Home For June

by Juliet Madison

  Hannah tilted her head. ‘Huh. I never thought of that before. You notice the little things, don’t you.’

  ‘Attention to detail is an asset in my job. I’ve learned to notice it.’

  ‘I like that. So many people don’t see those little things, don’t notice what’s right in front of them.’

  Just like he hadn’t noticed her in that way when they were younger. But he wasn’t a chef then so perhaps his attention to detail came with his training.

  ‘That’s where the beauty of life lies. In the little details. It’s also what my,’ he rubbed at his jaw, ‘what my mum used to say.’

  Hannah put the gearstick back in park. ‘Did she get work in another restaurant, after you left town?’ she asked, hoping it wouldn’t be upsetting for him to discuss it.

  He shook his head. ‘She went back to dressmaking, which is what she had done on the side while Dad was planning the restaurant. She actually designed and made wedding dresses. Ended up with her own brand and shop, Teadora. Her name.’

  ‘Oh, wow. Actually, I think I may have heard of her brand, through some of the wedding planning I’ve done. What a beautiful occupation to have. She must have been very clever.’

  ‘She was. She said her dresses were different because of the extra details she would put in, each dress had something unique added to it. Like a swirl of beads somewhere unexpected, or the bride’s initial sewn in to the ribbon trailing from the back, or diamantes attached in a heart shape to the front hem. She said, “The beauty is in the little details, not in the perfection”.’

  ‘I’d love to see some.’

  ‘Google “Teadora wedding dresses”. We sold the business after she died, but many of her designs are still for sale.’

  ‘I’ll do that,’ Hannah replied. Not because she needed a wedding dress, but to see what his mother had made. To show her respects by admiring what she had created.

  Luca smiled. ‘Still knitting these days?’ he asked.

  ‘Nope,’ she chuckled. ‘That was a one-off, that and the few scarves I made. It was a fad for a while, kind of trendy and daggy at the same time.’

  ‘A bit like my choice of clothing?’ He made a scanning movement with his hands down his body; dark jeans, tan shoes, a knit top and a tan leather jacket. ‘Leather jackets are old school, but this one is a bit more...’

  ‘On the trendy side,’ she added.

  ‘My thoughts exactly.’ He grinned.

  ‘Anyway,’ Hannah put the gearstick back in reverse, and her mind back on track. ‘Time to go home.’ She reversed. ‘My home, I mean. So you can get your car and go home too. Your temporary home. Until, unless, you buy mine, and then it will be your home. Then it won’t be mine anymore. But for now,’

  ‘Hannah,’ he laughed. ‘Don’t stress. It’ll always be your home.’

  She looked out at the shops as she passed through the main street, then turned the corner to head up towards her part of town. It would. This town, and the family property, would always be home for her, no matter where she ended up. If only she could figure out how to take some part of home with her. To keep the feeling alive.

  She arrived back and Luca helped bring Scarlett inside to the laundry, where Hannah set her up in her indoors dog bed.

  ‘Tea, coffee?’ she asked. ‘Mocha?’ She chuckled.

  ‘No, but thanks. I need to go and work out some options, go through the finances, and weigh up some pros and cons.’

  ‘Of course.’ Hannah accompanied him to the door. ‘Well, let me know if you have any questions.’

  ‘I will,’ he said, stepping outside. She stayed at the door, holding onto the frame. Luca turned around. ‘Hannah,’ he said, stepping forwards.

  Her eyes widened.

  His arms lifted and he slid them around her, and hers naturally followed his lead. ‘It’s really good to see you again.’ He softened into her, and despite initial restraint, she allowed herself to soften into his embrace.

  ‘Ditto,’ she whispered.

  And as he pulled away, she tried to figure out how to take some part of him with her.

  Chapter 9

  ‘Thanks, Lily, I’ll await the verdict,’ Luca ended the call that evening and sat on his bed with a sigh.

  I did it. I made an offer.

  He blew out another sigh and lay back on his bed. He could have taken longer to deliberate, look at more properties, wait for the house to go on the market and see what happened, but the idea of someone else offering higher made him anxious. He didn’t want some stranger to take over Hannah’s pride and joy. He wanted to give it a damn good shot. And live somewhere that had meaning, to honour its history while creating its future.

  His dad would have loved the chickens, and the herb and vegetable garden. There were even blueberries and lemon trees. All the basics for a good, healthy kitchen. Fresh produce was key to a meal’s flavour, and nutrition. He hoped that if the sale went through, his dad, somewhere, somehow, could see him there in that garden, and then in that kitchen, making him proud. He hoped that his mum could see too, and know that keeping his promise to finally build something of his own would be fulfilled.

  To distract himself, he scrolled through Facebook and watched a few random funny videos that showed up, until he got hungry enough to grab a bite to eat. Nathan had already eaten, and gestured to a container in the fridge.

  ‘You sure?’ he asked, and Nathan nodded. ‘Thanks, man,’ Luca said. ‘No need to save them for me, but it’s nice to have the odd night off from cooking.’

  ‘I figured as much. Though if it’s too overcooked let me know and I’ll pass on the criticism to the chef and tell him to do better next time.’ He smiled.

  Luca chuckled. ‘I’m sure it’s fine. No need to worry.’

  He ate the spaghetti bolognaise and gave Nathan a thumbs up. Though it was a meal that was hard to get wrong. If he ever did happen to come across a not-so-great spag bol, he probably would be passing on the criticism to the chef.

  His phone rang. ‘Hi, Lily?’

  ‘Hannah is going to think about your offer overnight and let me know in the morning. Just so you know, it is a little under what we believe it’s worth, and what she’s prepared to accept, so if you’d like to increase your offer, now is the time.’

  Luca’s heart beat a little faster. ‘Hmm. I’m not so sure I can offer any higher, but leave it with me. I’ll have to think about it.’

  When he ended the call, he tapped his fingers on the table. He’d made a decent offer. And at this stage there were no counter-offers, so the agent would no doubt want to encourage Hannah to decline the offer and hopefully achieve a higher one, or allow other inspections by prospective buyers. But she was in a rush to sell. There’s no way he would short-change Hannah, but he had to think of his needs first when it came to using his mother’s inheritance, and his brother’s investment as a silent partner in the restaurant, which he also had to budget for. But if all went well with his business, he should expect to be making a decent profit within about six months or so. He could increase his offer by a bit more, if necessary, but not too much or he would have to go back to the bank for an increased lending limit.

  Should he do it now in order to increase the chance of a quick sale, or wait and see what Hannah said about the first offer?

  What do you think, Mum? He wished he could ask. She’d become a savvy businesswoman over the years and he trusted her opinion.

  He cleaned up the kitchen then took his laptop to his room and opened his To-Do List.

  He knew what he had to do, but there was no order to his plans. It was a bit of this and a bit of that, and doing what appeared to be the next best step each day.

  But he needed someone to take his list and his ideas and formulate them into something more workable and efficient. Hannah was leaving in eight weeks, and he’d probably need at least eight to ten weeks to do what he had in mind, so he thought. He would have to find someone else who could help.

  He googled for a while b
ut didn’t find much, not around this region of the country anyway. He could always call Hannah and ask for a recommendation at least.

  He picked up his phone, but hovered his finger over her number. He didn’t want to disturb her while she was considering his offer. But in case things got weird between them if she declined his offer and the house was put on the market and sold to someone else, perhaps now was a better time.

  He pressed the call button.

  ‘Luca, hi. Um, I haven’t decided yet, I need to—’

  ‘It’s okay, I’m not calling about the house,’ he interjected. ‘It’s about my restaurant.’

  ‘Oh, okay then.’

  He was about to ask if she could recommend someone who did a similar thing to what she did, but his mind had other ideas...

  ‘I know you’re leaving. That’s cool, but here’s the thing. I really need some professional input on my launch. I could find someone else, but... I know you’re the best. And I want the best.’ He took a quick breath. ‘I can’t fail at this.’

  ‘Luca, I...’

  He continued before she could object. ‘So I’m prepared to pay you whatever you need to charge to make it worth your while. I know you’re going to be busy packing up to move. But I just need someone to create a plan for me, and then I can do most of the work. You can contribute as little or as much as you can, but I need expert management skills... to give me something to work with.’

  There, done.

  ‘Luca, I understand. But there’s no halfway. I’m all or nothing when it comes to this sort of stuff.’

  ‘Then do it all. I’ll pay extra.’

  ‘I don’t want... I need to...’ She sighed, and he was filled with a sudden sense of guilt.

  I’m being selfish, he thought. I can do this myself, I should do this myself.

  His pride wanted to take it all on and make it work, but it was more important that it was a success than being able to say ‘Hey, look what I created ALL BY MYSELF!’

  Pride needed to take a back seat, to allow what was needed to get the job done properly to be a priority. But she had enough on her plate.

  ‘It’s okay, sorry, I got a bit overexcited. I’ll find someone else. Can you recommend anyone?’ he asked.

  Silence.

  ‘Hannah?’

  ‘Six weeks,’ she said softly, but firmly. ‘It’ll have to be all complete within six weeks.’

  His chest rose in anticipation and he held his breath in his throat. ‘Does that mean you’ll do it?’

  ‘On one condition.’

  ‘Anything.’

  ‘You increase your offer on the property.’

  His chest sunk. When did she get so assertive and ruthless? ‘By just how much?’

  ‘Luca, I’m not interested in having our own little auction and draining all your well-deserved funds, I just want an easy sale. No stress. But I promised my parents a minimum sale amount, and yours is a bit under. So unless it rises, I’ll have to put it on the market tomorrow.’

  He nodded, even though she couldn’t see his response.

  ‘I understand,’ he said. So now he would not only have to increase his offer, but pay her a good amount for her services too. He hoped he wasn’t getting in too deep. But something felt right about the Delaney house, and everything felt right about Hannah helping him out with the restaurant. He exhaled loudly. ‘Okay. I’ll revise my offer and get back in touch with Lily. But I’ll only make the one higher offer. If you need any more than what I offer, I’ll have to pass. But if it’s acceptable, then great, and we can work together for the next six weeks on my launch.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘Okay.’

  Silence.

  ‘I guess we’ll find out in the morning,’ he said. ‘I’ll leave a message with Lily now, and go from there.’

  ‘Sure.’

  He was about to thank her and say goodnight, when a question reappeared in his mind that he’d forgotten to ask when Scarlett had that incident. ‘Oh, Hannah?’

  ‘Yep?’

  ‘What is the significance of your house name, Iona?’

  ‘My ancestors were from the Isle of Iona, in Scotland,’ she said. ‘I’ve never been, but my parents have when they were younger. Dad said it’s the most peaceful place, like a second home. So when they bought the Tarrin’s Bay property, he wanted to include a little piece of our heritage in it.’

  Luca pondered this. He didn’t know much, if anything about the Isle of Iona, but made a mental note to google it. ‘I’ll keep it,’ he said. ‘The name. If you accept my offer. I’ll keep that part alive for your family.’

  ‘Thanks, Luca. It’s okay, though, I understand if you would want to make it something for yourself, with your own significance.’

  ‘No. I can do that with my restaurant. Iona will stay Iona.’ He gave a firm nod to confirm his decision.

  ‘That’s lovely of you,’ she said softly, then yawned. ‘So what is the name of your restaurant going to be?’

  ‘Umm.’

  ‘That’s unique.’

  ‘No, I mean, umm, that’s another reason I need your help. I haven’t come up with anything yet that feels... right.’

  ‘Oh. Well once you have clarified the type of restaurant, the cuisine you’ll be offering, and the market you want to attract, names should come at you from everywhere. You’ll probably come up with several and then have to choose between them.’

  He chuckled. ‘You must find this stuff really easy. I’ve thought as much as I can, but still... nada.’

  ‘Well,’ her voice brightened up, ‘let’s hope this offer is what I’m looking for, and then you’ll have yourself a restaurant name in no time once I get my mind onto it.’

  He could easily picture her chin held high, a satisfied grin on her face. She was still laid-back, go-with-the-flow Hannah from school, but she was also... confident, don’t-mess-with-me grown-up Hannah. And he had to admit, he kinda liked it.

  After ending the call he thought about his new offer, and before chickening out, and despite the butterflies in his belly, he pressed the real-estate agent’s number.

  Chapter 10

  This was it. No turning back. Hannah didn’t get butterflies in her belly often, but she did now. She pressed Lily’s number, and a minute later she had accepted Luca’s offer. It was actually a tiny bit higher than she expected, which made her think that he really wanted her house, and that gave her confidence. He really was serious about this.

  She sat on the couch and exhaled. Done.

  But the butterflies remained. She opened Luca’s number in her contacts, then closed it. She’d have to wait a while so he could speak to Lily, and no doubt probably sit on his couch too and exhale in relief, or maybe he would jump on it with excitement like he did once at Ben’s house when they’d gathered there for another session of their school project. It took her a moment to remember why he’d been excited, but then the visuals formed in her mind. Something about a new flavour of potato chips Karen had brought along, and back then, that was a big deal, because unlike today’s abundance of fancy flavours, twenty years ago it was mostly plain, salt and vinegar, or cheese and onion. Now there was everything from chili and pepper, to paprika and thyme... Life was better in many ways now, but she still longed for the more simplistic ways of life back then.

  And yet, the city was beckoning her now. But strangely, she felt it would be even simpler. Go to work, come home, finished. Not the endlessness of running the property here, and running a business, with no delineation between them and between her work and personal life. Life could be more easily segmented. And if she wanted to go on dates, there would be an abundance of men. New options. New flavours. But no pressure, someone who could just fit around her life and she didn’t have to bombard with farm life. If she wanted someone, that was. She would want to just settle in first and get her own life on track.

  Hannah allowed herself a while to flip through one of the coffee-table books she’d collected over the years. Mostly
style and design books, coastal living, farm living, and home-organising ideas. They inspired her for the events she created and managed.

  She looked at some pages dedicated to kitchens and thought of Luca. A combination of stainless steel and rustic timbers, a mixed yet matched array of textures and styles that somehow worked well together.

  I wonder what kind of feel he’s after...

  She knew she’d have to make that call soon. Accept his other offer. They’d made a deal and it was time to confirm it.

  I bet he wants coastal chic, relaxed and airy, with whites and blues; a welcoming feel rather than a dimly lit, atmospheric restaurant with rich hues and accents of red. Then again, he’d come from the city so maybe he wanted to inject his own brand of city-ness into the coastal, country lifestyle.

  Ideas formed in her mind even without having a clue what he was looking at doing with the place. She’d been hesitant before, but now... that familiar excitement of new ideas built up inside, the feeling of endless possibilities, and her in control of all of it. She actually wanted to do it now. Yes, she’d be busy preparing for the move, but the immediate cash flow would be handy, until she received the profits from the sale.

  Okay. Time.

  ‘Luca, hi,’ she spoke into the phone.

  ‘Hello city girl, I am now a chicken farmer, you know.’ He sounded quite pleased with himself. ‘Did you know that chickens apparently originated from dinosaurs?’

  ‘Is that so?’ she replied. ‘But does the chicken come first or the egg?’

  ‘I am on a mission to find out. I will have to get back to you on that.’ He chuckled. ‘Well, I guess a thank you is in order. So, thanks Hannah, I’m really excited to get moving and make the most of your place. Our place. My place. You know what I mean.’

  ‘I’m glad it’s going to someone I know. And keep me posted on the chickens. I’ll miss them.’

  ‘I’ll send you updates and a few chook selfies, don’t you worry.’

  ‘Hah, thanks.’ She paced slowly up and down the living room. ‘So, in the meantime, you’ve got a restaurant to launch?’