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Jamie had ended up agreeing to most points of Sarah’s business proposal. He was willing to approach businesses and help put her in touch with people he knew in order to establish the café in the town. But he did so with one stipulation: the work he did for Sarah had to fit around his job at the garage.
She had agreed without hesitation.
Two weeks after Sarah had asked for his help with the business, she found herself putting together the final touches for her preparations to move to Mount Kiernon. Jamie had already helped by organising a few people to cut the grass and tame the wildly overgrown front and back yards. He had also offered to get someone he knew to drive a truck to Franklin to collect her furniture the next day. She had refused, instead insisting on hiring a moving company from Franklin to bring her furniture down to the small town.
The house Sarah was moving into wouldn’t have been considered modern by any standards, a fact which didn’t bother her in the slightest. Instead she chose to find charm in its history with all the families who had loved and lived in it before moving elsewhere. She would get to write the next chapter for the home and could barely wait to begin.
The house was weatherboard as were most of the homes throughout Mount Kiernon and was much larger than she needed for just herself. Nestled at the top of a rise on Turners Road about a five minute drive outside of the township she cared far more about the views that the property had to offer than the size or style of the house.
Sarah had well and truly learnt the lesson over the years that looks were only skin deep and could be deceiving. So it was with her new home. Most things needed updating. From the pink tiled bathroom that screamed 1980’s, the cracked linoleum, the stained and well-worn carpeting, to the peeling paint on the outside of the house. Even the back deck that was looked over by the mountain of Mount Kiernon was rotting and needing to be repaired.
But the bones of the house were intact. Structurally there were no issues. The roof didn’t leak and the plumbing and electrics were sound. Weeds could be pulled up, rotten decking replaced, tiles updated.
The three bedrooms that were in the house were light and airy, each large enough to fit a double bed in. The bathroom was large and the toilet separate. There was no ensuite to the master bedroom, but this fact didn’t bother Sarah. She had fallen in love with the house for two reasons far beyond the aesthetics of the home.
The first was that the living room had two large bay windows which looked over the front yard of the house and down towards the cliffs, giving her an uninterrupted view of the sea. Sarah already knew from experience when she’d stayed at the bed and breakfast that the sun would rise over the water. Her sights were firmly set on finding a rocking chair of her own like she’d sat on at Betty’s the morning she’d awoken and watched the sunrise from the porch of the bed and breakfast. Sarah had dreamed of being able to sit in it and watch the grey of the predawn change through its riot of colours as the day dawned fully ever since she had first purchased the house.
Sarah could imagine that the families who had owned the property before her had enjoyed the views that the house had to offer. She could imagine children running across the front yard laughing with reckless abandon as they played. Parents that sat on the front porch after their children were in bed fast asleep, sitting and enjoying the view as they relaxed together. Not that I have anyone to enjoy it with, Sarah thought. I don’t need anyone. I’m just fine by myself. I’ve managed until now and I’ll keep on managing.
As magnificent as the views were it hadn’t been what had swayed Sarah to buy the house above the others that she had viewed with the real estate agent several months ago when she had quietly slipped back into the town for the viewings. It had been the kitchen. It was the room that Sarah considered to be the true heart of any home and needed to be just right for her. With the amount of houses for sale in Mount Kiernon it hadn’t been a difficult task to find one that had a view of both the mountain and the water, but as she and the real estate agent who was based out of Franklin went through house after house the kitchens had each seemed to be somehow soulless. Not one of them had been something that Sarah could imagine herself still cooking in ten years from now. But the moment she had walked into the kitchen of this house, she knew she had found her new home.
A large window over the sink allowed swathes of natural light into the kitchen and offered a vista of the great peak of Mount Kiernon, which both overlooked the town and gave it its name. A six burner cooker sat in the kitchen, with a deep oven below. With the house being a bit older it wasn’t the latest model, but whoever had owned the house previously had bought a quality oven and looked after it carefully. In the centre of the kitchen sat a generous island bench where Sarah could imagine herself preparing meals and laughing and talking with friends as they stood around it as she cooked.
It had only been two weeks from the time that she and Jamie had first spoken in the garage about her opening the cafe that Sarah had again found herself on the front doorstep of Betty’s Bed and Breakfast. It was the night before she was officially to move to Mount Kiernon. Those two weeks had been filled with a flurry of getting ready to move, liaising with workers for the café and beginning to speak to suppliers. The moving company had already collected all her belongings from her apartment in Franklin. They were holding them overnight ready to make an early start on the several hours journey that it would take for the truck to travel from Franklin to Mount Kiernon.
She and Jamie had been on the phone with one another nearly every night since she had first approached him in the garage with her proposition. He’d made a few suggestions that she had turned down immediately, others she contemplated or agreed to. Either way, Sarah felt like she was forming a friendship with the mechanic, and after having felt alone for so long it was an alien but welcome feeling.
Tapping the knocker she waited patiently for Betty to answer. Opening the door the older woman appeared just as Sarah had remembered her. The quintessential grandmother complete with grey curling hair and an apron tied around her waist, Betty greeted Sarah with a genuine smile. “Come in, come in,” she enthused. As Sarah stepped across the threshold she found herself enveloped in a warm hug. “Oh, it is ever so good to see you again,” Betty spoke animatedly. Flinching at first with her hands by her side as Betty held her, Sarah was shocked to find herself welling up with tears. Slowly she relaxed into the hug and lifting her arms embraced Betty.
I can’t remember the last time someone hugged me. Not a real genuine hug like this.
As Betty released Sarah she noticed the tears that sat on Sarah’s cheeks. “Oh dear, whatever is wrong?”
Sarah shook her head, not quite trusting herself to speak. Wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand she continued to shake her head. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
“Oh dear, no, you’re not.” Taking Sarah by the shoulders Betty looked in her eyes. Pulling her in to her arms once more she held Sarah and whispered fiercely to her, “But whatever it is, you will be.”
***
That evening Sarah had told Betty not to expect her for breakfast the next morning.
“Why ever not, dear? You need a good breakfast to start out the day right,” she insisted.
“I know. But I want to get an early start on the new house,” Sarah replied.
“And what time is the truck with your things due to arrive? Surely they are not going to be in early tomorrow?”
“No, they’re not. But I haven’t had an opportunity to give the place a good clean since I purchased it.”
“Oh, tosh. I know that young Jamie had Becca Connolly down at your place cleaning it a few days ago. She would have given it a good going over then. I’m not going to take no for an answer young lady.”
“Jamie couldn’t have had anyone in to clean my house. He doesn’t have keys. I’m the only person who does. I’m sorry, Betty, but you’re mistaken.”
Betty had just nodded at her, a small smile playing on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes. “Whatever you say, dear. But regardless I’m still not taking no for an answer. I expect to see you at breakfast time tomorrow morning. Let’s say eight o’clock, shall we?”
Sarah had been too dumbfounded to speak in response. She had just nodded meekly and walked away quietly to the room in which she was spending the night.
Five thirty the next morning Sarah was sneaking about her bedroom in Betty’s home as quietly as she possibly could. She didn’t want to make too much noise to alert the woman as to what she was doing. Filling the electric kettle that was supplied to the room with water she clicked it on and waited for it to come to the boil. As she waited Sarah grabbed her backpack and pulled out a small thermos. It had been one of the few items that hadn’t made its way into a cardboard box in preparation for the movers.
This was what Sarah hadn’t wanted to share with Betty the previous evening when she had told her that she wasn’t going to be at breakfast. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to eat breakfast with her, she had told the truth when she had said that she wanted to be at her new home early that morning.
But not to clean.
The first time that the sun rose for Sarah as a new resident in Mount Kiernon she wanted to be there to see it. To do what she had dreamed of doing: Sitting on her own front porch watching as the sun rose to greet the day.
***
Walking through the bed and breakfast Sarah barely dared to breathe as she made her way down the dimly lit hallway. Frightened any noise might wake Betty Sarah had left her shoes off as she moved throughout the house. Reaching the front door she eased it closed as quietly as she could, before sitting on the porch and slipping her shoes on. Moving across to her car she climbed in, the door closing with a dull thud. For a fleeting moment as she sat in the driver’s seat she considered if it was worth getting back out and pushing the car down the drive before starting it.
And have anyone that might see me think that I’m stealing my own car? Don’t be ridiculous, she scolded herself. The reality was that Sarah felt terribly guilty. As much as she didn’t want to disappoint Betty the desire to be sitting on her own porch for her first sunrise was greater. Reversing out the driveway with her headlights off in case the beams might disturb Betty she chanced one final look at the bed and breakfast. For a moment her breath caught in her throat when it seemed that a curtain twitched at a window inside. Crossing her fingers that she hadn’t disturbed her host Sarah manoeuvred her car on to the street, switched on the headlights and drove away.
As she made the five minute journey through the town she didn’t pass any other cars on the road. Considering the time of day she hadn’t really expected to see anyone. Pulling up to her new home she sat in the driveway for a moment. Finally relaxing for the first time since she had left the bed and breakfast Sarah began to giggle.
She’d made it.
Switching off her car and getting out, with thermos in hand she walked up the four wooden steps to the front door. It still wasn’t dawn, but the grey of the predawn had just begun, allowing her enough light to see where she placed her feet.
Sitting on the top step she sat to face the ocean and cliffs that she knew were out there but couldn’t quite yet make out in the darkness. Screwing the top off of the thermos she poured herself a cup of the tea that she’d brewed at the bed and breakfast earlier. Sipping it slowly she tucked her legs under her chin, and waited.
Sarah knew she wouldn’t have to wait long, and she was right.
Ten minutes later the grey of the predawn ebbed slowly to the beautiful pastels of the pinks, purples and oranges of morning. Finally the sun began to break over the horizon.
Sarah couldn’t help herself. She knew she probably looked like a fool to anyone that might be able to see her at the moment, but she didn’t care. The broad smile that was on her face was genuine. People could keep their fancy houses and seemingly perfect lives. Given a choice she would take this house that needed work and this sunrise over that kind of life every time.
“A morning sunrise does not define itself by last night’s sunset,” she whispered smiling. “I’m home, Nanna. I’m home.”
“Hey.” A man’s voice spoke gently to her from behind where she was sitting.
Sarah screamed. Leaping to her feet at the unexpected intrusion to her solitude she knocked the thermos over, the contents spilling out in the process. The warm tea quickly formed a wide wet patch across the porch and began to drip off the edge into the newly weeded flower bed that sat below it. Putting her fists up in a fighter’s stance, Sarah stood ready to defend herself.
Facing the source of the voice Sarah was surprised to see Jamie leaning against the frame of her open front door. His shaggy hair was flattened on one side as if he’d just gotten out of bed.
“Wow. Remind me never to get into a fight with you,” he commented, nodding at her fighter’s stance.
“Jamie? What are you doing here?” she demanded, keeping her fists at the ready. Realising that he was standing in the doorway of her house and that he must have come from inside she glared at him. “Why were you in my house?” She berated herself. How had she not heard the door open? What was he even doing there? How had he gotten inside?
“Relax, Sarah. It’s okay, I promise,” he implored with his hands up, palms facing towards her in an ‘I mean no harm’ gesture. “There’s been some vandalism to empty houses over the past few nights. Probably just some kids who are bored, but I didn’t want you to arrive today and find that had happened to your place. So I spent the night here,” he shrugged by way of explanation.
“How did you get in?” she demanded, her stance relaxing ever so slightly.
“There’s a window around the back of the house. The glass isn’t broken, but the latch won’t secure so anyone can get in. You’ll need to get it fixed. We discovered it on Tuesday when a few of us came out here to do some work on the yard.” His face was earnest as he spoke.
She looked Jamie up and down taking in his dishevelled appearance. His flattened hair was coupled with a pair of jeans and a rather creased T-shirt. “And you slept here?” she asked incredulously. “Where? There’s nothing to sleep on.” Finally dropping her fighting stance Sarah placed her hands on her hips, realising that Jamie had meant no harm to her and had simply given her an unintended fright.
“I slept on the floor in the front room. Brought my sleeping bag with me.”
Sarah peeked inside the window. Sure enough, there on the floor was a rumpled sleeping bag. “It’s no worse than being outside camping. Better probably. Got a roof over my head to protect me from the elements.”
She smirked. “I take it that you’re not a fan of camping?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Just the sleeping on the ground part. The rest is all pretty good.” He walked across to where Sarah’s thermos still lay on its side and picked it up. “Well, there goes my hope of sharing whatever was in there with you. What was it?” He sat down on the top step where Sarah had been sitting a moment ago and stretched out his long legs in front of him.
“Tea,” she responded. She still couldn’t quite fathom that he had stayed the night to keep an eye on her home. No one had ever gone out of their way to do anything remotely that kind for her before.
“Shame. I could’ve really used one this morning,” he said. Yawning widely, he stretched his arms above his head, his shirt lifting to show a strip of his taut stomach.
“God, that’s amazing,” he said, looking forward out across the water and admiring the view as the sun continued to ascent over the horizon.
Without saying a word she walked over and sat down next to him. He looked over at her and briefly smiled before looking back at the water. “Look, I really am sorry. I wouldn’t have stayed if I had’ve realised you were going to react like that. I’d thought that I was going to be gone from here before you arrived.”
“Don’t worry about it. You just gave me a fright, that’s all,” she assured him.
“I thought you were going to take my head off there for a second. Where did you learn that stuff,” he asked, lifting his hands into fists. “You been in a few fights or something?” He leaned into her shoulder nudging her slightly to indicate he was teasing.
“Something like that,” she muttered.
Silence descended between the pair as they watched the sun finally show itself in all its splendour above the horizon.
“It’s quite a view isn’t it?” she murmured looking forward.
He turned his head and looked at her profile. “I certainly think so.”
Clearing his throat he leapt to his feet. “I got to get going. Better get home and grab a shower. I’ll see you later, yeah?”
“Yeah,” she confirmed.
But he didn’t hear her. He had already walked around the back of the house to where he had parked his car overnight. Hearing it start up, she waved to him as he drove down the driveway and out on to the road. He didn’t look back once.
It was only once he was out of sight that she realised Jamie had left in such a hurry that he had left his sleeping bag on the floor inside.