Life Support: Escape to the Country Read Online Free Page B

was—”
    “Nothing,” Emma said, edging further away. “It was nothing and it can’t be anything. Ever. Like I said, my life is kind of complicated right now.”
    That was an understatement.
    They fell silent again as they waited until the other conference attendees made their way back into the main room. Soon the two of them were left alone in the heavy carpeted stillness of the hotel foyer.
    Josh’s eyes had darkened. “And I repeat, why don’t you explain it to me?”
    He was right. She did owe him an explanation, but she wasn’t used to sharing personal information with a complete stranger. She found it hard enough to talk to her closest friends or her mum about what was going on.
    She grabbed her water bottle and unscrewed the lid, but didn’t take a drink.
    “I got an email yesterday afternoon. I found out Lleyton Chirnside – my husband – Winston and Mary-Margaret’s son – has agreed to a divorce. We’ve been separated for the past six months – ever since the night I found out he was having an affair.”
    Josh stiffened before shifting position in the chair and sitting forward again. “Whoa. Okay. Sorry. I did not see that coming.”
    “Neither did I. When you saw me last night at the bar, I was attempting to drown my sorrows in cocktails.” Unsuccessfully, she should have added.
    She stood, gathered her handbag in both arms and clutched it to her chest like a shield. “Josh, it’s been lovely meeting you and I appreciate you taking the time to listen to me, but—”
    “Can I call you?” he interrupted. “When the divorce is through and the dust has settled?”
    “No. I’m really not interested.”
    Disappointment flicked across his face and his shoulders sagged. “Another lifetime perhaps?” he suggested.
    She shook her head. “No.”
    And she meant it. He was a nice enough guy, but Josh Spencer wasn’t going to play any part in her future. The only reason she’d kissed him was because he reminded her of Tom.
    Tom. Darn him. And Lleyton. In fact, darn all men in general. Without them she wouldn’t be in this mess.
    *
    The next day Emma flew back to Melbourne, and for the rest of the week didn’t sight Lleyton once. Even though they were separated, they still lived together in the house. He’d moved into one of the many spare bedrooms in their house and they rarely saw one another. He had clearly gone away somewhere – all his toiletries were missing from the bathroom and two suits and half a dozen shirts were gone from his wardrobe – but typically, he hadn’t bothered to leave her a note. Not that she cared anymore.
    On Sunday night, she was home alone. Her belly rumbled, reminding her she’d skipped lunch. She crossed the kitchen and opened the fridge. Unfortunately, the food fairy hadn’t visited. Her meager choices included a couple of bruised Pink Lady apples, a tub of out-of-date passionfruit yogurt and a cling-wrapped block of cheese. Was that mold? She shuddered before tossing the cheese in the trash. The freezer was as barren as the South Pole. Her offerings were a loaf of white bread and her emergency stash of honeycomb ice cream. She’d been saving it for an extreme disaster, but figured with the weekend she’d just had, it classified. She scooped the dairy bliss into a bowl and headed back to the lounge as her phone rang.
    “Mum.”
    “Hello love.”
    Emma visualized her mum sitting at the kitchen table in their house in Birrangulla, a regional town five hours’ drive west of Sydney. Her parents had lived in the same love-filled weatherboard house since moving from Ireland to Australia when Emma was six and she couldn’t imagine them ever leaving.
    Sean and Lorraine would have eaten their weekly roast lamb dinner, washed and put the dishes away and Lorraine would be sitting at the table enjoying a quiet cup of tea and a Tim Tam or two. Sean would be sitting in front of the television in his favorite recliner, feet up, watching the football. Or more likely,