AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aaron’s eyes widened in surprise. “How could you think that? She loved us equally.”
“I guess because she was always so easy on you.”
“You imagined that. I remember the hundreds of times I was put in the naughty corner. It’s just she knew when to pull me back, and when to push you forward. She always knew what to do.”
Oliver sighed, staring at his mother’s radiant smile. “I guess after she died, we both got stuck in our own particular grooves. You got wilder, I got more conservative. Like we were suspended in grief.”
“That makes sense.” Aaron passed the beer can around in his hands. “I’ll concede I lost the plot, phenomenally. But maybe you lost your way too. With constantly looking after me and Dad. I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for stepping in and telling Dad I needed to change schools. But god, you gave me the shits for always being right.”
“Straight back at you, mate, for always being an ungrateful little shit.” They both laughed, clinked their beer cans and went and sat in the canvas chairs on the veranda as the sea breeze cooled the late afternoon down.
Aaron raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink beer from the can before.”
“I got into the habit on the Nullarbor.”
“What’s happening, by the way. With you and Felicity?”
Oliver opened his mouth to answer, but just at that moment the garden gate flung wide and Alice ran up the path, kissed Aaron on the top of his head and went and hugged Oliver, like she wasn’t actually surprised to see him at all. She threw herself down in a rocking chair next to them.
Aaron got up and went to make her a drink.
“Andrea just phoned and said you were in Perth.” She cast Oliver a look that was definitely on the fierce side. “So maybe you can explain something to me. Why did Felicity leave Australia so quickly? There was talk of her coming back to Perth and then… poof, she was gone.” Another frown. Heck, for a moment there she almost reminded him of Rowena. “She’s telling me absolutely nothing.” She gave him a sly look. “And I’m holding you responsible.”
Oliver laughed and proceeded to give her a heavily abbreviated version of the facts.
“But we’re going to sort it out,” he said.
“How?”
“I’m going to the UK tomorrow to tell her that…” he hesitated, but oh—what the hell. “That I’ve fallen in love with her.”
Alice threw herself back in her chair with a whoop of delight. “Yes, yes, yes! Oliver Blake meets his match.”
“Don’t you dare tell her first.”
She got up and held out her pinky, her brown eyes dancing behind her glasses. “Pinky promise.”
Oliver had never pinky promised in his life. He guessed it was time to start living dangerously.
When Aaron rejoined them, he asked, “What are you two laughing about?”
“Just a little secret I’ll tell you later—I mean I won’t.” Alice giggled.
Half an hour later, as Aaron accompanied Oliver down the garden path, he said, “You seem different.”
“In what way?”
“Well, for a start, you’re kind of —crumpled, in the clothes department.”
“Yep. I’ve been cultivating the look for weeks.”
“Felicity’s influence?”
“Mmmm. I’m letting go of the old me bit by bit. The apartment is on the market, so I guess I’m officially homeless except for the Shaggin’ Wagon out there.”
Aaron threw back his head and laughed. “No real reason to stay in Australia then.”
“None.”
“London would be quite nice this time of year.”
“I think so.”
“Mum would approve.”
