‘Hey, Jake!’ Ollie’s shout from the jetty interrupted them, and Jake tore his eyes from Ella’s. Ella pushed herself away.
‘What’s up?’
‘Someone’s coming up your drive.’
Jake squinted towards the road where a dust cloud rose. ‘Terrible bloody timing.’
‘Who is it?’ she asked, swinging to the road so she could stare for herself.
‘That’s Abel, come to pay a visit.’
Abe’s car stopped part way along the drive.
‘He’s seen us,’ Jake said.
Ella frowned. ‘You say that like it’s a problem?’
‘It might be,’ Jake said, beginning an easy stroke into the jetty. ‘But it could be a good thing too. If Abe asks you anything about Nanna’s house, just follow my lead. Okay?’
‘Um, okay? Is there anything I shouldn’t tell him?’
Plenty probably, but it was all a bit late to explain now.
Abe must want to know what was happening with Nanna Irma’s house, and maybe, finally, Jake could get his brother to talk about why he needed to sell it so much.
CHAPTER
26
In the five minutes it took Jake and Ella to swim in, climb the jetty and towel off most of the water, Jake’s brother had bounced across the paddock in a dark blue sedan that looked mean and fast, and nothing like a farmer’s car.
He cut the engine, and Jake jumped off the gazebo deck and strolled out to meet him. Ella just had time to wrap the sarong around Jake’s wet t-shirt to cover herself, but not time enough to pull on her now-dry knickers. She picked up her discarded blouse and dropped it to hide her underwear on the deck. Then she got busy packing up the last of the lunch things into the picnic basket. The basket was much lighter now.
Ollie and Sam moved out of the shade, back towards the water, and Ella stopped them with one word. ‘Sunscreen.’
Both boys groaned, but came back under the gazebo to lather sunscreen over their faces, arms and the back of their necks.
‘Don’t forget lifejackets, and nobody pushes anyone else in.’
Sam rolled his eyes. ‘We won’t, Mum.’
‘Okay, Ella,’ Ollie agreed.
‘I’ll be watching. Call out if you need me.’
‘We will,’ Sam and Ollie said.
The two boys wriggled into lifejackets and returned to the kayaks.
Keeping half an eye on the kids, Ella also tried to see what was going on near the car. There was a fair bit of arm waving. Then Abe got out of the car and approached the gazebo.
‘Finally, I get to meet our real estate agent,’ Abe said, stepping up onto the level of the gazebo deck, striding forward. He wore weak-tea-coloured chinos that must be hot on a day like this, although he’d probably been in air-conditioning most of the drive. Ella didn’t even know where Abe lived. Perth probably, but didn’t Jake say he had a restaurant in Dunsborough too?
Ella extended her hand. ‘I’m Ella. Pleased to meet you.’
‘You too.’ Abe held her hand briefly and then let go, and Ella had a chance to study him when he turned back to Jake.
Abel Honeychurch was slimmer than his elder brother, and the slim was nothing to do with genetics and everything to do with the age difference between them: the different lives they lived; the different jobs they did.
He was more polished. Blond where Jake was dark, and his hair longer, combed into a style that wouldn’t stay where it was without the help of some type of product. Ella couldn’t imagine Jake threading wax or a spray through his hair every morning, combing it up.
‘Whose are the groms?’ Abe asked.
‘Don’t you recognise Oliver? Nita Kinworth’s grandson. The other boy is Ella’s son, Sam.’
‘Hey, boys,’ Abe waved.
Ollie returned the wave, but Sam was too busy concentrating on his balance in the kayak to lift a hand. Ella heard him call out, ‘Hi.’
‘Jeez, Ollie’s grown,’ Abe said.
What is it about him? Ella wondered. On closer inspection his clothes were loose, like he’d either lost a few kilos or maybe his clothes got stretched in the wash. Ella had seen enough elite athletes in the marshalling area at a big swim meet to recognise nervous energy when she saw it, and Abe had a bundle of it going on. Even when he stood still, he quivered on the balls of his feet, like a dog waiting for a kid to throw a ball. Was it drugs? Ella had been on the pool deck in the Stilnox scandal days. She’d seen swimmer friends and rivals under the influence.
‘So you’re not selling houses today, Ella? Got a day off?’ he asked her.
‘Jake invited Sam for a play with Ollie, and a swim.’
‘Did he now?’ Abe swung back to Jake. Already a sheen of sweat shone on his forehead, underneath the fancy hair. ‘Well, you can’t say it’s not hot enough. I might have to do the same thing in a minute.’
‘We can head up to the house. Cooler up there,’ Jake said.
‘Nah. This is good.’ He pulled out one of the light-weight recliner chairs and sat, fidgeting his fingers through the plastic weave. Even sitting, Abe pulsed with energy.
‘So have you heard from Mum and Dad?’ Abe asked Jake, and they chatted for a while, catching up on news.
Ella stayed out of it, concentrating on watching Sam and Ollie out on the dam. Sam was getting better at controlling the oars, and the two kids shot back and forward across the water. She relaxed, just a tiny bit.
The slightest hint of a breeze marred the mirrored surface, but there was nothing cool or relieving about it.
‘So, how about Pickles and his water ski park, hey? How’s that for news?’ Abe said.
‘You should take a drive out there. The dam’s the size of a couple of football fields,’ Jake replied.
‘Might hafta do that.’ Abe turned to Ella. ‘Gotta be good
