“Ouch! I resemble that!” Why couldn’t I stay mad at him? And why did he have to show off one single dimple when he teased me?
“What?” His brows knitted together in confusion. Did he not get the joke?
“You basically accused me of having a spare car lying around for when I hit someone. I could have taken offense, but decided to own it. You know, take responsibility for my actions.”
“Oh.” He didn’t sound convinced. Did he honestly think I’d been offended by his tease, or had it been too long since a woman teased him back? Perhaps men who looked like Ethan Cooper were only used to women falling either at their feet or in their bed.
Should I, or not?I sucked my bottom lip and made the same offer I would if I’d hit anyone else, “Look, I can get your ute functional, and then schedule pulling it apart when you have time to be without it.”
Yes. If it was anyone else, I would have already offered.
“Umm.” Ethan hesitated, fidgeting with his car key still on the same ring as his front door. Damn, it wasn’t his fault he hadn’t been raised by parents willing to sacrifice for others. Most country kids learned about community spirit before they could walk. We delivered meals to the sick and old because it was the right thing to do, not because we were asked. We organized working bees at the child care center, schools and medical clinic because it kept the doors open and our community safe. We volunteered without asking and never expected the government to find the time to remember we existed.
Ethan was just another city-slicker who needed to feel Meringa’s warmth and family. Then he’d decide to volunteer—we all did, eventually.
“How about we share my work truck?” I closed my eyes and made the offer despite my reservations about spending time with a man my body wanted to get to know.
After his attitude and my iciness, my offer must have taken Ethan by surprise. Damn that billion-watt smile. “But your car took the brunt of the hit, as you kept reminding me at the scene of the crime.”
“Insurance wrote it off, but I’m taking my time to replace it. I live in town and only need my work truck when I’m picking up deliveries.” Or when I drove around hoping to run into Ethan, not that he needed to know my stalker tendencies. “We can work out a schedule around your training and games.”
“We’re in pre-season, but the town has big expectations for the team. I don’t want to let them down.”
“Fine, well I’ll give you a call tomorrow to let you know how long its gonna take, and you can give me the dates you want my work truck then.”
The wall had returned but I could live with being friends.
Ethan didn’t know my background and didn’t bundle me up in pity. He took my sass and threw it back in spades.
It felt nice to be treated as almost normal instead of a broken bird who needed to be nursed back to life.
Driving back home, I took a detour. Two side streets away from Ethan’s stood the white fibro cottage.
I didn’t mean to slow down, but I did. I didn’t mean or want to drink in the changes, but I did.
The house had new curtains in the front windows, a new wrought iron outdoor setting for two on the veranda, and weeds in my old rose garden. My breathing stopped, chest clenched, and I felt my heart breaking all over again. Not over him, but because of the aphids probably settling into their new home now that I couldn’t be there to wash the leaves with dishwashing liquid each day.
Tears had no right to well in my eyes. They’d already cost me one car and they could damn well wait until I got to my old family home which had become my refuge. Twice the size of the cottage, it at least resembled love and laughter—home.
I wouldn’t cry. I wouldn’t.
I held it all together until I pulled into my driveway lined with bottlebrush instead of roses. Furiously, I brushed tears away while I fumbled with the front door key, needing to get inside before anyone could see.
My home surrounded me in memories and love. After kicking off my work boots and tossing my jacket and bag onto a chair, I found a bottle of daddy’s favorite scotch. Smiling, I threatened to top up three fingers of scotch with a dash of cola, before turning to my parents’ wedding photo on the wall. “Don’t worry, Daddy, I won’t sully your scotch, not today. But I can’t promise there’ll be any left by tomorrow.”
I deserved a night of self-indulgent wallow.
With every intention of finding photos of my recent car paint jobs to send off for printing, I flicked through photos I should have deleted from my cell phone.
For my high school graduation, I’d shocked the town by wearing a bright blue gown. Who knew the town’s tomboy could wear a dress? Darin Kidd had rented a tux and literally swept me off my feet.
Within four months of leaving school and after more than a year of dating, Darin and I had moved into his grandmother’s white cottage, just out of town. I’d resurrected her rose garden, grew mint to use as the basis for my own herbal infusions, and for five years, we’d been happy.
Until the football team lost in the major semi-final. They had a second chance at making the grand final, but the team went up to Beringi for a weekend’s team building, commiseration bender. No girls allowed.
What happened on tour should have stayed on tour, except that Darin came home sporting a black eye and a jaw that had seen better days.
Reece and Korbin had dropped Darin at home, warning him to come clean or they’d tell me everything and my brother, Campbell, would come back to town to personally deal with him.