“Can I have lemonade?” Lucy breathed out, anticipation making her tremble.
Nick tapped his nose. “It will be our secret.”
Alice laughed. “Good luck with that. She’ll break the moment she sees Libby.”
Nick gave a wry smile. “Yeah, you’re right. No such thing as secrets in this family or this town.”
“You’re on green three. Ted’s the man if you need a quick lesson.”
“Great. Oh, and while I think of it, can you be at the marina at 8:00 in the morning? I’ve got a couple of quick turnarounds and you’re my best cleaner.”
Alice knew why her brother-in-law was turning on his legendary charm, even though she was grateful for the work. “Josie busy, is she?”
“You got me. But, seriously, Al, you do a much better job. The clients are mentioning how clean the boats are on TripAdvisor.”
“Dad taught me well.”
“Catch you at dinner.”
Alice nodded and as they walked away she typed into the spreadsheet the amounts she’d taken for the game and the drinks. She had a flurry of arrivals and was kept busy counting in the borrowed bowls, noting down the free greens and handing out flyers about the upcoming Australia Day carnival. Just as the rush eased, her phone buzzed and a notification appeared on the multicolored heart-shaped dating app she’d parted with some precious money to use. Hoping it was from one of the men she’d contacted, she was opening it when she heard a sharp whistle followed by, “Hunter!” The shout made her look up.
It took her a second to realize the yelling man wasn’t calling her surname, but calling to a kid.
“Hunter! Get down!”
A boy, who looked about nine, paused halfway up the cyclone fence before his shoulders drooped in resignation. He jumped down and sheepishly made his way back to his father.
“That one’s full of beans,” Rod commented drily.
“It can be boring waiting for your turn.” Alice remembered long games of Scrabble where Karen, Peter and Libby took forever to create their words and how she quickly lost interest in the game. It didn’t help that she lacked the competitive spirit that drove the rest of her family. She’d have preferred to be drawing.
Rod stood up. “I’ll wander over and give him a lesson on green seven. That’ll keep him off the fence and protect the garden.”
“You’re a nice bloke, Rod.”
His sun-weathered face creased into deep smile lines. “Don’t say that too loudly, love. I’ve got the committee foxed.”
As he walked away, Alice clicked on the dating app and read, Hey Alice! Paris is on the Seine, London on the Thames and Dublin’s on the …?
A buzz of delight shot through her. Tim41 had read her profile. Her fingers flew across the screen. Too easy, Tim! The Liffe. Challenge me. I promise not to cheat. She hit send before she realized her mistake. She hadn’t read his profile or looked at his photo.
Tapping through the links she found him and her insides sighed in both relief and anticipation. Although Aviator sunglasses sat on his shaved head—it wasn’t a look she usually went for—it was his sparkling brown eyes creased in deep smile lines that captivated. They seemed to be looking straight at her. Tim was thirty-seven, worked in agriculture and lived in Lindenow, just under an hour’s drive away. In the country, that was practically next door.
Her phone buzzed again and excitement leaped, quickly followed by disappointment. It wasn’t a message from Tim41, but a text from Libby. Can you come to dinner with us at the RSL? It was immediately followed by a second text. Al, I’ve booked for you. Hope you can come. And a third. Call me!
Kurnai Bay’s cell phone tower didn’t always cope with the glut of communication inflicted on it by the summer crush. Occasionally it vomited a stream of messages, despite them having been sent hours apart. That her twin was getting snippy at Alice’s lack of response was both annoying and comforting—it was a relief Nick was worrying over nothing. Not only had Libby sent the dinner invitation, she sounded her usual organized self.
Alice called her twin and two minutes later, Libby arrived with Leo on her hip and tugging a reluctant Indi by the hand.
“I didn’t think you were working tonight.”
“Technically, I’m not. Rod caught me at a weak moment. I’m volunteering and filling in for Dad.” She smiled at the kids. “Nick tells me Jess has a hot date. Anyone we know?”
Libby’s face lit up. “She and Will have gone to the jazz concert at Nyerimilang. Cross everything.”
Alice didn’t think Jess and Will were particularly well suited, but then again, she’d thought she and Lawrence were a perfect match. Obviously, she knew nothing. For as long as Alice could remember, Libby had been pushing Jess and Nick’s best friend together, but they’d never really stuck.
“Don’t you think it’s time to let go of that dream? I mean, if those two were meant to be, they’d have gotten together years ago.”
“Not necessarily. People change. Look at Jess. She always said she didn’t want kids and she’d never come back to the bay, yet here she is.”
“Even so, I don’t think she’s changed her views about not wanting a full-time man in her life. Isn’t that why she used donor sperm? So she doesn’t have to answer to anyone?”
“That conclusion’s far too simplistic.” Libby inclined her head toward Indi.
But it wasn’t just talking about sperm in front of an almost four-year-old that was bothering her twin. Alice recognized the tone—the brusque one Libby always used whenever she thought Alice was criticizing Jess. It wasn’t any of Alice’s business if Jess wanted a life partner to co-parent Leo, or a friend-with-benefits arrangement—she assumed this was Will’s role—or if Jess continued along the no-strings attached hook-ups path she’d always travelled. But despite
