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Authors: Fleur McDonald
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bottle from the cupboard.
Jack's bender lasted for the weekend. He had visited Gemma's house on Friday after the girls had left but hadn't gone in. Scoota had growled and then barked furiously as Jack had turned the handle. With a quarter of a bottle of rum already inside him, his urge to see the young jillaroo who could match him drink for drink grew. Jack and responsibility didn't go together and without thinking, he left the homestead and Billbinya and made the hour drive north to see her. He didn't return until Monday morning.
Chapter 10
Gemma and Jess were having a lovely night. The winery, set on the bank of a creek, was beautiful. Camp fires had been lit along the creek's edge, and next to the fires were old wine barrels that had been cut in half and filled with poinsettias and other flowering plants. Further out into the creek, spotlights had been placed beneath two old gum trees, and their ghostly limbs gave the scene an enchanted air.
The stage where the jazz band was setting up was covered in fairy lights.
'Wow,' Gemma breathed when she saw it.
'C'mon,' called Jess. 'Let's get set up.'
There were heaps of people milling around, setting up their picnic blankets or chairs; some carrying hampers, others going back and forth from the food and beer tents. The atmosphere buzzed with the anticipation of a special evening.
They had just set up their deckchairs next to a huge boulder and were taking the first sip of wine when they heard a voice behind them.
'Gem, Jess, hi!'
They turned to see Paige Nicholls clutching the arm of a tall blond man.
Gemma smiled warmly. 'Hello, Paige, enjoying a night off?'
'Yep, Daniel and I are looking forward to the concert. We used to see a lot of jazz bands when we lived in Melbourne, so this is a real treat. This is Daniel McDavis, by the way.' She snuggled in closer to the man, who nodded without smiling. 'How are you, Jess?' asked Paige.
'Fine thanks,' Jess said coldly.
Paige's smile faltered. 'Well, good to see you both. I guess we'll go find a spot.' She gave a small wave, and they were gone.
'I don't know how she has the guts to show her face around here,' said Jess furiously. 'After Claire's accident and Tim's suicide. I still can't believe she had an affair with Tim, right beneath our noses while pretending to be Claire's friend. I cannot stand that woman.'
'Jess, it was a long time ago,' Gemma said gently, 'and I'm sure if Paige had known what the outcome would be, she wouldn't have started the affair. And don't forget, she said she loved Tim too. I miss Claire and I hate what happened – but imagine what Paige must have suffered.'
Jess smiled. 'You always were a lot more forgiving than me.'
'I wasn't at the time, remember? I called her a harlot and all sorts of names. But I guess when you lose someone you love, it puts things in a different perspective.'
'Do you know what she's doing now?'
'Didn't I tell you? Sorry. She's a nurse. She was on duty at the hospital when I went in to see Dad.'
'Well, I don't know if leopards really can change their spots,' Jess said, standing. 'I'm off to find a loo. Can you get more drinks?'
Struck by a thought she turned back to Gemma and asked, 'Hey, did the cops call you back?'
Gemma shook her head. 'I don't know what's going on there. Not a sound from them. Maybe they've found the sheep and everything is okay. Who knows?'
Gemma weaved through the crowd to the bar, not stopping to talk to anyone, but nodding and smiling at people she knew. On the way back to their seats, she stopped off at the food tent and loaded up plates full of pork from the spit with vegies.
'Need a hand to carry that?'
Gemma turned to see Ned and his wife Rose. 'What are you doing here, Ned? Looking for some culture?' Gemma leaned forward to kiss Rose on the cheek. 'How are you, Rose?'
'Culture yourself. You're the one who never goes anywhere. Who dragged you along?' Ned asked gruffly.
Rose smacked his arm gently. 'Ned, mind your manners. How
Jack's bender lasted for the weekend. He had visited Gemma's house on Friday after the girls had left but hadn't gone in. Scoota had growled and then barked furiously as Jack had turned the handle. With a quarter of a bottle of rum already inside him, his urge to see the young jillaroo who could match him drink for drink grew. Jack and responsibility didn't go together and without thinking, he left the homestead and Billbinya and made the hour drive north to see her. He didn't return until Monday morning.
Chapter 10
Gemma and Jess were having a lovely night. The winery, set on the bank of a creek, was beautiful. Camp fires had been lit along the creek's edge, and next to the fires were old wine barrels that had been cut in half and filled with poinsettias and other flowering plants. Further out into the creek, spotlights had been placed beneath two old gum trees, and their ghostly limbs gave the scene an enchanted air.
The stage where the jazz band was setting up was covered in fairy lights.
'Wow,' Gemma breathed when she saw it.
'C'mon,' called Jess. 'Let's get set up.'
There were heaps of people milling around, setting up their picnic blankets or chairs; some carrying hampers, others going back and forth from the food and beer tents. The atmosphere buzzed with the anticipation of a special evening.
They had just set up their deckchairs next to a huge boulder and were taking the first sip of wine when they heard a voice behind them.
'Gem, Jess, hi!'
They turned to see Paige Nicholls clutching the arm of a tall blond man.
Gemma smiled warmly. 'Hello, Paige, enjoying a night off?'
'Yep, Daniel and I are looking forward to the concert. We used to see a lot of jazz bands when we lived in Melbourne, so this is a real treat. This is Daniel McDavis, by the way.' She snuggled in closer to the man, who nodded without smiling. 'How are you, Jess?' asked Paige.
'Fine thanks,' Jess said coldly.
Paige's smile faltered. 'Well, good to see you both. I guess we'll go find a spot.' She gave a small wave, and they were gone.
'I don't know how she has the guts to show her face around here,' said Jess furiously. 'After Claire's accident and Tim's suicide. I still can't believe she had an affair with Tim, right beneath our noses while pretending to be Claire's friend. I cannot stand that woman.'
'Jess, it was a long time ago,' Gemma said gently, 'and I'm sure if Paige had known what the outcome would be, she wouldn't have started the affair. And don't forget, she said she loved Tim too. I miss Claire and I hate what happened – but imagine what Paige must have suffered.'
Jess smiled. 'You always were a lot more forgiving than me.'
'I wasn't at the time, remember? I called her a harlot and all sorts of names. But I guess when you lose someone you love, it puts things in a different perspective.'
'Do you know what she's doing now?'
'Didn't I tell you? Sorry. She's a nurse. She was on duty at the hospital when I went in to see Dad.'
'Well, I don't know if leopards really can change their spots,' Jess said, standing. 'I'm off to find a loo. Can you get more drinks?'
Struck by a thought she turned back to Gemma and asked, 'Hey, did the cops call you back?'
Gemma shook her head. 'I don't know what's going on there. Not a sound from them. Maybe they've found the sheep and everything is okay. Who knows?'
Gemma weaved through the crowd to the bar, not stopping to talk to anyone, but nodding and smiling at people she knew. On the way back to their seats, she stopped off at the food tent and loaded up plates full of pork from the spit with vegies.
'Need a hand to carry that?'
Gemma turned to see Ned and his wife Rose. 'What are you doing here, Ned? Looking for some culture?' Gemma leaned forward to kiss Rose on the cheek. 'How are you, Rose?'
'Culture yourself. You're the one who never goes anywhere. Who dragged you along?' Ned asked gruffly.
Rose smacked his arm gently. 'Ned, mind your manners. How
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