T
he sun was shining as I stepped
out of my car but I shivered as
the cold, biting wind swept
through the valley.
I reached for my puffer jacket as
my ex hurried down the steps of his
Megalong home. “I’m glad you warned
me of the temperature difference
between here and Sydney,” I exclaimed
as Bob Middleton gave me an
affectionate squeeze.
He opened the rear door of the
car and released my dog Alf from his
harness. He’d been very good on the
drive but he was glad to run free.
“Are those geese?” I asked as Alf
started herding the surprised birds,
who’d been resting under the old
apple trees beside the house.
Bob took the bag of dog food
I handed him. “A neighbour gave
them to me and I’ve grown to like
them, although their honking took
a bit of getting used to!”
While Alf explored the wonderful
smells of Bob’s property, I admired it
from the warmth of his front room,
with coffee and freshly baked bickies.
The slopes were contoured and ducks
swam in the small dam. “It’s lookingAfter a picnic lunch by
the dam, it was time to
head back to Sydney. Bob
d a firm grip on Alf ’s collar
as I turned the car around.
I wound down the window. “Thanks
so much for looking after Alf. When
my neighbour Mavis told me she was
having a knee replacement I thought
I’d have to put him in a boarding
kennel.This is a lot better – and
a lot cheaper.”
Bob patted Alf’s head and waved us
off. “He’s good company. Anytime.”
I hit the traffic outside Parramatta
and just had time for a quick shower
before meeting up with Marcus Finlay
at the local Thai.
“You look well,” he said when
I joined him at the bar. He pointed to
his drink, then the bottle and nodded
to the barman. “I recommend this
riesling. It’s won a host of medals and
doesn’t cost the earth.”
The waitress led us to our table,
gave us the menus and brought over
the wine. As usual, we shared our
favourites. After the first few mouthfuls
took the edge off our hunger, Marcus
asked, “Ready for your book tour?”
“Yes,” I replied, “although I’ve got the
usual butterflies. Brisbane tomorrow
and then down to Melbourne.”
“I wanted to ask you about that,”
Marcus said carefully.
“About Melbourne?”
“Partly,” he said.
“A friend of mine has
a horse running in an
earlier race and because
I have a piece of it, he
asked if I’d like to come
along. It’d be rather fun
and, as you’re in Melbourne, I was
wondering if you’d like to come, too.”
I took a forkful of noodles, then
paused. “I’d love to... I don’t think I’ve
ever known a racehorse owner.”
Marcus looked down, then took my
hand. “There’s more. I’m in love with
you, Janet, and I need to know how you
feel. If I booked a hotel in Melbourne,
would you join me there?”•
Next time:Things promise to get racy!good,” I remarked. “Have you planted
any vines yet?”
“Just a few table grapes at the back of
the house. Everything takes longer than
I’d hoped, but I’m happy. David’s been
a great help. He’s the happiest I’ve seen
him for ages.”
I made a show of watching Alf’s
antics and then asked the question that
had been bothering me ever since my
lunch at the Art Gallery. “Is he still
seeing Megan Forrester?”
Bob smiled. “That’s still
going strong. She’s not at
Wolgan Valley anymore
but has rented a house at
Medlow Bath. She travels
a great deal but she’s
happy to link up with
David whenever he’s free. She knows
a lot about wine and grapes and has
made some helpful suggestions about
what to do here.”
I sighed. “Sounds good. I just don’t
want him to be hurt again.”
Bob took my hand. “Being hurt is
one of the risks you run when you fall
in love. I’ve thought a lot about David.
He’s the odd one out of our sons but all
we can do is watch and wait.”‘I’m in love
with you and
I need to know
how you feel’JanetandtheJudge
endurequitethe
awkwardbrushwith
theever-mysterious
MeganForrester–
andhedoesn’tmince
hiswordsabouther!
Eventuallytheyflee
herclutchesandcan
getonwiththeirlives.Last time...
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serialPICTURE: KRISTINA SOLJO/BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU ALL CHARACTERS IN THE MIDDLETONS ARE FICTITIOUS86