Kat glanced around. The other diners were leaving and there was no one nearby. “Mal offered me the job a while ago. I came here to take a break and think things through.”

“What kind of job is it and who is Mal?”

“Mal Wilson. He’s an expat Australian living in Singapore. He runs a big wine-buying consortium and he wants me to be the Australian face of the company in Singapore.”

“How long have you known him? How do you know he’s who he says he is?”

“I’ve checked it all out, Pappou. We met at a wine promotion in Sydney and we’ve met several times since then. Besides…I’ve fallen in love with him.”

“You’ve what! That’s ridiculous.” Pappou shouted and slammed his hand on the table. The cutlery clattered on the plates.

A few customers at the tasting bar looked with interest in their direction.

“I hoped you would support me with this,” she said softly.

“Bah!”

“Please, Pappou. I came here to give myself space to think things through and I have.”

“What does your mother say? Surely she doesn’t agree.”

“I haven’t told her yet.”

“There, you see.” He stood up. “It just won’t happen. Singapore! You can’t go there when your family needs you here.”

Kat looked from her barely touched plate of food to her grandfather striding down the room. He went through the glass doors without looking back. A hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up into Michael’s gentle eyes.

He grimaced. “You’ve told him then.”

* * *

Euan came back into the quiet house. He made himself another coffee and sat down. Everything was ready for the party. Keely had cleaned up the kitchen and the fridges were overflowing with food. He’d be sorry to see her go. She had brought some spark back to their family life, made the work enjoyable. Flynn had helped him stock the drinks, and he’d even cracked a few jokes. Now all that was needed was a bit more meat for the barbecue and everything should go to plan.

He had to admit the job of cleaning up and organising it hadn’t been so bad. Keely and Flynn had put the final touches to the setting up and he and Hugh had acted as gofers. It had all come together so well. Flynn knew the look he wanted and Keely had the creative flair to make the dullest corner look appealing. She’d brought up some of Lucy’s wall hangings from the studio and arranged pots of coloured plants and cushions around the planking Hugh had brought in for extra seating. Flynn had been busy with lights and he’d turned an old cupboard into a useful appendage to the original bar. Teamwork, that’s what it had been.