But with Ethan she’d believed she’d found someone other than her mother and Aunt Maggie who loved her.
She’d thought they could build a home and family that neither of them had had growing up.
She’d thought wrong.
“Is he married?”
Chelsea rolled her eyes.Every now and again, her mother would bring up her single status or introduce her to a colleague who was age appropriate and single.“I haven’t asked.”She glanced out the window.They hadn’t covered anything personal.She wasn’t sure what to say to him.
“Maybe you should.Is he still good looking?”
He’d aged well, like a fine wine.No, more like a whisky or rum, something with more punch to it.“I guess.”
That chuckle again.“There’s no need to rush back to Sydney.You should take a proper holiday after this.”
She wasn’t ready to voice her idea she might not return to Sydney at all.“I might not have a choice if I can’t find a job.”She wouldn’t ask Ezra to help her and her funds would only last a couple of months, but the idea of staying here longer soothed her.
“You said you were working for the council.It’s a start.”
Chelsea didn’t mention it was a volunteer job.Her phone beeped with a text from Lauren.
I can meet you for dinner?
A great idea.She could get out of the house and forget about everything.“I’ve got to go, Mum.I’m meeting Lauren for dinner.”
“All right.Keep me up to date.”
“Will do.Love you.”She hung up and sent a text back to Lauren.Sure.Where?
The pub.It’s the only place.Six-thirty?
How sad.There used to be a couple of small restaurants in town.See you then.
She had an hour to get ready, but after she packed her laptop into its bag, her footsteps drew her to the door.She hadn’t heard Ethan working in the garden since midday and she was curious what he was doing.
OK, she was also curious to talk to him and find out about his life.
It was the neighbourly thing to do.
Heading towards the greenhouse, she spotted the neatly trimmed oleander hedge.The branches from it were over by the compost heaps, as were a bunch of branches from a bougainvillea.
The grass was flattened around the cabins, and she followed the path to examine the buildings.They needed a good clean and the outside could do with a wash, but they looked structurally sound.The biggest task would be taming the nearby garden.
Aunt Maggie had a ride-on lawnmower and various other equipment to tidy the grass, so perhaps she should ask Ethan to mow it.
But was it her place to tell him what to do?He was here because of his love for Aunt Maggie.
She wandered to the next cottage and then the last one as uncertainty filled her.It was too big a property to manage from interstate, particularly if they couldn’t trust the person who was managing it.
Was it too much work for Chelsea to do on her own?
Aunt Maggie had struggled when the garden was healthy and she had a regular clientele.
Ezra would hate to spend money on something he would consider a money pit, and it wasn’t fair to ask her mother to hold on to it for sentimental reasons.
But selling this place felt like the final nail on Aunt Maggie’s coffin, and Chelsea’s past life.Her happiest memories had been here; the barn was where Ethan had kissed her for the first time, the grassed area over there was where she and Lauren used to set up the sprinkler and run under it to cool off on hot days, and Aunt Maggie had given her that garden bed to do what she wanted with.The first bit of land which had been truly hers and couldn’t be taken away.
Now it was barely visible beneath the weeds.
