Euan had been more concerned with the woman he’d brought to Levallier Dell, Keely someone. Flynn frowned. He didn’t know everything about Euan’s exploits, he was sure, but she’d been a surprise. Usually Euan kept his more intimate life out of the local area and, to Flynn’s knowledge, he’d never brought anyone to the house before, certainly not since Flynn had returned home to live. But it didn’t stop the gossip and that was what Flynn hated.

Euan had explained again that Keely was recuperating from an operation but Flynn wasn’t convinced that was all there was to it. They had looked fairly intimate sitting on the couch together when he’d returned to the house to apologise to Keely and make peace. His father’s arm had been around Keely with the same tenderness he had used to nurse Lucy in those final days.

Flynn clenched his fingers into tight fists. Keely looked to be about his age. The father of one of his uni mates had left home and taken up with a much younger woman. It had been bad enough for the family but the son hadn’t been able to deal with his stepmother being the same age as his sister. Flynn could understand how he felt. Perhaps Euan had really lost the plot this time.

“Hello, Flynn.” A loud voice and firm hand on his shoulder startled Flynn back to the present. He gritted his teeth as he recognised Theo’s voice. Flynn hadn’t responded to the invitation he’d received from the neighbours to their party that night. He’d planned to not turn up and just make an excuse the next time he saw Theo.

He turned and the smile he’d assumed changed to a look of genuine surprise as his eyes met the dark brown eyes of the smiling young woman standing beside Theo.

“You remember my granddaughter, Katerina? She is visiting us from her parents’ winery in the Yarra Valley.” Theo beamed. “This is Flynn Levallier from next door.”

Flynn held out his hand. “Welcome to Margaret River.”

“Thanks.” Her soft hand was pleasantly warm. “It’s like coming home for me. I spent a lot of time here as a child when Pappou first bought the place.”

Flynn let go of her hand and looked again at the attractive face framed by the thick dark hair that sat neatly on her shoulders. There was something about her. He glanced at Theo, then a distant memory made him look quickly back at her.

“You’re the little girl who fell off the pony,” he said.

She smiled. “Not that little. I was ten.”

Theo let out a bellowing laugh.

“I’ve never forgotten scaring that pony with my bike,” Flynn said. “I thought I’d killed you.”

“Katerina was always falling off something. Such a tomboy.” Theo chuckled.