“Sorry. I forgot in the rush to get to tennis.” He opened the passenger door of his ute for her. “Now that Connie’s gone back to uni it’s a bit dull at our house. Mum and Dad like to have more than me at the table for roast dinner.”

Natalie looked from the open door back to his merry face. “All right, but you can’t drive.”

“I’ll be fine.” He leaned in and planted a boozy kiss on her lips. “We’ll take the back roads.”

She giggled at the brush of his stubble on her cheek but held out her hand for the keys all the same. “I’ll drive.”

He shrugged his shoulders and handed them over, a cheeky grin on his face. Natalie climbed into the driver’s seat and her bravado faltered. Now she knew why he’d given her that look. She’d forgotten the ute was a manual. She’d never driven a gearshift car before.

Milt grinned at her from the passenger seat. “Foot on the clutch before you start it.”

She’d turned away from him, inspected the gear stick and started the engine. They bunny hopped away from the tennis club to a chorus of catcalls and whistles from some of his mates but once on the road she was fine and quite pleased she had a new skill.

By the time they lurched to a stop outside the back gate she didn’t feel quite so clammy. She discovered a lipstick in her bag which she applied, brushed her short hair into place with her fingers and ran her hands down her crumpled dress as she stepped out of the driver’s seat. Milt rounded the ute. He was chewing some gum and had done an amazing job of sobering up on the thirty-minute journey.

“Ready?” he said and held out his hand.

Natalie hesitated. They’d arrived as the last of the sun’s rays illuminated the sky in a soft orange glow and now that she had time to take it in she realised how large the house before her was. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took Milt’s hand, grateful for the comfort of his strong, steady grip. She followed him inside, one step behind him, and immediately the temperature dropped several degrees. He shut the heavy wooden door while she took in the lofty ceiling and wide hall. There was light spilling from an open door ahead but beyond that the passage disappeared into shadows. She could see other doors close to them in the solid stone walls but they were all shut.

“Is that you, Milton?” a woman’s voice called. “We’re in the kitchen.”

He winked at Natalie then led her to the open door.