Meant To Be Read online

  ‘And I love the name,’ he said, deflecting the conversation away from him. ‘The Button Jar. It’s perfect. That would give you leeway to stock whatever you wanted to. Aren’t you clever?’ he said, leaning over and kissing her.

  ‘And it’ll be a tribute to Gran,’ Emily declared, the idea dawning on her. ‘It’s thanks to her wisdom that I’m here, like this, now. I know some of her clichéd quotes seem quite silly – even irrelevant – but some are actually quite profound.’

  ‘I think it’s a lovely idea,’ Jake said, kissing her again. And I know she would be very proud of you.’

  While Gran had never directly said, ‘you should do this’ or ‘do that’, Emily was seeing more and more that the old lady had gradually been setting her up to deal with the hard knocks in life. If only

  she’d had the courage to leave John when Gran was still alive. Then she’d have known her granddaughter would be okay. But it was the way it was meant to be. Perhaps Gran had known she’d be okay because she’d been carefully and surreptitiously steering her right.

  Unlike her own mother. Shouldn’t that have been Enid’s job? Emily almost snorted aloud. From the age of around ten, Emily had realised that no matter what she did she would never gain her mother’s acceptance or approval. But despite knowing this, she’d continued to try.

  She’d married the richest, apparently best catch in the district, despite reservations – yes, she could admit that now. She’d stayed at home and played wife, thrown the occasional elaborate lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner party. But every time Enid would find fault. And Enid was always invited, because if she wasn’t she would sulk and subject Emily to the silent treatment and whatever other emotional blackmail tactic she could use. It was easier just to invite her and for Emily to accept she wouldn’t be nearly as free to enjoy herself as if she were just amongst friends.

  There would be that slight edge to her mother’s compliment, ‘Yes, Emily, it was a very nice meal,’ that really meant, ‘but not as nice as one of mine.’ And that was a spoken example. There had been plenty of down-the-nose looks over the years too.

  Thank goodness her father was completely different. Whilst he didn’t gush the words, Emily knew he adored her, no matter what mistakes she made in life. The bottom line was he just wanted her to be happy.

  ‘Are you okay? You’re suddenly very quiet?’ Jake asked.

  ‘I’m fine. Just thinking about stuff.’

  Chapter Nine

  During lunch, Emily’s phone rang and Barbara’s name was on the screen.

  ‘Hey, what’s up?’

  ‘I totally forgot to tell you. About tomorrow. Are you okay to feed the guys? Sorry about the short notice.’

  ‘God, did you do all the catering in time to pick me up at eight yesterday? Jesus, how did you manage to do a whole day shopping, including all the driving, and not collapse? Are you Wonder Woman or something? You should have asked me to help.’

  ‘What, and ruin the surprise? Not bloody likely!’

  ‘Well, thank you so much. I owe you big time.’

  ‘I’ll remember that,’ Barbara said with a laugh. ‘We couldn’t have your reputation for fine food tarnished. You know Steve and Grant only agreed to do the work because they’ve heard shearers rave about your catering.’

  ‘Oh ha ha, Barbara. You’re hilarious, but I’ll take a compliment any way I can get it.’

  ‘Hey, I’m not lying. You ask David next time you see him. They don’t say a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach for nothing, you know.’

  ‘So, now I have to live up to your even higher standards tomorrow? Please don’t tell me you served them homemade Kitchener buns or anything too elaborate,’ Emily said with a groan.

  ‘Damn, wish I’d thought of that,’ Barbara said, and laughed. ‘No, I just did chicken and salad sandwiches and apple teacake for morning tea, and meatloaf and salad and stewed nectarines with cream for lunch. Actually, you’d better check your ice-cream supply. David mentioned they had that as well.’

  ‘Okay, thanks. Sounds like I’ll be doing a big shop this afternoon now anyway. What did you give them for afternoon tea? I don’t want to serve anything the same and blemish this reputation I supposedly have,’ Emily said.

  ‘Carrot cake, and ham, cheese and mustard sandwiches for the non-sweet tooths. You know, every time I do this sort of catering, like for shearing, I can’t get over how much food they put away. All David brought home was empty dishes.’

  ‘Well, Grace probably demanded her share as well.’

  ‘Probably. So I hereby hand catering duties over to you,’ Barbara said. ‘I look forward to wonderful reports tomorrow night from David.’

  ‘No pressure! Let’s hope there’s still some fresh fruit and veg left in town. And seriously, thanks again. For everything.’

  ‘My pleasure. I actually really enjoyed it. It took my mind off… you know.’

  ‘You’re going to be fine, you know. Hey, why don’t come down and cook with me this afternoon and/or tomorrow if you want,’ Emily said. She loved it when the two of them cooked together.

  ‘Not a chance! I’m on strike. I’ve even got David cooking tea tonight.’

  Emily laughed. ‘Fair enough. I’ll let you go. Someone has a menu to go off and plan!’

  ‘Good luck.’

  ‘Thanks. See ya.’

  ‘See ya.’

  ‘Looks like my afternoon is spoken for,’ Emily said to Jake as she put the phone back on the table. ‘I’m going to be cooking for you guys tomorrow.’

  ‘Do you want some help?’

  ‘Thanks, but I’ll be fine. It’s not hard, just takes time. But first I’ve got to go and do a big supermarket shop. Thank goodness they’re opening to take advantage of everyone being in town for the big Australia Day breakfast and award ceremony.’

  ‘Oh, how come we’re not going?’

  ‘Um. Sorry. I didn’t want to go, but I should have mentioned it. I used to go with John, but he always drank so much, and…’

  ‘It’s okay. It doesn’t matter, Em,’ he said, touching her arm. ‘The different shopping hours are something I still have to get my head around,’ he continued, changing the subject. ‘Most things in Melbourne tend to be open all day every day – including public holidays. So, do I get to come with you to the zoo, I mean, Wattle Creek?’ he said with a cheeky grin.

  ‘If you’re very, very good,’ Emily said, laughing. Although he’d been staying with her for more than three weeks, they still hadn’t been into town together. ‘I’m sure you’ll be spending a lot of time there over the next few months if we go ahead.’

  ‘Yes, I’ll need to know all the movers and shakers.’

  ‘Well, start with Doris at Mitre 10 – she knows everyone who’s anyone in the building trade. Her cousin, Will, owns the place. You’ll like him.’

  ‘Duly noted,’ he said, tapping his head. ‘So, do you want to head off now?’

  ‘No rush. I need to plan a menu first, and write a list. And I wouldn’t mind going over this a bit more, unless you’ve had enough for today,’ Emily said.

  ‘Never! It’ll be great to nail down some details and get the plans drafted,’ he said, clearly excited.

  Emily found planning her menu easy – she had a few tried-and-tested favourites, which thankfully, Barbara hadn’t served. While she wrote a comprehensive shopping list, Jake tinkered with the rough floor plan of the cottage – not that anything Jake did was rough – and looked over the figures. Emily couldn’t believe how straight he could draw freehand.

  ‘Years of practice,’ he said when she commented.

  ‘Right,’ she said. ‘Tell me if you think this menu is okay, and if there’s anything you want to add.’ She handed him her pieces of paper.

  ‘Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. And yum,’ he said, making his way down the page and putting a tick next to each item. ‘Looks wonderful.’

  ‘And the shopping list?’

  ‘Actually, I know it’s naughty, but I
’d love some barbeque chips.’

  ‘Craving salty foods.’ She lifted an eyebrow. ‘Isn’t that one of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue?’ After he’d told her about his condition, she’d got on Google one day while he’d been out with David. Thank goodness he hadn’t shown any signs of another symptom – loss of sexual appetite.

  ‘It could just be that I like them and haven’t had them for ages. Can I have some, please, can I? Pleeeease!’ He pretended to whine like a child.

  ‘Oh, ha ha,’ Emily said, slapping playfully at his arm. ‘Of course you can, my love,’ she cooed, and leaned over to kiss him.

  ‘Don’t start that or else we’ll never get to town,’ Jake groaned, and pulled away reluctantly. ‘And I want to show you what I’ve come up with.’

  They agreed the design should be as versatile as possible so that the building could cope with multiple uses. The original cottage had consisted of just two main rooms divided by a central hallway that opened onto a lean-to style extension housing a simple kitchen with a small bathroom off it. They were keeping the basic design, but modernising and enlarging it.

  Instead of just a bullnose verandah on the front like the original cottage, they were planning to go right around, incorporating an outdoor living area beyond the kitchen. But, of course, it all depended on how the budget looked down the track.

  Their finalised plan showed four large square rooms with a central hall. At the back there was a sizeable open-plan kitchen and living area, a laundry, two bathrooms, and a powder room. One of the bathrooms opened into one of the main rooms, which could be used as a master bedroom with ensuite if the building ever became a B&B or permanent residence. Emily was pleased to note that Jake had factored in wheelchair access.

  If she went ahead with the art gallery idea, the separate powder room would accommodate visitors and the full-sized kitchen would be ideal for any functions they might have. The four rooms at the front would have high ceilings with large walls for hanging art, and plenty of floor space for displaying sculptural pieces or whatever else she chose to sell.

  ‘I’m not sure about polished concrete floors – I had floorboards in mind.’

  ‘Trust me, they’ll look amazing – not at all drab like those in the winery we were in the other week. Ours will sparkle. And be warm. You’d be surprised how efficient underfloor heating is.’

  ‘Oh, I thought we’d have a wood heater or two.’ Emily’s heart sank. She wanted the place to be classy, but also to have a country hominess about it – even if it was a business.

  ‘Trust me, the novelty of real flames will wear off pretty quickly – it’s very labour intensive. And you’d be surprised how much more dust you’ll end up with – not something you want around paintings. Gas log fires in each room will give a nice ambience and extra heating when it’s really cold, and be labour-free. Also, gas is much cheaper than electricity.’

  ‘Are you sure, when you’ll have big gas bottles to deal with?’

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘Gas doesn’t come by pipe or cable out here like water or electricity – you have to cart large bottles back and forth. Or have it delivered. I’m not sure how much it costs.’

  ‘Oh. I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t think it’ll be a problem. And I’m sure it’ll still be cheaper. We definitely want gas for the kitchen.’

  ‘I’ll have to take your word on that too – I’ve only ever had electricity. Though, I have heard that gas is what serious cooks prefer.’

  ‘It’s still a much better option than dealing with wood and ash for heating. I think electric hot water, especially if we’re going to have to do gas in bottles. Trust me, Em, I know what I’m doing,’ he added, clearly noticing her concern.

  ‘Okay. I know. I’m sorry. I’ll try not to question you so much. It’s just that it’s all so new to me. I only want to be sure.’

  ‘It’s okay. And it’s okay to question. You’re spending a lot of money – you need to be sure, and happy. But, remember, it’s a joint project. I’m going to be using this to advertise my business – anything less than great will not be good enough.’

  Emily relaxed. She would let herself trust him. He had years of experience and she had zero. And, God, he was sexy when he was in business mode and all commanding!

  Jake explained that with careful thought to positioning and with thick walls, plenty of insulation in the ceiling, and well-fitted doors and windows, the cottage wouldn’t need air-conditioning at all. It could always be added later if needed.

  ‘What about double glazing?’ Emily asked.

  ‘Easy enough to get a basic costing. Or we could go double laminate glass instead of the standard. I’ll look into it,’ he said, making a note. ‘Now, lights. I’m thinking down lights.’

  ‘As in, those little disks set into the ceiling?’

  ‘Yes. What do you think?’

  ‘They’re very modern looking.’

  ‘And perfect for an art gallery. You want nice clean lines and unobtrusive views for art. If you go with pendants, they’ll have to be really plain so they don’t distract from the art, anyway. And with down lights you can change the direction to highlight pieces better and avoid shadows.’

  ‘Hmm, fair enough, I guess.’

  ‘Honestly, it’s what all the galleries do.’

  ‘Well, if I’m not allowed to have a central light in each room, I’m going to have a dirty great crystal chandelier inside the front door,’ she said with a harrumph, and folded her arms in mock defiance.

  Jake laughed. ‘That was actually going to be my next suggestion,’ he said. Emily felt a new burst of warmth flood through her at the thought that they weren’t too far out of synch with their ideas. And if they ever were, he’d steer her right. She just had to have more faith.

  They chose a classic look, with a neutral colour scheme for the bathrooms, powder room, and kitchen. They both agreed that it was best to limit the use of bold colour to accents and objects that could be changed easily and relatively inexpensively.

  It had all yet to be costed, so they ran two lists: Must Have and Wish List items. For instance, Emily wanted floor-to-ceiling tiles right throughout the bathrooms and toilet, but not if it meant she had to have an ordinary vanity and basin.

  She was very impressed at how much Jake knew about pricing and what was out there. She said she thought architects just did the design and plans, but he explained that he was a lot more hands-on than most architects. He also had some great contacts that would help to keep costs down and give good advice.

  ‘But we’ll try to source as much as we can locally,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to go upsetting the local businesses.’

  ‘Good idea. But we’ll have to allow plenty in the budget for freight.’

  It wasn’t that she thought Jake would forget anything, but she wanted to make sure they had as many costs factored in as possible, so as to avoid getting bitten down the track. Country people were at a considerable disadvantage compared to those living in the city with freight adding significantly to the cost of almost everything.

  They had now finalised the hand-drawn plan and were ready to get the big, proper plans drawn up. They also had enough of an idea about the quality of the fit-out and a comprehensive list of what they would need in order to get a quantity surveyor involved. Emily had never heard of such a person, but Jake assured her it was the best way to go. Apparently the woman he worked with would be able to come up with a pretty accurate costing, even at this early stage. Emily didn’t see how someone in Melbourne could cost something for Wattle Creek, given the extra freight involved and not knowing what was stocked locally, but, again, she had to trust Jake. She knew diddly-squat about any of this stuff.

  Once the plans were done, Emily could put in a building application with council. They didn’t anticipate any problems. Being out on a farm there were no neighbours to be concerned about overshadowing. Development approvals on farms tended to be just exercises in rubber-stamping, if there was an application
put in at all.

  ‘God, in Melbourne, planning and building approval can take years, depending on which council you’re dealing with,’ Jake said.

  With such a huge area, geographically, to police, there was no way the council would have the resources to check that all the sheds and outbuildings that popped up on farms had building approval. And no farmer would ever dob in another farmer. It just wasn’t done; the whole place worked on a what-goes-around-comes-around philosophy.

  Emily had asked David about council regulations when they had first discussed moving the hayshed and had been told they should just let sleeping dogs lie. He was pretty sure John wouldn’t have bothered with the mere formality of gaining approval in the first place. Oh well, if it came back to haunt her, she’d worry about it then.

  Chapter Ten

  After an hour or so of discussion, they sat back in their chairs, satisfied with their progress. They’d now go and do the shopping and then Emily would cook while Jake hunkered down in the office to start the ball rolling on the next phase. Emily was feeling very excited and positive about it all. What a great day!

  Suddenly they were startled by a brief knock followed by the hiss of the glass door sliding open. Emily and Jake exchanged quizzical expressions.

  ‘I’ll get it,’ Jake said, getting up.

  Emily hoped it might be Barbara, despite her friend making no mention of a visit. In all her excitement, she’d forgotten to tell her about the cottage – she’d got sidetracked by the food. She looked forward to getting her friend’s input. But she was going to have to stop referring to it as a cottage – the place was really quite big.

  Emily’s smile faded when she heard her mother’s voice. Part of her started emotionally searching for somewhere to hide. Fight-or-flight response. The feeling Jake had been living with almost constantly, thanks to his adrenal fatigue.

  ‘Hello Enid. Hello there Des,’ Jake said.