Talk to the Heart (Rose Hill, #3) by Rachael Johns

Author:Rachael Johns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQ Fiction
Published: 2023-09-21T00:00:00+00:00

After a gruelling hour in Ms Hester’s office negotiating Rocky’s punishment, they arrived at an agreement. Gabe, now boasting a broken nose, would be made to formally apologise to Rocky, and both boys would receive a three-day suspension. Rocky would serve his in the principal’s office at school because she didn’t want him to fall behind any further, and this way, she’d be able to help him if need be. For all her bark, Holden could see that Ms Hester had Rocky’s best interests at heart as well.

Once they were home and the boys were getting stuck into their afternoon chores, Holden headed back down the road to the convent and was greeted at the door by Michelle again. She was wearing an apron that said ‘Love is spoken here, joy is chosen here, grace is given here’ on the front and she had flour on her face and in her hair.

‘Well, hello again. Glad to hear you found Rocky safe and sound.’ She did the sign of the cross. ‘Praise the Lord.’

‘Indeed,’ Holden said. ‘Is Adeline around?’

‘It’s always Adeline, isn’t it?’ Michelle tsked. ‘And here I was thinking maybe you’d come to visit me this time.’

Holden wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, so he decided it was safer to say nothing.

She sighed. ‘Come on. She’s out the back with Bella.’

He followed Michelle into the vast entry hall and down the corridor out to the back. The convent wasn’t much like he’d imagined—it was more modern and far homier inside. And the backyard was like some kind of botanic gardens. Looked like the nuns had green thumbs.

‘She’s over there.’ Michelle pointed to where Adeline was sitting on a cast iron bench under a big eucalypt tree, Bella slumped at her feet. ‘I’ll leave you to it. The dinner won’t make itself.’

‘Thanks.’ Holden walked quietly across to Adeline. Her eyes were closed, and she was fiddling with some beads on a long chain. The late-afternoon sunlight filtered through the foliage above, causing shadows to dance on her caramel skin. Man, she was gorgeous.

Sensing his approach, Bella looked up and then bounded over to greet him. ‘Hey girl.’ He stooped down and scratched her between her ears the way he knew she liked.

‘What are you doing here?’ Adeline demanded as her eyes snapped open and she shoved the beads into her pocket.

‘I came to thank you for what you did today. For Rocky.’

‘I did nothing,’ she scoffed. ‘I misread the situation. He was fine.’

‘I wouldn’t say he was fine, and he told me what you said to him—about not being like his dad and that. It really sunk in.’ As Holden straightened, Bella ran off towards some chickens pecking in the dirt at the other side of the garden.

‘I thought he was going to kill himself. I had to make him see that doing so would be a terrible mistake. And it’s true anyway, it’s clear to see he’s nothing like his father and we all do make mistakes. His is relatively minor in the big picture.

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