Page 66 of Coming Home to Wishington Bay
There was an unfamiliar feeling in my chest, but this time it wasn’t a panic attack. Digging back into my memory, I suddenly realised the feeling was pride. Someone was proud of me. Had it really been that long since someone had told me that? And really meant it. I’d got the odd ‘good job, Holly’ at work – a phrase that made me tingle with irritation, rather than pride. It was such an inane phrase and personally I’d never seen the need to replace the perfectly acceptable ‘well done’ with this bland Americanism in the first place. But aside from that non-phrase, I literally couldn’t remember the last time someone had said something like Carrie just had. And I had a pretty good guess that, whenever it was, it had probably been Gigi.
‘Do you have any more plans for the place?’ she asked. ‘I am, by the way, well aware that I promised to leave but that was before I found out you were a secret design genius. I need to book you in to have a look at our place!’
I laughed. ‘I think that might be overcooking it a tiny bit, but I have been enjoying it. There are some more plans afoot actually. In fact, there’s a builder coming in to do some work in here.’
‘Really? Ooh! Tell me, tell me!’
I was just catching Carrie up on the plans I had for opening up the ground floor when Bryan came hurtling across the beach, up the steps and halfway up my legs.
‘Bryan!’ Gabe’s voice preceded the rest of him and he came into view just as I was bending to pick up the little dog and give him a morning cuddle.
‘Hello, sunbeam!’ I said to Bryan, snuggling him against me and loving the way he wriggled and shoved himself closer to my shoulder.
‘Apparently you have to be cute and a dog to get a cheery morning greeting in this house.’ Carrie rolled her eyes. I stuck out my tongue. Both of us smiled.
‘Sorry, Hols. I really am trying to teach him that you might not always appreciate him charging in here.’
‘Any male charging in here is a start,’ Carrie mumbled under her breath, still smiling.
‘Sorry?’ Gabe asked.
‘Nothing!’ she sang, brightly. ‘We saw you’d been out from a swim earlier.’
‘Oh. Yeah. I went for a run and then a quick dip. Thought it might help the hangover.’ He grinned across her at me. ‘How’s yours?’
I freed a hand from around the dog and waggled it from side to side. ‘It could go either way.’
‘Holly took a different approach to yours – she lazed in bed and then ate cake for breakfast.’
‘Which was your idea, I’d like to point out.’
‘Cake’s always a good idea, whatever time of the day.’
‘And just when we thought he couldn’t get any more perfect …’ Carrie fluttered her eyelashes as both Gabe and I flushed pink.
‘Didn’t you say something about having to get back?’ I looked at her pointedly.
‘Yes, I suppose so. Three’s a crowd and all that.’
‘Actually, it’s four,’ I said, adjusting the dog in my arms so that he could look out forwards. ‘Bye, Carrie!’ I waved one of Bryan’s little paws.
‘Subtle.’
‘Love you.’
‘Love you too.’ She smiled, hugging both Bryan and I at the same time. ‘And you’re all right as well,’ she said, stopping in front of Gabe and receiving a big hug, him bending his knees to prevent her from stretching.
‘Thanks,’ he laughed. ‘Say hi to Ned for me.’
‘Will do.’
We stood and watched Carrie walk off for a bit until she turned and waved again and then we both moved, heading for shade. The sun was chasing its highest point now and the heat, not to mention the brightness, was doing nothing to improve my sense of wellbeing.
‘Would you like a drink or anything?’
‘I’m all right, thanks.’
‘Did you have a good swim?’
