Talk of the Town

by Rachael Johns

  ‘Speaking of which,’ Lawson pushed himself off the bench and straightened, ‘I’ll go get that bed for you. Back in a moment.’ He strode past her and her lungs inhaled deeply as her nose got a whiff of him. Nothing like a posh, expensive cologne; no, Lawson smelled like the great outdoors with a hint of soap beneath, as if he’d scrubbed up before coming over.

  Hurricane froze at the sound of the door opening and closing, and then bounded in the direction Lawson had left. The way his paws slipped and slid on the floorboards made Megan smile.

  ‘Hurricane,’ she called, hurrying after him. ‘Come!’

  He halted near the stairs and she thought, Wow, he is well trained already, but then he started to whine as he looked up to the second floor and she realised he hadn’t stopped out of obedience. His ears were down and, as she picked him up and cuddled him close, she realised he was trembling.

  ‘Do you feel that too?’ she whispered, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling as she thought of the mysterious draught she often felt near the stairs.

  At that moment, the front door opened again and in strode Lawson, carrying a big cushioned dog bed. ‘It’s a little large at the moment, but if his parents are anything to go by, he’ll grow into it quick enough.’

  He frowned when he heard Hurricane whining. ‘Is he okay?’

  Megan rubbed her lips together and glanced again at the stairs. Could it be that Lawson’s son was right about the ghost? She almost asked if he too believed her house was haunted, but she swallowed the question just in time. Memories of the hallucinations she once experienced haunted her and, although it shouldn’t matter what this man thought of her, she found she didn’t want him to think she had a few screws loose.

  ‘I think,’ she said instead, mentally shaking her head of her silly thoughts, ‘Hurricane didn’t want you to go.’

  ‘He’s known me less than an hour. I’m sure he’ll be fine.’ Lawson put the bed down, shut the door behind him and crossed over to stroke Hurricane’s head. He was so close she could see the dark stubble on his defined jawline and the view almost unbalanced her.

  He frowned and for a moment she thought he’d caught her drooling or something, but then he glanced around them and rubbed a hand up his arm.

  Megan’s heart stilled. Does he feel it too?

  But then he shook his head slightly and the grin reappeared on his face. ‘Well, if you two are okay, I guess I’d better be getting back to the farm.’

  ‘You don’t want to stay for a coffee? Or a cool drink?’ The question blurted from her mouth before she’d even contemplated asking it, almost as if an invisible force had compelled her to do so. Conflicted about whether she wanted him to accept or reject the invitation, her breath halted in her throat and her belly went rock hard as she waited for his reply.

  He glanced down at his watch and she followed his gaze, admiring the taut tanned muscles of his forearm.

  ‘I could probably squeeze in a quick drink,’ he said.

  Something inside her rejoiced and something else wanted to slap herself for such an invitation. Hadn’t she retreated to Rose Hill because she wanted to fly under the radar? To refrain from making connections until any media attention was a distant memory and she’d put distance between herself and her past.

  ‘But …’ Lawson raised his eyebrows and looked at her questioningly, ‘if you’ve got other stuff to do, then …’

  ‘No,’ she interrupted as she shook her head. ‘Sorry, just got distracted there a moment. Come on back into the kitchen.’

  Trying to ignore the far-too-fast beating of her heart, she pasted a smile on her face, turned and carried the puppy into the kitchen. She could hear and feel Lawson only a few feet behind. When they entered the room, she put Cane down again, but this time he cowered close to her.

  ‘Do you want me to put the bed in here for now?’ Lawson asked.

  Megan nodded. ‘Good idea. Do you want to try and settle Cane while I grab the drinks? Would you like a cuppa or some fresh orange juice? I’m afraid I don’t have much else. Oh, and it’ll have to be black coffee as I ran out of milk.’

  ‘I’ll have the juice then.’ He grinned. ‘Coffee isn’t coffee without milk in it. If I’d known, I could have brought you some fresh from the cow.’ Lawson dropped to his haunches and stretched a hand out to the dog, who immediately ran over to him, clumsy on his oversized puppy paws.

  ‘Oh, are you a dairy farmer?’ She didn’t know why she was surprised—this was dairy country after all.

  ‘Sure am.’ He scooped up the puppy and carried it across to his new bed. ‘We have a farm just outside of Walsh.’

  ‘I guess that means you have to get up really early,’ she said, cursing this blatantly stupid observation the moment she’d made it.

  He chuckled. ‘It sure does. But I grew up on the dairy, so I’ve never known anything different. Aren’t you a morning person?’

  ‘Not really, but I don’t mind them so much around here.’ She turned towards the fridge, happy for the opportunity to look away from him for fear something in her face might give away something about why she hadn’t always liked getting up early.

  ‘I reckon they’re the best part of the day.’ He rubbed his hand over the fluffy white puppy as he spoke. ‘There there, little guy, that’s right, snuggle up for a rest; you’ve had a big morning.’

  As Megan retrieved the juice from the fridge, she said, ‘You didn’t think about getting the puppy for Ned?’

  ‘Nah, we’ve already got two dogs, and if we get another, it’ll be a Border Collie—they work well with the cows.’

  ‘I see.’ She poured two glasses of juice and then, realising Cane must be thirsty as well, she dug a dog bowl out of the plastic bag, filled that with water and placed it on the floor next to him. He immediately shoved his nose in and started lapping. Megan and Lawson laughed at the pup’s antics as she took the glasses off the bench and passed one to him.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said, his fingers touching hers as he took it. Awareness skittered through her body and she hoped he didn’t notice how affected she was by the simple brush of his skin against hers. It was embarrassing but hardly surprising considering he was the first real male interaction she’d had in years.

  ‘Do you want to sit?’ she asked, stepping back and pulling out a seat at the table.

  ‘Sure.’ He pushed himself off the floor, took the seat opposite her and lifted the glass to his mouth. When he put it down again, he smiled awkwardly at her.

  Well, this is uncomfortable. Perhaps when he left she should make a list of possible conversation topics in case strangers landed on her unexpectedly again. He glanced around and his eyes fell on the orange cake she’d made that morning.

  ‘Would you like a piece?’ she asked, already standing up, happy at the prospect of something to do.

  ‘Thanks. I never say no to cake.’

  She smiled. ‘In that case, you must take some home. I’ve been on a bit of a baking frenzy the last few days and there’s only so much Archie and I can eat.’

  ‘Archie?’ he asked as she sliced off a large piece and placed it down in front of him. ‘You met the old guy?’

  ‘Yes.’ She sat back down and, as Lawson ate and Cane fell asleep half-on-half-off his bed, she told him the chicken story. She began to relax; talking to him was a lot easier than she’d imagined.

  ‘If all your cooking tastes like this,’ Lawson said, patting his stomach, ‘Archie is a lucky guy.’

  She tried not to blush at his compliment. ‘I’m glad you like it. How’s Ned? Is he back at school now?’

  Living the way she did, it would be easy for Megan to lose track of time, but she kept a calendar on the fridge and ticked off the days, so she knew it was Wednesday, the first of February.

  ‘Yep—been back two days.’

  ‘Does he like school?’

  Lawson finished his mouthful and then nodded. ‘Loves it. He takes after his mum, who was a bit of a nerd.’ His smile told her this wa
sn’t an insult and Megan’s heart went out to him and Ned.

  ‘I guess he got his gorgeous blond locks from his mother as well,’ she said, glancing up at Lawson’s dark hair.

  He nodded and took another sip of his juice.

  She swallowed. ‘Ned told me his mum isn’t around any more. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Thanks.’ He shrugged one shoulder and twisted the gold band on his finger, but didn’t offer any further information.

  Megan knew better than to pry. She didn’t know this man from Adam and if he didn’t want to talk about his wife, then so be it—there were plenty of topics she didn’t want to talk about either. But that left her racking her mind for something to say again. She glanced down at Cane, now sleeping peacefully—no doubt garnering energy to keep her on her toes later. Oh well, it wasn’t like she had much better to do. Then a thought struck and she snapped her head back to Lawson.

  ‘I’ll need to get him vaccinated, won’t I?’ Her pulse sped up at the prospect of having to take the dog into Walsh to the vet and having to hand over her name and contact details.

  ‘Adeline, the breeder, said he’s already had his first lot of injections, but he’ll need the top up in a couple of weeks. There’s a great vet in Walsh.’ He paused a moment and then frowned; no doubt her panic was scrawled across her face. ‘Is paying for that going to be a problem?’

  ‘Oh, no,’ she rushed to assure him, but she’d probably go to Bunbury where she’d have a better chance of remaining anonymous. ‘I was just … wondering.’

  Lawson nodded, then he pushed back his seat, the chair legs scraping against the floor. ‘I really better be getting back to the farm. Thanks for the drink and for the cake.’

  She summoned a smile and stood as well. ‘Thanks for the dog.’

  He shoved his hands into his pocket and offered her a sheepish grin. ‘I know he’s not a traditional house-warming gift, but I didn’t want you to get lonely out here.’

  ‘That’s very sweet of you.’ Far sweeter than someone like me deserves. She shook the thought from her head. ‘Now, let me package you up some cakes and biscuits to take home to Ned.’

  Lawson went to say goodbye to Cane as she put an orange cake and a batch of chocolate cookies into her only two disposable containers. She almost put them in some of the Tupperware she’d inherited from Granny Rose—knowing he’d feel obliged to bring them back—but that was tempting fate and she came to her senses just in time. Megan didn’t trust herself around this far too gorgeous, far too lovely man.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said, when she handed him the containers. ‘Tab’s usually too busy making ice-cream to cook stuff like this and, although I have many skills, baking sadly isn’t one of them.’

  Megan’s stomach clenched at his easy reference to another woman. ‘Who’s Tab?’

  He smiled fondly. ‘My little sister. She lives with Ned and me and is a bit of an ice-cream connoisseur. Luckily we have plenty of milk for her to experiment with.’

  ‘Ah, I see.’ Megan silently cursed her ridiculous relief at the knowledge that Tab was a relation, not his girlfriend. The sooner Lawson left the better, because having him so close affected her sensibilities.

  ‘Right. Well, thanks again.’ He tapped the containers and started towards the front door. She followed and Cane leaped up off the floor and darted in and out of their feet as they walked, making them both laugh.

  ‘This really is a gorgeous old building,’ Lawson said, looking up at the original mouldings on the ceiling as he stopped at the front door. ‘They don’t make shops like these any more.’

  Megan sighed. ‘So true. I’m enjoying the challenge of bringing it back to its former glory.’

  He opened his mouth as if he were about to ask something but shut it again and shook his head slightly. ‘I guess I’ll be going now.’

  She nodded. Lawson stepped forwards and put his hand on the door handle, but he still didn’t make a move to go.

  Instead, they stood there looking at each other for a few long moments and she swore her heart stopped beating all together. She barely noticed Cane jumping up at them as Lawson’s eyes connected with hers. The chill from earlier had well and truly gone—there was something else fizzing in the air now. Something that terrified the hell out of her and at the same time aroused her like she hadn’t been aroused in years.

  Is he going to kiss me? Her tummy summersaulted in delicious anticipation. It seemed both possible and impossible and her tongue darted out of its own accord to lick her lips, her mind already two steps ahead, imagining the taste of his mouth on hers.

  And then Cane barked and broke the moment. Embarrassed that Lawson might be able to read her mind, she stooped down to pick up the dog. ‘Thanks again,’ she said faux-brightly.

  ‘You’re welcome.’ He smiled as he opened the door, then turned and hurried back to his ute.

  Megan watched him go, her heart racing again, but Lawson didn’t look back and she told herself that was a good thing. What on earth would she have done if he had kissed her? She didn’t think she’d have had the wherewithal to resist, and yet kissing could lead her into all kinds of trouble. The fact she’d even contemplated it shocked her.

  If it weren’t for the warm, wriggly puppy in her arms and the blur of dust that kicked up off the road as he drove away, she probably wouldn’t have believed what had just happened. She’d had some strange days in her life, but this one was up there at the top.

  Despite the fact she now had a puppy, the house felt quieter than usual when she went back inside. The radio still chattered away in the corner, but it didn’t offer the same comfort it previously had. She took Cane back into the kitchen and went through the bag on the table, retrieving a plastic pig-shaped chew toy and tossing it to him on the floor. She spent the rest of the day playing with Hurricane, puppy proofing the house and trying her darn best not to think any more about Lawson Cooper-Jones.

  Chapter Six

  Late in the evening with Cane tucked up on his bed downstairs in the kitchen and the door shut so he couldn’t wreak havoc in the rest of the house, Megan climbed the stairs to her room and fell into bed. Her eyes were barely shut ten seconds before the dog’s whines drifted up to her. She groaned and put the pillow over her head to try and drown out the noise. If she ignored him, he’d eventually settle.

  Five minutes later she found herself heading back downstairs. The whining stopped the moment she opened the door. Cane skidded across the kitchen floor and jumped up at her knees, making eyes at her with that irresistible puppy face.

  ‘It’s not time to play. It’s time to sleep,’ she said in her firmest voice as she crossed over to the dog bed, stooped down and patted it. Cane took one look at his bed and darted out the door she’d forgotten to close behind her.

  She scrambled to her feet cursing Lawson’s name as she hurried after the puppy and found him in what had been the main shop area and would be her living room when she’d finished clearing all the clutter. In its current state it was a veritable playground for a puppy, but it was nearing midnight and Megan was in no mood to play. She caught the dog, who had a ball of her wool between his teeth, and carried him back out and into the kitchen, where she picked up his bed in her other arm and then took them both upstairs.

  As she navigated the stairs, Cane whined worse than ever and struggled so much she almost dropped him, but he calmed down once they were in her bedroom. She put his bed on the floor next to hers and was surprised when he lay down on it without a fuss. She climbed back into bed and rolled onto her side, her arm hanging over the edge of the bed so she could stroke him while he went to sleep.

  A few hours later, creaking noises woke her again. No longer scared of the sounds the house made, she reached down to check for Cane. Panicking when she didn’t feel him, she sat bolt upright and fumbled to turn on her bedside lamp. As light spilled over the room, her eyes came to rest on a furry little body at the end of her bed and she let out a deep sigh. Cane looked sleepily up at her. She s
tretched out her foot and stroked him with her toe. It was probably a huge no-no to allow him to sleep in her bed, but quite frankly she didn’t care. She loved feeling him close and fell asleep again with a smile on her face.

  The next time she woke Cane was licking her face and light crept in through the curtains. There’d be no getting him back to sleep now.

  ‘You’re worse than a baby,’ she told the dog as she pushed him off her gently.

  She dressed quickly, slipped her feet into thongs and then left the room. As expected the pup charged after her but stopped a few feet away from the top of the stairs and whimpered.

  ‘Come on,’ she called to him, ‘time for breakfast.’

  But he wouldn’t budge.

  His eyes were wide and his ears pressed flat against his head as he stared at the air between them. Could he see something? She remembered a cheesy horror movie she’d watched in her teens where the dog could see the ghost living in its owner’s house.

  She shivered. Don’t be ridiculous. Even if there was a ghost, it hadn’t given any indication it wanted to harm her. The three of them would just have to live in harmony.

  ‘It’s okay,’ she told Cane, stepping back to scoop him up. He all but buried his head in her chest as they went downstairs, but happily bounded off into the yard for a pee when she opened the back door.

  Although the garden was well fenced, she still didn’t want to leave him outside alone yet. She’d had him less than twenty-four hours and already couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to him.

  Megan waited until Cane had relieved himself, then ushered him back inside and into the kitchen, this time remembering to close the door behind them.

  She filled his bowl with some of the dog food Lawson had given her, then filled the kettle, flicked it on and lifted the lid on her coffee tin.

  ‘Oh disaster,’ she exclaimed as she peered down at the near empty jar. She could do without milk, she could do without butter, but coffee? Hell no. Grocery shopping could be put off no longer.

  ‘But what am I going to do with you?’ she asked Cane, who’d found another roll of wool and wasted no time in unravelling it all over the kitchen. After his whining in the night and the destruction he left in his wake, leaving him home alone would be asking for trouble.