“Still. Nice try, mate.” Across the table, Ben flashed Rohan a grin that instantly lightened the mood. “I keep trying to fob mine off as well, but those paternity tests are always coming back with the wrong answer.” He winked at his visibly pregnant wife, who rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Congratulations, here’s another bloody one. And another.” Ben swept up a shrieking child as she ran past, and then a second one, turning them upside down as they squealed with delight. “Wish I could work out how we keep getting them.”
Between them all, Raco blinked slowly and shook his head. Family, he mouthed at Falk. Jesus Christ. He reached for the bottle nearest him.
“Right,” he said to no one in particular. “Who else needs a drink?”
Falk smiled and sat back in his chair. He leaned over to Gemma, their elbows colliding as she turned toward him at the same moment.
“Do you want to get some air?” he said.
“Absolutely.”
The light in the vineyard was dazzling after the relative dark of the barn, and they blinked as they emerged into the brilliant afternoon sun. Falk reached for Gemma’s hand, and it slid straight into his. They didn’t talk as they walked together down through the vines, the fresh spring leaves shimmering full and green all around. They were alone out there, the distant music and chatter growing louder and then fading as they wandered together up and down the tracks. Falk found himself watching their shadows. Side by side, hand in hand.
At the far end of a row that looked pretty much the same as all the others, he finally slowed, then came to a stop. Gemma, still holding his hand, glanced back the way they’d come. The sounds from the party filtered through the air, but the barn was hidden from view.
She nodded. “This is a good spot.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Because if we walk up any farther, they’ll all be able to see us kissing.”
Falk smiled at her. “That’s what’s going to happen now?”
She smiled back. “You know it is.”
And she was right. He put his hands to her face and his mouth on hers, long and deep. The sensation flooded through him like cool water and he could feel her body pressed soft and warm against his.
After what felt like both a long time and not long enough, they pulled apart and Gemma took a breath. Her eyes were bright, her fingertips laced through his own.
“Joel’s going from here to a friend’s house to play video games for the afternoon.”
“Okay.” Falk ran his thumb over her palm.
She closed her hand around his. “So you should drive me home.”
* * *
Her house was silent and sun-drenched. They went straight to her bedroom, closing the door on a disgruntled Luna.
“Listen, Gemma, I do actually still need to leave on Friday. I’m giving evidence in court on Monday so I have to get up to speed—”
“It’s okay. This unzips on the side here, not the back.”
“Oh, great, got it, thanks. And I can definitely have another look for clear weekends, but it gets tricky because I’m on a seven-day rotating roster so—”
“I know. I understand that.”
“I just—” He stopped.
“Aaron.” Gemma stopped, too. Her lips were close to his, her fingers on his shirt buttons. “Maybe I’ve been overthinking all this. I mean, people will always come and go. And sometimes you know when, and sometimes you don’t.”
Falk nodded, his hands still.
“And we’re both here right now.” Her eyes had flecks of gold near the center. “So I think we should make the most of it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. There’s something to be said for enjoying moments while you can.” She smiled and touched her lips to his. “Those stupid Melbourne beer coasters might have had a point.”
He laughed and she hung his jacket on a chair. Then they lay down on her sun-lined sheets under the open window, and he kissed her back in that quiet house as the breeze and the soft lazy sounds of a Sunday afternoon floated by.
27
The barn was empty and the vineyard drive had cleared by the time Falk pulled up in the dark. Light spilled from the cottage and he could hear the hum of relaxed talking and laughter through the open windows. His guesthouse stood dark, but someone was sitting alone out front in the nighttime air. She had her head tilted back and her eyes closed.
“Hi, Rita.” Falk pulled up the other chair. “Your turn to hide from the family?”
She smiled with her eyes still shut. “I’m folding laundry, can’t you tell?”
“Let me give you a hand with that.” Falk went into the guesthouse and came out with a jug of iced water and a couple of glasses. “Have most people gone?”
“Everyone but the family.” She opened one eye. “You’re going to be invited to brunch tomorrow, by the way. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to brunch with five children, but I’d highly recommend a prior commitment if I were you. We’re taking them to the festival tomorrow night for a last run before people start heading off. Say you’ll catch us then instead.”
“Noted. Thanks.”
Rita smiled and straightened in her chair, reaching for her water. “And how about you?” She looked at Falk now, her voice softer. He was still wearing his suit, his tie in his pocket. “Have you had a nice day, Aaron?”
“Yeah. I have.”
He’d lain there with Gemma in the quiet and the warmth until the light changed. As the shadows grew across the room, she’d finally taken her hand off his chest and propped herself up on one elbow.
“I absolutely hate to say this, but—”
“It’s okay. I’ll head off now, before Joel gets back.”
“Is that all right? It’s just this is his home, too, and—”
“Yeah, definitely. It’s better. Can I see you tomorrow?”
“I’m on call for the festival all day tomorrow. I’ll try to arrange a couple of hours’ cover.”
“Great.” He smiled at her. “Although, I actually still don’t have your number.”
“I know.” She smiled back, then rolled over on the bed to reach her phone on the bedside table. “Let’s fix that.”
He had kissed her again at the front door, the sky already deepening above them.
Falk sat with Rita now, Gemma’s number saved on his phone, listening to the gentle nocturnal buzz of evening settling in.
“I say this with complete neutrality.” Rita was watching his face. “But if you were interested, Charlie would probably bring you in on this business—”
“Rita.”
“Aaron, I’m simply passing on the information.”
“Come on. Seriously. I can’t. You know I—”
“I do know, and that’s fine. It is. I have no stake in this, other than I care about you.” She fixed her large dark eyes on him so he couldn’t look away. “But supposing you could. Charlie would have work for you here.”
“Doing what? What on earth would I do here?”
“Everything. There’s a lot you could bring to this. The business has been too big for him for a while now. He’s looking for someone else. It doesn’t have to be you. But it could be.”