A Home Like Ours by Fiona Lowe (feel good books .txt) 📕

‘Nothing.’ It came out sharp, defiant and utterly false. More than anything, she wished she could take it back.

‘Doesn’t sound like nothing. The panicky expression on your face doesn’t look like nothing.’

Her heart thumped so hard she heard it in her ears. ‘Sorry. I thought I saw a mate of Corey’s but I was just being stupid. His ute’s red.’

Lachlan frowned. ‘What would it matter if his mate saw you kissing me? You and Corey broke up weeks ago.’

Her mouth dried. She swallowed, trying to generate saliva.

‘Jade?’ His lovely eyes darkened. ‘You have broken up with him, right?’

Lie. But she couldn’t do it. Didn’t want to do it and smudge something wonderful. ‘Sort of.’

‘Sort of?’ Lachlan swore.

She took a protective step back, but Lachlan didn’t move a muscle. ‘I want to break up with him, okay. But he hasn’t called or texted me in weeks.’

‘You should have called him.’

She stiffened, hating that in his world people didn’t just vanish then reappear when it suited them. ‘Of course I called him but he doesn’t pick up. I’m not doing this by text.’

The ute cruised past again, only this time the driver made a gesture then took a photo of them. Fear sliced through her.

‘Hey!’ Lachlan ran, but the driver floored it and the ute disappeared around the corner. He turned back to Jade. ‘Did you recognise him?’

She shook her head as a tremble hit her legs.

‘What about the ute?’

‘I’ve never seen it before.’

‘But you think it’s connected with Corey?’

She wanted to deny it, but adrenaline was making it difficult to think let alone speak.

‘Come on,’ he said wearily. ‘You need something to eat and then we’re going to the police.’

When they reached Bob’s, she walked inside to see Helen grinning at her like a clown.

‘Guess what? Milo—’ Helen’s smile fell. ‘What’s wrong? You’re as pale as a ghost.’

‘She got a fright.’ Lachlan put the bakery box on the kitchen bench. ‘Some moron drove past us a couple of times on Park Street, before giving us the finger gun symbol. Then he took our photo.’

‘Someone you know, love?’ Bob asked gently.

Before she could answer, Lachlan said tightly, ‘Jade thinks it’s something to do with Corey.’

‘No, I don’t! Anyway, he wouldn’t send someone. He’d come himself.’

She hated the way Lachlan was looking at her as if she’d let him down. God! Why had she believed him when he’d told her she was smart and gutsy? When he said stuff like that she wanted to be her best self, only look where that had landed her. Instead of staying safe and lying, she’d ignored the warning bells and told him the truth. Now he hated her for it.

You are so stupid, Jade.

Helen suddenly sat down hard on a kitchen stool, her hands gripping the bench. ‘It happened to me.’

‘What?’ Lachlan’s and Bob’s voices drowned out Jade’s.

‘The night you had gastro. I left Riverbend and someone followed me. Every time I sped up or slowed down, he did the same.’

‘He?’

‘It was dark and I couldn’t really see, but I assumed it was a he. Women don’t tend to do that sort of thing. All I could think was I didn’t want him to know where I lived and I didn’t want to put Jade and Milo in danger. I made random turns and that’s when I saw Lachlan’s ute parked on the street. I was so relieved, I turned into the drive.’

‘Helen!’ Bob glared at her. ‘Why are you only just mentioning this?’

‘Because the car kept going and I thought I must have imagined the whole thing. It hasn’t happened since.’

‘Corey doesn’t have a reason to follow you,’ Bob said.

‘I’m living with Jade.’

‘Which brings us back to Corey,’ Lachlan said.

‘No, it doesn’t,’ Jade said hotly.

‘Why are you defending him?’

‘I’m not! But if he wanted to scare me why choose today? Why not when I’m walking alone with Milo? For all we know, the ute was following you.’

Lachlan crossed his arms, anger radiating off him. ‘Yeah, right. Like I have so many reasons to be followed. I broke up with my last girlfriend a year ago.’

‘You’re being such a—’

‘Let’s all take a breath,’ Bob said. ‘We understand there’s a possibility Corey could be behind it, but Jade’s right. It’s not an absolute. Who else would want to scare Helen?’

‘No one, Uncle Bob! This is Boolanga.’

‘Small towns aren’t immune to skulduggery. Grafton and Snowtown come to mind.’

Jade had no idea what Bob was talking about but made a note to google the names later. ‘That bitch Judith wants Helen gone from the garden. Hey, Bob, didn’t you say Judith used to live on a farm? The ute was muddy.’

‘I know the Sainsburys. It wasn’t any of them,’ Lachlan said.

‘Most of the people on the Facebook page are supportive of the tiny houses village, but there are a couple of nutters,’ Jade said. ‘Maybe it’s one of them.’

‘Or it’s Geoff Rayson,’ Helen said. ‘He kicked me out of the cottage, but I haven’t gone away and I’m living with Jade.’

‘The mayor isn’t going to have you followed. That’s crazy sauce,’ Lachlan said.

‘No, it’s not.’ The need to defend Helen rose up so fast it gave Jade whiplash. She thought about the many things that had been said and done to her by family and so-called friends before she’d left Finley. The memories spun into anger at herself and at Lachlan and she couldn’t stop the words from rushing out. ‘You live in a fluffy bubble of theatre people where everyone hugs each other and says “good job” even when it’s crap.’

‘I do not!’ His jaw jutted. ‘I work with farmers who are doing it tough, but at least they’re straight with me.’

‘I’ve been straight with you!’

‘Then we’ve got a different definition of straight.’ He picked up his keys. ‘Sorry, Uncle Bob, but I should go.’

Jade’s heart twisted. I thought you were different. But of course he was leaving. Everyone left her.

‘That’s disappointing, Lach,’ Bob said. ‘Not like you to walk away from