Then there was the poem hung above the sink about keeping the bathroom tidy.To this day she often recited it in her head when she cleaned her own bathroom.
In the end she’d cleared out both bathrooms as fast as she could, keeping only toiletry supplies which were still good, and the rubber duck.
Then she’d cleaned both top to bottom, getting rid of dust, grime and old soap scum.Removing all traces of Aunt Maggie.
The thought was enough to have her hauling the bags downstairs, needing fresh air and distance from the house.
She didn’t have enough bags to justify a run to the nearest op shop, but she didn’t care.
At the front door she paused, hand braced on the wall, head hanging, giving herself a second to breathe.In the background, the hedge trimmer which had been buzzing most of the morning fell silent.Ethan was another issue she refused to think about.
Unable to stop her curiosity, she glanced out the window, but she couldn’t see what Ethan had been up to.
Perhaps if she was fast, she could get to her car without running into him.
Which reminded her she had to check where Aunt Maggie’s car was.She’d only hired the car for a few days so she could figure out how long she would be here, and had been planning to use Aunt Maggie’s car for the rest of the time.
She opened the door and the warmth of the day flowed in, making her pause.
At this time of day, Aunt Maggie would have had tea and biscuits ready and be taking them out to Ethan so they could have a break.Often they’d sit at the table under the pergola in the shade and talk about what needed to be done, or their plans for the afternoon.
It had been a soothing ritual and had given Chelsea the opportunity to speak to Ethan before they had started dating.
She smiled at the memory of her nervous teen self, and how massive her crush on Ethan had been.
She shook her head.Chelsea wasn’t Aunt Maggie, and she hadn’t decided whether she wanted to spend more time with Ethan.He jumbled her insides and brought back memories she would rather have forgotten.
But perhaps she should offer him a glass of water.It was autumn, and the sun still had an occasional bite to it.
Her gaze shifted to the wild garden.Johann had been in it for the long game if he’d contacted Darren a year ago.But the question was, why?Why wait so long to make an offer?Anybody could have expressed interest in the meantime.They could have sold it to a local.
Perhaps he’d tried to buy the property straight after Maggie’s death.They wouldn’t have considered anything then, too caught up in grief by Maggie’s unexpected passing.She would have to ask her mother.
There were also the permissions he needed.Had he been in discussions with the council about the retirement village?She needed to know more.Perhaps she’d drop by the council while she was out.
Then she’d call her mother and discuss the situation.
She glanced at the bags by the door.She’d heard glass break when she’d dropped one of them, and if it cut the plastic, she didn’t want anything leaking into the hire car.She headed for the key hooks inside the pantry and scanned the bunches of keys until she spotted the one with the Sydney Opera House key ring.
Grabbing the bundle, she headed to the barn and hesitated outside the open door.Ethan stood next to a white four-wheel drive, drinking from a large water bottle.His shirt was darker in spots from sweat and his skin glistened.
She swallowed, ignoring the shot of lust which swept through her body.As she debated whether to come back later, he spotted her and smiled.“Taking a break?”
Chelsea held up the keys as she struggled to find words and ripped her gaze from him.“Looking for Elsie.”Aunt Maggie had a habit of naming inanimate objects.The LandCruiser was parked further inside, next to Ethan’s car.
“I’d be surprised if she starts, but I’ve got jumper leads if you need them.”
Chelsea nodded and then screwed up her nose.“Should I take it to a mechanic before I drive it?”
“Aunt Maggie always kept it well-maintained, and it’s been sitting out of the weather.I can check it over if you want, but it should be good to get you around town.”
He moved closer, and she hurried towards the car, not wanting to be near while he looked so sexy.She unlocked the door and slid behind the steering wheel, slotting in the key.
It was a manual, and she hadn’t driven a manual car since she got her licence.She put it into neutral, already second-guessing using the car.Then she turned the key.
Silence.
Ethan smiled.“Battery’s dead.If you wait there, I’ll get my cables.”
