Not good enough.He shouldn’t have left her unprotected.“I told you to stay inside until I got back.”
“And I already told you, I didn’t hear you.I was worried you’d been attacked.”
Voices outside had him leading Chelsea away from the front steps and around the side of the house.Over in the garden underneath the gazebo were his team, Mila and Lauren.
Chelsea gasped and pointed at the group of plants that had been sorted by type near the cottages.
Ethan grinned.Someone must have stopped by the nursery to get them.
“You remembered the plants,” Chelsea said as they reached the group.“Thank you.”
“That was Lauren,” Rhys said.“She was unloading her ute when we arrived back.”
“Josh called me,” Lauren said.“I figured you’d be too busy with questions to go back for them.I watered them but wasn’t sure where you wanted them planted.”
“The plan will be somewhere on her phone.”Heath grinned.
Chelsea tapped her pocket.“That’s right, but we all deserve the evening off.”
“We helped ourselves,” Dobby said, gesturing to the biscuits and drinks on the table.
“I told them you wouldn’t mind,” Lauren added.“Aunt Maggie always had an open cupboard.”
Ethan felt a pang of sorrow as Chelsea nodded with a sad smile.“My house is your house.I appreciate you coming to my rescue so fast.”
There was only one chair left, so Ethan pulled Chelsea down on his lap, circling her with his arms.She passed him a Father’s Favourite.
So casual.So right.
“Did you learn anything from Josh?”Dobby asked.
“It sounds as if Johann had got himself in a bind,” Ethan said when he’d swallowed the treat.“His employer thought he’d bought Lilydale and construction was starting next month.They’re willing to pay back the money Darren stole, plus damages if Chelsea agrees to keep their name out of the press.”
“Are you going to accept it?”Mila asked.
Chelsea nodded.“I’ll never know for sure if they knew about Johann’s methods, but I’m hoping Mum will let me keep the money to repair Lilydale and to honour Aunt Maggie’s memory.”
Ethan loved that she was practical about it.Some might consider it a bribe, but Chelsea was right.They could do so much with the money and he suspected Sabine would be happy for Chelsea to keep it.
He imagined the garden full of people helping Chelsea achieve her dream.
And he was right by her side.
“What about Darren?”Mila asked.
“He and Leyton have been charged for their part in the whole fiasco and are looking at gaol time,” Ethan said.“And Chelsea recorded Johann confessing to killing Aunt Maggie, so he’ll be charged with that as well.”
Aunt Maggie’s goodness and vitality had been cut short.It would be good to pay tribute to her.She deserved so much more than that.
Chelsea curled into him.“I should call my mother.”
Sabine would be equally devastated.
“I’ll go with you.”He wanted to support her and needed to talk to her about the future.This afternoon had highlighted the future wasn’t guaranteed.Anything could happen, and he wanted to be with her.
He pulled Chelsea into the cool house, taking a moment to hold her in his arms and breathe.
“I’m safe, Ethan.”She clung to him.
