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  ‘Yeah, not fair is it. Makes me feel so lucky to still have mine, especially after Dad’s health scare.’

  ‘Same here.’

  They were silent for a moment while sipping their tea.

  ‘And?’ she asked.

  ‘And?’

  ‘Does he still have that dark, thick hair falling all over his face?’

  Hannah nodded. ‘No greys yet either. Though they would suit him.’

  ‘So, ah, I guess seeing him again brought back all the feels?’

  ‘What? No, of course not.’ She flicked her hand in the air. ‘That was ages ago.’

  ‘Hannah, you absolutely adored him. Though you never showed it. You two acted like best friends. Surely it must bring back some memories.’

  Hannah fidgeted with the napkin. ‘Well, yeah... but still, time has passed, and we all grew up, and now I’m moving anyway, so once again life has shown me that nothing was ever meant to happen, or will ever happen. Just one of those things.’ She shrugged and ate more cake. ‘Besides, I’m sure he’s good at what he does, but for all I know he might give it a shot in town for a year or two and then leave. It’s not like Tarrin’s Bay doesn’t have enough places to eat. And maintaining my place, if he wants to buy it, would be hard work on top of that. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if he can’t stick with it.’

  ‘You mean like all the girlfriends he used to go through? Hannah, he was a popular teenage boy. He’s now a grown man. I’m sure he’s matured a bit over the years.’

  ‘We’ll see. But I’m focusing on a new life now, no distractions.’

  ‘You haven’t been wondering... what if?’

  ‘What if what?’

  ‘What if you stayed?’ Karen moved the salt shaker to the middle of the table. ‘What if him arriving in town was meant to happen,’ she moved the pepper shaker close to the salt, ‘so you can finally tell him how you felt all those years ago, and see what happens?’ She clinked the two shakers together.

  ‘He’s one year too late. I’m over it now, don’t want any unnecessary drama in my life.’

  Karen sat back in her seat. ‘Fair enough. And I am looking forwards to hopefully working with you, and having you at my place so we can binge-watch TV shows and have more tea and cake.’

  Hannah smiled. ‘Me too, my friend, me too.’ She held up her teacup towards Karen, who gently touched it with hers. They sipped and refilled the cups from the pot. ‘He actually wanted my help setting up his restaurant, even offered to pay me.’

  ‘Really? Well, why not do it for some extra cash? It wouldn’t take you long to whip up a launch plan, you’ve done it before. Then you can leave him to it and get on over here.’

  ‘Still, I have a lot to organise with the house, I don’t want to overdo things. It’d be fun, yeah, and okay, part of me wouldn’t mind catching up a bit more on the last two decades, but what if your boss wants me to start real soon?’

  ‘Evie is still working in the role and yet to finalise when she’s going to take her maternity leave. It could still be several weeks. Anyway, see what the verdict is at the end of the week.’

  ‘Yep, will wait and see. It’d be nice to have some spare time, though, before moving. And get Scarlett accustomed to the new place gradually.’

  ‘Oh, I’m so looking forwards to having her around! I’ve set up a nice dog bed on the back patio, and an extra one in the laundry. Hopefully she’ll be comfortable there.’

  ‘Thanks, Karen.’ Hannah touched her friend’s hand. ‘I wouldn’t be able to make such a big change without your support.’

  ‘That’s what friends are for.’

  A slow smile oozed onto Hannah’s lips, and then onto Karen’s, as she remembered the karaoke they once did at a high school disco, where they sang that old song together. She also remembered Luca watching her from the crowd, and she’ll never forget the relaxed smile on his face at the end of the song when he gave her a simple thumbs up.

  Yep, friends. Friends supported each other, hung out, and had fun. Friends didn’t complicate things by pushing the boundaries of their friendship into the ‘what if’ zone.

  It was nice, in a way, to remember those intense young teenage feelings. But it was bittersweet to remember them disintegrating after he left. From necessity, not choice. But she was an adult now, life was moving forwards fast, and she had things to do. Delving into the past wasn’t one of them.

  Chapter 7

  Before dinner on Wednesday, Luca flipped through the pages of the two property brochures; both viable options, though one a little pricier than he would like to offer. They each ticked most of the boxes. But he’d have to start from scratch if he wanted chickens, whereas Hannah’s house was good to go. But one of the other properties also had plentiful mature fruit trees which would come in handy for his menu ingredients. But he couldn’t base a decision on plants, or chickens. First and foremost, it had to be a home. With future potential. Not just a place to sleep. Somewhere he could imagine building a life. Maybe even with a family, when the time was right. If it would ever be right for him.

  He looked at his phone photos of the Jasmine Road property; as it was only a preview at the moment it didn’t have a brochure, apart from Hannah’s instruction manual she’d mentioned. It had a better feeling than the others, but he didn’t know if that was from his memories clouding his judgement. It ticked all the boxes though.

  He needed to see it again.

  He made a call to the real-estate agent and requested another inspection.

  Over dinner he ran through more restaurant name ideas in his mind, and thought more about the house. With both topics of thought, Hannah kept popping into his head.

  I just need her opinion on the names.

  Maybe he could casually ask her at the next inspection. He looked through more photos, especially of the kitchen. The large rustic island bench reminded him of the one they used to have at home before moving to Tarrin’s Bay as a young family. His father on one side, expertly chopping ingredients, his mother next to him, swiftly taking the chopped ingredients to the stove. They had worked well as a team. He imagined doing the same one day, not at work, but at home. It was funny how a simple piece of furniture or equipment could trigger memories. And how one thing could potentially be the deciding factor for the house he wanted to start fresh in.

  Yep. He was definitely interested. He wanted it, but... at the same time, he didn’t want Hannah to leave.

  ***

  Hannah switched the lights on inside as soon as she entered from the back verandah, having fed the animals and cleaned the water troughs before refilling them. The island bench burst to life under the glow of the pendant lights. Her phone was lit up. She glanced at the screen. A missed call from the real-estate agent, and an ‘important’ email notification, from the events company.

  She resisted the urge to check the email first and listened to her voicemail. Lily had brought another prospective buyer through to see the property today while she’d been at the produce markets. They had seemed mildly interested, Lily had said, but not as keen as Luca. And speaking of Luca, he had requested another inspection. Hannah called Lily back and said Thursday or Friday would be fine, and an appointment for Thursday at ten o’clock was confirmed.

  Hannah glanced at the phone number stuck to the fridge. She glanced at her phone.

  Might as well...

  She added him as a contact. But that did not mean she was going to contact him. But if anything happened to the piece of paper, it would be backup. If she needed it. Which she didn’t. But if she did.

  ‘Oh!’ She remembered the email.

  She opened her inbox and prepared herself for the ‘thanks for coming in, but we’re afraid we’ll have to decline’ message, with a thoughtful and sincere ‘All the best for the future!’ added on to it.

  Dear Hannah,

  Thanks so much for coming in for an interview. Our team has reviewed the shortlisted applicants and are pleased to say that your variety of exp
erience and unique ideas will be a wonderful asset to our company. We would be delighted to offer you the position, subject to a one-month trial period, for a confirmed duration of fourteen months, and with a view to continuing either part-time or full-time after the contract period.

  We will require you to start on Monday 6 August.

  I will give you a call tomorrow to discuss.

  Regards,

  Janelle.

  Hannah’s mouth dropped open. They’ve decided already? August 6? That’s eight weeks. Oh my God. I got it. First go, and I got it!

  She wiggled a little and grinned. Then texted Karen. And then her mother. And then

  ... Hi Luca, if you wanted to talk further about how much more advanced High Definition is, you didn’t have to go to the trouble of booking another inspection.;) But I’ll see you tomorrow. And just wanted to let you know I got the job and will be starting in 8 wks, if that has any bearing on your decision with the house. I’ll be needing it sold asap. ~ Hannah.

  She pressed send before she changed her mind. And then second-guessed herself...

  I could have just told him that tomorrow.

  I should leave all the house business to Lily to talk to him about.

  But he’s not just anyone, he’s... he’s Luca.

  She sent off a quick reply to the email and then took some vegetables from the fridge for dinner.

  Her phone buzzed.

  Well well well, look who’s decided to give me her number! Too bad she’s leaving town, but a BIG congratulations on your new job. Great stuff HD. You deserve it.

  She smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear.

  Her finger hovered near the screen. She typed a longish reply then deleted it, changing it simply to: Thanks!

  No need to go into detail. She’d see him tomorrow. And then she’d know how serious he was, if at all, about her place.

  Chapter 8

  ‘So once a day isn’t enough?’ Luca asked.

  ‘Twice a day is great if you can,’ Hannah replied, as they stood near the chicken coop. ‘One wheelbarrow full of feed morning and evening. If you’re working nights you can hire a local teen to do the job at the end of the day. I know a few who can sometimes help out.’

  He nodded.

  ‘You open this hatch on the silo here.’ She opened it. ‘And let the feed drain into the wheelbarrow.’ She let a small amount fall in as an example, as she had already filled up the feeding troughs this morning. ‘When full, carry it over to the troughs and tip it in.’

  ‘Got it.’

  ‘I use only organic feed, makes for healthier chooks and better eggs. There’s a good market here for organics, as not everyone does it. Health-conscious people are willing to pay a bit extra for it, as the feed costs more than others.’

  ‘Where do I get it from?’

  He sounded even more interested than she had expected.

  ‘A delivery truck comes regularly and fills the silo, so I would have to change all the accounts to your name, and they’ll invoice you via email.’

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  ‘So food, fresh water, fresh air, open space to roam and forage, and shelter overnight to roost and that’s the basics.’ She gave a nod and blew a wisp of hair from her forehead.

  He looked at her a moment, as though he was absorbing and memorising what she was saying. She raised her eyebrows. ‘Any questions?’

  He took a moment to respond. ‘Ah, nope. Not yet anyway.’ He turned away and ran a hand through his hair. ‘But if I do, I’ll...’

  ‘Get in touch with Lily,’ she suggested.

  ‘Yes. That’s what I was going to say.’

  They took the wheelbarrow to the troughs and filled them up. ‘Luca.’ Hannah softened, as they began walking back to the house. ‘It’s okay, contact me directly with any queries about the running of the place, if it makes your decision easier. And anything else, go through Lily. Sound good?’

  ‘Sounds good.’ He smiled and gave a nod. ‘Also, can I just—’

  ‘Hannah!’ Lily called out from across the yard where she stood near the house. ‘Ah, I think she’s... I’m not sure if...’ she moved towards Scarlett. ‘She might have eaten something, I think it’s stuck.’

  The dog was semi-standing, hunched forwards, her chest heaving, and she clawed at her mouth.

  Hannah ran. ‘Scarlett!’ She was there in a flash. Scarlett’s mouth was open, drool dripping out, and she seemed to be both trying to inhale but also exhale or expel something. Hannah tried to pry open her jaw further to see inside but it was too strong. Luca appeared beside and placed his hand firmly on the dog’s back. He gave it two firm slaps. A slight cough sound emerged, but still Scarlett struggled.

  ‘Oh my goodness,’ Lily said. ‘Should I call a vet?’

  ‘Hang on. Try a bit harder,’ she instructed Luca. Though it pained her to watch Scarlett like this. He gave her two more sharp slaps.

  ‘Oh, no. C’mon, Scar!’ She shuffled around behind her pet, and lifted the top part of her body off the ground, nestling her fist in the hollow underneath her rib cage. She was old and Hannah wasn’t sure if this would damage her chest but there was no time to think. She pushed her fist quickly upwards and the dog lurched forwards. A choking sound emerged and Hannah did it again. This time, something popped out and landed in a puddle of drool at her feet. Scarlett sucked in breath after breath, and slunk onto the ground in recovery mode. Luca stroked the dog’s back calmly and reassuringly.

  ‘Oh, hallelujah,’ said Lily. ‘Phew!’

  ‘There we go,’ said Hannah, ‘Everything’s okay, Scar. You just rest now.’ She snuggled close to her for a moment. Then picked up the object. A gumnut. She’d put a few in a bowl on the small round table on the verandah to add a decorative touch before the first house inspection. Somehow one had found its way to Scar and she’d decided to see if it was tasty or not. The dog breathed heavily. ‘I might give the vet a call and see if I can bring her in for a quick check-up.’ Hannah got to her feet and called. ‘He’ll see her shortly,’ she said a moment later. ‘Sorry to cut this short today.’

  ‘It’s no problem, I got to see how the chooks work. The basics anyway.’

  ‘I can always meet you again later, Luca, if that’s okay with Hannah,’ Lily offered.

  Hannah nodded.

  ‘That’s okay, I think I’ve seen enough to have a good think about this,’ he said.

  ‘Right. Well I’ll be looking at putting it officially on the market tomorrow, so if you’re keen, if you could let me know by the end of today or first thing in the morning, that’d be ideal.’

  ‘Will do,’ he replied. ‘Thanks, Lily. And Hannah, I’ll come with you to the vet.’

  ‘Oh no, it’s okay.’

  ‘I can help you lift her, she might be too weak to walk right now.’

  He was right, it would be handy to have an extra set of hands. ‘Okay, thanks, that’d be great.’

  They took Scarlett to Hannah’s car, Lily left with her dust-coated high heels, and Hannah locked up house.

  An hour later she brought Scarlett back to the car, along with a nutritional supplement for ageing dogs, and the vet said it should stop her from wanting to eat random things like gumnuts, which can sometimes be from a mineral deficiency such as iron. Her ribs were a bit sore to the touch but otherwise intact, as was her diaphragm, and throat. She was suffering the expected effects of old age, but there was no need for any immediate treatment apart from the supplement. He’d advised to bring her back for another more comprehensive check-up in a couple of months. Which would be right when she was moving, so she made a note to do it in her last week in town.

  ‘Thanks for helping out.’ Hannah turned the key in the ignition.

  ‘I didn’t do much. You got the thing out, lucky you knew what you were doing. I just tried the human version I learned at my occupational first-aid course.’

  ‘I’m so glad it worked.’ Hannah glanced at Scarle
tt in the back seat. ‘She’s my best friend, this old girl.’

  ‘I can tell.’ He smiled. ‘I miss having pets. Haven’t had one for a while. Might have to change that.’

  ‘Well, if you buy my place you’ll have five hundred pets,’ she laughed.

  ‘A dog would be nice as well.’

  ‘They are great company.’

  ‘I bet. You are too. Always were, Hannah.’

  Hannah caught his eye. She was about to put the gearstick in reverse but wanted to look at him a moment longer, so that if only one last time, she would be satisfied. One last look, like she didn’t get before. Even though she knew she’d see him again before she moved. But still...

  ‘I’m glad we bumped into each other again,’ he added.

  She put the gearstick in reverse, but kept her foot on the brake. ‘It’s been nice to catch up again.’ She smiled and nodded. ‘Oh, what were you going to say before? Before the thing with Scarlett, something about, can you...’ She raised her eyebrows.

  Luca flicked his hand in the air. ‘Ah, nothing really. Doesn’t matter.’ He looked into the back seat. ‘Let’s get this girl back to her favourite spot beside the armchair on the verandah, hey?’

  ‘How did you know it’s her favourite spot? You’ve only been there twice.’

  ‘Yes, and both times Scarlett has been sitting there. So a wild guess. Besides, the chair has that old blanket thingy on it that you knitted when you were at school, remember? You brought it out to the lookout that night we all got pizza to watch the comet in the sky?’

  ‘Space station.’

  ‘Was it the space station? I forget.’

  ‘Yeah, a quick bit of light arcing through the sky. I think you blinked when it passed by.’

  ‘Ha-ha. Probably. Anyway, I was stupidly wearing only a T-shirt so was pretty cold and I’ll never forget that you gave up your blanket for me. I remember it smelled like vanilla or something, like you.’

  ‘Vanilla is my favourite scent. My mum used to make her own vanilla-scented hand creams and body lotions. Still does actually.’

  ‘So I figure Scarlett likes that spot because it smells like you.’ He smiled.