Annoyed, she strode into the house and locked the laundry door behind her.
The symbolic gesture made her feel stronger.She was in control of her life and her emotions.
It took only a short time to get ready for dinner.She checked she had the printed copy of her proposal for Lauren in her bag as she went downstairs.A few nerves danced in her stomach.What if Lauren didn’t like it?What if she really wasn’t good at her job and that was why Viral Posts Media had fired her?
She closed her eyes, gave in to her insecurities for three deep breaths, and then let them go like her therapist had taught her.
On the way out, she grabbed the spare key from the hook in the pantry, locked the house and then hurried back to the shed, tapping on the door before she walked in.
Ethan sat in a camp chair, reading a book, looking at home with a beer in his hand.There was no sign of the uncomfortable teen he’d been, always expecting to be told to leave.
Her heart ached as she remembered the conversations they’d had about books they enjoyed.He’d introduced her to the fantasy genre, and she’d introduced him to romance.The one he held was a romance by one of her favourite authors.She bit her tongue to stop herself from asking if he was enjoying it.“Here.”She thrust the key at him.
He looked up and his eyes widened as he slowly scanned her from head to toe.Her body warmed at his slow perusal.“You look amazing.”
Heat suffused her cheeks.Hardly.She just didn’t have many casual clothes.Most of her wardrobe consisted of business clothes, with a few pairs of tracksuits for lazing around home in winter.She ignored his comment.“I’ll be a couple of hours if you want to use the bathroom before I get back.”And she hoped he would.The last thing she needed was to know he was wet and naked only a room away.
The image seared into her brain.
She turned and strode towards the door.
“Have fun.Say hi to Lauren for me.”
She waved her acknowledgement but didn’t turn around.She needed to get out of there.
And figure out what to do about the far too appealing Ethan Ward.
Chapter 9
Only a couple of older men sat at the bar with beer in front of them when Chelsea arrived.The mix of round and rectangular tables which spread out across the wooden floor were empty.Was it an indication of how the town was dying, or simply because it was a Tuesday night and no one was going out to dinner?
She ordered a glass of white wine at the bar.
“You just passing through?”the bartender asked as he handed her the wine.He was an older gentleman, around his sixties, with quite a bit of grey in his hair, but his smile was friendly and his eyes twinkled as he spoke.
She couldn’t help returning his smile.“I’m not sure.”She sipped her wine while she decided how much she should say.Honeybrook was a small town where everyone knew your business, but this could be a good way to discover whether anyone had expressed an interest in Lilydale Cottage lately.“I’m Chelsea, Maggie McGinnis’s great niece.I’m sorting through Lilydale.”
The man frowned.“I heard what Darren did.It’s such a shame to see Lilydale that way.”
She nodded, surprised he had already heard the gossip.“It was devastating, if I’m honest.Aunt Maggie would have been horrified.”She swallowed past the lump in her throat.
“She would have been,” the man agreed.“I’ve a mind to ban Darren from the pub.”
“Don’t let me stop you,” Chelsea said, her tone a little grim.
“What are you doing with the place?”the man asked.
Wasn’t that the million-dollar question?“I’m not sure yet.It’s a big property for anyone to manage.I don’t know how Aunt Maggie did it by herself all these years.”
“Maggie was one in a million.”The man mopped liquid from the counter.
“Yeah, she was.”Chelsea blinked away the tears.The pub door opened and Lauren walked in.
“Hey, Chelsea,” she called.“I’ll have a wine too please, Alex.”
The bartender grinned.“Yes, mayor.”
Lauren rolled her eyes as she sat on the stool next to Chelsea.“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.”
