“You go back to everyone. I’ll just finish up here.”
Rachel shook her head, her lips pursed, but she agreed. “I’ll get Zane to help you lug the heavy stuff to the car. And then, Amber”—she took hold of her arm—“come and join us and have a big glass of wine.”
“I’m not in the mood for drinking. Or talking, come to that.”
“This issonot like you,” said Rachel. “You have to try to get over it.”
“Do I? Maybe I’ll just live with it, see how that goes.” She realized her tone sounded bitter, and she never sounded bitter. Rachel looked even more worried, and Amber took pity on her. She sighed. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” She kissed Rachel on the cheek. “You go back to your baby.” They both turned to see him being jiggled on Zane’s lap, his arms reaching out to Rachel as he uttered an insistent squawk.
Rachel smiled. “Okay, but join us, yes? I can’t bear you looking so sad.”
Amber nodded and watched Rachel walk away and be swallowed up by the Connelly and extended families. She turned quickly. She didn’t want to see them, or be a part of them today. The sooner she was done, the quicker she’d be home.
She bent down to pick up a heavy pallet, but another pair of hands beat her to it, and she looked up into green, green eyes.
“David!” She jumped back, her hand pressed to her chest where her heart threatened to jump from. “You made me jump.”
“Sorry,” he said, standing up, his hands full. “Are these going in there?” He indicated the open boot.
“Yes, but…”
He didn’t wait to hear what she was about to say, and all she could do was collect some things and follow him to the car. He loaded them carefully into the boot and Amber was briefly distracted by the sight of his muscled arms as they pushed the heavy load into the car. Then he stood back, his hands on his hips, and looked around. “Is there anything else you need shifting?” He looked at her straight, as if their last conversation hadn’t been life changing and emotionally charged. All she could do was shake her head in disbelief.
“No?” He checked around. “Then what about those?”
She glanced at where he was pointing. “Yes, sure. I need to take those back to the café, too.”
“Then why did you shake your head?”
“Because I can’t believe you’re here, helping me, after how we left it.”
He nodded and looked down, continued to nod as if wrestling with what he was about to say next. Then he looked up, fixed her with that intense green stare which still made her go mushy inside, whether she wanted it to or not. “Amber, I’d like to talk to you. Can I visit you some time?”
“I don’t believe we have anything to talk about.”
“But there’s something I want to say.”
She folded her arms. “Say it then.”
He looked around. “Not here. Somewhere in private.”
She grunted. “No way. You think you can get me on your own and persuade me you’re not a bastard?”
“No, I don’t want to persuade you about anything, I just want to talk.”
“The answer is no. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.” She tossed the last tablecloth into her bag and walked over to her family. She cast one last glance at David, who was striding over the parched grass of the reserve where people were busy dismantling tents and tables, where children ran and teenagers gathered, heads together, laughing, as older people looked on and reminisced. It felt like the whole world was there, but Amber’s eyes watched only David, taller than the others, his step purposeful. He might believe he’d changed, but he looked no different to her. He still looked like a god, made of different stuff to the rest of them.
“Hey,” said Maddy. “What’s up?”
Amber turned to Maddy and forced a smile. “Nothing.”
Maddy frowned. Amber’s smile obviously wasn’t very convincing. “Doesn’t look like nothing.” Amber glanced towards where David was last seen, and Maddy followed her gaze. “Was that David?”
Amber nodded and allowed her smile to fall. It was all she could do not to cry.
“Oh, Amber.” Maddy gave Amber a hug. “It’ll be all right. I’m sure of it. Look how Gabe and I were. I thought it was all over, but then it came right in the end. And I’m sure it’ll be the same for you and David.”
“Are you? I’m not. We’re opposites. He’s everything I don’t want, and yet he’s everything I do want.”
