When the pie was in the oven, Ethan moved into the living room to do his rehabilitation exercises.The extra time on his feet the past two days had aggravated the ache in his pelvis.Not that he’d admit to it.
But since he’d been here, his drive to return to the army had lessened.
Suddenly he had a new focus.And she was working at the table only a few metres away.
He’d call Dobby later and ask if he was still interested in coming down this weekend.Maybe they could chat about his plans to open a security firm.
When the oven timer rang, he set the table around Chelsea.“How’s it going?”
She typed a few more things and then pressed a button with a flourish.“Done.It’s live.”
“That was quick.I’d love to see it.”He took the pie from the oven and placed it on a pot holder on the table.
“I’ll show you after dinner.That smells fantastic.Where did you learn to cook?”
“The army.”He topped up her wine and added a salad to the table, while she put her laptop on the kitchen bench.
As Ethan sat, he was struck with how comfortable this felt, how right, as if he and Chelsea had been sitting down to dinner together for years.
It felt similar to sitting down to eat with his teammates—like family.He exhaled as a bolt of yearning hit him.
He hadn’t wanted something so much since he was a kid.He couldn’t stuff this up.
“Apart from the website, what else do you want to get done tonight?”He passed Chelsea the salad.
“I’ve created social media accounts on all the main platforms and I want to schedule a bunch of posts so they have content.I’m hoping when Barry comes, he’ll link to them and get them in front of all his followers.”
Ethan pursed his lips.“Barry the lawnmower man has a lot of followers?”
“Millions.”Chelsea grinned at his disbelief.“It’s quite satisfying watching him turn an overgrown mess of a garden into one that is neat and tidy.”
There was something for everyone on the internet.“So what do you hope to achieve by getting a lot of followers?”
“People love a good restoration story and if they follow the journey, they’ll feel a sense of ownership over it.So hopefully, when they consider where to go on holiday, they’ll think about Lilydale.If it gets popular enough, I might offer workcations where they stay for free in return for helping in the garden.”
He shook his head.“People do that?”
“Yeah.And when it’s finished, they’ll want to get married here, or have events here, because it will feel like home.”
Chelsea lit up with enthusiasm as she spoke.Ethan had to hand it to her.She sold it well.Her optimism was surprising considering the way people had let her down in the past, but he loved her glow.“Let me know how I can help.”Perhaps if she achieved her vision, she’d stay here.
He could get out of the army, start a business with Dobby, and live in Honeybrook with her.
“I might need you to do more filming for me.”
It took a second for Ethan to come out of his fantasy.“Sure.”
He’d do anything to help.Anything to make her his again.
After dinner, he cleaned the kitchen while she finished work on the social media platforms.He found the website online, and it looked incredible, with a simple reservation system for the cottages and plenty of photos of the accommodation and the garden in all its states.There was even a button to donate to the restoration.By the time he finished reading it, he wanted to support Lilydale and Chelsea’s work—and he already was.She had a gift of inspiring and enticing people.
Chelsea closed her laptop with a sigh.“I’m done for the day.”
It was almost eight o’clock.“Do you usually work this late?”
She nodded.“When I’m in the middle of a project, I do.There’re never enough hours in the day.”
He moved over to her and slid his hands onto her shoulders, giving them a light massage.Her groan made him hard.
