Alice stepped back, putting enough space between herself and Dean that he could no longer reach her.
She didn’t want to be tangled up in this love triangle the town would soon be talking about, nor did she want her son to hear gossip about his mum. If most of Hinterdown seemed to know about Dean and Lana in less than half an hour, how long until everyone found out about Alice and Dean?
‘Does Lana know about me?’ she asked.
He hesitated. ‘I didn’t mention you by name.’
The very private moment Alice had instigated in the storeroom had led to something bigger than she had the capacity for at the moment. She hadn’t expected to fall in love with her boss, and she hadn’t expected to be the next town headline.
This was all too much.
She thought about giving this job away and working harder at the other, safer one, but immediately pushed that idea aside. Her other job kept her away from Ben, and left him to take care of himself for hours each night. If any job was going, it was that one. She needed this job, its hours and its proximity to the school. So whatever the cost, she would make this work.
The obvious solution was to keep away from Dean Foster.
Alice lifted her chin and pushed her hair back from her face. ‘Please don’t do that again,’ she said, referring to the kiss. ‘I don’t want to be involved in all of this; I don’t want all the drama. We tried it, but the timing’s off. Please, let’s just forget it.’
Head down, she left through the garage door, not waiting for his response.
Dean spent the rest of the afternoon away from the reception area of Foster’s Garage. He helped Ethan finish the new window, sanded and painted the frame, and stopped himself from looking towards the door every time he thought about Alice. He was so absorbed in his feelings of disappointment and irritation that he was only made aware of the time when the kids charged into the garage. Ro and Neenz went to Ethan, who was washing paint brushes in the corner sink, and Ben joined Dean by the window.
‘Hey, champ. How was school?’
‘Okay. Can I help?’
Dean glanced down at the sponge in his hands. ‘I’m not doing car stuff this arvo, sorry.’
‘That’s okay. I can do this.’
Dean laughed. ‘Actually, I’m about done. Marty might still be going with his tune-up if you want to check that out. Regular sedan, but you might learn something.’
‘I want to do what you’re doing.’
‘You’re going to need to start leaving some work clothes here, kiddo.’
Ben’s eyes widened. ‘Could I?’
Dean glanced at the door that separated him from the woman on his mind, then aimed a significant look at Ben. ‘We’ll have to see what your mum says.’
Undeterred, Ben nodded. He looked over at Ethan and Rowan, side by side at the sink, and his expression became serious. ‘Do you think when we grow up we’ll be like you guys?’
Dean deciphered this, then clarified, ‘You and Ro like me and Ethan?’
‘Yeah. He could do the wood and I could do the cars and we could be like brothers.’
Dean swallowed. From where he was standing – on the concrete his grandfather had worked on, in front of a window that signified a new beginning – it was a lovely picture to imagine. One that might happen, if Alice and Ben stuck around.
‘And if I was here,’ Ben continued, ‘and Rowan was there,’ he pointed over his shoulder in the direction of Ethan’s workshop, ‘then Neenz would only have to send postcards to one address.’
Dean wiped a smudge of paint off the wall. ‘Postcards?’
‘From Paris. She saw a movie today and she’s going.’
Dean nodded. ‘Cool. What movie?’
‘Dunno. Lay something.’
‘Lay something?’
‘She keeps saying lay.’
Dean laughed and shook his head. He turned when Cal and Liv shouted greetings from behind him. Ethan had called them to let them know he and Dean were about to do the big unveiling, and Cal had been happy to leave Rosie in charge at the pub so they could come down to watch. Sam was working at the yard and couldn’t get away, but had asked to be called when it was happening.
To those not in the know, it probably seemed a silly thing to gather for, but Dean’s nearest and dearest knew this was a milestone. The Foster brothers were making this place their own, and in doing so, putting the past behind them.
They paused to say hi to Alice, who had just stepped out of the office, then walked over to where Ethan and the kids were drying paintbrushes on old towels.
Dean hadn’t seen Alice since she’d left him confused and alone in the reception area – the sight of her did dramatic things to his body.
Denial and impatience reigned in his bloodstream. She was wrong about so many things – about his wanting Lana, about the timing being off for them. She was probably right about the drama, but that was the cost of getting involved with someone within this community. Yet if now wasn’t the right time for them to try, when was?
He was done waiting. He’d been out of action, disengaged and unaffected by a single woman since Bree had passed away, yet Alice had changed all of that simply by walking into his garage.
He wasn’t kidding himself that being with her would fix everything, and he wasn’t pretending that he had all the answers, but instinct told him that she was supposed to be in his life. Without having spent much time with her outside of work, without having dated her or slept with her or even seen inside the house where she and Ben lived, he knew that they were a match. It would never be enough to merely work with her. Friendship wouldn’t be enough.
He wanted to be closer to Alice and Ben. There was room at his kitchen table for both of them, and, if they would allow it, room in his heart.
Good Lord, was Dean in love with her?
She walked towards them, jacket on, handbag hanging from the crook of her arm, and Dean knew he was. She was bright and beautiful, compassionate and sweet. And somewhere between barely being able to tolerate him and wanting to kiss him in dark storerooms. This was too wide a scope of feelings for him to have any idea where he stood with her.
Ben’s shoulders slumped when he saw his mum approaching. Deflated, he said, ‘Can’t we stay a little longer?’
‘No. C’mon, let’s go.’ Her voice was friendly but firm, and Ben seemed to know enough not to argue. He hung his head, called goodbyes to everyone, and walked out to the car. Alice crossed her arms over her body and tried to smile. He thought he saw sadness in her eyes, and the dark circles beneath them were more pronounced in this light. ‘See you on Monday,’ she said quietly.
‘Okay.’
And then she walked out, taking the Friday night plans he’d hoped for with her.
Dean scowled at the floor as he contemplated his next move.
Liv came over, her expression sympathetic, and gently touched his arm. ‘Sounds like Sam-I-Am’s off babysitting duty.’
‘Yeah.’
‘You should go after her.’
‘After Alice? This isn’t a rom-com, Liv.’
‘Meaning what? People only get happy-ever-afters in movies?’ Thrusting a thumb against her chest, she said, ‘I got Cal, didn’t I? And Ethan got another chance with Sam.’
‘But you guys wanted each other.’
Liv shook her head. ‘Alice wants you so much she can’t think straight.’
Dean felt adrenaline stir within his veins. His heartbeat slowly kicked into a higher tempo. ‘Then what do I do about it?’
Liv shrugged. ‘I dunno. The big gesture’s different for everyone.’
She was unable to elaborate, because everyone joined them then, ready for the big unveiling. Liv bumped companionably against his shoulder then pulled her phone from her pocket. She quickly dialled a number and pressed a few buttons, then Sam’s face filled the screen. ‘Hi!’
Dean could hear the rumble of conversations and shouts of laughter in the background as Sam moved to a quieter spot in the yard. ‘Hi! Are they ready?’
‘Yep, I’ll just turn you around.’
Liv moved the phone and gave Sam a prime view of the newly installed window. Cal and Ethan smiled at each other and Dean found himself wishing that Alice and Ben were here. If he managed to win Alice’s heart, this would be a moment they’d missed.
Ethan and Dean stood to one side of the frame, each staring at the opaque film of protective plastic covering the two large panes of glass. Ethan stretched high to peel the corner from the topmost pane, and Dean crouched to do the same to the lower one. Their eyes met, there was a moment of reverence, then both of them pulled the film free of the window, laughing as they bumped into each other.
When the film fluttered to the ground, they stood back and looked through the glass at the new view: at the low hills in the distance, the bald trees scattered throughout the grazing fields and the big grey clouds that had the town in their sights.
A car streaked through the scene in the far distance, its headlights on despite the hour, lighting the way through the winter gloom.
Dean raised his arms from his sides and his kids appeared under them. Nina’s small fingers hooked in the side pocket of his jeans. She rested her head against him and sighed. ‘Lay beautiful.’
Chapter Ten
Ben had moved his chair over by the window, which meant he’d had to move his Avengers clock, too. Exhaustion was making his eyes heavy and sometimes his arms and legs didn’t move as fast as he wanted them to. He’d slapped himself in the face – he’d seen someone do that in a movie once – but he’d accidentally poked his eye, so now he was still tired, but with a sore eye.
It was twenty minutes past midnight. His mum had never stayed out this late before, and Ben was moving past worry to distress. When he’d called her phone he’d followed the sound of its ringtone into her bedroom, where it lay under a sock.
Cradling the phone between his hands, Ben leaned forward in his chair and tried to see far into the night, along the length of the country road and around the bend that led to Yarram, the town he didn’t like as much as Hinterdown. But there was only black and the noise of gentle rain.
Ben shook his legs to keep them awake, and continued to wait.
When two circles of light appeared around the distant curve in the road, he stood. His mum didn’t know he waited up for her each night, but that was going to change. He was going to march downstairs and tell her never to keep him waiting like this again. He wasn’t going to cry – he was twelve. But he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, either.
The lights grew larger, then he could hear the whoosh of tyres on the road. He was about to turn and rush downstairs when the car shot past the house, leaving only the black night in its wake.
Ben stared, his heart beating wildly, his mouth open, then he dropped back onto his seat, opened the contacts list on his mum’s phone, selected a number and dialled.
The voice that answered was muffled and disorientated. ‘Alice?’
‘Dean?’
There was a sudden rustling on the other end of the line.
‘Ben, what’s going on? Where’s your mother?’
‘I don’t know. She’s late. Really late. I don’t know what to do.’
‘You have her phone,’ Dean said, amongst more hurried noises, ‘but you haven’t heard from her?’
‘No.’
‘When did she leave the house?’
‘At four.’
‘
Four?
’ Ben didn’t hear what Dean said next; it was muffled and angry. ‘Ben, I’m getting in my car now and I’m coming over. Check it’s me before you open the door and call me back if your mum comes home, okay?’
‘Okay.’ Ben hung up and stared at the lit screen until it went black. Dean was coming. Dean liked his mum; he’d find her. And Dean could tell her not to stay out so late too. She might not listen to her son, but she would have to listen to her boss.
Ben’s relief ebbed away. What if Dean wanted to know why she was out so late? His mum had asked Ben never to tell anyone she worked two jobs, but what else could he say?
Ben moved through the house and dragged a kitchen chair over to the front door to wait. He felt sick with nerves and hoped more than ever that his mum got home soon. She could think of something to tell Dean when he got here. She could protect her secret, because Ben didn’t know how to.
A little over twenty minutes later, Dean had Ben sitting in his car. Understanding and fear were duking it out in Dean’s body. Finally, the mystery was solved – Alice had a second job. But she hadn’t returned home from it tonight.
He wanted to believe that she’d stayed late to have a drink. She didn’t know Ben waited up for her, so she might have thought it would go unnoticed. But if she hadn’t lingered, if she’d left on time, with every intention of coming straight home . . .
Ben had left a note on the kitchen table explaining that he and Dean were looking for her, just in case she returned to an empty house and freaked out, but Dean privately thought this night wouldn’t resolve itself that way. The boy was belted into the passenger seat, his eyes wide and his mother’s phone clutched to his chest. Dean had left his phone at the house when he’d realised there wasn’t a landline. He figured Alice would ring her number if she was trying to reach Ben. Or if anyone else was trying to reach Ben . . .
He shook his head to loosen that thought before it could find a foothold. He would not think of hospitals and sombre voices calling with news, he would only think of finding Alice, hugging her tightly, and reuniting her with her son.
‘I’m glad you called me,’ Dean told Ben, wanting to break the silence between them and give the kid something else to think about besides maybes and what ifs.
The light rain fell ceaselessly on the windshield as they drove towards the function centre Ben had said Alice worked at, and the rhythmic rub of the wipers was calming. Dean tried to slow his jogging heart to match them, but failed.
‘Do you love my mum?’ Ben asked. His fingers flexed on the phone.
‘Yeah, buddy.’ No fear, no hesitation – loving Alice wasn’t anywhere near as terrifying as not knowing what had happened to her tonight.
Ben nodded. ‘Okay. That’s good.’ He swallowed.
Dean followed a bend in the road, watching for wildlife and keeping close to the outer white line on the tarmac. They hadn’t passed a car yet. There was only darkness around them and two lines of light ahead, illuminating the slumbering countryside. He wondered if she’d hit a kangaroo, or if she’d broken down somewhere, and had to force himself not to lower his foot on the accelerator.