Page 47 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
He knew they were Jen and Liam’s bedrooms, and his thoughts lingered on them for a few moments before he turned away abruptly. A few weeks ago, and he’d never imagined Jen would appear from nowhere, and had certainly not imagined the effect it would have on him.
No, it was more than feeling useful, he felt…connected to this home, this family, and Jen. He’d spent too long feeling the opposite.
After his breakup with Jen, he’d moved to Australia to work with his property developer contact and had soon made big money. Along with his rise in fortune, had been a change in lifestyle. Gone were the surfing and local building projects, replaced by nightlife and women. Lots of women. Among them had been Sarah — a solo mum five years older than him who’d soon let it be known she intended to marry him. He hadn’t resisted long.
Between Sarah and his stepdaughter and starting up his new businesses, he’d had little time for his mates. And now, with both the business and Sarah gone, he realised that, apart from irregular visits from his stepdaughter, he was quite alone.
Until now. He didn’t want to examine his unexpected re-connection with Jen too closely. It was new — or renewed — and still tender. But he instinctively felt it was tender in the way a strong shoot was — slender but binding — and would strengthen. Whatever it was, he thought, brushing the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, it felt damn good.
He heard running footsteps, which halted when they saw him. He turned to see Liam with an empty yoghurt carton in hand and a trowel. He was obviously on his way to the garden but had come to an abrupt halt when he saw Sam. He could see that Liam was on the verge of running away.
‘Hi Liam,’ he said, looking up to the gutter. The boy didn’t need him to make a fuss over him. He needed to know Sam would keep his distance. ‘You might want to step back because I’m about to pull this other old downpipe off.’ He wrenched it away slightly, and it made a crunching sound, swaying as it peeled off some ivy with it. He glanced behind him. It wouldn’t fall on anything but the grass.
‘Why?’ asked Liam. Curiosity obviously overcoming any nervousness at seeing Sam again. Maybe Jen had reassured her son about him. He liked that thought.
‘Because it’s not serving its purpose and could fall on top of someone.’
He glanced at Liam, who was staring up at the roof. Sam stepped back, folded his arms and looked up at the roof, too. He pointed. ‘See up there? That hole between the two gutters? That’s where the rain should flow from the gutter into the downpipe and then into the drain.’ He kicked the grass, which had almost choked the drain. ‘Which also needs a good clearing out.’
Liam hesitated, then walked up to the drain, peered in, glanced up at Sam, and kicked it like Sam had. Sam struggled to suppress a smile.
‘So that grass shouldn’t be growing there?’ asked Liam, scrunching up his eyes as he looked up at Sam.
‘No,’ said Sam.
‘Like weeds?’
‘Exactly like weeds. Plants growing in the wrong place.’
Liam and Sam stood side-by-side surveying the drain. ‘Grandma showed me how to weed the garden.’ He looked up at Sam. ‘I could weed it for you if you like.’
Sam was surprised but didn’t show it. ‘That would be a real help. Because then the water would have a proper place to go rather than making the lawn soggy.’
Liam ran off to the shed and returned two minutes later with a basket of weeding tools.
‘Ah, probably a bit too soon to do it now,’ said Sam. ‘I’ve got to pull this lot down first and get the pipe in place. But if you want to, you could help me with something else that needs doing.’
‘What’s that?’
‘There’s a load of supplies that have been delivered and dumped in the driveway out the front of the house. They need to be put into the wheelbarrow and brought around here.’ He pointed to a concrete base where there had once been a shed. ‘See there? They need to be piled up there, and then we can put a tarpaulin over them to keep them dry. Can you help with that?’
Liam looked up at him with wide eyes, as if he could hardly believe he was being entrusted with such a grown-up thing, and nodded.
‘Good. Let’s get the wheelbarrow out of the shed so we can make a start.’
Jen entered the kitchen and sniffed appreciatively at the smell of fresh baking.
‘Good morning, sleepyhead,’ said Kate with a grin. ‘Just as well you’re not working at the café today.’
‘I know,’ said Jen, pulling her ponytail tighter. ‘I don’t know whether it’s the jetlag or the sea air, but I keep sleeping in.’
‘That’s good. It’s exactly what you need after everything you’ve endured.’
Jen didn’t want to think about that, nor her dreams, and instead peered through the oven glass. ‘You’re baking. Um, scones.’
‘The least I could do for Sam is feed him well. Lucy says he’s at the café so often she doesn’t think he cooks for himself.’
Jen looked toward the window. ‘Sam’s here already?’
