Page 15 of In Hiding

“The kitchen is at the rear,” she instructed, staying behind to keep him firmly in her sight.

He stopped abruptly at the entrance to the kitchen and swore under his breath. She smiled at the wonder in his voice. Stepping beside him, she marveled at the foresight her grandmother had to install windows from wall to wall across the back of the house. The view from here was breathtaking most days of the year, but no more than when the entire countryside was under a blanket of snow.

It was hard to believe the kitchen had once stood as the entire structure. A single room hut that her great, great grandfather somehow knew was destined to become a great family home. These windows hadn’t existed back then. More the pity. Sarah had always been told he was an adventurer and highly skilled outdoorsman.

Jake crossed the room to stand at the kitchen sink, his head scanning from right to left. “We’re on a cliff.”

“Not quite,” she corrected, “but close enough.”

“The view is incredible. You could make picture postcards out of this.”

Her grandmother had done just that. “I wouldn’t be the first, Mr. Langley.”

His head turned and he met her eyes. The darkness of the brown in them made her breath catch. “Please, call me Jake.”

Unnerved by the effect he had on her, Sarah collected the kettle and filled it with water. “Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee, please.”

Setting the kettle on the stove, she lit a burner and busied herself spooning instant coffee into mugs and preparing a hot chocolate for Will.

“And you live here by yourself?”

“I have my son, Will.”

Jake hooked a thumb over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised in question. “The one with the axe?”

“I hope he didn’t frighten you too much.”

The job seeker laughed nervously. “It’s not every day one is greeted by someone wielding an axe.”

“Apologies,” Sarah offered, knowing full well her son had every intention of scaring the visitor. “He’s a bear with a sore head this morning. Tell me, Jake, what is your experience with home repairs?”

He rubbed his hands together. “There’s not a lot I haven’t done before, though it’s been a while since I swung a hammer. I used to work on building sites as an all-rounder. There’s not a lot I can’t do, though I’m not a qualified plumber. I suspect my electrician’s certificate may have run out, too. Hm.” He frowned. “I can arrange an update if required, but I assure you, I’m good at it. It was the first job I took up when I left the Army.”

His application hadn’t mentioned the military. “Where did you serve?”

“East Timor. I spent a lot of time in Dili, rebuilding homes. It was mostly peacekeeping.”

The lines creasing his forehead suggested otherwise. “That was a long time ago.”

“Yes,” he nodded.

“You must’ve been just a boy.”

His cheeks reddened, drawing her attention the jagged scar that ran down his right cheek. Did he get that in East Timor?

The kettle whistled and Sarah attended it, filling their mugs. She added a dash of milk to hers but Jake shook his head at the offer. To Will’s hot chocolate, she added more than a dash. The boy liked it milky.

“I notice you’re from Melbourne. Why come to Wills Crossing?”

He accepted the mug she held out. For a moment, worry burdened his features, before he took a deep breath. “To be honest, I need a fresh start.”

“Oh?” She lifted hers and Will’s mugs and led Jake out through the side door. She called down the hill to where the woodshed stood. It was only a second before the teen appeared, racing up the steep incline until he reached the steps. His sneakers hardly made a sound on the veranda as he joined them.

“Thanks, Mama.” Sweat dotted his brow and his cheeks held a rosy sheen. Evidence of his hard work.

“When you’re done with the chopping, you can refill the wood lockers.”

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