WE ARE ONE: Volume Two

by Jewel, Bella

  I throw my head back and laugh. “I think my head just exploded.”

  “Give it a go and you might find my instructions aren’t just a bunch of hosh posh.”

  “Hosh posh?” I keep laughing. “What the hell is hosh posh?”

  “Shut up, smart arse, and throw the goddamn pebble.” He can’t help laughing, too, though.

  I run his crazy complicated instructions over in my head, then execute them as best as I can. My stone flies out of my hand and ungracefully plops into the lake not too far from us.

  I scrunch up my nose, and my shoulders drop in defeat. “Your instructions are faulty,” I say, trying not to laugh.

  Josh groans. “You didn’t follow through.”

  “You didn’t tell me to follow through,” I reply like a diva.

  “When you bend your wrist back, make sure to whip your throwing arm all the way across your chest, finishing near the shoulder of your opposite arm.”

  “Was that my only error?”

  “It takes practice, Emerson.” His jovial tone is now completely gone. “Like art, some people are more naturally gifted than others, but a lot of progress can be made by applying yourself to it.” I think about how I completely rejected my art and how much I missed it. “Following through will ensure that you’ve put all of your power and momentum into the throw and will make the stone travel the farthest and skip the longest.”

  “Whatever you say, Mr Rock Science Man.”

  “Mr Rock Science Man?”

  I laugh as I reach down and pick up another stone. “Yup.”

  Twenty-five tosses and several pebble retrieval missions later, and I am yet to see a single bounce. I am beyond frustrated watching every single one of Josh’s skip across the surface effortlessly.

  “Ready for the best breakfast you’ve ever had?” Josh asks, obviously sensing the end of my patience.

  Sighing, I nod. “Guess so.”

  Josh whistles to Leroy, who obediently returns to him. On the walk back to the house, Josh reaches for my hand, and I let him hold it. Somehow, I’ve managed to create a whole alternative life for myself out here with Josh where I’m allowed to feel good about this incredible man holding my hand and offering to make me breakfast.

  “When did you learn to skim stones?” I ask, breaking the comfortable silence.

  “My dad taught us when we were kids.” He glances out over the lake. “He wanted my brothers and me to be outside as much as possible.”

  “Where are your brothers now?”

  “Two live in the city. The eldest, Hunter, is a hotshot lawyer and living the high life.”

  “How old is he?”

  “Hunter’s thirty-two, I’m thirty-one, Luca and Max are twenty-eight.”

  “Four boys and twins. Your mum must’ve been busy when you were all little.”

  He laughs. “She has many stories I’m sure she’d love to tell you to embarrass us.”

  “So Hunter’s a hotshot lawyer. What about Luca and Max?”

  “Luca’s a tech nerd. He develops apps and sells them for ridiculous sums of money.”

  “I’ve no idea how all that stuff works.”

  Josh shakes his head. “Me neither, but Luca is a bit of a wiz.”

  “Sounds like you get on with them.”

  “I do. We don’t see each other as much as Mum particularly would like, but we’d all drop everything for each other, and we do as much as we can to help Mum cope.”

  “What about your other brother?”

  “Max lives in South Africa as a foreign correspondent,” he replies, holding the door open for me.

  “All so different,” I say as I take my shoes off and leave them by the door where I found them earlier.

  “Max risks his life with his job, but I can’t imagine him doing anything else. Some of the stories he’s managed to get have stressed Mum out so much, but even she knows it’s his life, and he has to live it on his terms.”

  I can hear the reverence he obviously feels for all his brothers, and it warms my heart. “You’re closest to Max, and he’s the farthest away. That must be hard.”

  “Are you a psychic or something?”

  I chuckle. “No. It’s hardly rocket science listening not just to what you said but how you said it. Sometimes it’s all in the tone.”

  Josh stares at me, seemingly deep in thought. “You intrigue me more than anyone ever has, Emerson.” He shakes his head, then gestures towards the kitchen.

  As Josh starts pulling mixing bowls and fry pans out of cupboards, I find myself marvelling at how this incredibly good-looking, talented, and resourceful man is single.

  “How are you single?” My thought tumbles out of my mouth.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” he says, raising his eyebrows.

  I don’t answer, wishing I hadn’t brought up the subject but realising it’s now too late. “Are any of your brothers married or in serious relationships?”

  “Max married his high school sweetheart, Cami, and they have twin daughters, Arabella and Maggie.”

  “Given his job, he was the one I was least expecting.”

  “South Africa can be a very dangerous place, but they live in a gated community, and their safety is Max’s number-one priority. He even said they could move home when Cami fell pregnant over there, but she refused to let him give up his dream.” He continues working his magic while we chat. “She loves it over there and has made a lot of friends with the other ex-pats.”

  “I’d love to go on a safari,” I say, remembering a documentary I watched once about Kruger National Park.

  “Then you should make it happen,” he says, nonchalantly. “You’re young and healthy. You should be checking off bucket list items, not just talking about them.”

  “Do you have a bucket list?” I ask.

  “Sure I do. I think most people have things they hope to do or experience in their lives, even if they don’t write them down.”

  I pull out a stool from under the island bench and take a seat. “I’d offer to help you, but you seem to have it under control.”

  “You just sit there and look pretty.”

  I chuckle, leaning forward, resting my chin in my palms, and resting my elbows on the bench. “What are you making me?”

  “A bacon and egg wrap,” he says. “I hope you’re not allergic to anything.”

  I shake my head. “Sounds wonderful.”

  “Do you have any siblings?” he asks as he places a large tortilla on each plate. “You know so much about me, and I don’t even know if you have brothers and sisters.”

  “I had a stepbrother, Trent.”

  Josh stands on the opposite side of the bench with a frypan in his hand, about to scoop scrambled eggs onto the tortillas. “Had?”

  “He was never a brother to me.” I clench my teeth. “We don’t keep in touch.”

  “Hearing this makes me so grateful for the happy childhood.”

  “I need coffee,” I say, climbing down from my stool and walking over to the coffee machine. “Do you want one?”

  “Sure. Black, one sugar, please.”

  His coffee machine takes pods and has a separate milk frother. Carrie has the same set-up in our break room at work, so I can make myself useful here at least.

  When I finish, Josh has constructed two delicious-looking and smelling wraps next to each other. I take my place back on the same stool, and Josh sits beside me. I hand him his coffee and take a sip of mine, inhaling the steam. “Mmmm,” I say, enjoying the liquid gold.

  “You drive me completely insane. Do you know that?” he asks.

  I put my mug down and pick up my wrap. “I do? Why?”

  He shakes his head and groans. “You’re just so incredibly beautiful, and you don’t even know it.”

  My cheeks heat, and I take a small bite of my wrap, not sure how to respond to his compliment. Josh watches me, and his smile broadens.

  In a bid to change the subject, I ask, “Are you able to drive me to a
petrol station to buy some fuel?”

  He nods, waving his hand in the air as if my predicament is nothing. “Do you have time to hang out with me today?” He looks at me as if he’s contemplating something but is unsure whether he should say it.

  “What is it, Josh?”

  “I’m assuming you don’t have to go to work tomorrow on the public holiday?”

  I suspect I know where he’s going with this. “That’s right. I have the day off.”

  “I hoped you’d consider staying another night.”

  I chew on the inside of my cheek and stare at my empty plate. I am enjoying this extension from my reality, and the idea of returning to my empty house is depressing. I look up at him and smile. “I’d love to.”

  He stands with a grin from ear to ear and clears our plates. “I’m really bloody happy about that.”

  Chapter 23

  After we’ve cleared away breakfast and washed up, we head outside.

  His Landcruiser is in the driveway, but Josh disappears into the wooden shed beside the house, so I follow him. What I find inside surprises me. It’s like I’ve just stepped into a mechanic’s workshop, complete with a range of cars of varying makes and models. One is raised off the ground whilst another is missing its doors and wheels.

  “You like cars,” I say, still looking around the extensive setup.

  “I do. It’s another of my hobbies, I guess.” He waves his arm around the shed. “Dad and I used to restore old cars together, then sell them for profit. I still tinker with it.”

  “I feel like I misjudged you somehow,” I say.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said I’m an enigma. I’d say you’re the one full of surprises.”

  “You’re just not asking the right questions.” He winks at me, then walks to the back where racks of tyres and various spare parts are kept. He finds what he’s looking for and returns to where I’m still standing holding a metal can.

  “I really chose the right place to break down, didn’t I?”

  He laughs. “I like to think so.”

  We stop in at the service station, then return to my car. Maybe forgetting to fill up with fuel on the way here was fate intervening. Who knows?

  We return to the house and I grab my spare jacket from the backseat before jumping back into Josh’s car for the trip into town.

  “I can’t believe this has been practically on my doorstep for the past five years, and I’ve never been here,” I say as we weave our way through stunning scenery.

  “I love it out here, but I love the contrast of the city, so I’m grateful I get to spend plenty of time there, too,” he says. I turn back to face him. “I’m lucky I get to have the best of both worlds.”

  “Do you think your mum will stay in that big house forever?”

  He nods, but even from the side, I can see the sadness flash across his features. His hands grip the steering wheel just a little tighter, and his shoulders bunch up slightly. He worries about his mother so much, and I find it endearing. I’m also struck with a pang of guilt that I don’t miss my mother. I never shed a tear when I left her and everyone I’d ever known behind, and I rarely spare her a thought. Does that make me a monster?

  “She clings to that house as if her connection to Dad depends on it.” He glances at me briefly before returning his focus to the road ahead. “I don’t think it’s healthy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He takes a deep breath and then sighs. “She’s no longer living.”

  I pause to process what he’s saying. I wonder about her life before she lost her husband. “What did your father do for a job?”

  “He was an investment banker for one of the big firms in the city.”

  “How did your parents meet?”

  He smiles. “Childhood sweethearts.”

  “Sounds like they were really happy together.”

  “They were.” He shakes his head. “It is an absolute tragedy that he was taken away from her when they had their whole retirement planned out. They were best friends.”

  “He sounds like he was a great man.”

  “My dad had the best work ethic of anyone I’ve ever known, but he had his priorities straight.” Josh’s Adam’s apple bobs as he focuses on the road ahead. This is obviously a tough topic for him. “His wife and kids were everything to him, and he never let Mum down. She was an amazing mother and supportive wife, but she knew if things got overwhelming for her at home, she could call him and he’d be there.” He glances at me again briefly. “He was a real man.”

  “Something tells me you’re a lot like your dad.”

  We stop at a red light where he can look at me properly. “All I’ve ever wanted to be is someone both my parents could be proud of.”

  I swallow the lump in my throat. Josh and I couldn’t have had a more different childhood. “I’ve only met your mum once, but she spoke so highly of you.”

  The light turns green, and we cross the intersection before Josh speaks again. “She’s my rock, and I just try to be the best son I can possibly be to her.”

  “Tell me about how you came to teach art therapy.”

  “I was good at art in high school,” he says, glancing briefly at me. “But I never considered it to be a career. As you know, Dad died a few years after I finished school. I sketched him in such detail so I could remember, and it became a type of therapy for me. Every day for months, I’d draw something that reminded me of him. It was something tangible and completely personal. I allowed my grief to bleed out of me onto the paper, and it helped.”

  “You studied art so you could help others?”

  “Initially it was to help myself, but I found teaching so rewarding and decided I could make the grief I experienced mean something.”

  I reach out and touch his upper arm, needing to make physical contact with this beautiful man. “I think what you’re doing is incredible.”

  “My life was something out of some goddamn fairy tale. Parents together and happy, no financial worries, good friends, and good health.” He glances down at my hand on him and smiles, meeting my eyes. “I knew Dad wouldn’t want any of us to stop living because he died, so everything I do now is because I will always strive to be even half the man he was.” He nods as we pass a sign. “This is it. Clare, one of my best friends, makes candles and sells them here, so I like to come to support her.” He says her name with great affection, and I’m intrigued to meet her.

  The markets are held in the grounds of the local primary school. Josh parks the car and we climb out. The vendors appear to be in the final stages of setup, and there aren’t many people here yet.

  “Do you feel like another coffee?” Josh asks. “Looks like it doesn’t open until ten.”

  “Why not?” I say, smiling. “Do you know somewhere good?”

  “Come on,” he says, nodding enthusiastically. “There’s someone else I’d love you to meet.”

  We walk down the street to a row of shops, and Josh leads me into The Coffee Press, a bookshop that I quickly discover is also a café when I draw in a deep breath. The smell is heavenly. Ground coffee beans, hot chocolate, and books—an intoxicating combination of indulgence, addiction, and stories begging to be devoured. I glance around the shop, taking in the bookshelves. There is no one style of furniture that I can make out. Every set of shelves, each table and even each chair is different, but somehow the eclectic mix works perfectly. The owner has managed to blend styles, eras, and colours to make a cosy and welcoming ambience that would absolutely encourage patrons to stay.

  “Hey, Jane. Is Todd here?” Josh asks the girl behind the coffee machine.

  “You just missed him.” She cocks her head in the direction of the door. “He’s helping Clare set up her stall. Should be back soon though.”

  “Okay. Thanks. Can I grab a flat white and long black please?”

  I smile. “You remembered what coffee I like.” He shrugs as if it’s nothing. “Thank you.”

 
“You’re very welcome.”

  “I might just browse the bookshelves.” I run my finger along the undulating spines on the shelf closest to me.

  Continuing my perusal, I stop at the small sports section. A book catches my eye, one I’ve seen before, a long time ago. I pull it out carefully and hold it reverently in my hands, trying to push down the emotion bubbling out of me at the sight of something so nostalgic.

  “You like fishing?” Josh asks, looking over my shoulder.

  I glance down at the book’s cover that has a man kissing a fish on it. “I gave this book as a gift to my best friend when he turned eleven. I can’t believe your friend has it here.”

  “Catch and Kiss? That’s an absolute classic.” He chuckles. “Todd’s father is a keen fisherman, so he always stocks a few fishing books in case he ever visits.” He gives me a sad smile. “He never visits.”

  I clutch the book to my chest and recall the day I gave it to Ki. We’d been friends for more than a year by then, and I wanted to get him something but only had a few dollars made up mostly of five and ten-cent pieces. I’d been to the bookstore and found nothing below ten dollars, but then one day I passed a house having a garage sale in their front yard. I noticed a box labelled ‘Books’ so I rummaged through, looking for something I thought Ki would like. Catch and Kiss jumped out at me because of the man kissing the fish. Gross, I’d thought. I look at Josh and smile but try to school my mouth into a straight line. He’d just told me about his friend’s estranged father.

  “Josh Holland,” a man’s voice calls out, but I can’t see him. “Get that mighty fine arse over here.”

  Well, that was a strange greeting, and I can’t help the chuckle that escapes my lips. Josh groans.

  A tall, lean man who I would guess is the same age as Josh appears from the other side of a bookshelf. He is immaculately attired in slim-fitting jeans, a white collared shirt, a tweed waistcoat, and a bow tie. Opening his arms as he approaches, he lunges forward. Despite Josh having a much bulkier frame than Todd, he is swallowed up by this man’s enthusiastic embrace. After a few moments, I start to wonder if he’ll ever let him go as he rests his cheek on Josh’s shoulder. He obviously has great affection for him, and it seems it’s mutual.