‘You have about two minutes to speak before Nonno is back in here,’ Nonna cautioned.
Nonna never pulled any punches when it came to prying, which was why Jemma had kept her relationship with Kain a closely guarded secret. Yet being with him hadn’t made any difference to her demeanour that her grandparents would have picked up on. Twenty heated minutes with Hamish, however … Her hand snuck to her somewhat tender lips.
‘I met a guy,’ she said, the words odd and unfamiliar.
‘Well, I’m relieved it’s a boy. I was beginning to wonder,’ Nonna said.
It took Jemma a moment to realise her grandmother was questioning her sexuality. ‘Nonna! You can’t say that kind of thing.’
‘I just did.’
Nonna would get on famously with Paul Schenscher, Jemma realised.
‘But anyway,’ Nonna said, ‘this guy?’
Jemma lifted one shoulder. ‘He’s a friend of Sam’s.’
‘Ah, Samanta!’ Nonna said more enthusiastically than Jemma had previously heard her mention the name.
‘So he’s also from the country?’ Nonno said, sounding rather more cautious than her grandmother. He set a plate holding thin slices of meat topped with a sage leaf and dressed with a silky white wine sauce in front of each of them. She could have predicted that thesecondowould be saltimbocca: the flash-fried, ultra-thin veal schnitzels topped with ham and a squeeze of lime were her favourite.
‘Yeah. Well, Settlers Bridge. That’s a bit closer to Adelaide than where Dad and Sam live.’ Not that the few kilometres would matter, and, in any case, why was she trying to sell her grandparents on the location?
‘That’s good,’ Nonna said, and Jemma blinked in surprise. Her grandfather also looked shocked. ‘If we have to travel to see Pierce’—Nonna made it sound as though they’d be crossing an illegal border—‘we might as well visit Jemma at the same time.’
Jemma pointed at the window framed by burnt orange curtains that matched the terracotta floor and the very seventies autumnal benchtop tiles. ‘In case you’ve forgotten, I live right here. In the city … you know, where my career is.’
‘They don’t have lawyers in the country?’ Nonna’s words bore a shocking similarity to Hamish’s. And it was probably best Jemma didn’t mention her related research, or her grandparents would think she was really invested, rather than idly passing time on a Sunday morning.
‘Your father also knows this guy, then?’ Nonno asked.
‘Sure. But it’s … nothing. He’s just someone I met.’
Nonno chuckled. ‘Isn’t that how all relationships start? With a meeting.’
A wave of heat prickled up Jemma’s neck. ‘It’s not a relationship,’ she choked out. ‘He’s just a guy.’
‘So you keep saying,’ Nonna said. ‘We get it, Jemma, he’s a guy. And you’re not a lesbian.’ Now her grandmother had let that cat out of the bag, she was obviously going to keep pulling its tail. ‘He’s a farmer?’
‘Yes, but he’s also a mechanic.’ God, why was she listing his qualifications? They’d kissed, and that’s all she was interested in. Well, that and a little more. But nothing serious. She didn’t need to sell Hamish to her grandparents. ‘He owns the only garage in town.’
‘And why does this farming mechanic have my granddaughter all tongue-tied?’ Nonno asked. ‘This is a first.’
Her instinct was to deny the charge, but she’d probably stumble over the words. Instead, she huffed, trying to sound dismissive and nonchalant. ‘He’s … funny. Like, clever-funny, without being a tosser about it.’
‘A rare combination,’ Nonno said dryly.
‘And he plays the guitar, Nonno.’ Her grandfather used to bring a mandolin out after meals when she was a kid. ‘But, you know, like I said, just a friend,’ she added hastily.
‘Your nonno is my best friend,’ Nonna said slyly.
‘The best lovers start out as best friends,’ Nonno agreed.
Jemma scrunched her face. ‘Firstly, ew. And secondly, what aren’t we understanding here? Hamish isjusta friend. I’m way too busy for anything else.’
Except why had she said she was too busy, rather than that she wasn’t interested?
‘Are you sure you don’t mean you are too busy making yourself too busy?’ her grandmother asked, using the side of her fork to slice the tender veal.
