Each Way Bet (28 page)

‘Hang on a minute.’ Jill’s head was whirling. ‘Firstly, won’t you lose, say, seniority or something if you take that amount of leave?’

‘Nah – or only a bit, anyway. And it’s worth it.’

‘Well, what about me? It might take me a while to find a job, you know.’

‘Don’t see why. They keep saying we’re short of decent higher ed teachers. It’s November so I’d imagine they’ll be advertising all the vacant positions for next year around now. It’s perfect. And if you want to get started earlier, pick up some hours tutoring over summer. Or I bet some of the TAFEs have
summer courses. I’ll cover you on the home front.’

‘And that’s another thing,’ Jill said, ‘I don’t want to be working full-time and then coming home to start a second shift here. You know, cleaning up and cooking tea and –’

‘You won’t.’ Jack looked astonished that she would even think this was a possibility. ‘Once I take on the job, I take on the
whole
job.’

‘For goodness sake, Jack! You’ve got no idea!’

‘What do you mean?’

‘No offence but people like you think that stay-at-home mothering is a piece of cake. That anyone can do it with one hand tied behind their back – and you just can’t. Apart from anything else, you can’t juggle well with one hand tied behind your back, and juggling is a major part of what I do.’

‘Okay, so I’ll save the tying-up part for after hours.’ Jack wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. ‘You know, for when you demand your conjugal rights.’

‘I’m serious!’

‘So am I.’

‘Jack, I’ve been married to you for nearly twenty years and, in my experience, you wander into the kitchen once in a while, wash a dish or two, and then act like you’ve cleaned the entire house. And if that’s the case, then this isn’t going to work.’

‘Then it doesn’t work,’ said Jack matter-of-factly, ‘but it’s worth a try, and I think you’ll be surprised. Besides, I reckon I’ve got it easy. You had three of the little blighters under the age of four, I’ll only have one.’

‘Yeah,’ said Jill with feeling, ‘but what a one.’

‘She’ll be right.’

‘And don’t forget the others haven’t exactly flown from the nest yet. You’ll still have canteen for high school, and all the ferrying after school. And Matt. Something’s got to be done
about Matt.
Apart
from his joining the
Big Brother
house, that is!’

‘Jill –’ Jack put a hand on the side of her face and turned her gently to face him – ‘all you’re doing is coming up with objections. If you don’t want to give this a try, just say so. Otherwise, start thinking positively. You’re being handed what you wanted – or what I
thought
you wanted. So – yes or no?’

‘Um . . .’ Jill tried to imagine what life would be like with their roles reversed, but failed. Then she remembered how much she had enjoyed her brief stint back at work before Cricket, and how increasingly desperate she had been feeling for the past few years – and suddenly what Jack was proposing seemed like it could, indeed, be an answer to her dilemma. She smiled at him, ‘Yes. Let’s do it!’

‘Do what?’ asked Matt suspiciously, sticking his head, which was encased in a parka hood, over the side of the roof.

‘What the hell!’ said his father. ‘What are you doing?’

‘We were wondering when you were coming in,’ said Megan, popping her head up next to her brother’s. ‘And if you weren’t –’

‘Whether we could come up here too,’ finished Kate, from somewhere further down the tree.

‘Me too!’ called Cricket, presumably from ground level.

‘What do you reckon?’ Jack turned to Jill and grinned. ‘Shall we let them?’

‘Why not?’

Jack scrambled out from under the umbrella and, with the rain falling on his already damp head, went over to the edge of the shed roof, where he put a hand out to help Megan cross over onto the roof. She immediately pulled a portable umbrella out of her jacket pocket and, putting it up, settled herself down at the edge of the larger umbrella. Meanwhile, Matt climbed back down the tree and helped Cricket up to
the halfway mark, where her father took over. Then he helped her back underneath the umbrella, where she scrambled into his lap and beamed at her mother happily. Kate, who had disdainfully rejected any help, clambered up agilely and sat herself down between her parents, while Matt sat cross-legged next to his mother, rolling a sodden tennis ball backwards and forwards along the corrugations of the roof. As they settled, Jack reached out and took Megan’s hand, wrapping his big paw around it and giving his eldest daughter a rueful smile that spoke of forgiveness and the possibility of rebuilding trust. Jill’s heart clenched as she watched the girl return the smile eagerly and, with a heartfelt sigh, lean her head against her father’s shoulder.

And there they all sat, half under and half out of the umbrellas, watching the rain fall steadily down onto the corrugated roof with a melodiously rhythmic patter. Jill took a deep breath of the damp air and smiled at nothing in particular. This was her family, warts and all. And, for the first time in several years, she felt totally supported and totally prepared for whatever life was going to throw at her.

She was going to grab Jack’s solution and run with it, not only because it offered her a lifeline, but because he had offered it with her welfare uppermost in his mind. Although she could certainly foresee some teething problems. Such as the kids each having to readjust their expectations of their parents, and Cricket, who could be terribly clingy, taking quite some time to adjust, not to mention Jack’s selective blindness regarding housework. And doubtless there would be other hiccups on the horizon, both minor and major. So, sure, the solution wasn’t anywhere near perfect – but, then again, neither was she.

ALSO BY ILSA EVANS FROM PAN MACMILLAN

Spin Cycle

Ever had one of those weeks when you’ve been soaked, put through the wringer and hung out to dry?

On Monday morning, this twice-divorced mother of three was bemoaning her boring life that left her feeling deflated and unhappy. By the end of the week she wishes that was all she had to worry about.

In the space of seven days her life is picked up and spun around when she discovers her mother’s getting married again (for the fourth time), her older sister is pregnant again (for the fifth time), her younger sister lands the perfect boyfriend (who is very fanciable), her sister-in-law is running a brothel, and her new next-door neighbour is going to be her ex-ex husband. Oh, and she’s been arrested, her best friend’s gone missing and the pets keep dying. All in the same week she sacks her therapist because she thinks she can work it all out for herself. But can she? And how can she work it all out if she doesn’t even know what it is she wants to work out?

Drip Dry

The Riley/Brown/McNeill household is having a busy week. There’s one wedding, two babies, three engagements and four birthdays. Then ex-ex-husband Alex’s return from overseas precipitates the arrival of an unwanted guest.

Along the way there’s an infectious disease outbreak, a mysterious death in the family, a broken nose, a bruised rump, several bruised egos and CJ’s wreaking havoc with sharp fairy wands.

Can life get more frenetic than this?

‘Another desperate week in the life of the single mum from the hectically amusing SPIN CYCLE. More mayhem and lots of love, lust and laughs’
WOMAN’S DAY

‘DRIP DRY is unique and entertaining . . . The laughs just keep on coming from page one right until the very end’
WEST AUSTRALIAN

Odd Socks

Unlike her best friend Camilla Riley, compulsive list-maker Terry Diamond prides herself on her organisational abilities. Also unlike Camilla, Terry is tall, blonde, self-confident, and has a chest that could stop traffic – or at least do wonders for airbag design.

None of the above stops chaos bursting into her life when her daughter not only gives birth on the living-room rug but decides to move home with infant in tow. Meanwhile, Terry is starting to suspect her pink-overall-wearing boyfriend may not even be Mr Right For Now – especially as she has just fallen in love with a mysterious stranger. Will all this mayhem make the play-it-safe Terry do what she needs to do to turn her life around?

‘A funny novel that is guaranteed to keep you laughing’
FRESH MAGAZINE

‘Ilsa Evans is back in wonderfully witty form with a novel that gives the everyday moments of modern suburban life a warm hug of validation’
WEEKEND GOLD COAST BULLETIN

‘This is fun! Ilsa Evans . . . has delivered another light, funny . . . entertaining winner’
NW MAGAZINE