Chapter Sixty-Five
Flora was delighted that her gran’s sister had been in touch. It was lovely to see the tension lift from her gran’s shoulders after the weeks of worrying and waiting. Iris had written back to her straight away, rushing out to make sure she caught the post.
‘Oh, Flora,’ she cried when she came back from the post office. ‘I can’t thank you enough. You do realise that if it wasn’t for you then none of this would have happened.’
‘How so?’ Flora smiled at her gran whose face was flushed in excitement.
‘Because, if you hadn’t lost your job then you wouldn’t have come to stay with me this summer. If you hadn’t started clearing out the study then you wouldn’t have found that tin. It would have stayed hidden and forgotten. By which time it might have been too late to find Iona.’
Flora nodded with a faint smile on her lips. ‘I suppose that’s true. You’re right when you say things work out for a reason.’
Iris giggled softly. ‘Life does have a way of surprising us. Whether we want to be surprised or not.’
‘Yes, I mean losing my job didn’t feel great at the time.
Not at all. But I’ve gained so much more than I’ve lost these past couple of months.
’ She had great new friends, a flourishing business; she had found her place here in Rowan Bay.
She shook her head at herself. And yet .
. . she missed Brodie. She gave herself a firm talking to.
‘You know that things have a way of sorting themselves out,’ said Iris knowingly, her eyes crinkling. ‘Love always finds a way.’
Flora wasn’t sure how to respond, other than to narrow her eyes slightly. All she had told her gran was that for some reason after the rescue, Brodie had needed some space which she thought was probably for the best.
‘I know you don’t always want my advice, dearie. But I think Brodie has pulled away not because he doesn’t care. But because he does.’ She walked over and gave Flora a hug. ‘I think he maybe just needed a bit of space to figure things out. I have a feeling that when he does, he’ll be in touch.’
Flora sighed. ‘Well, good luck to him. I hope he manages to work it all out. Because he’s had his chance with me.
It’s over.’ He had dumped her. After they had slept together.
With no real explanation. At least she didn’t think so.
In her opinion, his reason seemed very lame.
‘Brodie is history.’ Her gran waited until she finished ranting and then gave her a knowing smile as if she knew Flora didn’t really mean it.
She glanced up at the clock, realising she needed to get back to Nita about the extension to the rental on her flat.
Now she just had to find her phone. ‘Gran, have you seen my mobile?’
Iris shook her head. ‘It will no doubt turn up as soon as you stop looking for it. When did you last have it?’
Flora frowned, realising that she hadn’t seen it since last night. ‘It must be in the car,’ she tutted. ‘Back in a minute.’
Flora went out to the car and sure enough, there was her phone in the charging tray. There were a few missed calls and texts. And a text message from Brodie.
Flora. Please, can you give me a chance to explain?
She read it again. Then again. And again.
R-i-g-h-t, she thought to herself. He wants me to give him a chance to explain.
Really? But Flora was torn. Despite her earlier rant about Brodie being history, part of her was curious to hear what he had to say.
But if he thought she was a pushover then he was wrong.
She would listen to what he had to say. But she would do it on her terms. For if she was staying in Rowan Bay then it might be easier, and more amicable for everyone, if they had reached some kind of resolution.
She saw he had sent the text last night, so at least there had been enough of a delay now for her to reply without looking desperate.
Just saw your message. Yes, I would be happy to talk. Let me know when. X
She pressed send and cursed herself for adding a kiss at the end. It was a habit she had whenever she sent texts. She just hoped he didn’t read into it and think all had been forgiven. For it definitely had not.