He’d had the night to rethink what she meant to him, and if he were only bedding her because of what she had, she didn’t want to see his face. The best thing to do was to carry on as if nothing had happened. Libby threw back the covers and grinned before climbing out of bed and heading for the shower.
Tom was sitting at the table eating toast when Libby walked into the kitchen.
“Hi, handsome.” She dropped a kiss on his gray head.
“Someone’s happy this morning.”
“It was a great night.” Libby sighed. “We all had a good time, didn’t we?”
“I think you had a better one after you got home from the dance.” Tom gave her a smile. “Want to share?”
“You know what happened.” She leaned her hip against the kitchen bench as she turned to talk to him. “I went over and seduced Nathan. Happy now you know?”
“Don’t take that attitude with me, young lady. Thought you’d be happy now you’ve got what you wanted.”
“I’m sorry.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down beside him at the table. “Truth is, I don’t know if I did get what I want.”
“You mean he didn’t...um...you know...” Tom blushed and cleared his throat.
“Yes, he did.” Libby smiled at the memory. “But I don’t know if that’s enough for me now. I think I want more and all he wants is the station.”
“Did he say that?” Tom frowned.
“He’s told me more than once I don’t belong here and should go back to the city. We both know my uncle promised him the station, and he’s told me he wants it. I’m not going to let him use me to get it.”
“I don’t think he’s like that. I’ve known him since he was a kid and his father ran the place. He’s ambitious, I’ll give you that, but I don’t think even Nathan would try to use you to get this station.”
“I’m not going to give him the chance. I’ve had my fling, and that will do for now.”
Libby got up and started to prepare breakfast. Bacon came out of the fridge, along with eggs. She took a half-dozen tomatoes from the windowsill and sliced them thickly. When the pan was heated, she dropped the bacon rashes in and let them brown. She was turning the rashers into a pan to keep warm when she heard the boys coming down the hallway.
Bella raced for the back door and ran outside for a sniff around the backyard before coming back in to prance around the stove at the smell of the breakfast cooking.
“Give her a bone and put her outside, Josh.”
Josh went to the freezer and found his pup a small bone before heading outside, mumbling under his breath.
“Don’t even bother starting,” she called after him. “Winton, can you go and bang on Holly’s door, please?”
Winton looked from Libby to Tom and shrugged his shoulders before sauntering down the hallway to wake Holly.
She could tell he was confused by her by her mood, but she wasn’t about to explain it to them. Don’t take it out on the kids, just don’t.
“Anything I can do to help.” Tom put his cup in the sink and looked at her.
“Yeah, set the table if you don’t mind. And I’m sorry for being bitchy. If you could just ignore my moods for a bit. We can blame it on me not knowing what I want for now, woman’s prerogative. Just please go with me on this until I can sort myself out.”
“Right.” He got the cutlery and started to set the table while Libby cooked breakfast and reflected on her night, wondering if there was any way she would be able to have Nathan on her terms.
Joan McNally called in the following day just after Libby had seen the kids off on the bus. Joan looked around, and nodded her head.
“About time a woman had a hand in this place again.”
Libby came down the stairs to meet her. “I agree.”
“It was looking a bit sad there for a while.”
“It still does, but I love it.” Libby guided Joan into the kitchen and put on the kettle for coffee.
“Your grandma had this place looking so nice. I was heartbroken when she died, and I think that was when your uncle lost his joy with being in this world too.”
“Did you know her well then?” Libby retrieved cups from the cupboard.
“Yes, I did. She was older than me, of course, but she didn’t let that worry her. She was always helping someone in the community.” Joan’s face lit with a wistful smile. “When I came home from the hospital with my first baby, she was there. Just like a surrogate mother, she was. Always there when I needed help or I wasn’t coping so well. Nothing was ever a problem for her. Running the station and looking after anyone that needed her. She was a gem.”
“Tom said that she was good at collecting orphans.” Libby smiled. She poured the tea into the cups, and handed one to Joan. She pulled out a chair opposite and sat down.
“That she was.” Joan sipped her tea. “Even before she convinced your uncle to move in here after your grandfather died, she’d earned that tag. It’s scary how much you look like her, you know. You could have knocked me over with a feather the night of the dance. Walking in on Tom’s arm in her dress, I thought I was seeing her again. It made my skin go all goosey-like.”
“I didn’t even know she existed until I got that letter from the lawyer.” Libby glanced at the bare walls. “Why are there no photos of
