Chapter 23

CHAPTER

23

When Bree woke, she heard strange sounds coming from the direction of her kitchen. It took a few moments for her to recognise it as singing. Rose was singing as she—Bree sniffed the air—made coffee. She frowned. Usually Rose was later to rise than Bree. Then the thought struck. Was Nan up early because she wasn’t alone? Had Mike …?

No, that couldn’t be right. She hadn’t seen any extra cars when she’d arrived home last night. Not that she had been paying too much attention. There could have been a herd of pink elephants in the yard and she probably would not have noticed. Her mind had been elsewhere.

She slid back under the doona and closed her eyes again. Matt had kissed her. Really kissed her. And it had been wonderful. The taste of his lips. The smell of his skin. The feel of his body against hers. That should not have surprised her. Her feelings for Matt had been growing stronger every time they were together. But she’d always assumed he needed more time to grieve for Kim. Occasionally, when she’d seen the depth of his grief, she’d given up hope that there might ever be some chance for the two of them.

But then he kissed her.

She might have started it when she kissed his cheek. But that’s all she had done—kissed his cheek in a friendly way. He had pulled her into his arms. He’d kissed her, and not as a friend might. And it had been exciting and wonderful. The feel of his hands on her body. The taste of his lips as they moved against hers. She had felt the passion rising in him and she had longed for more. But beneath it all was the terrible fear that, as he kissed her, he was still thinking of someone else.

And she had turned away. It had been one of the hardest things she had ever done, but it was the right thing.

She wanted more with Matt, but if he was ever to escape his grief and welcome her—or anyone—into his life, it had to be in his own time. She wasn’t at all sure either of them had been thinking clearly. The dance and a few drinks and the dreams she had been building around a slightly run-down store had transported them to some other place. A place where the rest of the world didn’t touch them; where the past didn’t touch them. However good it had felt, it wasn’t real life. But maybe, given time …

The smell of coffee was stronger now, and Bree poked her head above the doona. A glance at the clock told her it was well past getting up time. Thank heavens for Maggie, otherwise the animals would be missing breakfast by now. Still, she couldn’t leave her farmhand to do all the work. She didn’t have time to lie here like some teenager reliving a first kiss. She swung her legs out of the bed and headed for the shower.

When she finally walked into the kitchen, Rose was alone, stirring a pan of scrambled eggs.

‘Good morning, granddaughter. I thought you were never getting out of bed.’

Bree ignored the comment as she poured herself some coffee. ‘A cooked breakfast? That’s not like you.’ She had spotted the strips of bacon warming in the oven.

‘After years of eating sensible muesli and yoghurt, this morning I decided I wanted bacon and eggs. I found the bacon in the freezer. I assumed you would want some too.’

‘Yes, please.’ Bree dropped into a chair and rested her elbows on the table. ‘You seemed to have a good time last night.’

‘I did.’ Rose put two plates on the table and sat down. They immediately started eating and Bree discovered she was hungry too. When breakfast was done, she dropped her fork on her plate.

‘Nan, I don’t want to pry, and please tell me to shut up. But what was it like? Being with Mike last night. After Pops. Did it feel …?’

‘When you say “being with”, just what do you mean? Mike was a perfect gentleman when he dropped me off.’

‘I’m sure he was. But come on, Nan. I saw the way you looked at each other. You don’t expect me to believe he didn’t even kiss you?’

‘And I saw the way you and Matt looked at each other. I could ask the same question of you.’

They stopped eating and looked at each other.

Rose started to laugh. ‘Look at us, both behaving like schoolgirls with a secret crush. Come on, Bree, what’s this all about?’

She should have known that Nan would see through her. ‘Last night. Matt and I … But maybe it was too soon. I’m afraid that when he kissed me, he was thinking of Kim.’

‘What makes you think that? Did he say something?’

‘No. It was—Well, it was rather wonderful. But this morning I got to thinking—’

‘Don’t do that. It won’t help.’ Rose cleared their empty plates and brought the coffee jug over to give them both a refill.

‘But what if he was kissing me and wishing it was Kim?’

‘Bree, did you ever kiss someone you were dating, and wish it was someone else?’

‘Of course not. But I was never in love. Not like Matt and Kim were. They started a family and planned a life together. How could he not wish she was still here?’

‘That question you asked earlier. About Mike. When he kissed me, I did not for one moment think of your grandfather, and I loved him for more than half of my life. I knew who I was kissing. I was kissing Mike because I wanted to. And for the record, it was pretty wonderful too.’ Rose raised her coffee cup in a toast. ‘So stop worrying. You and Matt will find your way. Don’t try to rush it.’

Rose was right, as she so often was. Bree stopped picking at that scab of doubt in her mind. More practical matters required discussion.

‘After I’ve done the morning rounds, we need to go into the Ridge and look at a shop.’

***

Rose’s mind had been racing ever since Bree had told her about the shop with the cottage behind it. Bree hadn’t actually said that she wanted Rose to move to the Ridge and run the shop, but Rose wasn’t stupid. It was such a logical step. The big question was, did she want to do that? Give up her beautiful apartment overlooking the harbour? The place she had shared with the husband she had loved so much. Despite what she’d said to Bree, she did still miss William. After so many years together, how could she not? But she missed him less when she was here, in a place he had never seen. A life he had never been part of. Maybe it was time to think about some changes.

She glanced at her phone again, but there were no messages. Not that Mike would be any part of her decision to move, but it would have been nice to hear from him this morning. When Bree was ready to leave, Rose made sure the sound on her phone was turned up as she put it into her bag. Just in case.

Rose had seen the store before. It was two doors down from the supermarket and she’d always thought it would be a good place for Bree to open a retail site.

‘It could use some paint,’ Rose said as they stood looking at it.

‘It could. On the outside at least. I hope there’s not too much needs doing inside. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a rented shop. Especially as I’ve no idea if it will be a success.’

‘Maybe the owner will contribute. It’s to his advantage too.’

‘Maybe. Matt said he really wants to sell, though, so maybe not.’

That was interesting. ‘I think we should drop by Matt’s office. It’s Sunday, but he might be around and willing to show us inside.’

The eagerness with which Bree agreed to that suggestion was also interesting, although not entirely unexpected. They crossed the road to Matt’s office. There was a closed sign on the door, but Matt was inside, working at his desk.

If Rose had entertained any doubts as to what had transpired between Bree and Matt at the dance, they all vanished as Matt leaped to his feet to let them in, a smile lighting his face.

‘Hi, Bree. Rose. How are you both? Did you have a good time last night at the dance? Come on in.’

‘We don’t want to disturb you if it’s your day off.’ Rose couldn’t resist a bit of mischief. ‘We can come back another time.’

‘No. Vicki is still with Kelly and her kids. I’m using the time to catch up on paperwork. Sit. I was about to make a cup of coffee. Would you like one?’

‘No, thanks.’ Bree settled herself opposite Matt’s desk. ‘I came because of what we talked about last night. The shop for rent.’

Matt nodded. Rose thought he looked a tiny bit disappointed that this was a work visit.

‘Is there any chance we could have a look inside?’ Bree asked.

‘Of course.’ Matt opened the drawer of his desk and began looking through a pile of keys. ‘Here we go. I’ll take you across.’

Matt was locking the door when a voice hailed the group. Rose turned around to see the logo of a delivery service on the shirt of an approaching man.

‘Sorry to interrupt. Are you Matt Ambrose?’

‘Yes.’

‘This is for you.’ The delivery man handed Matt a thick brown envelope and went back to his vehicle.

‘If you need to—’ Rose started to say. She’d recognised the type of envelope. The name printed in the corner was no doubt a law firm.

‘No. Don’t worry. It’s probably papers relating to a sale. It can wait a little while.’ He opened the door and tossed the envelope on his desk. ‘Right, here we go.’ He locked the office door one more time and led them down the street towards the vacant shop.

When they stepped inside the building, Rose knew in a heartbeat it was exactly what Bree was looking for. Her granddaughter walked around, frowning slightly as she muttered under her breath about tables and shelving and storage. Rose had a slightly different focus.

‘What about the living quarters?’ she asked Matt.

‘This way.’

A door at the back of the shop opened onto a short, covered walkway that ended at the door of a small weatherboard cottage. Like the shop, it needed a coat of paint. But that wasn’t a concern for Rose. A coat of paint was easy.

When Matt unlocked the door, they stepped straight into a kitchen.

‘This is the back door,’ Matt said. ‘There is a front door that opens onto the street at the back. Makes it far more like a home.’

Rose’s idea of what made a home was very specific. People. Memories. Comfort. Love. And those came to the house with each new owner.

It didn’t take long to inspect the cottage; it wasn’t very big. There were two bedrooms, both of reasonable size, and one bathroom. Rose winced when she looked inside. Avocado green had never been her favourite colour, but bathroom fittings could be changed. It was liveable for now. So too was the kitchen. It was a surprisingly big room. Despite the ancient electric stove and the gaping hole where a fridge had once stood, Rose could see a lot of potential. There would be room for a good-sized kitchen table and chairs. Rose was a firm believer that big kitchen tables were the heart of any home. The striped wallpaper in the living room would have to go, but with cool, pale blue walls and bookshelves and light furniture, it could be a lovely room. In so many ways, this cottage was as far from her Sydney flat as it was possible to be, but Rose felt it tugging at her.

She had already made up her mind when Bree joined her in the kitchen. Matt had discreetly vanished.

‘The shop is great,’ Bree said. ‘I’d love to have it, but I’d need someone to be here while I was at The Gums. I can’t afford more staff yet—maybe in a few months, when I’m a bit more established. Hopefully the owner will still be willing to rent it to me.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Rose said.

‘Why do you say that?’

‘Because I’ve decided to buy the place.’

‘What?’ The shock on Bree’s face was comical. ‘Why?’

‘Lots of reasons.’

‘Please don’t buy it just because of me.’

‘I’m not.’ Rose searched for the right words to explain. ‘I was eighteen and still living with my parents when I met your grandfather. It was love at first sight.’ Her words slowed as the memories came flooding back. William’s handsome face. His lovely rich voice. The way her heart had skipped that first time he had looked her way. ‘At nineteen, we were married and I was about to become a mother. While I was home looking after Margaret, your grandfather was building the firm. By the time Margaret was grown and working with her father, I had become a corporate wife. The perfect hostess in our apartment overlooking the harbour. When William died, all that stopped and suddenly I wasn’t important any more.’

‘You were always important to me, Nan.’

‘I know, darling. But I don’t think I was important to me.’

‘Oh, Nan.’

‘Don’t misunderstand, I don’t regret a single moment of my life. But it was always defined by what other people needed me to be. I never had the chance to do something entirely for me. To have the life I wanted.’

‘And this is the life you wanted?’ Bree indicated the tiny cottage around them.

‘It is what I want now. I like the idea of living in Wagtail Ridge, of running a small craft shop. I could sell your wool and help you out, but there might be other local crafts people whose things I could stock. Help them too. I might even properly start dating Mike. I want to try all those things. Your grandfather left me ridiculously well off, so I can afford to do this. It’s time I spread my wings a bit.’

Rose caught the glimpse of a tear in Bree’s eyes and felt her own well up in response. As she hugged her granddaughter, she knew she’d made the right decision.