‘I thought Johnny Jones was going to do the honours?’ Uncle Daniel asked, starting to pile up the meat at one end of the grill.

‘Yeah, he was.’

‘Well, he wasn’t injured any worse than you two, so what’s wrong with him?’

‘I dunno.’

‘Want me to have a word with his old man?’

Tony looked at his feet and shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted.

‘Well, whatever you need,’ his uncle said, and picked up his beer. ‘Here’s to you, mate. Next time we have a barbie you and Leanne can host at Glen Alpine, and you can tell us all about the honeymoon,’ he added, raising the bottle and winking.

Tony clinked his bottle against his uncle’s. He knew he must look pretty relieved. This sticky situation had been worrying him all bloody day, especially after Mother asked him why Johnny wasn’t at the rehearsal.

‘Get me a plate would you, Alan?’ Uncle Daniel said.

Alan heaved himself up, but as he stood, he winced.

‘Sorry, mate,’ Uncle Daniel said. ‘Forgot about the war wound.’

‘I’ll get it,’ Tony said.

‘Nah, it’s alright, I’ll just take it all in,’ his uncle said, going inside with the tray.

That left Tony and Alan, and the barbecue smoke.

Shit!

It seemed like Alan wanted him to say something, but Tony didn’t know where to start. ‘Want to look at the old car?’ he offered.

His cousin nodded. They moved for the stairs, but Alan fell behind, having to ease himself down slowly.

‘Need a hand?’

Alan shook his head. Tony noticed a couple of scratches on his neck, but the other injuries must have been under his cousin’s clothes.

‘Fucking Johnny Jones,’ Tony said, trying his best to make it sound funny. ‘Who does he think he is, eh?’

Alan smiled but laughed with his mouth closed. At the car, he reached for the bonnet and used it to lean on.

‘Bit sore, eh?’ Tony asked.

‘Yeah,’ Alan said, squinting now that his face was in the sun.

Tony had seen the painkillers Uncle Daniel plied his son with on the side of the Kippen Road the night before last.

‘Your dad asked you anything about what happened?’ he said.

Alan shook his head.

‘You blacked out for a bit, so you might not remember too much anyway.’

‘I remember you carrying me up the track, after the crash,’ Alan said.

‘Yeah, I had to leave you in the bush for a bit while I went back and helped push Johnny’s ute back over,’ Tony said.

‘There was a lot of shouting,’ Alan said.

His cousin looked brittle, but it wasn’t about his injuries.

‘Johnny’s always been a loud-mouthed bugger,’ Tony heard himself saying.