The Sunshine Potluck Society, page 3
Debbie set her cocktail back on the table and leaned forward. “I’ll tell him, thanks. But I don’t know that he’ll hear me.”
“What do you mean?” Joanna asked.
Debbie smoothed her glossy grey bob with one hand. “He doesn’t seem to listen these days. Every time I speak to him, all I get in response is a grunt or nothing at all. He’s so focused on his phone or the television. He works all the time. I feel like we’re drifting apart, but the more I try to get his attention and pull us back together, the worse it becomes. It’s like being a teenager the popular boy doesn’t notice all over again. I never thought I’d be back here.”
In high school, Debbie had been tall and skinny with knobby knees. She hadn’t gotten much attention from boys. But as soon as she graduated college, things had changed. She dressed in glamorous outfits and got her hair done at the salon. She had her nails painted and always wore perfectly applied makeup. And she’d managed to attract the attention of the very dapper and extremely successful Caleb Holmes. Caleb came from a wealthy family and was a barrister, like Debbie. When she’d started her own small firm, he’d taken on a role as partner in his family’s prestigious corporate law firm. They’d both prioritised their careers, and both had done very well.
They’d fallen in love hard and fast when she was twenty-seven and he was twenty-nine years old. His family had approved of the match. Her family loved him like a son. It was the perfect relationship. They enjoyed the same things, skiing and rock climbing, photography and playing the stock market. And neither one of them had much of an interest in children. They seemed like the perfect match.
But then it turned out that they never had time for skiing or rock climbing. Even though Debbie still loved photography, Caleb had lost interest. And instead of spending time together, he’d taken up golf, something Debbie hated. She was far too uncoordinated to hit straight down the green, and they always ended up in a terrible mood when she played.
“Is that normal?” Debbie asked. “Do you think it’s how marriage goes? Are my expectations too high?”
“I think it can be normal,” Gwen replied.
“But it doesn’t have to be,” Joanna said. “Ron and I were always close. But we worked hard at it. It doesn’t happen without some effort. We had to choose to spend time together and love each other every day.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Debbie said, feeling even more hopeless. “I’ve tried to get his attention—I’ve suggested outings together. I sent him an article about regular date nights. I’ve invited him to this brunch every month. But nothing seems to help.”
“It’s hard to keep the intimacy going in a marriage. Especially when you’re busy. You’ve got the business; he has his family’s firm. There’s a lot going on,” Gwen said in a soothing tone. “Don’t be too hard on each other.”
“I’m trying not to be. But I’m worried,” Debbie replied. “What if he doesn’t want to fix this gap between us? Is this it? This is how my life and my marriage will be from now on?” The thought made her throat tight.
“I wish I had the answer,” Gwen replied with a frown. “I don’t know how to get Duncan’s attention either. And he always takes me for granted. I’m sure I’ve done it to myself. I’ve tried so hard to be the perfect homemaker and mother, that it’s all the family expects of me. I have to discover Duncan’s stinky gym clothes in his bag, since he never actually puts them in the hamper. Usually they’re in the back of his car or shoved under the side of the bed.”
“Really?” Joanna asked and rolled her eyes.
Gwen sighed. “Yesterday, I went looking for them and found the bag. It had his business shirt and pants in it, instead of the usual dirty workout gear, which was strange. He generally showers and changes at the gym. So, I sniffed them to see if they were dirty—maybe he’d forgotten to take his regular gym clothes. They smelled like a perfume of some kind, but not one I own.” She paused and looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. “That’s bad, isn’t it?”
Debbie’s heart ached for her friend. “It might be nothing, honey. Don’t read too much into it.”
“She’s right,” Joanna agreed. “Give him a chance to explain. Maybe they were handing out samples at the mall. Or perhaps he hugged a coworker.”
“I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Gwen replied.
But the atmosphere had changed. They were all thinking it. Was Duncan having an affair? After all these years together, decades of her raising their four children, now caring for their grandchildren, helping build his business and their dream home. Would he do that to Gwen?
Chapter Six
After dessert, the group moved to the sunroom at the back of the house by the swimming pool for coffee. Joanna was feeling sore but had taken some pain relief earlier, and it seemed to be helping. She was pleased with how the brunch had gone.
Gwen had brought decorations and homemade churros with chocolate sauce. As usual, Debbie had photographed everything and brought a package of baked goodies from her local bakery. And the entire thing had been topped off with the arrival of her favourite grandson (she knew she shouldn’t have a favourite but couldn’t help herself).
Aaron had gone for a nap. He said he hadn’t been sleeping well lately. She was grateful that she always kept the guest room made up in case of visitors. He was napping while she and her friends enjoyed the air-conditioning and looked out over her thriving garden and sparkling pool. They’d had plenty of rain lately, and she loved to get out in the garden and work on her flower beds. It was hard to ignore the anxiety that open spaces sometimes gave her, but she felt it was important for her to do what she could to challenge herself in that area.
“I wanted to talk to you ladies about something,” she said.
Emily joined them and was filling a cup with tea from a floral teapot. She smiled and gave a nod to Joanna. She was as excited as Joanna was about their pet project.
“What is it?” Debbie asked.
“I didn’t tell you, but I submitted an idea to my publisher. I pitched a cookbook about our monthly brunch called The Sunshine Potluck Society Cookbook. And they want to buy it!”
Debbie laughed with delight and clapped her hands together.
Gwen blinked. “Really? They’re going to publish a book about us?”
“That’s right,” Joanna replied. “The book will include all our recipes from our themed potlucks. And will feature photographs of our gatherings. Your decor, Gwen, and your photography, Debbie. They said we could include written commentary by all of us. Anecdotes, stories, whatever we like.”
“Isn’t it amazing?” Emily asked.
Gwen hurried to embrace Joanna, and then Emily, then Debbie. Soon they were all laughing and hugging.
“I can’t believe it,” Debbie said. “I’ve never published a book before.”
“Me neither,” Gwen said.
“Same,” Emily added. “It’s old hat for Jo, but not for the rest of us.”
“I still get a thrill every time,” Joanna replied. “And this time, I get to share it with all of my friends, so I’m even more excited than usual. Besides, I think the book will look spectacular. And the concept is really interesting. My editor loved it.”
“When will all this happen?” Debbie asked as she resumed her seat.
“We need to finalise the content by the end of March, and then it will be done with editing in July and released in November. So, it’ll be nine months from now before we see it in print.”
“Wow, it takes a while. Kind of like growing a baby,” Gwen replied.
“Yes! That’s the publishing process. And in fact, that’s actually quite quick,” Joanna said. “I’m sure the time will fly. And we’ve got a lot to get done by the end of the month. It will keep us busy.”
“You’re right,” Emily said, suddenly looking anxious. “How will we get it all done?”
“We’ll work together,” Debbie said with a quick nod of her head. “We’re intelligent, capable women. I’m sure we can manage.”
Chapter Seven
Emily slipped a pair of headphones on, tied her hair into a ponytail and got to work cleaning up. The monthly brunch was over. Gwen and Debbie had gone home. Joanna was resting. She looked exhausted after all that cooking, and there was a gigantic bruise down the back of her thighs where she’d fallen.
Emily had given Joanna some more medicine then helped her into bed. Now she was working on cleaning up the mess they’d made. The kitchen looked as though a bomb had gone off. There were bowls and pans stacked up in the sink and dirty dishes piled around it. The ladies had helped wash the initial load of dishes and put away the remnants of the meal that’d been brought out of the dining room before they left. But there was still a lot to be done.
They’d sealed the leftovers into small containers and found room for them in the refrigerator. Gwen and Debbie had taken some home. The rest would be perfect for lunches over the next few days. Especially since she had to go out tomorrow. Her sister was going through chemotherapy, and Emily liked to visit and help out around the house. Especially since Wanda had two small children and got tired easily with her treatments.
Brian, her boyfriend, was gone. Their mother had moved to northern QLD as soon as Emily graduated, so it was mostly left to Emily to support Wanda. And even though it was hard, she liked taking care of people. It was why she’d gravitated towards the job with Joanna. Something about looking after and nurturing others gave her joy. She was exhausted at the end of a long day, but she felt good about what she’d achieved. And when she had to clean up, like today, she could put on her headphones, pump up the music and revel in the satisfaction of cleaning surfaces, plumping cushions and tidying rooms.
The one person she couldn’t stop thinking about was Aaron. What would it be like to live with a man? She’d never done it. She’d lived with her brother, Tristan, until he was eighteen, when he’d moved out to attend university. But she’d never lived with a man. Her father had left when she was five years old; she barely remembered him being in the house with them.
Now Aaron had moved in. For how long? She didn’t know. She’d overheard he and Joanna talking about him staying until he got on his feet. But how long did something like that take? It seemed he’d left the military—honourable discharge, he’d said. So, what would he do now?
He was in the room next to hers. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Surely it would be fine. No doubt he’d get a job and she’d hardly see him. Still, it felt strange to know he was there, behind his bedroom door. After all this time, he was a stranger to her and yet also felt familiar. She glanced at the doorway and imagined him in there. Then she shook her head and hurried to find the vacuum cleaner in the hall closet.
With the vacuum running, she had to amp up the volume of the music so she could hear it. She preferred upbeat songs. Something that would help give her the energy she needed to get through the afternoon’s work. She bopped and swayed as one of her favourites came on. Then she shut her eyes and held up the end of the vacuum like a microphone. She was a famous singer on stage, and the crowd was going wild as she reached for the high note.
What if Aaron expected her to be his carer as well? She took care of Joanna, but would he want the same treatment? He was a grown man. Surely he wouldn’t need that. But maybe Joanna would want her to cook for him, do his laundry, clean up after him the same way she did for Joanna. It would be strange, although it wouldn’t add a lot to her workload. Her job was fairly easy, and she was paid well for it. She didn’t mind the extra work. Only, it would be awkward to take care of Aaron, with the history they’d shared.
Not that he seemed to remember any of it.
She sighed and vacuumed up a few corn kernels that someone had dropped on the dining room carpet.
He was sleeping a lot. He’d said he was taking a nap about two hours ago and hadn’t come out of his room yet. Would he sleep this much every day?
She should ignore him. He wasn’t going to disrupt her life. She wouldn’t let him. She had a good life. She loved her job. Joanna was good to her and gave her flexibility to help her sister whenever she needed. She had a group of friends she’d known since high school. She had everything going for her. Aaron Gilston being back in town would make no difference to her whatsoever.
She turned towards the dining table and worked on a stubborn set of corn kernels. Those little things had managed to tumble all over the place. There were some stuck behind the door. She closed the door most of the way to get to them. Then she moved around the door, opening it again and backing out into the hallway.
When she turned around to march towards the kitchen, she ran smack-dab into a strong, wet and very naked chest.
Emily’s cheek was pressed to Aaron’s chest. She dropped the vacuum cleaner nozzle and grabbed hold of him with both hands to steady herself. She’d been moving quickly, dancing and hurrying with her headphones blocking out all other sounds. She hadn’t noticed him leave the bedroom. He wore a beach towel wrapped around his waist, and somehow his arms had found their way around her.
It felt good. Too good. Her face flushed with warmth, and she took a step back, then wiped the pool water from her cheek.
When she removed her headphones, she heard him laughing quietly. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t hear you or see you. I was vacuuming and had the music turned up loud…”
“I can see that.” His eyes twinkled. “I thought I’d take a swim. It’s such a beautiful day. And I couldn’t wake up after my nap. You must think I’m such a grandpa, taking a nap in the middle of the day. But honestly, I haven’t had much sleep lately. It’s been a rough few months.”
“No, it’s fine. I like naps myself. Well, not usually because I hate that groggy feeling that you have afterwards, like you’re living in a dream world or something. But I like the idea of naps.” She was babbling. He made her nervous.
He smiled at her as he wiped the dripping water from his forehead with the end of his towel. It came unravelled and revealed his blue and green board shorts slung low around his toned hips. She quickly looked away. He’d really worked out since the last time she’d seen him in a swimsuit. Like, a lot.
“Hey, I was wondering… Can you tell me where the laundry is in this place? I need to wash a few things.”
She busied herself unplugging the vacuum to move it. “Oh, you can put your clothes in the hamper in the laundry room. I usually do a load in the mornings.”
He hesitated. “I didn’t mean for you to do it. I’m going to wash my clothes. You work for Granny, not for me.”
Good to know. “Are you sure? I don’t mind.”
“That would be way over the line. I don’t want to cause any trouble for you or Granny. I don’t know how long I’ll be here, but I promise not to add to your workload. Besides, I’ve been taking care of myself for eight years. I don’t know how to do it any other way.”
She nodded. “Fair enough. The laundry room is through the garage by the pool. The clothesline is behind the garage.”
He waved goodbye and headed to his bedroom. Emily watched him go, her heart thudding in her ribcage. At least he’d answered her unspoken question—he didn’t expect her to take care of him. That was a relief. No awkward dirty underwear to deal with. Hopefully he’d manage his own dirty dishes and crumbs in his bedroom as well. But even with that conversation taken care of, no matter what she told herself, having him here changed everything. And it was ridiculous for her to pretend otherwise.
Chapter Eight
Debbie set the phone back in its cradle and tidied the tray filled with scattered pieces of paper on the end of her desk. She hated an untidy desk. But lately, things had been so hectic that her office was in complete disarray. She straightened the blotter and her line of pens, along with her laptop and calendar. That was better. She’d have to deal with the stacks of file boxes in the corner later. Or maybe she’d get Evelyne onto them.
“Evelyne,” she said over the intercom.
“Yes, Debbie?”
“Do you think you’d have time to take these files back to the file room for me?”
“No problem at all. Also, Phil wants to see you. Should I send him in, or do you want him to make an appointment?”
“Thanks, Ev. You can send him in now.”
She was going through her inbox when Phil came into her office and shut the door behind him. He was balding, and his hair was shaved short. He wore a suit and tie, but the tie hung slightly loose and crooked against his white shirt.
“Good morning, Phil. How are you today?”
He sat in the large plush leather chair opposite her dark hardwood timber desk. “I’m doing okay. How about you?”
“Great, thanks.”
“How was the conference?”
“I made some contacts. Good chance to network. All in all, I think it was worthwhile. How was the office?”
He shrugged. “No one can remember to put their coffee cups in the dishwasher. But other than that, it was fine.”
She hid a smile behind her hand. “I’m sure you’ll sort that out in no time.”
“We’ve got a leadership team meeting in ten. I thought I’d update you before that gets started.”
“I appreciate that, Phil. You’re always so thoughtful.”
She did appreciate him. He was an efficient and hard worker. Very focused and dedicated to his job. Sometimes a little too focused. But she also knew him well enough to realise that he had an agenda. He wanted to get her onside over some kind of political situation in the office.
“You know that Stuart and Renee have been working on the Harding case for six months. And now that they’re on the home stretch, Greg is trying to horn in on the action and be part of the team when it’s clear they’re going to win. He wants to argue the case in court, even though they’re the ones who’ve pulled the entire case together.”
