Page 40 of The Side Road
Mia and Oliver were alone, and a nervous look crossed her face. She slipped her arms behind her back, and he thought she might be holding her own hands.
‘I see you got home safely,’ Oliver said. ‘How are you?’ He checked the wiring that connected the starter motor.
‘Fine, thank you.’ There was a scuff on the concrete. She rubbed it back and forth with the toe of her shoe.
He ran a hand over the carburettor bowls. An oil leak; he rubbed the drops between his fingers. ‘Mia, it occurred to me that if you weren’t dating right now, you might want sex. Just sex,’ he said, wiping the oil off his hands with a rag.
Lifting her head, she stared at him. ‘You want to have sex with me?’
He laughed. ‘I thoughtyoumight want that.’
She rubbed her brow. ‘And you’re volunteering.’
‘If you want to have sex with me – just sex – I can do that. But if you want something more, I can do that too.’
She looked like a startled rabbit. ‘And which is your preferred option?’
‘The second one. I like you.’
‘Are you always this open?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t think that’s a bad thing.’
‘No, it’s not,’ she agreed.
‘Do I get to take you out?’
‘Let me think about it. Do you know what’s wrong with the bike?’
‘Carburettor bowls are cracked. I’ll order the parts.’
She looked around the garage, taking in the Black Shadow. Nearby, a notepad showed sketches of the bike surrounded by columns of notes.
‘How are the repairs going?’
‘I’ll start rebuilding the engine next week. After that, the ignition system. Replace the clutch – new discs and springs. Repair the suspension and the electrical system.’ He paused. ‘Tell me you’re not turned on right now.’
‘I’m not turned on right now.’
‘Liar.’ He grinned.
Finally, the hint of a smile.
When Leo and Tash returned, Mia jingled her keys. ‘Blanche is making dinner – spaghetti and meatballs. We don’t want to keep the pasta waiting.’
‘The pasta gets very saucy if it’s kept waiting,’ Leo said. He plucked his helmet out of the sidecar and slipped it on. Mia did the same. Snood jumped in and sat between Leo’s legs. He patted the dog’s head. Mia started the engine, and they rode down the driveway.
Later,sitting at the kitchen table, Oliver opened his laptop. An email from his lawyers, Equity and Associates, had arrived. They suggested he sue Elsie’s estate. A tempting thought, but Elsie didn’t have any money. Taking legal action after the woman had died served no benefit. The will was now in probate. The forgery raised many complications. He couldn’t legally own or sell the parsonage for at least another year.
He opened his financial spreadsheet. His accounts were healthy, ballooning with the recent addition of the carer’s leave he had taken, and four weeks’ holiday pay, plus loading. He would receive his last salary payment at the end of the month. It was just the two of them; the household budget was small. Finding a job could wait a few more weeks. If he had to, he could free up some cash.
Tash strolled into the kitchen holding her knitting. She leaned on her father as if she were a prospector, and he was her shovel. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked.
‘Updating our budget.’
‘About that rabbit.’
He squinted, pretending to scan the spreadsheet. ‘Nope, I can’t see any rabbits on here.’
