Berry Flavours Read online

  Heidi was due in the middle of January, the court case just before that and the bookings were full houses for the next few weeks. There’d be hardly any time to train someone. He knew Heidi desperately needed to leave soon and be sure the place was in capable hands.

  He took the platter to the kitchen.

  “I can help out, you know.” Clancy stood at the servery. “Until you find someone, of course.”

  He just stood looking at her, his insides warming up until Heidi spoke.

  “You wanna eat at the corner table, or you wanna take this back to the house?” She was bent over a large leafy salad.

  Berry looked at his chef. “Here is good.” Lunch in the restaurant was by far a better idea than lunch in his house. He thought briefly about his bathroom. Not good. About his unmade bed and the clothes strewn from wall to wall. Not good.

  And I’m thinking about my bedroom and bathroom because...?

  They took one of the platters, the salad and the sauce and settled at the table Heidi had indicated.

  “I didn’t offer to work here,” Clancy was saying. “I don’t expect anything, but she was telling me when the baby is due then she asked me what I was doing and—”

  “It’s fine. As long as you’re comfortable.”

  “I am, thanks, but um, you didn’t offer a job and—”

  “I forgot the wine. Red or white?”

  “Either.”

  “Think we’ll go red.” Berry left her to go to the bar. He poured a generous couple of reds, caught Heidi’s raised eyebrows and then her wink, frowned and headed back to the table.

  “I like the nod to Christmas,” Clancy began as he sat down. “I don’t do Christmas, but this looks good. Looks... Aussie. Real.” She waved her hand in the direction of the large dead gum tree bereft of any leaves whatsoever but laden with all manner of modern, simple decorations. It sat snugly in a huge earthenware pot filled with sand and it dominated the eastern corner of the room. “Sorry. I’m waffling. I think I’m still downloading, or off-loading, or whatever.”

  “No problem, that’s fair enough. And Christmas, well, the staff look after Christmas for me. I don’t get into the swing, either. Here, help yourself.” He pushed the platter towards her.

  She lifted her glass of red. “Thank you again for the rescue. I feel like a bit of an idiot, but it was really suffocating. And scary. I don’t scare easily.”

  “I should have warned you on Tuesday but it didn’t seem right to do that.” He lifted his glass in return and they both sipped. He could see she liked the wine.

  “You did enough by giving me your business card. I’m grateful.”

  “I’m surprised Mac didn’t take a swipe at me in the pub. Wouldn’t be the first time.” Berry watched as her brows rose. “Lucky for me he didn’t. I’m fine boned.”

  Clancy burst out laughing and her face transformed. She sparkled.

  Her eyes lit up. Her smile was ear to ear. “You are not.”

  Berry returned her grin. “And he even tried to sit on me once, after he caught me.”

  “He did not.” She couldn’t stop the laughter then. “But isn’t there a serious matter between you?”

  Berry looked at her. Where had she been all this time? And just like that, here she was on his property, eating lunch, with him. His heart was pounding away merrily and when he saw she was returning his frank stare, he felt the heat flood in his cheeks. “Very serious. A boundary issue we have to clear in court.”

  “Greg Thomas said something like that.” She glanced down at her plate then at her glass of wine. She took a couple of sips.

  “Goes way back and should never have come to this. At least I’ll get through New Year before the ugly happens.”

  He noticed a moment or two of silence as she looked over his restaurant and out to the vines beyond.

  “This is a great set up.” She looked back at him. “I wonder why the Thomas’s would want to try something so similar close by.”

  “Think they’re in the Barossa or somewhere where there are loads of tourists wandering around.” He looked at his own plate and decided to tuck in. He never got sick of the cray. Between mouthfuls he said, “It took a long time to build this up from twelve seats and a few small private functions for the district. We only run to capacity at this time of year. I keep it small. In the winter we really scratch out a living.”

  Her gaze flicked from one of his eyes to the other. He felt the heat blooming again and this time it seemed to go way down into his jeans.

  She tucked a loose few strands of blonde hair behind her ear, went back to her food. “This is good. She’s a good chef, that Heidi.”

  “She is, but she’s also good and pregnant and due to drop any tick, which brings me back to what we touched on in the pub.”

  When she looked at him this time, there was a smile on her lips, inviting and interested. “You’re buying the pub and replacing Alan and the glasses.”

  He sat back in his seat. “Not quite. I’ll need a chef here very soon, and I should have done something about it long before now.” He picked up his glass of red. “There’s a job going if you want it, here at Berry Flavours. A formal offer.”

  “You haven’t asked for any references. Maybe I can’t boil water.”

  “Then show me. Don’t get on the bus. Start with Heidi tomorrow night. She can show you the ropes and away you go.”

  “All right. Sounds good.” She hesitated, then, “Was that an interview?”

  “Yup. And you’re hired.”

  Chapter Seven

  Things might be all right after all. She had a job again, she had somewhere to stay and according to Heidi, she would be working for the greatest man on earth. Except for, of course, Heidi’s husband, the father of her baby.

  Berry had excused himself after lunch. He said he had to go and check the ponds, something about paddlewheels which left Clancy wondering. He headed in the direction of the house first.

  Heidi stood at the sink, her head of reds curls bouncing up and down as she spoke. “Your job for tomorrow night is to make a killer dessert. Anyone can dress a cray, but you have to do a great dessert.” She stacked the dishwasher and pushed the start button. “And a clue, it’s Berry’s favourite course. Another clue – he has a very good palate, loves subtle flavours and we try to use only seasonal fruits and so on.” She dried her hands on a paper towel pulled from a dispenser. “Ideas?” She straightened up, a hand on her back at her hip and stretched. With the back of her other hand, she patted perspiration from her forehead.

  “Maybe. I’ll work on it.”

  “Good. Check the coolroom for whatever you need, and the dry store’s in there.” Heidi pointed to a pair of swing doors next to the coolroom. “So. You tried working for the Thomas’s.”

  Clancy headed for the pantry. “Nearly. I arrived, found there wasn’t a restaurant, or a place for me to stay other than their house, got creeped out by Greg Thomas and decided to leave.” Inside she eyed the shelves with a sort of sinful glee. “Then when they got bad news this morning, it went pear-shaped very quickly.” She moved further into the space, marveling at its orderliness.

  “Greg can be a bit strange.”

  “Not to mention Mac.”

  “True, but he’s all bluster. Greg can be downright weird. It’s a crime he’s so good-looking, can throw you a curly one for a while. Trust me, I know.”

  Clancy came out of the room feeling eager to start work. She glanced at Heidi whose intent gaze on her was curious. “It felt very strange right from the start.”

  “Good thing you met Berry at the pub.”

  Clancy had related their meeting to Heidi when she first poked her head into the restaurant kitchen earlier that day.

  “What were you doing before?” Then Heidi let out a whoosh. “Little bugger just kicked me.” She placed a hand on her big belly.

  “You okay?” Clancy decided she didn’t look okay. Oh no...

  “Yes. Just sometimes gets me right t
here, you know? I’ll sit for a bit.” Clancy fussed for a moment then when it was clear Heidi was taking a breather and not about to deliver a ten pounder on the spot, she left her and wandered into the main room.

  What was I doing before? Running my dad’s restaurant until he and the new stepmother thought they could do better.

  Fine.

  Breaking it off with Pete before she broke something over his head.

  Fine.

  All behind her now. New life starting today.

  Very fine.

  She stood at the western edge of the restaurant and through large expanses of window stared out over the rows of vines before her. Across to the left, hedges of rosemary and lavender bordered a small veggie garden encased in chicken wire to prevent wildlife getting in and munching on the delicacies.

  Heaven would be like this.

  Masses of brilliantly coloured geraniums guided a walkway up the slope. Her sweep of the place stopped at Berry’s house, a long low mud-brick bungalow sat amidst scrubby gums. She watched as he came outside and strode back towards the restaurant, carrying what appeared to be a heap of linen. His dog trotted alongside.

  The little flip-flop of something inside quickened as he got closer.

  Clancy didn’t stop staring until he was out of sight. When she turned back, Heidi was watching her.

  “He’s candy all right, even if he is an old guy.” Heidi was grinning widely. “Oh hey, and you’re blushing.”

  Clancy tucked her chin to her chest and began to make her way out of the restaurant. “He’s the boss. And he’s got an armful of gear for my sleep-out. I was just checking to see where he—”

  “Well, don’t be too long.” Heidi waggled her finger as Clancy walked past.

  Berry was backing into the bedsit with linen loaded high in his arms. “I couldn’t remember what was what so I brought the lot. Or nearly.” He turned inside and dumped it on the bed. His nose crinkled. “But I think it might need to go through the wash first. It’s clean, but been locked in a cupboard for a while. There’s a washing machine around the side.”

  “Fine. I’ll do that.”

  “Clothes line there, too.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  “Should dry all right today.”

  “Yes.”

  “Pillows.” He looked at her. “One or two?”

  “Two’s good.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Clancy poked her head out the door and watched as he paced up to the house again, the dog still trailing. Berry’s back was straight, broad where it was meant to be and narrowed to hips and backside, which filled his jeans exactly right. The dark salt-n-pepper hair was short and tousled, as if hands had gone through it to make it look artfully just-been-ravished. Oh.

  It was a very funny feeling she was feeling, but good... new and fresh and good, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Something she thought she would never feel again. So, she would be careful with it. Not fan the tiny flame into a wildfire and forget all about her sanity in the self-inflicted frenzy.

  Thoughts create feelings, Clancy.

  She turned back inside the bedsit and decided to check it out properly. She started with its little cupboard on the back wall. Nothing there except a couple of bent up coat-hangers. As she peered over the top shelf, she could see a dog-eared manila folder way back. She stood on her tiptoes about to grasp it when she heard a vehicle pull up. Instead of grabbing the file, she went to the open doorway to check who’d arrived.

  Not that she’d know anyone except the neighbours and she certainly hoped it wasn’t either of them.

  A woman jumped out of the driver’s seat, slammed the door and headed straight for the restaurant.

  Clancy caught movement from Berry’s house and looked up the slope. He was returning with pillows. When he saw the visitor he stepped up the pace and headed into the restaurant, too.

  Well, follow that man with the pillows.

  As she entered the restaurant, Berry stood, still with an armful of pillows, listening intently to the woman.

  “Apparently a massive heart attack after that woman just left them in the lurch.” The woman speaking was an older version of Heidi sans the pregnant belly and the short curly hair. Hers was a mass of long, tight strawberry blonde coils like a subject in a Botticelli painting.

  Heidi had seen Clancy. “Mum.”

  “First told them she wouldn’t cook the way they’d asked her then fed them lamb with rice – you know Mac hates rice. She barely put enough on Greg’s plate but Mac couldn’t even eat his, it was so rare. Then she upped and left the kitchen in a god-awful mess, goes and sleeps in a bedroom in the house because the cabin wasn’t good enough for her and then had the audacity to accuse Greg of stalking her when she bumped into him coming out of the bathroom.”

  Clancy hadn’t heard right.

  Berry swiveled a one-eighty with the pillows and his stare locked on Clancy’s.

  Heidi tried again. “Mum.”

  “Honest to God, I know there’s no love lost here, but you’d think the man’s health would be—”

  “Mum!”

  Berry handed the pillows over to Clancy and said to her, “Would you excuse us for a sec – I’ll come see you shortly.”

  Clancy took the pillows dumbly. She stepped back a pace when Marlie swung round to face her. She turned and left the restaurant on wobbly legs but stood just beyond the door, out of their sight, to hear what else was coming.

  “Was that her?” Marlie asked of someone. “Greg told me she’d come here. He was going to warn you, but I suppose with the trouble, he didn’t know his advice would be welcome.”

  Clancy heard Berry’s, “You’re joking.”

  “Mum, you know perfectly well Mac could have had a heart attack at any time, and as for Greg—”

  “Not ten minutes after she skipped out, Greg was calling the ambulance. It was all her fault. He was so angry. Mac nearly died on the way in to Regency—”

  Clancy had heard all she wanted to. She stalked back to the bedsit and threw the pillows on to the bare bed, paced a while wondering what her next move would be.

  Of all the bastard tricks to pull. How neatly Greg Thomas had landed her in it. How easily damning words had shot out of that woman’s mouth.

  How could something like this be happening again? Bad enough her stepmother concocting stories, but a dead stranger? This was unbelievable.

  She was staring at her bags – the dumb things – still propped against the wall, still unpacked and where she’d left them earlier that day.

  Looks like she wouldn’t be unpacking here after all. Now what?

  Now what? No one else to email for help.

  A shadow in the doorway startled her.

  Berry.

  “That was Marlie McEwen, Heidi’s mum. I think you worked that out.” He spread his hands. “She thinks Mac is still hers to look out for. The old bastard treats her like dirt.”

  Clancy didn’t bother with the niceties. “None of it happened like that.”

  “Mac has gone off to Regency Hospital and sounds like they’ll be airlifting him to Adelaide.”

  Clancy tried to follow his lead. Calmly. “He’d had a pretty big shock. He didn’t look well just before I left.”

  Berry looked at his hands and dropped them to his sides. “Marlie doesn’t know anything about a truck loaded with a restaurant fit-out.”

  The air stilled between them.

  Chilled was more like it. “The Thomas’s both told me about the truck yesterday. And this morning Greg came to tell me it had tipped over at Yankalilla, never made it to the ferry.”

  “Greg’s told her you decided that here would be a better place to work.”

  She shook her head, lifted her hands palm up. “What do I say? It didn’t happen like that. None of it.”

  Berry leaned against the doorjamb. “Look, just relax, camp the night here, and we’ll talk things through tomorrow.”

  “What do you me
an?”

  “We’ll get it squared away and move on.”

  “It is squared away. Nothing like what she said happened.”

  “I’ve got some stuff I need to do at the ponds, won’t be back for a while.” He straightened, rolled his shoulders. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” And he walked away.

  Clancy sank on to the bare bed. God, the more she protested her innocence, the more it sounded like she was covering up. What a slimeball Greg was.

  Surely no one could believe the crap he told Marlie McEwen.

  She lay down and was counting the ceiling tiles when she heard voices at the car outside her room. Heidi was saying goodbye to her mother, yes, she was fine.

  Marlie spoke too quietly for Clancy to hear her reply, but the car door opened, closed and moments later the engine fired and the vehicle backed out of the driveway.

  She heard the crunch of footsteps on gravel, then a knock on her door. Heidi poked her head in. “Sorry about that.”

  Clancy sat up. “What can I say?”

  “No need to say anything to me. I have arguments with Mum over the Thomas’s all the time. Greg and I have history. Short thankfully, and not pleasant. Mum never got it then, either.”

  “I don’t think I have a job.”

  Heidi snorted and eased herself down on the bed beside Clancy. “Don’t think like that.” She nudged Clancy’s shoulder with her own. “I really have to show you the ropes, so unless you’ve pinched Berry’s dog, don’t worry about not having your job.”

  Clancy’s gaze drifted across to her bags. “No chance you could run me to the bus?”

  “No chance. That sounded pretty half-hearted to me and besides, I think Berry would draw and quarter me. I don’t know you from a bar of soap, but I can tell you like it here.”

  “Mud sticks.”

  “Not Greg’s sort of mud. And certainly not with Berry.” Heidi gave a little wince. “Help me get up, would you? Got to keep moving.”

  Clancy stood and Heidi hauled herself up. “How far—?”

  “About five weeks to go. Should have stopped work a couple of weeks back.” She stretched. “Don’t worry about what Mum said. She’ll cool off when the old bastard survives to give her shit again. Now, let’s go over a few things more then I’m going to go home before I can’t get behind the wheel. I feel like I’m growing by the minute.”