Right As Rain (19 page)

Adam's shoulders drooped as he let the box slide a little further down his body. “He hasn't finished. He said he was heading straight into town once he'd delivered the last load so he offered to drop me back here. I didn't know you were home.”

Mackenna frowned. Cam took the truck into town a lot, rather than his own vehicle. He treated the truck like it was his own.

“I'll keep out of your way.”

Adam looked so forlorn, Mackenna softened her tone.

“I hadn't planned to be here either but I had a call from Hugh. He's asked me over for dinner tonight . . . both of us actually and I didn't have anything to wear. One thing led to another and I ended up in full throw-out mode.”

She hoisted the case into the boot of her car and he placed the box beside it.

“I can manage the rest,” she said.

“I'm happy to help.”

She flicked him a quick smile and hurried back inside. They made several trips until finally her car was full.

“Thanks, Adam,” she said as she slammed the back door on a precarious pile of jackets and hats. “I'll come back and pick you up at six.”

“Thanks for the offer,” he said, “but I'll stay here. Have a quiet night. It's time for me to think about heading back to Melbourne. Do some touristy things on the way.”

“When are you leaving?” Mackenna felt a pang of regret. She didn't want him here and yet she didn't want him to go.

“I'll pack up tonight, maybe get going in the morning.”

There was sadness in his eyes.

“Is your grandfather worse?”

“No, he's holding his own, but I need to move on. It's been great seeing where you live but I think it's time for me to let you all get back to normal without having to entertain the Kiwi. Say thanks and goodbye to Hugh for me.”

He climbed the steps to the verandah. Mackenna took two paces to follow. She suddenly felt very bad about her offhand manner. She'd been behaving like a callous bitch.

“Please stay a bit longer, Adam.”

He paused but didn't turn.

“Hugh especially invited you tonight and I'd like you to stay for my celebratory dinner tomorrow night,” she babbled. “You've come all this way.”

She watched his shoulders rise and fall as he took a long breath in then out. Finally he looked over his shoulder.

“All right, I'll stay two more nights. Thanks,” he said and walked inside the house.

Mackenna watched the door close behind him. A mixture of emotions tumbled around inside her. Cam, a complete stranger, and Adam, her ex-lover, had infiltrated her family and taken up residence in her family home, the home that she'd just evicted herself from. Her oldest friend Hugh was behaving strangely and had kissed her, a kiss that she hadn't rejected. She'd always thought her life was ordinary but right now she'd trade it for something far simpler.

Her mobile rang and she plucked it from her pocket to peer at the screen. It was Chris from Bunyip Wines, no doubt wanting to know something about tomorrow night's dinner. She slid her finger across the screen to answer but the call dropped out. She tossed the phone on the car seat and drove back to the old house. The reception was much better there and talking to Chris about the dinner was a topic she was comfortable with.

It was well after six by the time she went back to collect Adam. He was waiting for her at the gate.

“Sorry,” she said as he climbed in. “Had a few phone calls then I had to find something to wear out of that mess I'd created.”

“It was worth the wait,” Adam said. “You look good.”

Mackenna turned quickly from his gaze and put the car into gear. She hadn't meant to sound like she was fishing for a compliment. “It had to be something that didn't require ironing.” She chuckled. “My little place doesn't have an iron yet.”

She'd put the black and red wrap tunic dress over a black three-quarter t-shirt and black leggings. She'd bought the tunic in New Zealand after Adam left her. The girl in the shop had filled the cramped change room with options for her to try and Mackenna ended up buying a couple of outfits. They'd been spur-of-the-moment purchases, a new look to build her confidence, but there'd been no opportunity to wear any of it until now.

“Did you enjoy the cattle work today?” she asked in an attempt to divert the conversation from anything personal.

“It was different,” Adam said. “They've got some prime cattle there but they're worried they are losing condition. Looks like everyone wants some rain.”

“Yes, doesn't matter if you've got sheep, cattle or wine in this area, at the moment we're all expecting rain.” Mackenna gripped the steering wheel and watched the road, not wanting to look at Adam in his green checked shirt that complemented the healthy glow of his skin.

By the time they arrived at the McDonalds' her arms were tired and her head hurt from the strain of keeping the conversation neutral. There were several cars in the yard already as they pulled up.

“Hope you're not overwhelmed by large family gatherings,” Mackenna said as she got out of the car. The sound of children's squeals and several voices talking at once wafted from the house. “The McDonalds can be a lively bunch when they're all together.”

“Hello.”

Hugh came down the path to meet them.

“Sorry we're late,” she said. “My fault.”

“You haven't missed anything. Mum's giving the kids their meal so we can eat with some semblance of calm.”

A shriek of laughter echoed from the house.

Hugh laughed and shook Adam's hand. “Welcome to bedlam,” he said and turned to kiss Mackenna on the cheek. She thrust the bottle of wine she'd brought into his hands.

“Dinner at your house was always entertaining,” she said.

“Hello, Mackenna.”

They all turned at Mary's welcome bellow. She gave a beckoning wave.

“Bring them in, Hugh. The food's ready.”

Inside the house chaos reigned. Mackenna introduced Adam as best she could to Hugh's three brothers and their wives. She rarely saw them and always muddled up their names. The older children were watching television in another room but two of Hugh's brothers had babies and another a toddler, so their noise added to the voices of the eleven adults.

They all squeezed around the huge kitchen table. Mackenna found herself seated between Hugh and his oldest brother, while Adam was seated opposite her between Mary and one of the sisters-in-law. They all had mountainous plates of roast lamb and vegetables in front of them, not a fancy meal but hearty. The smell of it set Mackenna's mouth watering.

“What's this research stuff Mum's been babbling on about?” Hugh's brother spoke through a mouthful of food.

There was a momentary lull around the table and Mackenna looked up to see all eyes turned to Hugh. She glanced sideways, took in his startled expression and put her cutlery down with a clatter. She presumed this was her queue to distract their attention, as Hugh had asked.

“It's similar to what Adam and I saw at the Corriedale stud we visited in New Zealand. They've used the latest research to help them map out which rams to use, which ewes to keep. It was really interesting, wasn't it Adam?” She smiled at his puzzled expression across the table.

“Yes . . . well, I don't know much about farming but I found it . . .” His voice petered out.

“Interesting,” Mackenna finished for him.

“What do you do for a living, Adam?” the sister-in-law beside him asked.

“I'm a chef,” he said, finding his voice again. “I'm very interested in the farm-to-table experience.”

“Which part of New Zealand do you come from?” Another of Hugh's brothers joined the conversation and soon they were discussing popular spots in New Zealand, poking fun at Adam's accent and Kiwis in general.

Somehow the conversation never got back to Hugh and his research project. Mackenna noticed he ate very little of his dinner and when his mother put a huge serving of apple crumble and icecream in front of him, Hugh sat back from the table.

“Are you okay?” She kept her voice low.

“Yes,” he said. “Mum serves up too much. I'm not used to these big meals anymore.”

“You could still eat a bit more, you know.” She leaned in closer. “Why can't you tell them about the research project you're involved with? Is it a secret?”

“No.” Hugh inclined his head towards hers. “It's just that it's overseas, in Canada, and Mum is so keen on me staying here. I don't want to burst her bubble.”

Mackenna tried to keep her own surprise from her voice. “You're going to have to tell her sometime if you're planning on leaving the country.”

“It's still to be finalised and I'd rather not discuss it while we've got a crowd.”

So he wasn't a hundred per cent committed. She wondered why.

Mackenna took a mouthful of the crumble. It melted in her mouth. “I'd forgotten how good your mum's apple crumble is,” she said. “You really should try and eat a little.”

She gave him an encouraging smile and nudged his plate closer. Hugh picked up his spoon and took a small taste.

“You could tell them about the study you've already done,” she said.

“What are you two whispering about?” The question came from one of Hugh's brothers further down the table and all eyes were directed their way.

Hugh's spoon clattered to his bowl.

“Not whispering,” Mackenna said with a chuckle. “Do you guys know how hard it is to get a word in when you're all together?”

“They're a noisy bunch,” Mary said and beamed at her family around the table. Immediately the chatter began again.

Mackenna spoke up. “Hugh was telling me about his study,” she said and gave him a wink.

“Let's have a bit of quiet for a moment so he can tell us.” Allan McDonald's voice wasn't loud but he achieved instant silence. Even the babies seemed to understand that their grandfather was not a man to be trifled with.

Hugh looked like a startled rabbit. Mackenna felt for his hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. He coughed and pushed his bowl away a little.

“Tell us, Hugh,” Mary said, her face full of pride.

“The course was all about animal breeding management,” Hugh said.

“Sounds like what we do already,” muttered the brother next to Mackenna.

“Let him finish.” Once again Allan's tone commanded respect.

Mackenna heard Hugh draw in a breath before he began again.

“Besides studying genetics we went into biotechnology and designed specific breeding programs.”

The confidence grew in his voice as he spoke. She turned to look at the others and found Adam staring at her. His face was expressionless but those deep brown eyes of his looked sad again.

Allan fired a question down the table at Hugh and she directed her attention to him. She had been on her best behaviour tonight, making conversation. Whatever was upsetting Adam couldn't be her doing this time. Maybe he hadn't taken the McDonalds' rowdy teasing very well.

Hugh continued to elaborate on his study and Mackenna couldn't help but be impressed by his depth of knowledge. She would definitely have to pick his brain further.

When Mary began gathering the bowls, Mackenna noticed how late it was. She had a big day tomorrow and another dinner, but this time she would be doing the cooking and serving. She caught Adam between conversations.

“Ready to go?”

He nodded and they made their farewells. Once again the voices became rowdy. Mackenna leant in to kiss Hugh's cheek. “That wasn't so terrible, was it?” she murmured in his ear.

He gave her a thankful smile.

“See you tomorrow night at Woolly Swamp Gatehouse,” she said.

Outside, the still night was a welcome release from the noise in the kitchen but Mackenna wasn't looking forward to trying to make conversation all the way home. As it turned out, she needn't have worried. Adam settled back in his seat and hardly said a word. When they arrived at the house he jumped out of the car with a quick goodnight. She watched for a moment until she saw the glow of an inside light then headed back to the old house.

She was getting used to Adam being around even if she didn't see him all that often. She had to admit she'd be sorry when he left. Still, she had no time to worry about him tonight. There was a big day ahead of her tomorrow. She pulled in at her back door mentally ticking off the list of jobs.

Mackenna cast her eyes around the dining room one more time. Everything was ready. She'd shifted a couple of the tables in from the tasting room, joined them and covered them with one of her mother's large white damask tablecloths. The table was set with silver cutlery and white napkins, also her mother's, and she'd put a small bunch of flowers in the centre and a larger arrangement on the mantelpiece.

In the pit of her stomach, she had a strange sensation. Nerves! She hadn't felt that since her early days as an apprentice chef. So much was riding on tonight. She wanted her family to see the possibilities of the farm gate tasting room. She wiped her palms down the sides of her jacket and went back to the kitchen.

Once again she looked around. She was happy with the way everything had come together. She'd been working all day and things were where they should be. Her food prep was complete, all she needed now were her guests. She looked at the clock on the wall. There was time for a glass of Bunyip sparkling before everyone arrived. She got out one of the crystal glasses she'd found when she'd cleaned out her bedroom; a twenty-first gift that had never been used. She popped the cork on the bottle.

“Celebrating already?”

The bottle nearly slipped from her grasp as she spun around.

Adam was leaning against the doorframe watching her. He was wearing a deep red check shirt, a sleeveless jacket and dark denim jeans.