Read Online Echoes Of The Past (Fermosa Bay #1) by Iris Blobel - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Iris Blobel
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gazed up to the ceiling, and Emily assumed it wasn’t the easiest topic for him to talk about. Jack’s illness sat heavily on everyone’s shoulders.
“I don’t want him to die before we leave or while we’re away.” Covering his face with his hands, he added, “Or die at all.”
Emily moved closer and rested her head on his chest as he placed his arm around her shoulder. Within her raged a war of early sadness and hope, and she assumed Ethan was consumed with the same emotions.
“Do you think Connor will stay after…after…?” Emily sighed, not able to say the words.
But she didn’t have to. Ethan placed a kiss on her forehead. “I don’t know, pumpkin. I truly believe he likes it here, but for good?”
She didn’t say anything.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Emily. He’s some hot shot lawyer back in London. Earns well. Bottom line, he’s got a massive life over there. Fermosa Bay would not only be a step back for him, but he’d have to start all over again.”
“He’s told you all that?”
“No, he didn’t. But it’s my conclusion of what he said. I thought you two had dinner last night. Didn’t you talk?”
Glad that Ethan wasn’t able to see her hot cheeks, she replied, “I was more interested in reliving our time as children.”
The gentle motion of his hand up and down her arm felt good. They sat quietly for a long time, each to their own thoughts.
“Why do you think they left?”
“I don’t know. It seems there are different stories around.”
She sat up and met his gaze. “Why can’t he remember anything?”
Ethan shrugged. “How many details of your childhood can you remember? Of course we remember the fall, because it was the event that changed a lot.”
“Or everything.” She corrected him.
His mouth curled in a smile. “Or everything. It seems his mum wasn’t keen on keeping any of his memories of this place alive.”
“Nothing?”
“Pumpkin, I don’t know the workings of the human brain. He knew about his father being Australian, but grew up with the idea that Jack had kicked them out.”
“I remember her and I never liked her.”
He laughed. “Hey, word is he’s taken a year off work and will definitely stay a few months. He will eventually need to head back because of the finances. That’s the official version anyway.”
“Official?”
With a shrug, he stood and said, “I’d say Jack will give him money to live here. He’d do anything as long as Connor stays here.”
Emily watched him as he searched for something in the bookshelf near the window. “Will he take over the hotels?”
Absentmindedly, he shook his head. “I don’t believe so.”
She stood as well and joined him in front of the shelf. “What are you looking for?”
Ethan pulled out a photo album and held it up. “This.”
And for the rest of the evening they reminisced over their childhood, the tears, and laughter they’d shared.
The fun they’d had.
And the heartache they’d felt.
***
Connor checked the time and tried desperately to calculate the correct time difference to England. Was it ten or eleven hours? Or even nine? He didn’t know, but picked up the phone anyway and dialled the familiar number.
“Oh, hello darling. So lovely to hear from you.”
He went into his room at the back of the house, pulled a chair next to the window, and sat. The view towards the dark horizon was still stunning. He hoped the scenery in front of him would keep him calm during the conversation he was about to have with his mother.
“It’s nice and warm,” he replied with a smile in his voice. “Hard to believe it’s close to Christmas, and I’m running around in a T-shirt.”
“Yes, I remember that ghastly heat.”
His mouth twitched with amusement. There wasn’t a thing in or about Australia she liked. He knew that for a fact from the very few times she’d talked about it.
“We went out to a really nice waterfall today and had a picnic. Remember Ethan and
“I don’t want him to die before we leave or while we’re away.” Covering his face with his hands, he added, “Or die at all.”
Emily moved closer and rested her head on his chest as he placed his arm around her shoulder. Within her raged a war of early sadness and hope, and she assumed Ethan was consumed with the same emotions.
“Do you think Connor will stay after…after…?” Emily sighed, not able to say the words.
But she didn’t have to. Ethan placed a kiss on her forehead. “I don’t know, pumpkin. I truly believe he likes it here, but for good?”
She didn’t say anything.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Emily. He’s some hot shot lawyer back in London. Earns well. Bottom line, he’s got a massive life over there. Fermosa Bay would not only be a step back for him, but he’d have to start all over again.”
“He’s told you all that?”
“No, he didn’t. But it’s my conclusion of what he said. I thought you two had dinner last night. Didn’t you talk?”
Glad that Ethan wasn’t able to see her hot cheeks, she replied, “I was more interested in reliving our time as children.”
The gentle motion of his hand up and down her arm felt good. They sat quietly for a long time, each to their own thoughts.
“Why do you think they left?”
“I don’t know. It seems there are different stories around.”
She sat up and met his gaze. “Why can’t he remember anything?”
Ethan shrugged. “How many details of your childhood can you remember? Of course we remember the fall, because it was the event that changed a lot.”
“Or everything.” She corrected him.
His mouth curled in a smile. “Or everything. It seems his mum wasn’t keen on keeping any of his memories of this place alive.”
“Nothing?”
“Pumpkin, I don’t know the workings of the human brain. He knew about his father being Australian, but grew up with the idea that Jack had kicked them out.”
“I remember her and I never liked her.”
He laughed. “Hey, word is he’s taken a year off work and will definitely stay a few months. He will eventually need to head back because of the finances. That’s the official version anyway.”
“Official?”
With a shrug, he stood and said, “I’d say Jack will give him money to live here. He’d do anything as long as Connor stays here.”
Emily watched him as he searched for something in the bookshelf near the window. “Will he take over the hotels?”
Absentmindedly, he shook his head. “I don’t believe so.”
She stood as well and joined him in front of the shelf. “What are you looking for?”
Ethan pulled out a photo album and held it up. “This.”
And for the rest of the evening they reminisced over their childhood, the tears, and laughter they’d shared.
The fun they’d had.
And the heartache they’d felt.
***
Connor checked the time and tried desperately to calculate the correct time difference to England. Was it ten or eleven hours? Or even nine? He didn’t know, but picked up the phone anyway and dialled the familiar number.
“Oh, hello darling. So lovely to hear from you.”
He went into his room at the back of the house, pulled a chair next to the window, and sat. The view towards the dark horizon was still stunning. He hoped the scenery in front of him would keep him calm during the conversation he was about to have with his mother.
“It’s nice and warm,” he replied with a smile in his voice. “Hard to believe it’s close to Christmas, and I’m running around in a T-shirt.”
“Yes, I remember that ghastly heat.”
His mouth twitched with amusement. There wasn’t a thing in or about Australia she liked. He knew that for a fact from the very few times she’d talked about it.
“We went out to a really nice waterfall today and had a picnic. Remember Ethan and
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