“Well, a little discretion would be rewarded, if you know what I mean,” Ben said, ostentatiously rolling a single dollar coin across the table to Zara.
“Ben, I’m seventeen.” She laughed and rolled it back. “You’d have needed more than that ten years ago.”
“Oh, this is a very cute one of you, Zara.” Diane was still scrolling through, and Zara looked over as her grandmother stopped and turned the screen.
“No, that’s not me, Nan.”
Diane peered through her glasses. “That? That’s you. Look at your lovely hair. With your mum.”
A momentary hush fell over the table at the passing mention of Kim, and Diane hesitated. The screen was still facing outward, and Falk could see the picture was indeed of Kim, with a newborn baby in her arms. She was smiling at the camera, but her skin looked greasy and she had dark circles under her eyes.
“No, Nan. That baby Mum’s holding is Zoe.” Zara pointed across the table to the toddler now banging a spoon against her plate.
“Really?” Diane laughed. “That’s Zoe as a baby? My goodness, itgoes to show. She could be any one of you grandkids in that photo. Or the boys. She’s got that same suspicious look you all had. I used to call it the Raco gaze.”
There was a sharp pocket of silence.
“But Zoe’s not a Raco, Nan. She’s Mum and Rohan’s—”
“Yep, thanks, Zara. I am aware,” Diane said, the implications of what she’d said clearly not lost on her. “I mean, that’s obvious. Look at those gorgeous blond curls she has now.” She waved a hand toward Zoe in a half-hearted attempt at doddery foolishness, then sighed. “Oh, for God’s sake. Look, ignore me. At my age every new baby looks like a goblin in a onesie. Anyway, she’s clearly Rohan’s.”
Diane was right about that, Falk thought. Now, at least. The fine dark baby hair on Zoe’s head in the photo had been shed at some point over the past twelve months and regrown into the beginnings of sandy waves. Her eyes were still brown but not as dark as they appeared on-screen. The child’s face had taken shape as she’d grown and, faux Raco gaze or not, Zoe was now very much the image of Rohan, who at that moment had his arms crossed and was staring hard at the table.
“Diane,” Rita said, getting up. “Speaking of grandchildren, why don’t you come outside and we’ll get a few nice photos with baby Henry.”
“Yes,” Diane said, rising. “I think I better had.”
There was a beat of silence as she left, then Charlie laughed.
“Christ, do I even need to say this?” He stood. “No, I’m not even going to—”
He stretched over the remains of lunch, plates clattering, and offered his hand to Rohan. There was a loaded moment, then Rohan took it, his jaw relaxing a little. He looked embarrassed more than anything.
“You knew Kim,” Charlie said, still gripping the man’s hand. “You know she wouldn’t. I might.” A flicker of a smile. “But Kim would never.”
“Still. Nice try, mate.” Across the table, Ben flashed Rohan a grin that instantly lightened the mood. “I keep trying to fob mine off as well, but those paternity tests are always coming back with the wronganswer.” He winked at his visibly pregnant wife, who rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Congratulations, here’s another bloody one. And another.” Ben swept up a shrieking child as she ran past, and then a second one, turning them upside down as they squealed with delight. “Wish I could work out how we keep getting them.”
Between them all, Raco blinked slowly and shook his head.Family,he mouthed at Falk.Jesus Christ.He reached for the bottle nearest him.
“Right,” he said to no one in particular. “Who else needs a drink?”
Falk smiled and sat back in his chair. He leaned over to Gemma, their elbows colliding as she turned toward him at the same moment.
“Do you want to get some air?” he said.
“Absolutely.”
The light in the vineyard was dazzling after the relative dark of the barn, and they blinked as they emerged into the brilliant afternoon sun. Falk reached for Gemma’s hand, and it slid straight into his. They didn’t talk as they walked together down through the vines, the fresh spring leaves shimmering full and green all around. They were alone out there, the distant music and chatter growing louder and then fading as they wandered together up and down the tracks. Falk found himself watching their shadows. Side by side, hand in hand.
At the far end of a row that looked pretty much the same as all the others, he finally slowed, then came to a stop. Gemma, still holding his hand, glanced back the way they’d come. The sounds from the party filtered through the air, but the barn was hidden from view.
She nodded. “This is a good spot.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Because if we walk up any farther, they’ll all be able to see us kissing.”
Falk smiled at her. “That’s what’s going to happen now?”
