‘So what’s the story, Aidan?’ asked Lauren on Monday evening when the group convened on Georgia and Aidan’s verandah for drinks. She had a determined set to her jaw Simon had never seen before.
‘About the developer? Yeah. It’s all over town.’ Rufus’s usually relaxed manner was belied by the sharp way he looked at Aidan.
‘What’s happening?’ Simon asked. Lauren and Rufus obviously knew something he didn’t, something that pissed them off. What did Aidan know and about what?
Simon’s attention had been otherwise occupied the last few days. Antonia and the twins consumed his free time, and his thoughts all the time. The more he saw them the more he fell in love with his family. Sarah and Jacob welcomed him with smiles now and accepted he was part of their lives, especially after an afternoon clearing weeds in their vegetable plot and planting the lettuce seedlings he’d brought. They called him Daddy, which thrilled him, but he wasn’t sure they fully understood the concept. They would.
‘Flynn and the council want to develop the block next door,’ said Rufus. ‘Word is that the resort company owned by Sean Baldessin is interested.’
‘Nothing’s decided yet,’ said Aidan with a pull at his beer. ‘It’s just an idea at this stage. Everyone knows the council is generally in favour of some sort of development in the area.’
‘I’ve never heard of them or him,’ said Simon.
‘He’s a millionaire,’ said Lauren with a sour twist to her mouth. She made millionaire sound like paedophile. ‘Made his money in technology but now owns a bunch of resorts along the coast.’
‘What sort of resorts are they?’ asked Georgia. ‘I mean, what sort of thing do they want to build here? We’re a long way from the coast.’
‘Who knows, who cares,’ Rufus said. ‘How come you didn’t tell us, Ade?’ Again the intent focus. Rufus was seriously annoyed.
‘Because it was council business and still under discussion. Not all of us are keen on this idea but we can at least meet the man and see what his proposal is. Anyway, it’s only just come up. Flynn was in Brisbane over the weekend and ran into him at some function he was invited to.’
‘I bet,’ growled Rufus. ‘I reckon he’s been cooking this up for ages and knew that bloke was going to be there.’
‘He’s coming to Flynn’s Crossing on Thursday and we’re having lunch with him at the pub. I’ll be able to tell you more after that.’
‘Let me get this right,’ said Lauren. ‘The council is talking to Baldessin about putting some kind of resort next door to us? Are they sure that block is big enough for him? It’s only fifteen hectares with two boundaries on the National Park and some of that is pretty steep and rocky. I bet our land is on the table too. We’re on a much better block, level and with the river running through.’
‘Flynn wouldn’t let the council do that to us. They can’t force us to sell.’
‘Grow up, Simon,’ Lauren snapped. ‘Of course he’d apply pressure if it made the difference between doing the deal or not.’
‘What about my vote?’ said Aidan. ‘I’m on that council. And Simon’s right. No one can force us to sell. ‘Our land aside, it’s next door that’s up for grabs. Can you outvote Flynn and Margie? She’ll be all for it given her and Barry’s background. And they can be very persuasive.’ Rufus clunked his empty bottle on the table.
‘Will the owner sell, do you reckon?’ asked Georgia
‘Sure to, and we can’t match the price a big developer would pay.’ Aidan sighed. ‘We’ll just have to wait and see what Baldessin has to say and what he’s proposing. Margie says he’s very eco-friendly and into sustainable development and you know what she thinks about that. You only have to see what she and Barry have done on their place.’
‘That’s true,’ said Georgia. ‘But this won’t be a private house. This will be a much bigger project.’
‘At least they’ll fix the fence,’ said Simon. ‘And the road.’
Lauren groaned and it wasn’t an amused sound.
‘It could mean a new market for our produce,’ said Aidan. ‘And jobs for people.’
‘Sounds like you’ve already decided,’ said Rufus.
‘No, I haven’t, but I want to give the bloke a fair hearing before I do decide, not dismiss it out of hand.’
‘I would have thought that’s exactly what you would do,’ said Lauren. ‘The last thing we want is a massive tourist development over the fence from us. Somewhere else, fine, but not here.’
‘So you’re a NIMBY.’ Georgia smiled. ‘Not in my back yard,’ she said guessing correctly when Simon opened his mouth to ask what that meant.
‘Damn right I am in this case,’ said Lauren. ‘And I’m amazed any of you are even giving this idea brain space.’ She stood up. ‘See you in the morning.’
Simon watched her stride across the grass to her own house, back rigid, head up. He’d never heard her so vehemently opposed to something. Usually she was calm and cheerful. Unflappable. He didn’t know her at all.
‘Wow,’ he murmured.
‘She’s right.’ Rufus stood as well. ‘Night all.’ He disappeared into the gloom.
Simon looked from Aidan to Georgia in surprise. ‘I didn’t expect that. They’re really upset.’
‘I did,’ said Aidan. ‘Especially from Rufus. He hates those corporate types.’
‘So do I,’ said Simon. ‘That’s why I love this place and the town so much. But Flynn does too. I can’t believe he’s as bad as Lauren makes out. Is he?’
Aidan shrugged. ‘Have to wait and see.’
‘Would Rufus stay if this thing goes ahead?’ Simon frowned. ‘This is our home. We’ve all worked really hard …’
‘I know, but we don’t know yet what scale his idea is on. It might be quite small and not affect us at all.’
‘I doubt that,’ said Georgia. ‘It wouldn’t be worth his while and given the land, the best area to build is right on our boundary.’
Simon stared blindly out into the gathering dusk. If the group began to break up over this his world would crumble. This was his home, these people were like family; he’d planned on being here for the rest of his life. But of course, he had a real family now—Antonia and their children. They were a little beacon of hope for the future. He would always have them and if the worst came to the worst they could move and set up again somewhere else. A proper family unit.
***
Antonia looked up when the cafe door opened. The customer met her automatic smile with one of his own. Flynn. Her welcoming smile faded to confusion as a rush of conflicting emotions swamped her: pleasure at seeing him combined with a niggling feeling of mistrust, mixed with curiosity about the friend in Brisbane he’d been visiting, a woman, for sure, according to the grapevine. And her neck was hot. Flushing like a teenager under the weight of those stunning blue eyes.
‘Good morning.’ It came out relatively normally. She gave the counter another wipe over and tidied the already tidy pile of menus.
‘Hi, how are you?’ He glanced around and nodded to a couple of people, receiving vague acknowledgements in return. Did he realise he was the topic du jour? He’d probably revel in it.
‘Fine, thank you. Take a seat.’
‘Thanks. Long black, please.’ He chose one of the four stools at the end of the counter, which meant she was right under his eye.
Cath came out from the kitchen with two of her super milkshakes for the young couple in the corner booth.
‘G’day, Flynn. The usual?’
‘Thanks.’
Antonia took the milkshakes. She hadn’t learned the art of using the espresso machine yet but each time Cath made an order and she wasn’t busy, she watched carefully. Len would teach her, he said. She would learn a lot from him. Her dream of opening her own cafe or restaurant one day was still alive. Not that she’d shared it with anyone here.
‘You’re the talk of the town,’ Cath said to Flynn. ‘Socialising with millionaires.’ She concentrated on making the coffee.
Antonia glanced at him as she took the order to the booth. He gave nothing away. The other customers sat with ears flapping, not even pretending they weren’t listening.
‘Hardly socialising,’ he said. ‘It was a business function and I went with a friend because she invited me. I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity like that.’ So it was a woman. One of the exes he never kept in contact with?
‘What sort of opportunity are we talking here, Flynn?’ called a middle-aged woman seated in a booth with two friends. They’d been there for an hour dissecting the marriage of a fourth woman and the reasons for her constant visits to Kurrajong—definitely not for shopping—and showed no sign of moving or ordering anything other than the one pot of tea between them. Annoyed the heck out of Len.
‘A good one for Flynn’s Crossing,’ Flynn said.
‘Says who?’
‘Nothing’s been decided, Glenda. The council will listen to what he has to say, that’s all at this stage.’
‘Do we get a say?’
‘Of course. Any proposal the council considers viable will be put up for public comment. It’s a long process.’
‘I can tell you right now what my comment will be.’
‘You’re entitled to your opinion but so is everyone else and we need to hear them all.’
‘And we know how that works out, don’t we? Money talks.’
Flynn turned back to Cath, who had placed his coffee on the counter in front of him. ‘Thanks.’
Antonia went to serve another couple who hadn’t joined in but sat listening at their table by the window.
‘Sounds like a hot subject,’ the man said.
Antonia nodded. ‘It is. I’m new in town so I’m not as involved.’
‘Yet,’ said the woman with a smile.
‘Are you locals?’
‘No, we’re on a driving holiday, heading to Darwin eventually.’
‘Gosh. That’s a long way.’
‘Jeff’s on long-service leave so we decided to see Australia. We’re from Canberra.’
‘I went there once on a school trip.’ Another lifetime, another world where she was a carefree child in a secure loving family. ‘What would you like?’
Antonia took the menu and went to place their order.
‘Did you get the weeding done?’ Flynn asked.
‘Heaps. Simon came and helped.’
‘He’d be good at it. How’s he getting on with the children?’
‘Sarah and Jacob call him Daddy now.’
‘That’s nice.’
He picked up the coffee but didn’t drink. A muscle twitched in his jaw. The altercation with Glenda must have unsettled him. The three of them were still there muttering together like Macbeth’s witches. She wracked her brain for something to say.
‘They started school yesterday.’
‘How did it go?’ No smile. Was he really interested?
‘They loved it. We were a bit restricted with learning activities before.’ She paused. No reaction from Flynn. Was he even listening? ‘They’re pretty independent when they feel secure.’
A frown flicked across his brow and suddenly the blue eyes locked on hers. ‘Are they? They didn’t strike me that way.’
She lowered her voice. ‘It’s not personal, Flynn. They’re just unsure around men. The teacher is a woman. They’re used to being with other women and kids when I’m not there.’
‘But they’ve accepted your father and Simon.’
‘They’re starting to accept Simon, yes. And Dad …’
Flynn was waiting for her to finish the sentence but she couldn’t tell him Connor had saved them all without opening up that whole mess she wanted so desperately to put behind them.
‘Dad … is just Dad,’ she said. ‘How could they not love him? We lived in his house for the last eight months. It took them a bit of time though.’
He nodded. ‘So you reckon they might accept me one day?’
What was he saying? Why was that important to him? He wanted reassurance. The realisation smacked her in the head. ‘Yes, of course.’
Some of the tension left his face. ‘Good. I don’t want everyone in town to think I’m a monster, including little kids.’
‘I don’t. They don’t. Lots of people don’t.’ So it wasn’t concern for acceptance by her children, he liked to be liked by his townspeople regardless of age. How disappointing, She didn’t think he was as much of a politician to the core as that.
She also didn’t think he lacked confidence. Quite the opposite, but his question had exposed a surprising vulnerability before he covered it with the glib remark. Was he unsure of himself underneath the easy manner? Or was it all acting? He was a master of charm while she was groping in the dark when it came to establishing adult friendships. Men like Flynn were a foreign land to her. Filled with unknowns and incomprehensible situations and attitudes.
‘What do you think about this proposal?’ He eyed her squarely now, all traces of self-doubt gone and proving how right she’d been about her lack of understanding.
‘I don’t have an opinion, I haven’t been here long enough but I know Cath and Len are in favour of bringing more tourists to town.’
The door opened and a couple of young women in hiking gear came in, faces shiny with heat and sweat.
‘Excuse me.’
She grabbed a menu and went to greet them. When she returned, Flynn had finished his coffee and counted out coins for his bill in a neat pile.
‘They’re the sort of people we want to encourage,’ he said softly.
‘Hikers?’
He nodded. ‘The National Park is a wonderful area for nature lovers, hikers and photographers and hardly anyone goes there. There are some spectacular views, waterfalls, orchids, rainforest areas … native animals … all right on our doorstep.’
‘I’d love to see it.’
‘I can take you in. There’s a walk the children could manage that goes to a very pretty waterfall. It’s a nice place to swim and have a picnic too.’
‘That sounds lovely.’
‘We could go this Sunday.’ His manner was offhand, as if he didn’t care one way or the other whether she accepted.
‘All right. They can’t swim yet though.’
‘That’s fine. There’s a little shallow area they can paddle in. I’ll pick you up at eleven.’
‘Thank you. We’ll bring the picnic.’
‘Mangoes?’ He laughed, relaxed for the first time this morning. She must have taken his mind off those women.
‘What else?’
‘I’d better go and do some work. See you later, Cath.’
‘Got a date?’ Cath asked after he’d gone.
‘It’s not really a date. He’s just showing us …’ She stopped when the grin on Cath’s face turned into laughter. ‘I suppose it is, sort of. But not like you think.’ Hot neck and cheeks again.
‘And is that what Flynn thinks?’
‘No. My kids are coming. I’m not the sort of woman he’d date. He’s just being nice.’ He’d go for the upmarket Brisbane girl who invited him to glamorous functions and introduced him to useful, interesting people. Wealthy people with power and influence.
‘Maybe.’
‘He wants to show me the rainforest and a waterfall.’
‘It’s a lovely walk, that one. Easy.’
‘You know what I think? He’s campaigning to get me onside for his resort plans. I said I had no opinion and the next thing he invited me to see how beautiful the area is and how it should be used more.’
‘I reckon he’s right. But I also think that’s not why he asked you.’
Cath went to clear the table that Glenda and her cronies had finally left. Could she be right? No way. Cath was teasing her. Flynn was being quite attentive but she was new in town, a novelty, and she had nothing to hold his attention for much longer. Not if he had a high-flying girlfriend in Brisbane for personal activity. What did a single mother of twins have to offer? She had no money, not much education, and if he ever found out about her past it would kill any interest stone dead.
No, her first instinct was right. He wanted her onside in the upcoming stoush over the development. Which was a relief because she didn’t want to have to deal with personal approaches from him.
***
Unsurprisingly, Thursday’s meeting attracted a crowd of townspeople who loitered about the pub waiting for a chance to waylay Sean Baldessin and tell him what they thought of his resort plans. Not knowing what those plans actually were was no deterrent to the likes of Glenda Foley and her ilk.
Flynn was surprised to see Rufus and Lauren from the cooperative standing in the shade of a street tree. He’d arranged that Baldessin would meet him and the councillors in the bar first and then have lunch in the courtyard garden, which had been closed for the private function. It would probably be better if they bypassed the bar and went straight through to the courtyard, given the mood outside. Although that would give rise to all sorts of conjecture and charges of secrecy.
Not that any of it worried him. Antonia had agreed to go on a picnic and the image of her smile as she said yes would buoy him through any unpleasantness yet to come. It was his secret talisman, held close to his heart, giving him strength.
Three of the councillors were at the bar already—Aidan, Margie and Judy. Margie and Judy perched on stools with untouched glasses of white wine while Aidan leaned against the bar, arms folded. Most of the tables were full, not unusual this close to lunchtime, but the low murmur of voices replaced the more normal chatter, giving the room a brooding air of unease. Young Martin moved about collecting empties while Sal delivered plates of food.
‘Hi, boss,’ she said as she passed.
‘G’day.’ He crossed to the bar with eyes boring into him.
‘Where’s this bloke?’ asked Judy by way of greeting. She was economical with words, very popular in the area, having been born and raised on a dairy farm, which she now ran, and didn’t have time for fools or people she considered gasbags. Flynn liked her but on this issue predicted she’d be very conservative.
‘He’s not due till twelve. It’s only ten to,’ said Margie.
‘If he doesn’t show up on time I’m going. Got better things to do than wait around for some city suit.’
Flynn smiled. Judy had worn a dress with small blue flowers on it, white low-heeled sandals and done her hair up in a bun. Her regular attire was jeans and an old checked shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He wouldn’t have put it past her to turn up straight from the cow paddock in manure-caked gumboots. Perhaps the prospect of meeting a millionaire had softened her.
‘You look very nice,’ he said. ‘Blue suits you.’
She gave him a flinty-eyed look but he signalled to Donna for a beer. Phil and Walter arrived together; Phil, puffing and wheezing as though he’d run all the way, Walter, the epitome of a country storekeeper, his usual thin pale self with wispy hair neatly combed and rimless glasses perched on his beaky nose.
‘Is Bill coming?’ Flynn asked when the newcomers had drinks in hand.
‘Should be,’ Phil said. ‘Where’s the guest of honour?’
Where indeed? Flynn looked at the clock over the bar. Two minutes before twelve. If Baldessin stood him up he’d look a fool. A gullible fool. Aidan hadn’t said a word yet beyond greetings. He’d refused a drink and Flynn had no idea what he was thinking. Lauren and Rufus must be against any sort of development, judging by their presence outside and the stern set of their faces. Was Aidan here to block any chance of a deal on the land next to his?
A group of people came through the door, Bill included. He marched straight to the bar while the others milled about looking for a place to sit. Bill gave the impression he’d been in the army, but he hadn’t. He was a retired public servant who’d worked in the State Government Revenue Office.
The entrance had caused a stir. All heads turned, expecting Baldessin to appear. Did anyone know what he looked like apart from Margie and himself? They might if they read financial or business magazines, but he didn’t feature in gossip columns or social pages online or in newspapers.
‘Hello, Sean.’ Behind him, Margie’s delighted voice cut through his musings.
‘Margie, how lovely to see you again. You look great.’
Flynn turned to see her receiving a kiss on the cheek from a dark-haired man in tan shorts and a white Polo shirt. Sean Baldessin. Where had he sprung from? Not that it mattered, the man had turned up, thank God. No wonder he’d walked in unnoticed. He looked like any other tourist stopping off for lunch in the town.
‘Flynn. Good to see you.’ His hand was grasped firmly. ‘Thank you for inviting me. Nice place you have here.’
‘Hello, Sean. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you come in.’ He’d forgotten the man’s soft Irish accent. That should count for something with Judy, her surname was O’Boyle.
‘I’ve been here for a while.’ He nodded his head towards the far corner.
Spying? Checking up? Making a preliminary survey, taking stock and doing his own appraisal? A smart man.
‘Right. Let me introduce my colleagues on the council.’
Sean’s appearance had taken everyone by surprise. The people in the bar who cared hadn’t realised who he was, the rest weren’t interested anyway. Those waiting outside to quiz him on the way in would be disappointed.
‘Shall we go through to the courtyard?’
Flynn signalled to Donna and she nodded and disappeared into the kitchen to warn chefs Linda and Karl.
When everyone was seated at the round table under the vine-and-flower-covered pergola, drinks replenished and Sal had taken orders, Sean said, ‘Let me just say how delighted I am to be here, regardless of any business we may undertake. This is a beautiful area and I truly think Flynn’s Crossing is a town you should all be proud of.’
‘We are, don’t worry about that,’ said Judy. ‘And we aim to keep it that way.’
‘I’m sure you do and I certainly don’t want to come in here and change things.’
‘What do you want to do then?’ asked Bill. ‘Why are we here?’
‘Perhaps we should eat first and talk business later,’ suggested Flynn.
‘I don’t see why,’ Judy said.
‘Neither do I,’ said Sean. ‘We all have things we want to say so I reckon we should get on with it.’
Bill and Judy exchanged glances. Surprised? He hoped so. Sean had surprised him in Brisbane, and again today.
‘How long have you been in Australia?’ asked Phil.
‘Since I was a teenager. Still haven’t lost the accent.’ He smiled. ‘I’m a proud citizen and my wife is Australian. She grew up in Sydney.’
‘Can we get back to why we’re here?’ asked Bill.
‘Of course. I’m here because Flynn thought I might be interested in putting a resort in the area. I’m very interested in sustainable living and eco-friendly development so this would be an experiment, if you like. My idea, and this is purely an idea at the moment, is for a development in stages. Stage One would be lodge-style accommodation and camping for hikers and climbers and so on with a restaurant, cafeteria, information office, rest rooms and facilities for day visitors. Stage Two would be luxury accommodation. Perhaps cabins with a boutique hotel attached. I’m not sure. I’m thinking solar panels for power, eco-friendly methods of water conservation and waste recycling.’
‘That block you have in mind, Flynn, would never take all that,’ said Aidan.
‘I agree,’ said Sean. ‘I went out there this morning and had a look. Much too small and the National Park forms a barrier to expansion. The ideal place is next door. It seems to be a market garden from what I could see—I didn’t go in, of course—but according to the land division maps I looked at, the block is fifty hectares. That would be perfect. The river runs through it as well.’
‘It is perfect and I’m a part owner,’ said Aidan. ‘Unfortunately we have no intention of selling at the moment. Or subdividing.’
Sean nodded. ‘I understand. We may be able to come to some future agreement.’
Flynn looked at Aidan. He sat unmoving, still with that impassive expression. He picked up his water glass and downed half in one swallow.
‘I reckon it sounds brilliant,’ said Phil. ‘Not taking over the co-op,’ he said hastily, ‘But the lodge idea. There’s nothing like that here at the moment and we have the most spectacular scenery hardly anyone can enjoy. We don’t even have a decent camping ground.’
‘There’s a fair bit of land for sale in the area,’ said Walter. ‘You should have a look around for somewhere else.’ Most of it was farming land too far from the National Park to be attractive to Sean, or in parcels too small to be useful.
‘I plan to,’ said Sean. ‘I think Phil is right. And Flynn and Margie agree with us. This town could really benefit from my proposal.’
‘And who would benefit most?’ asked Judy.
‘Me, of course,’ said Sean and burst into a rich, genuine laugh. To Flynn’s amazement, Judy joined in with her own cackle. Even Bill and Aidan smiled.
‘At least you’re honest,’ she said.
‘You can say and think whatever you like about me but I’m an honest man, you can rely on that.’
‘And one who gets his own way,’ added Bill.
‘Usually. Flynn’s Crossing is my preference but there are other areas I’m considering. On the far side of Kurrajong for example—the town of Whiterock has a very nice site but access to the National Park isn’t as good.’
Flynn met Margie’s eye. He knew exactly what she was thinking. No way would they sit back and let the Whiterock residents benefit from what was originally their own idea.
***
Mrs Birdie phoned Antonia on Friday afternoon to pin her down for the recorder group.
‘When are you available?’ she said, happily assuming Antonia hadn’t had a change of mind since her initial enquiry.
‘It would have to be on a Monday because I’m at the cafe on the other days.’ And she had her first appointment with her new therapist, Anita, at ten on Monday morning.
‘Oh good. Shall we say Mondays straight after lunch for forty minutes? That’s one-thirty. You’ll be able to use the hall.’
‘How many children will there be?’
‘I’m not sure. I’ll be sending notes home about it and letting them all know you’re available to teach recorder, and flute as well. We’ll only offer it to the seniors at first. You can do that either at the school or at home after school. Which would you prefer?’
‘At home, but I could take some at school on the Monday.’
‘All right. Can I give them your phone number?’
‘Yes.’
‘We’ll aim to start the following week.’
‘All right. Thank you.’
‘Thank you, Antonia. I’m very excited about this. Music is so important.’
Antonia hung up with far less excitement than Mrs Birdie and the feeling she’d been railroaded by a very skilful operator. She’d never taught anything in her life. She had no idea how much to charge for lessons and where she could get hold of music; her own teacher had used the standard flute books, which had given her a thorough grounding and still had. She’d have to talk to Jax and soon. It had slipped right out of her mind.
But even though the ensemble at school would be voluntary, the lessons wouldn’t be. Even a few students would put welcome extra dollars in her pocket.
All in all, their first week at school and work had been very successful. Sarah and Jacob loved Miss Armstrong and had already made friends with their classmates who regarded twins as an extremely interesting phenomenon. As she’d told Flynn, Simon was becoming a natural part of their lives and they accepted him as their daddy. She knew they discussed things in bed at night and on this had come to a unanimous decision—they liked him. Having a proper daddy was important for them at school. She’d overheard Sarah telling one of her new friends that her daddy grew yummy vegetables and had showed her how to do it.
The picnic with Flynn had a mixed reception. The idea of a picnic was fun but Flynn was still a vague quantity, not actively disliked or feared but not accepted wholeheartedly.
‘Can Daddy come too?’ asked Sarah.
‘I don’t think so. Flynn asked us. He wants to show us the waterfall.’
‘I like picnics,’ said Jacob. They hadn’t been on a picnic until last year when Connor and Jax took the family to the beach. Sitting on a blanket, eating food from a basket, was the biggest novelty of their lives to that point and an outing they’d begged to do again and again.
‘We’re in charge of the food,’ said Antonia. ‘What should we take?’
‘Cake,’ said Sarah. ‘Make a chocolate cake.’
‘Ice-cream,’ said Jacob.
‘We’d need an esky to take ice-cream but we don’t have one.’
‘Chips.’
‘Sausages.’
‘Chocolate biscuits.’
‘Lollies.’
The suggestions came pouring out amid escalating giggles until Antonia put up her hands. ‘Okay. Enough silliness. I’ll do the picnic food but there’ll be yummy things for you to eat.’
‘Goody.’ Sarah clapped her hands.
‘Can we go on a picnic with Daddy another day?’ asked Jacob.
‘Of course we can. We’re going to the markets with him soon. Remember?’
Why did the thought of a picnic with Flynn give her little shivers of anticipation and delight, whereas going to the markets with Simon, while pleasurable, would be like going out with her brother?
The markets! When were they held? Hadn’t Simon said the second Sunday of the month? That would make it this coming Sunday.
Who would be the easiest to turn down? Which outing would she prefer?