“Not comforting,” Josh said.“Talk to you later.”
Ethan hung up.
“You seem pretty friendly with the police here,” Dobby said.
“I went to school with Josh.He’s a friend.”
“He won’t get in our way?”
Ethan considered it.“Probably not as long as we do nothing too overt.”
They returned to the garden where his team had already made a difference.Noah was poisoning the remaining weeds growing around and through the paths, Rhys had the hedge trimmer and was pruning every bush and hedge in sight, Mila was weeding one of the garden beds, and Heath was clearing the leaf litter off the garden shed roof.
Chelsea and Connor were nowhere to be seen.Ethan ignored the flicker of concern.They’d be in the public garden where Barry was working.He headed in that direction.
“What do you want me to do?”Dobby asked.
Though the grass was cut, it was yellow and sparse.What it needed was a good watering, and he had no idea whether the sprinklers in this area still worked.“I’ll get you on sprinkler duty with me after I’ve seen Chelsea.In the meantime, why don’t you help Mila weed?”
Dobby nodded and with a grin went to see his fiancée.
Rhys had already done the hedge around the house’s private garden, and there was no need to brush past branches to get from one area to another.Ethan stopped to check where Barry and his cameras were before he continued into the garden, circumnavigating the reading gazebo to stay out of the shot.
Barry and his colleague had done an amazing job on the paths, which were all visible and clear of dirt and debris, and what was left of the lawn was short.He’d even edged the garden beds, so it was clear where they started and the lawns ended.
Ethan found Chelsea standing with Connor, examining the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
“It’s good quality metal,” Connor said.“No rust and the footings are solid.All it needs is a clean and maybe a coat of paint.”
“That’s great news,” Chelsea said.“I was reluctant to walk on it without getting it reviewed.”
“Smart,” Connor said.“I’ve seen things that look solid and yet fall apart at the slightest pressure.”
Ethan slid his arms around Chelsea’s waist, needing to touch her after so long apart.“Shall we try it?”
Together they walked out to the middle of the bridge and peered over the edge.Barry had run the mower over the remaining burnt grass along the harbour lake basin and uncovered the base of the fountain, which used to shoot water into the air when the lake was full.
“I don’t know how long it’s been empty,” Chelsea said.“I’ve been meaning to ask Lauren or Josh.”
“If the clay is still good, it should hold water again,” Connor told her.“You’ll want to check any drainage pipes and pumps though.”
Ethan tapped his fingers on the railing of the bridge.“It’s been pretty dry the past couple of winters.Maybe the annual rainfall hasn’t been enough to keep it full.”
Chelsea drew out her phone and added a couple of notes.Ethan grinned.He loved her organised nature.
“Is there anything else you need me to review?”Connor asked.
“No.Thank you.”
“Any time.I’ll go ask what the others need me to do.”
Ethan waited until he was gone before he turned to Chelsea and kissed her.“How are you feeling?”
She smiled.“Amazed.I can’t believe the transformation Barry did or that your team is willing to help.I’m so glad you have them, Ethan.”
So was he.He’d finally found the brothers he’d desperately wanted for years.The wail of the blower stopped, bringing some quiet to the garden.He couldn’t see Barry from here.
“Shall we see if he’s finished?”
