Flynn shrugged. ‘Nope.’
‘Okay then.’
‘So we’ll take it one step at a time and see where that leads us.’
Lily smiled. ‘That’s what I was thinking – no pressure for either of us.’
‘Alright, I’m willing to give it a shot. But I’d really like you to answer a question first, that is, if you don’t mind?’
‘Of course,’ Lily said lightly.
‘You said that you liked being with me.’
‘I do.’
Flynn stepped forward, his arms circling her waist. ‘So are you telling me you only like my kisses?’
A slow smile spread over Lily’s face. ‘Hmmm, I suppose, though maybe it could be just a little bit more than like.’
‘Maybe we should give one another try, just so you can be sure.’
Lily put her arms around Flynn. ‘Maybe.’
***
Lily grabbed a biscuit and nibbled on its corner as she took a seat in Jill’s front room. ‘You know that I’m seeing him, don’t you?’
‘Who?’ asked Hailey.
‘Flynn Hartley, of course,’ Jill said with a roll of her eyes. ‘God, Hailey, who else would she be locking lips with?’
‘Yes,’ Lily said, wriggling around in the big lounge chair until she was comfortable.
‘So you kissed him again?’
‘Yes, I did, Hailey.’
Jill sighed. ‘Ah, young love. Hey, hang on a minute. What about Johnno?’
‘How did you even know about that?’
Jill wrinkled her nose. ‘Small town, remember?’
Lily let out a sigh. ‘Johnno asked me to go out, so I did. We went to dinner and it was nice.’
Jill blew out a breath. ‘Nice, eh? Well that’s a death knell if ever I heard one.’
‘Kind of,’ Lily admitted. ‘He’s a great guy, but there isn’t a spark between us.’
‘And what about with you and Flynn?’ Hailey asked.
‘There’s more than a spark, there’s a bloody incendiary device,’ Lily said. ‘So, I told Johnno that we should just be friends.’
‘And what about Flynn?’ Hailey reached over to pick up her coffee from the table.
‘We’re taking it slowly and just seeing what happens.’
‘Now what the hell possessed you to do something dumb like that?’ Jill asked.
‘What do you mean?’ Lily said in surprise. ‘We’re both busy, him with the Grange and me with setting up a business.’
‘Oh for heaven’s sake, will you just stop?’ Jill said as she slumped back on the couch. ‘Jeez, Lily, I swear you’re doing my head in.’
‘Explain?’
‘Stop trying to be sensible and analyse everything! Just go with the flow for once and don’t put the brakes on. Be spontaneous for a change.’
‘But if Lily doesn’t want to go out with him then you shouldn’t bully her into it,’ Hailey said as she grabbed a biscuit.
‘I’m not bullying her!’ Jill said with a frown. ‘I’m trying to push her back into life.’
‘But that should be up to her.’
‘Well, of course it’s up to her, Hailey. All I’m saying is there’s an opportunity, so why not take it?’
‘Can we all stop talking like I’m not here?’ Lily said with a shake of her head. ‘Helllooo, I can hear you.’
‘Then take the advice,’ Jill quipped as she picked up the cushion and threw it at Lily.
‘I’m just trying not to make another mistake. Pietro—’
‘Was a shit, but just because it didn’t work out with him doesn’t mean it won’t work out with Flynn. All I’m saying is if you like Flynn, and it’s pretty obvious that you do, then go for it. You’re both adults and, as far as I can see, not hurting anyone.’
‘That’s true, but we all know that Flynn doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to relationships,’ Hailey cautioned.
‘Who said anything about that? Are you going to ask him to marry you?’
Lily shook her head and grinned. ‘God, no – we’ve only kissed a few times.’
‘That’s what I’m trying to get through to you. You don’t have to take it so seriously Lily. Why not just have a bit of fun?’
‘I don’t—’
‘Do fun,’ Hailey cut in. ‘Yes, we know.’
‘Ooh, that’s not fair.’
Jill sat forward and took Lily’s hand. ‘Look, ever since you left Violet Falls all those years ago you’ve been levelheaded and dependable. You supported your sister and looked after Holly once she was born. You’ve worked hard and traded away your teenage years to make sure your family was secure. I get it, you’re amazing, but we all need to let down our hair every once and a while. When was the last time you did something just for the hell of it?’
‘I … I—’
‘Exactly. You like Flynn, and it’s pretty obvious that he likes you, so go for it. Not because it might lead to something else but because it’ll be fun.’
‘I suppose you’re right.’
‘Of course I am. Besides, haven’t you always wondered what Flynn would be like in bed?’
‘Jill!’
‘Come on, you used to have the biggest crush on him when we were at school.’
‘Everyone had a crush on him back then, Jill,’ Hailey added, taking another sip of coffee. ‘And nearly everyone hooked up with him as well.’
‘Good point, even though it’s exaggerated,’ Jill said before her head snapped around and she stared at Hailey. ‘Hang on a minute, you said everyone went out with Flynn – did that include you?’
Hailey chuckled into her mug. ‘Maybe. Well, yes, a million years ago and for about a nanosecond.’
Jill stared at her open-mouthed. ‘I had no idea!’
Lily jumped in. ‘Oh, Hailey, I’m so sorry, I would never have talked about all this if I’d known that you and Flynn—’
‘It was over before it began,’ Hailey said as she reached over and squeezed Lily’s hand. ‘Believe me, it’s ancient history. I know that you’ve had a thing for him for years. Go on, Jill’s right – have a little fun. No one will hold that against you.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Oh for heaven’s sake, just go for it Lily,’ Jill said again. ‘Hailey doesn’t give a damn – as she said, it’s ancient history.’
Hailey smiled and nodded. ‘Of course. Go on, Lily – if you like him then where’s the harm? It’s just a bit of fun after all, nothing serious.’
Chapter 13
Spring gave way to summer, and in a flash it was the end of Holly’s school year. Somehow Lily had got roped into making three costumes for Holly’s end of school concert: a snowflake, a candy cane and an ice princess. It was worth all the effort, however, because Holly was the cutest snowflake ever.
Violet was also busy as she arranged Christmas party after Christmas party. Lily helped where she could. She’d been toying with an opening date of St Valentine’s Day for the shop but that got blown out of the water when Johnno informed her that even though the Heritage guy had given him the go ahead, the Council had now put a stop to works until the official paperwork was received, and all they could do was wait for this to happen. On top of that, Johnno and his team had a two-week break over the Christmas and New Year period. It had been annoying but Lily took it in her stride.
Christmas itself turned out to be one of the best Lily could ever remember. It seemed to be three days filled with non-stop fun, laughter and a continuous supply of food.
Holly had been in heaven, not only did she get to help decorate a Christmas tree at her place, but also at McKellan’s Run. Mac had decided as it was going to be the first Christmas he was sharing with Violet and Holly, they needed to have a celebration. So once again the great room at the old house was rearranged under Violet’s direction to accommodate the McKellen-Beckett-Hartley clan for Christmas lunch.
On the Saturday before Christmas, Mac, Flynn and Holly went Christmas tree hunting. They went ov
er to old Bob Newton’s place on the other side of Violet Falls. Bob had set aside a couple of acres of his farm for pine trees and each year he’d open the gates and let anyone who wanted a tree to come and get one – so long as you found, felled it, carted it off the premises and left a decent donation. He planted a row of new saplings every year to replace the ones that had been taken and any money he made was donated to the local hospital’s Christmas fund. It had taken a couple of hours but finally the three of them arrived back at Mac’s place carrying what Holly described as the best tree in the whole town.
Lily had glanced at Violet in surprise at the size of the tree as Mac and Flynn carried it into the house.
‘That’s massive!’
Flynn grinned at her. ‘Well, this was the one Holly wanted.’
‘Are you sure this isn’t just a boy thing?’
Flynn chuckled as he helped Mac manoeuvre the tree onto its stand. ‘Yeah well, there may have been a bit of that involved.’
‘Great tree,’ Violet said as she stood by Mac and placed her hand on his shoulder. ‘Thanks for doing this.’
‘Nothing to thank me for – besides, we needed a big tree as we have a big room. And I thought Holly would get a kick out of it.’
‘Isn’t it great, Mummy? Mac let me pick it out all by myself.’
‘Good job, kiddo,’ Violet said with a smile. ‘It’s fantastic – We’ve never had a real tree before.’
‘I like the one we’ve got at home but this one makes it look this big,’ Holly said as she held her thumb and forefinger up.
Lily couldn’t argue with that. The pink tinsel tree they had at home was only half the size of this one and it was leaning on a jaunty angle. It hadn’t started out that way, when she, Violet and Holly had put it together last week it had stood perfectly straight. That was until Tiger, Holly’s tortoiseshell kitten, had decided his humans had given him his own personal jungle gym. Tinsel was strewn across the floor and Tiger hit the plastic baubles up and down the hallway as if they were soccer balls. They kept shutting the door of the front room but somehow the kitten still managed to get inside. Lily had thought that perhaps Holly should have called him Houdini instead of Tiger … or maybe Lucifer.
Christmas morning had started early as Holly and Tiger had ‘accidentally’ managed to rouse the household around dawn. With bleary eyes Lily had stumbled out of her room and bumped into her sister in the kitchen as they both headed for the kettle. However, her sleep deprivation quickly disappeared as she watched Holly’s glee as she handed out presents from under the lopsided pink tinsel tree.
Mid-morning, when they arrived at McKellan’s Run, Mac greeted them at the door. He planted a kiss on Violet before he swung Holly in the air until she giggled.
‘Hey, I was wondering when you would get here,’ he said as he put Holly down.
‘We’re running a bit late,’ Violet admitted as she stepped inside.
‘Not to worry – Mum and Dan have only just arrived as well.’
‘Merry Christmas, Mac,’ Lily said as she gave him a peck on the cheek.
‘Thanks Lily – you too,’ he said. ‘So how’s your morning been?’
‘Well, let’s just say it started earlier than I thought it was going to,’ Lily said with a smile as she gestured towards Holly.
‘Ah, holiday exuberance?’ Mac chuckled.
‘Yeah, something like that,’ Lily said as she walked into the house.
Lily helped Violet dress and set the long table in the great room. Lily stepped back and admired their handiwork. There was a white silk damask runner down the centre of the table and dotted along it were tall white candles amongst bunches of ivy and pine twigs.
‘Well, it might be getting hot outside but at least we can pretend we’re in some sort of cool forest,’ Lily said. ‘It looks really pretty.’
‘Thanks,’ Violet said as she started setting the plates down. ‘I think they said that it was going to hit at least 35 degrees today.’
‘Thank goodness for air conditioning,’ Lily said with a smile. ‘Um, why are you setting so many places? I thought it was just going to be us.’
‘One place is for young Ben – he considers this his home now.’
Lily frowned. ‘So nothing’s changed?’
‘Nope, there’s still a problem with his father. Ben is safer here.’
‘And so who else is coming?’
Violet glanced up. ‘Jason – at least I think he’s coming.’
Lily exhaled. ‘Isn’t that going to be a bit awkward?’
‘Maybe, but there isn’t much we can do about it, is there? Jason is Mac’s brother and of course he’d want to be here with his family during the holidays. Besides, we’re all adults and I’m sure we can get through a meal without anything happening.’
‘What does Holly think about it – I mean about him coming today, she knows doesn’t she?’
Violet pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘Yeah, she’s aware that he might come. You know when I told her that Jason was her father she seemed to take it in her stride. I overheard her telling her friends that she had two fathers but other than that she hasn’t said much about it. I’ve tried to broach the issue with her a few times and she just changes the subject and talks about Mac.’
‘Maybe that’s telling in itself. Has Jason been in touch or seen Holly since the wedding-that-wasn’t fiasco?’ Lily asked as she walked over to the sideboard and picked up the cake stand with Sarah’s decorated Christmas cake. She placed it in the centre of the table and promised herself a piece later.
‘A couple of times here or at Sarah’s place. Both visits were pretty short and Jason didn’t say much – I guess trying to build a relationship with a child you didn’t know you had can take some time.’
‘Uncomfortable then?’
‘Kind of, but in saying that Holly seemed pretty at ease. She chattered non-stop about school, her friends, Tiger, dance class and Mac.’
‘So, do you think he’ll come?’
‘I don’t know – I guess time will tell.’
Even with Lily’s misgivings about Jason, lunch had turned out to be a happy affair filled with great food and laughter. As the day warmed up, everyone was slightly relieved that a cold lunch of salads, seafood and turkey rather than the traditionally hot Christmas dinner had been decided on. Not that she had had much to do with the food prep – Dan had taken it on himself to provide all of the lunch.
Flynn sat next to her, his leg brushing against hers – it was nice to have him close. She reached over and squeezed his hand. Jason had sat between Sarah and Dan, he appeared at ease and even laughed at a couple of Holly’s antics. Perhaps she should finally forgive him for the way he’d treated Violet in the past. For the sake of peace and harmony maybe she should give Jason the benefit of the doubt. But if he so much as looked at her sister the wrong way he’d have to answer to her. As Lily glanced around the table she began to realise just what it meant to have moved back to Violet Falls. Somehow she’d been enfolded into a bigger family and she hadn’t even noticed it until now.
***
Lily shut the front door behind her and jogged down the wooden steps just as the sun was beginning to appear over the distant hills. She’d already worked out this morning’s running route in her head: along the creek, a circuit of the botanical gardens and then cut through the main street on the way home. Some days she’d head in the opposite direction and run over the old bridge and out of town. Or if she was feeling uberhealthy and energetic she’d make her way to the falls, but today wasn’t that sort of day and she was keeping to her ‘go to’ route.
Lily paused at the gate as she tightened the bright red armband she always wore; she couldn’t imagine running without music. Flicking on her phone, she selected her tunes before popping in the earphones. With the fast beat pounding through her, Lily ran down the road until she reached the little dirt track that led to the creek.
She loved this time of the morning. There was a crispness that
was almost cold, but you knew it wouldn’t last for long, not with it being halfway through summer. There was a definite change in the air: the heat was coming and soon Lily would miss the freshness of these mornings. Lily’s feet hit the dirt track and caused little puffs of dust to kick up with every step. The land was beginning to dry out, and patches of grass were already dying off. The green still clung to the banks of the creek but for how long, Lily had no idea. The talk in town was that it was going to be a stinker of a summer; the Bureau of Meteorology had predicted it and so had old Mr Boccaccio, and he was never wrong. Even the creek itself was already showing signs of the drought. The water still ran quickly but the level had shrunk down the sides of the banks. If they didn’t get a decent downpour soon the whole of Violet Falls would be turned into a dustbowl. One of the town’s legends was that Landoc Creek had never once dried up, that the community could always count on it even in the fiercest of summers. But if decent rain didn’t come soon, it sounded like this year could be the exception.
Lily followed the track as it veered away from the creek and headed towards the town. The track turned into a paved footpath as Lily ran past the first few homes on the outskirts.
She glanced down at her watch and smiled as she ran through the tall stone gates of the botanical gardens. She’d managed to shave a couple of minutes off her normal time. To celebrate she stopped at the old Victorian-era drinking fountain for a few sips of cold, clear water.
As she ran around the large ornamental lake, Lily saw that most of the grass was still green and the big clumps of purple agapanthus were flowering. A council announcement last month had let it be known that even though they wouldn’t be able to save all the lawn in the gardens, they were going to try to maintain a section, along with the old established trees, by watering them from Lady Amelia Lake. Lily wondered how long that would last, because the water level there looked as if it was dipping dangerously low as well.
Lily ran a circuit and a half before leaving through the front gates. After a couple of blocks, she found herself at the top end of the main street. It was still empty, except for the delivery truck heading towards the supermarket.
Hartley's Grange Page 11
