Page 50 of Not So Very Sensible

“Come on, Lucinda. You’re going to be okay.”

“I’ll never be okay again.” But the way her arms slid around his neck and she pressed herself against his body suggested she could be. “Thank you for coming,” she murmured, then kissed his cheek.

He startled and gently extricated himself from her, holding her hands in both of his. “Where did you park? Are you okay to drive?”

“It’s sweet of you to worry, but I’m okay.” She frowned. “Why didn’t you answer my messages?”

He winced. “Long story. Short story is I lost my phone.”

“You lost your phone? How do you do that these days?”

“It takes skills, I know.”

“Oh, you poor thing. I think I’d die if I lost my phone. Oh well. Never mind. Let’s get you home.”

And she led the way to her car, while regret chased his every step.

Chapter 9

Ellie checked her phone, but there was nothing more, apart from that weird message before. “Got it. Thanks.”

Hmm. Was she overreacting because she’d expected more of an answer from Ethan? Maybe he was just busy. She’d give him the benefit of the doubt.

“So, how was work today?” Mum asked, as they ate their usual Monday night meal of spaghetti Bolognese.

Ellie shrugged. “It was okay. Nicola has a new client she’s rather chuffed about, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes.”

“Who is it?” Katie asked. “Or is that confidential?”

“I don’t think it is. It’s someone who apparently is related to some politician in the city but has a country property out here, so they want a local to do the work for that. To be honest, I can’t remember the name, but it was someone I’ve never heard of.”

“Oh well. At least there’s an opportunity there for you to display your skills.”

Ellie nodded. Mum meant well, even though doing the odd bit of design work for a landscape design business certainly wasn’t the pinnacle of her career aspirations. It’d be nice to see her skills being used for something worthwhile, like Ethan’s youth group graphics. If it helped teens see youth group was cool so they went and took their friends, who then got saved, then that was a great result for the kingdom of God, wasn’t it? Designing gardens for bored rich people wasn’t quite the same.

Dad smiled at her. “And good to see city folk giving the country cousins a chance rather than just employing their usual city-based crew.”

“It should mean a few more plants survive anyway.”

Nicola often complained about the many times that Sydney garden design companies recommended plants that didn’t survive the winters here in the Southern Highlands. It was far better to have local knowledge that ensured the purchase of locally grown plants that were frost hardy and could cope with the occasional bursts of snow these parts saw. Too many people wanted the country lifestyle without realising they couldn’t always just plonk down their same expectations of city life. People were different here. The temperature was cooler. Things ran a little slower. And while part of her had long writhed against the slower pace of life, another part of her could appreciate the difference.

EJ—oops! Emma-Jane—was a lot nicer now that she’d spent more time in Wattle Vale. She wasn’t as agitated as when she used to come back from the city. Even while they’d been in England, Ellie could appreciate the difference between London and edge-of-Cotswold life. There was less of the frantic need to push and prove oneself. People had more time to stop and smell the roses—or the cow manure. Whatever. People seemed more settled, grounded. Probably because they had more ground.

Of course, she wouldn’t say no if a job became available in the city and she could live in EJ’s spare room in the flat that overlooked Sydney Harbour. But as she couldn’t afford to do that until she had a permanent job, then she’d be waiting a little longer.

She tuned back into the conversation, conscious that Katie had been giving little smiles all evening. “What’s got you looking like the cat who ate the cream?”

“Nothing.” But Katie’s glance at her phone sure didn’t look like nothing.

“Who are you messaging?”

Katie shook her head. “I’m not telling you because you won’t like it.”

Uh-oh. “Are you still in contact with Jason?”

“Jason?” Mum peered at them. “Who’s that?”

“Oh, Mum! He’s just the most amazing guy!”