Jamie whistled through his teeth and swore. ‘That hasn’t stopped you before.’
‘She’s different. I get the feeling I’m treading in rough waters.’
‘Then cut her loose, mate, and move on.’
Ben stopped and reached for a towel to dry the sweat beading on his face and chest. ‘I can’t get her out of my mind. I can’t wait to see her again.’
‘So, go see her. See if it’s worth asking her out again.’
‘I already tried. She’s started working at The Cheese Emporium. I have gone in there for the past two days, and she hasn’t been there. Mate, I’m going to go broke buying cheese at this rate. Do you know how expensive that stuff is?’
Jamie grinned. ‘Daisy must be intrigued?’
‘Yeah, you bet she is. Yesterday she said to me, if I was wondering when her new female employee was working, I should just come out and ask her. I told her I didn’t know what she was talking about. She winked at me and said she had some really nice camembert cheese from Paris which would be available on Friday.’
Jamie laughed. ‘Well, you got your answer then. So will you be going to taste test the Paris camembert tomorrow?’
‘Damn straight, I will be.’ Ben climbed off the machine and moved over to the dumbbells, and Jamie moved over to the rowing machine. They had the place to themselves, which they usually did at this time of the morning. Most people who used the gym at The Golf Club exercised early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Being dairy farmers, neither of those times suited Ben and Jamie.
Jamie stopped mid-stroke on the rowing machine. ‘Hold on. This hot babe your chasing wouldn’t happen to be the chick who moved to Holbrook from Melbourne, would it?’
‘Yeah. What have you heard?’
‘All I know about her is she broke up with her boyfriend and moved to Holbrook with her daughter, wanting a change of scenery.’
‘Yeah, that’s all anyone knows, and nobody’s buying her story. Lilly reckons she’s fleeing from an abusive husband. Tracey reckons she’s in the witness protection program, and Emma isn’t really even her real name. What do you think?’
Scowling, Ben replied, ‘Mate, you know whatever you hear on the grapevine in this place, you take with a grain of salt. I know she’s hiding something, though. She’s real cagey about her ex.’
‘I saw her the other day, getting some groceries. Lilly introduced me to her. She’s a looker.’
Ben looked over to his mate and gave him a look.
Jamie threw his hands up. ‘Hey, you can’t blame a guy for looking. You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’d never cut your grass.’ Jamie grinned and nodded in the direction of the entrance, ‘Speak of the devil.’
Ben twisted around to see none other than Emma herself, walking in and placing a bag on a bench seat. She wore black tights accentuating her long, slender legs and a loose t-shirt, which covered up way too much skin for Ben’s liking. He wished she had worn a tight tank top to show off the upper part of her body. He loved those on a woman. They gave a preview of what was underneath, showcasing the gentle outline of breasts and the soft curve of hips. It brought out a sweat on him imagining what was underneath the t-shirt Emma wore.
He dropped his weights and moved over to her. She looked up as he approached. ‘Hi there.’ His voice suddenly sounded unsure of itself, which wasn’t like him at all. He was a confident bloke, but something about Emma made him unsteady and insecure.
‘Hi there.’ Her smile reached her eyes, sparkling. She was happy to see him. That was a bonus in his eyes.
He followed her as she moved over to the weights and picked up a small set. ‘Funny, I didn’t take you for a gym junkie.’
‘I’m far from a gym junkie.’ Emma raked her eyes over Ben’s body. ‘I didn’t take you for a gym junkie either.’
Ben noted how she devoured him with open admiration, and it pleased him. ‘Do you like what you see?’
‘I do, but it’s still a no.’
Ben smiled, showing a perfect set of white teeth, satisfied with her answer. ‘Well, I like what I see, too. Is it wrong to ogle your friend?’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t think so. There’s no harm in looking, right?’
‘Not that I can see.’
Emma turned her back to him and began to pump the weights. She bent her elbows lifting them alternatively to her chest. Ben moved to stand in front of her so she was looking into his eyes. How was he going to do this ‘just friends’ thing when his whole body screamed to be near her. He wanted to feel her lips on his, wanted to taste her, and he wanted to hear her scream his name in passion. Being friends with this woman was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done.
Emma could already feel a small trickle of sweat travelling down the curve of her spine. Was it the exertion of pumping the weights causing it or simply being so close to this gorgeous man? ‘Do you own the farm you work at?’
Ben tilted his head. ‘No and yes. It’s my parents’ farm. Dad’s thinking of retiring soon, and then it will become mine.’
‘Wow. That’s pretty amazing. Do you have any other siblings who will help run the farm?’ Emma placed the weights down and lifted her water bottle for a drink.
‘My sister, Lucy, is studying marine biology, and my brother, Will, is a builder. Both of them have no interest in taking over the farm. What about you. Any brothers and sisters?’
Emma wiped moisture from her lips with the back of her hand, then lifted the small black weights into her hands again. She lifted the weights out vertically in front of her to the height of her shoulder, like her physiotherapist had instructed her to do. She began with her strong right arm first, not sure how the weak left arm was going to fare. ‘Yeah. I have a sister, Jess. She and her husband have been amazing helping me out with Zoe. They’ve given us so much of my nieces’ baby things. They’ve been a godsend.’ Merely thinking of Zoe filled Emma’s heart with happiness, and she felt herself smile.
‘Speaking of which. Where’s the cutie?’
Here goes, Emma thought. How was she going to explain this one? ‘Umm. She’s spending an hour or so with Daphne and Reg Edwards.’ Her right arm was aching now under the effort of lifting the weights in the one hand for so long. She had to bite the bullet and switch to her left side.
‘They’re such a great couple. What Reg is doing for Daphne is true love. To care for her like that…’ Ben shook his head. ‘Well, it’s such an unselfish act, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it is. They’re special, those two.’ Emma lifted the weight, barely making it past her navel. Oh boy, this wasn’t good. She could feel Ben’s inquisitive gaze on her, and she flinched when he spoke, knowing what was about to come.
‘Do you have an injury? You’re really struggling with your left side.’ Ben reached out and took the weight out of her hand. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t force it. You could do more damage.’
Emma reached for the weight taking it back into her possession. ‘You ask a hell of a lot of questions, sure you aren’t a cop?’
‘Nah. Maybe in a previous life, though.’ He crossed his arms across his chest, scrutinizing her.
She looked nervously away, hoping he would take the hint and not mention the shoulder again. He moved closer to her, and she felt her breath hitch somewhere deep in her throat. ‘Seeing as you don’t want to talk about your shoulder, how do you know Reg and Daphne? They only moved here a couple of months ago. From Melbourne, I think? Did you know them in Melbourne?’
Shit, she knew this question was going to come up. How on earth was she going to explain this without giving him too much information? ‘Yeah, I knew them in Melbourne through a mutual acquaintance.’
‘Wow. Small world they moved here and then you did.’
‘Yep, sure is.’ Was he ever going to let this go? He was digging for more information which she was never going to give him. So he may as well give up.
Thankfully, she was saved by Jamie. ‘Hey, Emma.’
Emma smiled ‘Hi, J
amie, is it?
‘Yeah. Sorry to interrupt, but I gotta head out. You comin’, mate?’ He looked at Ben
‘Yeah. I have to go, but if your shoulder is giving you grief, you should see someone about it.’
‘Will do.’ She didn’t know how she found the strength to speak. He was so close to her, she could smell his sweat and the musky scent of his deodorant. All she had to do was take one step closer, and she’d be able to melt her lips against his. One tiny little step. Before she worked up the nerve to kiss him, Ben swivelled around picking up his gym bag and left through the glass doors. Even after he had left the room, she still felt his presence. It made her feel breathless and wanting more than ever to be kissed senselessly.
Emma rang the cowbell out the front of Daphne and Reginald Edwards weatherboard cottage. She heard voices, and her daughter’s squeal of laughter coming from inside and smiled. The shuffle of feet on floorboards followed before the white door adorned with stained glass opened. Reg stood before Emma beaming. His rosy cheeks and milky-white beard reminded her of Santa Claus, the only thing missing was the red suit.
‘Come in, my dear.’ Reg swept his arm in a grand gesture of welcome. ‘Zoe is entertaining us in the lounge room.’
Emma didn’t need directions, she followed the sounds of Zoe’s infectious laughter. As she entered the lounge room, her daughter turned immediately towards the doorway, sensing Emma’s presence. Emma marvelled at how in tune Zoe and she were to each other, and in such a short amount of time too. The little girl with her dark Shirley Temple curls practically ran straight into Emma’s waiting arms. Emma knelt on the carpet and scooped up the little bundle in a snug cuddle as she fell into her arms.
Emma breathed in Zoe’s baby powder smell. She never got tired of cuddling the little girl, and she had missed her terribly today. ‘What has you giggling so much, beautiful girl?’
Emma smiled at Daphne as the grey-haired lady spoke. ‘W-we… were having a-a… game of p… peek a boo.’ Daphne’s speech was slurred, and she was confined to a wheelchair. A stroke a year ago had caused Daphne to lose the mobility of her left side, and it had also affected her speech. The once energetic lady now needed round-the-clock care. Her husband, Reg, had stepped up to become her full-time caregiver. He was a saint in Emma’s eyes. What he did for his wife was based on a strong love which held no bounds. He loved his wife unconditionally and believed in the vows he promised on their wedding day forty years ago. He took those vows very seriously. He’d love his wife in sickness and in health until death do them part. He vehemently swore he’d take care of his wife until the day came he was incapable of caring for her any longer.
Emma smiled back at Daphne. ‘She’d have you playing peek a boo all day if you let her. It’s her favourite.’
Daphne beamed proudly. ‘And I… w-would p-play all day w-with her, t-too.’
Reg came to stand beside Emma as she stood lifting the little bundle of curls and chubbiness onto her hip. ‘We love having her, Emma. We’re so grateful you brought her into our life. We lost our daughter but gained a granddaughter, which we have you to thank for. When we were told Sarah had passed away, we were devastated. We lost her a long time ago to the drugs, but it still came as a shock to us when she passed. Deep down, I think both Daphne and I thought we would get our little girl back one day. It was a cruel blow finding out we had a granddaughter we didn’t even know about.’ Reg’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke, his emotions still raw.
Sarah, Zoe’s mother, had been dependent on crystal methamphetamine, otherwise known as ice. Reg and Daphne had lost contact with her for two years before they were rung one horrible day and told their daughter had been shot dead. The only silver lining was they had a granddaughter they never even knew existed.
Emma placed a comforting hand on the old man’s shoulder. ‘It’s me who should be thanking you two for trusting me with the care of your granddaughter. Whenever you want to spend time with her, you give me a call, and I’ll bring her around. My door is always open if you want to pop in and see her. I want you in her life, that’s why I moved here. I promise to love her like my very own. Hey, I already love her to bits and can’t imagine life without her in it now.’
Daphne’s eyes glistened with tears and unspoken gratitude towards Emma. Daphne didn’t have to say a word to Emma, the look on her face spoke a thousand words. Words of appreciation and thankfulness radiated from the elderly woman’s face and reached Emma’s own. The message transmitted loud and clear, and she was grateful Daphne felt that way about her. It all could have gone pear-shaped at the beginning of the court proceedings five months ago. Luckily, it hadn’t, much to Emma’s disbelief and relief. With Zoe’s parents dead, custody was offered to Reg and Daphne. They would have loved to have gained custody of their granddaughter, but couldn’t. Daphne’s poor health robbed them of that right. It would be too much for Reg to care for his wife as well as a little baby, with all it entailed.
Zoe’s father’s parents were refused custody seen as being unfit guardians. Zoe’s grandfather was in prison for drug and assault offences, and her grandmother was an alcoholic and drug addict.
It had pained Emma to see the anguish the custody hearing caused Daphne and Reg, and that was what was instrumental in her decision to foster Zoe and move to Holbrook so they could, in fact, be a part of Zoe’s life.
Zoe now rested her head against Emma’s shoulder. ‘Well, I think this little girl is all tuckered out. I should get her home.’ She moved over to Daphne, letting Zoe cuddle her grandmother goodbye and allowed her little girl to do the same with Reg. Surprising Emma, though, was when Reg pulled her into an embrace too, whispering, ‘Thank you. It made our day having her this morning. I haven’t seen Daphne this happy in a long time.’
Emma smiled. ‘No, thank you. It was much easier to go to the gym without her getting under my feet, so thank you for looking after her for me. I promise to be in touch. Maybe you could come over for dinner sometime. There’s a ramp around the back leading up to the back door, so my house is wheelchair accessible.’
‘S-sounds w-wonderful,’ Daphne said.
‘How is the shoulder healing?’ Reg asked.
Emma shrugged. ‘I’m getting a lot of movement back. In fact, I saw the local GP the other day, and he said I could cut my physiotherapy sessions back from three days to two days.’ This information had come as an enormous relief to Emma as the physiotherapy sessions back in Melbourne had taken out a considerable chunk of her day. It had been three weeks since her last physiotherapy session, and she could already feel a decline in movement. Her GP had given her a referral to see the physiotherapist who visited Holbrook twice a week. The GP had also suggested visiting the local gym and had given her some exercises she could use with weights. The memory of seeing Ben at the gym burned her cheeks.
‘That’s great news, Emma,’ Reg’s voice sliced through her thoughts. Reg’s enthusiasm for her progress was genuine. He had visited Emma when she was in the hospital and had apologised profusely for the part his daughter had played in Emma’s near-fatal accident. He had confessed they’d been afraid Emma would turn them away. Instead, she had welcomed them and expressed how deeply sorry she was for the loss of their daughter.
‘Yes, it means this stubborn thing,’ Emma rubbed her shoulder, ‘is finally on the mend.’
‘Well, how about Daphne and I have Zoe when you go to physiotherapy.’ Reg looked optimistically towards Zoe. The look of love in his eyes for Zoe brought tears to Emma’s.
Emma hated to disappoint him and was afraid she was going to. ‘Oh, Reg, what a generous offer. Thank you. I’ll take you up on it every now and then. Now I’m working two days a week, I think I’d be spending too much time away from her if you had her every time I had an appointment.’ Emma saw the disappointment wash over Reg’s face like a dark cloud moving across the sky on a sunny day. ‘Look, I do have to go to the gym once a week to use the weights. How about you look after Zoe then, while I’m at the gym?�
�
The sun shone again, and Reg’s eyes glittered with gratitude. ‘Thank you, Emma. We would love to have her.’
Zoe clapped her hands in agreement, and the trio laughed. ‘Well, that’s settled. Zoe obviously approves.’ Emma beamed.
Reg saw them both to the front door. He looked conspiratorially back towards his wife in the lounge room and whispered, ‘Thanks for not saying anything about Axel’s father. I’m not ready to say anything to Daphne yet. I think it would be too upsetting.’
Emma placed a reassuring hand on Reg’s arm. ‘No problems If you need me to be here when you tell her, I will be. We’re all in this together, okay?’
Tears welled in the older man’s eyes. ‘I appreciate that, Emma. Have you told your folks?’
‘Umm, no, I haven’t. I’m a bit like you. I’m afraid they’d worry too much. I don’t want them having that extra burden. Besides, Axel’s dad has no idea we live in Holbrook. He still thinks we all live in Melbourne.’
Reg nodded. ‘Have you heard anything more from Detective Morrison.
Emma shook her head. ‘No news is good news, right?’
‘Yeah. I hope so. Well, sweetie, you know where I am if you need me.’
Emma smiled. ‘I do, thanks, Reg.’ Emma put Zoe and herself into her car. Reg waved as she reversed out of the driveway. Emma knew the pair were missing their granddaughter already. She knew this would be breaking their hearts not being able to tell any of their friends and family they had a granddaughter, but Zoe’s and Emma’s safety depended on them holding that secret close to their hearts.
Ben walked down to his mum’s vegetable garden and cursed. Beautiful, the cow was playing soccer around the paddock with one of his mum’s delicious pumpkins. The cow kept getting into her veggie patch, eating the pumpkin vines and trampling all her vegetables. Well, Ben mused, I bet she would be livid if she saw her prized pumpkin being tossed around the paddock like a ball. It was quite comical actually. Beautiful was a pet. She held a sentimental place in everyone’s heart because she was the offspring of his sister-in-law’s favourite cow. If it had been any other cow breaking into the veggie garden, they would be currently heading off to the abattoirs. ‘You’re lucky everyone loves you, Beautiful, or we would be eating you for our Sunday roast.’
All of You Page 5
