Ethan
A magpie hopped about the garden nearby, head tipping from one side to the other as it watched Ethan with beady, black eyes.
He laughed. “I don’t have any food, buddy. Sorry.”
The pagoda was almost complete, at least the frame was. He liked the way it was turning out. It brought new character to the garden. Perhaps in summer they could plant a climbing vine beside it. He could imagine how it’d look in a few years’ time—stained timber or maybe painted white, flowering vine, with a couple standing together hand-in-hand saying their vows.
He smiled at the thought. It would be a good draw card for the Manor.
Already, since Emily had begun spreading the word to travel agents that the pagoda was coming and would be available for spring weddings, they’d seen an uptick in bookings for those months.
If only the rest of his life looked as promising as the bed and breakfast.
He’d spoken to Marc about his legal issues and his friend had looked into it for him. It seemed the charges hadn’t been filed yet, but they were still being considered. At least that was something—maybe it wouldn’t happen. But he had to prepare as if it was going to happen, at least that was what Marc had cautioned him. Ethan planned on travelling to Brisbane the next day to meet Marc face-to-face.
He measured the length of a piece of timber, marked it with a pencil and shoved the pencil behind his ear. The back door to the Manor swung open, and Emily stepped out, a basket swinging on one arm.
He waved a hand over his head and she strode in his direction.
“Wow, it’s looking great,” she said, eyes wide.
He smiled. He was proud of what he’d achieved. It was a simple structure, but with an artistic flair. “Thanks, it’s going well.”
“The guests are going to love it.”
“I think so too…”
She smiled. He marvelled at how pretty she was when she pushed her usual pout aside for a smile. She had a beautiful smile, and a contagious laugh.
“How’s your day going so far?”
She shrugged. “I’m taking a break from sanding and painting…going to try out a new frittata recipe that I’m planning on making for breakfast tomorrow. I need some fresh herbs…” She patted the basket.
He nodded. “Sounds delicious. Count me in.”
She laughed. “Of course. You can try it this afternoon, tell me if I need to change anything.”
“Would you listen if I did?”
She grunted. “No.”
“That’s what I thought.” He chuckled. “But still, I’d love to try it, and I’ll keep my opinion to myself.”
“Unless you love it.”
“Right…unless I love it.”
He shook his head and set the timber between two sawhorses, then reached for the circular saw. He sliced the timber in half and set the saw back on the ground.
“Where’d you get the idea for the frittata?” he asked.
“I found an old recipe book in Aunty Di’s office.”
He laughed. “It’s your office now.”
She shrugged. “I guess so. It doesn’t feel that way. I think, for me, this place will always be theirs. The office will always be hers.”
“I get it,” he said. “I feel the same way, really.”
He tried to focus his attention back on the work at hand but couldn’t. Emily’s presence had disrupted his thoughts. He couldn’t find the thread. He wanted to be able to ignore her, push her aside, but he couldn’t. He was still befuddled by the way she treated him when she seemed perfectly capable of being kind to other people, and even sometimes to him as well. He was confused by his feelings for her—why was he attracted to a woman who quite obviously disliked him? Usually…
But today she’d come outside with a basket on her arm, and her hair piled in messy waves on top of her head, looking cute and giving him that smile. It was confounding.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He sighed. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Like?”
“Like…” He sighed. How much should he say? He didn’t want Emily to know she was one of the things on his mind. But so far, he’d only told Mum about the legal issues he was facing. “You know how I lost my job?”
She nodded.
“Well, the reason for that is my boss, and some of the other executives are facing charges of fraud. I don’t even know what else. But whatever happened, it brought the whole company down, and me with it.”
Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, that sounds horrible.”
“Yeah it is, and it hasn’t finished yet. That’s what’s bothering me—the government’s considering filing charges of fraud against me as well.”
“What? Why?” Emily’s stormy grey eyes narrowed.
He shrugged. “I don’t know…I’m not sure what they’ve got. All I know is, I didn’t do what they’re saying I did. I didn’t even realise anything was going on behind the scenes. I wish I’d paid better attention, but honestly, I was working, doing my job, and keeping my head down. I wanted to be a partner, and was on track to achieve that…now, I’m grateful that never happened. I’m pretty certain all of the partners have been charged already.”
“Wow,” she replied.
“Yeah. I’m going to do everything I can to prevent it from having an impact here, on the Manor, the business. But, if it ends up in court, I may have to sell my half of the business. I don’t want it to come to that, but I think you should know it’s a possibility.”
“Okay, well thanks for telling me.” She chewed on a fingernail; her gaze fixed on the ground at her feet. She glanced his way. “I’m going to get started on that frittata. I’ll let you know when it’s done, and you can come and taste test it for me.”
He nodded, waved goodbye, and watched her leave. She’d barely reacted to what he’d said. Didn’t seem bothered by the idea of him having to give up his half of the business. He shouldn’t be surprised by that, he supposed, she’d never been happy about sharing the business with him. But it hurt a little, to be so easily dismissed. He loved being a part-owner of the Seaside Manor. As difficult as she was, he’d grown fond of sharing that with Emily. He found it difficult to swallow the idea that she didn’t feel the same.
With a shake of his head, he returned to the task at hand—if he had to sell his share of the Manor, he’d go back to Brisbane to look for work. And if he still couldn’t find anyone who’d take a risk on a former Mammoth employee, he might have to move even further away. The idea made his heart sink. Emerald Cove was home now, he didn’t want to leave, but he may not have a choice.