Meant To Be by Fiona McCallum

rush things, but I want you to know that I’m serious about us, serious about staying.’
    â€˜But what about Melbourne?’
    â€˜Hmm, big city, lots of cars, squealing trams, a strange road rule called a hook turn,’ he said, grinning at her. ‘What about Melbourne?’
    â€˜Er, you have a thriving business there.’
    â€˜There are plenty of good project managers around. It’s a well-run business, but I’m not arrogant enough to think I’m indispensable. And it’s not as if I’m totally walking away. I’ll keep an eye on things, but from a distance, and not so often.’
    â€˜Won’t you miss the hustle and bustle of city life?’
    â€˜I don’t know. Maybe. But then a trip back now and then would probably be enough.’
    â€˜But what about your gorgeous apartment?’
    â€˜Rent it out, sell it if I need the money. It’s only a building, Em,’ he said with a shrug.
    Only a building.
    â€˜Different things mean different things to different people,’ he said, as if sensing her thought. He took her face in his hands. ‘I know how much the cottage means to you – and how much your husband hurt you when he pulled it down. I can make that better for you. And I want to. Please let me. You’ll never know how much it meant that you dropped everything to come to Melbourne for me when it was so out of your comfort zone. I’dlike to repay the favour. And you’d be doing me another favour by letting me use it as a display, remember?’
    â€˜But what about your adrenal fatigue? You’re meant to be taking time off…’
    â€˜I think this will be okay, it’ll be a scaled back version of work. Besides, I’ll be bored in a few months if I don’t do something. This will all take time to get up and running; I’ve only just started to think about it…’
    â€˜I’m just concerned you’re taking on too much too quickly.’
    â€˜Unless, you don’t want all this, us,’ he said suddenly, looking at her. ‘It’s just that you’re finding a lot of reasons for me not to do this.’
    Emily rushed to reassure him. ‘It all sounds perfect to me,’ she said wistfully. ‘As long as you’re sure.’ She felt all warm and cosy inside.
    â€˜There’s still a lot of research to do, planning, decisions to make, figures to go through…’
    â€˜Well, if you’re in, I’m in,’ she said decisively, with a nod of her head. How good would it be to have her cottage back, an even better version? And what could be more romantic than building a house with the man you loved? Emily felt excited to be embarking on a major project together.
    There would probably be a considerable financial cost, of course, but this certainly was true love. She was just thinking she couldn’t walk – she was so deliriously happy – when Jake grasped her hand and gently pulled her forward.
    â€˜Come on,’ he said. ‘Let’s earn ourselves a big breakfast and a day inside making plans.’
    â€˜Hmm, actually, I’ve got another form of exercise in mind,’ Emily replied, leading him back towards the house.

Chapter Eight
    After a big bacon-and-eggs breakfast, they walked over to the mound of rubble that had once been Emily’s dream. Her stomach flip-flopped. Could they really do it?
    Again she found herself wondering about the family that might have lived there over a hundred years ago. It didn’t matter that she was no relation. The feeling that she wanted – no, needed – to do this for them engulfed her. Her heart rate rose. Maybe simply putting up a little weatherboard place would make more sense financially. But it just wouldn’t be right. This was absolutely the place for a limestone cottage.
    Not to mention Emily’s desire to right John’s wrong. She felt as strongly about that as she did about