Six months later
Jet closed the web browser she was reading. ‘It’s still all over the media a day later. Edie’s charge of manslaughter. The five year imprisonment term and two years non-parole. The reports are suggesting she’ll be out in two years.’
Jet couldn’t be happier to be back in the Hunter Valley with the Rhodes family after a gruelling few weeks of court proceedings. Dan hadn’t left her side the entire time.
Dan stood up from his computer and came around to Jet’s desk. ‘It’s going to take time for the news to settle down.’
Jet bit her lip. There were no tears left when it came to Edie, but it still hurt. She’d had time to come to terms with the fact that her friendship with Edie hadn’t been what she’d thought it was. That Edie wasn’t who she thought she was. That her ‘friend’ was really only being a friend so she could use Jet to get close to Andrew. And that she’d been prepared to throw Jet to the wolves by setting her up as Alex’s victim. Her original intention, before Crystal’s death, was to leak a series of photos to the media of Jet while she’d been drugged.
The police had never found any photos of that nature on Alex’s phone, of course, because he’d never really set out to hurt Jet. But after the New Year’s Eve party, the police had obtained a search warrant to inspect Edie’s apartment. They’d discovered images of Jet passed out lying in suggestive, compromising positions, on Edie’s laptop.
Jet’s stomach still twisted at the memory of them and of the memory of Edie’s words from that night.
Alex will be castrated publicly for daring to harm our dear, sweet, darling Juliet.
Jet had been so desperate to remember everything, but sometimes in sadder moments, she wished she could forget again.
It would probably take her many months to trust another woman, and many more before she let one into her inner circle again, but Jet held out hope she would be able to when the time was right.
‘Hey,’ Dan said softly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Jet leaned into his side and looked down at her hands. The simple diamond solitaire ring glittered back up at her.
It was strange how life could be filled with so much joy as well as sadness at the same time.
Dan followed her gaze. ‘Wow. Would you look at that rock? Someone’s a lucky guy.’
Jet shot him an amused look. She could always trust Dan to make her smile.
The ring had been a point of contention between them. She’d wanted something as low key as possible, while Dan had wanted to spoil her. Eventually they’d come to a compromise—Dan would buy her the ring she wanted and he would keep surprising her with gifts whenever the mood took him. The gifts came in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it was a bottle of wine that had been carefully cellared. He’d bought her a pair of diamond earrings to match the ring for her birthday. Jet suspected there would also be a matching bracelet or necklace down the track too. There were often flowers. Chocolate. Books. Really, it was whatever he felt like at the time, but he always seemed to be giving. And not just gifts. Jet hadn’t realised until now that a man could be so genuinely giving with his love, his time, with his heart.
‘This is where you’re supposed to say, “Yeah, I know that guy and he’s pretty amazing.”’
Jet smiled and stood up, slipping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. The position was so familiar it was starting to feel like there had never been a time when she hadn’t had access to Dan Rhodes’ sturdy shoulders.
‘Yeah, I do know that guy. And he is pretty amazing actually. But don’t tell him I said that or he’ll get a big head. He’s susceptible to it.’
Dan’s chest moved up and down with soft laughter. ‘I know the type.’
The door to the converted barn opened and Cynthia came bustling in. Her face lit up when she saw the two of them.
She winked. ‘Good to see you’re hard at work.’
‘We’re brainstorming,’ Dan informed her.
Cynthia let out a bark of laughter so at odds with her impeccable presentation that Jet grinned into Dan’s shoulder.
Cynthia came over to them and brushed Jet’s shoulder with her manicured hand.
‘Stop reading the news,’ she said perceptively. ‘Edie’s verdict was right, but I know it feels all wrong at the same time.’
‘It’s where she belongs,’ Jet told her, knowing it was true.
The last place Jet could imagine Edie was in gaol, but her callousness deserved to be punished. The coroner’s report had been released as part of the court proceedings and it raised questions around Crystal’s death. In particular, whether she would have lived if Edie had attempted to pull her out of the water and get help. The blow to the head had most certainly knocked her out, but they would never know the true extent of the girl’s brain injury because she had been left to drown. When questioned during the court hearing, Edie initially stated she thought Crystal was dead upon entering the water and that she’d been so horrified, she’d fled. However, upon further questioning and with Jet’s testimony, it was revealed Edie hadn’t fled at all and that she’d had the presence of mind to move Jet, then return the massage table so no one would know they’d been there. In a show of rage on the witness stand, Edie admitted that Crystal ‘was where she belonged. Why bother trying to save her?’
It also hadn’t been difficult to get Edie to admit to the hit-and-run car accident Jet was involved in. By that point, Edie appeared almost proud. Although, interestingly, Edie was adamant she never knew Jet was in the Hunter Valley, meaning Edie couldn’t have been the driver of the black Mercedes. It left Jet wondering if perhaps it had just been an inattentive driver that morning. She’d accepted by now that perhaps she’d never know.
‘Did you read about Andrew?’ Jet asked Cynthia, changing the subject. It wasn’t a subject Dan was keen on because he stiffened in Jet’s arms.
Cynthia nodded. ‘I saw that, too. He’s dating that model, what’s her name?’
‘Alicia Crawford,’ Jet said.
Dan grunted. ‘Because beauty and brains were too much for him.’
Jet stepped out of Dan’s embrace and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. ‘Well, Andrew certainly seems quite taken with her so you won’t hear me complaining.’
Jet wasn’t sure her ex-husband’s relationship with the model would last forever but it appeared like he was finally moving on. Jet hadn’t had any contact with him since she’d returned to the Hunter Valley, and she was hopeful it would stay that way.
‘I still think he should have been charged for setting Alex up,’ Dan said.
‘They can’t charge him,’ Juliet replied. ‘Not when Taylor, the girl Alex slept with, turned out to be an adult and she’s dropped the charges, saying it was consensual. Besides,’ Jet added, ‘I think it might be for the best. Alex has just landed that movie role in that big Hollywood blockbuster. I think he’s happy to leave it alone and move on to bigger, more positive things.’
‘How much do you reckon Andrew paid her for her silence?’ Dan asked. ‘It makes me sick the way the great Andrew Temple is untouchable.’
Jet sighed. ‘You know, I hope he can find happiness.’
‘With the latest ‘it’ model?’ Dan scoffed. ‘Good luck with that.’
Cynthia tutted at her son. ‘Don’t deny the man some happiness. You’ve found yours. Your fiancée is a hard woman to forget.’
Dan visibly relaxed. ‘Yeah, well, I don’t ever plan to forget her because this time next year she’ll be my wife.’
‘Hello? I’m right here,’ Jet said and they laughed.
‘Anyway,’ said Cynthia. ‘Where’s your father?’
‘Right here,’ Marty announced from the doorway to his office, with a knowing glint in his eye.
‘Good,’ Cynthia said. ‘Now you’re all here. Come with me.’
Dan and Jet shared a confused look. Dan shrugged. It was obvious his parents were up to something, but neither of them knew what it was. He took Jet’s hand and they followed Cynthia outside into the gravel car park.
She waved her hands at them. ‘Turn around.’
Jet did as she was told and immediately felt like she was going to cry.
Cynthia grinned. ‘Doesn’t it look fantastic?’
It looked more than fantastic. It looked perfect. Cynthia had organised for a sign to be put up above the Rhodes Family Estate winery entrance. It sat beneath the Rhodes signage with gold lettering on a white background.
‘“Je T’appelle Events”,’ Dan read. ‘“Hunter Valley.” Nice one, Mum.’
Cynthia was still grinning. ‘I thought so. What do you think, Jet? Do you like it?’
Jet blinked away tears but they were happy tears. ‘I love it. Thank you so much.’
‘Pfft,’ Cynthia told them. ‘You’re doing us a favour, Jet. I’m already taking calls from some very distinguished Sydneysiders who are considering holding events here. A politician’s daughter’s wedding, for one. We’re happy to have you here.’
‘Yeah, business partner,’ Dan drawled. ‘Although, I’m feeling a little outdone. We don’t have multiple offices like you do now.’
‘That’s because you don’t have multiple vineyards. Oh my gosh, I’m going to take a photo. The girls are going to love this.’ Jet took out her phone and snapped off a couple of shots.
The girls were Jet’s staff back in Sydney. One month after New Year’s Eve, Jet had made the decision to base herself permanently in the Hunter Valley with the Rhodes family. She’d been prepared to sell the business but Dan had urged her not to—at least not straight away.
‘You’ve got a team who love working for you, who I’m sure don’t want to lose their jobs just because you’ve gone off and met some winemaker guy. Plus, what’s stopping you having two offices?’ he’d said at the time. ‘Try running both for a while and see how you go. Besides, it will encourage me to head to Sydney more often to grow the business.’
Dan’s perpetual optimism had rubbed off on Jet. She’d called a meeting with her most senior staff and Jayde had jumped at the chance to be the director of the Sydney office. They’d settled on weekly meetings—Jet would go to Sydney every second week and Jayde would come to the Hunter every other week. Jayde was even talking about holding business planning days for the whole team up here and had put together a strategy for on-selling events for the Hunter arm of the business.
Marty cleared his throat, breaking Jet out of her happy daze.
‘On the subject of multiple vineyards,’ Marty said. ‘Follow me.’
Dan and Jet shared another look and followed Marty. He led them through the vineyards Jet had grown to love and they came to a stop where the outdoor weddings were regularly held, which Jet was now personally in charge of.
‘This is yours if you want it,’ Marty announced.
Jet looked around. It was a sizeable open space bordered by the edge of the existing vineyard at one end and native bushland in the opposite direction.
‘Dad, are you saying what I think you’re saying?’ Dan asked.
Marty gestured to the bushland. ‘I’d always planned to clear some of the land and plant more vines. Maybe build some more cottages to rent out, but I never got around to it. Now I know why. It’s yours.’
Dan’s face was the picture of a little boy who had just been given the best birthday gift. ‘You’re serious?’
‘Completely. Plant some new vines. Build a home for you and Jet. Whatever you want. This part of the property has always been a separate lot. It’s around ten acres all up. I haven’t had a chance to get the solicitor to draw up the official papers yet, but consider it an engagement gift.’
Dan turned to Jet. ‘You up for this?’
This? ‘This’ was too much to comprehend. She put a hand to her mouth and stared at her parents-in-law-to-be.
‘This is too much,’ Jet said when she was sure she wasn’t going to cry. ‘I can’t accept—’
‘Yes you can!’ Dan and Cynthia cried out at the same time. Everyone laughed.
Cynthia came to Jet’s side. ‘My darling. This is your home now. Plant something, see what grows. You deserve a place of your own after all these years.’
‘I’m going to cry for real,’ Jet threatened. ‘I was never this emotional before I met you lot.’
‘Well, this lot adore you and that’s what family do.’
Jet did shed a tear then. Cynthia reached over and grasped her hand.
‘Thank you,’ Jet whispered.
Cynthia squeezed her hand and then stepped out of the way so Dan could stand beside her.
‘So, what do you think?’ he said. ‘Maybe a cottage over here and the vines over there?’
‘I think that’s entirely your department. This is one project I’m happy for you to take the lead on.’
‘I’ll have to remember that when it comes time to build the house,’ Dan joked.
Jet was just about to joke back, when something else occurred to her. ‘Hang on.’ She turned around to find Cynthia and Marty hand in hand, watching them with big smiles on their faces. ‘You said ‘engagement gift’, didn’t you? If this is our engagement gift, what on earth are you going to give us when we get married?’
‘Oh my dear,’ Cynthia said. ‘That’s for us to know and you to find out.’
They kept grinning and turned and walked arm-in-arm back through the vines.
‘Oh my God, Dan did you hear that? They can’t do that. I should offer to pay for the land, I’ve got plenty of money and—’
Dan leaned down and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose. ‘Shut it. How do you think we’re going to pay for the house and new vines? They know you’re loaded.’
Jet considered his point for a moment. But only a moment. ‘We haven’t discussed it properly yet but I’ll pay for the entire wedding and—’
The rest of Jet’s sentence was cut off as Dan captured her mouth in a deep kiss. After a good minute or so she forgot what had been so important.
‘Jet?’ Dan said when he finally released her. ‘There’s only one thing we need from you if you’re going to be my wife and my parent’s daughter-in-law.’
‘What’s that?’
‘For you to be you. Jet Appleton. Or whatever it is you call yourself now. It doesn’t really matter.’
Jet laughed at the truth of his words. He was right. This was the first time in her life when she’d felt like enough. Where she could just be her. Not the lonely, orphaned child or the delinquent teenager. Not the backpacker without a home or the wealthy wife keeping up appearances.
Finally she could just be herself.
‘I think I can do that,’ Jet said. ‘And I’ve got to say, it feels good to be home.’
Dan gave her sideways glance so full of love it made her toes tingle. ‘It does, doesn’t it?’
Then he took her by the hips and swung her back around to survey their land. They spent the next half hour until the sun dipped behind the hillside talking about their plans for the future. When it was time to return to the cottage, they strolled slowly through the now dormant vines bare after the year’s harvest. The vines watched the couple silently in the twilight, waiting to see what the plans of the next generation of Rhodes family would yield.