“What’s all this about then lad?” Sean asked.
Emma loved how her dad continued to call her brothers by that pet name.
“Open it and see,” Emma urged.
Sean picked away at the sticky tape at the corners of the soft present.
“Dad, just rip it open.”
Emma couldn’t understand how calm Kate and Joel were. She was jumping out of her skin waiting to see their dad’s reaction. Lorraine beamed from her position at the end of the table, her eyes not leaving her husband.
Finally Tom unwrapped the first present and held up the tiny “I love grandpa” T-shirt in his fingers. A massive grin split his face in half. He hugged Joel tightly, backslapping him firmly and kissing him on the cheek before pulling Kate more gently into a bear hug and kissing her warmly on the top of her head.
“Oh lad, I’m so proud of you kids.” Tears formed in his eyes. “I’m going to be a grampy again.”
Lorraine wiped at the tears in her eyes before pointing to the other package. Sean frowned. This time he ripped open the packaging and pulled out the other T-shirt. He looked at Kate first then Joel in confusion. Lorraine held up her two shirts. Sean’s head swiveled from one to the other.
“What does this mean? Twins?”
Kate nodded and there were more hugs and kisses. And a few tears too.
“How are you keeping this time love?” Sean asked.
“I’m doing well. Much better than with Annabel.”
Joel stood. “Speaking of which. We need to get going. We have to pick her up from day care.”
Kate stood too and Emma noticed she wasn’t moving with her usual speed. She hugged Kate. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will. It’s good to have you back. Why don’t you come out to the farm soon and we can catch up properly.”
Emma hugged her sister-in-law again. “You can count on it.”
Chapter 12
“Lleyton left you a house?” her dad asked incredulously when Emma had finished filling them in on everything that had happened since the funeral. This conversation was one she hadn’t wanted to have over the phone.
“I’m not that hungry, Mum,” Emma said, watching Lorraine potter around the kitchen preparing dinner. By the looks of it, her mum was planning to feed the five thousand.
“Rubbish. You’re wafer thin,” Lorraine said firmly. “You look like you haven’t eaten a proper meal since the last one I cooked for you.”
Did she look too skinny? It was true she hadn’t been eating well. Judy’s roast lamb the night before was the first time she’d eaten everything on her plate since Lleyton died.
“I don’t want you to go to too much trouble.”
“Don’t be silly. It’s no trouble having my little girl home again.”
“So tell us about this house,” Sean said, getting back to the original conversation.
“It’s not just a house, Dad. It’s a mansion. He left me Lexton Downs.”
He screwed up his face. “Is that the huge place on the road to Bathurst? I thought it was derelict. I remember some discussion a few years ago about what was going to happen to it. I think the National Trust wanted to get involved.”
“That’s the one. You have to come out and see it. It’s incredible. It’s been renovated in keeping with the original designs. I can’t begin to describe how beautiful it looks and I can’t believe I’ve lived here most of my life and had never heard of it.”
“So what are you going to do with it?” Lorraine asked. “Surely it would make sense to sell it now that it’s been renovated. Besides, you can’t possibly run a farm.”
“I won’t need to run it. There’s a manager …” She paused. “And you’ll never guess who it is.” She waited again for effect. “Tom Henderson.”
The look on her parents’ faces showed they had no idea who she was talking about before Lorraine’s eyes suddenly widened in understanding. “As in Judy Henderson’s son? The guy you—” She left her sentence unfinished and Emma wished she’d never taken her mum into confidence about that one night.
“Yep.”
“I think I heard he got married,” Lorraine mused.
“Yes, he did. His wife’s name is Christine and they have a daughter Ruby, a son Noah and another on the way.”
Emma hoped her voice didn’t give away how this made her feel.
“Have you seen him yet?” Lorraine asked, her head cocked to one side.
“Yes. We spent most of the day together while he showed me around the property.”
“How was it? Awkward?”
“No. It was fine.” Emma felt a flush creep up her cheeks. It wasn’t awkward. Until she’d gone and kissed him. Then it was beyond awkward. Her mum would give her the eleventh degree about it later. Emma had cried on her mum’s shoulder when she’d collapsed in the door that morning ten years ago.
“So what are you going to do with a farm?” Sean asked. Emma was glad he hadn’t picked up on the emotional undercurrent zinging around the room.
“When Lleyton bought it, he employed Tom and Judy to manage the property and gave them free rein with what to do with it. They’re using the paddocks and stables for agistment for retired racehorses and they’re turning the mansion into a bed and breakfast for horsey people to bring their horses and stay in the mansion. I’m sure when news gets out, they’ll be solidly booked for weddings too.”
“It sounds like he’s got big plans for the place. How do you think they’ll go?”
“From what Tom says, it’s a niche market. His wife has some sort of qualification in tourism so she is helping set it up and apparently they’ve had lots of enquiries.”
“So you’ll live out there?” Sean asked.
“Um. I’m not sure. I couldn’t live in the mansion. It’s too big. There’s a cute cottage five minutes away from the house but Judy lives there, so that’s out. I saw another bluestone outbuilding near the stables that could work perfectly, but it looks like someone else lives there. Until I work things out, is it okay if I stay here?”
“Of course love,” Lorraine assured her.
“What about a job? Will you try to get work at the hospital?” Sean asked.
“Probably. I’ll catch up with Kate and see if she knows of any jobs in ED.”
Emma crawled into her old double bed later that night, long after the American talk shows became infomercials selling facial hair removers and abdominal exercise machines. She knew she’d sleep poorly, dreaming of Lexton Downs. Dreaming of Tom. Tom. After all these years not even thinking about him, she was shocked the way her body ached at the one memory of the night they’d shared. She rolled over, flipped her pillow to the cool side and tried counting sheep.
Sometimes life was so unfair.
*
It rained non-stop for the rest of the week and Emma ended up spending her time inside. It was freezing cold and she wasn’t motivated to do anything except sit in front of the fire and watch television.
She added a massive red gum log to the fire. It was crazy weather. It was nearly October but it was still cold enough to have a fire in the middle of the day. She pointed the television remote at the screen. Thank goodness for Netflix. The screen came to life and the Friends theme song burst out. Emma reached for the block of chocolate and snapped open a can of Coke. Her parents were both at work and she was looking forward to another quiet day on her own. She hadn’t felt so relaxed in years.
The only problem was she couldn’t concentrate on the show. She kept seeing Tom’s face. She shook her head. She had to stop her mind from wandering where it wasn’t meant to go. It was time to put the memories of Tom and her teenage crush back into the past where they belonged. A crush she’d obviously never outgrown.
She kept promising Kate she’d visit once the weather was better. She also contemplated heading out to Lexton Downs again, but decided it would do her good to put space between herself and Tom. The memories of their kiss still burned bright and every night she f
ell asleep dreaming of him. If he needed her for anything, he could call.
A key turned in the lock and she glanced up from her position on the couch to see Liam let himself in.
“Hey sis, welcome home,” he said, collapsing beside her and dragging her into a bear hug. “What’s news? I hear Lleyton left you a house.”
News traveled faster than the speed of sound and light combined in the O’Connor household.
“You could say that. Although the term ‘mansion’ describes it better,” she said with a chuckle.
“And I heard Tom Henderson works for you now? What’s the story there?”
Emma felt her face reddening. “Nothing. There’s no story.”
“So why are you blushing?”
“I’m not. Lleyton employed Tom to be the manager.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not falling for him again are you?”
“For Tom?” she scoffed. “Don’t be stupid.”
The adamant denial came from her lips but Emma knew Liam was right. She had fallen for Tom Henderson again, which was stupid and futile and very, very dangerous. She was not going to be the “other” woman and get in the way of Tom’s marriage.
“When you were a kid you had the hots for him.”
“First of all, I wasn’t a kid. I was sixteen. Secondly, I’m not falling for him again, even if he is tall, dark, handsome and every single time he looks at me I want to run into his arms and kiss him.”
Liam did a double take and Emma wished she could grab the words and stuff them back inside her mouth. What was wrong with her? She’d never hear the end of it from Liam now. And if he breathed a word to Joel, she was really in for it.
“Anyway, he’s married now,” she said in a rush.
“Pity. He was a top bloke. I never understood what he saw in that chick he went out with at school.”
“That’s ancient history. It doesn’t matter anyway. His wife seems lovely, so that’s it. I’m sure we can all be good friends.”
Liam snorted. “Liar. You’re so easy to read Emma. Trust me, your nose is growing before my eyes. You might think you only want to be friends, but you’ve evidently still got feelings for him. You’re going to have to sort that out or it will be a problem. Especially for his wife.”
She hugged a cushion to her chest. “I might have felt something for him once, but that was years ago before I met Lleyton.”
“Before you met Lleyton,” Liam repeated slowly. “What a day that was and look how well it turned out for you.”
The words dropped like stones in the pit of her stomach. Liam wasn’t being deliberately nasty, but he had never liked Lleyton and had never held back his opinions. Emma had had to beg him to come to Melbourne for her wedding. Funny how he’d willingly shown up for Lleyton’s funeral.
There was silence between the siblings and it took all her willpower to change the subject to something else. Something safer.
“How’s work anyway? Are you missing Sydney?” she asked. She still found it hard to believe he’d given up the bright lights and fast pace of being a Sydney paramedic and was loving the slower lifestyle back home. There had to be more to his reason for returning to Birrangulla, but he refused to talk about it with anyone.
“Not at all. I wouldn’t trade this job here for anything in the world. I’ve finally got my work–life balance right.” It was his stock-standard answer and she didn’t fall for it for a second.
Best to change the subject. “Have you met anyone yet?” She wished he’d find someone to love and settle down. “Whatever happened to Lily? You guys went out for ages.”
He shrugged. “We wanted different things in life. She wanted to settle down …”
“And you don’t.” Emma finished his sentence.
“Nope,” he said with a grin. “Every family needs a playboy bachelor and I’m happy to diligently perform that role. While the girls keep lining up, I’ll keep asking them out, but I have no plans to marry or settle down.”
Emma punched him in the arm. “Famous last words, big brother, famous last words. You know what they say. Never say never.”
*
When the sun finally appeared Emma headed out to Eagles Ridge, Kate and Joel’s property, which sold everything from brambleberries to beef in their farm shop and café.
“What are you going to do with it?” Kate asked once they had settled opposite each other at one of the corner tables in the café overlooking the orchard and vegetable gardens and Emma had told her all about Lexton Downs and shown her some photos on her phone.
“At this stage I don’t intend to do anything. Tom has everything under control.” Emma spooned sugar into her hot chocolate and stirred it in.
“Are you going to go back to Melbourne and let him run it?”
“No. Lleyton’s lawyer said he’ll be in touch with the Chirnsides to arrange what they want to do with the house in Kew. I’m staying in Birrangulla.”
Kate frowned. “But wasn’t that your house?”
“Technically not. It belongs to the Chirnside family trust. We only lived there.”
“But what about all your furniture? Surely you’ll want that?”
“Nope, I don’t want any of it. It came with the house and I never liked it. It’s in storage. I have my clothes and that’s about it. I’ll just start again, even if that means I’m starting with nothing.”
Kate chuckled and tapped Emma’s phone with a fingernail. “It doesn’t look like you’ll have nothing. I’ll bet those photos don’t do it justice at all.”
“True. I’m still trying to wrap my head around Lleyton leaving it to me.”
Kate leaned forward. “Your mum told me you and Lleyton were getting a divorce before he died. Won’t his parents fight for it?”
“They don’t know about the divorce.”
Kate sat back in her seat with a surprised look on her face. “But what if they find out? Surely the lawyer will say something.”
Emma shook her head emphatically. “I can assure you he won’t say a thing.”
“Why?”
“It’s complicated.” Emma took a sip of her hot chocolate and prayed Kate wouldn’t ask any more questions. She’d promised Andrew his secret was safe.
“What about work? Are you going to look for a job here? You know they’re always looking for staff at the Base hospital.”
“I wouldn’t mind picking up some casual shifts.”
“Leave it with me. The director of nursing is a friend of mine. I’ll give her a call.”
Chapter 13
The following Monday Emma woke early, ready to start her first shift in the Birrangulla Base Hospital emergency department. As she left her parents’ house, it was starting to get light. A gentle jasmine-scented breeze caressed her face. She could almost taste the small town serenity that many people dreamed of. How had she allowed herself to get so caught up in the tangled web of city life that she’d forgotten the peace that came with country living?
She walked the couple of kilometers to the hospital with a bounce in her step. Magpies warbled in the gum trees that lined the street and somewhere a dog barked twice and another dog in another yard answered. It had been years since she’d felt so content.
She was excited about her first shift, especially when the director of nursing told her she’d be buddied with Mackenzie Kennedy-Jones. The two women had yet to meet, but it would have only been a matter of time before their paths crossed. Mackenzie had married Kate’s older brother Nathan four years earlier. Nathan Kennedy was a catch. He was also one of those guys you liked the moment you met him. Quiet and unassuming, on the surface he didn’t appear overly driven, but there was a quiet confidence about him that showed he wasn’t afraid to go after what he wanted. Which included Mackenzie. He’d had to chase her, and everyone had been thrilled when they’d finally tied the knot.
Mackenzie found Emma in the change rooms five minutes later and introduced herself. “Welcome to the Base,” she said with a warm smile. She
tucked a strand of her brown hair behind one ear. “You’ll love working here. The staff are fantastic and we get to see a variety of patients. I hope you’re ready for today. It looks crazy out there. The hospital is full and there are no beds on the wards. We had to keep patients here in the department overnight.”
Emma frowned.
Mackenzie nodded in agreement. “I know it’s not ideal, but what else could be done? We’ll have to get everyone into the wards as soon as management clears beds and before the next onslaught arrives. I hope you don’t mind being busy.”
“Not at all,” Emma assured her.
They commenced their shift with a quick tour and then got stuck into cleaning and restocking the near-empty trolleys and cubicles. Oxygen cylinders lay empty, suction canisters full. There were half-used packets of gauze, used oxygen masks, a trace of smeared blood on the floor. It looked like a war zone after battle. By the time it hit ten o’clock, they had transferred three patients to the medical ward, two were waiting on surgical beds and they had sent another two home. Emma was taking a quick break, knowing the downside of all the empty beds was they could soon be filled with the next influx of patients.
She didn’t have to wait long.
Mackenzie stuck her head into the staffroom. “Break’s over,” she said with a grin. “Come and check out your next patient. He looks like Father Christmas. I’ll take a quick break now while you get him sorted.”
Emma emptied her half-drunk cup of tea down the sink and went back out into the department.
Ned Walker, a local farmer with a bushy white beard, red T-shirt hugging a portly belly and black rubber gumboots, had sustained a shoulder injury. He was sitting in the waiting room supporting his right arm with his left.
“G’day mate. What have you done to yourself?” Emma asked, leading him from the waiting room into an empty cubicle.
“Bloody horse got a fright and pulled back and I wasn’t prepared. The lead rope caught around my wrist.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. It hurts a bit.”
Emma glanced at him as he sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. “I’d say by the look on your face it hurts more than a bit.”
Life Support: Escape to the Country Page 12