‘He started with ten,’ my father says, clearly defeated.

‘And?’

‘Ended with fifty.’

‘Fifty what?’ I ask.

‘Fifty grand.’ My father stares into his coffee cup.

I feel my jaw drop.

‘To do what?’ Geez. Mike’s a veritable bulldozer.

‘Take him out for a day hunting. Says he doesn’t have the time or energy to start with a new lodge, and no one else’s available, and he liked me, we got along well. His wife has a massage or facial or something tomorrow, and it’s his only day alone before he goes home.’

‘That’s a helluva lot of money to give up,’ my grandfather says. ‘Nobody in their right mind—’

‘Who’s giving up which money?’ Miriam sets a tray of cut fruit, yoghurt, toast, peanut butter and jam on the table.

‘Adam’s been offered fifty thousand dollars for a single day’s work,’ my grandfather says.

‘Fifty?’ Jaxon chimes in, appearing at the bottom of the stairs, drying his hair with a towel. ‘You can’t be serious. Who is this dude? Hello Mr Black, Mrs Black.’

‘For goodness sake, I’m not an old headmistress, call me Miriam.’ Her tone is curt.

My father answers Jaxon. ‘He’s a big deal down south, oil money, too much to know what to do with.’

‘When are you going, Adam?’ Miriam passes me a plate. ‘I can take Sky to the museum—we’ll have another girls’ day out, won’t we, dear?’

‘I’m not taking it,’ my father says into his cup, ‘the job.’

Jaxon’s hand stops mid-motion, and with the towel still on his head he looks at me, and then back to Adam.

‘Fifty grand for one day’s work and you’re saying no?’ My grandfather’s face is going red. ‘I’ve honestly never heard of such a thing. I thought your irresponsible days were in the past, Adam. In all my years, and I mean years, of business, I have—’

‘Adam, dear,’ my grandmother says, ‘you’re going to give your father a heart attack. You know he’s on those high-dose pills; his cholesterol’s through the roof. Go. Sky will be fine. I have so many things I want to do with her. Give your mother a chance to get to know her granddaughter, won’t you?’

My father looks at me. ‘But Sky and I have just reconciled, and—’

‘She knows what you do for a living,’ Mike says firmly.

‘She doesn’t like it,’ my grandmother adds, ‘but she’s not expecting you to suddenly stop, are you, dear?’ She looks at me.

‘Sky? You don’t have to agree,’ my father says. ‘Really, just say the word.’

Jaxon looks at me. And so does everyone else.

For a moment, the world stops.

‘I have to go to the toilet,’ I say and feel myself running upstairs.