‘Oh,’ was all she managed to say. Completely and totally inadequate.
Then Reid said, ‘So, it’s okay to talk about Anna now?’
Flynn’s gaze jerked to Reid, his brow furrowed. ‘Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?’
Reid shot Barb and Nat a look and then back to Flynn. ‘You never talk about her, that’s all.’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘No, you don’t. Not even with Aaron.’
‘What? Of course I do.’ Flynn looked confused, shocked. ‘Of course I have. I would never … Aaron knows all about his mum. How important she was.’
Reid shared looks with Barb and Nat again. ‘Of course he does.’ He sighed. ‘I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.’
‘Well, good. Aaron loves his mum.’
‘He does. She was a special woman.’
‘Yes. She was.’
Silence fell again until Reid—thank god for Reid—said, ‘We’re going to have to replace the brush jump damaged by the fire this afternoon, but I wanted your opinion on it, Prita, given you’re the one who uses the course the most.’
‘Fire? What fire?’ Barb asked.
‘The one in the gymkhana paddock,’ Reid said slowly, shooting Flynn a look as if asking him to explain. Except, Flynn’s face had gone curiously blank. ‘Mac and Ben caught it this morning. Someone had set a campfire and hadn’t put it out properly.’
‘Driver going through the fence, my foot,’ Barb muttered then sighed. ‘Okay. Well, can I ask you to deal with it? Flynn’s got a lot on his plate at the moment.’
‘I can deal with it, Mum,’ Flynn said, seeming to snap out of wherever he’d gone to at her words.
‘So can Reid. You don’t need to worry about everything. He is your business partner.’
‘I can do it,’ Reid said.
Flynn’s jaw squared. ‘So can I.’
Barb’s brow furrowed and she reached out to touch his arm. ‘Let him do it, son.’
He looked like he was going to argue, but then simply nodded. ‘Fine. Reid can deal with the bloody burned jumping fence.’
Prita looked at Nat and Reid to see if they had noticed how weird this conversation had got. They were sharing a look and then Reid said to Barb, ‘How do you reckon the Doggies are going to go this year?’
Barb turned her attention from Flynn and smiled at her grandson. ‘Pre-season is looking to be a killer. Although, I think they’ve got a chance with the solid line up from last year and a few of the new recruits look promising.’
Nat rolled her eyes. ‘Agh! Not football.’
‘We could talk cricket,’ Barb suggested.
‘That’s even worse. Flynn, save me from sport talk.’
Flynn frowned down at her for a moment and then, on a little shake, he smiled. ‘What would you like to talk about?’
‘Anything. What are you going to do with Rebel?’
He began to outline his plans for breeding, which then turned into a typical argue-discussion between him, Nat and Reid on plans for any of their breeding and training program and it was like the awkward moment of before had never existed. Maybe it hadn’t. Maybe she’d just imagined something awkward because she was expecting it. It wouldn’t be her birthday celebration without something bad happening. Maybe a bit of awkward conversation was all she had to worry about tonight. A person could dream, right?
Barb excused herself just then to go and check on the meat and before Reid could join her and start arguing again, Nat said, ‘Flynn, can you and Reid move the table from the wall and take care of setting it while the birthday girl and I finish our drinks?’
‘Sure.’ He moved off with Reid.
Nat sighed happily as they lifted the heavy table and manoeuvred it into the middle of the space. ‘I love watching my man being all manly. Look at that play of muscle.’
Prita was looking at a play of muscle, but it wasn’t Reid’s. Flynn was wearing shorts and a soft blue t-shirt that skimmed his hips, drawing her eyes to his bum and then down his long legs to the thongs on his feet. He had nice feet. Big feet—long and strong. And by the package she saw clearly delineated in his Rudolf boxers earlier, the old adage about feet was true when it came to him.
Oh for god’s sake! Stop it! She went to take another big gulp of her drink but it was empty. Damn it.
Nat laughed. ‘Tough day?’
‘Not really. It just slipped down so well.’
Nat took the glass from her and picked up the empty water jug. ‘Let me get you another one and fill this jug up again. Come with me and help me bring out the salads? Barb, can you run interference between those two idiots over there while we’re gone? Who would argue about the best way to order the chairs around the table? Men!’
‘Right-e-o,’ Barb said, the smile on her face indicating she wasn’t so much going to run interference as just stay there and enjoy the idiocy.
Prita was happy to follow Nat back inside to grab the salads. Sounds were coming down the hall from the rumpus room where the kids were—the roaring of engines and circus-like music playing under the cries and chatter of children enjoying themselves. ‘Should I go check on them?’
‘They’ll be fine. Mario Kart is hardly dangerous and they all know to make sure Aaron doesn’t jolt his shoulder. They’ll look after him.’
‘I know. Carter was quite concerned.’
‘He’s a lovely friend.’
‘He’s lucky to have Tilly and Aaron. They have made such a difference for him. Nearly all the other kids began to accept him because they did. I don’t think they understand just what they did for him.’
Nat smiled. ‘That was
