Daniel rolled her name around his head for a while. Laura. Laura. Laura. A difficult one to turn into a tease but he was sure her school mates had managed it somehow. Or maybe they called her something else, something even more soul destroying. The thought made his gut curdle.

The boys became rowdier. A few tried to buy him a beer but he refused them all. He’d already had two and he wanted to keep a clear head for Laura. Despite the increasing ruckus, she hadn’t left. A few of the other wives and girlfriends had joined her and when he checked she seemed content in their company. But every now and then she’d turn her head and regard him with wide, worried eyes. Each time he’d smile at her reassuringly, needing her to know his interest wasn’t a joke. That he wasn’t about to lead her on only to throw her off once she’d taken a hesitant step toward him.

Ten o’clock came and went. The pub floor became beer-sodden. Words were slurred, the club song sung to hoarseness, drunk Bulls swapped ‘I love youse, mates’ while all the time he waited, hoping for an indication she believed him.

Another hour passed. With a drowning heart Daniel watched the other women settle their handbags on their shoulders and collect their staggering, reluctant-to-leave menfolk. He expected her to walk out at any moment, to leave him with his hopeless want but she stayed in the corner until eventually she was alone.

Once more, Laura’s hand drifted to her face and traced the outline of the birthmark. Though still thick, the makeup was fading and a pale strawberry blush had appeared where the mark stained her skin. She stroked softly and regarded her fingertips, biting the side of her lip, fretting and making his heart ache.

His scrutiny caught her eye and he smiled gently. At first she did nothing, then her mouth tilted slightly and his stomach swooped. Daniel glanced toward the dance floor. Toby and the boys were jigging like marionettes, singing loudly and out of tune. He turned back and indicated the door to the verandah.

Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath. Daniel smiled again, his hope ballooning and threatening to float him away until slowly, she nodded.

He held the door open for her, heart hiccupping like a drunk, and checked the dance floor again. No one was watching, but as he was about to walk outside Toby twisted his head. His eyes narrowed meanly.

Daniel glanced at Laura. “I’ll meet you outside.”

The tentative smile dropped. He couldn’t help it. He let his fingers graze her cheek. Immediately, she stepped back, her hand fluttering to her birthmark.

“I’m sorry, Laura. I —” He couldn’t finish. There was no point anyway. He’d ruined his chances by touching her. Daniel sagged out a breath. “I’m sorry.”

Toby grabbed his shoulder, hard. “You okay, Laura?”

She nodded. “I just wanted some air.”

Toby eyeballed him, drunk and dangerous. “That’s my sister.”

“I know,” he said, but he didn’t look at Toby. Instead, Daniel kept his focus locked on Laura’s cast down hazel eyes. What the hell. He only had once chance left. He may as well take it. “And she’s beautiful, with or without her birthmark showing.”

Her mouth parted, hand darting to her face. She cupped her eye and cheek, covering the birthmark.

“Don’t.” He tugged gently at her fingers. “You don’t have to cover up.”

 Toby grabbed his wrist. He let his hand fall, shrugged off Toby and took a step away. He didn’t want to start a fight. It’d only draw attention to Laura.

“I won’t hurt her.”

Toby shoved his bulk between them. “You won’t get close enough to, mate.”

Daniel shook his head. He wanted to thump Toby for his stupidity but it’d only be like thumping himself. He’d done the same thing for Nat on countless occasions and not once had she thanked him for it. Instead it made her furious. I can look after myself, she’d told him. He knew she could, but it still hadn’t stopped him trying to protect her.

“I understand what you’re doing. My sister’s the same.” Daniel looked back at Laura. “She has a port wine birthmark that runs from the right hand side of her nose to below her eye.” He held her astonished gaze. “I understand.”

“You understand nothin’, mate,” growled Toby.

Laura’s shoulders squared. He recognised her look of defiance. Nat had worn the same expression a hundred times and on ninety-five of those occasions Daniel had backed down. He prayed the odds were the same with Toby.

“I’m big enough to look after myself, Tobes.”

Toby eyed her and then Daniel. His jaw was rigid. He held up a finger. “Don’t even think about—”

“Toby!” She stared hard at her brother, and turned to Daniel with eyes that brightened with confidence with every second that passed. She took a fragile breath. “I think I can trust him.”

It was a show of faith he could never betray. And as he clasped her hand and led her outside, he vowed he never would.

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© 2015 Cathryn Hein