Talk of the Town

by Rachael Johns

  ‘I know it might seem like Rose Hill is off the beaten track but I’ve heard of and even visited a few places in Victoria that are just as isolated and work well. Of course it might take a while to build up a reputation but—’

  ‘I think it’s a great idea,’ Lawson interrupted, glancing back inside through the fly-screen door as if seeing what it could look like once she’d finished.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes. You might be off the beaten track like you say, but you’re not too far from civilisation, and people sometimes like a drive in the country. I’ve got a friend who farms in Goomalling and there’s this pub about a fifteen-minute drive from town in a tiny place called Jennacubbine. Nothing else there, but it does a roaring trade.’

  Megan couldn’t help grinning. Could she really imagine something like that for herself? Even if the tea room never eventuated, the idea had at least given her something to talk to Lawson about and a believable reason for buying a rundown building in a supposed ghost town.

  ‘And,’ he added, ‘there are plenty of folk around here who do wonderful arts and crafts, so if you offer to sell their stuff in the shop for a commission, they’ll help spread the word.’

  ‘That would be wonderful.’ She let the fantasy take root and tried to ignore the reality that such a thing would mean getting to know more people.

  ‘Do you plan to do most of the renovations yourself?’ Lawson asked.

  ‘Yep. I’ve made a start and once I get rid of all the clutter I inherited, the big repairs won’t actually take that long—and I’ve done similar work before.’

  She gestured to the pile of junk that was rapidly turning into a mountain at the other end of the verandah. She needed to take it to the tip some time but was holding off until the weather cooled down as she’d only be able to fit a small amount in her car each time.

  ‘For your job?’ he asked.

  She could tell he was trying not to sound sceptical.

  ‘Yes, I’ve done a little cabinet making in my time.’

  ‘Wow. A woman who can fix things. I’m impressed.’

  Megan’s cheeks flushed a little at his words, but she wondered if he’d be so impressed if he knew where she’d learned the trade. She forced a smile and kept her reply light. ‘I’ll have you know women can do most things as well as, if not better than men.’

  He laughed and held up his hands in surrender pose. ‘Hey. No arguments here. My sister proves that every single day. I was just teasing.’

  ‘You guys sound close,’ she said, grabbing onto the opportunity to talk about him again.

  ‘We are. Tab’s four years younger than me and when we were kids, Mum used to call her my shadow. I pretended to be annoyed by her,’ he admitted, ‘but I secretly liked her company and then when Mum got sick we really grew close. Tab’s had her own hardships, but she’s always remained upbeat and positive. Without her, I’m not sure I’d have coped raising a kid alone.’

  She was about to ask how old Ned had been when they’d lost his mum, but Lawson got in first.

  ‘What about you?’ he said. ‘Was your brother older or younger than you? Were you guys close?’

  For a second her heart froze as she wondered how he knew about Tim, but then she remembered she’d mentioned the fire when they were in the café. ‘He was two years younger,’ she said, suddenly struggling not to cry—this conversation was so downbeat. ‘And we fought like crazy, but when he was no longer there, I felt like I’d lost a part of myself.’

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ Lawson reached out his hand and took hold of hers. He squeezed ever so gently and then let it go again so quickly she almost wondered if she’d imagined the gesture.

  ‘Do you believe in ghosts?’ she asked, in a drastic attempt to redirect the conversation and calm her hormones.

  ‘I’m not sure.’ He shrugged and his lips quirked up at the corners. ‘Why? Is the old house getting to you?’

  This was it, where she admitted the bizarre happenings and Lawson decided she must be mentally unstable, which was perhaps closer to the truth than she wanted to admit, but she felt the need to get it off her chest anyway. And it would probably be a good thing if he took his child and ran.

  ‘I didn’t before I moved here, but things have been happening and I’ve been getting weird sensations that I can’t explain away.’

  ‘What kind of things?’ The way he asked, as if he really cared, made certain parts of her quiver. Or that could just be the after-affects of him touching her hand.

  ‘Well, for starters, it’s always cold near the stairs—even when it’s scorching outside and I’m sweltering in the rest of the house—and Cane hates going anywhere near them. I have to carry him up and down to my bedroom and the rest of the time he takes as wide a berth as possible around them.’

  Lawson raised an eyebrow but she went on.

  ‘Sometimes furniture and objects move of their own accord.’ She thought of The Ghost and Mrs Muir at the top of her book pile and way the chair had moved out from Adeline, but decided not to bring the other woman into the conversation. ‘I hear noises outside my room at night and now every day when I wake up … This is gunna sound crazy, but the kettle is always boiling for me when I walk into the kitchen.

  ‘A helpful ghost?’ His slight smile exploded into a full-on grin. ‘That sounds like my kind of spirit. Do you think your ghost has a friend they could send on over to my place?’

  She laughed. ‘I could maybe explain away any of these things on their own, but when I add them all up, I start to feel like I’m living on the set of some gothic movie.’

  ‘I’m not sure the kettle thing can be explained away.’

  ‘Well, thank you. That’s very kind of you—you could just say I’m delusional.’

  ‘That wouldn’t be very nice,’ Lawson said, his deep voice combined with his warm smile making Megan blush.

  As if Cane could feel the heat rising in her body and decided she needed cooling down, he chose that second to run over and shake his wetness onto them. Any moment she may or may not have been imagining between herself and Lawson was broken as they shrieked and leaped up from the step.

  ‘Oh my God! Cane, stop!’ she ordered, holding her hands out to try and stop the puppy as he bounded after her up the few steps and tried to jump up at her legs.

  Ned ran over to join them, laughing so hard he was snorting through his nose. Lawson leaned forwards, grabbed onto Cane’s collar and yanked him away from her. ‘Sit,’ he ordered, his voice kind but stern.

  To her surprise, Cane dropped to his haunches, subdued.

  ‘Thanks,’ Megan said, trying to catch her breath, hoping her now-soaked T-shirt wasn’t giving Ned and Lawson an eyeful. ‘I’ll go inside and get us all some towels.

  As she raced inside to the bathroom, she swore she heard faint laughter coming from the stairs, but she ignored it, grabbed three towels and headed back outside.

  ‘Here,’ she said, tossing a towel at Lawson and then unfolding another and wrapping it around Ned’s shoulders.

  She turned back to see Lawson had stooped down and was drying Cane rather than himself. ‘There there, little guy,’ he murmured softly as he rubbed Cane’s previously white fur.

  At this sight another lump formed in her throat. ‘That towel was supposed to be for you,’ she said, holding hers out to him. ‘Here, you have this one.’

  ‘Nah, I’m fine,’ he said, and then he stood again and in one swift movement whipped his T-shirt over his head. ‘I’m not that wet and this will dry in no time if I hang it on the chair here.’

  Megan could barely register his words. Every cell in her head was distracted by the perfection that was Lawson’s tanned, chiselled chest. She swallowed, knowing full well she was staring but unable to look away as her gaze travelled from his broad shoulders downwards. He had just the right smattering of hair across his chest—enough to be sexy without being creepy—and her eyes followed the trail down to …

  Oh my! She snapped her head u
p when she saw the bulge in his shorts. She’d thought she’d been blushing earlier, but now her cheeks were scorched and they weren’t the only part of her on fire.

  Thank God Ned was there or who knew what kind of craziness might have erupted inside of her at this more than pleasant visual. After years with only women for company, seeing Lawson standing in front of her bare-chested was like emerging into a rainstorm on the other side of a long drought.

  She brought the towel up to cover her head, pretending to dry her hair, whereas in reality she just needed a moment.

  ‘Right,’ she said finally, when she’d almost given herself a headache from rubbing too hard. ‘Now that we’re all dry again, who wants some jelly slice?’

  Chapter Eleven

  ‘Yes, please,’ Ned said as Meg turned and all but fled into the house.

  Lawson’s heart was racing at the sight of her hardened nipples clearly visible through her wet white T-shirt. Feeling a sudden tightness in his shorts, he glanced down and instantly regretted ripping off his shirt, which may have slightly covered his embarrassing hard-on. Geez, he couldn’t remember the last time that had happened in polite company. Gripping the back of the plastic seat and trying to think non-sexual thoughts, he cleared his throat and turned his mind to parenting.

  ‘Ned, put your clothes back on.’ He sounded far more gruff than he’d intended.

  ‘What do you think I’m doing, Dad?’ Ned asked as he pulled his shorts up over his narrow hips and gave him with a bemused smile.

  ‘Right.’ Lawson nodded. ‘Good boy.’ He grabbed his own still damp T-shirt and yanked it back on over his head. Taking it off in the first place had been a stupid move, but he had to admit, he’d liked the way Meg’s gaze had raked over his body. It was her look of appreciation as much as her wet shirt that had inspired his raging erection and he knew he wouldn’t be able to get it out of his head for quite some time.

  ‘Come on, Dad, let’s go get that slice.’ Ned, who’d dressed much faster than he usually did, grabbed his hand.

  ‘I’m coming,’ he said, following his son and Cane back into the kitchen.

  Meg wasn’t there, but seconds later footsteps sounded behind them and she appeared again, wearing a new dry T-shirt. Once again their eyes met in shared acknowledgment of what had happened between them outside. They might not have touched each other but the way she’d looked at him had almost the same effect.

  ‘Do you guys want to eat in the lounge room?’ she asked, her voice a little too chirpy. ‘We can take dessert in there and maybe play a game of Uno or something.’

  ‘I love Uno,’ Ned said, ‘but I gotta warn you, Dad cheats.’

  ‘Is that right?’ Meg laughed and the tension in the air dissipated.

  ‘I do not,’ Lawson exclaimed, jokingly reaching out and cuffing Ned’s ear.

  ‘I’ll be watching both of you,’ Meg said as she crossed the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out a plate of jelly slice. The sweet smell wafted his way and Lawson reckoned he’d never be able to eat anything jelly again without thinking of her.

  ‘Where are the cards?’ Ned asked, his eyes wide as he gazed at the slice.

  ‘I think they’re in a box next to the fireplace,’ she said and Ned was off, Cane racing behind him.

  ‘Uno is pretty hard to play alone,’ Lawson said more for something to say than any other reason.

  She smiled and held the plate of slice close. ‘It was one of the many games I inherited with the house. The rest of them are there too—I hadn’t put them out the back with the stuff for the tip because it seemed a shame to throw them out. Do you and Ned play many board games? You can have them if you like.’

  ‘We should play more than we do. These days we tend to spend more time on the Xbox.’

  Meg chuckled and then gestured to the fridge. ‘Do you want to grab some drinks?’

  He retrieved a jug of water and three glasses, then followed Meg into the living room. They sat on the floor around a few milk crates she’d put together to make a coffee table and devoured half the slice before they even started the first round of Uno. Cane—his nose sniffing like one of those airport customs dogs—tried fluttering his puppy dog eyes at all of them to no avail.

  ‘Sweet stuff is bad for dogs,’ Ned informed him. ‘But really good for humans.’

  Again they all laughed. Cane gave up and sulked his way under the table. Within minutes he was snoring loudly on the floor, totally oblivious to the laughter and accusations of cheating above him.

  ‘Uno,’ Meg shouted, pressing her last card against her chest as if it were a winning lottery ticket.

  Lawson raised a bemused eyebrow. He’d thought his sister competitive at card games but she had nothing on Meg. It was strangely attractive.

  ‘Draw four!’ Ned slammed his card down on the pile and hit Meg with a take-that look. ‘Yellow.’

  ‘Aw, you play a mean game of Uno, Ned Cooper-Jones,’ she said as she leaned forwards and picked up four new cards.

  Ned chuckled like the villain in a Disney movie and Lawson found himself smiling harder than he had in a long time.

  They played eight rounds of the card game—Ned won four, Meg three and Lawson one—before Ned decided he’d had enough. ‘Can I explore your house?’ he asked, already scrambling to his feet.

  ‘Sure, go ahead,’ Meg said, ‘Just be careful on the stairs.’

  ‘I will,’ Ned promised as he dashed out of the room, Cane springing to life and hurtling after him.

  ‘Because of the ghost or because stairs in general can be dangerous?’ Lawson asked, trying to keep things light now he and Meg were alone again.

  ‘Are you mocking me?’ Her mouth went up on one side.

  ‘No. I’m definitely not,’ he said, shaking his head.

  A little nervous at being alone with her after the wet-dog-wet-shirts incident, Lawson spoke again to avoid any awkwardness. ‘You’re not scared here all by yourself, are you?’

  ‘Thanks to you I’ve got Cane. Not that he’d be much help if the ghost was a bad sort—as I said, he’s terrified of her—but so far the spirit or whatever she is hasn’t tried to do me or him any harm.’

  ‘You think the ghost is female?’

  She shrugged. ‘Yes, I guess I do. I hadn’t really thought about it but I just feel that she is. I’d really love to find out more about her.’

  ‘What about seeing if you can get access to the Rose Hill historical society?’ he suggested, getting caught up in her enthusiasm. ‘I’m not sure what’s left there these days but the one in Walsh opens every second Wednesday for tourists and keeps stacks of local information. You might find some old newspaper articles about this building or some photos or something.’

  ‘That’s a great idea.’ Her face lit up in one of those smiles that sparked something warm inside him. ‘I’ll ask Archie about it.’

  ‘Good idea,’ he said. ‘Now, shall we go see what Ned and Cane are up to?’

  ‘Another good idea.’ She smiled and pushed herself to her feet.

  They found Ned at the bottom of the stairs, trying to lure Cane up.

  ‘Cane doesn’t like going upstairs,’ Meg said, going over to him and lifting him into her arms. She glanced at Lawson but didn’t mention the ghost thing to Ned and for that he was grateful. Ned had enough of an imagination as it was and he didn’t need any encouragement or neither of them would ever get any sleep again.

  ‘Go ahead.’ She nodded up the stairs as she repositioned Cane.

  Lawson held out his arms. ‘Here, let me take him.’

  Meg gave him the rapidly growing puppy and then followed Ned up the stairs. When Lawson got to the top and Cane struggled to be free, he set him on the landing and caught his breath. ‘What are you going to do when Cane is too big for you to carry?’

  ‘I’m hoping by then he’ll either be over his fear or he’ll be happy enough to sleep on his own downstairs. But hey, who needs a gym workout when I have him?’ To prove her point, she held up one
arm like a muscle man and he laughed while also admiring the slender curves.

  They ambled through the rooms upstairs, talking about Meg’s plans for the building while Ned investigated every nook and cranny. The time passed incredibly fast and it felt way too soon when the alarm on Lawson’s mobile beeped. He wanted to switch it off and forget about it as he’d enjoyed their time together much more than he’d ever imagined possible, but the cows would wait for no one and it wasn’t fair to leave all the hard work to Tabitha and Ethan.

  ‘Is everything okay?’ Meg asked, nodding towards his mobile as he silenced the alarm.

  ‘Yes, that’s just my alarm reminder. I’ve got to get home to get the cows ready for milking.’

  ‘Aw, Dad,’ Ned whined from where he’d been playing Narnia in the back of an empty wardrobe in one of Meg’s spare rooms. ‘I wanna stay here.’

  You and me both. ‘Unfortunately we can’t always get what we want in life, mate, and we don’t want to outstay our welcome.’

  ‘Yes, we do!’

  Meg laughed, then looked to Ned. ‘I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I was worried you’d get bored here. How about I box up the rest of the jelly slice for you to take home?’

  An expression of indecision crossed Ned’s face as he deliberated whether more slice was worth backing down for. ‘Okay,’ he said eventually. ‘That would be good.’

  Lawson gave his son a stern look. ‘Yes, please, Meg, that would be lovely.’

  ‘Yes, please, Meg, that would be lovely,’ Ned echoed.

  Lawson saw her hiding a smile. He probably should reprimand Ned’s cheekiness but he couldn’t help smiling as well.

  Downstairs, Lawson put Cane down and followed Meg and Ned into the kitchen. She piled the slice into a plastic container and then handed it to Ned. ‘Don’t eat them all at once.’

  ‘Don’t worry, he won’t let me,’ Ned replied, jerking his head towards Lawson.