Beacon Point Beach House

This is a romance story set in Australia. I know most readers probably don’t associate summer with Christmas and New Year, but for us, this is when time slows, and we get to head to the beach on a break. I hope people can understand the Australianisms that abound in the story through the context, but if not, please ask!

This is part of the Summer Lovin’ contest and I ask you to read through all the entries and vote as you see fit– we are so fortunate to have such amazing people sharing their stories around here.

Finally, thanks to those who beta read and proofread and offered suggestions– I’ll refer to them as my analytical adventurists.

~*~*~*~*~

It should not have come as a surprise to me when the podcast I had been listening to cut out as my phone lost reception about 20 kilometres from my destination. I tried flicking through some of the radio stations and found either drawling country and western or cricket, neither of which held my attention.

I hadn’t been focussing on the podcast but needed something in the background to help distract me, something to filter through my brain and stop the anxiety I always experienced on long road trips. This was not that long a trip, just over three hours from the city I had grown up in and still lived in, but I recognised how super vigilant I always was whenever I was on the road after that horrible night a little over 20 years before. That night, I lost not only my family, but it led to a personality change that hid the bright, outgoing child I had been until then, and saw me become the cautious, overthinking adult I was today.

Harriet, or Hettie as we all knew her, had insisted I spend Christmas with them. It had been hot, but it had been a nice time filled with laughter, and I did enjoy seeing the joy in Hettie and Nigel’s two adorable children as they opened presents, even if Simeon was too busy trying to eat the paper. As always, my camera was in hand, shooting away and recording hard copies of memories. I knew how important photos were and how an image could evoke memories of happy times.

Refusing to drive on Boxing Day knowing the roads would be busy, I’d left a few days before driving to my summer retreat– three weeks at Beacon Point in a beach house designed by Hettie that promised no cell phone reception, internet, or television. Three weeks for me to spend in peace and relative quiet, photographing the house and perhaps plucking up the courage to write a review of this newly built oasis.

Courage had been missing from me for many years. So many people praised me for my resilience, but not many saw the fears that enveloped me almost constantly. I had failed once too often and was scared to try something new.

When I was orphaned, it was Hettie’s parents, my dad’s brother, Uncle Max, and his wife, Aunt Lou, who took me in. I went from being the eldest in my family to the youngest in theirs, a few years younger than Hettie and even more distant to Baden. I was grateful they chose to adopt me, and I was not dispatched to my mother’s relatives in Estonia.

“Gracie, darling, you are always considered family here no matter what, and Christmas should be spent with family.” Aunt Lou’s words as she hugged me tight when I arrived Christmas morning came to me as I drove in silence.

December was always tough with the anniversary of the accident, my birthday and Christmas. It had taken years for me to want to celebrate another year of living and this year people wanted to make a big deal out of me turning the big 3-0. I’d pleaded with Hettie to just ignore the day, but settled on a small family dinner, wonderfully catered by Nigel.

It was hot that evening, just as it was today, and it was nice spending time with Uncle Max, Aunt Lou, Baden and his wife Mei, and Hettie and Nigel. It was not only the anniversary of the accident that made December sad, but more recently the month I had discovered my partner’s treachery. Two years on and I was still angry that I had been deceived so easily by Chad. Now, I recognised enough was enough and I needed to stop wallowing and try and create a new life.

Around a bend and my phone kicked back in long enough to alert me to a message. I pulled over to read the best wishes from Hettie. I was in awe of Hettie’s brilliance. She had become a highly sought-after architect designing sustainable homes that blended with their environment. She had designed Beacon Point Beach House as a guest house on the edge of farmland in the middle of nowhere.

The land was owned by Millie and Mary Tungsten, sisters who had taken over running the farm when their father died ten years ago. They had diversified into goats and produced award-winning goat’s cheese. Nigel came across the sisters and their cheese as part of his business and put them onto his wife when they talked about building a guesthouse on the edge of their property.

“It’s just the most amazing site, Grace,” Hettie had gushed after she first saw the place. “I mean, the farm’s been in the family for generations and in the 1850s they tried to get a lighthouse built on the point, but no one would fund it, so they built a beacon and would head out each night over twenty kilometres to light it to warn ships off the rocks. There was a cottage there that was run down and the most amazing steps that lead down to the beach below. I can’t wait to design them an oasis.”

And she had. Millie and Mary were so thrilled that they told Hettie she could use it whenever she wanted, and Hettie decided to book it for me to escape to for three weeks after Christmas.

“You can take photos and stuff and just relax. The kids would hate no TV or internet, but the space is gorgeous! It’s got two bedrooms, one with bunks for kids and the other a romantic retreat. Nigel and I will bring the kids down overnight one weekend to see you, but I don’t know if they could cope with much more.” Hettie had told me.

It did sound idyllic. I was used to being alone and looked forward to being able to stick to my own timetable and take plenty of photos of the coastline around the house.

Over my birthday dinner Hettie, Nigel and Baden all had guys they wanted me to meet, but I was not interested.

“You’ll love Paul, Grace– he’s not an oil painting, but he’s really charming and his ex-wife was a real cow to him,” Baden had offered.

“No, not that guy you play basketball with?” Mei had chimed in. “He’s a sleaze!”

“Don’t worry, Cuzzie, you need to meet Jason, a new junior architect at the firm and he is hot as mustard. You just need to clean your pipes out if you get my drift!” I loved Hettie, but I also knew how flamboyant she became after a few too many glasses of wine.

“Hon, I told you Al, one of my best customers, would be perfect for Grace!” Nigel added.

“Children!” Aunt Lou had laughed, “Grace is sitting right here and I’m sure when she’s ready she’ll meet someone. Now where’s the cake?”

Meet someone? I didn’t know if I wanted to meet anyone. I enjoyed my solitude and Hettie knew me well to suggest I stay at Beacon Point. The idea of a total retreat sounded lovely. My friends were mostly married with young families themselves. I’d lost touch with school friends when I chose not to pursue a university education, much to my aunt and uncle’s shock, but instead chose to travel.

I wanted to meet some of my mother’s family. She had saved all her pennies to travel and came to Australia where she met my father, the two falling madly in love. Her mother had died when she was a teenager, and her father wanted her to marry a local Estonian boy, but she had refused and decided to backpack Down Under. My parents loved to tell of their courtship; my mother’s broken English and my father’s poor attempts at learning Estonian phrases, not realising my mother was fluent in Russian, Finnish, and German as well.

Remembering my parents and my uncle and aunt and their devotion to each other, let alone Baden and Hettie’s happy relationships, made me wonder where I went so wrong.

There had been Gustav who I met on my travels as a naïve nineteen-year-old and sponsored to come to Australia, believing it was love, only to have him leave me once his visa was approved. Although we’d been engaged, we’d never walked down the aisle together. Then I met Brian who was a party boy and strung me along for a year or two until he told me he was going to be a father. The fact that he’d waited to tell me until I was lying in bed with a hot water bottle clutched to my abdomen trying to calm the cramps that came with the shedding of my uterine lining each month was not lost on me. Then there was Chad. Charming Chad who everyone loved, but no one had seen through. I still blamed myself even though everyone told me I’d done nothing wrong, and we’d all been deceived by him.

~*~*~*~*~

The directions Hettie had given me were precise and the photos she had taken of the beach house didn’t do it justice. The blue-grey Colorbond roof was the first thing I noticed, jutting into the sky, blending with both the sea and the world above us. Parking in the carport I tried the door combination, checking the message from Hettie. She told me it was the last four digits of my phone number. No joy. I tried the last four digits of her phone number, but again, no luck. In the end, I walked around the house and saw a kitchen window was open, so I removed the fly screen, grabbed a milk crate that had been sitting in the carport, and climbed through the window.

I gasped as I entered the main living area. Large windows opened to the ocean. There was a breeze, so I opened the sliding doors at both the front and back of the cottage to let the draught through. On one side of the living area, there was a bedroom with a king-sized bed which I knew I would be spending time in, reading and looking out to sea. On the other side of the living area was the second bedroom with two sets of bunk beds and a queen-sized bed. I wondered why Hettie thought Rachel and Simeon would not like it here as to me it was perfect.

There was a stereo with a turntable in the living area and I decided to put on one of the albums Millie and Mary had left for me– the Beach Boys, which seemed oddly appropriate. After unpacking my car and putting the bottles of wine Nigel had insisted on sending down with me in the fridge, I took out some goat’s cheese the sisters had left, spread it onto some crackers and decided to visit the beach.

When I arrived, I hadn’t noticed the sunken hot tub in the deck outside the main bedroom and could imagine spending evenings in there as I listened to the local wildlife as the sun set. The house was idyllic. Despite being so close to the ocean, raised garden beds ran along one side of the house filled with herbs and a cherry tomato bush that was heavy with fruit.

My camera slung around my neck, I made my way down the staircase to the beach below, nibbling on a few of the tomatoes I had scavenged from the bush. Slipping off my sandals, the squelch of the sand beneath my feet was instantly calming and reminded me of the last family holiday I remembered with my parents where we had camped in a tent near the beach.

My life was full of memories, many of them sad and depressing and I had just turned 30 with no real direction or purpose in my life. I hadn’t even told Hettie of my dream of taking photos for a living and even writing editorials, a travel writer perhaps. Hettie had suggested I head to uni, but I didn’t like the idea of study. I had topped my school in my senior year, but I knew I didn’t want to partake in more formal study. I wanted to learn through doing and through experiences; it was just that the experiences up until now had taught me some lessons I would rather not have learnt.

“Excuse me, um, hello?” I heard a voice calling from the top of the staircase. A man was standing and waving at me. He descended the stairs and started walking towards me.

Strangely I was not fearful. I hadn’t expected company, but there was something about his manner that made me feel at ease. He was tall with a large smile that beamed from his face. His blonde, wavy hair floated over his head and looked like he threaded his fingers through it throughout the day. Tilting his sunglasses onto his head I saw his blue-grey eyes and wondered how much the colour was enhanced by the environment we found ourselves in.

“Excuse me, hi, are you Millie or Mary?”

“Sorry? I’m Grace, Grace Alexander.”

“Alex is fine, only my mum calls me Alexander.”

“No, sorry, my name is Grace Alexander! I’m staying at the beach house.”

“This is a bit weird!” he laughed, “My name is Alex Grace and I’ve booked to stay here for two weeks.”

I could hear what he was saying, but it was not making sense. Hettie was methodical and organised and would not have told me she had booked the beach house for me unless she had.

“But the beach house, it’s only just been finished, and I was told… I’m sorry, but there’s been some misunderstanding; I’m here to get away from everything.”

“You and me both. I, um, well, my mate, Nigel, well, mate is possibly too strong a word, well, he runs a deli that I frequent probably more often than I should, and he told me his wife was designing this place and gave me the number of Millie and Mary, the sisters who own it. I booked directly with them.”

“Nigel, Nigel Alexander-Brown? He’s my cousin-in-law or something. He’s married to my cousin anyway and she designed it and arranged for me to stay.”

I could see we were getting nowhere. I made my way to the stairs and ascended to the top of the cliff. Alex followed behind me. I knew I could not make it home before nightfall and I refused to drive at night. Somehow, I would need to make this intruder leave. When he had approached I had thought he was simply visiting, but discovering we were double-booked into the same place made me a little more uneasy.

“Look, I’m really sorry about all of this, but I’ll show you my booking on my phone, here.” Alex shoved his phone into my face, showing he was exasperated as I was.

“I’m sorry,” I sighed, “There seems to have been a mix-up, what with our names and all. I, well, I don’t drive at night, and I won’t get back to the city before nightfall.”

“No, don’t do that– look, Millie sent this email and called me Mr Alexander. I suspect she thinks we’re a couple or something.”

“Wait, did your code work in the door?”

“Never tried as the doors were open. Hey, look, why don’t we try and find the farmhouse and see if something can be sorted?”

“Like what? There’s not an extra beach house or anything! This is the prime holiday season and even the dodgy looking motel in town had a no vacancy sign lit up out front. Look, I’ll take the second room tonight and be out of your hair tomorrow, ok?”

“Well, no.” I could see Alex wanted to argue. “Let’s see what we can sort out. I see Nigel sent you with some of the same wine he sold me before Christmas– it’s either really good or he needed to get rid of it!”

“Nigel only drinks decent wine, and he wouldn’t sell anything that wasn’t up to his standard. Hettie, his wife, pranked him once by filling a wine bottle with box wine and Nigel almost had a heart attack. He wanted to ring his contacts and was getting ready to send a pallet or two back and change suppliers before Hettie came clean! He’s a total wine snob!”

“I like Nigel a lot. He’s, well, he’s a good listener. I moved to the city 18 months ago and he is one of the few people I know outside of work which is pretty sad really. Look, I’m a bit of an amateur cook, and I knew Millie and Mary would leave some of their cheese, and I was going to make pasta. Would you mind if I cooked for you?”

No man had ever cooked for me. Well Aunt Lou and Uncle Max shared cooking duty growing up, and Nigel was often catering for family functions, but cooking had always been my domain. Even though Nigel owned the deli and a successful catering business, I still insisted on contributing to meals when we met. Although I was well aware I was now intruding on this gentleman’s space, I thanked him for his offer.

Sitting on a deck chair on the verandah, I was glad for the breeze that hid the heat of the evening. Although I contemplated helping Alex with dinner, I was grateful for the time I could spend alone. Every so often I would raise my camera and take a photo of a bird that had landed on the birdbath in the corner of the yard or a flock of seagulls that circled overhead.

Alex brought me a glass of wine and I told him about the herb garden which excited him. I hadn’t known what all the herbs were, identifying the small amount of parsley, mint and basil, but Alex was thrilled to see native Australian ingredients planted amongst everything.

I let out a huge yawn as Alex appeared through the doors and handed me a bowl of pasta.

“More wine?” he asked as he topped up his glass.

“No, thanks. One’s my limit. I’m already tired, and if I have more than that I end up drinking a whole bottle and wake up with a headache.”

“It’s not like you need to be anywhere, but I totally understand if you don’t want any more.”

I held out my glass as Alex topped it up.

“This is amazing! What did you use?” I asked as I savoured a mouthful of the pasta.

“I stuffed the ravioli with some of the goat’s cheese and native pepper berry– it’s a great combination. It’s just a brown butter sauce with it and a little salad foraged from the planter. I did bring some salad greens with me, but I wanted to use the local stuff I suppose tonight. I’m glad I have someone to cook for and someone who appreciates it. It really warms my heart.”

“Are you a chef?” I asked as I savoured the latest mouthful of dinner.

“No! I’m a teacher, well I was. I’ve, um, taken time off.”

“You teach cooking then?”

“No!” Alex laughed, “I’m an art teacher, but for younger kids.”

“That’s like, wow!”

“It had its good times, but I want to explore more. What about you?”

“I had a travel agency. I’d built it up and we prided ourselves on offering real-life experiences and being able to recommend places to stay and go to, but, well, I don’t have it anymore.”

“Business is tough with the internet and all.”

“Yeah.” I tried to focus on the food and not think about the toughness of it all. I didn’t want to unload on a stranger and tell him I’d been between jobs for almost two years. What I wanted to do and what I had the confidence to do were two different things.

“I can see you like taking photos,” Alex offered as we finished our dinner.

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a passion of mine. Look, I’ll go and do the dishes and you sit out here and drink your wine.”

Alex didn’t argue with me. He merely smiled and handed me his bowl and said thank you. I didn’t want to tell him my life story as I was leaving in the morning, well, after lunch really as I hoped the roads might be quieter.

When I returned to the verandah, Alex was asleep in his chair. I hadn’t unpacked my suitcase, so I simply moved it from the main bedroom to the family bedroom, leaving Alex to enjoy the larger bed. As I brushed my teeth and washed my face, I decided I would need to book another time to come and stay at the beach house as it really was a beautiful place.

I tried to watch the sunset and remember seeing the first crimson hues creep across the horizon, but before I knew it, I was awake, and a new day had dawned.

Although I was not a morning person, I was unable to sleep in for long once the sun was up. Yawning, I made my way to the kitchen still wearing the oversized pyjamas I slept in. I had all but forgotten about Alex until I saw the clean dishes from the night before and remembered his amazing pasta dish.

With the kettle boiled, I made a pot of tea and went to sit on the verandah. It was going to be another warm day judging by the early temperatures. I had packed the ingredients to make a batch of toasted granola and decided to cook it up and leave it for Alex when I left as a thank you for dinner the previous evening.

Mixing the grains, nuts and dried fruits I added some spices and honey before spreading on a tray to bake and brown. Alex appeared just as I was removing it from the oven.

“Wow! That smells good, but then again, anything with cinnamon and I suspect ginger and orange always excites me!”

“Morning. Yeah, my uncle used to always be in charge of making granola each weekend for us all. I just throw bits of this and that in really.”

“You like cooking too then?”

“Yeah, my aunt and uncle are big foodies. They introduced Nigel to Hettie which is lucky because she skipped the cooking gene. I thought I’d whip this up for you and leave it as a thank you for putting up with me last night and this morning.”

“Putting up with you? I haven’t had to put up with anything! Look, I’ve been thinking, and I wouldn’t mind in the least if you hung around for a bit– I’d hate to think you have to drive back to the city so soon and seeing it’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow the roads will be busy.”

I hadn’t considered the roads. Alex was right and there would be plenty of people heading to the city to watch the fireworks and see in the new year.

“I’ll, um, I’ll think about it, thanks,” I said as I poured myself another cup of tea and headed for the comfy chair on the verandah.

The sound of the waves rolling in drowned out the sound of the few birds that circled overhead. Alex’s offer made sense, but I didn’t want to feel like I was intruding. I was also uncertain about sharing such an isolated house with a man I hardly knew. My past had shown me I had never been a good judge of character and I was easily deceived.

If I did head back to town though, Hettie and Nigel would be holding a large New Year’s Eve party and I was happy to be away from it. Again, they would be introducing me to their single friends, convinced I needed to find a partner to be satisfied with my life.

If it was true that once bitten, twice shy, then thrice bitten meant I was more than reluctant to invite anyone into my life. I also wondered what I would have to offer anyone. Sure, I owned my home thanks to the inheritance from my parents, but I was still angry that I had lost my business, the business I had started and grown well before Chad even appeared on the scene.

“Ah, Grace? Sorry, I was just going to grab a shower if that’s ok with you?”

I was surprised that Alex would even be considering asking, seeing as I saw myself as an intruder in his space.

“Yeah, not a problem. Pour yourself a tea if you want, there’s plenty in the pot.”

“I’ll make a coffee when I’ve showered, but thanks. Oh, and I’ll make sure I leave you some hot water.”

It struck me how considerate Alex was. His manner exuded gentleness and kindness and he seemed to realise that I didn’t mind silence or solitude. This was new to me and not something I had ever lived with. My aunt and uncle and cousins were all outgoing, boisterous people and yet I had always been more introverted, especially since the accident. I was able to talk with people about things I was passionate about, which was one of the reasons the travel agency suited me perfectly, but to talk about things I didn’t know a lot about scared me.

“That showerhead is amazing!” Alex emerged from the bathroom wearing board shorts and pulling on a t-shirt.

“The kettle’s just boiled again if you want coffee.” I smiled as I washed my mug.

“Thanks, Grace, would you like a cup?”

“No, thanks. I’m a tea drinker.”

“All good. Did you want some of the granola now? There’s some goat-milk yoghurt in the fridge the sisters left.”

“There are some strawberries in the fridge if you want too. I, um, sorry, I don’t know how you want to divide the food and all.”

“Honestly, Grace, I looked last night, and we bought very similar things along. I’m happy to just use as we see fit and then if you decide to leave early, I’ll send things home with you. It’s all good.”

Alex seemed to sense my apprehension and yet he didn’t call me on it. He simply smiled and prepared his coffee as I sliced strawberries.

“I, well, I might take you up on your offer to stay an extra few nights. I don’t want to drive when it’s busy.”

“Sounds good!” Alex smiled as if this was not inconveniencing him at all. “Perhaps we could prepare a menu or something and see what we have and what we need? I have to pop into town to collect a few things and I need to go and see the sisters.”

I had promised Hettie that every second day I would find reception and call or text her to let her know I was alright. She had mentioned that if I stood on the cliff a few hundred meters up from the beacon then sometimes I could get reception, but it was not guaranteed.

“Perhaps tomorrow we could head in, I mean we’ve got enough for today at least and I don’t really feel like driving after my trip yesterday.”

“Sounds like a plan. Now, this is killer granola, thanks, Grace.”

Alex used my name a lot, more than anyone else had recently. Although he seemed so happy-go-lucky, I also sensed he had experienced some challenging life lessons.

“I was going to go for a walk along the beach with my camera.”

“Cool. I was going to set up my easel and see if inspiration strikes.

“You’re an artist?”

“Well, I paint. Watercolours mostly. The sea has always inspired me. When I was a kid, I used to dream that I’d find pirates and they’d whisk me away and I’d spend my life at sea.”

I didn’t want to press Alex for more information than he was willing to give, so I grabbed my camera and hat and started towards the steps. The beach stretched for miles. The tide was out and had washed up shells and all sorts of litter that I captured with my lens.

The west coast of Australia was not as populated as the east coast and yet there was still so much pollution that swept in with the tide, remnants of drinking straws, bottle caps and the like. The closest coastal town was over 100 kilometres away and yet microplastics still made their way to this beach.

It was a still day but getting warmer by the minute and I wished I had packed a water bottle. The cliffs supplied some shade, but the sun was getting higher in the sky, and I knew I would be walking back in full sunshine unless I turned around now. I had noticed the previous afternoon that the sun shining on the cliff space provided so many opportunities for capturing different hues of rocks, but that would need to wait until the breeze blew in in the afternoon as it was simply too hot otherwise.

Climbing the steps to the beach house I was a hot, stinky mess. Beads of sweat seemed to flow down my face and my tank top was drenched. I could only imagine how red my face was and was glad it was simply from exertion in the heat and not from sunburn.

“Whoa, Grace? Are you ok?” Alex almost threw his brush down and rushed over to me as I trudged up the path from the steps.

“Yeah, I didn’t realise how hot it is and I should have taken water. I’m fine, even if I look a complete mess.”

“Here, sit and I’ll grab a glass of cold water.”

Fanning myself with my straw hat I thanked Alex for the drink and was glad to be out of the sun.

“I’ll grab a shower now I think, and it doesn’t matter if there’s hot water or not because I don’t need it.” I tried to laugh, but I was simply wrung out from the heat. I had spoiled myself living in air-conditioned comfort at home, barely going out after the sun was too high in the sky.

The cooling water was like balm on my face and arms. Alex had been right; the showerhead was indeed amazing. I washed my hair and scrubbed my skin before simply standing and letting the cold water wash over me.

Throwing on a sundress I went to grab another drink. Alex was in the kitchen already pouring more water.

“Do you…” we both started at the same time.

“You first.” Alex smiled.

“I was wondering if you wanted some music on, that’s all. There’s an eclectic record collection.”

“I was just going to ask the same thing,” Alex laughed. “Your choice first.”

I flicked through the albums before settling on Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms. It had been a favourite of my father and I hadn’t listened to it in ages.

Grabbing the book I had been reading I went and lounged in the shade of the verandah and let the music wash over me.

There was a Norfolk Island pine tree that provided some lovely shade to the house. I wondered how long the tree had been there and what secrets it held. I must have been relaxed as I drifted off to sleep, only to be woken by voices.

“No, it’s no worry. I mean, I should be the one to get out of her hair. Ah, here she is. Grace, this is Millie, one of the sisters.”

“Oh Grace, I am so sorry for the confusion. Mary has been dealing with Hettie and had your name written down and then when Alex here rang I got confused. Please forgive us.”

“It’s fine, really. I’ll stay a few more nights and leave the house for Alex here.”

“Hettie said you’re still not working so perhaps you could come back when Alex leaves?”

“It’s lovely, it really is, but things are still up in the air a little.” I had never been any good at being assertive and calling someone on their rudeness.

“Now Hettie told me that you are a writer too, and I would love for you to write a blurb on the beach house so we can try and build one of those website things for it.”

I wondered what else Hettie had told Millie and Mary about me. She knew I valued my privacy and here was a stranger talking about me in front of another stranger. I hadn’t talked to her about my writing and hadn’t shared much with her about any aspirations I held.

“I’ll um, I’ll see. I’ve got a few photos already and I’ll make sure I send through any I think you might be able to use.”

“Thanks, sweetie. Now, Mary reminded me to ask you to come up to the dairy sometime to see the cheese making. Does tomorrow suit?”

“Um…” I looked at Alex unsure if we were both being invited.

“That sounds wonderful, Millie.” Alex smiled at me. “Perhaps we could help with the milking or something too?”

“We start that early, young man, before it gets too hot.”

“Grace and I were going to head into town and grab some things tomorrow so perhaps we’ll call past on our way? Is that ok, Grace?”

“Sounds good. I’ll bring my camera, of course.”

Millie pointed out some of the other features of the beach house we had missed and had brought over a booklet explaining how to operate the hot tub and with information on the garden planters. Looking through it, it was very wordy and I thought I could help the sisters in condensing some of the information and typesetting it in an easier-to-read format.

“Sorry to wake you.” Alex came to apologise after Millie had left.

“It’s ok. I shouldn’t sleep during the day. That walk drained me though.”

Alex and I kept to ourselves during the afternoon. I finished another novel I had been reading and Alex was busy painting. My camera was never far from me, and I managed to capture some birds as they basked in the shade of the tree and washed in the birdbath. I also managed to shoot a few photos of Alex painting.

He looked so content and happy with a brush in his hand. He was what Aunt Lou would term ‘a very handsome young man,’ but then again, she had said that about Chad and we had all been deceived by his charm. I got the impression Alex was more considerate and aware of those around him and how his actions impacted them.

“Are you staring at me, Grace?” Alex asked as his brush flicked across his canvas.

“Sorry, I, um…”

“It’s all good, I was teasing. Now I think the sun is over the yardarm somewhere, shall I open a bottle of wine?”

“You look busy there, let me.”

I prepared a small platter of cheese and crackers with some dried fruit and a bowl of olives and placed it on a tray with two glasses of wine.

“You said you painted landscapes!” I had approached Alex from behind getting a look at his canvas.

“Well, I do mainly, but, well, my inspiration or something. I hope you aren’t offended.”

Alex had painted me lying on the sun lounge in the shade from the tree and verandah awning. I was amazed at the detail he had captured from the way my dress draped over my thighs as my leg was bent, to the flowers on the dress and the cover on the book I had laid on my lap as I gazed out to sea.

“It’s, wow! You’re good!”

“What do they say again, those who can do, those who can’t teach.”

“Yeah, well you said you’d stopped teaching and I can see why; you’ve got an amazing talent there.”

“Um, thanks.” Alex appeared bashful. “It’s not that good, but I do appreciate the compliment. I wasn’t going to show you until it’s finished. So can I see some of your photos now?”

“I was going to download them to my laptop– it makes it easier to see them.”

It was lovely opening my laptop and realising it was not connected to the internet. I downloaded all the raw images before taking them over to Alex to have a look.

“These are fantastic, Grace. Did you take all these today?”

“A couple yesterday, but, yeah…”

“I see you’ve been sneaky too!” Alex turned the laptop towards me as the first of the photos I had taken of him appeared.

“The light was perfect, and you looked so in the zone.”

“Thanks,” Alex seemed almost taken aback as he stared at the image of himself. “I’d really like a copy of them if that’s ok?”

“Yeah, no problems at all.”

“Do you do much portraiture?”

“Nah, not really. I’ve taken photos of my niece and nephew and snapped at other family events and done some friends’ weddings and stuff, but, I don’t know…”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a photographer, not a travel agent.”

It was hard to see myself as a photographer. It had always been a passion, but I had always seen it as a hobby. I didn’t know the first thing about getting myself out there as a photographer. Hettie always shared my photos on her social media, and I was credited with photographing several of the homes she had designed.

Once, I was asked if I would be free to help with a real estate agent, but I had been too busy in the business at the time to do that, and I didn’t feel confident enough to bring it up with Hettie again, telling her that I might like to do some more photography either of the places she designed or for real estate agents she knew.

I insisted it was my turn to cook dinner and grilled some chicken fillets and served them with a salad. Instead of sitting outside, Alex and I sat at the small table in the living area.

“You don’t mind eating together?” Alex had asked as he set the table with cutlery.

“Not at all,” I smiled, realising I was enjoying this stranger’s company.

“I just, well, I suppose, I just sense that you don’t mind your own company and I don’t want to intrude or anything.”

“It’s just me most of the time and has been for a couple of years now; I’m used to solitude I suppose.”

“I’ve been on my own for a couple of years too, but I’m not used to it. I suppose part of that is me growing up with five older sisters.”

“Wow! Your parents really wanted a son then?”

“Dad said he didn’t mind at the time; I think he was happy to be getting some. He ended up leaving Mum when I was two– did the old running off with his secretary.”

“Ouch. So, your mum raised six kids on her own then?”

“Yeah. She’s a bit of a legend, is my mum.”

“Do they live in Perth?”

“No, I grew up in Adelaide. I, um, I, well I moved to Perth to escape, I suppose.”

I didn’t feel it was my place to question further, so we simply sat and ate in silence for a bit.

“Thanks for not prying, Grace,” Alex offered after a while. “Here, this bottle’s finished; I’m opening another one.”

“It’s a lovely drop. Nigel does have good taste.”

“Do you want another glass?”

I thought about it and argued that it wouldn’t hurt. It was nice sitting and talking with Alex.

“I was the eldest of three.” I blurted out after a large sip of wine, not sure where my revelation appeared from. “My parents and my brother and sister were all killed when a truck swerved onto the wrong side of the road and took out the car we were travelling in one night.”

“Shit, Grace. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. It was just over 20 years ago, just before my tenth birthday. We’d been down the coast looking at a property Mum and Dad wanted to buy, a little farm where Mum could run chickens and have a veggie garden and Dad could still commute to work and us kids could run free. We’d had dinner at the pub and were driving home. Sam and Eliza were asleep and I remember they had an ABBA cassette on and Mum and Dad were singing away. I still hear Mum’s scream.”

Alex sat and nodded as I told the story, the first person I had told in many, many years.

“Mum, Dad and Eliza were killed instantly, I found out many years later. Sam was unconscious when the ambulance arrived. My aunt and uncle had to decide to turn off his life support a week later when they were told he was brain dead. I just had a broken leg and some cuts and abrasions.”

“I want to say you were lucky, but it’s not lucky to lose your family like that. Did your aunt and uncle take you in?”

“Yeah. Mum’s family is all overseas, so Hettie’s parents took me in as their own, and I became the youngest of three instead of the eldest.”

“I’m, well, I’m sad for you, I suppose. My dad cut himself out of our lives and I’ve never really wanted to find him, but you had no choice in the matter.”

“Yeah. I had lots of counselling at the time which I think helped. I didn’t get my driver’s licence until I was 23 and even now, I hate driving at night, especially on country roads.”

“That’s understandable.”

“Yeah, well my ex told me I was a coward and tried to force me to drive at night and stuff.”

“Sometimes people are exes for a reason,” Alex said as he topped up our glasses once more.

I could feel the buzz from the wine, but I felt relaxed and comfortable with Alex. Chad never seemed to understand. He pretended he did, but always drank when we were out, making me drive home despite my protests. He knew about my fears and still made out he was helping me. No, let’s open another bottle, Grace can drive, she doesn’t mind. Isn’t she just a doll?

Grace did mind, but I was always too polite to say anything, plus I never wanted our friends, well Chad’s friends really, to know about the accident.

“I, um, I still see a counsellor. I’ve, um, well I have depression, but it’s fairly under control at present thanks to drugs,” Alex offered. “Drugs as in medication, not illicit stuff, even though I know I shouldn’t be drinking this much.”

“I’ll look out for you in the morning then.” I offered with a smile.

“I’d like that.” Alex smiled back.

It was the first time I felt vulnerable. It wasn’t a lecherous smile, but it invoked some feelings inside that had been absent for a long time. I started clearing the table, but Alex insisted he do it. I made excuses about being tired and retreated to the bedroom.

Sleep didn’t come easily. It had been nice talking with Alex over dinner. I had opened up more than I had planned to, but he was so easy to talk to. His smile lit up his face and made his eyes dance and sparkle. In the end, I had to admit to myself that there was an attraction. However, I was also determined not to act on it.

~*~*~*~*~

Smelling coffee, I knew Alex was up the following morning. I had hoped to be up before him and head into town without him. Avoidance, yes, but I had thought it easier than spending more time with him.

“Morning, Grace. Here, I’ll brew you a pot of tea.”

“Um, thanks. I’ll have a shower I think and get one myself when I’ve finished.”

I could hardly look at him. For all his talk of depression, he certainly didn’t seem to be depressed after drinking all that wine.

Remembering the kindness Alex had shown the previous day in saving hot water for me, I didn’t have a long shower but did take time braiding my hair and rubbing sunscreen on my body. My thoughts started drifting to what it would feel like to have Alex rub sunscreen over my back and maybe even down over my buttocks, but I made sure I stopped myself and dressed in shorts and a shirt.

Alex was pouring water over tea leaves as I exited the bathroom.

“Just milk, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I’m sweet enough as Aunt Lou would say.”

“Do you have any New Year traditions?”

“In Estonia, you eat seven, nine or twelve meals on New Year’s Eve. It’s meant to give you the strength of that number of men the following year. I remember Mum cooking seven courses a few times. It always ended with trifle as that was Dad’s favourite. Aunt Lou always let us have a sherry glass of champagne which we all thought was very decadent as children, even if we never appreciated the taste. How about you?”

“Mum insisted on cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast on New Year’s Day. It evolved into a full-on fry-up as the years progressed– eggs and bacon for her, potato rösti for Susan, my eldest sister, grilled tomatoes for Tammy, garlic mushrooms for Pamela, chipolata sausages for Liz and baked beans for me.”

“That’s nice. Who decided on who got what?”

“Mum mainly. Susie’s always loved potatoes. Tammy put tomato sauce on everything growing up, hence the tomatoes; I’m not sure about Pamela and Liz and the mushrooms and sausage, but for a few years I lived off baked beans.”

“Too funny! I think I’d have to agree with Susan’s love of potatoes though.”

And just like that we were back chatting again, so freely and so easily.

“So, what seven courses are we going to have tonight then?” Alex asked as he poured my tea.

“Not trifle! Mum’s trifle always had too much sherry and two layers of jelly and gluggy custard. Mum wasn’t much of a cook really.”

“You don’t drink coffee otherwise I’d suggest a tiramisu, I mean it’s an Italian trifle.”

“I love coffee, but it doesn’t love me. Too much caffeine adds to my anxiety.”

“How about I grab some decaf then in town?”

“OK, sounds nice. It’s been so warm, but I could also whip up a cooling granita?”

“Yum! I’m happy to see what the butcher has in town for meat– perhaps even see if there’s any seafood?”

“Sounds good. When I visited Estonia my Aunt taught me their family recipe for potato salad. I mean, it’s not gourmet or anything.”

“Gourmet shmormay! You had me at potato.”

“Your ravioli the other night was amazing, but I could also whip up some roast pumpkin and goat’s cheese tortellini or something?”

“You think your pasta’s better than mine now do you?” Alex laughed.

“No, not at all, I shouldn’t have– ”

“I was joking! I’d love to try it. Perhaps a vichyssoise to start with, something light?”

“How many courses is that?”

“I have no idea. How about we make a list and head into town. I’m sure the sisters will let us put stuff in their fridge on the way back.”

“We don’t need to buy too much though– I mean, I’m leaving tomorrow after lunch.”

Alex said nothing as he wrote out his list. I knew that part of me wanted him to ask me to stay longer, but the other part knew that would be a grave mistake.

We took Alex’s car because it had parked my car in, but Alex offered for me to drive. I was happy to be a passenger and still our conversation flowed, mostly about food and what we planned to cook that day.

Around the same place it had cut out on my way out to the beach house, my phone picked up reception and met me with several beeps indicating messages. Hettie had left a couple, including a photo of her baby, Simeon who had managed to find the bowl of cherries and half eat them all, staining the front of his romper.

Mei had messaged me wishing me a lovely break which was nice. She had confided in me at Christmas that after many years of trying, she was finally pregnant at almost 40. Baden was over the moon, but they were waiting before they told Hettie and Baden’s parents. Mei and Baden met in Japan when he was there for work, and she chose to come to Australia to be with him.

I liked Mei a lot. She had been Baden’s translator in Japan and simply became a Japanese translator in Australia. Her parents had also died young, and being an only child, she didn’t mind uprooting herself across the globe.

When Alex’s phone beeped, he reached into his pocket for it.

“Please pull over.” I could feel my hands shaking.

Alex did.

“I’m so sorry, Grace. I was only going to pass it to you and ask you to read the message. It’ll only be Mum or one of my sisters. I got a new number just before Christmas and haven’t given it out to anyone.” Alex handed me his phone.

“No, I’m sorry. I get anxious in a car…” I tried to explain, feeling silly for losing it so easily. “It’s from a number not in your phone and says, ‘Hi babe! Missing you crazy. Lizzie gave me your new number. I’ll be in Perth after NY, would love to’– Um, sorry Alex, I’m not reading that out loud.”

“Here,” Alex gestured for his phone, a strange look on his face. “I’m going to kill her.”

“It doesn’t sound like she wants to kill you, well unless she kills you by– ”

“No, I mean Liz. She knew not to give Charli my number. Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Do you want me to drive?”

“Would you? I need to block her number and rip Liz a new one.”

I had never seen Alex so worked up, not that I had known him for long. He was typing and deleting then retyping before I suggested he just call his sister.

“Xandy! What a lovely surprise! How was Christmas? How’re things?” I felt like I was eavesdropping through the bluetooth speakers.

“Cut the crap, Liz, Why did you give Charli my number?”

“I didn’t, I swear I didn’t. We caught up for a drink on Boxing Day, but I didn’t give her your number.”

“Did you leave your phone unlocked with her?”

“Shit, I’m sorry. I mean, she’s changed. She’s dry and she misses you.”

Alex hung up and apologised that I had had to hear the conversation.

“All good. Hey, I’ve been thinking, would any of the native ingredients in the planters go with tomatoes for a chilled soup?”

“You’re pretty amazing, Grace.”

“Like I haven’t heard that a thousand and one times, but at least you didn’t sing it to me!”

The rest of the trip into town was in silence, but I could see Alex was unnerved by the message from someone I assumed was an ex. The way she talked about riding his thick cock made me wonder more about Alex and take my mind to places I was not prepared for it to go.

I’d picked up a guy in a bar soon after things were over with Chad and the sex was average. It was one of the things Chad had accused me of– being vanilla and boring. He told me I lacked adventure and it was no wonder… no, I needed to again stop thinking about the past and focus on the meal Alex and I would be creating.

As far as country towns go, this one had a better than average supply of unusual products and we were able to collect almost all of what we needed for our feast. I made sure to slip in some bacon, knowing we already had eggs and more potatoes that I knew I would need for the salad. Although the smoked sausage was not authentically Eastern European, I knew it would do for my version of baked beans.

I rang Hettie from town and was glad when it went straight to voicemail. I left her a message saying I would be home the following afternoon probably and that she needn’t come up to visit us that weekend as she had planned. To me, it was a no-brainer to not mention Alex as I knew Hettie would jump to conclusions.

“Thanks, Grace.”

“I know what it’s like to have people pry into your past and how it can dredge up things you don’t want to dredge up.”

Hettie called me back as we were driving up the road to the farmhouse. I sent it to voicemail and switched my phone off. I had fulfilled my part of the bargain in checking in with her and now I needed to resume my digital detox. I hadn’t been tempted to check emails in town, not that I received many these days. There was no compulsion to check the news or my Instagram feed. Instagram was my main social media outlet and I loved sharing photos there.

~*~*~*~*~

“You must be Grace and Alex. Millie told me about the mix-up, and I am so sorry. She’s been dealing with Harriet, and I heard Alexander, and she told me Grace Alexander was coming and– ” We had not even climbed out of the car before we were ambushed.

“It’s fine. She doesn’t appear to be an axe-murderer, well, she’s let me sleep a couple of nights now without killing me, and we’ve had some lovely conversations.”

“Ah, there you are. Mary, I see you’ve met our two guests.” Millie had appeared leading a goat on a length of rope.

The goat was nibbling at Millie’s shorts as she again apologised for the inconvenience, but I was trying to catch the moment through my lens.

“How long have you lived here?” Alex asked, not knowing the sisters’ history as I did.

Mary explained that the farm had been in the family for generations. I didn’t know that they had an older brother who had succumbed to the demons in his head, as Mary termed it, shortly after their mother had died. Mary and Millie would have been in their fifties I guessed, but they were so full of life.

We had a tour of the area surrounding the homestead and I captured many photos. The dairy was an amazing set-up with a section for milking and then a section for cheese and yoghurt making. Alex was keen to help with the cheesemaking, but I was content to capture the experience through the lens.

Over lunch, Mary opened up more about her youth. She had trained as a physiotherapist and worked in Perth. She hinted at a lost love but didn’t elaborate. Millie explained she was never planning on settling down and still wanted to travel the world.

“You know, Alex and Grace, we’re both wanting to travel. I know you’re between gigs, Grace, but if you wanted to stay and make cheese for us it would be perfect. I mean, you’d probably need a farmhand, not that I’m saying you aren’t strong enough to do it all, but I’m just giving you an excuse to keep this bit of eye candy around if you get my drift!”

“Thanks, Millie, and as easy on the eye as Alex is, I’m not sure I’ve ever considered leaving Perth.”

Collecting our shopping from the fridge in the dairy, we made our goodbyes.

“Now you must come and see the milking before you leave. Grace, you can stay an extra day, can’t you? Oh, and Millie, did you tell her that Harriet called before?”

“I clean forgot! I told her you were too busy with Alex and she needn’t worry about you.”

I muttered thanks under my breath. As much as the eccentricity of Millie and Mary was endearing, I had hoped to avoid telling Hettie about Alex. I mean, there was nothing to tell after all.

~*~*~*~*~

It was fun cooking with Alex. He had foraged in the garden at the farmhouse and come up with plenty of ideas. I had grabbed some mangoes in town and set out to get a mango and coconut water granita in the freezer as soon as possible so it would set in time.

It was cooler than previous days, but the oven soon heated the kitchen area. I prepared the stuffing for my pasta and had the dough resting in the fridge. Mary had given us more eggs from their chickens during our visit, but I was also keen to keep some aside for our New Year’s Day breakfast.

As much as I enjoyed spending time with Alex in the kitchen, I also knew I needed some solitude.

“I was going to go for a walk along the beach for a bit. Do you want to use the hot tub?” Alex asked as we cleaned up after our meal preparation was finished.

“I thought I might grab a cool bath in the claw tub in the bathroom.”

“Sounds good, can you leave me some hot water, actually no, I’ll probably take a cold shower after my walk anyway. I was going to change for tonight, it feels like a special night. I mean, if that’s ok with you.”

“I don’t have anything special to wear, but I’ll pop on a dress or something. Thanks, Alex.”

The soak was lovely. I exfoliated all over. As I soaped my breasts, I noticed the nipples harden and a tingle appeared between my legs. I had heard the door close and figured Alex was walking along the beach. My thoughts returned to Alex. I wondered whether his cock was as fat as Charli had described it in her unwanted message. I wondered what it would feel like to slide up and down on it as Alex fondled my breasts and stroked my neck.

My fingers had found my pleasure spot and were circling my nub. With one hand I fondled my breast, rolling it under my fingers before I focussed on twiddling a nipple. The pleasure was building. I was imagining Alex underneath me, urging me towards my release, telling me to cum for him.

The orgasm was sudden and powerful, and water splashed over the sides of the tub. As soon as the elation died down, I chastised myself for getting carried away. Alex was way out of my league. He was tall and handsome and artistic. His fingers went on forever and he moved them with purpose and poise. He was gentle and kind. But I hadn’t known him long and I was sure I would find fault with him before too long.

Besides, I was happy being single. I could see myself doing a Millie or Mary and being a spinster aunt to Hettie and Baden’s children. After drying myself off, I wrapped myself in a towel and headed for my room. I lay on my bed for a while and must have dozed off as the next thing I knew there was a knock at my door.

“Grace, just me, not sure if you’re hungry or not, but some things are ready when you are.”

“Um, thanks. I’m just getting dressed.”

I hadn’t packed anything dressy per se but decided my white sundress would have to do. I’d planned to paint my toenails but still hadn’t gotten around to it. I contemplated putting on some makeup but realised I hadn’t packed any and if I had it would melt off my face in the heat. Running a brush through my hair I decided to keep it down but slid a hair tie around my wrist should I need to tie it back.

“You look lovely.” Alex greeted me with a smile. He had showered and still had damp hair. Whereas his facial hair had been scruffy and looked a little unkempt before now, he had trimmed it. The dusky blue shirt he wore brought out the grey in his eyes. I told myself I needed to be very careful as he was very attractive.

“You brush up alright too!” I smiled back.

“I, um, well I wasn’t going to drink until we opened the champagne at midnight, but I can pour you a glass if you like?”

“No, thanks. That sounds perfect. I’m not used to drinking every day.” We were still smiling at each other as Alex pulled out a chair for me. “What can I smell? It’s something not on the menu.”

“I whipped up some yoghurt flatbread to have with the soup. I hope you don’t mind.”

Of course, I didn’t mind. I thanked Alex and reminded him he didn’t need to keep trying to pander to me. He assured me he wasn’t but would hate to do something that made me feel uncomfortable.

After the first three courses, we paused and did some dishes. Alex had fired up the barbecue to cook the lamb. We agreed it was cooler outside than in, so we carried out the table and set it up in the garden. The sun was beginning to set, and the purples, reds and golds were amazing as they danced across the sky as the sun said goodbye to another year.

“Goodbye to a challenging year.” Alex raised his glass of water to the sunset, and I joined him.

After clearing up after our fourth course, we went back outside to see some stars had started to appear.

“There’s a blanket over the back of the couch, why don’t I grab it and we can lie on it, and you won’t need to strain your neck looking at the sky?” Again, Alex had been caring towards me.

I brought out the cheese platter I had prepared for our next course or meal as Alex was terming them having picked up on the Estonian tradition.

“Do you make resolutions?” I asked as I gazed up at the sky.

“Not really, but I do like to plan a little. I want to stop running and start living again. I want to paint and create and not be beholden to a curriculum that has nothing to do with creativity. I want to do something different, but I don’t know what.”

“I like the idea of starting to live again. I’ve been locked away for a couple of years now. I had enough money from my parents’ estate to not need to work, but I couldn’t afford to travel or anything as I wanted. I want to pursue photography as a career, even though I’m not sure how to go about it.”

The stars were indeed bright and brought back happy childhood memories of my father pointing out the Southern Cross and other constellations.

“Um, so, Charli’s my ex if you haven’t worked that out. She’s a friend of my sister Liz, and we were together for a couple of years. She didn’t like the idea of me being an art teacher, and she hated the idea of me being an artist even more. I don’t think she has any goals in life other than finding a husband to mooch off and being a stay-at-home mum. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I get that some women still find great value in that, but Charli had no other interests really.”

“Does she work at all now?”

“Yeah, she works in a boutique, but I think that’s mainly to get more clothes. Although who knows, I mean you read the text, she’s coming to Perth.”

“When did you break up?”

“Officially, eighteen months ago, unofficially a year before that. Charli’s an alcoholic. She’s a happy drunk, but still, she needed to drink and, despite the last couple of days, I can forgo a wine or two if I want to.”

“It must have been hard.”

“Yeah. I think with the addiction came some personality traits that I didn’t like. She lied to me all the time, you know, the whole ‘No babe, I haven’t been drinking’ when you can smell the alcohol on her. I also discovered she was not always faithful, getting so drunk she didn’t realise she was taking another guy home with her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The strange thing is, I don’t think I ever loved her. I liked her fun side, and, well, the sex was pretty good, but we didn’t really have anything in common.”

“Did you live together?”

“Sort of. She kept her apartment in the city, but lived at mine, except when she was on a bender and wanted to find another man for the night.”

“Did she do that a lot?”

“She said no, and when I found her in bed with another man that it had been a once-off, but I’m not sure.”

“Is that when it ended?”

“Nope. For twelve months we stretched it out. Did the counselling thing. She went to rehab for a couple of months. Then she got out and started drinking again and pretended it was just a glass of wine with dinner.”

“I wanted to believe she’d changed, but I knew she hadn’t. The final straw was when she arrived home with, um, dried secretions in her hair, I think is the polite way of saying it. I kicked her out and changed my locks, but she was crazy repentant. Told me she had changed and was dry. I couldn’t trust her anymore.”

“So, she was just after your…” I blushed.

“Yeah, um, I’m sorry you read that.”

“Why, is it not true?”

“I can’t answer that.” Alex was laughing and in the residual light from the house, I could see him also turning red. “Now how’s that cheese?”

“I can understand the lying and cheating. I was convinced I was madly and deeply in love with Chad. He was my business partner. Well, he was my work partner first. We met at a travel conference and seemed to hit it off. He’d worked at a couple of agencies but told me how much he admired my style of consulting with clients and tailoring things to meet their needs.”

“He was a charmer?”

“Oh, very! I didn’t jump straight in, but there was so much tension in the air at work. Eventually, I gave in to the lust and things seemed to be going so well. We were together for three years and Chad was good with people. He proposed and I didn’t hesitate to accept. We’d been living together for over two years anyway.”

“It sounds like you were happy.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing. I thought I was. I thought I had a perfect life after all this time. I’d had a couple of bad relationships, but I thought deep inside that this was different. Chad got on well with my cousins and aunt and uncle. He convinced me to hire a junior agent, a girl just out of school with dreams of travel.”

I had to pause and have some cheese, but Alex didn’t press me to continue.

“Anyway, Chad hired Candice. She was a bombshell. Everything I’m not– tall, blonde, thin, perfect features…”

I could see Alex wanting to speak, but instead, I continued with my story.

“So, I had a meeting in the city that I was meant to be at, but when I was 10 minutes from our office, it was cancelled so I turned around and headed back. I found Chad balls deep in Candice on my desk with her calling him Daddy and begging for him to go harder. I mean he wasn’t even old enough to be her father.”

Alex laughed and I looked over at him.

“Go on, I know you want to say something…” I offered again, slicing off some cheese.

“He sounds like an absolute tool. I’m sorry you walked in on that, but if he couldn’t see your absolute beauty then he needs his head read.”

“When I asked him about it afterwards, he told me that I was too vanilla and predictable. He knew I wasn’t amenable to spicing things up. When I asked him what sort of spice he wanted, he told me he wanted threesomes and couldn’t understand why I didn’t want him up my bum.”

“And you were engaged to him?”

“Yep. Had a big rock on my finger that I’d paid for. Of course, he told me he was going to pay me back, but his finances were tied up in bonds and term deposits. Then he found a kickass lawyer who argued that we were a de facto couple and that Chad was entitled to part of the inheritance from my parents. The settlement was he got the business and I got to keep my home. Apparently it would have been different in other countries.”

“I’m so sorry, Grace. Is he still with Candice?”

“I have no idea. The business closed after six months because he couldn’t run it on his own. Last I heard he was living in Bali.”

“Perhaps I should introduce him to Charli,” Alex laughed. “Seriously though, vanilla doesn’t mean boring or predictable. I, for one, love vanilla and think it’s highly underrated. Give me a scoop of pure vanilla ice cream over a mediocre chocolate any day of the week.”

“So, you escaped to the West.”

“Yeah, I landed a sweet job in a private school teaching art, but it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. These kids had such privilege, but convincing many of their parents that creativity would help them in their maths and English didn’t go down well. The school was in trouble earlier in the year, so I managed to get them to reclassify me as an extra teacher and they offered me a redundancy. I just need to find out what to do with my life now.”

“Do you think you’re done with teaching?”

“Not really. I mean, I love working with kids and helping them discover their creative side. I just have trouble doing this in a structured curriculum setting like a school.”

We sat for a while, staring at the sky and comfortable in our silence.

“I better grab some granita, or else we aren’t going to fit our seven courses in. You stay here and I’ll bring it out.”

As I spooned the ice crystals into some glasses, I realised how much I was going to miss Alex’s company when I returned to the city the following day.

“Mango and coconut granita, kind sir. I don’t think anything says summer quite like mangos.”

“They’re one of my favourite fruits. And Grace, thanks. I’ve told Nigel some of my story, but not all– ”

“Don’t worry, I won’t breathe a word to them about anything– ”

“No, it’s not that. I just wanted to say thank you for being such a wonderful listener. I don’t know how else to say this, but please don’t think you have to leave tomorrow. We’ve still got so much food and I had such a blast cooking with you this afternoon.”

“I’ll see how I feel in the morning, but I will admit that I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you.”

“It’s almost midnight. I’ll grab the tiramisu and the champagne.” Alex almost ran into the house.

We counted down from 10 to see out the old year and in the new, and Alex tried to pop the champagne cork. Instead, there was silence as it came loose, no hiss and no bang. Alex surprised me by grabbing two sherry glasses from Millie and Mary and it was clear when he poured the somewhat expensive bottle we had bought in town, it was indeed flat.

“That tastes…” Alex took a sip and almost spat it out.

“I’ve never tried cat piss, but I suspect it tastes better than that! Sorry, but I can’t drink it and I don’t mind a glass of box wine either!”

“I can grab a bottle of wine from the fridge?”

“No, I’m happy to go without. Happy New Year, Alex.”

“Happy New Year, Grace. Do I, um, are we meant to hug?”

“Come here!” I pulled Alex in for a hug. I felt amazing in his arms. My head was pressed against his chest, and I could smell sandalwood, a scent my father used.

We stayed hugging for ages, neither of us appearing to want to break it. I could hear the gentle thuds of Alex’s heartbeat and felt safe.

“Grace…”

“Alex.”

“I don’t want to stop this hug because it’s about perfect, but I want you to try the tiramisu.”

Slowly, I stepped away from his grip and spotted he had a huge smile on his face. I noticed I did too.

“Here.” Alex had placed some tiramisu onto a spoon and lifted it towards my lips.

It was indeed delicious, smooth and creamy with a pleasantly bitter aftertaste from the coffee and cocoa.

Lifting the other bowl from the table, I spooned some up and offered it to Alex. He giggled and for several minutes we fed each other in silence.

“There are only a few dishes left which I’ll do in the morning. It’s way past my bedtime, and I am absolutely stuffed after all that food, but thanks, it has been such a lovely evening. I think your tiramisu was the dish of the night.”

“No, the pleasant surprise of the apple in your potato salad– delicious, and your tortellini were divine!”

“Goodnight, Alex, sleep well.”

“You too.”

I had never focussed on New Year’s bringing new beginnings but believed each day could bring a new beginning. The food was only part of the joy of the evening. Sharing it with Alex had been amazing and I felt tingly all over when I remembered the New Year’s hug. Despite my attraction towards him, I felt that if I kept Alex as a friend and perhaps someone I could get together with every so often to cook with, that would be enough.

~*~*~*~*~

It was a surprise to wake up and discover Alex had stayed up to finish cleaning up and all the dishes were done. After pouring a cup of tea, I started cooking. The aromas from the kitchen saw Alex appear as the bacon was crisping and rösti cooking. Walking behind me, he gripped my shoulder and planted a kiss on the top of my head.

“You didn’t need to cook breakfast, you know. Here, what can I do to help?”

“How are you at poaching eggs?”

“Not bad,” he smiled. “So, what’s on the menu?”

“Well, I’ve made some potato rösti, probably more Swiss German than Estonian, but they’re based on a dish my aunt made, and I have crisped some bacon and whipped up some beans to go on the side. I thought a poached egg on top would round it off, that is, unless you’d prefer fried?”

“No, poached sounds perfect.”

“Thanks for doing the dishes.”

“All good. I couldn’t sleep. I, um, well, I came down here to escape, but I’m just so pleasantly surprised how lovely it is spending time with you.”

“Were you escaping something in particular?”

“My mother and my sisters mainly. They want me to move back to Adelaide, but I don’t want to. Then they want me to produce more grandchildren, I mean. Mum’s got 13 already, but no, she wants me to add to the horde. I thought that some time without the phone would be nice and, of course, time to paint, not that I’ve done a lot of that yet either.”

“I’m lucky I don’t have that pressure from family to reproduce. I can see why they’d be at you though; I mean, you are so kind and considerate, and I can imagine you would be amazing with kids.”

“I’d love kids, I mean, Liz still puts pressure on me to get back with Charli, but there is no way in hell that’s ever happening. Eggs are ready.”

We sat on the verandah to eat our breakfast. It appeared as though it was going to be another milder day, but the humidity was rising as the clouds crept across the sky.

“Ahh! The rösti needs more salt. I’ll just run and grab some,” I said standing up from the chair and heading to the kitchen. They did need some extra seasoning, but I also needed to catch my breath. Although I recognised it was lust, I felt giddy in Alex’s presence. I took a few deep breaths before returning to the verandah.

“This is wonderful, Grace, so good. The beans and the bacon and the rösti, I mean, it’s all just perfect.”

“It’s just breakfast. You tried so hard to help create the feast for me last night, and I wanted to tap into your family traditions too.”

“It’s so thoughtful of you. I am so thankful the sisters stuffed up the booking. I, um, well, I feel guilty for asking, but this place won’t be the same without you here. Perhaps you could stay for another night or two at least?”

I wanted to say yes. I yearned to say yes, but I was torn. I simply took another bite of my breakfast and a large sip of my tea.

“Alex, my heart says yes, but my head disagrees.”

Looking across I wondered if that was a slight grin creeping across Alex’s face. I immediately regretted mentioning my heart, but it was also the truth.

“The last thing I want to do is manipulate you, and I’m not sure what the roads will be like today being a holiday and then heading into the weekend. I, um, wow. This is harder than I thought it would be, um, well, you see, my heart kinda, well, it, it liked hearing your heart says that you want to stay.”

“I’m not one for games.” I glanced across at Alex as he stared into his cup of coffee. “And I’m scared. I have liked spending time with you and getting to know you and everything, but, well, we’re both lost souls really, aren’t we?”

Alex seemed to take this as a rhetorical question. I went to pick up our breakfast plates before Alex stopped me, arguing that I had cooked so he would clean. I finished my tea and wished I had brought the teapot out with us. It all seemed too hard. Grabbing my hat and, of course, my camera, I set off for a walk along the beach.

With the clouds overhead, the light was different from my previous trips down the staircase that lead to the sand below. This was a secluded place and I wondered who had walked the steps before me and who had snuck away to the beach to do the same soul searching I was.

Had Alex not been so cryptic in his comments and come out and told me directly that he liked me it might have been easier. I got that was what he implied, but the silence that led to the end of breakfast made me wonder if I was reading too much into things.

A few hundred metres down the beach, I sat on the sand and started trying to capture the clouds through my lens. It felt fitting that the sky echoed the inner turmoil I was experiencing.

“Grace, Grace…” Alex came bounding along the sand, “I, um, I’m sorry how I left things at breakfast. I’m not that good with speaking about emotions, even though I’ve tried. Grace, I’d like you to stay because, well, I like you as a person and I like how I am when I’m with you and I like the silences we share as much as the conversations and the food and the laughter.”

Alex had sat down next to me. He didn’t look at me but instead looked at his hands which he clenched in his lap.

“If I stay for the weekend, it will be almost a week here, and I think we make a pretty good team.”

“We do, and, well, I’m as scared as you are. That hug last night, well, it stirred feelings and made me look at the thoughts I have been trying to ignore for a couple of days. If I was being honest at the time, I should have asked for a New Year’s kiss instead of just a hug.”

I bit my lip and tried to stop grinning as I looked across at Alex, a wisp of hair had fallen across his eyes. Inching my hand towards his saw us finally grasp hands before turning towards each other. Our lips met so gently at first that it sent a shiver down my spine. Losing my balance and falling back on the sand, Alex hovered over me, before I pulled his head towards mine.

Our tongues started probing each other’s mouths and I could taste the coffee he had finished before he descended to the beach. I’m sure we would have kissed for hours should the rain have not started to fall. It was a drizzle at first before larger drops came down more heavily.

“Quick.” Alex pulled me to my feet, removing his shirt as he did. “Wrap your camera in here so it doesn’t get wet.”

Jogging along the beach as the rain became heavier still, we were both soon drenched, my white shirt clinging to me and making me feel very self-conscious. Alex stopped me at the bottom of the staircase up the cliff and pulled me in for another brief kiss before telling me to get out of the rain.

“Auntie Gwace, Auntie Gwace! Here she is, Mummy!” I was greeted at the top of the stairs by my niece, Rachel.

“There you are! Get out of the rain, Rach. Hi Grace, bit nipply I see!”

“Hettie? What are you doing here?” We had made our way to the verandah.

“Hi, I’m Harriet, you must be the mysterious Alex?”

“Sorry, I, um, Grace, here’s your camera, I hope it’s ok.”

“Al? Mate! What are you doing here?” Nigel had appeared carrying Simeon who looked like he was just waking up.

“There was a mix-up and, sorry, I, um– ”

“What are you all doing here?” I asked as I crossed my arms across my chest hoping it would hide my bra from my wet shirt.

“Kids woke up early and we said we’d come down for the weekend, remember?”

I had, but I also thought they might arrive Saturday and only stay for a night. The rain had cleared, and Rachel had found some puddles to jump in. Despite Hettie’s protests, she seemed to adore the place.

“Um, I need to get changed,” I said, rushing past everyone and wishing I could lock myself in the bathroom for a few hours.

A chill had set in, so I decided to have a quick shower. Of all the times for them to arrive, just as Alex and I had, well, kissed. I thought back to the kisses and couldn’t help but smile. This relationship, for want of a better word, was so new and now we had been invaded by a very inquisitive cousin and her family.

Alex was still shirtless but had draped a towel over his shoulders as I emerged from the bathroom.

“Tea?” He smiled and I saw Hettie chasing Rachel around the yard. “Nigel’s changing Simeon’s nappy.”

“I’m so sorry. Now there are even more Alexanders invading your space.”

“Relax. It’s all good.”

“Hettie can be, well, overbearing at times. Would you mind if we kind of hid our relationship from them?”

“If you want.” Alex smiled and I simply wanted to hug him, but I saw Hettie looking through the window.

“Tea? Perfect. There’s a cake somewhere that Nigel baked yesterday. Nige? Where’s the cake?”

“I haven’t even introduced you, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t stress! Nigel introduced us.” Alex squeezed my shoulder as I walked past and took the pot of tea outside.

The four adults sat on the verandah nibbling on the cake Nigel had baked. Rachel hovered over a crawling Simeon who was getting dirty rolling on the lawn.

“He must be what, six or seven months old now? I was in the shop when Nigel got the call to say get to the hospital.” Alex explained.

“Almost eight months now. Rachel will be four in May.”

“This is a beautiful space you designed, Hettie.”

“It’s one of my favourites, I will admit. Rachel, no, not the steps.”

“Let’s show her the beach,” I suggested again grabbing my camera. “C’mon, Rach, you show Auntie Grace how many shells you can find.”

~*~*~*~*~

“Oh my God, gee, he’s a fucking dish! Is he, you know, alright where it counts?”

“Hettie! He’s lovely, but we’re just well, holiday housemates.”

“He likes you.”

“You think?”

“I know!”

“Maybe.”

“And you like him too.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe! Who are you kidding?”

“It’s hard. I can’t trust myself after Chad.”

“He is nothing like Chad!”

“You think?”

“I know. Millie mentioned him on the phone when I rang and said he was gorgeous. He really is.”

Rachel came and showed us some shells she had found and had fun trying to outrun waves. We made our way to the top of the steps again to find the men had prepared lunch. Nigel had brought down some cold cuts, and with the cheese and accoutrements, we had left over from the cheese platter the night before we had a feast.

Laughter and conversation flowed, and Alex never appeared out of place. I was glad when, as I started to clear things away, Hettie suggested they all have a nap after little sleep the night before.

“We kicked the last guests out just after one and then put some glasses in the dishwasher, then Simeon was awake just after six and we were on the road by 7:30. Can Nige and I take over your bed? Rach will let you have the top bunk if you aren’t sleeping somewhere else!”

Rachel complained about nap time. Nigel had erected a porta-cot for Simeon and when they closed the door to the room, I was glad for some peace and quiet.

“Come here,” Alex pulled me in for a hug, “If you wanted to nap you could take my bed.”

“I think I’ll just read, or I might even do some photo editing.”

“Your camera survived the rain?”

“Of course. It’s survived worse! You going to paint?”

“I think I might.”

The humidity was high after the morning’s shower, but it was still very pleasant sitting on the sun lounge on the verandah. I edited some photos before opening a document to write some lines about the beach house. The text flowed as I described the unique design of the house and how it was perfect for not only a romantic retreat, but also a family getaway location with beds to sleep six with ease.

Rachel appeared from the bedroom a couple of hours later and came and snuggled on the lounge with me.

“Is Mr Alex your brother?” She asked as she pointed to Alex.

“Well, he’s a good friend of mine, yes. Shall we go and look at his painting?”

“I’d like to do a painting.”

“Well, if you ask Mr Alex nicely, he might have some paper you can use.”

“Mr Alex, I’m Rachel Alexander-Brown and I’d like to paint a picture too.”

Alex tore a sheet of paper from his pad and handed Rachel a small paintbrush.

“Are you sure about this, Alex? She might– ”

“It’s all good, Auntie Gwace, leave her be, right Rachel?”

“Are we going to the goats?” I asked Alex despite him being engrossed in his art.

“Hey Rachel, do you want to come with Auntie Grace and me to see some goats?”

We left a note for Hettie and Nigel and took their car seeing it had Rachel’s seat in it. Millie and Mary were thrilled we had come and pleased to meet Hettie’s daughter. Rachel loved the goats and tried to help with the milking. She decided she didn’t like the goat’s milk but happily nibbled on some more cheese.

My camera worked overtime. Alex was a natural with children and knew how to help Rachel get the most out of the experience. She even fell asleep on the ride back to the beach house.

“That was fun!” Alex exclaimed as we drove home.

“It was. You were amazing with Rach, thanks.”

“Not at all. Do you think she’ll wake up if we pull over for a minute?”

“I doubt it, why?”

Alex pulled over and leant over to kiss me. His kisses were so gentle and so tender. We drove the rest of the way with my hand resting on his thigh.

“Mummy, Daddy! We milked the goats!” Rachel ran towards her parents as we arrived home.”

“Was it fun?” Nigel asked, picking his daughter up and spinning her in the air.

“It was and Mr Alex helped me and Auntie Gwace took lots of photos.”

“Thanks, you two, it was, um, well, appreciated.” Nigel and Hettie shared a sly smile hinting that they had perhaps not napped the afternoon away.

“Yeah, well, don’t do it with me in the room please!”