The Grass is Greener

by Loretta Hill

Claudia’s eyes widened and she said carefully, ‘Oh, I don’t expect you to recognise any connection between us at all, sir. Especially for the sake of this job.’

  ‘Oh no.’ Sebastian refused to let her escape retribution, slotting himself back into her field of vision so that she had to raise her eyes to his. ‘Cyril’s far too polite for that. I think we should get right to the bottom of this so-called family connection right now.’

  Oh, for goodness sake. What did he want from her? An open confession? So that he might dance to the tune of her humiliation.

  What did it matter whether she was a member of the Eddings family or not? She was still completely qualified for this job. With a sigh, she moistened her lips. There was no way to avoid it. She would just have to come clean.

  ‘Cyril is not my uncle exactly.’

  ‘That’s right, Seb,’ Cyril nodded jovially, ‘she’s my second cousin.’

  Huh?

  ‘What?’ Seb demanded.

  Both their gazes swung to the older man.

  ‘You’re one of Adriana’s girls, aren’t you?’ Cyril exclaimed. ‘I swear I haven’t seen that cousin of mine in years.’

  ‘Cyril.’ Seb’s tone was stern, but the reigning partner of the firm didn’t seem to notice he was being addressed. He threw himself back on the couch, his expression one of reminiscence. ‘Why, the last time I saw my cousin Adriana was at my daughter’s wedding. You have the look of her, you know.’

  ‘I do?’ Claudia squeaked, wondering what the hell was going on.

  ‘Same shade of hair. Wonderful girl.’

  ‘Are you sure it’s the exact same shade?’ Seb demanded curtly. ‘Not too dark by any chance?’

  ‘Oh no,’ Cyril said brightly, ‘it is the exact same shade.’

  What is happening right now?

  Does Cyril actually think we’re related?

  Do I dissuade him?

  Do I change the subject and try to leave?

  As though reading her mind, Seb said to her darkly, ‘You need to go.’

  This may have been good advice, but coming from him as an order rather than a request, it did more to put her in a dangerous mood than any shot of alcohol ever could.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she sat up straighter, ‘is this your office? Because last time I checked it belonged to my uncle.’

  He blustered. ‘Your uncle –’

  ‘My uncle will ask me to leave when he wishes me to go,’ she said sweetly.

  ‘Well said, my dear,’ Cyril patted her arm encouragingly. ‘Well said.’

  Seb switched tack. ‘Tell me about the last time you saw your cousin, Adrianna, Cyril.’ He turned to the older man, much like he was in court conducting a cross-examination. ‘It was at your daughter’s wedding, wasn’t it? You must have invited her whole family.’

  Claudia sat up straighter, anger stiffening her spine. ‘Are you asking if I was there?’

  ‘What do you think?’ Sebastian’s eyes shot daggers at her.

  She lifted her chin. ‘Well, I was.’

  The room went silent as both men regarded her with different degrees of surprise. Nothing was more exhilarating to a lawyer than having the one piece of information that nobody else had. And, unfortunately, she was not immune to the spike of adrenaline that went straight to her head. The temptation to hit a home run was simply too overwhelming.

  ‘You gave a wonderful speech,’ she said to Cyril. ‘It was very entertaining.’

  ‘You thought so, did you?’ He leaned forward with a grin.

  ‘You told so many great jokes. I loved the one about the wedding cake and how it was so big you hoped no one was going to jump out of it.’

  Cyril was pink with pleasure. ‘I did say that, didn’t I? Seb,’ he turned back to the lawyer, who was still standing, ‘you really should have been there.’

  ‘Ah yes,’ she turned in sympathy to the fuming man still looming over her. ‘I don’t recall seeing you at the reception. Given it was a river cruise, I would have to say,’ she added with a mocking twinkle, ‘you really missed the boat.’

  Cyril laughed out loud. ‘My dear, you must work for this firm. I insist.’

  The triumph she felt as he made this announcement didn’t take long to go cold.

  You can’t be hired as an Eddings!

  ‘Oh.’ She stood up, shaking her head. ‘I couldn’t possibly take a job based on our relationship.’

  ‘Who said it was based on our relationship?’ Cyril demanded. ‘We need more people like you. Attitudes like yours kick goals.’ He swiped a fist through the air. ‘Seb, sort out the paperwork, will you? I’ve just realised I have another meeting to attend in the boardroom.’ His gaze flicked to his watch. ‘For which I am now late.’

  ‘But –’ Claudia tried to interrupt him, to no avail.

  ‘Congratulations, my dear.’ Cyril lightly kissed her cheek, stunning her into silence. Then he patted the spot his lips had been as any uncle would. ‘Welcome to Sebastian’s team.’

  ‘Wait. Sebastian’s team?’

  ‘He’ll tell you all about it.’ He gave her both pointer fingers as he backed out of the room. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  A second later he was gone.

  What have I done?

  Shell-shocked, she turned round to find Sebastian Rowlands watching her. This was why he had been present for the interview, because he was to be her new boss. If only she’d put two and two together a few seconds earlier. His eyes glinted and she could tell immediately that he was enjoying her slow realisation. Just as he was going to enjoy having control over her in the workplace.

  ‘I’ll be working with you?’ Her tough veneer faltered a little.

  ‘For me.’ His smile was sadistic.

  Of course.

  ‘Congratulations.’

  ‘I think,’ she swallowed hard, ‘that if I were to take this job it would be best if we didn’t tell anyone about my relationship to Cyril. After all, it’s not the reason he hired me. I wouldn’t want to give people the wrong impression.’

  ‘Of course not,’ he purred knowingly. ‘I wouldn’t dream of telling anyone. In return, I will require your absolute compliance with all my instructions.’

  The balance of power had already shifted.

  She lifted her chin. ‘Of course.’

  Chapter 8

  After Lydia made the announcement that she was calling Jack back into the fray, one could say that everything went to shit. The last person Bronwyn wanted raining on her parade was Jack Franklin.

  ‘Mum, it’s a bad idea,’ said Chris. ‘Dad will never allow it.’

  Lydia looked at him. ‘Who says I’m going to tell him?’

  ‘Even worse.’ Chris shook his head. ‘Besides, Jack won’t agree. He hasn’t been at Oak Hills in five years. Why would he come back now?’

  ‘We’ve never asked him to before.’

  ‘With good reason,’ Chris retorted angrily.

  ‘Because there’s too much bad blood?’ Lydia enquired softly. ‘After the accident, we all treated him like some sort of outcast. Myself included.’

  Chris’s face seemed to close off. ‘Bronwyn didn’t.’

  To her alarm, Lydia’s gaze swung in her direction. ‘No, that’s right. When he moved out, you were the only one who kept an eye on him.’

  A fat lot of good it did me.

  Lydia continued, ‘It has always been my shame as a mother that I was so focused on Chris that I forgot about my other son. Jack was okay physically but he must have been going through hell.’

  Bronwyn bit her lip. ‘He wasn’t far off it.’ She’d always been mad at Lydia for that, but she guessed the older woman had punished herself more for her lack of insight than words ever could. After all, she hadn’t seen her older son in half a decade.

  ‘I always thought he’d cool off and come home, you know,’ said Lydia. ‘I never thought we’d be standing here five years on, wondering why he’s still angry with us.’

  ‘He’s angry with us!’ Chris
scoffed. ‘That’s rich. What about me and Dad? Who’s to say we’re not still angry at him?’

  On these words, he pushed his hands on his wheels and exited the room, leaving Bronwyn awkwardly alone with Lydia.

  ‘There’s something you’ve got to understand, Lydia.’ She chose her words carefully. ‘I may have felt sorry for Jack all those years ago but it made no impression on him whatsoever. If you’re thinking of bringing him back here, I think you’re making a mistake.’

  ‘Why would you say that? You used to adore Jack. I remember speaking to your mother about it.’

  The room tilted on its side for a second. ‘You spoke to my mother about that?’ She couldn’t stop her voice from trembling.

  Lydia swatted her hand. ‘This was years ago. You know, just a mother to mother chat. She was concerned about how the accident was affecting you.’

  My mother doesn’t have ‘mother to mother’ chats.

  Bronwyn swallowed hard as pieces of a puzzle she’d long given up on started to fall into place.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Lydia eyed her with concern. ‘Have I said something wrong?’

  Several things, actually.

  ‘It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Bronwyn.’ Lydia touched her arm. ‘I always knew there was something going on between you two. It was the way you spoke to one another.’

  Bronwyn tried in vain to clear the lump in her throat. ‘I think you got the wrong end of the stick, Lydia. Jack and I were always fighting.’

  Lydia looked surprised. ‘Whatever about?’

  ‘Anything and everything. Don’t you remember how much he used to tease me?’

  ‘Really?’ Lydia squinted at the ceiling.

  Bronwyn folded her arms crossly. ‘He was always playing pranks and hiding my things. He called me a “numbat”, for Pete’s sake, and then everybody else caught on.’

  ‘Oh, I’d forgotten about that. But he did care about you in his own way, you know.’ She sighed. ‘He was always being nice to you and Claudia. He lent you his car that one time, so you could go on that day trip to Augusta, remember.’

  ‘That car was a bomb and it broke down on a lonely stretch of Caves Road right in the middle of the Boranup Karri Forest.’

  ‘Such a beautiful part of the region.’

  ‘He left us waiting there for hours before he came to rescue us!’ Bronwyn found she was still annoyed by his behaviour.

  ‘At least he did that,’ Lydia protested. ‘Didn’t he take you sandwiches as well?’

  ‘Yes, and ate most of them on the way over.’

  ‘He always did have a good appetite,’ Lydia smiled. ‘Perhaps that’s not such a good example. What about the time you accidentally deleted a uni assignment and had to redo it all? He stayed up all night with you retyping certain bits so you could still get it in on time.’

  Bronwyn threw up her hands. ‘That’s because it was his fault I lost the work! He renamed the file “Jack’s got balls” as a prank, and that’s why I deleted it!’

  ‘Well,’ Lydia tried again, ‘you have to admit at least he was very protective. He didn’t like any of the other local boys taking an interest in you. He always used to pick you and Claudia up if you went out partying late, which I thought was very sweet of him.’

  There was that, she supposed.

  Along with a nice generous dollop of arrogance.

  Sprinkled with nosiness.

  And smothered in presumption.

  Quite the sundae was Jack.

  ‘Personally,’ Bronwyn snapped, ‘I think he just enjoyed patronising us. Putting his two cents in where it wasn’t wanted.’

  ‘If you say so.’ Lydia shrugged. ‘I always thought there was more to it. Call it a mother’s intuition.’

  To her annoyance, Bronwyn felt her face heating up. It was a good thing that no one but Claudia knew about that ‘out of left field’ kiss she and Jack had once exchanged. A kiss that had left her embarrassed and angry with herself for having let it happen. Because it was her first kiss. It should have been something special.

  Who are you kidding?

  It was special. Too bloody special to forget.

  Also crazy, insane and completely random. She didn’t know what had come over her, letting it affect her the way it had. Reading into things that weren’t there. Hoping there was something more to it when there wasn’t. Give Jack Franklin an inch and he’d take a yard and then leave you with nothing in return – which was exactly what he’d done.

  He was a cheeky rascal.

  Easy to fall in love with. A devil to forget.

  He had a wicked sense of humour that you didn’t want to be drawn in by, but sometimes you couldn’t seem to help yourself.

  Throughout the entire time she’d known him she’d always been so careful to guard herself when he’d seemed inclined to flirt with her. It was that one stupid moment, when she’d let her guard down for a second.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid.

  The world knew all Jack had ever seen her as was Claudia’s dorky little friend from the city. Another girl in half a dozen.

  He had a reputation in these parts as the womaniser of the South-West. Kissing girls indiscriminately was a very ‘Jack’ sort of thing to do. When she’d known him he’d dated but never had a girlfriend. During her university holidays with Claudia, she’d met a string of his conquests and witnessed the fickleness of his attitude firsthand. Some of them were heartbroken when they realised they weren’t going to get more out of Jack than he’d already given them. Some knew the game and were happy to play. It would have been so easy to get caught up in his charisma. He had a smile that could melt steel, eyes that could make you feel like you were his whole world, and the undeniable talent of being able to make world-class chardonnay out of backyard grapes.

  Whatever you said about him, Jack was good at what he did. He was very in tune with his art, just as talented as his father, and tipped at the time to take Oak Hills to even greater heights. Nothing was more attractive than a man’s bond with his passion, and she knew that Chris often lamented his lack of creative skills.

  ‘It’s like a chick magnet,’ he used to tell Bronwyn. ‘When they find out he makes wine, they think he’s God’s gift. I don’t get it.’

  ‘That’s because,’ Jack had walked in on their conversation with a devious smile, ‘I work in mysterious ways.’

  There had been a snort and shoe thrown across the room but, all the same, she imagined Chris must miss Jack a great deal, because they had been such good mates.

  Best friends as well as brothers.

  So alike in some ways. So different in others.

  They’d done everything together.

  Both impossible flirts, though Chris had not been quite so callous with the ladies as Jack. Often getting ribbed by his brother as the one they could ‘bring home to Mum’. Chris had taken this in good part, accepting his role as the more reliable one with good humour.

  Now, Bronwyn wasn’t quite sure how Chris’s attitude had changed. It didn’t seem like the two brothers had reconnected at all.

  Claudia said she emailed Jack from time to time, but she wondered if Chris did. Bronwyn bit her lip. Could it be possible that they hadn’t communicated with each other at all during Jack’s time away? Sadness tore at her heart. This was never what she would have wished for either of them, though she could see how it had happened.

  After the accident, Jack had left, leaving both Chris and Oak Hills to fend for themselves. He’d done a terrible thing under terrible circumstances. Dealt with it in a terrible way too, as only Jack could.

  ‘So what about Chris?’ Lydia enquired. ‘You must have noticed the crush he had on you back then.’

  Bronwyn lowered her eyes. She had noticed but things had never been like that between them, and Oak Hills was her sanctuary. She hadn’t wanted to do anything to jeopardise that.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘I have never felt anything for Chris beyond friendship, before and after the wheelc
hair.’

  Lydia shook her head sadly. ‘And there lies the crux of the matter. Well, I don’t suppose there’s much point debating the past when we have so many problems right now.’ She rubbed her hands together. ‘Should we get you settled in a bedroom?’

  Bronwyn thought she’d never ask. There was one thing she needed to do first though.

  ‘How’d you like to meet my dog?’

  They went outside and Bronwyn breathed in the air, allowing the tranquillity of her surroundings to take away some of the fallout from the emotional conversation she’d just had. A blue fairy-wren and a New Holland honeyeater danced in Lydia’s garden alongside the house. She’d planted a few varieties of kangaroo paw, Pincushion Hakea and choisya there. Bees buzzed around the wildflowers, giving Bronwyn a sense of a whole other world she’d been missing out on all these years.

  They found the large bullmastiff asleep under a gum tree. She was lying on her side, paws straight out, panting. Her heavy belly was very noticeable against the flat ground and her nipples more prominent than ever.

  ‘This is Elsa,’ Bronwyn told Lydia proudly. ‘Trust me, she’s not normally this restful. I fully expected her to be trotting through the vines right now, not sleeping under a tree.’

  She watched in fascination as Elsa’s tummy jerked slightly and moved from within. Bronwyn knelt down and patted the dog’s head. ‘I keep forgetting she’s pregnant, poor thing.’

  Lydia knelt as well. ‘She looks like she’s almost due. Do you know how long she’s been pregnant for?’

  Bronwyn screwed up her nose. ‘Absolutely no idea.’

  Lydia’s eyes twinkled. ‘And I suppose you don’t have any experience with delivering pups either.’

  ‘Me?’ Bronwyn put a hand to her chest, wide-eyed. ‘No.’

  ‘Well, that’s something to look forward to, isn’t it?’ Lydia grinned.

  ‘Er … I guess so.’

  Lydia laughed. ‘You’ll have to make a nest for her somewhere. Maybe out the back of the house on the patio.’

  ‘A nest?’ Bronwyn’s eyes widened.

  ‘Just out of old blankets and stuff. I’ll help you. She’s got to have somewhere comfortable to deliver her babies.’

  ‘I really don’t know anything about birthing pups. Shouldn’t we get a vet involved or something?’