by Lilly Mirren
She soon returned to the den with two glasses of red wine and set his on the table beside his armchair. In front of them on a coffee table was a game of checkers one of the guests had left out. Ethan loved this room. They hadn’t made any changes to it since Diana and Rupert left, and had no plans to either. It was perfect the way it was with a filigree patterned wallpaper in green, above white wall panelling and dark, heavy furniture, it was the picture of old-fashioned elegance. The guests seemed to love it as much as he did, often gravitating to the den to read, play board games or talk.
Emily sat across from him, sipped her wine. She studied him, her stormy eyes dark.
“Do you remember the summer when you were seventeen?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, of course.”
“I followed you around all summer long… you were pretty frustrated with me.”
He laughed. “I remember. All I wanted to do was surf, and you kept showing up. My friends were teasing me about you, relentlessly.”
Her eyebrows arched. “Is that why you told me to go away?”
His cheeks flushed with warmth. He hated that he’d said anything like that to her. “Did I say that? I’m sorry… that would be why, yes. They were constantly heckling me about you having a crush on me. It was a bit much for my seventeen-year-old ego to take.”
She took another sip of wine. “I didn’t realise that. I thought you didn’t like me, hated me actually.”
He leaned forward, held her gaze. “I’m sorry, Em. I didn’t hate you, I was embarrassed, that’s all. It’s hard being a teenager.”
Emily chewed the inside of her cheek. Is that what she’d thought? He hated her? No wonder she’d been so standoffish when he bought half of the business.
“Is that why you… acted so strange towards me?” he asked.
She blinked. “Did I?”
“You know you did.”
She chuckled. “Yes… no, partly. It’s not the whole reason.”
“What is the whole reason?” he asked.
She sighed. “There was a time when I didn’t realise I was allergic to dairy. I used to eat it all the time when I was a kid, and it caused this red dermatitis on my face. So, sometimes other kids called me pimple face, things like that.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right,” he said. “I forgot all about that.”
She grimaced. “I wish I had.”
Ethan swigged a mouthful of wine.
“Anyway, a couple of times I got a nosebleed as well, probably from the allergy. I don’t know for sure. But it happened that same summer when I was staying here at the Manor with my Aunt and Uncle. I was out with you and your friends, when I got a nosebleed and I didn’t realise it at first. It gushed all down my red, pimply face, and over my clothes. That happened twice. The first time, everyone acted grossed out, but the second time, you called me names.”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “I did?”
“You said I looked like a zombie, so from that moment on, for the rest of the summer, every kid in the Cove called me Zombie. It was my nickname for months. I graduated high school that year and didn’t come back to the Cove for another summer… so that was the last time I saw you… until now.”
Ethan shook his head slowly. “Wow, I’m sorry. I don’t remember that. I’m really sorry about that. I’m sure that must’ve stung.”
She grunted. “It did. I mean, I was the city kid who didn’t really fit in with the kids from the coast. I didn’t surf, I wasn’t cool, and I had this dermatitis thing on my face all of the time. So, to be called a zombie on top of it… well, it was hard. I cried a lot.”
Ethan swallowed, reached for Emily’s hand. “I feel horrible about that…”
He squeezed her hand, felt its warmth on his palm. He hated that he’d caused her any pain. Hated that she’d held this thing against him for so long. Without thinking, he threaded his fingers through hers, staring at their entwined hands. When he glanced up at her face, it was pinker than it’d been.
“It’s okay. I realise now that you didn’t mean it, but for a long time I thought you’d done it intentionally. That you didn’t like me and meant to humiliate me.”
He shook his head. “I’m glad we were able to clear things up.”
“Me too.” She laughed. “Wow, I feel like a weight has lifted from my shoulders.”
He grinned. “I’m glad. Anything else you need to get off your chest? Because honestly, I’m fairly certain most of the things I said as a teenager weren’t well thought through…”
“Nope, that’s it.”
“Great.” Now they could get back to thinking about the future. Their future together. He hadn’t broached the subject with her yet, had been nervous to do it, but the fact that she wasn’t pulling her hand out of his, wasn’t shrinking away from his touch was a good sign. His heart rate accelerated as each moment passed, he met her gaze. His skin fairly hummed with electricity where her hand touched his.
Ethan’s phone buzzed in his jeans pocket. He tried to ignore it. Then with a sigh, released Emily’s hand and reached for it.
“Hi, Marc,” said Ethan when he saw who was calling.
“Ethan, how are you mate?”
He would’ve been better if Marc hadn’t called at that exact moment. “Great thanks, how about you?”
“I’m good. Listen, I won’t keep you but there’s been a development in your case I thought you’d want to know about.”
Ethan straightened in his chair, his breath in his throat. “Okay.”
“I’ve had several long conversations with the crown prosecutor, and she says that if you come in and give the police a statement, everything you know about what was going on over at Mammoth, they’ll drop the charges against you.”
Ethan scrubbed a hand over his face. “That’s great, but I don’t know anything.”
“Then, tell them that. I think they realised that they don’t have any evidence that you’re involved, so they want to get whatever they can from you. The charges will go away as soon as you cooperate.”
“Wow, Marc — thank you so much. I don’t know what to say… that’s amazing. I couldn’t have done this without you, mate. I owe you.”
Relief coursed through his body, and his breathing returned to a normal pace. The charges would be dropped. As the tension dissipated from his shoulders and neck, he realised how much strain the threat of prosecution had put on his body. He’d thought he was coping fine with it all, but as he hung up the phone emotions welled up within him. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” asked Emily.
He opened his eyes, met her gaze. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. They’re not going to press charges against me over the Mammoth fraud, as long as I go back up to Brisbane and give the police a statement.”
Emily’s eyes widened. “That’s great news. Congratulations, Ethan. I’m so happy for you.”
He stood to his feet, pumped his hands in the air. “Yes! Oh wow, that’s a load off.”
Emily stood too, smiling so that her eyes gleamed.
She was close to him, close enough that he couldn’t look away. Her eyes were the kind of grey that reminded him of the ocean during a summer storm. Wide and grey they fixed on his, he was caught up in their depths. His pulse hammered, heat traveled up his body and made his head spin.
“Emily… I…” He reached for her, pulling her close.
When their lips met, his breath caught in his throat. His heart thundered in his chest so loud that every other sound faded away. His eyes drifted shut as she stood to curl her arms around his neck, moaning softly as she fell against him.
She tasted like chocolate and wine and smelled of vanilla. Her body against his was lithe, soft, and shivered against him like the waves curling to shore.
Sarah
Oscar sat on her foot and Sarah sighed. “No, Oscar honey, you’re supposed to go forward when I say ‘forward’. We practiced sitting. Ugh. He’s never gonna get this.”
; She shook her head and Vicky laughed. “I don’t think Oscar’s really the rule-following type. I think he knows exactly what you’re wanting him to do, but he’s making a point.”
“Can’t he make a point while the dog whisperer isn’t watching us?” she whispered in a pained voice. “Come on, Oscar, Ruben’s looking over here in complete disgust at my dog whispering skills. I’m going to fail puppy training, dude, and it’s all your fault.”
“I don’t know if you can put all of the blame on Oscar for this one, Sar, he isn’t exactly a puppy, so this might not be the right class for him.”
Sarah’s shoulders slumped. “Fine, let’s do some more sitting then.”
She glanced up to see Meg and her new puppy Walton, acing the test by walking in a straight line around a red cone and heading back to where they’d begun.
“Sit, Walton,” said Meg. The tiny cavalier sat, held its head high and let out a sniff — or at least it seemed that way to Sarah. Walton was showing off.
Sarah groaned. “You’re being humiliated, Oscar. Don’t you even care?”
“I don’t think he cares,” replied Vicky, scrolling on her phone.
“Don’t feel too badly,” said Meg with a chuckle. “Ruben says that Walton is a prodigy.”
“Can you have dog prodigies?” asked Sarah, her brow furrowed.
Vicky laughed without looking up from her phone. “I’m staying out of this one.”
“But you’re the vet!” objected Sarah.
Vicky shook her head. “I’m not getting involved in who is or is not a puppy prodigy.”
“Always the peacemaker,” complained Sarah. “Up, Oscar, up. Stand up boy.”
Oscar ignored her and continued sitting and staring at the horizon without so much as a glance in her direction.
The class soon ended and the trio, along with the two dogs, headed for the cafe on the edge of the park. Gum trees lined the footpath, throwing dappled shade over them, and a kookaburra set up a call from one of the trees.
“See, even the birds are laughing at you, Oscar,” grumbled Sarah.
“Don’t be too hard on him. He’s probably past the training age,” said Vicky.
“You’re right, I’m putting too much pressure on the old boy.” Sarah shook her head. “I just wanted him to do well.”
They found a table outside and sat beneath the shade of a black umbrella. Sarah ordered a chai latte, Vicky and Meg ordered tea. Both dogs lolled beside the table, puffing gently after their workout.
“So, how are things with you, Vicky?” asked Meg as she stirred sugar and milk into her tea.
Vicky glanced up with a half-smile. “I found out what’s wrong with me. Even though it’s not great news, it’s not terrible either. I mean, I’m not dying or anything.”
“Well that is good news.” Sarah frowned. “Although I didn’t think you were.”
Vicky shrugged. “It sure felt like it some days. Anyway, according to my doctor they’re fairly certain I have lupus.”
“Lupus? I’ve heard of it, but I’m not sure what it is,” replied Meg, concern on her face.
“It’s an autoimmune disease, which basically mean my body is attacking itself.”
“Oh no,” commented Sarah, with a shake of her head. “That sounds bad.”
“It can be. Thankfully, my symptoms aren’t too severe, and I’m not having a flare up at the moment, so I feel pretty good.”
“Is there anything you can do about it?” asked Meg.
“They have some treatments, but it’s not curable. I don’t really know much yet, I only found out a few days ago, so I’m still looking into my options.” Vicky cocked her head to one side. “Honestly though, I’m glad to know what it is, finally. I’ve been pretty worried but didn’t want to say too much to anyone because sometimes I thought I was exaggerating things… other times I thought I was really unwell. It’s such a strange illness.”
“It’s definitely good to know,” said Sarah, resting one hand on Vicky’s arm. She hated to see her friend suffering, but at least now doctors might be able to do something to help her. “Please let me know if I can help in anyway. Okay?”
Vicky nodded. “I will. And thanks.”
“How about you?” Sarah sipped her chai. “What’s going on in your world, Meg?”
Meg grinned. “I’m pregnant!”
“What? Congratulations!” exclaimed Sarah, pushing out of her seat to embrace her friend.
“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you.” Vicky joined in and soon the three of them were locked in an off-balance hug.
When Sarah sat again, she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. “Wow, how far along are you?”
“We’re fourteen weeks, and we told the family yesterday. I’ve been dying to tell you both.” Meg grinned. “It’s so hard to keep it a secret when you’re sick all the time, but I managed it, and the doctor says everything’s going along as it should.”
“That’s so great.” Sarah beamed. “How does Brad feel about it all?”
“He’s excited, of course. We weren’t sure… well, we didn’t know if it could happen for us. Of course, he still has his moments when he gets down, thinking about all the things he won’t be able to do with his son or daughter, but he’s getting better. It’ll take some time, I think.”
“Definitely. He’ll be a great dad,” said Vicky.
“For sure,” added Sarah.
“How are you guys going to cope when you take maternity leave?” asked Vicky.
Meg shook her head. “It’s amazing really… everything’s coming together. We got the insurance payout, finally, for Brad’s injury last week. It’s enough to buy a house and plenty to live off for a long while. Also, the paperwork went through for disability, so if we need it those payments will be available to us. So, we figured I’ll stop work soon, and Brad can finish up his degree while I’m at home with the baby, then he’ll get a job and can support us. That’s the plan, anyway.”
Sarah’s throat tightened as tears filled her eyes. “That’s fantastic news, Meg. I’m so happy for the two of you. You both deserve a break after everything you’ve been through, and that should really help you get a head start.”
Chapter 25
Emily
The scent of poached eggs, freshly baked cranberry nut bread, and bacon drifted through the air, tickling Emily’s nose and eliciting a groan from her empty stomach. She carried the last platter of food into the dining room, checked that each guest had everything they needed, left Sondra in charge, and hurried back to the kitchen to begin the clean-up.
“It smells amazing in here,” said Ethan, coming in through the back door with a grin.
He walked over to her, laced his arms around her waist and kissed her soft on the lips. A shiver ran through her body, delicious and bursting with anticipation.
She wasn’t used to it yet, this closeness with him. It was new, unexpected and she’d woken that morning with a smile on her lips even before her alarm had broken the quiet.
“Good morning,” she said, a shyness to her voice she hadn’t felt in years.
“Great morning,” he replied with another kiss, this one lingering and sending goosebumps up her arms and down her legs.
“Hungry?” she asked.
He nodded. “I don’t know what you made, but I can’t wait to try it. My stomach is almost inside out after my surf this morning. I’m so hungry.”
She laughed. “Surfing seems to do that to you.”
He followed her around the kitchen as she piled food onto two plates, then set them on the table. He sat next to her and reached for a fork.
After a mouthful of the cranberry bread, she decided that she’d have to add it to the regular breakfast schedule. With a thick layer of butter on one side, it melted in her mouth, bursting with savoury flavours with a hint of sour from the berries.
When her phone rang, she shook her head. Of course someone would want to talk to her when her mouth was full and her stomach empty.
“Emily, how are you babe?”
Callum. She hadn’t heard from him in so long she’d almost forgotten about the way he’d left her, the pain he’d caused. But for some reason, hearing his voice didn’t bring back that same sting it once had.
“Hi Callum, I’m great, thanks. And you?”
“Good… I’m glad to hear you’re going well. Have you thought about when you’ll come up to Airlie beach? I miss you, babe.”
She shook her head. “I’m not coming. I told you that, but I don’t think you were listening. As usual.”
“What?” his voice morphed into a snarl. “What’s going on with you? You’ve changed or something? This isn’t like you.”
“This is exactly like me, Callum. I don’t want to come up there, we’re finished. That’s all.”
“At least tell me where you are so I can come and talk to you about this. I hate doing it over the phone.” He huffed and for a moment she felt bad for him.
“I’m in Emerald Cove, but don’t come here. It won’t change anything.”
“Isn’t that where your family lives?” he asked.
She smiled. He’d remembered something she’d told him about herself at least. “Yes, that’s right.”
“So… why are you staying there? What about us, about me?”
She sighed. “Callum, I’m sorry — things between us aren’t going to work out. We don’t suit each other, we’re too different.”
“It didn’t seem that way when we were together,” he complained. “I don’t understand…”
“I saw the drugs, Callum. I found them in your jeans pocket right before you left. You always told me you didn’t do drugs, that the others were involved but it wasn’t for you. You knew how I felt about it, how much I hated it. And you lied to me.”