'Thanks for the cookbook, Lizzie,' Julia called, holding up a large volume with the words 'domestic' and 'goddess' on the cover. 'Are you trying to tell me something?'
'Every housewife should know how to whip up a gourmet feast.'
Julia huffed good-naturedly. 'I'm not a housewife. I'm a capable professional in the throes of establishing my new business.'
Joe chimed in. 'So you're a consultant?'
'Exactly, Joe!' Julia made her way to Lizzie, stomping over the shredded wrapping paper and threw her arms wide for a hug. Out of the corner of her eye, because she couldn't help herself, she stole a glance at Dan. He stood stoically on the other side of the gathering, a glass of wine in his hand.
'Here's one for you, Lizzie.' Ry reached over and handed her a long and narrow box, wrapped in white paper and topped with an elaborate silver bow. It felt heavy in her hands and she guessed by the shape what it was. She felt Dan's gaze on her as she lifted the front flap of the small silver card taped to the box.
You deserve it every day, not just once a year.
It was Dan's handwriting. She closed the card and held it tight in her hand, her heart racing. When she tore the wrapping paper away, and flipped the gift box open, she couldn't breathe. She recognised the dark green bottle and distinctive label of one of the most famous vintage French champagnes. She'd never been able to justify spending the money on such a luxury. Not in her wildest dreams on a barmaid's salary.
'Oh Dan … ' she managed. He'd remembered her throwaway line about drinking French champagne every New Year's Day. He'd remembered. There were oohs and aahs from the others once they recognised the name on the bottle.
'Do you like it?' he asked.
'I do. I love it.' Without thinking, Lizzie found herself on her feet and going to him. She needed to let him know she got the reference, how grateful she was. She dodged around Harri's chair and Joe's inquisitive stare, and stood in front of him, flicking her eyes from the label to his face.
'It's too much,' she whispered, hoping the others couldn't hear. She realised at that moment that she would never, ever be able to pop the cork on it.
Dan's emerald eyes shone down, sending her heart thumping once again.
'It's not nearly enough,' he replied.
She leaned up to kiss his cheek, making sure to splay a steadying hand on his chest so she didn't lose her balance. When he turned his face just a smidgeon to the right at the very last second, instead of landing on his soft cheek, her lips met his. In a daze, she was barely aware that one of his strong arms had circled her waist, steadying her and pulling her closer to him. She went limp. Every bit of energy she'd spent trying not to look at him was now in the kiss, in the soft caress of his lips on hers, juxtaposed with the insistent demand of his body crushed up against her.
When he let go, she saw something in his face and memories came flooding back to her from the night of the accident. The night they'd connected, the night that had begun with so many possibilities flirting in the air between them, but which had ended up in a mangled wreck on a dark country road.
The sexy swagger. It was there. In his eyes. In his smile.
With a loud sigh, she made a decision. He was now nine kinds of handsome. And she was in nine kinds of love with him.
Joe kneeled in front of the ice-filled esky, fishing around with one hand, holding the lid open with the other. Dan stepped forward, held the lid up for him. He'd come into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and found Joe, unsteady on his feet, glassy-eyed.
'You right, mate?'
Joe waved a hand in Dan's direction. 'Fan-bloody-tastic Dan. Fan-bloody-tastic Dan-bloody-tastic.' Joe laughed at his own joke and then pulled his hand out of the ice, a fresh beer in his hand. He twisted the top off and took a long gulp.
Dan didn't like what he was seeing. He pulled himself to his full height, looked down on Joe, physically and metaphorically. 'I reckon you should lighten up there, Joe.'
Joe sneered at him, took another swig. 'Do you now?'
'Why don't you give me that beer. I'll make you a coffee.' Dan motioned to take the bottle from Joe, who stood and swatted his hand away.
'Oh, fuck off, Dan,' Joe said with a laugh.
Everyone else was in the living area chatting over their gifts. Dan glanced over to make sure Lizzie, in particular, couldn't see what was happening. Dan turned to him, kept his voice low so the others wouldn't hear.
'Mate, I don't give a shit about your liver or the insane hangover you're going to have tomorrow. But I do give a shit about your sister. Have some respect for her. Don't be another person she's got to look after.'
Joe leaned in close, narrowed his eyes. 'What the hell are you talking about?'
'When you're too legless to walk home tonight, who do you think's gonna make sure you don't take a wrong turn and drown? Ease off and give her a break. She doesn't need anyone else to look out for. She needs someone to look out for her.' Dan could feel the tightness in his fists. When he looked down, they were clenched into balls at his side.
Joe looked Dan up and down, sneered. 'Oh, and that's you, is it?'
Dan said nothing. There was no point arguing with someone who was drunk.
She needs someone to look out for her.
His own words were playing over and over in his head and, while Joe may have been three sheets to the wind, his question had cut right through Dan. How the hell could Joe still make so much sense when he was so pissed? Years of journalism, Dan concluded. His liver was probably immune. He'd decided to cut him a bit of slack because he was Lizzie's brother, but not much.
'Dan?'
He completely lost his train of thought when Lizzie appeared before him, the crinkle of her red dress like Christmas bells in his heart. 'I noticed you haven't had that much to drink tonight. Would you mind driving Harri home? She can't walk that far and Joe is completely legless. I want to stay and help Jools with the cleaning up.'
'Sure. You ready to go, Harri?'
Harri jangled her keys in front of her face and nudged Barbra. 'Aah, this takes me back to the seventies. Pulling car keys out of a bowl and not knowing who you'd go home with.' Barbra broke into helpless laughter and Julia grinned at Lizzie.
'Harri, you old slapper.' Lizzie reached over to help Harri out of her chair.
'They don't have near as much fun as we used to, don't you agree?' she said to Barbra with a wink.
Lizzie watched as Dan helped Harri walk to the front door. Joe was soon at her side, looking contrite.
'Okay with you if I get a lift back with them, Mosquito?' He laid a hand on her shoulder. 'I think I need to go home.'
Lizzie realised she'd been so distracted by Dan during the evening that she hadn't thought once about Joe. He was away from his wife Jasmine at Christmas. He must be missing her terribly and she'd been too wrapped up in her own dramas to notice. What kind of a sister was she?
'Merry Christmas, Joe.' She reached around his waist and hugged him. He replied with a noisy kiss on the cheek and managed a smile before heading off on unsteady feet.
Lizzie found Julia at the sink, scrubbing the roasting pans from dinner. Ry had dragged the esky outside to empty out the water and Barbra had headed up to bed after dramatic Christmas kisses for them all.
'Hey,' Lizzie said. 'You sure I can't help?'
Her best friend smiled. 'Sit down. You were on your feet all day yesterday and you deserve a rest. Your only task is to grab a glass and talk to me while I scrub. Nice present from Dan, by the way.'
'Oh God,' Lizzie said. 'Was it ever. I don't think I'll ever actually drink it.'
'You will. Just wait for the right time. You'll find it.' Julia attacked a stubborn stain and blew the curls out of her eyes. 'How are things between you two?'
Lizzie found a half empty bottle on the kitchen bench and poured white wine into two clean glasses. With one hand, she held the stem of her wine glass. With the other, she tapped a finger on the marble bench. Looked to the ceiling. She was buying time and Julia knew it.
'You don't want to talk about it, huh?'
'What's there to talk about? We finished The Market. He's been in Adelaide. I've been flat-out crazy with the holiday season at the pub. Tonight was the first time I've seen him in a couple of weeks. That's it. End of story.'
Julia lifted a pan out of the water and plonked it on the sink to dry. She grabbed another, submerged it, began scrubbing hard. 'Lizzie. I don't know what's going on with him, why he hasn't been around, but the way he was looking at you tonight? It was kind of scorching. Couldn't you feel it?'
Lizzie took a sip of wine, which topped off her wine buzz. Yes, she'd felt every degree of that blazing heat, of his attention. She was fully aware that he'd been watching her. And that kiss? It had buckled her knees. He hadn't seemed to care that everyone was watching. More importantly, he hadn't seemed to care about Anna. Was this the new Dan, she wondered? Someone with one foot in his old life and the other in Middle Point? Someone who was hedging his bets about where he might end up?