Chapter 23
After Tracey had an attack it was like her body rebooted to some extent and she would end up wired…all hyped up and unable to sleep. Even though her body needed to recover it was like she would get super charged. She would still be in pain but never stayed in bed, there was no point, and she didn’t sleep. So at 2am Nat bounded into the cottage in her own state of nocturnal hyper activity and flopped down beside Tracey on the sofa.
“Hiya kiddo. Heard you had a rough time of it lately. So? Ready to get into some mischief?”
Tracey adored Nat. She knew all about her condition but never dwelled on it. She was more interested in living and this was one of the things about Nat she loved so much. She always made her feel better.
“I am guessing you have been here more than five minutes so there has already been some of that. Am I right?” Tracey tried to give Nat her stern mother look but it didn’t work. Nat just laughed. “Yeah, I guess. They let me drive back from the helipad.”
Tracey smiled and shook her head. “Who ever they were, I know they didn’t volunteer to do that. Who picked you up anyway?”
Nat could not sit still any longer and began to dance around the room. “All four of them. Wasn’t that really sweet.” She continued without taking a breath. “They are all so, so gorgeous, especially that Urs. He’s out of this world dreamy.” Nat shot Tracey a concerned look. “You don’t have dibbs on him do you?”
“No honey, you can torment him all you like.”
Nat bounced back onto the sofa and became serious. “He’s ok now isn’t he? I mean…”
“He’s just fine, everything back in the right place, broken heart mended.”
“How could anyone possibly want to break his heart Trace? He is so pure, so angelic.”
“Nat! You hardly know him, you don’t know him and he is far from angelic. There’s a rebel in him he lets out every now and then.”
Nat had a big smile on her face. “Maybe he will come out and play! I think breakfast would be a good time to find out.”
The two of them spent the rest of the early morning chatting, catching up on things one did not say in e mails. And before long the sun was up and it was time for breakfast.

The four guys entered the dinning room to the sweet sound of female laughter, the smell of fresh brewed coffee and cooking bacon. Nat saw them first and bounded out of her chair. “Well, here are the sleeping beauties.” Urs just happened to be the closest one to her; she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the table. “Time you lot got a feed so we can get the rest of the day started.”
After she wrestled Urs into a seat she did the same with David and Carlos. Sebastien escaped by heading for the opposite side of the table. She made him nervous.
Nat disappeared into the kitchen. David gave Tracey a knowing smile and she smiled back. Urs saw this little transaction, there were questions he would need to ask David later.
Sebastien had been sitting there thinking about something and in a flurry announced it to all. “I know who she reminds me of. That cartoon, you know the one where it whirls around, some monster that caused havoc wherever it goes?”
“You wouldn’t mean the Tassie devil by any chance would you?” Tracey shot him a look.
“Ironic don’t you think?” David said and they laughed.
With that, their own Tassie devil arrived loaded down with food.
He wasn’t sure if the others had noticed, but Nat was still in the same clothes as she’d worn the night before. Urs deducted that she had been up all night and was still over flowing with so much energy. He found himself warming to her in a quirky kind of way. He thought he might have some fun with her.
“So Nat. You just wear the same clothes until they wear out or is there some religious reason for not being able to change?”
Nat felt a challenge; she was going to like this. “Well Mr Buhler if you don’t like the way I am dressed we can fix that straight away.”
Nat began to unbutton her top, while at the same time kicking her shoes off. At first the guys thought she was joking but one look at Nat and they changed their minds. Urs couldn’t believe she would go through with it.
Sebastien couldn’t take it any more, he rose from his seat. “Mademoiselle, please, no. It is not fitting.”
Carlos also pleaded with her. “My lovely lady.” His smile could have melted ice burgs, but she kept going until Tracey spoke her name.
“Nat.” This was all Tracey said, quietly, everyone heard it. It may not have been her stern mother look but it was the voice.
“Well he started it.” Nat shot Urs a cheeky look. She got the same cheeky look in reply.
“Now that the entertainment is over can we eat? I’m starved.” David said as he helped himself to bacon and toast.
“Well I guess I better go and have a shower and CHANGE.” Nat shot Urs another look. “Want to join me?”
Urs blushed but he began to get up from the table. “Love too.”
Sebastien almost choked on his coffee, Carlos dropped his toast and David forgot to swallow, his folk poised in mid air.
It was that stern mother voice they all heard again. “You’ll do no such thing cowboy. Sit down.”
Urs sat, silently grateful.
“And you, young lady stopped teasing. Go and get ready.”
Nat went to protest. “Now or I’ll put you on the first plane back to Sydney.”
Nat headed for the kitchen pretending to pout. The next thing they knew was her shirt sailing through the air towards them. It landed on Tracey’s shoulder. “Not my colour really.”
David regained his senses. “She’s not shy is she?”

They ate breakfast and discussed what was on the agenda for the day. David noticed that Tracey did not eat much but she ate. He checked the bangles on her wrist, one was missing.
Urs finished his coffee and asked Tracey if they could have a chat. Each of them had gotten used to the others needing time with either Tracey ,Simon or Sue over the weeks they had been at the property so, even though it had been a while they thought nothing strange of his request.
“Sure thing Cowboy. Feel like a walk?”
David noticed that Tracey stood from the table just a little slower than normal. He wanted so much to be there for her. He had no idea if Sue had told her that he knew the whole story and he didn’t want to do anything that would alert the others that something was amiss.
Tracey caught his gaze and winked at him. Urs entwined her arm in his and they walked out that way. David was grateful for this gesture even though Urs had no idea what he had done.
“So what’s on your mind Cowboy?”
Urs sighed a little. “Your friend Nat.”
“Oh, I see. So you wouldn’t have minded following her for a shower after all?”
“No.. Yes…I mean. I wouldn’t have done that, honest Tracey. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t stopped it. She called my bluff.”
“Word of advice. She will always call your bluff so you better be prepared to back it up when the time comes. Anything else?”
“I think I like her. Do you think I would have a chance with her? I mean, she seems so over flowing with life, would I be enough for her?”
Tracey smiled and squeezed his arm. “My sweet, sweet cowboy. I’ll let you in on a little secret. She has already set her sights on you.”
Urs stopped walking and just looked at Tracey.
“For what it is worth I think you will be good for each other. You will calm her down and she will be there to boost you up when you need it. She’ll drive you crazy at times. I can vouch for that but she will love you with all her heart and she will never break yours. What you have to ask yourself is if you can give her the same in return. That is what she will want.”
Urs was silent and Tracey gave him this. Knowing what he had been through she wanted to make very sure he knew what he would be getting into.
Urs smiled. “She likes me too?”
Tracey laughed. “Do me a favour and don’t make this too easy for her. She needs to know you can keep up with her. Are you very, very sure you want to do this?”
“Yes Ma’am.” Urs was very sure.

Just as Tracey had asked, he did not make it too easy for Nat. Their relationship blossomed over the next few weeks. It was amazing to behold. They seemed to feed off each others energy; at times the two of them exhausted the others. It seemed they had morphed into one Tasmanian devil. They were unstoppable together.

David and Tracey’s relationship had been somewhat stilted over those same weeks. Sue had told Tracey that David knew everything not long after Nat arrived. Even though David had seen Tracey at one of her worst times she was not sure how she felt about him knowing. Giving him his dues he had not spoken a word of it to the others. They had many conversations, David always willing to give her the time and space she wanted. He was so desperate to be with her it hurt but he didn’t want to give her any excuse to lock him out of her life. He wanted in forever, not out.
Slowly and with sound advice from Sue and Simon, Tracey bit the bullet so to speak and opened her heart to David.
David allowed her to set the pace.
Their happy family was changing shape and one night while watching a movie with them all Tracey realised that Carlos and Sebastien were without their other halves. She slipped away and made a few phone calls and sent a few emails.
Four days later they all heard a helicopter fly over as they were having lunch. Tracey had asked Jimmy to do it on purpose. Normally the helicopters flew in from the other direction. As its passing did not seem to raise the interest of Sue, Simon or Tracey the guys thought nothing of it. That is until Sebastien heard the sweetest sound in the world.
His girlfriend speaking is name and Carlos saw the most beautiful sight in the world, his wife. Darrell walked in behind them and Jimmy was hot on his heals.
Sebastien and Carlos hugged their respective partners. Sebastien was crying. “How can this be? I have missed you so, so much.”
Jimmy was the one to answer that question. “Think Tracey may have had something to do with it.”
Tracey was nestled under David’s arm smiling at the reunion taking place. “Well it is a little difficult to have a family gathering when some of the family are missing.”
David kissed her on the top of the head. “You did a good thing.”
“Just the right thing.”
Urs spoke to Jimmy. “So Jimmy, off to see that sister of yours again?”
“No. Got to catch up with some of my golfing buddies. Got a few games to play. But not before I get some of Sues home cooking down me. I hear we are having roast tonight.”

Carlos and Sebastien showed their partners to their rooms, David and Tracey finished watching the movie, Nat actually fell asleep under the watchful eye of Urs, Darrell and Jimmy went next door to annoy Sue and see if she would give them a snack to tied them over until dinner. Which left Simon out in the shed giving the last of the quad bikes a service.
It had been a harrowing six weeks at times, especially in the beginning; it had also been the best six weeks he could remember spending with people in a very long time. It did his heart good that he had been a part of the healing process, not just for the guys but for Tracey as well. After so many years of holding people at arms length she had let David in. Simon was so happy for her. But he had to wonder how long they would have together.

The last two weeks of their stay was sprinkled with love and laughter, energy and passion, a few over the top games of twister. Crazy quad bike rides with Tracey and Nat and a knowledge that they all had grown much, much closer to each other. They were indeed a family.
The time was drawing close and Il Divo would have to leave the shores of Tasmania and Australia, returning to the world that had almost been their undoing. However, this time they would return stronger and better than before.