I sighed, my shoulders sagging as I lowered my guard, just a little.
“Do you want a drink?”
If Sean was surprised by the offer he didn’t show it; instead, he nodded his agreement. “Please.”
I mirrored his nod and grabbed a glass from the stack. I straightened as I motioned to pull the lever of the VB tap forward, all of a sudden self-conscious as I felt Sean’s eyes on me in my peripheral vision. I angled the glass and an amber stream flowed into it, before I quickly straightened the glass to ensure it formed the perfect froth to finish, like my dad had taught me. I was hit with a wave of nostalgia, a tiny smile threatening to curve the corners of my mouth at such a small pleasure, until what had begun as a steady stream of beer started to cough and sputter violent spurts of foam into the glass. I instantly pulled the lever back to stop the assault.
“Oh, for frack’s sake! The barrel’s empty. This is … ” I threw my hands up in dismay; I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry hysterically. Oh the irony … a pub with no beer. “This is just great.”
Sean leaned over the bar and grabbed his beer, studying the half-filled morsel that resembled more of a soft serve ice cream than a drink. He placed it back down, trying his utmost not to smirk as he looked at me. I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. I knew what he was thinking.
How does a publican’s daughter not know how to pour a beer?
I was about to defend my honour, insisting it was the end of the barrel, but he spoke before I had a chance to form the words.
“Did you just say frack?”
My mouth gaped; I could feel my cheeks burn at the question.
“Pfft … no!” I lied.
Sean broke into a broad smile. “Yeah, you did,” he teased.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I cleared the beer away, avoiding Sean’s knowing eyes.
“Well …” Sean stood and stretched his arms over his head. “Today has certainly been a day of firsts.”
“Did you want a stubby or a can or something?”
“Nah, that’s okay. So where’s your dad? Will he be back soon?” He walked over to peer outside through the grotty window.
I must have looked dumbfounded because I kind of was. Dad losing weight, quitting smoking, and heading to the city to woo his wife was common and mortifying knowledge. It was one of my huge reservations about coming back to Onslow for the holidays. I would be escaping Mum and Dad, but I wouldn’t be escaping their figurative ghosts, even after Dad’s three-month stint at home full-time. All any local would have to do was look up the hill to see the Onslow abandoned and overgrown. Like a giant rotting hotel that the crazy publican had chucked in for love.
“Where have you been living? Under a rock? Dad hasn’t been here for months.”
Sean lazily shrugged one shoulder, as he tore his eyes from outside to me.
“I wouldn’t know, I just got back.”
“Back from where?” The words fell from my mouth before I could stop them.
“I just finished a contract up north, building a school there in Warrentye.”
I looked blankly at him – I had no idea where that was. It sounded far away.
“It’s where I’ve been living the last two years.”
Okay, that made sense, I thought as I nodded my head. “Yeah, I just got back too,” I confessed.
I had probably been away longer; my memory searched for the last time I was home at the Onslow. I froze, my eyes darting back to Sean. He must have read something in my expression as he straightened.
“You all right?” he asked.
I was instantly transported back to my last time in Onslow; my cheeks burned, mortified at the memory of the last summer I had seen Sean Murphy three years ago.
The summer he saved my life.
Chapter Seven
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Sean said.
Maybe I had; the ghost of summers past. The last thing I wanted to do was go down memory lane. Seriously. Some things just needed to remain in the past. Maybe Sean had forgotten that night.
I really hoped he had.
“Oh, I’ve just had a really long day.”
Sean studied my face for a long moment, silently gauging if I was telling him the truth. Finally he nodded, as if accepting my excuse.
“Well, want some advice?”
I raised my brows in interest.
He pushed off from the wall and leaned in towards me, whispering into my ear.
“Lock the door.”
I followed him outside, stepping over the pile of garbage bags from upstairs, which Sean eyed with interest. He stepped wide along the verandah that was filled with debris. Looking above, his brow creased in deep thought.
“Have a look.”