Inherited: Twins. Jessica Hart

he admitted. ‘I do. I miss him a lot. Ed was only a couple of years younger than me, and there were just the two of us when we were growing up. We ran Mack River together when our parents died, and then Ed met Laura, and they bought their own property. I’d got used to them not being around every day, but still…it’s hard sometimes to believe I won’t see him again.’

      He wasn’t looking at Prue, but she felt her throat tighten. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said again, knowing that it was inadequate, but knowing too that there was nothing else to say.

      Nat’s smile was rather twisted. ‘I’m sorry too,’ he said slowly, ‘but it’s William and Daisy who matter now. I’ve got to think about them, not Ed, and that’s what I’m going to do.’

      When they got back to Prue’s car, they transferred the groceries into the back, and then Nat took the can of fuel he had bought and poured it carefully into the tank. He had brushed aside Prue’s attempts to pay and she watched him, feeling helpless and more than a little disconcerted to discover how easy it was to accept being looked after by someone so competent.

      It was difficult to imagine that barely two hours ago she had had trouble remembering his name. Already there was something very familiar about him. How much more familiar would he be after they’d spent almost a month together in London?

      The thought was vaguely disconcerting, and Prue frowned. It wasn’t as if they were going to be intimate, she reassured herself. It was just a job like any other. And Nat was hardly likely to show any interest in her, was he?

      Even if she hadn’t been in love with Ross, she would have little to appeal to a man like Nat. He was quite a bit older than her, for a start, and to him she probably seemed very young and very silly. Correction, thought Prue, cringing inwardly as she remembered some of the things she had said: she must definitely seem very young and very silly.

      Anyway, Nat himself had sounded far from over his broken engagement. Prue couldn’t help wondering what Kathryn was like. What kind of woman could break through that quiet self-containment and unlock his reserve? She must be quite special, Prue decided.

      Hidden behind her sunglasses, her gaze rested on Nat as he tipped the can higher to let the last drops of diesel trickle into the tank and she tried to imagine him in love. He wasn’t a demonstrative man, she guessed, but behind closed doors…well, that might be a different matter…

      ‘OK, that’s it.’ Nat’s voice broke into her thoughts as he dumped the empty can in the back of the ute. ‘Start her up and we’ll see if she goes now.’

      Obediently, Prue climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the key. The engine shuddered into life and then settled down to a steady tick.

      ‘Do you ever get a day off?’ Nat asked, laying a hand on the roof of the car and bending his head slightly so that he could talk to her through the open window.

      ‘I don’t do much on Sundays. Why?’

      ‘We still need to sort out a few details about this trip,’ he pointed out. ‘I could fly over and pick you up next Sunday and you could spend the day at Mack Creek. It might not be a bad idea for you to see where the twins are going to grow up anyway, and we could talk about things then. It would give you a chance to think about what’s involved too, and change your mind if you want to. How does that sound?’

      ‘Fine,’ said Prue. ‘But aren’t you coming to Cowen Creek now? I thought you wanted to see Bill Granger?’

      ‘It can wait.’ Nat didn’t think he really wanted to go to Cowen Creek now and watch Prue mooning over Ross. ‘I think I’ll get back.’

      His face through the window was very close, and his features seemed uncannily clear and detailed. Prue felt as if she could see every crease at the corner of his eyes, every minute line texturing his skin, every hair that grew in the strong brown brows. She wanted to look away, but her gaze seemed to have snagged in his somehow.

      ‘What shall I tell the Grangers?’ she managed to ask.

      ‘Just say that you met me in Mathison,’ said Nat. ‘There’s no need to tell them about the fuel. You could say that we got talking and when I found out that you were going to London, I offered you the job. They know about Ed and Laura and the fact that I’m guardian to the twins now, so they probably won’t even be surprised.’

      ‘Right,’ said Prue, finally succeeding in wrenching her eyes away. She put the car into gear and cleared her throat. ‘I’ll see you on Sunday, then.’

      She had the impression that Nat was about to say something else, but in the end he just stepped back, slapping the car roof in a gesture of farewell.

      ‘See you on Sunday,’ was all he said.