Definitely not the boy she used to know.
She pressed her lips together and nodded.Backup might be useful.“How about seven tomorrow morning?”
“All right.I’ll leave you be.I’ll be in the barn if you need me.”
He was gone before she said anything.
Did she want him camping in her barn?It was oddly comforting after the way Johann had reacted.She might not know the man Ethan had become, but he wouldn’t hurt her.
What she needed was to sleep on it.Give herself time to process everything.
Because out of everything; going through Aunt Maggie’s things, dealing with Johann, and the destruction of the garden, the one thing that shook her most was Ethan Ward walking back in her life.
Because the pull towards him was still so strong.
And her heart wouldn’t survive a second round of rejection from him.
***
Ethan stepped out of the barn and scanned the surroundings.The sun was still low in the sky giving everything a dawn glow, birds chirped and flew between bushes and the lights in the house were on.
Chelsea was up.
He kept his eyes forward, away from her bedroom window.If she was still as organised as she’d been as a teen, she’d be downstairs already, but he didn’t want to invade her privacy more than he already had.
His pulse increased as he approached the house.It was ridiculous.He’d approached buildings containing armed hostiles with fewer nerves than he had today.He’d barely slept, replaying his conversation with Chelsea in his head.She’d been shocked, and perhaps a little angry until she’d realised no one had told him about Aunt Maggie.Then her compassion had come through and she’d hugged him.He’d never thought he would hold her in his arms again, and he’d savoured every single second.
She still smelled like cherry blossoms.
God, he’d missed her.He’d pushed thoughts of her far away, but he’d never been able to eradicate them.They’d always popped back in times of great emotion; loneliness, fear, happiness.When he’d been hit by the tsunami late last year and the wave had swallowed him, his one regret had been pushing her away.
Which was why he hadn’t given her the chance to ask him to leave last night.
She might not be as welcoming this morning, now she’d had time to process everything.She might order him off her land like she had the property developer.
As he came around the side of the house, she was sitting on the cane sofa on the front porch, waiting for him.Today she wore navy blue slacks and a white shirt with three-quarter length sleeves.Perhaps she wanted to look business-like for their meeting with Darren.She cradled a mug in one hand, and there was a travel cup on the table beside her.
Chelsea had always been better at mornings than him.She gestured to the second mug.“I wasn’t sure whether you had coffee.”
He smiled, his heart expanding.She’d thought of him.When they were younger, she’d always made him coffee.He’d arrived at Lilydale at dawn to work in the garden before the day turned scorching.Aunt Maggie and Chelsea would join him, and Chelsea always provided the coffee.In those days it had been instant coffee because he’d been yet to discover the delights of proper fresh espresso coffee.
“Thank you.”He reached for the cup.
“It’s a flat white.”
“I didn’t realise Aunt Maggie got herself an espresso machine.”
Chelsea laughed.“She didn’t.I brought my travel kit.I could never convince her instant coffee tastes crap.”
Her laugh was a melody sweeping over him.It had been enough to cheer him, even on his darkest days.He sipped the fine liquid and closed his eyes.“I’m going to have to get one.”
She pushed off the sofa, leaving her mug on the table.“Shall we go?”
She didn’t wait for his answer and he followed her to the compact white hire car, carrying the travel cup.On the drive they passed his foster parents’ place.The lawn was yellow and far too long, and the garden beds were full of weeds.
He’d spent hours in the garden ensuring it was up to his foster-parents’ standards.
Chelsea glanced at him.“Did you stay in touch?”
