All of You

by Jasmine Stevens

  Now Zoe was safely tucked in bed, and her parents had retired to the guest room, Emma found herself alone at last in her new home. She found the box marked ‘Glasses’ and unwrapped a tumbler from the black and white newspaper. She gave the glass a quick wash and then filled it with water from the tap. Emma sculled the contents and refilled it. This time she took small sips, relishing in the refreshing taste of country water. She looked out the kitchen window into the backyard. It was dark outside now. Her reflection stared back at her. Dark bags under her eyes made her look exhausted.

  The last six months had been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. She hadn’t had a chance to take a breath or take stock of all had happened. Thinking about it gave her an instant headache, and she pushed the oppressive thoughts far from her mind.

  Staring out at the darkness, Emma recalled how she had fallen in love with the old house in Holbrook as soon as she had laid eyes on the backyard. There wasn’t a great deal to choose from in the small town, but when she had scrolled down on her laptop to find this house with its beautiful jacaranda tree blossoming with sublime purple flowers, she hadn’t looked any further. The tree had gained her undivided attention. Many of the flowers had dropped, and the ground looked like purple carpet against the lush green grass. She could picture herself pushing Zoe on a swing hung from the tree and having tea parties with her daughter on the lawn with tiny cupcakes and teacups filled with water.

  The house was an older style grey and white weatherboard cottage. It had a quaint white picket fence out the front with a neat and tidy yard she could easily maintain. Exactly what Emma needed. She had no green thumb, however, now she had Zoe in her life, she wouldn’t mind trying her hand at establishing a vegetable garden. The thought of having fresh fruit and vegetables on hand appealed to her. She couldn’t wait for winter when she’d be able to pick the fruit off the mature mandarin and lemon trees.

  Placing the empty glass in the sink, Emma took a deep breath, calming her jittery nerves. She prayed she had made the right decision moving to Holbrook. So much could go wrong. She’d left everything behind in Melbourne—a career, her family, her friends, her house, and her ex, Ryan. Everything that meant anything to her was back there, and here she was in a different state, in a new house which wasn’t really hers, and she knew no one except Zoe’s grandparents. She was used to the hurried, loud lifestyle of the city. The sounds of the small country town were foreign to her. All she could hear now was the barking of a dog in the quiet cul-de-sac and the chirping of crickets, entirely different from the life she lived in the city.

  Emma’s decision to move hadn’t been an easy one. It had been based purely on Zoe and what was in her best interest. She hoped she could build a life here, make friends, start afresh, and bring Zoe up in a safe, close-knit community. Her mum always said it took a village to raise a child. For once, Emma thought her mum might be right. She had needed so many of her friends and family over the last months with helping to raise Zoe. But not knowing anyone here, clouded her thoughts with uncertainty.

  Could she raise Zoe all by herself?

  What if she didn’t gel with anyone here and couldn’t make friends?

  One thing Emma was sure of, though, was nobody in Holbrook could ever find out she was once an officer in the Victorian Police Force.

  The beginnings of deflation were sneaking in through Emma’s once-confident mindset as she maneuvered Zoe’s pram out of the chemist. So far, the news agency, the Post Office, the local IGA, and Jim’s Takeaway Shop had all responded with a resounding ‘No, but we will keep you in mind if we’re ever hiring.’ Emma’s search for employment was heading south, but she had to admit the local retailers hadn’t given her a frosty reception. In fact, everyone had been the complete opposite, friendly and welcoming, although none of them had actually offered her a job.

  This morning while she waved goodbye to her parents as they headed back home to Melbourne, she’d been confident about job hunting. Her image in the mirror looked professional and trustworthy in black Soho pants and a long-sleeved flowery blouse. The pink and blue hues of the shirt brought out the green of her eyes, and the long sleeves covered her scars. She’d decided to pin her unruly hair in a high bun. Now, as she hit the cobbled pavement once again with a pram and a fussing baby, she probably looked frazzled and depressed. Zoe was becoming agitated and restless from sitting in the stroller for so long. Who could blame her for wanting her freedom?

  Emma had spotted a park on the walk into town and backtracked to it now. Perhaps after a push on the swing and a slide down the slippery dip, Zoe might be exhausted enough to fall asleep, giving Emma more time to search for a job. Finding employment was imperative. Emma’s bank account had dwindled with the move to Holbrook, and the compensation she’d received from the shooting wouldn’t last forever. All she needed was a small, part-time job to supplement the fortnightly wage she received.

  The park was situated on a crest of a hill. A series of sleepers acted as stairs at the entrance of the park. Zoe was really crying with gusto now, and Emma eyed the row of stairs as if they were Mount Everest. There were ten stairs in total, and Emma had no idea how she was going to lift Zoe and the stroller up all those stairs. As she was wondering if there were another entrance to the park, a voice came from behind her, making her jump.

  ‘Need a hand there?’

  Emma turned on her heel and looked at the man standing before her. Zoe was safely behind her, and she had the opportunity to scrutinize the handsome man. She couldn’t see his eyes as they were covered by his dark sunglasses. This concerned her. Was the man trustworthy? She believed the old saying that the eyes are the window into the soul. She’d need to use other ways to determine the man’s character. He had one of the most chiselled features she’d ever seen with high cheekbones, but his square jawline gave him a hard edge as did the small silver scar above his lip. Immediately, she wondered how he got it.

  He was smiling at her expectantly, his head tilted to the side. ‘Well?’

  She was never lost for words, but right now, words failed her. She had difficulty remembering what exactly this gorgeous man had actually said to her. ‘Well, what?’

  ‘I asked if you needed a hand getting your baby up the stairs.’ He removed his sunglasses, resting them on top of his head.

  ‘Oh.’ Emma looked with dread at the stairs and turned back to the tall stranger. Now she could see his eyes, she felt she could trust this man. He looked kind, and she got a good vibe. Besides, she’d always had reasonable instincts about people, and she trusted those instincts. Her shoulders relaxed. ‘Thank you. That would be great.’

  Without another word, the man with black hair, the colour of coal, took hold of the bottom of the stroller. He nodded his head indicating Emma should take hold of the handles, which she did. He nodded again. ‘On three. One, two, three.’ They lifted Zoe and her stroller in unison and Emma tried to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and not tripping up the stairs. When they reached the top, Emma watched as the leather jacket the man wore stretched across the muscles of his back as he placed the stroller gently on the ground.

  Emma placed her hand up to shield her eyes from the midday sun. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘No problem.’ He reached his hand out to shake hers. ‘I’m Ben.’ He then replaced his sunglasses over his eyes.

  ‘Nice to meet you, Ben. It’s a pretty silly design having so many steps leading up to a playground. I wouldn’t have been able to get up here without you.’ Emma reached down, unbuckling Zoe from the stroller and lifted her into her arms. The little girl’s tears immediately ceased as Emma jigged her up and down on her hip.

  ‘It was actually my dad who designed the park. You’ll have to take up your complaint with him,’ Ben said with all seriousness.

  Emma couldn’t see his eyes behind his glasses and wasn’t sure how to react to his statement. ‘I’m really sorry. I meant no offence to you or your dad.’ Emma stumbled over her words. Shit, she ha
d offended the man who had helped her, which hadn’t been her intention. Great way to make friends with the locals, Emma.

  Ben laughed. ‘I’m joking. My dad had nothing to do with building the park. I was messing with you.’

  Emma placed a hand over her heart. ‘Thank God. You had me worried. I thought I’d screwed up and offended you.’

  Zoe had stopped fussing and was looking at Ben with curious eyes. ‘I think you have a fan.’

  Ben chuckled. ‘What’s her name?’

  ‘Zoe.’

  ‘Hi, Zoe.’ Ben placed his hands across his face and then opened them saying ‘peek-a-boo,’ which sent Zoe into fits of giggles. Emma gaped, open-mouthed, at the stranger who had Zoe totally enraptured in a simple game of peek-a-boo. She languidly checked out his profile. He was gorgeous. Light stubble outlined his tanned face, and he obviously worked out as strong muscles bulged beneath the tight jacket. The man oozed sex appeal.

  Ben looked at Emma and smiled. My God, she’d been openly gawking at the man, and he had caught her doing it. ‘How did you know to do that? Do you have kids of your own?’

  Ben swatted at a fly buzzing around. ‘Nah. No kids. My friends have a little boy, though, and he loves a game of peek-a-boo. Always seems to do the trick. He’d probably be the same age as your little girl, I bet.’

  ‘Well, thank you for your help.’ She looked directly at his eyes, knowing things were getting awkward but reluctant to leave his company. He was tall, and she felt her heart do a little hop, skip, and jump at the fact they were similar in height. Men were often intimidated by her height. They didn’t like having to look up at her. This man seemed to be ticking off attractive qualities she found in a man, left, right, and centre. My God, what was she thinking? She wasn’t even looking for another relationship. Hell, she’d only recently ended a three-year relationship. Men shouldn’t even be anywhere on her radar.

  She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. ‘Bye, Ben.’ She took hold of the stroller handle to steer it towards the swings. Zoe loved swings.

  ‘And you would be?’

  The sound of his voice behind her stopped her in her tracks, and she turned around to meet his gaze again. ’Pardon?’

  ‘Your name. I didn’t catch your name.’

  ‘Emma.’

  ‘Well, pleased to meet you, Emma and Zoe. There’s a ramp on the other side of the park. So you should be able to get down a lot easier with the stroller over there.’ He lifted his hand in farewell. ‘See you ‘round.’ Ben turned and headed away from her, giving her an ample view of exactly how well his bum fit into his jeans. Emma felt herself blush and waved a hand in front of her face in the hopes of cooling her overheated body. ‘Well, ZoZo, that was some real nice eye candy. A woman could get used to looking at that.’

  Zoe responded by pulling on a loose tendril of Emma’s hair. ‘Okay let’s get you a ride on the swing. I think you’ve earned it.’

  Ben sunk down on the leather seat of his motorbike with a sigh. The red-haired woman with a sprinkling of freckles across her nose had piqued his interest. As he had cut through the park to his bike minutes ago, Zoe’s crying had drifted across to him, and he had detoured in her direction out of curiosity. When Emma had turned to look at him, her emerald eyes pierced him with their sharpness. She was obviously wary of him, but who could blame her? He was a stranger. He’d seen the tension in her shoulders begin to relax as he began to play peek-a-boo with her daughter. Her hair was pinned in a bun, and he wondered how long it actually was. He had desired more than anything to reach out, unpin it, and let it fall around her. She was beautiful in a natural style he found immensely attractive, with legs that seemed to go on forever, another quality he found attractive in a woman.

  The problem was, she had a kid, and anyone as gorgeous as Emma would surely have a man waiting for her at home. He had checked out her hand for rings, but none had adorned her long, slender fingers. Didn’t mean she was single, though. She might be a tourist too, probably passing through, merely stopping at the park for a rest. He would be best to get the flame-haired beauty out of his head. There was no future there.

  Emma had been right, some running around and frolicking at the park had worn Zoe out completely, and now Zoe was sound asleep in the stroller. Emma figured she probably had a good couple of hours before Zoe woke up, so she set back out to the main street. The thoroughfare was now packed with people enjoying lunch at the local eateries. Jacaranda trees lined the centre of the main street, and even though they weren’t in flower, they still made a picturesque setting with the green mountains as the backdrop. Emma decided to bypass the beautiful boutique shops. She was certain if she worked in one of those stores, most of her hard-earned money would be spent buying all the knick-knacks they sold. Buying trinkets and homewares were indulgences from her life in Melbourne. She especially loved collecting teapots and cups and saucers and had quite the collection. Ryan had never understood this fetish of hers. No doubt she wouldn’t be adding to the collection any time soon. Now she had a little baby to think about, and she had to practice restraint when it came to frivolous purchases.

  A position vacant sign written on a blackboard in elegant cursive writing outside a cheese shop drew Emma’s eye. The Cheese Emporium was nestled in a small alleyway with a black wrought-iron gate which stood open in welcome. Emma pushed the stroller through the opening and walked along the cobblestone walkway. Along the alleyway hung woven baskets which overflowed with weeping pendant-shaped fuchsia. The delicate flowers bloomed in bright shades of pink and purple. They looked so fragile to the eye. Emma resisted the urge to reach out and touch the flowers, feeling the slightest touch to one of those dainty petals would have the flower crumble and fall to the ground.

  Emma reached a glass door and used her bum to push the door open so she could get the stroller through. A blast of cool air hit Emma before she smelled the unmistakable scent of cheese. Emma thought she must have died and gone to heaven as she turned and viewed the vast array of cheeses and meats showcased behind a glass cabinet.

  A woman in her thirties with short, blonde hair smiled from behind the counter. ‘Hi there. How can I help you today?’ The woman gestured to a block of cheese in the cabinet. ‘I have some beautiful double cream cheese that’s just come in if you’d like a taste?’

  Emma reached into the bottom of the stroller and produced her resume. ‘Actually, I saw your sign out the front for the position vacant. I’m looking for a job. Is the position still available?’ Emma handed over her resume.

  The woman with laugh lines around her eyes took the paper out of Emma’s hands and replaced it with her own, shaking Emma’s hand vigorously and squeezing the circulation out of it in the process. ‘My name’s Daisy, and you are?’

  Emma felt as if the woman was never going to release her hand, and when she finally did, Emma shrugged shyly. ‘Emma McIntosh.’

  Daisy was still smiling. ‘And who’s the sleeping beauty?’ She gestured to Zoe, sleeping with her head in an awkward position in the stroller, her black curls falling across her rosy cheeks. It never ceased to amaze Emma how her little girl could fall asleep in the strangest of positions. Once she found her asleep sitting in her cot.

  ‘This is my daughter, Zoe.’

  ‘She’s a cute little thing. How old is she?’

  Emma said proudly, ‘Sixteen months.’

  ‘Oh, I remember when my babies were babies. They keep you on your toes when they start moving around. Is she walking yet?’

  ‘Yes, she’s just started. She’s still a bit wobbly on her feet, though. There have been a few falls.’ Emma wondered if they were going to make small talk about Zoe all day or if Daisy was, in fact, going to answer her question about the job.

  As if reading her thoughts, Daisy said, ‘Well, Emma McIntosh. Yes, the job is still on offer. How about you bring Zoe and yourself around the counter, and we will have a chat out the back.’ Emma did as Daisy requested, and she found herself sitting at a sma
ll round table as she watched Daisy fill a kettle with water. ‘Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?’

  Emma tucked a loose hair which had fallen from her bun, behind her ear. ‘Tea would be lovely. Black with one sugar, please.’

  As Daisy prepared the two cups of tea, she told Emma about the job. ‘The job will be sixteen hours a week. Although during peak periods such as when a bus books in, there may be additional hours on top of the sixteen. We’re closed Mondays and Tuesdays so I can recover from the weekend.’ Daisy laughed. ‘The shop is getting busier and busier on the weekends and Fridays. I could really do with an extra pair of hands. Some days I close the shop and realise I haven’t even had a chance to eat anything for the entire day because it has been so flat out. Then there’s the fact my daughter has started playing soccer, and I can’t even go and watch her games because I’m here.’

  As Daisy passed Emma her cup of tea, a bell sounded out in the shop signalling a customer. Daisy walked out the doorway saying over her shoulder. ‘Back in a tic.’

  While Daisy served the customer, Emma pondered whether or not this job was going to be suitable for her. She could place Zoe in childcare during the week, but on weekends, what would she do? Also, what would she do if she was called in at short notice? Who would look after Zoe then?

  Daisy plonked herself into the wooden chair across from Emma and sighed when she took a sip of her tea. ‘Do you have much experience with cheese?’

  Emma fidgeted in her seat and ran her finger around the rim of the simple white teacup. There was a small chip in the handle where the thumb of her other hand rested. Here goes, as soon as this woman finds out she has no experience in hospitality or retail, she’ll be told sorry, but I need someone with more experience. Emma was sure of it. ‘No I have no experience, and I know nothing about cheese except I love eating it.’