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She pulled out her phone and checked the time: eleven-thirty. She had almost two hours to kill before Heather would be back. Ellie flicked through her phone and found Gina’s number. Her fingers flew over the letters as she sent a text.

‘Ready to eat?’

The reply came back almost immediately. ‘Yes. Where and when?’

‘At the pool bar. Stay there.’ Ellie knew it would be easier for Gina if the children were somewhere they could play and the pool bar brought food orders in from the bistro.

She sent Heather a text to tell her to leave her car in the front car park when she came back from picking up Bill. She walked slowly up the steps, wondering if she should tell Kane that she was coming. But she couldn’t anyway; she didn’t have his number and she didn’t want to ask Jock for it. What she was going to do was private and nothing to do with them being workmates.

Ellie changed out of her khaki shorts and work shirt into a summer dress suitable for visiting at the hospital. She grabbed a light jacket, locked the door of her apartment and walked back over to the pool area. The gate squeaked as she lifted the childproof lock and pushed it open. Gina looked up with a smile, pointing to the phone she held against her ear. Ellie walked over to the children and crouched down on the grass beside the sandpit, giving Gina some privacy to finish her call.

‘Hey, guys. Want some lunch?’

Binny looked at her with green eyes identical to her mother’s. ‘Ice-cream?’

Andrew shook his head. ‘No, Binny. Hot chips, then ice-cream.’ Ellie laughed, sure she was being conned. Binny ran for the gate and Ellie jumped up to chase the little girl whose little legs pumped furiously as she covered the distance across the manicured lawn.

Ellie turned to reassure Gina that Binny was fine, and heard her laugh out loud and exclaim in what sounded like Italian. Her eyes were sparkling and her lips were tipped into a pretty smile. Gina beckoned her over when she finished her call.

Ellie held Binny’s hand as she walked over to Gina. ‘Hi, you look happy about something.’

‘I was talking to my mother . . . in Italy. She misses us all so much.’

‘Oh, that’s nice.’ Ellie pointed to the phone. ‘Hey, I love the phone cover.’

‘It is pretty special.’ Gina held it up with a smile. ‘If I tell you who gave it to me, will you promise not to think I am – how do you say it – big-headed?’ Her accent was more pronounced in her excitement.

‘Of course.’

‘The last time I worked a fashion show in Milan, Giorgio gave it to me to try to persuade me to stay. Isn’t it beautiful?’ She held it out to Ellie. ‘It’s a little big for my new phone but it’s too pretty to put away.’

‘Giorgio?’ Ellie picked it up and looked at it closely. There were hundreds of small crystals covering a silver leather flap.

‘Armani.’ Gina’s cheeks coloured and Ellie laughed.

‘Wow. That is pretty special. I wouldn’t be using it. I’d leave it in the bank!’

‘Giorgio couldn’t understand why I wanted to leave Italy in the middle of a good career. But my choice was easy. Modelling or David? No contest.’

Ellie wondered what it would be like to love someone so much. She’d had the occasional boyfriend at school but since Dad had died, she’d found it very hard to commit her feelings to anyone. She guessed – if she was honest – it had to do with a fear of losing someone else. It was easier not to get involved; then you couldn’t be hurt.

‘Ellie?’

She realised Gina was staring at her. ‘Sorry.’

‘Everything okay with you? You look sad.’

‘Yes, all good.’ She smiled over at the children who had climbed back into the sandpit in the shade. ‘So I hear it’s hot chips and ice-cream for lunch.’

‘Vegemite sandwiches is more like it. Come and sit with me for a while before we eat. I’m so pleased you ran into David last weekend.’ Gina chuckled and patted the empty lounge beside her, before her expression turned serious. ‘Do you have time to stay and chat for a while?’

‘I do. I’ve got a trip to Darwin this afternoon. I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up with you. It’s been madness here.’ Ellie sat on the lounge and kicked her sandals off, stretching her legs out. ‘How long are you here for?’

‘David will be back on Saturday and then maybe we have another week. Hopefully by that time he –’ Gina cut her words off and shook her head – ‘so a few more days of rest for us.’

Ellie looked at her curiously, but respected Gina’s privacy. David’s attitude had unnerved her a little last weekend. He was very serious and uptight about something, but it was none of her business. Em had always told her she was a soft touch, always taking on everyone else’s worries.

Is that what I’m doing with Kane?