Honey Hill House

by Lisa Ireland

  Then there was Caitlin. Bea smiled just thinking about her. She was a bundle of energy and had appointed herself as Bea’s social secretary. She’d introduced Bea to all her friends and made sure she was included in any social gathering that was happening in town. And so in a short space of time Bea had started to feel as if she was truly a part of the community.

  Mitch was also turning into a good friend. Since the night of the bonfire he’d been a regular visitor to Honey Hill House. He always had a reason—calling to see if she needed anything from town if he was going, extending a dinner invitation from his mother, making sure her roof hadn’t leaked after an unexpected storm—and he never outstayed his welcome. Bea found herself looking forward to his visits, disappointed when she heard his ute drive past without pulling into her driveway. She’d cautioned herself time and time again not to rely on him. Dependence on others made you weak, she’d learned that the hard way. But there was no harm in making friends. And around here friends helped each other out. That was a fact of life in Dulili. She made sure she reciprocated all his acts of kindness. Mainly with baked goods, which he seemed to like.

  Mitch was a sucker for her cooking, particularly her ‘melting moments’. A huge batch of those would probably be sufficient enticement for him to help her collect the chairs. She smiled, satisfied that the problem was solved, and then turned up the radio and sang her heart out all the way home.

  * * *

  Mitch was disappointed to find Bea’s car gone when he pulled up into her drive. He’d taken to collecting her mail as well as his own from the roadside mailbox. Lots of times she beat him to it, walking the kilometre to collect her own letters. But if the weather was bad, or if she was particularly busy, sometimes she didn’t get to it. It was a good excuse to see her.

  He had a crush on her. A ridiculous, immature, schoolboy crush. Since that first footy match together he’d been hooked. The whole thing was stupid and against his better judgement but it seemed there was no way around it. At first he’d tried to stay away from her, but in a town like Dulili that was always going to be tricky. The fact that she was living right next door made it pretty much impossible. And as time went on he found he didn’t want to stay away.

  Since Lucy left his days had been pretty much all the same. Get up. Fix something to eat. Work. Fix something to eat. Watch TV and down a couple of beers. Bed. Get up and do it all over again. Occasionally he was persuaded to hit the pub on Friday night, but in all honesty he didn’t really enjoy it anymore. What was the point? Same old faces, talking about the same old stuff. He felt like he was stuck in a never-ending loop.

  Seeing Bea lit up his day. She never failed to make him laugh. He always felt better for having seen her and he never left without a smile on his face. That was enough. It had to be, because turning it into anything else didn’t make sense. Not yet anyway. Maybe if she stayed …

  No, best not go there.

  He knew from experience that simply wanting to make a go of it in Dulili wasn’t enough. Living out here away from the hustle of the city might seem like paradise to him but for a woman who was used to shopping all the time, eating out at flash restaurants, and having services like public transport and medical facilities on her doorstep, it probably was more akin to hell. Lucy had said so more than once.

  Bea wasn’t Lucy, he knew that, but she was a city girl nonetheless. And even if by some miracle she did end up staying she’d made it clear she wasn’t looking for anything more than friendship. So they’d be friends. If that’s all it ever came to, it was better than nothing.

  The sound of a vehicle coming up the dirt road towards the house jolted him from his thoughts. It was Bea. The tinny sound of her little hatchback was unmistakable. He found himself grinning as he waved a greeting. Meanwhile Rosie ran in circles and barked her delight at the familiar car’s appearance.

  Bea pulled up near the back verandah and returned his wave. ‘Just the person I wanted to see.’

  ‘Me? Why I’m honoured.’

  ‘You might not be when I tell you why. Come down here and give me a hand with this stuff, would you?’

  ‘Sure.’ He jumped down from the verandah and joined her as she opened up the car’s boot. The little car was crammed with all manner of stuff. ‘Been shopping I see.’

  ‘Yep, op-shopping. All this stuff will make the B&B look fabulous once I’m done. I got some huge bargains and this isn’t all of it. I have to go back and get the rest because I couldn’t fit it all in.’

  ‘Is there anything left in the store?’

  ‘Ha, ha. Don’t be a smart arse. It doesn’t become you.’

  He laughed as she handed him a dusty-looking lamp. He hoped she hadn’t parted with too much of her cash for this decrepit piece. ‘So why am I the person you wanted to see?’

  ‘Well, I need a favour. It’s about the stuff I left back at the store. See this?’ She pulled out a wonky-looking timber chair. ‘Well, there are more of these, plus a couple of wicker armchairs. Obviously they’re not going to fit in this little car. I was kind of hoping I could borrow your ute for a few hours to go pick them up.’

  ‘Hmm …’ he said, stroking his chin in mock consideration. ‘What’s in it for me?’

  ‘A batch of my world-famous melting moments.’

  ‘Ah. Well, if that’s the case I can do better than lending you the ute. If you can wait until Saturday, I’ll come with you and help you load the stuff.’

  ‘Oh there’s no need for that. I can load the furniture myself.’

  Mitch thought quickly. He didn’t want to lose this opportunity for them to spend some time together. ‘It’s no trouble. I need to head into Orange on Saturday to pick up a few things anyway.’ Just what those few things were he wasn’t quite sure, but there was bound to be something he needed.

  ‘Really? Okay then. Let’s get this lot inside and I’ll make you a cuppa to seal the deal.’

  ‘Righto.’

  They dumped all Bea’s purchases in the living room—she said she’d sort them out later on—and headed into the kitchen for a cup of tea. Mitch pointed out the mail he’d dumped on the kitchen table. ‘I brought these in for you.’

  ‘Thanks. You know, I don’t expect you to personally deliver my mail.’

  ‘It’s no trouble. I’ve got to get mine anyway, and I drive right past your door on my way home.’

  ‘So long as you’re not putting yourself out to do it. I have to admit it is a bit hard to get used to.’

  ‘Me delivering your mail?’

  She laughed. ‘Not having a letterbox right out the front of the house. There are things about living in the city that people just take for granted.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Mail delivery. Garbage collection. Having things like supermarkets open twenty-four seven.’

  There it was. A list of things she found difficult. How long before the excitement of being in the country wore off? He tried to keep his voice casual as he replied. ‘I guess if those things are important to you then country life’s not for you. As far as I’m concerned picking up your mail from an RMB, or towing the garbage bin to the main road is a small price to pay for the life we have here.’

  She looked up from the mail she was flipping through. ‘Absolutely. I wasn’t complaining, Mitch. That’d be pretty hypocritical of me considering you collect my mail every other day and always tow my bin out. I promise I will do something about getting my car sorted to tow stuff eventually.’

  He shook his head to indicate that it didn’t matter. ‘It’s no big deal.’

  ‘It is a big deal. I want you to know how grateful I am to you, and to everyone else in Dulili, for the welcome you’ve given me and for the help settling in. I came here determined to do everything on my own, without accepting help from anyone, but I soon discovered country towns don’t work like that.’

  He nodded. ‘You’re right about that. Living here is like being part of an extended family. Everyone wants to be part of your life, for be
tter or for worse. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need. But at times it can be too much.’ He paused, thinking about Lucy again. Expecting her to settle here had been foolhardy. He’d grown up here and was comforted by the intimacy of the town. He took people’s interest in his life for what it mostly was—care and concern. As for the gossips, he knew how to handle them. But Lucy had found the attention intrusive, the town claustrophobic. ‘Country life’s not for everyone,’ he said.

  She put her mug of tea and the mail down on the table and looked him in the eyes. ‘Well, it’s for me,’ she said steadily. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

  He looked into her eyes. ‘Glad to hear it,’ he said. His eyes held her gaze for a fraction longer than was usual in a social situation and her cheeks flushed in response. He forced himself to look away.

  * * *

  On Saturday morning Bea waited on her back porch. A weird fluttery sensation churned her stomach almost as if she was nervous. But that couldn’t be right, because what on earth did she have to be nervous about? She was waiting for her mate, Mitch, to come pick her up so they could collect her furniture—a perfectly pleasant task. So why was she feeling fidgety all of a sudden?

  Because something had shifted between them. That’s why.

  The change was almost imperceptible, but it was there. It was the way he’d looked at her across the kitchen table the other day that was bothering her. She suddenly realised why. Mitch cared whether she stayed or not. It mattered to him. And she couldn’t have that.

  This, of course, was her own fault. So much for being independent. Yes, it was tricky in a small town. Everyone wanted to help and part of fitting in was accepting that. But somehow she’d let herself rely too much on Mitch. He was the first person she thought to ask when she needed assistance of any type. He was always popping in for some reason or another and she’d quickly become accustomed to his willingness to help out. That had to stop. She couldn’t have him getting the wrong idea.

  It was too late to get out of today’s plans. He’d be pulling up any minute, and she’d already called the op shop this morning to confirm she was picking up her furniture. It would be totally rude to pull out of their outing, not to mention inconvenient. But after today she’d back off. She’d already made it quite clear that she wasn’t up for anything more than friendship, but maybe her behaviour towards him was sending out the wrong signals. Emma was right. She really had no clue about such things.

  His habit of collecting her mail was problematic. She had to admit to deliberately leaving it for Mitch to pick up. She liked having him drop in to see her on an almost daily basis. But if she was right about that look in his eyes, there was more to his letter delivery routine than simply helping out a neighbour. On Monday she’d get a lock for the mailbox and make up some excuse about why it had to be secure. She would tell him there was only one key. She knew there was no point thinking that she could avoid Mitch altogether, they lived too close for that to be a possibility, and in any case he was good company. She didn’t want to lose his friendship. She just needed to put up a few boundaries and be firm about them, that was all.

  There. Problem solved. So why was her damn stomach doing flip-flops at the sight of his ute pulling coming up the road?

  He tooted and waved as he pulled up. Bea waved back and made her way to the car.

  ‘I like a girl who’s on time,’ Mitch said, as she clicked on her seatbelt.

  She didn’t look at him, instead focusing her gaze on the frost-covered paddocks beyond her yard. ‘I didn’t want to keep you waiting, especially as you are doing me this big favour. Honestly, Mitch, I really appreciate all the things you’ve done to help me settle in.’ She glanced sideways and took in the easy smile on his face. ‘And everyone else in town too,’ she added, hoping he’d get the hint that she didn’t expect any special favours from him.

  ‘It’s my pleasure. Like I told you, I was heading to Orange today anyway, so it’s no trouble.’

  For a moment she wondered if she’d imagined that emotion-laden look across the kitchen table the other day. Maybe he wasn’t going out of his way for her. Maybe he didn’t care one way or the other if she made a go of it in Dulili. Maybe he was just being nice. ‘Yeah, you never did say what you needed to do, though.’

  He hesitated just for a second but it was long enough for her to know he wasn’t telling the truth. ‘Er … well, I actually have to get myself some new clothes.’

  Clothes? She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. Since when did a bloke who never went anywhere further than the Dulili pub need to purchase new clothes? ‘Really? In Orange? I thought you’d be able to get all your clothes from Alicia’s store.’

  ‘Um, well, yeah, I do get a lot of stuff there. Work clothes and boots, mainly. But I need a few decent shirts and a new pair of jeans and the Ag Store’s not the place for those.’

  ‘Going somewhere special?’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘Are the new clothes for a special event?’

  ‘Oh. No.’ He cleared his throat. ‘But it never hurts to have something decent to wear. Mum goes to church on Sunday and she likes it if I come along every now and then. I don’t go every week, but I try to show my face once in a while. Last week when I went into the main house to pick her up she gave me the stare.’

  ‘The stare?’

  ‘Yeah, you know, the “Is that what you’re wearing?” stare.’

  Bea began to laugh as she pictured Evelyn looking her son up and down with a cool expression. ‘So you figured you’d better get yourself some new threads?’

  Mitch grinned. ‘Yeah. Best to keep Mum happy.’

  ‘Fair enough. So where are you going to get these clothes?’

  He shrugged. ‘I dunno. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I guess I’ll start at the Jeans Shop and if I don’t find anything there I’ll move onto Maxwell’s Menswear.’

  ‘I don’t know Orange too well yet. Are those places close to the op shop? If you want, you can just leave the ute with me. I’ll load up while you go shopping.’

  ‘No, that’s okay. I’m happy to help you load the ute. Maybe you can come shopping with me first. I mean if that’s okay? I’m bloody hopeless at picking clothes.’

  Bea chewed her lip and stared out at the paddocks filled with grazing cattle. Shopping together was blurring the lines of their relationship, the very thing she was trying to avoid. ‘Ah, you don’t want me tagging along.’

  ‘Actually, I do. I’d consider it a favour in fact. I hate clothes shopping. I haven’t done it properly since … well, it’s been a long time.’

  Oh God. He hadn’t shopped since he’d broken up with his fiancée. This scenario was getting worse by the second. But how could she say no? He was here early on a Saturday morning doing her a favour. She could hardly refuse his request. ‘Yeah, okay, sure. But be prepared for the truth. I don’t mince words when it comes to fashion.’

  He laughed. ‘Yeah, I don’t think we’re aiming for high fashion. Just something comfortable that won’t have Mum rolling her eyes when I front up for church.’

  She allowed herself a smile. ‘I think we can manage that.’

  * * *

  He wasn’t lying. Mitch truly had no idea about clothes. It was evident from the way his demeanour changed the minute they walked inside the shop. His relaxed, easy-going manner was gone, his body appearing to tense the second his feet crossed the store’s threshold. He looked about aimlessly, a confused expression on his face. If they were ever going to get to the op shop Bea was going to have to take control.

  ‘You said you wanted jeans, right?’

  He nodded. ‘Yep.’

  ‘What sort of jeans?’

  He looked at her blankly.

  ‘Relaxed fit? Straight leg? Skinny?’

  He shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’

  She eyed him up and down. He wasn’t a skinny jean kind of guy. Skinny screamed hipster or metrosexual, and Mitch was far from either of those things. Relaxed fit
wouldn’t do the job either. His body was too good to hide under loose clothing. Straight-leg jeans were probably the go—they’d hug that cute butt nicely. Bea felt colour rushing to her cheeks at her inappropriate thought. She had no business thinking about Mitch’s butt, no matter how taut it was.

  ‘Hey, what’s wrong? You look a bit flushed.’

  She shook her head. ‘Nothing. It’s just warm in here after being out in the chilly air.’ She spied a wall of neatly stacked jeans at the rear of the shop. ‘Come on, let’s get started.’

  Mitch followed her lead obediently and soon she had pushed him into the change room with three pairs of jeans to try on. ‘Three? Really? They all look the same to me,’ he said.

  ‘Hmmph. Shows what you know. They’re all different brands and will be slightly different fits. Plus I’ve given you three different shades of denim to choose from.’

  He shrugged. ‘Whatever you say.’

  ‘You try those on and I’ll go find some shirts to go with them.’

  ‘Yes boss.’

  Five minutes later she returned with four assorted long sleeved casual shirts. She knocked on the change room door. ‘Are you decent?’

  ‘Sure.’ He opened the door. ‘What do you think?’

  Bea nodded. ‘Turn around.’ He obliged and she couldn’t help but admire his neat rear end, despite inwardly chastising herself for noticing. At least she’d been right about the jeans. ‘They’ll do,’ she said. ‘You may as well leave those on while you try these.’ She shoved the shirts into his hands and backed away. ‘I’ll be right out here if you need me.’

  ‘Righto.’

  While she was waiting she flicked through a couple of racks near to the dressing rooms. A green checked shirt that she’d somehow missed in her last scan of the store caught her eye. The colour was perfect for Mitch. It was definitely worth trying on. She flipped through the rack until she found the appropriate size and made her way back to the fitting room. ‘Hey, look what I found,’ she said. She tapped on the flimsy louvered door and it flung open, revealing Mitch naked from the waist up.