“Can I tell you my new fantasy for the future?”Ethan asked.
She nodded as she wandered over to the nearest garden bed to pull out a stray weed that had been missed.
“It’s being with you.”
She glanced at him, her heart jumping.
“In whatever form you want.I’ve spent too much of my life regretting leaving you, and I’m not spending the next decade doing the same.”
It was hard to breathe.He couldn’t mean it.“You’re based in the city.It’s too far to drive every day.”
He shrugged.“I mentioned Dobby is setting up a security firm.He’s put a bunch of plans into motion already, and he’ll give me a job.”
She frowned.“Where will you work?”
“I can base myself here.I won’t need to be in the city all the time and depending on the jobs we get, I might still travel.”
Chelsea exhaled.“I wouldn’t want you to give up your career for me.”
He stepped closer.“I won’t lie to you.The army saved me, gave me purpose and a sense of self-worth and the friends I have made…” He gestured towards the house.“They’re my family.”He took her hand.“But I don’t need the army any longer.I’m financially secure, I can get my adrenaline fix working with Dobby, and my apartment wasn’t ever a home.But seeing you again and being at Lilydale feels like being home.”
The emotions in her chest were too big to put into words.The fear, the joy, the love.“I appreciate knowing that, Ethan.”
A flash of disappointment crossed his face, and she reached for him, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.“It’s a big decision to make and knowing what you want… that you want me… it makes a huge impact.I just need time to consider things when I’m not overwhelmed by you and your friends, when I’m not being harassed by a property developer, and not overcome by grief going through Aunt Maggie’s things.”Which was another thing she needed to finish.
She took a breath.“I want you, and I want Lilydale, but just because I want them, doesn’t mean I can make it work.I need to plan it out, think it through.”
He smiled, pulling her into his arms.“All right.I get that’s how your brain works.If you need help planning, or if you need me to take distractions away so you can think, you say the word.”
Was it any wonder she loved him?
While she had no doubt he would push if she prevaricated for too long, or if she was stuck in indecision, the fact he understood this was her way of processing things meant everything.
She brushed a kiss against his lips.“Thank you.”
Her phone rang and she put it on speaker when she saw Josh’s name.“Morning, Josh.”
“The good news is we’ve got enough from Leyton to arrest Johann for his part in what happened to Lilydale,” Josh said.
“And the bad news?”Ethan asked.
“Johann wasn’t at home when the Perth police went to arrest him.His wife said he left at six to go fishing with friends, but the friends he’s supposed to be with are at home.His wife can’t get hold of him and said he was anxious when he woke, saying something about missing a phone call.”
Ethan grabbed Chelsea’s hand and dragged her back towards the house, making her break into a jog just to keep up.Johann could have made it to Honeybrook by now if he’d come straight here after leaving his house, but why would he?Unless Leyton was supposed to call to say he’d done the job.
“Maybe he has a mistress and fishing is the excuse he gave his wife,” Chelsea suggested.It was what her father had done during his affair with her mother.
“Maybe,” Josh agreed.“I wanted to give you the heads up just in case.”
“We’ll keep an eye out for him,” Ethan said.
The team looked over as they walked through the front door.It was slightly disconcerting how alert they were all the time.“Thanks Josh.”
“There’s more,” Josh continued.“We looked into Lleyton’s claims about the company Johann works for.They are on our radar.”
Every person in the room went still.“Tell me more,” Ethan barked.
“I shouldn’t even be telling you that,” Josh retorted.“The most I could get out of my colleagues was to tread very carefully.Johann might be what he seems, a project manager with few scruples, or he might understand exactly what his superiors do and therefore be desperate not to let them down.”
