by Sonia Parin
Eddie brushed the tip of her finger along her lip. He’d called her a genius and had thanked her with an innocent brush of his lips against hers. She didn’t know for sure what he’d been grateful for. Maybe her reasoning had pulled him out of a mental rut. But how could she explain the real kiss? The one that had made her heart fill up like a balloon, sending her into a floating swirl...
“I think we should give him a bout of food poisoning.” Joyce shot to her feet. “On second thought, it would be more cruel to ban him from the café.”
“He’ll be gone tomorrow.” Eddie chuckled. “Stick with the food poisoning.” She pressed her hand against her churning stomach. “You know that saying about feeling wrung out? All this thinking has exhausted me. I can’t figure him out.”
Joyce nodded. “If it makes you feel better, your hair looks great. It’s all shiny and—”
“Wait until it catches up with how I feel inside,” she said and threw her hands up in the air. “I’m never talking to men again. Especially not men I enjoy talking to.”
* * *
Theo stretched and took stock of the damage he’d incurred from one night of utter recklessness. He would have fared just as badly if he’d slept on a bed of jagged edged rocks.
“Good morning.”
He lifted a hand and waved to Claire.
“Oh good, you can move your hand. I’m not going to ask if you slept well. That would make a mockery of your injuries. And yes, I heard you moaning. But I did warn you. That sofa is a health hazard. At least you haven’t been completely crippled.”
“I haven’t tried to sit up yet,” he admitted. Claire sounded slightly on edge and he didn’t blame her. After the long talk they’d had last night...
He brushed his hands across his face.
“I should have asked you to sign some sort of waver.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t sue you.”
“That’s a relief to hear, but I’ll wait out the statute of limitations period.” She shrugged. “Sorry, I’m a natural born cynic.”
She’d given him the same explanation the night before when he’d asked point blank about Ben’s parentage.
A brother. He had a brother. A nine-year-old brother. Jon had another son...
“I’m about to prepare breakfast, but I’m not sure what you like.”
“That’s very kind of you. I think I’ll stick to my regular schedule.” He could do with a cup of Joyce’s coffee and some time to let everything sink in. It hadn’t been his place to challenge Claire Muldoon’s decision to keep Ben’s existence a secret. But it still affected him. A brother... “Unless you think I should hang around and spend more time with Ben.”
They’d spent the evening together getting to know each other. After reappearing on her doorstep, he hadn’t given Claire the option to turn him away. Two could play at being stubborn. Armed with a load of suspicions, he’d been wary of spooking her again. It had been a risk to mention Ben’s age, but it had been enough to gain him entry.
Claire had crumbled and after they’d established a few pertinent facts, he’d made an inroad into convincing her to take up his offer. He wouldn’t tell Jon about Ben. That was her job...
After Ben had gone to sleep, they had stayed up and had tackled the logistics of going on a trip at short notice and leaving Theo in charge of her son. When he’d finally made a move to leave, he’d been surprised to find it was two in the morning so he’d taken up Claire’s offer to use her couch.
“Ben has school.”
“I can pick him up—”
She shook her head. “He has a schedule too. After school activities followed by a study group. I pick him up after I close up the salon. We’ll work on a list tonight. Meet us back here at six. It’s pizza night.”
“Sounds good.” He brushed his fingers through his hair. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m going to spend the day shopping for a couch.” Seeing her about to protest, he lifted a hand. “I explained about Jon’s parting gifts to his… friends. You left him before he had the chance to give you anything. This is the least I can do to rectify the omission.”
“Is that what the ring—”
“I was told to deliver it to you. If you want to know more, you’ll have to ask Jon.”
She looked down at her hands. “I wasn’t after his money.”
She would have had it, in spades. If only she hadn’t kept Ben’s existence a secret. “I don’t mean to sound crass, but Jon has plenty of it. Anyway, I’m the one buying the couch.” He rubbed his face. “The prospect of trying out the sleeping bag has me quaking in my boots. I’m just not game to try the floor. The damage could be irreversible.”
She laughed. “You haven’t done much camping.”
“None whatsoever. And I’m not even prepared to fake it.”
“You’re a lot like your father, but he’s more of a rough diamond and you’ve been buffed...” She tilted her head, “And yet, I can imagine you playing a cowboy. I’m surprised you haven’t followed in your father’s footsteps.”
“And he’ll never forgive me for it.” He swung his feet off the couch. “I should get a move on now. I need to contact the airlines and let them know you’ll be traveling in my place. There’ll be some necessary paperwork...” He also needed to do whatever he could to stop himself from thinking about kissing Eddie Faydon.
He swore under his breath.
He’d be keeping his distance for a few hours, but then what? Eventually, he’d bump into her. He couldn’t pretend it hadn’t happened. Nothing would erase the memory of her lips from his mind… his body. Best to bring it out into the open. Tackle the kiss head on. And tell her what?
There were far too many questions marching through his head. He’d bet anything she was juggling a few of her own.
Eddie Faydon deserved answers. And he wouldn’t mind hearing some of them too. He hadn’t inherited his father’s acting abilities, but they had similar traits. Where women were concerned, both he and his father exercised a sense of tact and exclusivity. One night flings simply didn’t do it for them. Sure, unlike his father, he’d never married, and he hadn’t always set up house with his partners, but there’d always been the possibility of more...
More of what, he had no idea.
It didn’t matter. He only knew he wouldn’t be able to explore the possibilities with Eddie. There simply wouldn’t be enough time. His life was elsewhere.
Regardless, he needed to clear the air...
* * *
“Matthew. Mitch. Markus,” Eddie said in a voice that spoke of calm and control, “I know you cheat, so from now on, there’ll be no more drawing of straws.”
“What do you suggest we do instead?” her older brother Markus asked.
“It’s a fair system,” Mitch insisted, his arms folded, his feet crossed at the ankles.
“Tried and tested,” Matthew agreed. “It’s not our fault if you always draw the short straw.”
“How’s this for new rules,” she said and slammed her hands against her hips, “As of today, we have a roster system in place and there are only three names on the list. Yours.”
Matthew ruffled her hair. “It’s not like you to throw a hissy fit. What’s up?”
“Maybe I’m fed up with always getting the raw of the deal.”
Markus drew his eyebrows down. “Is someone giving you a hard time?”
Eddie crossed her arms and pressed her lips together.
“She’s clamped up. That has to mean something,” Mitch said.
“It’s an innocent enough question, Red. Don’t make us hurt you.”
She poked Markus on the chest. “Don’t. Call me. Red.” He only ever did it when he knew he could get a rise out of her.
“It’s not Adam because he promised to stay away, especially on Karaoke night.” Matthew shook his head. “You should have known the microphone was on and everyone would hear you.”
“You talked to Adam? Even after I told you I could handle it?”
/>
Mitch uncrossed his feet and strode up to her. “Look me in the eye and tell me it’s not Theo Kendrick.”
“Stop sidestepping and trying to change the subject. It’s you. The lot of you. I’m fed up with being the runt and always having to pick up the slack. I’ve had enough. I quit.” She snatched the dishcloth from her shoulder and threw it on the counter.
Mitch chuckled. “You can’t quit. You’re a partner in the business.”
“Okay, we get it. You need time off,” Markus reasoned.
She needed something, she just wasn’t sure what.
Time to think? To regroup? To revamp her life?
She couldn’t let another dozen years fly by. Helena Wright had set her mind to finding a husband and she’d put herself on track with a list of possible candidates. It would work for her. She always seemed to get what she wanted, when she wanted it. But Eddie had never been methodical. Besides, whose name would she put on her list? None of the available guys she knew in Eden appealed to her. Maybe her trait was to fall for newcomers. The boyfriends she’d had, Derek and Roy, had both been new to town...
Without thinking too much about what she’d do and where she’d go, she packed a few essentials into a backpack, threw them into the back seat of her car, and drove off.
She ended up at Grandma Wilson’s place, outside of town. The last place anyone would think to look for her, not unless they wanted to lock horns with her grandmother.
Steering her small car along the rough road, she was careful to avoid getting stuck in the ditches that always formed after a good rainfall, and there were plenty.
Grandma Wilson tipped back her wide brimmed straw hat, her hand shielding her eyes from the sun. She stood in the middle of a paddock dressed in her pale blue overalls, Grampa Wilson’s flannel shirt rolled up to her elbows, and her menagerie of animals frolicking around her. Giving her a brief wave, she made her way up to her.
Eddie killed the engine and rolled down the window.
“Eddie? Two visits in one week?”
“You’re supposed to say how happy you are to see me again.”
Her grandmother studied her long enough for Eddie to shift in her seat.
“I’ll put the kettle on.”
Half an hour later, she decided peace and quiet could be a lethal combination, bound to do her more harm than good. “You haven’t asked why I came.”
“You’re obviously ready to tell me now.”
“I think a part of me wants to know if I could live like you. Out here, alone. With goats, and chickens, and a vegetable garden.”
“I have a really good internet connection.” Her grandmother patted her hand. “You’d miss all the excitement. Have some fruit cake.”
Eddie broke off a piece. “You soaked the raisins in brandy.” Her favorite.
“You should try living in the city for a while. Get it out of your system.”
“You should move to town and bake cakes to sell.”
Her grandmother’s eyes crinkled at the edges. “What’s this visit really about, Eddie?”
“I always visit you.”
“You have a backpack in your car. It looks like you’ve bailed out or…” her grandmother clicked her fingers, “Pressed the self-destruct button like on the Starship Enterprise and then launched the escape pod.”
“You still have a thing for Captain Kirk.” Eddie drew in a shaky breath. How far would she have to go to forget Theo’s kiss? She’d avoided going to a friend’s house because she hadn’t wanted to fall into the vicious cycle of talking about something that was clearly not going to happen. Best to nip the urge bubbling inside her in the bud. The metaphor made her cringe. What she felt flooding her veins couldn’t be cured with words or thoughts.
“I need a forty-eight hour hiatus.” Long enough for Theo Kendrick to leave town and never return. “And I wouldn’t mind the recipe for this cake.”
“Man trouble?”
“Something like that.”
“You need a hobby or a new direction. That should take your mind off.”
Eddie shot to her feet and strode to the window, her eyes skating along the lush green paddocks surrounding her grandmother’s house. “A new direction.” She’d told Theo she didn’t have any aspirations. No dreams to pursue. Suddenly her life felt like quicksand, dragging her down. She’d been watching life passing her by, the few opportunities she’d had to alter her course slipping through her fingers…
“Fire-up a dream,” her grandmother said. “Despite everything, you’re allowed to have them, Eddie.”
“You’re the last person I expected to hear that from.”
“Because your mother had dreams?”
Eddie turned, her eyes widened.
“You’re surprised I mentioned her.”
She tried to clear her throat but what she felt clogging it wasn’t something that would shift easily. “I asked you about her once but you refused to talk about her. Yes, I’m surprised. And shocked.”
Her grandmother drew in a breath and released it slowly. “It took me a long time to come to terms with my failings as a mother. I blamed myself and then I had to convince myself we all make choices. At first I thought your mother should have wised up to her dreams before committing to a marriage, but you see where this is going...” she shrugged, “I’ve been blessed with four wonderful grandchildren.”
“We feel lucky to have you too.”
“I guess what I’m trying to say it that you’re afraid to wish for something different because you think you’ll end up taking the same road your mother took. There’s a difference, Eddie. You’re single, with no dependants. There’s nothing holding you back.”
“Everyone seems happy for me to hold on to the status quo, to never change. Why are you trying to push me out of the nest?”
“You’re too young to have a midlife crisis.”
“Better to have it now than to wait until I’m old and full of regrets.” Or, like her mother, tied to a life she hadn’t wanted.
“No one would have stopped you from doing something different. If you’d wanted to go to university, your father would have paid for your studies. When Derek went to Melbourne, you could have gone with him. But instead you chose to stay.”
Did her dreams have to involve moving away from her home, from everything, everyone she knew?
“Think about what you want and don’t worry how others will feel or whether or not they’ll support you.” Her grandmother stood up. “By tomorrow morning you might have a different outlook. Who knows what you’ll dream about tonight?”
What if she dreamed of something she knew she couldn’t have?
“Meanwhile, keep a happy thought and assume everything will sort itself out.”
* * *
Theo set his menu down and looked up at Joyce. “What do you mean I’m banned?”
“This is a friendly establishment and we reserve the right to be selective.”
“Since when?” He sat back and folded his arms across his chest. “I had no trouble being served yesterday.”
“It’s a new rule and I wasn’t here to enforce it yesterday.”
“Are you saying I don’t meet the criteria?”
Joyce tilted her head as if in thought. “Nope.”
“Since when? I’ve been cordial. Approachable. Agreeable. I put myself at your disposal, letting you have fun at my expense.”
“You’ve been tight-lipped.”
“That’s it? My need for privacy breached your conditions of entry, which by the way, are not displayed anywhere. I’m sure there’s a law stating the requirement—”
“If you have any grievances, then I suggest you take them up with management.” Joyce looked around the cafe, and then turned back to him, the edge of her lip lifted. “Oh, I guess that’ll be me.”
“So who else is on this blacklist?”
“So far, only you.”
He brushed his hand across his chin. Clearly, she was having him on. But he’d play along
. “I’ll wait for Eddie. See what she has to say.”
“Harassing other patrons will incur the wrath of…” she bit the edge of her lip. “Others.”
“Others? You mean, word will spread.”
“We look after our own.”
“You’re serious.” It had to be some kind of joke. He could easily imagine Eddie and Joyce concocting this farce in order to have a laugh at his expense. Pushing him until he broke and he told them everything they wanted to know. And using his one weakness—the coffee she had introduced him to—to do it. “I think I’ll wait for Eddie and hear what she has to say.”
“You don’t know?”
“What?”
“Eddie’s gone.”
* * *
Theo stood outside The Gloriana looking up at the windows on the top floor. Did he expect to see Eddie popping her head out the window like some warped version of a fairy tale or worse, a Shakespearean play?
She hadn’t mentioned going away. Then again, why would she? They’d had regular conversations, skimming the surface, never getting too personal. Yet, since his arrival in Eden he’d been learning more and more about her. He knew she didn’t have aspirations. And shortly before he’d come to Eden, she’d had a bad experience with one of the locals, no doubt resulting in her slightly off game of darts.
He also knew she was liked by everyone. While he had no doubt she could stand her ground and hold her own, from the way people at the pub talked about her, anyone would go to battle for her. Claire Muldoon had given him a brief rundown on the people who called Eden home and had talked about Eddie sharing the same generous heart and a strong sense of community as everyone else.
Joyce banning him for being tight-lipped couldn’t be a coincidence. It had to be backlash, he thought wondering if Eddie had confided in Joyce.
