Chapter 7
7
‘I can see how Percy pulled his back.' With one foot on the shovel, Megan leaned as far back as she could in an attempt to lift the dirt.
‘Mind yourself, you don't want to end up in the same predicament. I'll go and grab the hose and soak the ground a bit.' Jay leaned his shovel against the wheelbarrow.
As Megan watched him walk away, she smiled. Jay was a good man.
She released her shovel from the ground and stood it next to the one Jay had been using. Then she pulled her mobile from her back pocket, holding her breath as the screen illuminated. Nothing. No missed calls, not even a message from Lyle to acknowledge that he'd received the papers. She'd expected something. Probably an angry call, but nothing? Maybe he'd seen it coming. Maybe he'd been waiting for it. Or maybe he was just thankful she'd no longer be able to sabotage any of his dodgy building deals again.
She looked out across to the paddocks. Whatever the reason, she was relieved. Surprised, but relieved. Maybe she really could get on with building a new life for herself now. Yes, there was the financial agreement to get through – and that wasn't going to be easy or pleasant, she knew that – but for now, maybe she could try to start imagining how she wanted her future to look.
‘Here we go,' she heard Jay say, who'd just returned. ‘Once the ground is soaked, it'll be a lot easier to dig up.'
Turning back, Megan watched as he turned the hose on, the water flowing in a steady stream, the earth hungrily guzzling the cool liquid between its deep dry cracks.
‘There.' After turning the hose off, Jay waited until the water had dribbled to a stop.
‘Great, thanks.' After returning her phone to her pocket, Megan took hold of the shovel again and sunk it into the now-sodden earth. Sure enough, the blunt metal cut through the dirt easily and she was able to throw the loose earth to the side. She turned to Jay. ‘You're volunteering here every day, then?'
‘Yep, every day apart from Saturdays. I have my daughter on then, although Mia's desperate to come and meet all the pups I've been telling her about. I've promised her I'll check with Flora if it's okay to bring her in.' He bent down and picked up a clump of earth before throwing it across to the pile.
‘I bet she'll love that.'
‘Yes, she's always been a dog lover. Keeps begging me to get one. Apparently, Patrick is allergic, so her mum can't have one.'
‘Ah, it's down to you then?' Megan smiled as she slipped the shovel into the ground again.
‘It appears to be.' Jay chuckled. ‘The only issue is I'm between jobs at the moment, so I won't be able to make a decision like that until I know where I'll be working and my hours and all that.'
‘Is that why you're able to spend all this time here, then? Because you're between jobs?'
Megan paused and studied his face. A bead of sweat clung to the side of his forehead. She smiled; Lyle would never have done anything like this. He might have trained as a builder, but she couldn't remember him ever getting his hands dirty and pitching in if his team were up against a tight deadline.
Pausing, Jay leaned against his shovel and looked at her. ‘Yes. I didn't fancy spending all my time at home. I hate how quiet it is when Mia isn't there. Too quiet.'
Megan could see the sadness in his eyes. It must be even worse for him splitting from his ex, she couldn't imagine having children and living with them full-time one moment and not the next.
‘That must be really difficult.'
Jay sighed. ‘Yes, it is. But we make the most of our Fridays and Saturdays together.'
‘I bet.'
‘How about you then? Are you between jobs, too?'
Megan scrunched up her nose. Should she be honest?
‘Kind of. I've not been employed for over ten years. I quit my job when me and my ex settled down.' She shrugged. ‘I did a little of the bookkeeping for his company.'
‘And now you've split up, you've lost your job too, then?'
‘Yes.' She frowned.
Lyle had never really viewed her as an employee of his. He'd mostly just called on her when he'd needed her. And he definitely hadn't been honest regarding the company. He hadn't relinquished all of his financial information to her. That was for sure.
‘We're both in a similar position, then?' Jay said.
‘Yes, I guess we are.'
‘How's it going?' Flora called from across the courtyard.
Jay waited until Flora had reached them before speaking. ‘All good. I think we're making a dent.'
Flora smiled. ‘It looks as though you're making more than a dent.'
‘It's a slow job in this heat, but we'll get there.'
‘How's Percy?' Megan asked.
‘Oh, he's still in pain, not that he'd admit anything of the sort, of course. I've finally managed to convince him to let me drive him home.'
‘That's good then. Hopefully, a good rest will help.'
‘I hope so, yes.' Flora nodded. ‘He's as stubborn as they come and a terribly lousy patient, so I know he'll be kicking himself for getting injured.' She glanced back towards the reception area. ‘Will you two be okay if I take him home? I'll have to strike while the iron's still hot, so to speak, or he'll change his mind again and insist that he's okay.'
‘Yes, of course.' Megan nodded. They were busy out here, so as long as no one came looking for a dog to adopt, they'd be fine.
‘Okay, great. We're not expecting anyone, and Sally and Alex are in the paddocks. Plus, Ginny will probably be back from the suppliers soon enough.' Flora hitched her sleeve up and checked her watch.
‘No worries. See you soon.' Jay picked up his shovel again.
Waving a goodbye, Flora turned and headed back towards the reception area.
Before he plunged his shovel back into the soil again, Jay paused and wiped his forehead with the back of his forearm.
‘This is hard work in this heat, isn't it? We'd be done by now if it had been autumn or spring and the soil was softer, it's drying out so quickly after soaking it with the hose.'
‘It sure is.' Megan watched him as he tilted his shovel back, loosening the soil. ‘And Percy wouldn't have pulled his back, either.'
Jay nodded and slung the loosened soil onto the heap to the side. ‘I'm not surprised he did.' He indicated behind him as Flora and Percy made their way across the courtyard towards Flora's car. ‘They're a sweet couple, aren't they?'
Megan followed his gaze. Flora had one arm around Percy's middle, and was cupping his elbow with her other hand.
‘I don't think they're together,' she said.
‘Really?'
‘No, not unless it's a recent thing.' She shrugged. She knew they hadn't been when she'd visited for Flora's party last year. She shuddered as she remembered that day; she'd come to see if the rumours had been true. One of the builders on the team Lyle had managed had come to her in confidence to say how uncomfortable he'd felt about Lyle's plan to buy the land Wagging Tails was on. He'd told her Lyle had even gone so far as to position a Portakabin right up against the fence of one of the paddocks. She'd had to see for herself. She'd known Lyle's last couple of developments had been shifty, but this had been a whole different level.
‘What do you think?'
Megan blinked and looked from Flora and Percy to Jay. ‘Sorry, I was miles away.'
‘Shall we give it another ten minutes and then take a break?'
‘Good idea.' She swallowed. She couldn't tell if her mouth was dry because she was thirsty or because she'd been thinking about that day. The day her fears had been confirmed, the day she'd realised she'd have to end her marriage.
She looked back across the courtyard as the hum of Flora's car starting hung in the still summer air. She was glad she'd found out who Lyle had become, glad she'd been able to stop Wagging Tails from being demolished, but it was still difficult. She'd still lost everything she'd once loved and treasured.
‘Shall we go and grab a drink now?' Jay asked. ‘You look as though you need one.'
Focusing once again on Jay, she nodded. ‘I think that's a good plan.'