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Lucy followed his gaze and squinted at the little symbols. Now that she took a closer look she saw that a tiny wriggly line on one knob differentiated it from its neighbour.
She swore softly. ‘I think I turned the wrong knob. Damn! I’ve been trying to grill the food instead of baking it.’
She’d been too distracted. That was her problem. She’d kept thinking about thereasonfor this dinner and a moment’s loss of concentration was all it had taken to ruin her efforts.
Will’s grey eyes twinkled, however, and he looked as if he was trying very hard not to laugh.
To Lucy’s surprise, she began to giggle. She’d been so tense about this evening, so desperate for everything to be perfect and now, when she had to try to cover her disappointment, she could only giggle.
It was that or cry, and she wasn’t going to cry.
Will flung his arm around her shoulders in a friendly, cheer-up hug, and her giggling stopped as if he’d turned off a switch.
‘Right,’ she said breathlessly as she struggled for composure. ‘If we’re going to try to eat this, I’d better set the table.’
Will opened a long necked bottle with a fancy label and poured dark ruby red wine into their glasses. Lucy took the salad she’d prepared from the fridge. At least it still looked fresh and crisp. She removed the plastic film, added dressing and tossed it. She found a large knife and cut the lasagne and was surprised that it cut easily, neatly keeping its shape. That was something, at any rate.
‘I told you this would taste good,’ Will said after his first mouthful.
To Lucy’s surprise, he was right. The lasagne’s texture might have been a bit too dry, but it hadn’t actually burned and the herbs and meat had blended into a tasty combination. She sipped the deep rich wine and ate a little more and she began to relax. Just a little.
‘Have you rescued any more pythons?’
She shook her head. ‘The only wildlife I’ve cared for this week is a galah with a broken wing. But I discovered who dropped the python off. It was one of the school teachers. Apparently, he accidentally clipped him with his ride-on mower. He’s going tocare for him for another week or so, then let him go again in the trees down near the creek.’
They talked a little more about Lucy’s work, including the good news that the footrot hadn’t spread to any more sheep farms.
‘What have you been up to?’ she asked. ‘I hear you’ve been lending a hand with drenching.’
He sent her a wry smile. ‘News travels fast.’
‘I saw your father in town the other day and he was so excited. He said you haven’t lost the knack.’
Will shrugged.
‘I told you you’re a natural with animals.’
‘Are you trying to turn me into a farmer, too?’
She didn’t want to upset him, so she tried another topic. ‘Have you started job hunting?’
Over the rim of his wine glass his eyes regarded her steadily, almost with a challenge. ‘I’m going for an interview at Armidale University next Thursday.’
Lucy could feel her smile straining at the edges, which was ridiculous. She knew Will would never settle back in the Willow Creek district. ‘That’s great. Good luck.’
‘Thanks.’
He helped himself to seconds, but Lucy was too tense to eat any more and she wasn’t sure if she should offer Will the dessert. However, he insisted on trying her lumpy custard and rum-poached pineapple and he assured her it was fabulous.
‘Very courteous of you to say so.’ She took a small spoonful of the custard. ‘Actually, this does have a scrumptious flavour, doesn’t it?’ She smiled ruefully. ‘At least I had all the right ingredients.’
‘And that’s what counts.’
Something about the way Will said this made Lucy wonder if he was talking about more than the food. With a rush of heat, she remembered again what this night was all about.
The butterflies in her stomach went crazy as she stared at the mouthful of wine in the bottom of her glass. In a perfect world, people created babies out of love, but tonight she and Will were supposed to make a baby by having “friendly” sex.
Leave your emotions at the door, please.
