Page 39 of The Dairy Farmer's Daughter

CHAPTER 15

Justin sipped his coffee and looked out the window. The rain had been falling consistently all night and puddles had formed on the dirt driveway.

Freya had finally forced herself to leave Boyd’s place with the promise of meeting up later in the day. He admired her dedication to her work and her family. He was finding it hard to find things about Freya Montgomery that he didn't like.

Without her there, the silence in the house was deafening. Already he missed her smile, her laugh, and her touch. What was it going to be like when he left?

The prudent thing would be to leave before he became any more involved with Freya and her family. But the thought of doing so wrenched his heart so painfully, he couldn't stand it.

He turned back to his laptop. Working here was impossible without her, so he saved his document and closed the lid. Maybe a change of scenery would help. He grabbed his car keys and opened the front door. He shivered when icy wind smacked into his face, chafing his lips and making the tip of his nose ache. He climbed into his car, dialled up the heater, and rubbed his hands together.

He drove carefully along the muddy driveway, trying not to get bogged. He understood now why all the locals owned four-wheel-drives.

Turning onto the main road, he decided to explore more of the town and see where people lived. He was also curious to see the golf club, which he had heard talk of at the pub.

He surveyed the landscape. It seemed suburbia had crept its way farther out of town than he had expected. He turned down a narrow, built-up street. The sleek bitumen road extended into the distance. Driveways intersected it every few metres, leading to identical-looking houses which were built so close together they were practically touching.

He recalled what Stephen had said—that there was a lot more money in subdivision than running a few cows. People liked their big houses and small bits of dirt, and there was a shortage of affordable housing in Maleny and the rest of the Hinterland.

He was accustomed to this sort of overcrowding in the city, used to apartment buildings and gated communities. But after living in Boyd's house, surrounded by acreage, the housing estate made him feel claustrophobic.

He found his way back to the main street and soon enough saw signs to the golf club. It was empty today—the rain must have been keeping people indoors. His stepfather was a golf-lover, and Justin had played the occasional game with him. The Maleny Golf Course was small and hilly, but he knew Geoff would have enjoyed the challenge it presented.

He continued driving and noticed a sign in front of an old house declaring it Pattemoor House, an historic property. It was a colonial-designed, single-storey house with a wide wrap-around veranda. He remembered seeing an early photograph of it in the library when Freya took him there. He smiled to himself, and silently congratulated the historical society for preserving it and keeping it in such good condition.

Back in town, he pulled up in front of a café advertising his new favourite—Maleny Coffee. He grabbed his laptop and headed inside.

The café was one of many on Maple Street, but its hanging plants and bohemian furnishings drew him in. The tables were all filled with couples and groups chatting over coffee, and huge platefuls of delicious-looking food.

At the counter, he was served by a woman wearing a black apron and a friendly smile. She glanced at his laptop. "We have a loft upstairs. It's quieter there if you need to get some work done."

"Perfect," he said and ordered the big breakfast and a large flat white.

He poured himself a glass of water from a jug on the counter before starting up the stairs. He was pleasantly surprised to find a spacious, light room with only a few people occupying tables. The walls were covered in framed pictures of plants and shelves full of greenery and books. He chose a table by a window and set up his laptop.

The hum of the coffee machine and people chattering downstairs did nothing to distract him from the work he had been procrastinating from. He took a break from the app he was designing when his big breakfast arrived. It was piled full of crispy bacon, sausages, potato rösti, mushrooms, a fried egg, and tomato.

"Are you Justin?" The same lady who had taken his order and delivered his meal asked.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows. "I am."

"Don't look so surprised. You know you can't hide in a small town," she said with a smile. "I'm Meredith. I went to school with Freya.”

He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. Is this your place?”

“It is.” She put her hands on her hips and looked around proudly.

“It’s got a great vibe about it, and the food looks amazing."

"I hope you enjoy. It's hard competing with Greer, but we all do pretty well. Let me know if you need anything and enjoy your meal."

"Thanks." He smiled at her before she headed back down the stairs.

He couldn't help himself groaning as he took his first bite. He savoured every morsel and surprised himself at how quickly he got through it.

"He's upstairs," Meredith said with a wink as she accepted the cartons of milk Freya had brought her. She didn't usually do the deliveries, but when Meredith had casually mentioned Justin was at her café, Freya had insisted she bring the milk right over.

Freya pretended to look shocked. "Who is?"

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