‘Justin?’ The photographer lowered her camera. ‘It is Justin, right? I need you to focus.’
‘Sorry. What did you want?’
‘I want the two of you. And both the babies. Over there, I think. Against that wall.’
Bree and her assistant, Maggie, stepped forward to help move the animals. Anna stayed where she was. As they started posing again, Justin occasionally—frequently—glanced her way. Sometimes he caught Anna looking at him from under those eyelashes of hers. Once he thought he saw her blush and hoped that was a good sign.
Justin had no false modesty. He knew women found him attractive and he’d never lacked for female company. He’d never been nervous about asking a woman out, not since his early teens. Mostly they said yes. But this time … He very much wanted to ask Anna out and he was almost afraid she would say no. And that would be … well, devastating was too strong a word, but he’d be unusually disappointed.
On instruction from the photographer, Ben moved to stand next to him. They both crouched down beside the young alpacas. Justin straightened his back, sucked in his gut and tensed his muscles a little bit more. He wanted to make sure he was the one who looked good.
It seemed to take all afternoon, but at last Jo was satisfied.
‘That’s a wrap,’ she said. ‘Would you like me to take a couple of quick shots of all of you?’ She looked around at Bree, Anna and Maggie.
‘Oh, yes, please,’ Maggie jumped in first. ‘With the twins.’
‘Both sets of them?’ Jo raised an eyebrow and they all laughed.
Justin looked at Anna. He could see the reluctance in her face and thought he knew why.
‘I’m not sure …’ He was happy to be the one to say no, if that made Anna feel more comfortable.
‘No. No. We must,’ Ben said, and that, it seemed, was that.
Bree and Maggie crouched next to their alpacas while the rest of them clustered around. Justin managed to insert himself next to Anna in a way that made it easy for her to turn side-on to the camera. He wondered if she noticed, but she did relax a little as the camera clicked a final few times.
CHAPTER
14
The wool shop on the main street was busy when Justin arrived to give his talk a couple of days later. He looked at the sign on the door. Wagtail Ridge Knitting Club. All welcome. Well, he was all. Not only that, he had an invitation. He pushed the door open and walked inside.
About fifteen people—women and kids—were already in the shop. Most were seated around a large wooden table that was covered with wool and needles and other craft paraphernalia that Justin couldn’t identify. There was also cake and cups of tea. As the door closed behind him, every woman turned his way. They all smiled and exchanged satisfied glances and the occasional nod. Justin began to fear there may have been more behind his invitation than he had thought.
‘Hi, Justin. Welcome.’ Bree detached herself from the group she’d been talking to.
It was probably too late now to back out. Not that he would. His job was to help people prepare for the bushfire season and that was what he was here to do. The women didn’t look too predatory. Well, except maybe for the older woman with the bright orange hair. Val, he remembered. From the post office.
‘Come and meet everyone. Then, would you like some tea? We’re so glad you came.’ Bree must have read the look on his face. He could tell she was trying not to laugh.
‘Thanks, Bree. Happy to be here.’
As Justin moved further into the room, the door opened behind him.
Several of the women looked past him to the newcomer and grinned with satisfaction.
‘Justin?’
He recognised the voice immediately, without the need to turn around. But he turned anyway. ‘Hello, Anna. It’s nice to see you again.’
‘You, too, but I didn’t expect you to be here.’
‘The ladies—’ he gestured at those sitting around the table, ‘—asked if I would come and talk a bit about bushfire preparedness.’
‘Ah. I didn’t know that. They asked me to talk about caring for wildlife caught in fires.’
‘I see …’
