Real Men Don't Break Hearts(39)

“If I find something that appeals to me, I don’t see why I should wait,” she said.

“But what about the gift shop?”

Ally shrugged. “The gift shop was never my idea in the first place. I came in because Nana needed a hand, and then she passed it on to me. Maybe the car crash was a blessing in disguise; I don’t have to revive the gift shop if I don’t want to. I have other options, like going to uni. I don’t have to live in Burronga if I don’t want to.”

Jess hesitated, fidgeting with her wineglass. “It’s Nate, isn’t it?”

Ally couldn’t hide her wince. A few days after she and Nate had broken up, she’d told Jess about it, told her that she had instigated the breakup, not Nate, as everyone would automatically assume. Since then, Jess hadn’t brought up the subject, so she wasn’t prepared for this question.

“No, it’s not Nate,” she said a little too insistently. “My going to Canberra has nothing to do with him.” But even as she spoke, her eyes sought him out among the crowd, and her heart lurched as he continued to ignore her.

“Maybe you should try to patch things up with him,” Jess said.

Ally’s mouth fell open. “But you were the one who warned me off him in the first place!”

“I know.” Jess looked pained. “But I’m beginning to think I’ve been wrong about him.”

The wineglass trembled in Ally’s hand as she took a few steps away. “Oh, this is just bloody marvelous.”

Jess followed her. “You were right when you said Nate’s changed. He’s not the arrogant troublemaker he used to be. This time he’s putting in a real effort to fit into the community. I think he’s trying to make up for what he did when he was younger. Did you hear about Colonel Clifton’s horse’s tail? It’s been restored.”

“You’re not making any sense at all. What does a horse’s tail have to do with Nate?”

“He was the one who cut it off and stole it all those years ago, but now he’s returned it.”

“And that makes him a hero?”

“No, not a hero, just someone who’s big enough to acknowledge his past faults. I mean, he didn’t have to return the tail. Almost everyone’s forgotten about it. It was rather sweet of him, don’t you think?”

“Can we talk about something else?”

Her sister sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just trying to give you some advice.”

“I’m old enough to make my own decisions now, Jess.”

“Yes, I realize that. I know I fall into big-sis mode too easily.” She squeezed Ally’s arm apologetically. “Go to Canberra tomorrow and enjoy yourself. It’s good to see what choices you have in the world. And whatever you decide, you know I’ll support you.”

“Thanks,” Ally said, gruff with surprise.

Jess nodded before glancing across the garden. “Uh-oh, I see Brian’s been trapped with old Mrs. Harper for the past fifteen minutes. I’d better go rescue him.”

Jess moved off just as Tyler wandered up. “Here you are! I’ve been looking all over for you. I had a sudden brain wave this morning, and you just have to listen.”

“Okay,” Ally said, a little cautious of her friend’s bounding enthusiasm.

“I’ve been thinking about your shop. Why don’t we reopen it as an art gallery-slash-coffee shop?”

“‘We’?”

“Yeah, you and me. We could go into partnership together. I have some savings put aside.” Tyler’s face radiated energy as she waved her arms around. “The art gallery would sell crafty stuff, like my jewelry and Brandon’s glass art. Good, decent-priced stuff. I know some artisans in the area, and so does Brandon. We’d sell the goods on consignment, so we’d be sharing the risk with the artists, and we’d take a percentage of the sales. And then we’d have a coffee shop selling really good coffee and a few cakes and sandwiches. It would be a nice, comfy place to hang out—that way we’d attract more potential customers to the gallery. So what do you think, huh? Isn’t it a great idea?”

“Uh, wow, you’ve been giving this some thought, haven’t you?”

“I’ve helped you in the shop before. You know I’m reliable. And we’d be proper partners. I know I don’t look it, but I’m a damned hard worker when I want to be.”

That was true. Despite her flighty appearance, Tyler was honest, reliable, and hard working. She supported her daughter on her own, with no help from her ex, and when she wanted to she had enough enthusiasm to climb Mount Everest.

“It does sound like a good idea,” Ally replied, “but I’m actually thinking of taking a different direction with my life. I’m going to Canberra tomorrow for the university open day.”

“Oh.” Tyler stepped back, her zeal suddenly checked. “Canberra, huh?”

“Nothing’s definite. I’m just…weighing my options.” She paused. “But your idea about the art gallery and coffee shop sounds great, and there’s no reason why you can’t do it by yourself, is there?”

Tyler chewed on her lower lip. “Maybe, but I was counting on you being my partner. You know so much more about running a business than I do.”

She did, Ally suddenly realized. If the car crash hadn’t happened, she would have transformed a dying business into a successful, thriving one. And she’d have done it by herself and despite her grandmother’s strong reservations. Still…

“You should talk to Nate,” Ally said. “Tell him about your idea.”

Involuntarily she glanced back at the crowd surrounding Nate. As she watched, the Burronga mayor greeted Nate with an enthusiastic handshake, talking loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear. Heads swiveled, eyebrows rose, and an appreciative murmur rippled through the bystanders as they smiled at Nate.

What’s going on there? Ally wondered.

“And once we get the bandstand fixed up,” the mayor boomed, “you can help us repair the fountains. Ha, ha!” His laughter rolled out as he clapped Nate on the shoulder.

“What’s he talking about?” Ally muttered to Tyler.

“The mayor? Oh, he’s always happy to get donations for his civic projects. Nate’s offered to pay for the renovations to the bandstand in Clifton Gardens. Didn’t you know?”

Ally shook her head. No, she hadn’t known. First the horse’s tail, and now the bandstand. Was Nate trying to buy his way into public favor? The next instant she quashed the idea. Nate would never do that. Even from a distance she could sense his muted unease over the mayor’s fulsome praise. Nate didn’t need anyone’s approval. He acted according to his own moral compass. Just look how he’d gone to his crotchety old neighbor’s assistance and taken in her dog when no one had asked him to. He’d done it because he was Nate.

And he’d offered her the key to his house, and she’d turned him down. Because she was too afraid to risk loving another unsuitable man.

“Okay, I’ll go and have a chat with him,” Tyler said. “Set up a meeting so I can discuss things properly. You coming?”

“No, I’ll leave you to it.”

She couldn’t walk up to Nate and pretend nothing was wrong between them. Not with all these other people looking on. She set down her wineglass and walked blindly away from the party. She followed the path through a fern patch and beyond, only pausing when she came to Mr. Cummings’s rose garden. Here the air was heavy with the scent of roses, and the party was just a murmur in the background. Stepping off the path, she leaned in to breathe the fragrance of a crimson rose. As her heels began to sink into the grass once more, she let out an exasperated sigh and kicked off her shoes.

“Hello, Ally.”

She almost fell into the rosebush as she spun round to find Nate not far behind her. Instantly she regretted kicking off her high heels. She needed every advantage to face him.

“Hi.” She gestured around her. “I was just taking one last look at Mr. Cummings’s rose garden.”

He arched an eyebrow. “One last look? Are you going somewhere?”

“No, I mean, before he moves away.” She smoothed down the silky fabric of her dress. “Actually, I might be moving, too.”

Frowning, he stepped toward her. “I’m going to get the building repaired as soon as possible. You’ll be able to move back into your apartment within a few months.” The building inspector had deemed her apartment unsafe, and most of her possessions were now crammed into Jess and Brian’s garage.

“That’s okay,” she said hurriedly. “I might be going to uni in Canberra. I’m attending the open day tomorrow, checking out what courses I could study.”

The line across his forehead deepened. “But what about your gift shop?”

She lifted her shoulders. “I believe Tyler has some ideas about the shop. Didn’t she talk to you?”

“I was under the impression you and she were going into partnership. I had no idea you were quitting already.”

The censure in his tone flicked at her nerves like a whip. What right did he have to judge her? “It’s got nothing to do with you.” She moved away and pretended to inspect a large rose in full bloom.