Rose's Vintage (16 page)

Rose's eyes widened in surprise but she said nothing.

‘Catching up with a couple of Yank distributors and then the people from Channings again. We've been after a break into the US market for a while now, and I really need to go and see our British distributors too, show them some love.'

‘Oh, I see. How long will you be gone for?'

‘Just under three weeks. I'll be buggered by the end of it.' Mark grimaced. ‘You'll have to give me some tips for London. I've one free day there I think, and I‘d love to know what you think I should see.'

For a split second Rose imagined Mark in London, running into Henry … but she quickly assured herself that was a ridiculous notion. So what if it was the same big city.
What are the chances?
, thought Rose.
Well, it's a
very
small industry
, murmured a voice in her head.

‘Sure,' said Rose. ‘I'll make a list for you.'

‘Anything you've been missing that I can bring back for you?'

Rose thought of home, realising with a bit of a shock that she'd not thought about Giles for days. That was a first. ‘Nope, not really.'

Later that day, Rose was singing along to the radio – with more enthusiasm than tunefulness, it had to be said – when Leo came rushing into the kitchen.

‘Rose, there's someone coming,' he said excitedly, hopping from foot to foot. ‘They've got surfboards!'

Rose hadn't heard a car approaching, but then again, the radio had been up at full volume.

Surfboards? What's someone doing with surfboards in the middle of the valley?

She paused to wipe her hands on a dishcloth, turned down the radio and walked outside.

Heading up the drive was the distinctive breadbox shape of an old Kombi van, its Fanta-orange sides streaked with dust, and sure enough, a raft of surfboards strapped to the roof. As the van approached, a thumping bass could be heard coming from inside and Rose could see two streaked blond heads in the front.

She felt her heart thudding in her chest. She knew just who it was. Thrilled, she hurled herself at the taller of the blonds as he clambered out of the van.

Barnsie, too, was excited to see visitors. Weaving in and out of their legs, he yapped and barked and chased his tail.

‘
Alors!
' cried Philippe. ‘What a welcome!' He pulled back and took in Rose's new shape appreciatively. ‘What has happened to you, eh?
Oh la la!
You look
incroyable
, Rose!'

Rose had first met Philippe on a Cordon Bleu exchange in Paris, and they'd stayed in touch ever since. She'd been thrilled to discover he'd moved to Sydney six months earlier, and he had gallantly picked her up from the airport and let her crash at his place in Bondi when she first arrived.

The other occupant of the van came over and wrapped her in a big bear hug. Philippe's mate Frostie had taken a bit of a shine to her when she was staying in Bondi, but Rose had not been ready for anything back then. Evidently he still fancied his chances, as he was just planting an enthusiastic kiss on her when Mark wandered over from the winery. Pulling away, she could see that Frostie's t-shirt bore the brash slogan ‘Wanna Ride My Longboard?' Her lips twitched.

‘Oh, Mark, hi, these are my friends from Sydney – well, Paris and Sydney actually,' she said, moving out of Frostie's arms and catching her breath.

‘So I see,' he said, looking the boys up and down. With their wild, sun-bleached hair, wifebeater singlets, boardies and worn-down thongs, they couldn't have looked more incongruous in the lush vineyard setting.

‘We're on our way up the coast, bit of a surf safari. Livin' the dream, man. Thought we'd cruise by to see how Rosie's getting on,' said Frostie, holding out his hand to Mark.

‘Also, we were wondering if there was the chance of a bed for the night?' Philippe grinned cheekily at Rose. ‘Or we can sleep in the Kombi.'

Rose looked towards Mark. ‘Sorry, I didn't know they were coming. It's a complete surprise to me, or I would have mentioned it.' She was nervous about Mark's reaction, though she wasn't sure why.

‘Living the dream, eh?' Mark's tone was curt as he shook Frostie's hand. ‘There's plenty of extra room in the barn; Rose will look after you, I'm sure. Please excuse me, I've some packing to do.' Mark stalked off to the house.

‘So, Rosie, fill us in: who's this?' Philippe said, ignoring the cool reception and bending down to greet Barnsie and Leo.

Once they'd stretched their legs and played with the dog, she showed the two boys over to the barn and they immediately slumped onto the worn sofas, sucking thirstily on a couple of cold beers that Rose had brought over from the house.

‘I'd better go and get dinner started, but come over in an hour or so and you can meet Astrid and Luisa.'

‘More babes?' asked Frostie with a wicked glint in his eye.

‘Luisa's two and Astrid's the nanny,' said Rose tartly.

‘Oooh, I love nannies!' said Frostie.

‘Behave yourself! I work here, you know,' Rose mock-scolded him as she left.

Reaching the house, she bumped into Mark again: he had a suitcase in each hand and a leather laptop satchel slung across his chest.

‘Oh, you're going already,' said Rose, feeling a little deflated.

‘Driving to Sydney tonight and staying with a mate before an early flight tomorrow.'

‘Oh, okay. Well, take care and have a good trip. We'll miss you.'

I'll miss you
, she added silently, suddenly realising just how much she would.

‘I've said my goodbyes to the kids, but they don't know where I'm going, so keep it on the downlow – if Leo knew I was going anywhere remotely near Tottenham and not taking him, I'd never be forgiven,' he said with a wry smile.

They stood in front of each other, awkwardly. Then, surprising her, Mark leant down and kissed Rose briefly on the cheek. A faint aroma of spice and soap tantalised her senses, making her dizzy. It was over before she could properly react, but the memory of his lips on her skin continued to arc across her brain as he moved away. She had to stop herself from putting her fingers to the spot where his lips had been.

Mark loaded his cases into the boot of his car, which was parked next to the Kombi. As he headed off down the drive, he stuck a hand out of the car window in a goodbye salute. Rose waved back with an enthusiasm she didn't really feel. She was suddenly overcome by a hollow feeling in her stomach.

Bloody hell, get a grip girl. He's your boss, he's mainly a grumpy bugger and, most of all, he's married. Well, sort of. Not to mention that you're still supposed to be heartbroken over Giles.

Luisa toddled out to wave off her dad. ‘Daddy go on a hairy plane?' she asked Rose.

‘Yes, honey, but he'll be back soon, and I'm sure he'll bring presents too.'

Confused by her emotions, Rose picked Luisa up, settled her on one hip and turned away from the sight of the car disappearing into the distance. She headed back to the kitchen to rustle up enough food for a posse of hungry adults – Astrid had quickly gotten over her sickness and was now eating for Austria – and two little tackers.

CHAPTER 15

L
ater that night, as they lingered over the remains of roast chicken, and having demolished a couple of bottles of wine, Frostie and Philippe regaled Astrid with stories of Rose's antics when she'd stayed with them in Bondi, making Rose laugh as their descriptions grew more and more outrageous. ‘That's so not fair!' she protested as they recounted her asking for a cup of hot tea on the beach. ‘I'd only just arrived: it wasn't my fault that I didn't know that you don't take tea to the beach!'

Astrid's face was flushed, and her hair glowed in the candlelight. It was nice to see her looking better than she had in a while, Rose thought. She'd clearly enjoyed the boys' company over dinner; perhaps it had taken her mind off her predicament, even if only for an evening.

‘Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I'm ready to hit the hay,' said Rose, yawning theatrically and getting up to clear the table. She tried not to meet Frostie's eye, though she could tell he was looking directly at her. Philippe hung back to chat with Astrid, as Frostie said he'd join Rose in heading for the barn.

A thousand stars twinkled in the clear night air as they walked to the barn, and Rose glanced up at them, briefly wondering if Mark had reached Sydney safely. She turned to Frostie, who had taken her hand in his warm one.

‘What's up, babe?' he asked.

‘Look, I don't think we can ever be more than friends …'

There was a brief pause and then Frostie replied, ‘Hey, that's cool. I'm cool. No dramas, babe, if that's how it is. Can't blame a bloke for trying, you know.' He let go of her hand.

Rose was thankful for his unruffled attitude. The only waves Frostie liked making were out on the ocean, it seemed.

‘I'm glad you understand. I'm really not up for anything more from anyone right now, and I love having you and Philippe as friends – I don't have too many of them in Australia.'

‘No worries, babe.' His clear blue eyes lingered on hers. ‘Though you might want to warn that boss of yours too – any idiot can see from the way he looks at you that he's pretty keen.'

‘Don't be ridiculous.' Rose protested. ‘He's married, even if his wife is nowhere to be seen, and anyway he's a grumpy old git most of the time.'

Does Frostie really think Mark likes me? How could that be?

‘Just sayin' what I'm seein',' he said, shrugging.

As they reached the barn, Frostie walked over to the room he was sharing with Philippe.

‘Sweet dreams. Don't let the bugs bite,' said Rose. She really was very fond of both of them, and dead chuffed that they'd come to see her, but their presence didn't make up for the hollow feeling in her stomach now that Mark had left and was going to be gone for so long.

After a fitful night's sleep, plagued by dreams of Mark driving off and never coming back, Rose crept out early to roam the vineyards and take out her tumult of confused emotions on her run. She pounded up the big hill at the back of Kalkari in record time. It was the best way to blow the cobwebs away. Her fitness was returning, after all the years of fried foods and sloth and she now craved the early morning exercise. Despite the cool morning air, her skin was beaded with sweat by the time she returned to the house, and she felt calmer and cleansed of most of her worries.

She went to knock on the boys' door. ‘Breakfast in thirty!' There was an answering groan and she hurried over to the main house and got started on pancake batter.

Leo was in heaven. Rose usually only made pancakes on weekends, and today was a school day. He was rewarded with the first stack of pancakes and slurped the syrup from his knife as Astrid tried to get him to mind his table manners.

‘Have a good night?' Astrid winked at her.