Something to Talk About (Rose Hill, #2)

by Rachael Johns

  She beamed as they shook hands—surely Eileen wasn’t one of the single women on the prowl? She was old enough to be his mother.

  ‘It’s so lovely to have a male teacher in town. I don’t have any children there myself anymore but I’ve been a big supporter of the school—I was P&C president for almost eleven years and I hope to have grandchildren there one day. My husband and I would love to have you round for dinner one night, or maybe Sunday lunch? I cook a very good roast lamb, even if I do say so myself.’

  If Ferg wasn’t stuffed full of barbecue, his mouth might have watered a little at the mention of roast lamb, and she’d spoken of a husband, so it was probably safe to assume she wasn’t a cougar.

  Beck clicked her fingers. ‘What a pity we’re having a staff meeting on Sunday.’

  ‘On the weekend?’ Eileen frowned.

  ‘Yes,’ Joanne confirmed. ‘And Fergus just told us he’s vegan, so your roast won’t suit him. Never mind.’

  Vegan? Ferg thought as Joanne stood and started ushering Eileen towards the front door. ‘Thanks for telling us about the cows.’

  As the two women disappeared down the hallway, the others erupted into giggles.

  ‘You owe me one for that,’ Beck said.

  ‘What?’ he asked. ‘She seemed like a nice lady.’

  ‘With three single daughters she wants married off asap,’ Maria told him with a wink. ‘I’d bet money they’d all be at lunch on Sunday if you’d said yes and Eileen wouldn’t let you escape without agreeing to take at least one of them on a date!’

  Surely this was some kind of joke. These country folks had to be a having a laugh at his expense.

  Haylee’s husband—Brad, that was it!—leaned back in his seat and laughed loudly. ‘Hasn’t anybody warned you that new teachers to town are fair game? I snapped Hayles up the moment she arrived.’

  ‘Actually, someone did, but I didn’t know they were serious.’

  Ferg’s thoughts turned to Tabitha. He found himself wondering who the father of her baby was and wishing Eileen hadn’t interrupted that conversation.

  Was her pregnancy the result of a one-night stand or had she broken up with the father? If so, it couldn’t have happened that long ago as she wasn’t showing yet. Perhaps she was fresh out of a bad break-up, meaning she probably meant it when she’d said she wasn’t interested in him. His face suddenly felt impossibly hot as he recalled their exchange. Maybe he owed her an apology.

  ‘It’s alright, we’ll look out for you,’ Beck said. ‘We’ll let you know who to steer clear of.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Ferg shook his head. ‘But I’m here to teach and that’s it. I’m focused on the kids; I’m not looking for a relationship.’

  ‘Have you got someone special already back in Perth?’ Haylee asked.

  It crossed his mind that maybe he should invent a girlfriend (or boyfriend) but then everyone would probably pester him, wondering when she (or he) was coming down to visit.

  ‘No. It’s just me.’

  ‘Interested in hooking up with anyone?’ Brad asked with a chuckle.

  He shook his head. ‘I just came out of a long-term relationship and I’m not ready to date again just yet.’

  ‘Aw.’ The women around the table looked at him like he’d just announced his cat had died.

  ‘It is what it is.’

  ‘Do you play sport?’ Judy asked, and Ferg was glad of the change of topic.

  ‘A little.’

  ‘What about cricket?’

  ‘Yeah, played a bit in my time.’

  ‘I was wondering if you’d be interested in helping coach junior cricket for the kids? Terry Saunders, Carline’s husband, has been running it for years but he’s reluctantly withdrawn this year because he’s going to be too busy driving Carline to and from chemo over the next couple of months. I’ve asked around but, heading into harvest, most of the dads say they’ll turn up when they can but can’t commit.’

  ‘Sure. I’ll do it.’ Ferg didn’t have to think twice. He was rapidly coming to understand that everyone pitched in where they could in a country town and this way he’d tick that community-spirit box and be helping kids at the same time.

  ‘Fantastic!’ Judy applauded him and the others also smiled their approval. ‘Training has always been Thursday afternoons, and they start next week.’

  ‘What’s all the excitement?’ asked Trevor as he and Judy’s husband trundled back into the room.

  ‘Fergus has agreed to help coach junior cricket,’ Beck said.

  ‘That’s wonderful news.’

  ‘Let me guess … there were no cows on the road?’ Joanne asked Trevor.

  ‘Not even one,’ he replied.

  Chapter Five

  ‘It’s about time we had a male teacher in Walsh. Of course I want Carline to get better, but it’d be wonderful if we could somehow get the new man to stay too. It would be so good for the kids to have a good male role model, especially the boys.’

  ‘But did you hear he’s a vegan?’

  ‘No! Surely not. How did you find that out?’

  Tab cleared her throat as she hovered beside a table where two women who had been friends with her mum sat wearing tennis uniforms. She couldn’t care less what Fergus McWilliams chose to put in his mouth but she wished people would stop talking about him as if he were royalty come to town.

  ‘Good afternoon, Mrs Brown, Mrs Walker, what can I get you today? Meg has made some delicious blueberry and lemon scones, or are you after something cold on this warm afternoon? I can recommend our choc-orange ice-cream cookie sandwich.’

  ‘Oh, hello, Tabby.’ Mrs Walker smiled up at her. ‘They both sound delicious. How ever are we supposed to choose?’

  ‘Why don’t we get both and we can share?’ suggested Mrs Brown. ‘We have, after all, just burned off a number of calories playing tennis.’

  ‘Good idea.’ Tab nodded. ‘And can I get you something to drink?’

  They ordered a pot of herbal tea for two and just as Tab stepped away, Mrs Walker said, ‘And congratulations on your lovely news, dear. Your mother would have been so proud of your independence and the way you’ve overcome so many hurdles in your life.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Tab smiled. ‘I’m very excited.’

  ‘We were just talking about the new teacher. Of course there’s a few years till your little one will be at school,’ mused Mrs Brown. ‘Perhaps Ned will be in his class?’

  ‘I guess so,’ Tab said dryly. ‘Now, I’d love to stay and chat but we’re short-staffed in the kitchen today, so …’ She turned away and rolled her eyes as she went to start on the order.

  She huffed loudly as she grabbed a plate and two cookies from the cabinet, went back into the café to scoop the ice-cream from the display fridge and then returned to work her magic with the trimmings. Desserts had become their speciality at Eliza’s Tea Rooms and they took great pride in presentation.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Meg asked, as she pulled a fresh batch of scones out of the oven.

  ‘Yes, but if I hear one more word about the new teacher … I might throttle someone.’

  ‘Mr McWilliams?’ Meg looked confused. ‘You know him?’

  ‘I met him on Wednesday afternoon and I don’t wish to know him any more than that. He’s an arrogant arse. We can only hope Carline has a miraculous recovery and he goes back to the city before he can infect our kids.’

  Meg held up a hand. ‘Whoa … rewind a little. What happened?’

  The bell on the counter dinged, signalling another customer.

  Meg groaned. ‘Do you want to get that and I’ll take this order out? Then you better tell me everything.’

  ‘Sure.’ Tab put the final touch of candy floss on top of the sandwich and then went outside to greet their new customer. Thankfully it wasn’t anyone from Walsh. ‘Hi, what can I get for you?’

  ‘Can I have two takeaway flat whites and three chocolate milkshakes?’ asked the man, glancing around. ‘This place is fantastic. How long ha
ve you been open?’

  ‘Just over a year.’

  He nodded. ‘We haven’t driven through Rose Hill in a couple of years. Last time we were here it was a ghost town so my wife and I are pleasantly surprised to see the change.’

  ‘It’s still pretty quiet, but since we opened the tea rooms, it’s getting a little more traffic. There’s talk of reviving the park across the road as well. We’re a nice distance between Perth and Margaret River for those wanting to take the scenic route.’

  The man grinned. ‘That’s why we come this way and it’s so good to see a bit of life again—it breaks my heart when small towns die.’ He pointed into the small gallery off the main café. ‘Is the artwork all local?’

  ‘Ah huh. We have plenty of talent in the region,’ she said as she started on the coffees. ‘Everything is local, from the jams we use on the scones to the ice-cream.’

  His gaze went to the glass display fridge that housed all her current flavours. ‘The ice-cream is local?’

  Tab nodded proudly. ‘Yes, it’s mine actually. We source the milk from my family’s dairy farm and make the ice-cream right here on the premises. Would you like a taste-test while you wait for your drinks?’

  ‘Yes, please.’

  Tab gave him a spoonful of her latest creation—crunchy caramel donut—and glowed inside at the expression on his face as he tasted it.

  ‘That’s out of this world. Who’d have thought of putting donuts into ice-cream? We’ll definitely drop in for desserts with the kids on our way home. Catch ya.’

  After the happy camper left with his drinks and a couple of chocolate brownies to go, there was a late afternoon rush, so Meg didn’t get the chance to grill Tab until they were closing up.

  ‘I’m dying to hear about Mr McWilliams,’ she said as she flipped the sign on the door to closed, pulled out the nearest chair and flopped into it. ‘Where did you meet him?’

  Tab took a weight off her feet in the seat opposite. ‘At the school. I saw him painting out the front on my way home the other day and thought I’d go welcome him and offer him my leftovers from Stitch’n’Bitch.’

  ‘That was a nice idea.’

  ‘I thought so, but it was a debacle. When I tried to shake his hand, I ended up throwing the whole plate of food at him.’

  ‘What?’ Meg’s eyes widened.

  Tab nodded and filled her in on how he’d gaped in disgust at her arm and then when she’d tried to give him a friendly warning, insinuated she had ulterior motives for bringing him food. Meg seemed to find great amusement in the story.

  ‘The man’s got tickets on himself.’

  Meg smirked. ‘Sounds like he’s got under your skin.’

  ‘He most definitely has not!’

  ‘Okay, okay, I believe you, but maybe you got him on a bad day, or maybe there’s a good reason why he was a little standoffish and unpleasant.’

  ‘A little?’

  Meg chuckled. ‘Don’t let him get to you. As we’ve all told Ned, a person’s bad behaviour is a reflection on them, not you. I think people probably thought I was standoffish when I first came to town, but as you know, I had my reasons.’

  Meg’s reasons were major indeed and had almost kept her and Lawson apart.

  ‘I don’t think you were ever rude exactly.’

  Still, Meg’s comment did make Tab think. Although she didn’t believe there was ever any excuse for being rude to another human being, could there be more to Fergus’s story than met the eye?

  Chapter Six

  Ferg took a sip of his coffee and glanced around his classroom. He’d been up since the crack of dawn and had arrived at school a good hour before any of the other staff.

  ‘You all ready?’ At the question, he looked up to see Joanne standing in the open doorway. ‘Carline usually greets everyone at the gate on the first day back, but I thought I’d check if you wanted me here to introduce you to the class instead.’

  He shook his head. ‘Nah, I’ll be fine. I can’t wait to meet the kids.’

  ‘They’re a great bunch. As I said, there are a few boys who can be difficult and like to push boundaries, but if you show them who’s boss right away, you’ll be fine.’

  It was the difficult, troubled kids Fergus was looking forward to the most—he’d been one himself thanks to his messed-up childhood and knew first-hand how a great teacher could turn a person’s life around. He’d chosen to become a teacher because he wanted to make that kind of difference in kids’ lives, to help them believe in themselves, whatever life threw at them.

  But before he could reply, his phone buzzed with a text message.

  Joanne nodded. ‘Do you need to answer that?’

  ‘Nah, it’s probably just the dentist or someone.’ He took a final sip of his coffee then threw the disposable cup in the bin.

  ‘Okay then, well, I’ll be off. Break a leg.’ She laughed a little. ‘I’ll pop in sometime this morning to see how you’re going.’

  ‘Thanks.’ As Joanne left, Fergus glanced down at the message.

  Good luck on your first day. Would love to hear all about it. Miss you. E.

  Despite the unfamiliar number, it didn’t take a genius to know who ‘E’ was. He’d blocked her (and Jools), but she must have borrowed someone else’s phone to message him.

  Why couldn’t they just leave him alone?

  They were obviously feeling guilty and wanted his forgiveness, but that would only make them feel better—it wouldn’t change the situation, and it sure as hell wouldn’t make him feel better. What did they expect? That he’d give them his blessing and they could go back to playing happy families? He shook his head and made a mental note to call Telstra and get himself a new number. Maybe then they’d get the message that he didn’t want them in his life anymore.

  At the sound of footsteps, Fergus looked up to see two little boys shuffling into the room. He shoved his phone in the desk drawer and went over to greet them.

  ‘Hi guys.’ He stooped down to their level and they looked up at him warily. ‘I’m Mr McWilliams, your new teacher. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’

  ‘I’m Levi and this is Tate.’ The one on the left pointed to the other boy—it was impossible to tell them apart.

  ‘You must be the Walsh twins.’ Fergus remembered seeing that surname on his class list and wondering if they were any relation to Adeline and the founding Walshes.

  ‘Good morning. I’m Sally and these ratbags belong to me.’

  He glanced up to see a pretty but harried-looking woman standing behind them—he’d not even noticed her come in.

  ‘Hi.’ He smiled at the mother and ruffled each twin’s hair. ‘They don’t look like ratbags at all.’

  The woman snorted. ‘Looks can be deceiving.’ Then she stooped down and kissed them both goodbye. ‘Don’t forget you’re getting the bus to the farm this afternoon.’ As the twins wandered off, Sally explained, ‘The boys’ father and I are divorced. They’re with my ex-husband this week, but please call me if there are any issues.’

  Fergus nodded and as Sally left there was an influx of kids.

  ‘I came on the bus,’ said one little girl, who introduced herself as Lisl, then glanced around the classroom and noticed the new desk arrangement and theme.

  ‘Harry Potter,’ she mused, and he wasn’t sure if she was impressed or not with the set-up.

  ‘That’s right. Have you seen the movies?’

  ‘I’ve read the books and seen the movies.’

  ‘Even better,’ he replied. ‘I can tell you and I are going to get on like a house on fire.’

  Lisl raised her eyebrows. He guessed this little girl might take a little bit of winning over, but that was okay. Ferg liked a challenge. Lisl went off to unpack her bag and he introduced himself to the rest of the first load of bus kids.

  ‘Are you really a teacher?’ asked a little boy with a thick mop of black hair that fell across his eyes.

  Ferg nodded. ‘Sure am. Did four years at university a
nd have a certificate to prove it. What’s your name?’

  ‘Jimmy.’ The boy frowned. ‘But I thought only women could be teachers.’

  Another boy backed him up. ‘Mum says girls can be doctors, boys can be nurses and men can be teachers but we’ve never seen one before.’ His tone said he’d believed the male teacher was a myth, up there with Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy.

  ‘Just because we’ve never had a male teacher,’ Lisl interjected with an obvious roll of her eyes, ‘doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Women can be anything they want to be and I guess that means so can men.’

  Ferg fought a smile. ‘That’s right, Lisl. In Perth, I know lots of male teachers.’

  Before anyone in the small crowd could say anything else, two more little girls and a tall slim woman with a wide-brimmed straw hat entered the classroom.

  The woman strode across the room and held out her hand. ‘Good morning, Mr McWilliams,’ she said with a wide grin. ‘I’m Tennille Wellington, and these two delights are my eldest kids, Victoria, Year 4, and Amelia, Year 3.’

  ‘Although everyone calls me Milly,’ announced the shorter of the two girls.

  ‘I’ve got to rush ’cause my other three are outside on the playground and lord knows what strife they’re getting up to, but I just wanted to say hi and welcome to town. You’ve chosen a good time to land. We’re gearing up for the annual agricultural show and it’s an anniversary year, so it’s going to be bigger and better than usual. I’m not sure if Joanne’s told you yet—she probably didn’t want to bombard you—but we like to get as many kids entering our competitions as possible, get the younger generations excited about the show. So many other small shows are dying and we don’t want that to happen to ours. Anyway, it’d be good if you could allocate a couple of afternoons to this for the kids who don’t have the encouragement at home. I’m happy to come in and help—I’ll drop my young ones off at occasional care. Just let me know.’

  Tennille plopped a kiss on each of her girls’ heads, then waggled her fingers at him as she left the classroom. ‘We’ll talk soon.’