A fresh coat of painthad been applied and the old furniture he remembered no longer filled thespace. An old table stood next to the fireplace and a laptop computer sat openon it. Filing cabinets leaned against the far wall and another smaller tableheld what looked like sales sheets and dockets. Obviously it was someone'soffice now.
He turned and walkedtowards the main house, watching his footing over the rough cobblestones.Pushing open the kitchen door, he stepped inside.
"Leave that dooropen any longer and the flies will come in." Essie stood at the islandcounter rolling pastry. "Get in here and shut the door."
"Sorry,Essie." He hobbled in and shut the door behind him. "How areyou?"
"Better than youby the look of things. What have you been doing to yourself, Cade? That doesn'tlook too good." She wiped floury hands on her apron before steppingforward to wrap her frail arms around his shoulders.
"It's nothing Ihaven't had before, Essie. A few weeks rest and I'll be back into it " Hetook a seat at the counter and leant his crutches against his thigh. "So,how have you been? Not much seems to have changed around here."
"Now why would it?No point in changing it if ain't broken."
Her words were clippedand Cade felt the bite. "Is there a problem here I'm not seeing? You sounda little bit annoyed." He clenched his teeth waiting for the lashing ofwords he knew would his way. Essie had never held back on giving him a tonguelashing as a youngster, and he doubted she’d softened over the years.
"The problem as Isee it is you never coming home to see your folks. Too busy now you’re a big footballstar to care about the people back home who loved and raised you. Brokeyour mother's heart it did, that you never came back." Essie slapped thepastry down on the board and rolled it with more vigour than needed.
Cade bit the inside ofhis lip. She was right but Essie didn't understand how hard it was to finallybreak free from his father. It was a big step. It was easier to stay in thecity than to come here and have to go through the whole leaving again.
"Look, I'm sorryyou feel that way. It wasn't my intention to hurt you, I promise."
A small smile twitchedat the corners of her mouth.
"You know I loveyou, Essie. I always have."
"Don't listen tohim, Essie. He's sucking up," Russ said as he walked into the kitchen.
"If I recall,sucking up was always your job, brother." Cade's stomach tightened as helooked at his big brother. As youngsters, they had clashed enough over Essie'sattention. Russ had always been her favourite, much to Cade's annoyance."I just tell it like it is."
"Yeah, right. Justmake sure you mind your manners then when you catch up with Kate. She doesn'tdeserve any of you smart-mouthed crap."
"I already sawher. Fiery little piece isn't she?" He knew the smirk on his face wouldannoy his brother so he worked at keeping it there.
Russ leaned on thebench and glared at him. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing,"Cade growled and slapped his hand on the counter. "I parked the Ferrari inthe shed and she told me to get it out. Christ, it's a three hundred thousanddollar car. I'm not parking it outside for the bats to shit all over. It'sstaying where it is."
"No, mate, itisn't. Park it down in the barn with mine. There is more room there anyway. Shekeeps the farm ute in there, so let her be." Russ leaned down on his armsand grinned. "I don't think you want to see how much her temper matchesher hair now."
"Yeah I do,actually. Is she, you know, attached?" She was so different to the skinny,freckled kid who’d annoyed him with her incessant chatter as she followed himeverywhere.
"Just you keepyour hands off of our Kate," Essie snapped. "That girl has her headon straight and is too good to join the ranks of the skanky girls that followyou around."
"Are you serious?Listen to yourself. You aren't her damned mother and if I want to ask her out Iwill."
"I've looked outfor that girl since she first came to work for your father. Don't go giving hera hard time or you'll have me to deal with." Essie waved her rolling pinin his direction and he glanced at Russ for help, worried she would hit himwith it for his remarks.
"I really don't thinkshe’s your type. Kate is too down to earth for you from what I've seen clingingto your arm on the news. She’s a country girl and not used to someone likeyou." He walked over to the fridge, opened it and took out a beer."Want to join me on the front veranda for a cold drink?"
"Sure, whynot?" Cade winked at Essie who still frowned in his direction and followedRuss out through the hallway to the front veranda. He hobbled over to a largewicker chair and leaned down into it. Dropping his crutches on the woodenfloor, he reached up and took the cold beer offered to him.
His mind went back tothe swaying hips encased in tight blue denim. Young Kate had certainly grownup. It was hard to keep the smile from his face as he let his imagination runwild picturing her in his bed.
"Cade, are youlistening? I said we need to talk about the funeral tomorrow.""Ithought Tory had it all sorted." "He does but I'm a bit concernedabout Essie. I think this has rocked her even though she is making a big show ofbeing her normal self." Russ shrugged his shoulders. "If you couldkeep an eye on her, I would appreciate it. Don't let her get overwhelmed witheverything, okay?""Yeah, yeah."
Russ sat in the chair besidehim and screwed the top from his bottle before taking a long drink. "So,what are the plans after tomorrow?"
Cade looked out overthe front lawn and shrugged his shoulders. "No idea."
"I've got anappointment at the hospital the day after the funeral to meet the NUM—NurseUnit Manager—to get a guided tour before I start. Should
