Chapter 16 #2
“Want a marshmallow?” Katie drew near, offering him the bag, as Elinor followed.
He shook his head, rubbed Bella’s head as she whined. “Nope, you don’t get one either.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be sad just because EJ’s not here.”
He cut her a look.
Katie laughed. “You’re so predictable.”
Elinor poked her in the side. “Don’t pick on him.”
He nodded. Thanks, Ellie.
“He’s allowed to be sad.”
He made a face at her as she joined in Katie’s chuckle.
“Poor Jordan,” Katie said, patting his arm like she was a nanna and he was a two-year-old who’d lost his favourite toy.
“But the person who really is sad is Mum. She’s barely stopped talking about how her daughter isn’t here for her birthday, when the least she should do is turn up.
I always get the impression that Mum thinks we should say thank you for giving birth to us. Like we had a choice.”
He found a smile, his gaze straying over to where Elizabeth was be-moaning her second-eldest daughter’s absence. Again.
“But fun as this is, it’s just not the same without EJ, don’t you think?” Elinor mused.
“Yep.” He dug the toe of his boot into the ground.
“I can’t believe that she’d rather go on a cruise around the harbour and look at the Vivid lights than be here with us,” Katie complained. “So lame.”
So that’s what she was doing. Good to know.
“Hmm.”
He peered at Elinor. “What is it?”
“Mum.”
“What about her?”
She sighed. “She’s a funny fish. One minute she’s complaining about EJ not being here, the next she’s telling everyone she knows that EJ is dating Eric Churchill, then the next she’s worried that EJ is getting in over her head with him.”
His lips tweaked. That sounded like EJ’s mum, who’d been known for her histrionics over the years. His mum might be best friends with her, but that hadn’t stopped her mentioning a few of Mrs. Bennett’s melodramatic moments over the dinner table.
“Do you really think they’re boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Elinor was always the quietest of the Bennett girls, but he’d long thought her the most observant. He shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. The last time I really spoke to her was at James’ wedding, and that was two weeks ago.”
Elinor grimaced. “She barely responds to my texts these days.”
“Right?” Katie rolled her eyes. “I mean, I get that Eric Churchill is handsome and rich, but I don’t even know if he’s a Christian.”
Elinor ruffled her sister’s hair. “Good for you for finally noticing what’s important.”
“Hey, I notice.”
This talk about EJ was making Jordan’s heart ache. “You must be almost finished with your degree by now, right Katie?”
She beamed. “One more assessment, then it’s all over. Thank goodness.”
“Any more plans for what’s next?”
She shook her head. “Gran said she has a surprise for me when I finally finish, so I’m hoping it’s something awesome, like a plane ticket to go see her and Liv in England. Wouldn’t that be the coolest?”
“That’s probably a bit warmer than it is here at the moment. I think that wind is coming straight from Antarctica.” Elinor shivered, thrusting her hands into her parka’s pockets, as Katie went to offer the bag of marshmallows to a family with small children.
“You want to go up to the house, Ellie? We’ve got the fire going, and Mum has made lots of scones.”
“It’s fine. I’m waiting for the fireworks; then I’ll head in. I’m on projector tomorrow at church, so I don’t want to stay up too late.”
“Still doing that, huh?” he asked.
“Yep. Still looking forward to the day when a tall, handsome man walks into the place and has the skills to relieve me.”
“So you can quit small-town life too?”
Elinor sighed, her voice quieter. “I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. I know there’s a lot to appreciate about living in a small town. But it just feels like my options are limited. Know what I mean?”
“I’ve heard EJ say the same many times.” Many, many times.
Her nose wrinkled. “And look, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I feel like life has stalled at the moment. So it’d be good to have something different happen. Even to get a real nine-to-five permanent job instead of juggling all the part-time work I do.”
“Maybe you could move in with EJ and get a job in Sydney.” Now that was an idea.
If EJ had someone else living there, someone who could act like a chaperone, that’d have to keep her safe and help her make good decisions.
The more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed. “You should talk to her about it.”
Her nose wrinkled. “I don’t think she’ll love giving up her independence for a younger sister to stay with her. Besides, I’d still need a job.”
“There is that.”
She exhaled. “I don’t know. Maybe I should just go to England and visit Liv for a couple of weeks. She keeps asking if any of us could come.”
“She’s not planning to come here?”
“I don’t know. Everyone is wondering when Liam is going to pop the question, and I wonder if he’s old-fashioned enough to want to come out here and ask for Mum and Dad’s blessing.”
“You think it’s that serious?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Well, he seems like a nice enough guy.”
“He owns Pemberley, Jordan. That makes him perfect, as far as Mum is concerned.”
He chuckled, but the words remained true.
Liam Fitzbrowne held some kind of fancy English title, and he owned a manor house that had once been used as Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley in the 2015 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
The fact that he’d fallen for Olivia Bennett still seemed a little surreal to certain members of the Wattle Vale community, his mum being one of them.
But Mum was also a sucker for the fairy-tale romance aspects of it.
It wasn’t any wonder then that EJ’s mum now had high expectations for the rest of her daughters.
“So, nobody on your horizon?”
“Nope. You?”
“Same.”
She eyed him, a smirk playing about her mouth, then shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Don’t.”
“Can’t help it.”
He shook his head.
“But seriously, I think Mum is right, and we need to pray for EJ that she’s not getting in over her head.”
“I’ve been praying that for weeks,” he admitted.
“Then let’s hope she finally starts seeing what’s really going on.”
Sunday passed, Monday dawned, and he’d texted EJ happy birthday.
He figured she’d not appreciate a phone call but had tried at breakfast anyway, only to have it go to voicemail.
He’d left a quick message, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice, then hung up.
He’d gotten her a little something, but he wasn’t sure she’d appreciate it if she couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge his earlier text.
He tried again now. Still no answer. So maybe she had her phone elsewhere. Weird, as she always seemed to have her phone within reach, but maybe she was just busy. It wasn’t like she’d refused to take his call. He frowned. Was it?
“Hey, Jordan. You ready to help, or are you gonna stare at your phone all day?” his dad called.
“Coming.”
While it might be a public holiday for most people, farm life didn’t allow a day off.
He went back to helping his dad drag in the remnants of a tree branch that had fallen in the heavy winds last night.
The gum trees in this paddock were known as widow-makers, collecting detritus in their upper branches that could fall during high winds and kill a passerby.
Every so often the news highlighted tragic tales about unsuspecting campers who’d been struck by a branch.
He wasn’t a huge fan of camping, thanks to that.
“Looks like we’ve got enough dead branches for another bonfire this season,” Dad said, dusting off his gloved hands.
“Sure do.”
“It’s nice to have those bonfire nights. Although it wasn’t quite the same without EJ here.”
“No.”
He glanced around. The Angus cattle were in the next paddock over, so he peered that way. He didn’t want Dad noticing how his words poked at his heart wound.
“She’s always been one for wanting the finer things in life,” Dad went on. “Almost like she thinks Wattle Vale isn’t good enough for her.”
Jordan said nothing. He couldn’t very well deny it, as that would be a lie.
“You heading back to the city tomorrow?”
“Yep.”
“You’ve been awfully quiet, Son. Is everything okay?”
“Sure.” He knew he’d have to make more of an effort to allay his dad’s concern. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately.”
“A lot—like EJ?” His dad grinned.
“Seriously?”
Dad laughed. “Come on. We all know you’ve missed her this weekend.”
“Am I that obvious?” he muttered.
“’Fraid so. But that’s okay. We’ve always known you and her are supposed to be a thing.”
“What?”
His dad chuckled. “You and her. So don’t worry that she’s had her head turned by this Churchill man. She’s got her head screwed on right, and she’ll see the light. I promise.”
The image of that lighthouse flashed through his mind.
That’s right. He was supposed to be digging deep into the well of God’s love so he could be showing that to EJ.
Not feeling this sense of frustration and resentment.
And while he’d been doing his best, he knew his best wasn’t exactly stellar.
He sighed, glad the wind in the trees drowned out the sound.
“Look, I know it doesn’t sound very Christian of me, but there’s something about Eric Churchill I just don’t trust.”
“That doesn’t sound unchristian. It might be discernment. Something that’s proved true a time or two, if I recall.”
Like when he’d sensed Jake Hopkins wanting to do more than kiss EJ. He’d heard later from some of the guys that Jake had boasted that he’d tame her. Something he’d never told her when she’d thanked him for saving her from Jake’s attention at their year 12 formal.
“I know she can be a stubborn thing,” Dad continued, “and can be a tad contrary at times, so you’re going to have to keep the door open and be wise.”
Jordan’s recent prayer about wisdom and grace floated back into memory. “Yep.”
“We’ll keep praying that she sees the light soon. Amen?”
“Amen.” Lord, keep her safe. Help her reach out to us.
“Now come and help me move this big log.”
“Sure.”
Once the log was moved and Bella barked her approval, he ascended the hill back to the house. The phone reception was better there, and his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He tugged it out and read EJ’s message.
“Hey, a few of us are in Bondi next weekend if you’d like to come.”
Wow. Could she sound anymore offhand? Still, his dad’s advice to keep the door open rang in his heart. He might not want to go, but if this was the only way to see her, then he supposed there was nothing for it. Except to message back.
“Sure.”