Forty-four
The next three weeks passed in a blaze of happiness for Erica. After their dinner at the yacht club, she and Jamie spent every available minute with each other, their appearance together at the coastal walk putting the seal on their relationship as far as the Pelican Crossing community was concerned.
The only cloud on Erica’s horizon, was how Kieren and Briony would react when they discovered she and Jamie were in a relationship.
So far, Erica had managed to avoid mentioning it during Briony’s frequent calls to check on her and give updates on Ava. These Facetime calls which occurred at least once a week were like a lifeline to Erica, allowing her to see her granddaughter’s face and how it lit up at the sight of her. Maybe Briony had been right when she said Ava missed her.
Erica managed to put her worry about her family in Western Australia aside, as her relationship with Jamie flourished and she became more and more sure that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, amazed and thrilled he seemed to feel the same way about her.
Today was the day of the fundraising winter fair which, following Liz’s suggestion, had become the Christmas in July Fair, and it promised to be a popular event. It had been widely promoted in The Echo , and there were fliers and posters all around the town.
Erica looked across the back yard where she and Jamie were eating breakfast. She had come to love this place and would be sorry when she had to leave. At least she would be able to spend Christmas here. In her last email, Livvy had written to say she was planning to spend Christmas with her family in England and return early in the new year, adding that she couldn’t wait to enjoy an Australian summer again after the cooler weather in England.
Erica knew she would have to find somewhere else to live, but she hadn’t mentioned it to Jamie yet, content to enjoy life here for a few more months.
After a leisurely breakfast, Jamie said, ‘I need to pop into the office for a little while, but I’ll pick you up at ten. Okay?’
‘Perfect.’ It would give her time to call Briony to check up on how she was doing and to see Ava again. Now six months old, the little girl was developing a personality and Erica loved to see the changes in her.
She accompanied Jamie to the front door, where he pulled her into a warm hug, before walking off humming to himself. Erica smiled then turned back inside. She showered and dressed in the jeans and shirt she’d wear to the fair, where she had volunteered to help on one of the stalls, then picked up her phone.
Half an hour later, Erica ended the call and stared into space. While Ava had seemed as happy and content as usual, Briony had sounded stressed. Erica bit her lip, wondering for what must have been the hundredth time if all was well with her son’s marriage, but knowing it was no use to question Briony any further. She could only hope the younger woman would take her advice and leave Kieren if things became ugly. The only information Briony was willing to divulge was that Kieren was worried about the car yard, that his dad had left things in a bit of a mess. Erica had no idea what she meant by that, assuming there were more debts than had been apparent at first. But it had been eight months since Geoff died. Surely Kieren would have everything sorted by now?
She sighed and determined to speak with Kieren again. It was all she could do from here.
Jamie’s arrival, and the hug he gave her pulled her back into the present and her own life.
When they arrived at the sports ground where the fete was being held, it was teeming with people. Leaving Jamie, who was rostered to help with the sausage sizzle, Erica made her way to where she could see Gill and Poppy manning a stall piled with all sorts of homemade goods, from cakes and biscuits to potholders and old-fashioned tea-cosies crocheted by some ladies from The Haven . Erica was carrying her own offering, a tray of the chocolate caramel slice she remembered her mother making.
The morning went quickly, the stall rapidly emptying of goods as shoppers, eager to spend their money for a good cause, picked up bargains. After two hours, Erica was ready for a break. Despite being accustomed to spending the day on her feet at the hospital, she was tiring, glad when Poppy said, ‘Let’s take turns for lunch. Why don’t you go first, Erica?’
‘Thanks.’
Erica weaved her way between the stalls, following the scent of fried sausages and onions which became stronger as she neared the sausage sizzle where Jamie, Cam and Finn were busy barbecuing sausages and dropping them onto slices of white bread topped with tomato sauce and onion strips.
Laughing at the picture they made in the Christmas aprons, featuring various Christmas slogans which she knew Poppy had provided, Erica joined the queue. The sausage was as delicious as it smelt. After eating a sausage sandwich and drinking from a bottle of water with Jamie in a corner close to the sausage sizzle, she returned to the stall where she spent the rest of the afternoon being polite to customers and collecting their money.
*
That evening, after dinner – a takeaway curry from the local Indian restaurant – Erica and Jamie were seated on her sofa enjoying glasses of wine and slices of Christmas cake which Erica had bought at the fair. With Jamie’s arm around her shoulders, Erica was feeling relaxed and happy. After the day they’d spent surrounded by signs of Christmas and the strains of Christmas carols being broadcast through the loudspeaker – another of Liz’s ideas, it was no great surprise to her when Jamie asked, ‘What are you doing for Christmas? Will you be seeing your son and his family?’
Without thinking, Erica said, ‘I’ll be looking for somewhere to live and packing up.’
‘What?’ Jamie pulled away and stared at her in surprise.
‘I’ve been meaning to tell you. Livvy plans to return after Christmas, so…’ She looked around her present home with regret.
‘You don’t need to do that. You can move in with me.’
It was Erica’s turn to be surprised. She gazed at Jamie, her eyes wide. He looked shell-shocked, as if he’d spoken without thinking.
‘I mean it,’ he said. ‘I know my place isn’t much. I haven’t done a lot in the way of renovating, not like Livvy or Lou. Even Phil’s cottage had a makeover when he moved in. You could have free rein to…’ His voice trailed off, clearly noticing Erica’s surprise and lack of response.
Erica’s mind was swirling. It would be a big step to move in with Jamie and while she was comfortable in their relationship, it was still very new and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for this, the thought of how Kieren and Briony would react uppermost in her mind.
‘You don’t need to give me an answer now but keep it in mind. You may find it difficult to find somewhere to rent at that time of year, and you have a home with me,’ he said, hugging her more tightly than ever. ‘You must know I love you, Erica. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.’
Erica stared at him, her heart pounding, as she was overwhelmed by a surge of happiness. Jamie Whittaker loved her! It was what she’d yearned to hear when she was eighteen, and to hear it now… ‘I love you too,’ she said, her breath catching as Jamie swept her up in his arms, first kissing the tip of her nose, then her eyes, then finally their lips meeting and sending shivers of delight through her.