He nodded towards the front door of the converted cottage. ‘You may as well come in.’ As they crunched across the gravel, silence reigned between them. He longed for the easy conversation they’d had in the Co-op, even their chat in the café before he’d gone and asked that tragic question. He couldn’t help the image that came into his head as he held the door open for her. Of how life should have been. Of them working alongside each other on the farm, living the country life and doing important things together – like getting their sheepdog from the vet.
‘Afternoon, Flynn.’ The vet, Craig, reached out to shake Flynn’s hand. He hadn’t been in town more than a year and wasn’t the type to gossip, so Flynn didn’t expect him to give them a hard time. Instead, he did a double take when he saw Ellie. ‘You’re that sheila from Lake Street.’
Ellie giggled awkwardly and nodded. ‘Don’t hold it against me.’
‘You kidding? My missus loves it. Wait till I tell her you were in my clinic today.’
Flynn could tell Ellie was uncomfortable, and he didn’t love the conversation much himself. ‘Can we see Rodger, Craig?’
The vet straightened up, looking slightly embarrassed. ‘Sure, sorry mate. I’ll go get him.’ Craig travelled down a corridor and returned a few minutes later with a very forlorn looking kelpie. Flynn dropped to his knees and held out his arms. He hated to see Rodg looking like this – so vulnerable, so old.
‘Come here, mate.’
But Rodger looked right past Flynn, visibly perking up as he noticed Ellie. Looking pleased with herself, she stooped a little and held out her hand. ‘Well, hello there, old friend.’
Craig let go of the leash and Rodger shuffled forward to greet Ellie, pining and wagging his tail as much as he could while still groggy from the anaesthetic.
‘I think he remembers me,’ Ellie said, delight in her voice. She knelt and wrapped her arms around the dog, not even flinching as he licked her all over her face. ‘Amazing.’
Not really, thought Flynn, she was pretty unforgettable.
Still, he felt somewhat put out that Rodger didn’t seem the slightest bit happy to see him, yet was embarrassingly all over Ellie. If the dog were human, this reunion would have been quite inappropriate.
He cleared his throat, loudly. ‘Rodger, lay off the poor girl.’
‘It’s fine.’ Ellie giggled and almost lost her balance as Rodger upped his antics.
Flynn couldn’t help but smile at the interaction in front of him. This was the old Ellie – a girl who loved animals and country life and couldn’t give two hoots about getting dirty.
This was the girl he’d loved.
Chapter Fifteen
‘What’s your secret?’ Matilda asked the second Ellie got her settled in the front seat of the Premier.
‘What are you on about?’ Ellie smiled down at her friend.
Her smile was met with Mat’s raised brow. ‘You’re glowing. I can practically feel the happiness radiating off you. Do you have good news or what?’
‘Nope,’ Ellie shook her head. She closed the door and trekked round to the driver’s side. She almost whistled but caught her lips between her teeth as she realised how it would look. Inside her was a big ball of happiness. She felt light-headed, lighthearted … and it had everything to do with Flynn. She should push the feeling aside, repress it, but dammit, she just wanted to enjoy it. Ellie couldn’t remember feeling so wonderful about just spending time with someone. Not for a while, anyway.
‘Well?’ Matilda glared at Ellie expectantly as she started the car.
‘Well, what?’
‘Your news? Have you heard from Dwayne or something?’
‘Huh?’ Oh, that’s right, she was an actress on a prime time television series. She hadn’t thought much about the show or Sydney for a few days now. She’d been too preoccupied with Mat, the play and, if she were honest with herself, Flynn.
‘It’s him, isn’t it?’ Matilda had a knack for reading minds.
Ellie thought through her options. She could deny it or she could save a lot of time and cut to the chase. ‘We had lunch together at the café.’
‘Ooh.’ Matilda’s utterance was packed with meaning.
Ellie’s cheeks burned. She felt like a schoolgirl sharing her first crush. A sigh slipped from her lips at the complexity of what she was feeling. Of what she shouldn’t be feeling. ‘Ooh is one word for it.’
‘So, what did you discuss? Are you, you know, seeing him again?’
‘It’s not like that,’ Ellie rushed. ‘We’re not dating.’ The truth in her words hurt her more than they should. ‘We’re just friends. It’s nice.’
‘Is it?’
Although Ellie focused on the road, she felt Mat’s eyes boring into the side of her head. She gulped and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She couldn’t talk about this, not now, not with Matilda. Not when her belly was fluttering at the mere mention of him. She pointedly changed the subject. ‘What are your plans for the arvo?’
Mat took the hint. ‘Are you still cooking with Joyce?’
‘She’s going to teach me how to make a caramel slice and then, if I conquer that, we might try a batch of scones.’
‘Sounds delicious. I might keep out of your way then. Have a quick rest and start sorting my stuff.’
‘Your stuff?’ Ellie thought of the cottage, swollen to the brim with knick-knacks and souvenirs from Mat’s expeditions around the globe. ‘What do you mean?’
Mat sighed. ‘I’m not getting any younger. These feet have shown me that, and I just thought –’
‘Anyone can break bones, Mat,’ Ellie interrupted. She refused to think about Matilda getting old. ‘It’s not a reflection of your age, more your stubborn-mindedness – believing you can do everything without help.’
‘Still, it’s got me thinking. You’re all I’ve got in this world. And you’re busy with your own life. I’d hate to think of my leaving you with all that junk to get rid of.’
‘As if!’ Ellie shrieked in outcry. ‘You have treasures, not junk. I’d never get rid of it.’
‘Get serious, girl, you couldn’t keep it all in that tiny apartment of yours. I was thinking there might be certain things you’d like to keep as a reminder of me. And while you’re here, well, this is a good time to do a clear-out. That way you can let me know what you’d like when I’m –’
‘Don’t say it. You can spring-clean if you like, but all this morbid chatter is creeping me out.’
When they got home, Ellie settled Mat on the couch to rest her legs for a while. She made them both sandwiches and scoffed hers down in record time, wanting to get the kitchen prepared for Joyce.
‘Ready to cook up a storm?’ Joyce was punctual as usual, arriving at two on the dot, her arms laden with recipe books. Not the type that Ellie had been given by friends who liked to pretend they could cook; there wasn’t a Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson in sight. No, Joyce’s books were old and splattered with food stains and smelled like homemade delights.
‘Definitely.’ Ellie opened the screen door and took some of the heavy load. She knew if anyone could teach her to make something actually worth eating, it was Joyce.
‘How’s Mat?’ Joyce asked, pushing her large sunglasses up over her head and peering into the living room. Ellie looked in behind her to see Matilda propped up by half a dozen mismatched cushions, her mouth gaping. She was already fast asleep.
‘Tired,’ Ellie answered, frowning. ‘She’s sick of the crutches and not being able to do anything – she hates to be so dependent on me. Hopefully the doc has good news when we see her next week.’
‘Hmm.’ Joyce pursed her lips as if thinking deeply about something. ‘Will you go back to Sydney soon, do you think?’
Sydney. Ellie’s heart froze in her chest. Of course that was what she’d do. She couldn’t go on like this forever – pottering from day to day, effectively jobless. Three-and-a-half weeks ago she’d landed in Hope Junction, wanting nothing more than for time t
o speed by so she could leave. But this holiday from city life had been surprisingly fabulous. Now the thought of packing up again, of saying goodbye to Matilda, to the town, and to Flynn, put her in a panic. The thought of leaving before the play was awful too – she felt part of that now, completely.
‘Umm, I haven’t really given it much thought. I mean, I’m enjoying myself, and I’d really like to get my mentees a little closer to their debut.’
Joyce grinned. ‘So good old Hope isn’t that bad after all?’
‘No.’ Ellie tried to keep a straight face. ‘It has its merits.’
‘Right, then, let’s get to work.’
Joyce and Ellie spent the better part of the afternoon baking, and Ellie found it a strangely relaxing pastime. Joyce was easy to get along with – Ellie was glad Mat had such a good friend close by, it made thinking about her return to Sydney that tiny bit easier. Joyce was also a fabulous teacher, and pretty soon Ellie was surveying the kitchen table with a large smile. The spread was – if she said so herself – splendid. Alongside the caramel slice and the oversized scones was a rich, chocolate mud cake. Joyce praised Ellie’s enthusiasm. What she didn’t know was that mud cake was a long-time favourite of Flynn’s, and that Ellie had lovingly toiled all afternoon with him in mind.
Some time between the scones and the mud cake, Matilda woke up and shuffled into the kitchen to watch. She seemed exhausted despite having slept about four hours, and Ellie couldn’t help but notice Joyce fuss over her. Ellie wondered if there was something else going on. She was probably making mountains out of molehills but, nevertheless, she made a mental note to talk to Joyce about it soon.
The opportunity didn’t come that afternoon, though. Joyce stuck around until tea time, and the three of them pored over Mat’s old photo albums and travel journals until it was time to go to rehearsal.
Ellie grinned as the first full rehearsal came to a close. She applauded as loud as she could, as did Matilda, Joyce, Mrs Ellery, Flynn, Troy and Sam. The thirteen actors still had a fair bit of work to do before opening night – a mere five weeks away – but they’d come such a long way since they started. Ellie couldn’t help but be proud of the part she’d played in their improvement. Everyone deserved the celebratory supper they were enjoying that evening, and as Ellie helped Joyce lay out the food on a couple of old trestle tables, she was glad she’d been able to contribute.
But glad didn’t begin to describe the emotion she felt when Flynn sidled up to her, his hand full of a slice of mud cake. She rubbed her lips together, waiting for him to take a bite. When he did, she watched his reaction closely.
‘Phwoar,’ he said as he swallowed the first mouthful, his eyeballs almost glazing over. ‘This is heaven. Joyce is amazing.’
‘That she is,’ Ellie smiled, resisting the urge to wipe a crumb from Flynn’s lip. The last thing she needed was to feel her skin against his. ‘But, as it happens, that’s one of my creations.’
‘Really? I didn’t know you could cook.’
‘I’d like to tell you I’m a whiz like Joyce but, fact is, I’m only learning.’ She shrugged. ‘I like it though, and seeing a reaction like yours makes even the washing up seem worthwhile.’
‘In that case, I’ll have to get you to make another.’
‘That’d be the test. This one could have been a fluke.’
‘So, you didn’t cook much in Sydney, then?’
Ellie shook her head. ‘Not unless you count scrambled eggs. I’m usually so exhausted after filming that I can’t be stuffed cooking a meal for one. Guess I never really gave myself the chance to find out if I was any good.’
‘How did you get the gig on Lake Street?’ he asked, swiping another slice of cake from the table and leaning back against the wall. He looked like he was willing to listen for the long haul. Ellie loved the idea of having Flynn’s undivided attention, but she was wary of the vibes he’d been giving off about her acting. This was the first time he’d spoken of it without the muscles in his neck constricting. ‘You never mentioned you wanted to act to me,’ he added, and she’d be an imbecile not to notice the pitch of accusation in his voice.
‘That’s because the idea never really crossed my mind,’ she answered, honestly. It wasn’t very feminist of her to admit it – so she rarely did – but back then she hadn’t thought much about a career of her own. She’d just assumed she’d work with Flynn on the farm, his partner in every way. ‘It just kinda fell into place.’
He raised a sceptical brow. ‘Lucy reckons she wants to become an actor. She’s under the impression it’s a hard profession to get into.’
‘She’s wise beyond her years, that little sister of yours. And she’s right, but there’s an exception to every rule, and you’re looking at her.’
‘So what happened?’
Ellie told him the story of arriving in New South Wales without knowing a soul, barely a penny to her name. How she’d taken a bed at the first hostel she’d come across and found a job the next day at the pub down the road.
The thought that things had fallen into place for Ellie from the day she left was a heavy one. Flynn ignored the twinge in his heart and focused on her words. She spoke about being an extra before getting a permanent place on Lake Street. Her history was interesting as long as he forced himself to forget that her career had been at the expense of a life with him. He listened as if she were someone he’d just met. He could do this, he could talk about her job, her life, and not feel completely bitter about it. Still, when a pause came in the conversation, he welcomed the opportunity to escape.
‘It’s getting late. I better be getting Lucy home.’
‘Sorry for rabbiting on,’ Ellie said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
‘No, I enjoyed it,’ he lied. Even if it were bad for him, he liked being around her – that he couldn’t deny – it was talking about her other life that irked him. ‘But Luce has exams soon and needs her rest.’
‘Fair enough.’ Ellie nodded and they both glanced around the room. There was no sign of Lucy. Flynn frowned, but relaxed a little when he saw Troy polishing off the scones at the other end of the table. ‘Maybe she’s popped to the toilet,’ Ellie said, as if reading his mind. ‘Do you want me to go check?’
‘Yes please.’ He tapped his boots against the dusty floor for what seemed like forever, waiting for Ellie to return. When she did, Lucy was not by her side.
‘Well?’ he asked.
‘Not there.’ She pursed her lips, her eyes twinkling as if she were trying to smother a smile.
‘What’s so funny?’ he asked.
‘I think you’d better come with me.’
‘Don’t play games, Ellie. Did you find her?’
‘Yes, well, not in the bathroom, so I checked outside. She’s fine.’ Ellie touched his arm slightly and nodded in the direction of the main doors, urging him to follow. Feeling like a cranky old man, he did so. Pressing one index finger to her lips, Ellie used the other to point into the shadows. Flynn narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the details in the dingy alley.
‘Is that who I think it is? Is that what I think it is?’ His stomach churning, he tried to charge forward but Ellie had a surprisingly firm grip on his arm.
‘Shh,’ she hissed, but neither his voice nor hers appeared to be a problem. Lucy and Sam were altogether too consumed in each other to notice anyone else. Sam? And he’d thought Troy was the one to watch.
‘I can’t just stand here and watch him grope her,’ Flynn whispered, yanking his arm free.
‘He’s not groping her.’
‘As good as,’ Flynn scoffed. His eyes boggled as Sam’s hand disappeared from view. ‘That’s it.’
‘We did much worse, Flynn.’ This stilled him for a moment as red-hot memories came rushing back. Oh boy, had they done much worse. And enjoyed every fucking moment of it. But this was Lucy, this was …
‘She’s my little sister, Ellie. I have to do something.’
‘Flynn.’ Ellie’s voice wa
s low but firm. ‘Will Lucy appreciate it if you go barging over there? She’s seventeen. If you don’t want to alienate her, you’ll give her some privacy. Let’s go back inside and call her mobile.’
Her words made some degree of sense, but they did nothing to release the tension in his body. He clenched his fists and looked at Ellie. ‘What if she gets pregnant?’
‘Last time I checked, you couldn’t get pregnant from kissing, Flynn.’
‘You know what I mean.’ Still, her humour worked to relax him a little.
‘Look, if you’d like, I could have a talk with her,’ Ellie suggested. ‘Friend to friend, rather than big bro to little sis. She might be more receptive if I check she knows all about … being careful.’
Flynn let out a frustrated growl and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn’t want to think about his little sister and contraception in the same sentence. ‘Okay, but sooner rather than later – Troy and Sam are coming over on Thursday to paint the set. Why don’t you come and help, engineer some way of talking to Lucy?’
‘Sounds good.’
‘Great.’ Yet Flynn felt only marginally better as he trekked back inside to call Lucy and break up the lovebirds.
Chapter Sixteen
On Thursday, Ellie collected Lucy, Troy and Sam from school so they’d get to Black Stump quicker than on the bus. As she cruised along the quiet, gravel roads, Troy sat in the front, munching on a packet of Smith’s chips and chatting to Ellie. He reminded her a lot of a young Flynn. His interests were definitely the same – food, football and his family’s farm – and their conversation helped keep her mind off what lay ahead. This would be her first proper visit to Black Stump – where she was once almost part of the furniture – since she’d left for Sydney. She’d ventured onto the periphery when she’d visited Flynn at his dam, but the location of his secret place meant she hadn’t had to drive by the homestead to get there. The swarm of blackbirds was back in her stomach.
Jilted Page 14
