Page 10 of The Story of Us
“Is there anything I can help with?” Nate asked once she was sipping her favourite crisp and sweet Tasmanian cider.
Sure. It’d be real handy if Nate could let her know if he ever thought about what she looked like naked. And if he wanted to do anything about turning that fantasy into a reality. That’d be swell.
Eloise shook her head. “It’s fine. I’ve got Wednesday night earmarked to catch up on a few things.”Shoot.She rummaged through her backpack until she found her diary and flipped through the pages. “Scratch that. I’ll do it tonight when I get home. I’m working Wednesday night.”
She ignored the concern that skittered across Nate’s face.
“Why?” he asked.
“The guy who was running our after-school sports program got a job in Melbourne. I haven’t found a replacement yet. And before you volunteer, I’ll figure something out.”
Nate shrugged. “I could do it, though.”
Eloise smiled when Teddy deposited a steaming plate of wedges with extra sour cream in front of her. Just because Nate knew her go-to order didn’t mean he wanted to be more than friends … but she knew what her grandmother would say about it all. Teddy set a chicken Caesar salad down in front of Nate. “You do too much for KPs already. Doesn’t he, Teddy?” she said, using her nickname for Kathleen’s Place. The community home had been a part of the fabric of Wattle Junction ever since the sixties when it was first established. Eloise had always loved going there when she was younger and exploring the old buildings surrounded by lavender fields and orchards. Once upon a time, it had been the biggest homestead in the area before Nate’s great-grandmother had purchased it and turned it into a special place for anyone who needed a little extra help. Working there as the in-house social worker was a dream come true for Eloise.
“Yep. Nate loves helping at KPs. For the community. No other reason at all,” Teddy said, winking, and the brothers shared a look Eloise didn’t have the energy to decipher right now.
“I’m pretty sure Teddy has Wednesday nights free, too, don’t you, mate? He also loves hanging out with kids because he’s just an overgrown child himself,” Nate said.
The knowing smirk slid off Teddy’s face. “Uhhh …”
“And Mum’s always so touched when we volunteer at KPs.”
“It’d only be for a few weeks until I found a replacement,” Eloise said.
The resigned slump of Teddy’s shoulders prompted Nate’s lips to curl into a broad smile. It was the grin he saved just for his family and the people he really cared about. The one that always,alwaysmade Eloise giddy.
“Shoot me a text with the details, and I’ll be there,” Teddy said.
Eloise made a show of crossing the item off her to-do list. When she looked up, she swore. “Professor Armstrong’s seen me. I better go and say hi. Thanks, Teddy. I really appreciate it.”
As she edged around Nate’s chair, she was pretty sure she heard Teddy tell Nate that he was a dick … and a coward.
4
Eloise shifted her weight from one foot to the other as the last stragglers left the lecture theatre. The heavy door shut with a clunk.
“Ah, just the person I needed to see.” Professor Armstrong slid her laptop into her leather bag and zipped it shut. Her hair was pulled into a bun, and several colourful brooches were pinned to her denim jacket.
“Is everything okay?” Eloise asked, eager to cut to the chase. If her major project needed revising, it would be better to know straight away. Bad news never got better with time.
“The person who was selected for the American Art Therapy Institute scholarship has decided not to go, and we’ve been asked to nominate another student. I want to put you forward.”
Wait. What?
“Are you serious?” Pictures of the AATI flashed through Eloise’s mind. Buildings in front of the pinky-orange Arizona sunsets. Children in art smocks, their hands painted a rainbow of colours. A group of teenagers standing on scaffolding around a sculpture shaped like a rooster that had been crossed with Medusa. Old men and women sitting behind potters’ wheels, hands covered in water and clay, bright smiles on their lined faces.
“You’d have to be there for the start of their next semester, which is September. I know that doesn’t leave a lot of time.”
How could she uproot her whole life and move overseas in less than three months? What about her family? Her job? And if Eloise was being honest, she’d only applied in the first place because she was sure she wouldn’t be selected. It was a way of letting herself off easily. Pretending she was still chasing after her dream of a big adventure.
She fumbled with the straps of her bag. “Um.”
“Take a few days to think it over. But if you’re interested, we need to apply for the exchange ASAP and get all the paperwork ready for your student visa. You’d be a great fit for the role, Eloise, and it would support your long-term goals beautifully.” Professor Armstrong smiled warmly and pulled open the lecture room door.
Back when Eloise had first applied, she’d figured out how much money she’d need to cover her rent and living expenses while she studied. It wasn’t a small figure. And then her car had died. Replacing it had hit her savings hard. Not to mention the extra things she’d bought for Charlie and Sera’s wedding. Her bridesmaid’s stuff was being paid for by the Fletchers, but she’d wanted a few new outfits so she didn’t look like a small-town girl who’d never even been on a plane because she was scared of flying.
This was all too much. She needed a hot bath and some quality time with one of her book boyfriends, but that would have to wait. She had a class to teach, and then she’d promised to help Mary with the bonbonnieres she was making for the wedding.
