Chapter 16
Ethan grinned as Chelsea made quick work of assigning his teammates tasks.
He loved the way they accepted her lead, even Noah, who had a few issues working with others.
As they split into groups, he rubbed his chest. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine returning to Lilydale and having so many people supporting him.
“She’d make a good drill sergeant,” Dobby commented as they slipped away from the others and headed for the lake trail.
Ethan nodded. “Her brain is incredible. You should see the plan she has for this place and it keeps growing. It’s going to be insane by the time she’s done.”
“You two back together?” Dobby asked.
Wasn’t that a good question? “Maybe. Kind of. I hurt her pretty badly, but she’s giving me a second chance, and I can’t stuff it up.”
“Looks like you’re doing a pretty good job so far. Having us help has to earn you a few Brownie points.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Don’t sweat it.”
They hiked up the trail, which wound through the bush behind Lilydale. “Was this the farmland area?” Dobby asked.
“I don’t know where Aunt Maggie’s land goes,” Ethan admitted. “I’ve been meaning to look it up. Chelsea didn’t realise there were more than the sixteen acres of garden.”
“It’s less than eighty minutes from here to the CBD,” Dobby said. “Ninety to the barracks.”
“Yeah.”
“Bit of a long commute.”
Ethan understood what he was saying. “I’ve been thinking about it. Wanted to ask you how far along you were in your plans for a security firm.”
“Got a business plan. Scoping out some potential clients.” He gestured to the bush. “Thinking about training.”
“Would you be willing to employ a busted special ops soldier?”
“You know I would, but is that what you want? Don’t you want to be involved with this business Chelsea’s building?”
An excellent question. “I want to help her set it up, but the event planning, hospitality, publicity thing isn’t for me. I don’t like people enough and would miss the action.”
“I could do with a partner. I’ll email you the business plan. You can tell me if there are things I’ve missed.”
And just like that, he had a new option. Gratitude filled him. “Thanks, mate.”
The trail came out at Honeybrook Lake. About twenty metres from the edge of the bush was a car park where two cars were parked. An older woman was walking a fluffy white dog, and a father was pushing two kids on swings at the nearby playground.
“Your arsonist could have parked here and walked to the house.” Dobby checked his watch. “Would have taken about twenty minutes, maybe thirty, if he wasn’t very fit.”
Ethan nodded. “A long way to carry a couple of jerry cans.” He scanned the light poles, but none had security cameras mounted.
“Maybe he stashed them closer earlier in the day.”
It would be a big risk. Someone could have seen him. He pursed his lips. Maybe Josh could ask at the local petrol station whether anyone had filled up some jerry cans recently.
He pulled out his phone and called his friend.
Josh chuckled when Ethan had explained his thoughts. “Already done.”
“And?” Ethan asked.
“And it’s police business and we’re following some leads.”
Frustration filled him. “Come on, Josh.”
“Not a chance. You’ll want to take matters into your own hands. I’ve already had several calls about two four-wheel drives full of suspicious-looking men arriving at Lilydale Cottage.”
Ethan glanced at Dobby and grinned. “Just my teammates helping in the garden for the day.”
Josh snorted. “Right. Don’t do anything that will require me to arrest you.”
“I can promise you we’d leave no trace.”
“Not comforting,” Josh said. “Talk to you later.”
Ethan hung up.
“You seem pretty friendly with the police here,” Dobby said.
“I went to school with Josh. He’s a friend.”
“He won’t get in our way?”
Ethan considered it. “Probably not as long as we do nothing too overt.”
They returned to the garden where his team had already made a difference.
Noah was poisoning the remaining weeds growing around and through the paths, Rhys had the hedge trimmer and was pruning every bush and hedge in sight, Mila was weeding one of the garden beds, and Heath was clearing the leaf litter off the garden shed roof.
Chelsea and Connor were nowhere to be seen. Ethan ignored the flicker of concern. They’d be in the public garden where Barry was working. He headed in that direction.
“What do you want me to do?” Dobby asked.
Though the grass was cut, it was yellow and sparse. What it needed was a good watering, and he had no idea whether the sprinklers in this area still worked. “I’ll get you on sprinkler duty with me after I’ve seen Chelsea. In the meantime, why don’t you help Mila weed?”
Dobby nodded and with a grin went to see his fiancée.
Rhys had already done the hedge around the house’s private garden, and there was no need to brush past branches to get from one area to another. Ethan stopped to check where Barry and his cameras were before he continued into the garden, circumnavigating the reading gazebo to stay out of the shot.
Barry and his colleague had done an amazing job on the paths, which were all visible and clear of dirt and debris, and what was left of the lawn was short. He’d even edged the garden beds, so it was clear where they started and the lawns ended.
Ethan found Chelsea standing with Connor, examining the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
“It’s good quality metal,” Connor said. “No rust and the footings are solid. All it needs is a clean and maybe a coat of paint.”
“That’s great news,” Chelsea said. “I was reluctant to walk on it without getting it reviewed.”
“Smart,” Connor said. “I’ve seen things that look solid and yet fall apart at the slightest pressure.”
Ethan slid his arms around Chelsea’s waist, needing to touch her after so long apart. “Shall we try it?”
Together they walked out to the middle of the bridge and peered over the edge. Barry had run the mower over the remaining burnt grass along the harbour lake basin and uncovered the base of the fountain, which used to shoot water into the air when the lake was full.
“I don’t know how long it’s been empty,” Chelsea said. “I’ve been meaning to ask Lauren or Josh.”
“If the clay is still good, it should hold water again,” Connor told her. “You’ll want to check any drainage pipes and pumps though.”
Ethan tapped his fingers on the railing of the bridge. “It’s been pretty dry the past couple of winters. Maybe the annual rainfall hasn’t been enough to keep it full.”
Chelsea drew out her phone and added a couple of notes. Ethan grinned. He loved her organised nature.
“Is there anything else you need me to review?” Connor asked.
“No. Thank you.”
“Any time. I’ll go ask what the others need me to do.”
Ethan waited until he was gone before he turned to Chelsea and kissed her. “How are you feeling?”
She smiled. “Amazed. I can’t believe the transformation Barry did or that your team is willing to help. I’m so glad you have them, Ethan.”
So was he. He’d finally found the brothers he’d desperately wanted for years. The wail of the blower stopped, bringing some quiet to the garden. He couldn’t see Barry from here.
“Shall we see if he’s finished?”
Chelsea held his hand, and they crossed the bridge and wandered down the path to where Barry was packing up his camera.
“The garden looks amazing!”
Barry grinned. “Well the fire made it a little easier. Not such thick grass to get through. I should have some good video. I’ll email you when it goes up.”
“Thank you so much.” She hugged the man and the three of them gathered his things and walked him and his colleague back to his car and trailer.
“Make sure you shower before you go. Can I get you something to eat or drink?”
Barry shook his head. “Nah. I need to get home to the family this evening. I’ll freshen up and then hit the road. I’ll have the videos up by Monday.”
“All right. Then I’ll see you on the Honeybrook Fair weekend.”
He grinned. “Sounds good to me.”
After he left, Ethan said, “I’m going to run to the shops and get food for dinner. Do you need anything?”
“Yes. I wanted to get ingredients for some of Aunt Maggie’s biscuits.”
Ethan grinned. “I’ll buy. I haven’t had a Father’s Favourite in years.”
They walked back to the house to find Heath climbing down from the roof after cleaning the gutters.
“All in place?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah. Feed looks good.”
Chelsea frowned. “What feed?”
Perhaps he should have mentioned it to Chelsea before going ahead. “Heath’s set up surveillance on the buildings so we can record anyone who comes into the garden tonight.”
“Oh.”
“It’s temporary,” Heath assured her. “We’ll take it down when we catch whoever’s doing this. Same as any mission.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Am I your mission?”
He grinned. “Well, kind of. Saving Lilydale, protecting you, and helping Hawk here.”
She glanced at Ethan.
“Nickname.”
“From the actor?”
He grinned, pleased she’d picked it. “It was Dobby’s idea.”
They headed inside. “Thank you for cleaning the gutters, Heath.” Chelsea got out her phone and crossed something off her list.
“My pleasure. What’s next?”
She hesitated as she entered the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of cold water, handing it to Heath.
Ethan could practically hear her doubts about whether she could ask Heath to do more. “They came here to work, Chels.”
Heath nodded.
She took three deep breaths as she blinked back the tears and straightened with a smile. “Then I guess we need to mulch the branches Rhys is chopping down. We can mulch the garden beds Mila and Dobby are working on to keep the weeds at bay until I plant something new.”
Heath grinned. “I get to have all the fun. Is the mulcher in the gardening shed?”
“Yeah.” Ethan watched him leave. “The other guys are going to be jealous.”
Chelsea laughed and then her expression turned serious as she hugged him. “Thank you for bringing them here.”