Keely was cut off by a strange sound. She looked around to see Flynn laughing. She put her hands to her cheeks as the warm glow spread down to her neck. “Oh. It’s the wrong person isn’t it? His name was Jack Telford. Who is Jack Frost?”

Flynn struggled to contain his laughter. “You haven’t heard the expression ‘Jack Frost’?”

“Expression?”

“Jack Frost. It means frost, as in the weather.” His face became serious again. “There’s ice everywhere this morning, from the hail. It reminded me of the frosts I’d seen in South Australia.”

“Oh.” Keely stuck her head in the fridge to look for some eggs and to cool her cheeks. “You must be freezing. I’d be happy to cook some breakfast for when you come back.”

He didn’t answer. She shut the fridge up and realised he’d moved across the room and was standing right behind her on the other side of the breakfast bar. He looked as if he was going to say something, then he picked up his jacket and went to the door.

Before he closed it he looked at her again. “Thanks, I’ll be about ten minutes.”

Keely stared after him and put a hand to her chest where she could feel the thumping of her heart. What was going on? In spite of Flynn’s changeable moods there was something about him that she found very attractive.

She stifled a giggle. Jack Frost. Now that she thought about it, she did have a childhood memory of someone using that name. Flynn must think she was silly but, all the same, she couldn’t help humming to herself while she prepared the scrambled eggs.

He returned, true to his word, ten minutes later. Keely had the table set, the juice poured and coffee ready to go.

When they sat down to eat the scrambled eggs, Flynn explained about the storm and their concern that the hail may have damaged the young buds.

“You must both be tired,” Keely said. “Is Euan coming in for breakfast?”

“He’s still doing something outside.”

No sooner had he said it when Euan came in the door. He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked exhausted.

“I don’t think we need to worry too much,” he said. “We’ve been lucky.”

“We can check it out in the full light after breakfast,” Flynn said.

Keely got up to serve some eggs for Euan.

He intercepted her. “Don’t worry about me, Keely. Thanks, but I need to clear the cobwebs. I’m going for a surf.”

“What about the chardonnay vines?” Flynn snapped.

“Give Hugh a call and ask him to come over later. The vines aren’t going anywhere.”

“But…”

Euan cut him off. “Nothing’s going to change in the next few hours. You can look at them if you like but I’m taking a break.”