Page 26 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars
“He arrives precisely when he means to,” I say, finishing off the sentence he stole from The Fellowship of the Ring, and he laughs and comes over to exchange a bearhug. I do the same with Joel, feeling a swell of pleasure at being with them all again.
“Hey, guys.” Zoe comes out of one of the bedrooms, followed by Hallie.
“Hello,” Hallie says.
Fraser frowns at her. “Are you okay?”
She stops, looking startled, and then her brows draw together, and she presses her fingers to her mouth.
“Fraser,” Zoe scolds, exasperated.
“I just asked if she was okay.”
“She’s broken up with Ian,” Zoe says.
“Ah, Hallie!” Joel goes up to her and gives her a hug.
Hallie waves a hand as he moves back. “I’ll be all right.”
“She caught him with another woman,” Zoe says.
“Fucking idiot.” Fraser glares. “You want me to go and sort him out?”
That makes all the girls laugh, and Joel grins.
“What?” Fraser says indignantly. “I’m serious.”
“Of course you are, Fraser dear,” Elora says, walking over to the door. “That’s what we love about you.”
I watch her unlock the door and lock it again. Then she slides the chain off, examines it, and slides it back on again. She goes through the whole routine four times until, finally satisfied, she leaves it and walks through to the kitchen. None of the others comment on what she’s done, so she’s obviously not acting in an unusual way.
Hmm.
“What you need is a drink,” Zoe states to Hallie. Zoe looks at the bottle I brought and whistles. “Wow, what’s this?”
“I wasn’t sure whether to bring red or white,” I admit. “So I brought a Rosé.”
“The Shed?” she says, reading the label. “That must have cost you fifty bucks.”
Joel meets my eyes, his lips curving up. He knows it was a lot more than that.
“I wanted to bring something nice,” I say. I take the bottle from her and unscrew the top. I pour some into one of the glasses on the counter and slide it over to her.
She sips it, and her eyes light up. “Mmm. Yeah, I like that.”
I top up her glass. “Hallie?”
“Please.”
I pour her a glass, then say, “Lora?”
“No thanks,” she says, bringing the slow cooker over to the breakfast bar.
“Elora doesn’t drink,” Zoe states.
I lift my eyebrows. “No?”
Elora shakes her head and lifts the lid of the pot. “You go ahead,” she states, glancing at me. “I don’t mind other people drinking.”
