Something to Talk About (Rose Hill, #2)

by Rachael Johns

  Joanne beamed. ‘Isn’t Tab great? Anyway, I won’t keep you, but you got a phone call today that I couldn’t put through because you were on playground duty, and then it slipped my mind. I took a message though.’

  ‘Oh?’ Dread filled his lungs because even before she said anything more, he knew.

  ‘Yes, lovely woman—said she’s a friend of yours from Perth. Jools? She sounded really keen to talk to you. She said it was about your sister and really important. Said you should have her number but just in—’

  ‘I don’t need her number.’ He grabbed the post-it note from Joanne’s hand and screwed it into a ball. How on earth had Jools and Eider found out where he’d moved? He’d been careful not to broadcast his new location, so as far as he knew only the education department had that information.

  Joanne blinked, clearly taken aback, and Ferg sucked in a breath.

  ‘Sorry.’ It wasn’t Joanne’s fault Jools wouldn’t let things alone. Damn Jools. When they first met, he’d found her persistence in pursuing him so appealing. He’d loved that she was such a go-getter. But now that same trait aggravated him something chronic.

  ‘She’s my ex-fiancée,’ he explained, shoving the scrunched-up note in his pocket, annoyed he needed to explain. ‘We broke up a little before I came down here and—’

  ‘She can’t accept that it’s over?’ Joanne gave him an understanding smile. ‘Say no more. Sometimes it’s hard letting go, but there’s no point forcing a relationship if you’re not feeling it. Was that why you took the job?’

  He nodded; her assumption less mortifying than the truth. ‘I wanted to put some distance between us.’ Unfortunately, it didn’t seem three hours’ south was distant enough. The jobs he’d applied for next year, up in the far north of Western Australia, were looking more and more appealing. ‘Not that I’m not enthusiastic about the job and the kids here as well, it’s just …’

  She reached out and patted his arm. ‘It’s okay. I understand. And I have no complaints about your work ethic or your teaching. You’ve been a blessed addition to our school community.’

  ‘Thanks.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Anyway, I’m sorry you’ve been unwittingly involved in my personal life, but if she calls again, can you please ask her not to contact me?’

  Joanne nodded. ‘Consider it done. Now, I best let you get off to cricket. Have a good afternoon.’

  ‘Thanks. You too.’ Ferg turned to go, then added as an afterthought, ‘Could I ask you one more favour? If someone named Eider calls, please don’t take a message or put her through either.’

  He hated asking Joanne to do his dirty business, but he didn’t want his ex and sister tag-teaming him.

  The acting principal’s eyes widened. ‘Another ex?’

  ‘No!’ He forced a laugh. ‘She’s … she’s a friend of Jools and …’ How should he put it? He definitely didn’t want to go into all the messy details.

  ‘Enough said. No Jools and no Eider. I’ll tell Beck as well. I’m sorry to have caused you any distress.’

  ‘It’s fine. Thanks.’ Ferg strode off to his car, feeling anything but fine as anguish filled him from head to toe and had every muscle in his body tensing.

  When he arrived at the oval, there were already a few cars parked on the edge and some children spinning around on the grass. He hauled the training equipment out of his car and headed over to them. One of the mums intercepted him on the way.

  ‘Hi Fergus. It’s great to see you again.’ As she flashed him a wide toothy grin, he realised she wasn’t a mum at all, but the young woman who’d been searching for Mrs Lord with him the other night.

  ‘Hey.’ He forced a polite nod. What was her name? Corrine or something? It was on the tip of his tongue. But why was she even here?

  As if she could read his mind, she pointed over to the kids. ‘I brought Victoria and Milly—I’m their aunty—and since I’m here, I’m happy to help. I was on the junior cricket team myself not too long ago.’

  ‘Great. Thanks,’ he said, conscious of the way she held his gaze and the way her tongue darted out to moisten her lips after she spoke.

  At that moment the ice-cream van rolled into the car park and Ferg immediately felt some of the tension caused by Jools’ message ease. Almost forgetting Karen or whatever her name was, he watched as Tabitha climbed out of her van. Once again, she was wearing those tiny black shorts and a T-shirt that left little to the imagination. He felt his breath quicken.

  ‘Hey Mr McDuck,’ Ned shouted as he joined the growing group of kids on the oval.

  ‘Hey Ned.’ Ferg waved and then turned to Carly. ‘Do you want to start getting the kids warmed up—a few stretches, a quick run around the oval, that kinda thing—while I talk to Tabitha about the rest of the activities?’

  She didn’t look too pleased to be dismissed, but quickly covered over any disappointment with a smile as she twisted a few strands of her honey-blonde hair around her finger. ‘Whatever you say. I’m at your service.’ Then she turned and cupped her hands around her mouth as she hollered, ‘Alright kids. Everyone over here.’

  As the children gathered around his newest recruit, Tabitha approached, a bottle of water in one hand and another tucked under her arm.

  ‘Good afternoon.’ Grinning, she tipped her cap at him.

  ‘Is it?’ The words came out of their own accord.

  She raised an eyebrow as she placed the bottles down on the ground near the equipment bag. ‘Bad day?’

  He swallowed the impulse to unload on her about Jools and Eider. Just because they’d shared one nice meal together didn’t mean they were friends. ‘Nah, not really. How was yours?’

  ‘Yeah, good. Spent the day with Meg in the kitchen prepping food for the tea rooms. It’s good to be outside for a break. So, coach,’ she cleared her throat, ‘what’s the plan for this arvo?’

  He kinda liked it when she called him coach. ‘Well …’ He gestured to the kids who were dotted around the perimeter of the oval. ‘Victoria and Milly’s aunt is getting everyone warmed up and then I thought we could split into three skills stations since we have an extra pair of hands.’

  Ferg cringed the moment the words were out of his mouth, but Tabitha didn’t even flinch.

  ‘Carrie’s helping us?’ she asked.

  ‘Ah, Carrie, that’s her name.’

  Tabitha laughed and shook her head. ‘So what are you thinking? Batting, bowling and …?’

  ‘I noticed last week and also during PE at school that many of the kids lack good hand-eye coordination. So I reckon we get them to do some simple throwing and catching practice. Which group do you want to take?’

  ‘I’ll take the bowlers,’ Tab said as Carrie arrived back with the kids.

  It took a few minutes to organise them into groups and then everything went smoothly for the next half an hour. The kids actually seemed to be making inroads on their skills, so Ferg decided it was time to put their practice into action and give another game a try. He wanted to be sure they all knew the rules before their first game this Saturday. Dividing them into two teams, he put Tabitha in charge of the batting team and Carrie in charge of the fielders.

  ‘I’ll umpire.’ It would give him a chance to take stock of each player’s strengths and weaknesses.

  They were barely two minutes into the game when Ned—making a mad dash between the wickets after an awesome hit—tripped, thanks to his leg pads, and face-planted the ground. Youch, Fergus winced as the bat somehow collided with the boy’s head; he could almost feel the crack himself.

  ‘You alright, mate?’ He rushed forward, Tabitha right behind him. ‘That was a pretty nasty knock on the head.’ They crouched low and Ned looked up, dirt and grass in his mouth and his eyes wide. He was clearly trying not to cry. ‘My hand hurts.’

  Ferg glanced down at the boy’s arm as he helped him into a sitting position.

  ‘Where exactly?’ Tabitha asked.

  ‘Here.’ He pointed to his wrist and shrieked a little whe
n she touched it.

  Ferg and Tabitha exchanged a look. He’d seen his fair share of breaks in his time as a teacher and he guessed as an ambulance volunteer she probably had as well.

  ‘Sorry, I’m going to have to bail and take him to the hospital,’ she said.

  He nodded, ignoring the tug of disappointment that hit him in the gut.

  Carrie piped up, ‘Don’t worry, Fergus and I have everything under control. Hope you feel better soon, Ned.’

  After they left, Ferg tried to get the kids to focus again but they were all unsettled over the incident. Half of them seemed genuinely worried about their friend, a few were anxious that some similar accident might befall them and the rest were simply upset that it meant they wouldn’t be getting ice-cream today.

  He couldn’t blame them. He really couldn’t concentrate either.

  ‘My arm really hurts, Aunty Tab,’ Ned said as she helped him into the van. ‘Do you think I’m going to have to get it chopped off like you did?’

  ‘No,’ Tab soothed, trying not to chuckle. She strapped him in and then walked around to climb into the driver’s side, glancing back to see a big grin on Carrie’s face.

  The younger woman had practically salivated when Tab said she’d have to leave. And what was she wearing? A short denim skirt and crop top were hardly appropriate attire for coaching a bunch of kids. Not to mention her hair flying around wildly in the wind because she hadn’t tied it up. Tab probably looked like a middle-aged PE teacher in comparison, but that’s because she’d chosen her clothes for practicality, not to impress the hot coach.

  Carrie must have been taking lessons in seduction from Adeline, not that her techniques had got her very far. Tab might not be an expert in men but even she could see that throwing yourself at members of the opposite sex would more likely have the guy in question running for the hills. Carrie’s behaviour was actually quite sad and embarrassing, and really none of Tab’s business, but she still found herself irritated by it.

  ‘I want Dad,’ Ned sobbed as she sat in the van beside him. The bravado he’d been trying to display in front of his friends vanished as tears fell fast and furious down his cheeks.

  ‘Oh, sweetie.’ Pushing all thoughts of Carrie and Fergus out of her head, Tab reached out and gave Ned a hug, careful not to hurt his arm. ‘We’ll call your dad as we drive. I’m sure he’ll meet us at the hospital.’

  ‘Okay. And do you think whatever they’re going to do will hurt?’

  Tab smiled warmly at him. ‘No more than what you’re feeling now. They’ll give you some nice painkillers, and then maybe you’ll get a cool cast and all your friends can write their names on it.’

  Ned cheered up a little at this prospect and Tab took the opportunity to call Lawson, using Bluetooth through her car stereo.

  He answered after only a few rings. ‘Hey, sis, what’s up?’

  ‘Look I don’t want you to panic,’ she rushed, ‘but there’s been a little accident at cricket. Ned tripped and landed awkwardly on his arm. We’re on our way to the hospital to get him checked out.’

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘Don’t swear, Dad.’ Ned giggled, then, ‘it really hurts.’

  ‘I bet it does, little man. But be brave. I’m already on my way.’

  Less than ten minutes after Tab called her brother, he and Meg rushed into the tiny emergency department at Walsh Regional Hospital. The nurses had already given Ned some painkillers and an icy-pole to keep his mind off his injury while they waited for Dr Palmer to arrive.

  ‘And how are you going?’ asked Jenny, a nurse who was a few years older than Tab at school. ‘Past that awful nauseous stage yet?’

  She nodded. ‘Yes, thank God. And I’ve gained back a little more energy the last week or so, which is a godsend.’ She’d been beginning to wonder how she’d keep going if her tiredness levels had stayed the same but didn’t want anyone to think she was crazy for doing what she was doing.

  ‘Hey Dad, hey Meg,’ Ned said, lowering the icy-pole only momentarily as they rushed into the emergency room. ‘Look what they gave me. Although, between you and me, it’s nowhere near as good as Aunty Tab’s ice-cream.’ He said the last bit in a stage whisper and Jenny laughed.

  ‘Nothing’s as good as Tabitha’s ice-cream,’ she agreed. ‘What’s your latest flavour?’

  ‘I’ve been testing a few new ones for the show—honey-rhubarb seems to work well.’

  As Jenny made a mouth-watering sound, Ned said, ‘And she also made a really cool glow-in-the-dark one.’

  Five minutes later the doctor arrived and barely had to look at Ned’s arm to confirm what Tab already suspected.

  ‘My guess is a break in the lower radius or ulna. You’ll need a cast, Ned, which we can do here, but I’d rather you get an X-ray first.’

  ‘Cool,’ he exclaimed. ‘I’ve never had a photo of my bones before.’

  Dr Palmer grinned. ‘Your first break and your first X-ray are definitely a rite of passage, but I’m afraid you’ll have to go to Bunbury as our X-ray machine is on the blink.’

  Ned thought about this for a moment, then looked to Lawson. ‘Can we get Maccas for dinner?’

  Lawson laughed as he ruffled his son’s hair. ‘If this isn’t a situation deserving takeaway for dinner, I don’t know what is.’

  While Dr Palmer wrote up a referral and called ahead to Bunbury to let the hospital know to expect them, Tab, Lawson and Meg talked logistics. The cows still needed to be milked, no matter what.

  ‘I’ll take Meg home,’ Tab offered, ‘and help her and Ethan with the milking.’

  ‘Aw,’ Ned whined. ‘Can’t Meg come too?’

  Trying not to feel left out, Tab placed a hand on her belly and smiled. ‘Go,’ she urged Meg. ‘Ethan and I can handle it on our own.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  She nodded. Cricket practice would be almost over by now, so no point heading back there. She tried to stifle the disappointment at this thought as a flash of Carrie flirting with Ferg came into her head. ‘Of course. You guys go and don’t worry about the cows. Maybe bring me back a packet of those Ronald McDonald cookies. Do they still even have those?’

  ‘Thanks, sis, you’re the best. And,’ Lawson chuckled, ‘I’m not sure about the cookies but if they have them, they’re all yours.’

  ‘Thanks, bro.’

  She walked Lawson, Meg and Ned to their four-wheel drive, waved them out of the car park and then headed to her van, where she called Ethan to fill him in as she drove out to the farm.

  ‘Ned’s broken his arm, so you and the girls are stuck with me tonight. I’m heading there now. I’ll grab my boots and meet you at the sheds.’

  ‘Poor little tacker, but his bad luck is my good fortune. You’re a lot easier on the eye than Lawson.’

  ‘And you are a terrible flirt,’ Tab said grinning because she knew he was all talk and that, totally smitten with Kimmy, he probably wouldn’t even notice if Tab turned up to the shed in a bikini and stiletto heels.

  She laughed at the ridiculous image as she disconnected.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Carrie grinned at Ferg as the last of the parents drove away. ‘Well, I’d call that a successful training session.’

  He raised an eyebrow, wondering if she’d been in a different realm to him. Clumsy Ned appeared to be their best player—at least he’d managed to hit the ball before he’d tripped, whereas hardly anyone else on the team could make that claim. Although to be fair, their dismal batting skills were likely as much the fault of their dismal bowling skills.

  ‘Yeah, thanks for helping,’ he said, looking around as he put the training equipment into his boot, and suddenly realising he and Carrie were the only ones left. ‘Where are the girls?’

  ‘Oh.’ Carrie waved her hand dismissively. ‘My sister-in-law came to get them, which means I’m free for a post-training drink or even dinner. The pub does a great chicken parmi on Thursday nights. What do you say? You look like you could do with a beer, and t
he first one’s on me.’

  Ferg wasn’t a fool—it was clear her offer would include a lot more than just food and drink if he wanted it to. Running around on the oval with the kids hadn’t alleviated his tension in the way he’d hoped, but he reckoned a few hours with Carrie might put a dent in it. She was undeniably hot, and if the way she was looking at him now was anything to go by—as if he was the chicken parmigiana and she was ravenous—he guessed she’d be more than willing to let him lose himself between her legs.

  When he took too long to reply, her tongue darted out to lick her lower lip and she said, ‘What do you say Mr McWilliams? You hungry?’

  Ferg shifted uncomfortably. It felt like forever since he’d had sex and the pull of temptation was strong. If he thought she’d be happy with a one-night stand, he might have succumbed to it, but he got the feeling that once he gave Carrie a little, she’d want a lot more.

  He didn’t have a lot more to give right now and even if he did, she wouldn’t be his type, so it wouldn’t be fair to lead her on. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t want to become fodder for gossip, just when the town’s interest in him finally appeared to be dying down.

  ‘Thanks.’ He closed the boot of his car and shot her an apologetic smile. ‘But I think I’m going to go check on Ned.’

  Carrie’s shoulders sagged and the disappointment was clear on her face. ‘Okay then. Well, maybe next time.’

  ‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘Thanks again for your help.’

  Ferg climbed in to his car before Carrie could try to change his mind and then high-tailed it out of town.

  A kilometre or so past the turn-off to Mrs Lord’s, he slowed as a sign loomed on the right-hand side of the road. ‘Cooper-Jones Dairy’ read the lettering, with ‘L, M and T’ above the Cooper-Jones in fancy font. He found it sweet that even though Tabitha no longer lived on the farm, they’d still included her in the sign. Once again, evidence of the sibling’s closeness left him feeling a little empty.