by Parin, Sonia
Chapter Twenty-One
“Jack sent me up to see if you were okay. We’ve had breakfast and now we’re working toward brunch. Are you going to join us any time soon?”
Lexie peeled an eye open and tried to get her bearings.
“You’re at the pub,” Maggie explained. “We spent the night in Eddie’s old room. You lost the coin toss so you had to sleep on the floor and no, I didn’t cheat. How many fingers am I holding up?”
Lexie peered between Maggie’s fingers. “Did I hit my head?”
“No, but you’re not very responsive this morning.” Maggie sighed. “Okay, I accidentally dropped my handbag on your head last night. But I warned you not to put the sleeping bag so close to the couch.”
“It’s all starting to come back and I wish it wouldn’t.” She’d told everyone how she’d met Jack, and she had a sneaking suspicion she hadn’t left anything out. “Why didn’t you stop me?” One drink too many had made her social filters come loose and fall off.
“Because I wanted to hear the story. By the way, you do really good impersonations.”
She’d mimicked Jack’s voice?
“Both of Jack and Lulu. You gave her a sultry tone. She sounded like a purring minx.”
Lexie brushed her fingers across her eyes. “I remember someone talking about darts.”
“That was Eddie and if you ask her about it this morning she will categorically deny ever admitting to wanting to kill Theo Kendrick. Personally, I liked Elizabeth’s story about the Puff Donut. She comes across as reserved. I can’t imagine her sitting at Joyce’s and groaning over a donut.”
“Okay. I’m up.”
Maggie frowned. “No you’re not. You haven’t even undone the zipper on your sleeping bag.”
“I’m trying out something Joyce mentioned last night.”
“Oh, yeah. That was interesting. What you think about, you bring about. There are stacks of publications about the subject. I’ve attended a few workshops—”
“You?”
“Why so surprised?”
“Isn’t it all a bit hocus-pocus?”
“Thoughts precede action. It’s mind over matter stuff and has been scientifically proven to work. Besides, everyone needs to do occasional maintenance. But you can’t just do something by thinking it. You need some action.”
Lexie kicked off the sleeping bag and stretched. “Give me a hand up, will you?” Half way to the bathroom, she stopped. “Um… Is there anything else I should know about last night?”
“Not really. Oh, hang on.” Maggie chuckled. “While you were sharing your Jack story, he was right there beside you.”
“Deal with it?”
“Yeah, I don’t see any other way around it.”
Half an hour later, she shuffled out of the bathroom. “He was there, as in sitting beside me?”
Maggie nodded. “With his arm around you. You needed propping up.”
“How comforting.” She couldn’t remember half the things she’d said, but she imagined it had all spilled out, including the tempo of her heartbeat at the sight of him and the way she devoured his rear end when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“He also carried you upstairs.”
“Groan. I don’t need to know any more.”
“If you like, we could skip brunch and go home.”
And miss seeing Jack?
Yesterday, she’d started something. If she could find a smidgen of sanity, she would end everything today before she got in too deep, before…
Lexie wavered and looked up at the ceiling.
…Before word reached her parents.
They would love Jack.
Her parents had never known about her ex but if they’d found out about him and the subsequent car accident, they would have held Lexie responsible for making yet another bad decision.
If they ever got a whiff of her stint as his fake girlfriend…
They’d never understand. Jack definitely had to go.
Whatever she wanted to happen could wait until they all returned to Melbourne.
Delaying the next step sounded good to her. “Lead the way.”
“There’s my good little soldier,” Maggie said striding along the corridor.
Lexie smiled. “If you change, I will hurt you.”
“You approve of the new me?”
“Yes, and while my purple hounds-tooth skirt looks good on you, I get the feeling I’ve yet to see you spread your wings.”
“I’m twenty-nine, I think I’m a bit past it for a Lady Gaga makeover.”
“Ever heard of the Duchess of Alba. She was in her eighties and I swear I would’ve given an eyetooth for some of the clothes she wore. Then there’s Vivian Westwood—”
“I’m not going punk.”
“Newsflash. That blouse you’re wearing was my best thrift store find. An original Westwood. It’s a classic.”
As they entered the pub’s dining room, she spotted Jack chatting with Eddie and Mitch. “I don’t like the look of this. What are they doing? They look so chummy together.”
“I guess they’re still plotting. When I left them, Jack was in the middle of a pitch.”
“What was he selling?”
Maggie shrugged. “His services. Eddie’s keen to get cracking with those apartments you mentioned.”
“No. No. No. He can’t do that. He builds monstrosities. He’ll have everyone in Eden up in arms,” she said as they reached the table.
Eddie beamed up at her. “We were about to order brunch but we kept a breakfast menu for you.”
Jack looked up and, smiling, pulled out a chair for her. The table was strewn with paper napkins, all filled with sketches. Before she could say anything, Markus, the eldest Faydon brother, came to take her order.
“I’ll have some coffee and toast, please.” She frowned at his low grumble. “Did I say something wrong?” she asked when he left.
“Don’t worry about him. Hannah probably has him running around in circles.” Eddie clapped her hands. “I’ve got exciting news. Jack is going to help us get our project off the ground.”
Shifting in her chair, Eddie decided it was her civic duty to warn them. “Eden’s quaint and traditional housing styles will be hard to match.”
“Jack’s already decided to spend the day driving around the area. We want to find some sort of balance between the old Victorian houses and the Federation-era style ones.”
“And you think he’s going to accommodate your needs?”
His hand brushed along her shoulder. “Lexie, I’m sitting right beside you.”
She savored the quivery sensation. “It’s nothing personal, Jack. But this is probably outside of your scope. Federation style housing refers to a distinctive Australian style of the nineteen hundreds and not the intergalactic federation.”
He reached for a lock of her hair and tweaked it. “A little faith would go a long way.”
Eddie nodded. “He’s shown us photos of his projects. He’s definitely our man.”
“Are you sure they’re his projects?”
“We read the architectural reviews. And in the last hour, he’s received several phone calls from prospective clients. We’ll be lucky to secure his services.”
“Shenanigans and bamboozle comes to mind.”
“You had a lot of nice things to say about him last night.”
“A lot’s happened since then. The Earth has spun on its axis and orbited around the sun, and to teach us all a lesson in multi-tasking, it’s also been hurtling along the ever-expanding highway of the universe. Also, I obviously had one too many drinks. That tends to warp and mellow my perception.”
Mitch gave her a raised eyebrow look. “I warned you not to drink too much.”
“Yeah, yeah. Enjoy your little moment of sanctimonious sunshine. Just remember, the tables always turn.” She took a sip of her coffee and moaned. “This is very good.”
“But not as good as Joyce’s,” Eddie admitted.
“
She still won’t share her supplier?”
“No.”
“The blend tastes familiar,” Jack said.
“Now that I think about it,” Lexie tilted her head, “I’d be inclined to agree.”
Eddie leaned across the table. “Yes?”
“I can’t put my finger on it.” She could. It actually tasted like the Monkey Bar Café coffee. Maybe they used the same supplier. “I’ll get back to you when it comes to me.”
Eddie tore a napkin to shreds. “Maybe you shouldn’t. We all go back a long way, I wouldn’t want anything to ruin our friendships.”
Lexie grinned. “Keep that in mind when you contract Jack to build your apartments. I had nothing to do with bringing him here.”
“Okay, sure, duly noted. And since you’re so concerned, you could show Jack around and point out all the finer looking homesteads in the area. Mitch is busy at the pub today and I’m needed at the restaurant—”
“Say no more.” It would be the perfect opportunity to suggest they… he head back to Melbourne before they got tangled up in complications she’d live to regret. “I’ll do it… for the sake of our friendship. Unless…” Belatedly, she remembered coming to Eden wasn’t just about her. She looked at Maggie, “Did you have something planned for us today?”
“I’ll be putting the finishing touches to our business plan. It should be done by the end of the day. I’ll also work on a partnership agreement. You should jot down a few thoughts too.”
“Coffee breaks are non-negotiable. They’re part of my creative process. I’ll be flexible with everything else, up to a point.”
“Are you two going into business together?” Jack asked.
“Yes, we’re joining forces. I’ll be the creative talent and M-Lulu will be the business savvy force to be reckoned with.”
Jack put both hands on the table. “I think I just felt an earth tremor.”
* * *
“About yesterday…” Lexie hoped Jack would pick up the thread and go with it. Maybe even say enough so they’d forget she’d brought up the subject.
“Which part of yesterday?” he asked holding the passenger door open for her.
They stood outside The Gloriana. Lexie had given Maggie her car keys, otherwise, she’d be tempted into making a cowardly yet sensible retreat and regroup getaway. “Um, well…” Again, she’d opened her mouth so she’d have to own up to having some thoughts about the subject.
His eyes sparkled at her. With amusement or intrigue? “These four wheel drives are so big, I always think I need a harness to climb in or at least a gentle heave-ho.”
His hands curled around her waist. “Will this do?”
It took willpower she didn’t even know she possessed to nod and settle into the passenger seat.
“So… you were saying?” he asked leaning in and filling the truck with that nice, fresh out of the shower male scent. She turned her attention to securing the seatbelt in place and used those precious few seconds to steady her breathing.
“Work must be winding down at the building site.” Nice cop out, she thought. “I suppose this is your intermission before the next big project.”
“Not much of a break when I’m picking up more work without even trying. I hope I’m not encroaching on your territory.”
His eyes danced around her face. He was probably waiting for her to reply and when she didn’t, he nodded, closed the passenger door and went around to the driver’s side.
“You’re a regular marauding Viking,” she said under her breath.
“I heard that.”
“Our association, such as it is, means I’m responsible for you. Please don’t make my life difficult. People in Eden might seem nice, and they are… but they do know how to hold a grudge.”
“I doubt I’ll have the opportunity to make trouble. Eddie wants something traditional but with a hint of flair.”
“And you’re going to run with your own interpretation, and by the time she realizes what a mistake she’s made, the apartments will be up and I’ll be tarred and feathered because of course, I’ll be held personally responsible for luring you here.”
“You sound anxious.”
“I’m doing some preliminary worrying and trying to take some preemptive action. Something you should be familiar with since you went to the trouble of using me as a fake girlfriend because you were concerned about looking too available. And that reminds me, you owe me.”
“You can collect anytime.”
“So you’ll leave?”
“That wasn’t part of our agreement.”
“But it could be.”
“You want to renegotiate?”
She shook her head. “I need to learn from my mistakes. Clearly I’m a pushover and I’d come out worse off.” And if she didn’t take control of the situation she’d end up ruining what was fast becoming the best relationship she’d ever had.
He leaned over the steering wheel. “I like your town.”
“There are others.”
He laughed, and pulled out of the parking space.
So much for trying to tackle the issue head-on in a roundabout way…
When had she started living in interesting times?
In the last few weeks she’d been joined by a couple of traveling companions. Maggie should have gone on her way by now, but she’d chosen to hang around. If she changed her mind…
No, she wouldn’t…
But if she did, Lexie decided she would do her best to convince her to reconsider. There were too many signs of happiness in her sister for her to give up now and return to the job that had driven her away. She didn’t want to let go of the new Maggie because without her, this new phase in her life wouldn’t be half as much fun.
Lexie knew she had to count her lucky stars. Both Ava and Maggie excelled at ceasing the day—a quality Lexie aspired to having, but first she’d have to stop worrying about what her parents might think. Despite acting like a rebellious second child, she actually cared and wanted her parents to be proud of her or at least think she had her head screwed on right.
Approval, she reminded herself, meant towing the line. She hadn’t been doing much of that lately. Yes, she was living in interesting times.
Lexie glanced at her other traveling companion.
Jack was supposed to be putting the finishing touches to his ultra modern building before moving on to his next blank canvas. Now, he’d found his way to Eden, and the day before she had kissed him. She wondered why she’d tagged that last bit on. Possibly, because all this time she’d been working toward freeing herself from a mistake that had landed her in hospital. She couldn’t afford to make another mistake. This wasn’t the time to let nature take its course…
At twenty-three she hadn’t known what she wanted out of a relationship. At twenty-five years of age… it wasn’t so much that she knew what she wanted, but rather that she knew what would happen if she made room for Jack in her life.
She wouldn’t be able to let him go.
She’d be devastated when he moved on as he was bound to do. He might not be interested in a relationship today, but everyone changed, everyone experienced turning points in their lives. If she settled for friendship now, she’d have to prepare for the ultimate blow—watching from the sidelines as Jack moved on and found someone else.
On the other hand, if she ceased the opportunity now, what would she want out of it?
A swirl of emotion tightened her throat. Right at that minute, without thinking too much about it and obsessing about pros and cons, she wanted everything.
“Jack.”
“Mm?”
“I’m not sorry I kissed you.”
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. She waited for him to respond. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him clearing his throat.
“You should say something… right about now.” Her heart raced. She didn’t understand her panic. He’d started it. He’d kissed her. He’d triggered her response… “Okay,
you don’t want to talk about it. But eventually, you’ll have to say something because, come what may, you still owe me a few hot chocolates.” Damn it. Had he changed his mind?
* * *
“I’m… I’m driving.” But desperate to pull over and haul her against him. “Actually, where are we headed?” he asked and tried to focus on the stinging sensation of a cold shower… rolling around the snow naked...
“You’ve seen one house, you’ve seen them all. Take the next turn.”
Her tone sounded clipped. Impatient.
Jack took a deep swallow and turned his attention to the scenery. The countryside was dotted with homesteads, all set well back from the road, but even from a distance he could see they were a mishmash of styles, a combination of California bungalows, turn of the century Federation styles and the simplest forms of Victorian architecture. While most dwellings were made of clapboard, there were a few standout exceptions built of blue stone, probably sourced from nearby quarries.
As directed, he made the turn. They left the open road behind and wound their way along a shady wooded section with occasional breaks in the thick forest giving glimpses of a shimmery lake.
“Now what?”
“Make a turn at the next bend.”
“Private property,” he read.
“It’s my parents’ place. And you can relax. I’m not bringing you to meet them. I thought you might want to see the house,” she said barely waiting for the truck to come to a full stop before flinging the passenger door open and jumping out.
Jack took his time, sweeping his gaze around the lush garden and the Federation-era style house and away from Lexie who stood with her back to him. She looked as relaxed as a tiger pacing around its cage. Was she mad at him?
“My great-grandparents built it as a country retreat. Then it was passed over to my grandparents and when they decided the house was too big for them, my parents bought it and added the wrap around veranda. You can see the lake from the back.”
“It’s a beautiful house.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and strode up to her.
“It used to be white but mom wanted it to blend in with the landscape so she had it painted green. Over the years she’s changed it from light to a darker green… now she’s thinking of going light again. She’s been committed to the same man for over thirty years and yet she can’t commit to a color…”
