Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
It all changed suddenly. From the laughter of being with her family, a sharp staccato sound heralded a change. Her heart beat faster, and she looked around but couldn’t see anything. But she knew it was coming.
A sudden shout woke her from her sleep, and she sat bolt upright. The sharp staccato sound had been the reversing noise of a truck backing up the drive, which stopped at the signal of the shout. A delivery of building supplies. That’s all it was.
Jen lay back down, her heart pounding, her head still in her nightmare. What the hell had she been dreaming of? She squeezed her eyes tight shut as she tried to make sense of the few remaining strands of the dream she could remember.
But the images had disappeared like mist into air, leaving her only with an impression. And it was this that still sent chills through her.
Something — or someone — was coming for her.
And it didn’t take a psychologist to figure out who still lurked in the shadows of her mind.
It seemed Alistair cast a long shadow, even here, on the other side of the world.
She hated that he’d stained her with his presence and intimidation.
Would it be like a bruise which faded over time, or a livid scar which would be with her forever?
But for now, her fear was still acute. She was scared.
She hadn’t heard a word from Alistair, and it wasn’t like him. He wouldn’t give her and Liam up so easily, no matter what everyone tried to tell her, or how she’d been kidding herself.
She tossed off the duvet and glanced out at the sunny day, her gaze drawn to the horizon, above which was only clear blue sky. But she knew that shadows and clouds lurked just out of sight. And they’d roll in eventually.
She needed to be prepared.
It was good to be busy with something again, Sam thought as he pointed the laser measuring tool up to the gutter.
Good to feel useful to someone again, he guessed.
He made a note of the measurement and cast a covert glance up to the top floor of the house under the eaves, where the two attic bedrooms were located.
He knew they were Jen and Liam’s bedrooms, and his thoughts lingered on them for a few moments before he turned away abruptly. A few weeks ago, and he’d never imagined Jen would appear from nowhere, and had certainly not imagined the effect it would have on him.
No, it was more than feeling useful, he felt…connected to this home, this family, and Jen. He’d spent too long feeling the opposite.
After his breakup with Jen, he’d moved to Australia to work with his property developer contact and had soon made big money.
Along with his rise in fortune, had been a change in lifestyle.
Gone were the surfing and local building projects, replaced by nightlife and women.
Lots of women. Among them had been Sarah — a solo mum five years older than him who’d soon let it be known she intended to marry him. He hadn’t resisted long.
Between Sarah and his stepdaughter and starting up his new businesses, he’d had little time for his mates. And now, with both the business and Sarah gone, he realised that, apart from irregular visits from his stepdaughter, he was quite alone.
Until now. He didn’t want to examine his unexpected re-connection with Jen too closely.
It was new — or renewed — and still tender.
But he instinctively felt it was tender in the way a strong shoot was — slender but binding — and would strengthen.
Whatever it was, he thought, brushing the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, it felt damn good.
He heard running footsteps, which halted when they saw him. He turned to see Liam with an empty yoghurt carton in hand and a trowel. He was obviously on his way to the garden but had come to an abrupt halt when he saw Sam. He could see that Liam was on the verge of running away.
‘Hi Liam,’ he said, looking up to the gutter.
The boy didn’t need him to make a fuss over him.
He needed to know Sam would keep his distance.
‘You might want to step back because I’m about to pull this other old downpipe off.
’ He wrenched it away slightly, and it made a crunching sound, swaying as it peeled off some ivy with it.
He glanced behind him. It wouldn’t fall on anything but the grass.
‘Why?’ asked Liam. Curiosity obviously overcoming any nervousness at seeing Sam again. Maybe Jen had reassured her son about him. He liked that thought.
‘Because it’s not serving its purpose and could fall on top of someone.’
He glanced at Liam, who was staring up at the roof.
Sam stepped back, folded his arms and looked up at the roof, too.
He pointed. ‘See up there? That hole between the two gutters? That’s where the rain should flow from the gutter into the downpipe and then into the drain.
’ He kicked the grass, which had almost choked the drain. ‘Which also needs a good clearing out.’
Liam hesitated, then walked up to the drain, peered in, glanced up at Sam, and kicked it like Sam had. Sam struggled to suppress a smile.
‘So that grass shouldn’t be growing there?’ asked Liam, scrunching up his eyes as he looked up at Sam.
‘No,’ said Sam.
‘Like weeds?’
‘Exactly like weeds. Plants growing in the wrong place.’
Liam and Sam stood side-by-side surveying the drain. ‘Grandma showed me how to weed the garden.’ He looked up at Sam. ‘I could weed it for you if you like.’
Sam was surprised but didn’t show it. ‘That would be a real help. Because then the water would have a proper place to go rather than making the lawn soggy.’
Liam ran off to the shed and returned two minutes later with a basket of weeding tools.
‘Ah, probably a bit too soon to do it now,’ said Sam. ‘I’ve got to pull this lot down first and get the pipe in place. But if you want to, you could help me with something else that needs doing.’
‘What’s that?’
‘There’s a load of supplies that have been delivered and dumped in the driveway out the front of the house.
They need to be put into the wheelbarrow and brought around here.
’ He pointed to a concrete base where there had once been a shed.
‘See there? They need to be piled up there, and then we can put a tarpaulin over them to keep them dry. Can you help with that?’
Liam looked up at him with wide eyes, as if he could hardly believe he was being entrusted with such a grown-up thing, and nodded.
‘Good. Let’s get the wheelbarrow out of the shed so we can make a start.’
Jen entered the kitchen and sniffed appreciatively at the smell of fresh baking.
‘Good morning, sleepyhead,’ said Kate with a grin. ‘Just as well you’re not working at the café today.’
‘I know,’ said Jen, pulling her ponytail tighter. ‘I don’t know whether it’s the jetlag or the sea air, but I keep sleeping in.’
‘That’s good. It’s exactly what you need after everything you’ve endured.’
Jen didn’t want to think about that, nor her dreams, and instead peered through the oven glass. ‘You’re baking. Um, scones.’
‘The least I could do for Sam is feed him well. Lucy says he’s at the café so often she doesn’t think he cooks for himself.’
Jen looked toward the window. ‘Sam’s here already?’
‘Yep.’
She glanced at her mother, who stood looking out the window, drying a mixing bowl with a cloth.
‘What’s so fascinating in the garden?’
‘Looks like Sam’s got himself some extra help,’ said Kate.
‘We can’t afford—’ Jen stopped abruptly as she followed her mother’s gaze.
Liam, his face red with exertion, was pushing a toy wheelbarrow, which had once belonged to her brothers, around the corner of the house before coming to a halt behind Sam. They exchanged a few words, and Liam began unloading the two bricks from the wheelbarrow onto the pile that was already there.
Liam then clapped together his gloved hands, dust billowing out from them, before doing a ten-point turn with the wheelbarrow and disappearing around the front of the house again.
‘Well,’ said Jen, ‘I didn’t expect to see that.’
‘They’ve been working together for the last half hour. I don’t know how long Liam will keep it up. Sam doesn’t seem to make many concessions,’ Kate laughed. ‘Even had him helping to carry the old downpipe, taking it outside onto the skip.’
‘But it’s rusty, he might get hurt.’
‘He’s fine. I found an old jersey to cover his arms, and there was an old pair of gardening gloves in the shed which almost fitted him. They’ve been very careful. I’ve been watching.’
‘Checking up on them?’
‘No. It’s just lovely to see Liam open up to Sam so readily when only days ago he was scared of him. I don’t know whether it’s something we said or did.’
‘Maybe. And maybe it was as you said, Liam was taken by surprise and couldn’t see Sam properly. But mostly I think it’s Sam.’
‘Yes, he’s certainly very good with him. He’s given him space and treated him like an adult. And Liam’s response speaks for itself.’
‘Maybe a counsellor isn’t needed,’ she ventured.
‘Maybe.’
She met her mother’s doubtful look and knew she was stopping herself from speaking her mind. She could read her thoughts as if the written words hovered over her head. ‘But I’ll still go ahead with the booking,’ said Jen at last. ‘It can’t hurt.’
‘Good idea. Now,’ said Kate, ‘I think our helpers deserve some refreshments.’
While Kate took the scones out of the oven, Jen made some hot drinks and went outside onto the verandah. Sam immediately glanced across at her and nodded.
She raised her hand in a wave, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She turned away to unload the tray.
‘Hey guys,’ she called, ‘there’s some morning tea here for you.’
Copying Sam, Liam took off his work gloves and tossed them into the wheelbarrow.
‘Enjoy your morning tea,’ said Kate. ‘I’m off to have coffee with a friend.’
‘Oh!’ said Jen, jumping up, panicked at the thought of being alone with Sam. ‘I thought you were around this morning.’