‘No, you won’t!’ Lucie scolded her daughter. ‘Tell you what, though, miss. You can go and put a plate together from the tea table for Ma-ma and Pa-pa.’
Keeley grinned cheekily and a little calculating glint came into her eye. ‘They can have the good stuff, can’t they?’ Lucie was big on organics and whole foods, and Hamish had heard around town that she ran a strict household.
Lucie chuckled. ‘They can.’
Keeley hovered and Hamish could feel her question brewing. Her eyes went to her baby brother, who was toddling along, holding Jack’s hand for balance. ‘And Gus can have some?’
‘He’s not even a year old yet, Keeley! So, no, he can’t.’ Merriment danced in Lucie’s eyes. ‘But it’s lucky you’re a whole lot older than him, isn’t it?’
Keeley stared back, silently processing her mother’s words. ‘I can have the good stuff?’ she said eventually.
‘No. But you can have thebadstuff,’ Lucie said. ‘Go on, scoot over to the table. I bet you’ll find some of Mrs Albright’s angel food cupcakes over there.’
‘You’ll findmyjelly slice there,’ Lucie’s mother, Monica, cut in as she joined them, making it clear which treat her granddaughter should choose—if she’d stayed to listen.
‘How are you keeping, Paul?’ Hamish asked, shaking hands with the older man.
‘Well, I’m keeping myself out of mischief, young MacKenzie, more’s the pity,’ Paul replied with a wink. ‘Guess I’ll just have to live through you now. Though it seems I’ve not heard much of your exploits lately. Or should that be sexploits?’
Hell, he was blushing hotter than a teenage girl. Hadn’t seen that one coming from the grey-haired old farmer.
‘Pops!’ Sam snorted, trying to hold in her laughter.
‘What?’ Paul said innocently. ‘Maybe I’ve not been hanging around drinking—I mean, chatting—with the lads enough lately, but it seems to me I’ve heard nothing since that bingle last year.’ He nodded at Hamish’s bad arm. ‘Evie, what’s the gossip from the CWA? Why haven’t you filled me in on anything from young MacKenzie here?’
Although she’d only just managed to lower herself into the canvas chair, Evie sat up straighter. ‘I’ve not heard a thing, either.’
‘That’s because there isn’t anything to hear,’ Hamish protested. ‘I’m trying to behave myself.’
‘Now why on earth would you do that?’ Paul asked. He propped Evie’s walking stick against his and took his wife’s hand, patting it absently.
‘That’d be your fault, mate,’ Hamish said. ‘Looking at you two sitting here like royalty. I reckon maybe I might want something similar for myself one day. So I guess I’d better clean up my act.’
Evie perked up. ‘Oh, is there someone special?’ she said, looking around.
‘No, no, there’s not,’ Hamish blurted.
‘Is Jemma coming, Pierce?’ Evie asked, her too-quick connection unsettling.
Pierce shook his head. ‘Nope. She’s got a function in the city.’ He glanced across at Hamish. ‘I’m guessing you didn’t end up arranging to go with her?’
‘Sorry, mate. She wasn’t keen.’
Paul cackled. ‘First time those words have left your lips.’
Pierce ran a hand through his hair. ‘I wish she’d listen to reason once in a while.’
Hamish moved aside as Keeley rejoined the group, her plate piled high. ‘You really think there’s something to stress about? When I spoke with her, she seemed chill about it.’
‘She downplays. But I reckon “three strikes, you’re out” is cause for concern.’
Hamish’s fingers tightened around his beer. ‘Wait, what do you mean, “three strikes”?’
‘That’s what the note said,’ Sam explained.
The alcohol churned in his gut. ‘I thought someone chucked a rock at the restaurant window; I didn’t realise there was a message.’
‘There have been several,’ Sam said, her forehead furrowed. ‘But this one seems more … I don’t know, aggressive?’
