Page 36 of The Orchard at Rosevale
Emotion clogged Elora’s throat as she looked at these virtual strangers who had welcomed her tonight. If this was country hospitality, she was all for it.
CHAPTER
18
‘Hey, wait up,’ Elora said, breaking into a jog to keep up with Cruz, who powered away from the pub.
He didn’t stop, and continued heading towards his car.
‘Nice,’ she muttered, her short legs no match for his, and by the time she reached the car, he had the passenger door open and the engine running. ‘What’s gotten into you?’ she asked, as she slid onto the passenger seat and closed the door. She’d barely buckled up before he took off like he had demons hounding him.
‘Sorry, but I saw one of Dad’s old mates, Roger, making a bee-line for me and the last thing I felt like doing was stand around making small talk about Dad and pretending he was a good bloke.’ Cruz gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles stood out. ‘Roger lives near the pub. There were nights when Dad was so drunk he wouldn’t come home, so good old Rog would let him bunk at his place.’
At the risk of incurring his wrath, she said, ‘He sounds like a good friend. Wanting to say hello to the son of the best mate he lost isn’t unreasonable.’
He grunted as he turned onto the highway. ‘Whose side are you on anyway?’
‘Merely making an observation.’
‘Well, here’s another observation for you. For the remainder of your time here, I’m steering clear of the pub and I’m going to cook sample dishes for the restaurant and you’re going to be my taste tester.’
‘For real? You’re definitely doing it?’
‘Yeah.’
He shot her a sideways glance as he indicated and pulled into the farm’s main gates, the headlights highlighting the giant avocado that resembled a wonky lollipop, and the peeling paint of the sign attached beneath it. She’d forgotten to mention it needed replacing. First impressions count and to attract business, Cruz had to present the farm as modern and successful.
‘I never got to thank you for the idea. That’s what I wanted to say earlier today when I found you flirting with Kyle.’
‘Jealous?’
‘As if.’ He snorted. ‘But seriously, El, I’ve been so caught up in my misery of being stuck here for the next year that I probably never would’ve thought of opening a restaurant.’ He pulled up outside the homestead and killed the engine before turning to face her. ‘You’ve given me some sense of normality in a world turned topsy-turvy, and I can’t thank you enough for that.’
Two sensor lights turned on as they parked, illuminating his face in a golden glow, his genuine smile doing weird things to Elora’s heart. She didn’t want to feel anything for this man beyond attraction, but the hurt caused by his father tugged at her on a visceral level.
She empathised. But in her case, her parents had hurt her regularly without realising. She’d learned about narcissists during her marketing degree, how pandering to them increased their sense of self-importance, and while her parents had never been mean, they’d been so self-absorbed they’d been clueless to her pain.
‘You’re welcome,’ she said, her voice a tad high. She cleared her throat. ‘I know you’re going to kill it with your restaurant.’
‘I might need someone to promote it,’ he said, arching a brow, and she resisted the urge to punch the air. As she hoped, he’d offered her the job to promote the restaurant, meaning her finances would recover. But someone else needed help too and he’d given her the perfect opportunity.
‘I assume you’ll need a hostess or waitress for the restaurant?’
He nodded. ‘You applying?’
She shook her head. ‘Bindi needs a job, and I got the impression it’s urgent.’
‘Kyle didn’t mention it and he’d know, what with his obsession.’
‘You noticed?’
They chuckled.
‘I think the only person who didn’t notice is Bindi, unless she did and doesn’t want to encourage him,’ she said. ‘Sounds like they’ve been friends for a long time.’
‘Bindi moved away so they probably lost touch, like I did with the gang.’ He looked away, focussing on the homestead. ‘The way they welcomed me tonight … I never expected it.’
‘Why? You’re an okay bloke when you lighten up.’
