Jack and Isla

ELEVEN

The truck wasn't the only strange thing that happened that week. Jack found Freddie's trailer axed to pieces one morning and sat with him whilst he cried in secret away from people. Freddie had made him promise that he would not tell Isla how much it upset him as he didn't want to worry her or for her to see that he had cried over it.

Meryl even woke up one morning to the windows at the B & B all smeared with paint and her signs. Jack drove by in his now fixed truck, to see Isla and Meryl were out scrubbing the windows down.

With all the strange happenings, he and Isla had struggled to find time to spend together, despite their attempts. The morning after the dance, Jack had to go out of town to pick up new windows for his truck, but not before managing to go and drop off a breakfast roll for Isla. His heart skipped when she was waiting on the porch for him with a cup of tea ready, part of him hopeful that this could be a regular thing for him. A few mornings later he had hoped to be able to have breakfast with her, but Meryl had rang her begging her to do an extra shift as there was a bus load of extra tourists had come through town.

He got out of his truck and passed a sponge to Isla up on the ladder. He couldn't help admiring her up there, with her jean shorts hugging her bum nicely at his eye level. She must have caught him as she blushed when she took the sponge and gave him a knowing smile.

"Morning love," Meryl greeted him with a smile, "Did you manage to speak to Officer Croson?"

"Yes, he's making some queries around town. Old Peterson says there's some drifters camping along the old mine trail, so he suspects that it might be them just overstepping their boundaries. He's going to keep me updated." Officer Croson and Jack had been old school friends and even though he worked with the big boys in the bigger city, he still helped his old friend out.

"Has anything like this happened before in town?" Isla questioned in between scrubbing.

"No," Jack answered, turning to look at Isla.

"The closest thing to trouble we have ever had is when the old Mayor was caught with the Ericson's daughter at the Christmas Dance." Meryl chuckled in reminiscence, "Apart from that we all look after everyone here in town. Anyway, Jack, I'm sorry to say that I have stolen Isla for another evening as she has volunteered to help make some desserts for the guest for tomorrow."

Jack looked up at Isla scrubbing away, her peachy cheeks shaking in his face before she stopped and looked at him. He slid his hands into his own pockets afraid he would not be able to refrain himself from touching her.

"It's fine," he replied, not taking his eyes off Isla, "she's worth waiting for."

Meryl smiled and then went back inside giving them some privacy.

Isla twisted round on the ladder to look at him and smiled, she bent her knees slightly so her face was closer to Jacks, "I'm sorry, she needed help so I said I would help, it's the least I can do after she has looked after me so well."

Jack shuffled, so his face was closer to hers, "You'll just have to make it up to me, maybe with lunch Wednesday after you finish work."

"I think I can sacrifice some of my time to make that work." She winked at him mischievously.

"Oh, also there is a fayre out fayre in of town tomorrow, I was wondering if I could take the boys?"

"Really, you want to take the boys out?" Isla's voice hitched a little, almost in surprise.

"Yeah, of course, it'll take about an hour to get there, is that ok?" Ryan had a small moment of panic. It was one thing to ask her to the dance and he felt like what was between them was moving in the right direction, but to then to start making decisions regarding kids was another step.