be checking with her future husband whether he wants her fattened up. You know how much wedding dress fabric costs.”
Alex smiled weakly despite the disheveled state of her emotions after fleeing JP’s car just minutes before.
Her elderly parents had been engaging in their affectionate banter for as long as she could remember. Being amidst it made her feel warm, safe and secure, as though she was a little girl again. But at the same time her stomach was lurching at their reference to Simon and the wedding, hot knives of guilt over her burgeoning feelings for JP slicing mercilessly through her.
“How’s work? You have a new boss, don’t you?” Mary Farrer asked as she returned to the cooker to stir the steaming, aromatic contents of her French Ovens.
“Yes, and work’s fine thanks,” Alex answered as heat filled her cheeks.
“I hope he’s treating you properly.”
“Yes, Mum.”
“Who does he think he is working you back so late?” her father shouted across the room. He was a little deaf and so felt that by shouting himself he would assist everyone else’s hearing as well. “Your mother tells me he’s had you working in some God forsaken place for hours.”
“It was a legal centre.”
“Well what do you want to be going and doing there? Do they pay you?”
“No, Dad. The centre provides free legal advice.”
“Free! Holy Mary and Joseph! Now I’ve heard everything,” Peter Farrer shouted again from his chair. “Free legal advice! Why haven’t I ever had free legal advice?”
“Because you can afford to pay for it. Those people are desperate.”
“Afford it! I could afford it until the first lawyer got a hold of me. I’ve been broke ever since.”
“You have the first dollar you ever earned and you know it,” Alex replied as she perched on the arm of his lounge chair and draped her arm around his shoulders affectionately.
“Well, you’re a good girl,” he replied, immediately soothed by her gentle touch. “But you know I’m not happy you’re working with lawyers. They’re all thieves!”
“Not all of them, Dad. You know you’re exaggerating.”
“Never trust a man who hasn’t produced something you can touch at the end of his working day.”
“Lawyers produce words,” Alex argued. “And words are important too. Think where we would be today without words.”
“A whole lot better off. There was a time when a man’s word was as good as his handshake, then someone invented lawyers to complicate things. I tell you, law is no way to make a living.”
At that moment the doorbell rang and Alex got to her feet to answer it.
“Sit down girl. A young lady doesn’t answer the door at this time of night.”
With that, Peter Farrer climbed laboriously out of his chair onto his weak knees and shuffled off down the hallway. Alex wandered over to the cooker to stand beside her mother as she stirred and added to her pots.
The smells that emanated from Mary Farrer’s kitchen were always delectable and she cooked gourmet delights at every meal. Alex had just tasted a mouthful of the night’s meal off a teaspoon offered by her mother when she was grabbed from behind. She jumped violently, her nerves still on edge after her encounter with JP in the car, before twisting around in a pair of all-encompassing arms.
“Simon!” she whispered breathlessly as she felt the blood drain from her face.
“Surprised?” he asked gleefully, his dark eyes shining with delight.
“Yes … yes … I’m staggered. I was only talking to you a few hours ago in New Zealand.”
“I know, I rang your Mum from the airport to let her know I’d come straight here. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well aren’t you going to give your future husband a kiss?” Mary Farrer prompted with more than a hint in her tone.
“Yes, of course,” Alex agreed hurriedly, feeling awkward with her parents in the room.
Simon’s mouth descended upon hers for a short hard kiss but then Alex sensed that someone
Alex smiled weakly despite the disheveled state of her emotions after fleeing JP’s car just minutes before.
Her elderly parents had been engaging in their affectionate banter for as long as she could remember. Being amidst it made her feel warm, safe and secure, as though she was a little girl again. But at the same time her stomach was lurching at their reference to Simon and the wedding, hot knives of guilt over her burgeoning feelings for JP slicing mercilessly through her.
“How’s work? You have a new boss, don’t you?” Mary Farrer asked as she returned to the cooker to stir the steaming, aromatic contents of her French Ovens.
“Yes, and work’s fine thanks,” Alex answered as heat filled her cheeks.
“I hope he’s treating you properly.”
“Yes, Mum.”
“Who does he think he is working you back so late?” her father shouted across the room. He was a little deaf and so felt that by shouting himself he would assist everyone else’s hearing as well. “Your mother tells me he’s had you working in some God forsaken place for hours.”
“It was a legal centre.”
“Well what do you want to be going and doing there? Do they pay you?”
“No, Dad. The centre provides free legal advice.”
“Free! Holy Mary and Joseph! Now I’ve heard everything,” Peter Farrer shouted again from his chair. “Free legal advice! Why haven’t I ever had free legal advice?”
“Because you can afford to pay for it. Those people are desperate.”
“Afford it! I could afford it until the first lawyer got a hold of me. I’ve been broke ever since.”
“You have the first dollar you ever earned and you know it,” Alex replied as she perched on the arm of his lounge chair and draped her arm around his shoulders affectionately.
“Well, you’re a good girl,” he replied, immediately soothed by her gentle touch. “But you know I’m not happy you’re working with lawyers. They’re all thieves!”
“Not all of them, Dad. You know you’re exaggerating.”
“Never trust a man who hasn’t produced something you can touch at the end of his working day.”
“Lawyers produce words,” Alex argued. “And words are important too. Think where we would be today without words.”
“A whole lot better off. There was a time when a man’s word was as good as his handshake, then someone invented lawyers to complicate things. I tell you, law is no way to make a living.”
At that moment the doorbell rang and Alex got to her feet to answer it.
“Sit down girl. A young lady doesn’t answer the door at this time of night.”
With that, Peter Farrer climbed laboriously out of his chair onto his weak knees and shuffled off down the hallway. Alex wandered over to the cooker to stand beside her mother as she stirred and added to her pots.
The smells that emanated from Mary Farrer’s kitchen were always delectable and she cooked gourmet delights at every meal. Alex had just tasted a mouthful of the night’s meal off a teaspoon offered by her mother when she was grabbed from behind. She jumped violently, her nerves still on edge after her encounter with JP in the car, before twisting around in a pair of all-encompassing arms.
“Simon!” she whispered breathlessly as she felt the blood drain from her face.
“Surprised?” he asked gleefully, his dark eyes shining with delight.
“Yes … yes … I’m staggered. I was only talking to you a few hours ago in New Zealand.”
“I know, I rang your Mum from the airport to let her know I’d come straight here. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well aren’t you going to give your future husband a kiss?” Mary Farrer prompted with more than a hint in her tone.
“Yes, of course,” Alex agreed hurriedly, feeling awkward with her parents in the room.
Simon’s mouth descended upon hers for a short hard kiss but then Alex sensed that someone
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