‘Hey!’ Tabitha called as they took the few steps up onto the verandah.
‘Hey yourself,’ Megan managed, in spite of the fact her heart was still hammering in her chest like a one-man band. ‘I was just telling Lawson how lovely it is out here.’ She glanced back and forth along the verandah—two big wicker rocking chairs sat at one end, with pot plants displayed sporadically and balls and toy trucks littering the wooden decking. Boots of various sizes stood next to a front-door mat that read Welcome. The word home came to Megan’s mind, and her eyes watered with emotion. It had been so long since she’d been anywhere that radiated such warmth and love.
Tabitha snorted. ‘Sorry about the mess. Ned and Lawson are impossible to house-train.’
‘Hey!’ Lawson objected.
Megan laughed. ‘What mess?’
‘Lawson, get Meg a drink,’ Tabitha ordered, then looked back to her. ‘What do you fancy? Soft drink? Orange juice? Wine? I know it’s early, but what the hell, it’s the weekend. And we should celebrate your great sales today.’
‘Thanks, but orange juice sounds wonderful. Is there anything I can do to help?’
Tabitha nodded. ‘You can help me chop the veggies for the garden salad if you like, while Lawson gets the barbecue going.’
‘Sounds good. Show me the way.’
The three of them ventured inside and Megan looked around as she was led down a long hallway to the massive old-fashioned kitchen at the other end of the house. All the ceilings were high, helping to keep the temperature down, and family photos with smiling faces hung on all the walls. For all Tabitha had said about mess, the interior looked like something out of Country Style magazine and Megan guessed that was down to her, not Lawson.
The moment she stepped into the kitchen, she was hit with the aroma of freshly baked bread. ‘Which one of you had time to make bread this morning?’ she asked.
‘While I’d love to take the credit,’ Lawson said, going over to the sink to wash his hands, ‘that would be Tabitha. I’m a bit of lost cause in the kitchen and she’s a bit of a superwoman.’
‘Hardly.’ Tabitha snorted as she went to open the fridge. ‘I set the bread maker up last night so it was ready when I woke up. Now, it was orange juice, wasn’t it? Sure I can’t tempt you with wine?’
‘No, thanks. Orange juice will be perfect.’
‘Where’s Ned?’ Tabitha asked as she poured three glasses of juice.
‘He ran off with Cane almost before I’d stopped the car,’ Megan said. She bit her lip, thinking of all the news stories you heard about kids having accidents on farms. ‘I hope they’re both okay.’
Lawson picked up his glass. ‘They’ll be fine. Ned’s got a good head on him and he knows where he’s allowed to go on his own and what areas are out of bounds. Besides, Bonnie will keep them all in line.’
Megan forced a smile—telling herself that if Lawson wasn’t worried about Ned, then she shouldn’t be either. He was clearly a doting and sensible dad and Lord knew she had enough to worry about. Like not having a nervous breakdown while trying to make normal conversation with these people. ‘Bonnie sounds like a character. I can’t wait to meet her,’ she said and then picked up her own glass and took a much-needed sip.
Lawson went out to start the barbecue after that and Tabitha smiled at Megan. ‘I’m so glad you could come,’ she said before turning to the fridge again to retrieve the vegetables. ‘I don’t mean to jump any friendship guns here, but I feel like we are kindred spirits.’
‘Me too.’ Megan swallowed, glad Lawson’s sister couldn’t see her face, which no doubt gave away her discomfort. She felt an affinity with Tabitha too, but couldn’t ignore the heaviness in her stomach at the feeling she didn’t deserve her kindness. She felt like an imposter, as if she were pretending to be someone she was not. Seeing Tabitha struggling to use her stumped arm to make a bag with her T-shirt and then pile the vegetables in with her good arm snapped Megan out of her bubble of self-pity and she rushed over to offer help.
‘What can I carry?’
Tabitha looked up and laughed. ‘I guess this must look like quite a feat but I promise you, I’m used to it.’ She straightened and carried the vegetables in her T-shirt over to the bench and dumped them down. ‘Now, do you want to peel the carrots? Oh and we should wash them first cos they’re fresh from the garden.’
‘Yes. Definitely.’ Megan nodded, thinking she should plant a veggie garden at her place.
‘Thanks.’ Tabitha grabbed a chopping board, then a peeler and dumped them alongside the carrots. ‘You can use Lawson’s chopping board.’
Not thinking anything of this comment, she went to the sink, washed her hands and then set to work. It was only when Tabitha started chopping tomatoes beside her that she realised what she’d meant. Again, she found herself staring, almost mesmerised, as Tabitha sliced the tomatoes with one hand with the skill of a Michelin chef, her only aids a non-slip mat under her chopping board and a nail attached to it on which she stabbed the tomato so it didn’t move around while she cut it. Megan couldn’t chop vegetables that perfectly with two hands and here Tabitha was doing it with only one, like some kind of magician performing a trick.
Seemingly oblivious to Megan’s awe, Tabitha said, ‘How was your catch up with your friend last weekend?’
It took a second for her to work out what Tabitha meant and then she remembered her white lie to get out of the earlier barbecue invitation. ‘Oh, it was fabulous,’ she said, hoping she managed to keep her voice from wavering.
‘Did she, or he, come to Rose Hill?’
Megan swallowed. ‘No. She was in Bunbury for work and I met her there.’ At least there was an element of truth in that—there might not have been a friend but she herself had gone to Bunbury. Feeling the conversation heading towards dangerous territory, she tried to change the subject. ‘How long have your family been on this farm?’ She hoped Lawson couldn’t hear their conversation, because it was one he and she had already had.
‘Four generations,’ Tabitha said, sliding the first lot of chopped tomato into a bowl. ‘We arrived when the area was part of the Group Settlement Scheme in the 1920s. My great-grandfather emigrated from Scotland with his young bride and bought this land, and by all accounts they worked their arses off to establish the dairy farm. I can’t even imagine clearing the place without tractors and bulldozers, but that’s what they did.’
‘Wow.’ Megan agreed it sounded horrendous, but watching Tabitha chop veggies and make salad while she spoke, she could imagine her ancestors were also very capable people.
‘Of course we were a lot smaller back then,’ Tabitha continued. ‘The herd was only a dozen or so and they were milked by hand for starters—but dairy farming is in my father’s family blood. Think it might have skipped a generation with Dad—he never seemed that keen or maybe he was before Mum died and I just can’t remember. Things haven’t been easy this last decade or so with the deregulation of the milk industry, but Lawson and I are different from Dad. We love it even during the stressful times.’
As if talking about him conjured him, Lawson waltzed into the kitchen. ‘What stories is she telling you about me?’ he asked, grinning. ‘Don’t believe a word.’
Megan tried to laugh, loving the playful banter between the siblings, but it didn’t quite eventuate because she also felt a stab of longing for her own brother. Although she had better ways than drugs to deal with her sadness now, she lived in constant terror of returning to addiction if she dwelled on her grief.
But occasionally, at moments like this, her loss hit her hard.
‘Are you okay?’ Lawson’s face fell and he stepped up close and put his hand on her arm.
‘Sorry.’ She sniffed and blinked, hoping the emotion didn’t get the better of her. The last thing she wanted was to start blubbering in front of these two. ‘Just watching you guys together made me think of my brother.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Tabitha said, stopping what she was doing and turning to focus on her.
‘Lawson told me what happened to your family. That’s just terrible.’
Megan tried to swallow the lump in her throat. ‘Thank you,’ she managed just as the black fly-screen door clanged. Hurried footsteps in the hallway followed and moments later Ned exploded into the kitchen, Cane following closely behind and slamming into Ned’s legs as he stopped. Ned laughed.
‘Oi.’ Tabitha pointed her finger at them. ‘No running inside.’
‘But I’m thirsty,’ Ned panted, not showing the slightest bit of remorse.
Startled into action, Megan leaned over to grab hold of Cane’s collar. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, looking at the sand they’d scattered all over the kitchen floor. ‘I’ll take him outside and then I’ll clean up this mess.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Tabitha said with a nonchalant wave of her hand as she grabbed a cup, nudged the tap on with her stump and filled the cup with water. ‘This house is used to dogs and kids.’
She handed the glass to Ned and he gulped the water down.
Less than a few seconds later the back door sounded again. ‘Arvo, folks. How was the markets?’ A clearly Irish voice travelled down the hallway.
‘Good,’ Tabitha replied as a tall, dark-haired bloke appeared in the doorway. He looked like a young Colin Farrell, or maybe it was his accent that had sent Megan’s mind in that direction.
‘Well, hello there,’ he said. His lips twisted into a cheeky smile as he offered Megan his hand. ‘Are you the mystery woman from Rose Hill? I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure yet.’
She slipped her fingers into his for a polite shake and nodded. ‘Guilty as charged. And you must be Ethan?’
‘Aye, that I am. Come to save you from Lawson’s shocking barbecue skills, or rather lack thereof.’ He tapped the side of his nose. ‘I have an impeccable sense of smell and knew the moment he flicked on the gas that my talents were required.’
Megan smiled. ‘I love your accent.’
He shrugged one shoulder. ‘It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I’m perplexed that our dear Tabitha hasn’t yet fallen for my charms and good looks.’
Lawson cleared his throat as he grabbed a tray of meat from the fridge. ‘If you’re quite finished, do you want to make yourself useful?’
The five of them and Cane headed onto the back verandah, carrying the salads and fresh bread between them. Megan and Tabitha laid the table and went back inside for the drinks while Ethan and Lawson argued over the best way to cook the meat. They were still arguing when Tabitha told Meg to take a seat. As she did so, she couldn’t help laughing at the two men’s antics.
‘They’re showing off because you’re here,’ Tabitha said, leaning close.
‘Can I go for a swim?’ asked Ned. He’d left the dogs to scrabble under a tree in the yard.
‘After lunch,’ replied Tabitha and Lawson in unison, making Megan realise that although Lawson seemed focused on the barbecue, his son was always on his radar.
‘We should have told you to bring your bathers,’ Tabitha said, ‘but if you want to swim, you can borrow some of mine.’
Megan was about to politely decline—no way she wanted her pale body on display—when Ned said, ‘Oh please, Meg. Come swimming with me. I’ll let you play with my pink flamingo.’
It was impossible to say no to that cute face, so somehow she found herself agreeing to a post-lunch dip in the pool.
Ned raced inside to get changed, ready for later.
‘Tell them about what you found out about the tea room,’ Lawson said as he joined them at the table, finally giving in and letting Ethan take charge of cooking the meat.
Because talking about her house and the history of one of its past inhabitants was easy, conversation flowed. Megan relayed to Tabitha and Ethan what she’d discovered and they listened enthusiastically, both enthralled and intrigued. When the meat was ready, Lawson called Ned back and everyone sat down to eat.
Ned insisted on sitting next to Megan, which made her feel very special. When Lawson sat in the seat opposite, he stretched out his legs and his feet touched hers. She wasn’t sure if it was accidental or not, but at the connection warmth that had absolutely nothing to do with the summer heat flooded her body.
‘Now that’s how you cook a steak,’ Ethan said, prodding a piece he’d just cut off with a fork and holding it out to show them all.
Megan tried to focus her attention on the meat.
‘What do you think, Meg?’ Lawson asked. ‘Is that perfect or a little underdone for your liking?’
She cut off a piece of steak, popped it into her mouth and chewed, then took her time carefully considering. ‘It’s not bad,’ she said, once she’d swallowed the mouthful, ‘but I have to say I prefer my beef a little more dead.’
‘Yes!’ Lawson punched the air like a little boy, smirked at Ethan and then turned his head back to her and winked. Her stomach tumbled and wasn’t sure she’d be able to eat another bite.
‘Now, now, boys,’ Tabitha said, ‘can we please have at least one meal where you guys aren’t in competition?’
Ethan sighed. ‘Fine.’ And stabbed his fork into another piece of steak.
‘Whatever,’ Lawson added, still grinning.
Megan laughed. Ethan fit in so well with this family, as if he were the younger brother they’d never had, and she found herself enjoying the lunch and their company immensely. She couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to be a permanent fixture at this table.
Conversation was diverse—everything from Ned talking about some new Xbox game he wanted to get, to discussions about the latest dairy crisis. The tone went from light-hearted to sombre as they talked about a neighbouring farmer who’d had his dairy contract cut. The latest in a number of surprising terminations.
Megan didn’t really know what to say or how to add to this conversation, but she listened intently, silently hoping and praying that Lawson and Tabitha’s livelihood would be okay. What with losing their mother, Tabitha’s cancer, their father’s heart attack and Leah’s death, it sounded as if they’d been through hardships enough for one lifetime.
‘Sorry,’ Tabitha said, looking to Megan, ‘we’re probably boring you senseless with all this farming talk.’
She shook her head. ‘Not at all. I hope you guys are okay, but have you considered expanding your ice-cream business as a safety net?’
‘What do you mean?’ Tabitha asked. ‘Like making a larger quantity and trying to sell into shops?’
Megan nodded. ‘Yes, that’s one idea, but you could also become a tourist attraction and open up an ice-creamery here. You could even do tours of the dairy, have a few calves for kids to pat and show them how a cow is milked.’ She realised she was getting carried away and perhaps sticking her nose in where it wasn’t wanted. ‘Or maybe I have no idea what I’m talking about.’
‘I think it’s a great idea,’ Ethan said, clapping his hands together as if it were a done deal. ‘There are lots of boutique breweries popping up all over the place, so why not boutique ice-creameries?’
Megan was more curious about Lawson’s opinion so she chanced a glance up and her heart swelled when she found him smiling at her. ‘I love it,’ he said.
‘There are lots of small ice-creameries dotting the south west already,’ Tabitha said, ‘but I guess there might be room for one more. It’s definitely something to think about. Also, Meg, I was wondering, when your tea room’s up and running, how would you feel about selling my ice-cream there as well? We’d work out some commission of course, either that or you could have as much free ice-cream as you can eat.’
She took a moment to speak past the lump that had formed in her throat. When the idea of the tea room had first popped into her head, it had been a relief to have something to tell Lawson, but she’d never seriously considered it a possibility until she’d found out about Eliza’s Tea Room. Now, not only did she want to do it for Eliza—she wanted to do it for Tabitha as well.
‘Of course,’ she finally managed. ‘I do
n’t know how long it’ll take to get the building into shape, never mind everything else that will need to be done before I can actually open, but your ice-cream will definitely be on the menu.’
‘We can help you with the building,’ Lawson said, and Tabitha and Ethan nodded. ‘Ever heard of a slab party? I reckon if you promised to feed everyone those wonderful bickies and cakes you make, we might be able to get a group together to come over and get some of the big tasks out of the way.’
The lump in Megan’s throat grew and her eyes were in sudden danger of sprouting tears. The thought that people might do such a thing for her threatened to unravel her.
Thankfully, Ned—bored of shop talk—interrupted the conversation. ‘Can I swim yet? My teacher said it’s an old wives’ tale that you have to wait half an hour after eating.’
Lawson glanced at his watch. ‘All right. But help us clear the table first and then wait until we’re by the pool with you.’
‘But Dad, I’m a good swimmer,’ he moaned.
Lawson raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.’
He took it, and the five of them cleared the table and cleaned up the kitchen, before Lawson went to get his board shorts on and Tabitha took Megan to borrow some bathers. Luckily the two of them were almost exactly the same size and shape. Wearing a swimming costume was another thing she hadn’t done in a very long time and she couldn’t help being a little self-conscious as she headed back onto the verandah with a towel wrapped around her. The boys were already outside again, Lawson slapping sunscreen on the bits of Ned’s skin that weren’t covered by his knee-length board shorts and long-sleeved swim shirt. Ethan and Tabitha appeared to have vanished.
‘Can I borrow some of that?’ Megan asked, holding the towel tightly around her and trying not to gape at the sight of Lawson in nothing but a pair of low-on-the-hip board shorts.
‘Sure.’ He handed her the tube and then turned back to finish lathering Ned.
She squeezed a dollop of cream out onto her palm and then rubbed it over herself, starting with her legs. Only when Ned squealed, ‘Ouch, you got it in my eyes,’ did she glance up and catch Lawson looking at her. She didn’t think she was imagining his appreciative gaze and it sent shivers through her already hot and bothered body.
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