She smiled as she recalled her ride with Flynn the day before, to visit his special project, as he called it. There was a man who knew what he wanted and went for it. He had bottled his first sauvignon blanc semillon blend and he was so excited about it. From what she’d tasted, he was doing a good job of it as well. He was like an adoring father who had asked her opinion on his baby. They had both agreed that the semillon gave great texture and intensity to the wine and the sauvignon blanc added tropical aromatics. It was a great blend and she’d said so.

Flynn had whirled her around the makeshift tasting room. It would have been easy to stay in his arms and kiss him, if her heart wasn’t somewhere else. Flynn was a very attractive guy. But she could tell at that moment it was thoughts of his wine that put the sparkle in his eyes. He was passionate about his winemaking.

Of course, such people had surrounded her all her life. That’s how she’d developed a finely tuned palate and knowledge of wine herself but she wasn’t so interested in the making. Her passion was in matching the right wine to the right food or person or occasion. That’s why Mal’s offer was such a good one. A combination of her knowledge of wine and her marketing skills was required. Not only that, she’d fallen in love with him and he with her. Their few days and nights together before she’d left for Perth had sealed the deal for both of them as far as their feelings for each other were concerned. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Taking up Mal’s offer would mean saying goodbye to all this.

Pappou’s raised voice carried on the breeze. Her eyes flew open and she clicked her tongue. She knew what she wanted but family ties were very strong and she didn’t want to upset Pappou or her parents.

* * *

“Thanks for your help, Flynn.” Keely smiled as he put her bag down inside the studio door.

“No problem.”

She turned away from his piercing gaze and put her backpack on the kitchen table. In her haste, it fell sideways and several things slipped out, including a packet of loose beads.

“Ohhh, damn!” She reached out as they bounced every which way over the wooden floor.

Flynn crouched down and helped her collect her things. She managed to retrieve several of the beads but decided she’d do better with a broom later.

“This drawing is great, Keely.”

She looked up from the beads, to see him holding her open sketchpad. It must have slipped out of her pack with the other things. She busied herself pouring the beads back into their packet.