The offer to see another part of the state hung in the air and if she was honest with herself, it was just as appealing as the hot winemaker who’d made it. “You know what? That would be amazing, thank you. I also want to do some sightseeing in the city before I go home. Chloe put together a list—” She was cut off by a laugh from Ash.

“Sorry, sorry, just Chloe and her lists. She even has a master list of all her lists.”

“She is very organised.” Jules had travelled enough with Chloe to know what a powerhouse of preparation she was.

“I’m organised. You have to be in event management, but even in the industry, Chloe is kind of a freak. I love her, I do, but before she left, she wrote a list for our Christmas.”

“No way,” said Matt.

“She did!”

Jules could tell Ash’s remarks were said with love and she had a quiet giggle at her friend’s expense. “So, what exactly goes on the list for a Christmas you’re not even having?”

“Actually, it’s mostly about you.”

“Me?” She shared a look with Matt. He seemed intrigued too.

“It’s just all the things we have to do so you’ll have a proper Aussie Christmas, including the menu.”

“Sooo, we’re making fun of her for being a total sweetheart?”

“Yes. Sorry. Sometimes I can be a bit of a bitch.” She waved a self-deprecating hand in the air.

“Don’t say that. You’re not a bitch.” Matt’s voice was firm and Ash met his gaze, then looked into her now-empty coffee cup. Jules sensed there was some sort of story there.

“So,” Jules said brightly to Matt, “when you’re ‘up’, where do you stay?”

“Usually at our friends’ place—Callie and Thea’s. They live in Port Melbourne. Pretty much a straight shot south, right on the coast.”

“Oh, they’re the couple coming for Christmas, right?”

“Yep. They’re awesome.” Ash seemed to pep up at the mention of her friends. “They had the best wedding. So much fun. It was up at Daylesford. Sorry, I keep forgetting that you have no idea what that even means. Anyway, it’s this fab little town about … what do you reckon, Matt, three hours away?”

“Maybe less, but yeah, it’s a bit of a drive.”

“Anyway, we all went up for the weekend—a few of us rented a house and the wedding was at The Boathouse—god that place is divine—the food. That was the Saturday and the girls took off on their honeymoon on the Sunday, but we stayed another night, just hanging out, pretty caz.”

“When was this?”

“Only last month.”

“Oh, so this is their first Christmas as a married couple! That’s awesome.” Chloe hadn’t mentioned that, but an idea started percolating in Jules’s mind and she wondered if she could pull it off.

“Oh, that’s right, I didn’t think of that. Christmas is even more special now. Too bad you don’t make bubbles, Matt.”

“Now I believe you didn’t crack open the Christmas case.”