Oh, Henry Graham was ready to go alright. Henry was always ready to go when he wanted something. The real question was, why was a developer like Henry interested in Nanna’s house?
Well, given Jake wasn’t selling it anyway, what Henry wanted the house for didn’t matter.
Jake released the paperwork and the contract bridge flopped. ‘My counteroffer is at the asking price.’
Ella’s brow crinkled. She put the document flat on the table in front of her and folded her arms across it. Then she unfolded her arms and sat back. Then forward again, one hand on the pages.
Jake didn’t enjoy her discomfort, but he did enjoy watching Ella. Did it make sense that watching her was like watching water? She was always moving, like rapids rough on a stream. Even when she sat quiet he had the sense of currents swirling deep below.
‘Perhaps you should consult with your brothers. See what they think,’ she said.
‘I’m Nanna’s Executor.’
‘But wouldn’t they like to know what’s going on?’ She leaned forward. ‘Would you like me to email them—’
‘I’ll speak with them,’ Jake cut her off. The last thing he needed was Ella in Abe’s ear. Or Abe in Ella’s. ‘I’ll do it.’
‘Okay.’ She sat back.
‘Can we talk about something that isn’t my nanna’s house?’ Jake asked.
‘It’s not something else about Sam, is it? He hasn’t tried skidding across the golf course?’
Jake chuckled. ‘Not that I know about.’
Ella opened her palm at him, giving him the floor, but she was clearly confused at his reaction, or non-reaction, to the offer and probably wondering why the hell she was still sitting there.
Jake wanted her sitting there. He liked it. He liked her.
‘Tell me why you didn’t get back into swimming after Sam was born.’
Her mouth made a little sound of shock and she shook her head, like she couldn’t believe he’d asked the question. If she knew him better, she’d know he wasn’t the type to die wondering. If he had a question, he’d ask it.
Gooseflesh puckered the skin of her arms, yet the afternoon wasn’t cold. Her pretty pale pink fingers got twitchy again and she wouldn’t meet his eyes, staring away at the dam where the sheep trekked in for their afternoon drink. Sunset wasn’t far away.
‘I don’t mean to embarrass you. I’m curious. I’m interested,’ he said.
Interested was an understatement. His over-enthusiastic, extra-determined, once-famous-swimmer-turned-real estate agent intrigued him. He wished she’d trust him enough to let him in.
It took a long time, and a lot of finger twitching, but then she began. ‘After I had Sam, it was all about him. I was out of training for the best part of a year. All these other girls were swimming the most amazing times. That was when the supersuits came in, remember them? Records were getting smashed. I’d fallen too far behind.’
‘You didn’t try to get back to it? Didn’t Erik want you to swim?’
Ella’s chin lifted. ‘Erik would never stop me swimming.’
‘Then why? If swimming meant so much to you? Everything I’ve read about you said swimming was the only thing you ever wanted to do.’
‘It was all I was good at, more like it,’ Ella said, and her gaze slipped away. ‘I should check on Sam.’
‘Sam is fine,’ Jake said.
‘It’s really not your business,’ she said, pressing her lips together.
‘The articles I read online said you haven’t been back in the pool since you found out you were pregnant.’
‘You’ve been stalking me?’
‘Not stalking. I told you, I’m interested.’
She let out a harrumph that said clear as day, rubbish, and folded her arms across her chest.
‘You interest me,’ Jake repeated. It was the truth, and he let the weight of it line the words, until the light in her eyes told him she might finally believe it. It took a while. In fact, it surprised Jake how long it took. Ella was gorgeous. Surely she was used to the attention?
He waited for her to say something. I like you too would have been nice, but Ella didn’t say anything, and Jake got that light bulb flash in his hormone-laden male brain as it hit him that Ella wasn’t being coy. She didn’t know how to turn him down nicely.
And he was an idiot for not putting it all together.
She’s just spent the weekend with her ex-husband. Maybe he’s not so ex. Maybe they’re trying to patch things up.
‘Ah, I get it, Ella. Sorry. Forget I said anything, okay? My mistake.’ He’d been leaning into her space without really being aware of it. Now, he made himself sit back.
‘So I don’t interest you now?’ Ella unfolded her arms from her chest and leaned her elbows on the table. Those twitchy fingers came back, making the late afternoon light do interesting things to the pale pink nail polish that reminded him of … things he definitely shouldn’t be thinking about.
Jake shifted in his seat.
He tried a different tack. ‘I mean, come on. You’re the most interesting thing to hit Chalk Hill since one of those round-the-world hot air balloon record attempts failed and the balloon came down in the Simpsons’ paddock. Chalk Hill got on the news and Betty Simpson said it was her fifteen minutes of fame.’
‘So it’s a joke then. You’re just joking with me about being … interested … in me?’ Her eyes met his, a million shades of sunset reflected in those liquid brown pools, and Jake near drowned just looking at her.
He put his hand over her fingers to stop them twitching, to stop him seeing colours he shouldn’t, and Jake put his cards on the table. ‘Ella, are you getting back with your husband? Is that why he was visiting you this weekend?’
CHAPTER
13
If Ella had
