Nev found a shovel and a wheelbarrow. “You have expensive tastes.”
Ronnie chuckled. “Where will you plant it?”
“You’ll see.”
24
ABOUT MATTIE
On the road to Lionheart twelve grey kangaroos of various ages and sizes stopped hopping across a field to watch the silver truck speed by. The mob moved closer together, distrustful of the engine, then hopped along after the truck passed.
Ronnie reached for Nev’s dirty hand, which helpfully came off the wheel and rested on the center console where she could reach it. The memory of the sapling surrounded by a ring of compost on the grassy slope behind the horse barn was oddly comforting.
“Thank you.” She interlaced their fingers.
“No worries.”
“That was really sweet.” She kissed Nev’s knuckles, then rested their hands on her thigh and watched window TV, letting the lights and colors wash over her. “I think I’m high.”
Nev snorted. “Ding ding. Fifty points.” She pulled off Pademelon Road onto the Bermuda grass in front of Reg’s purple Queenslander and took her hand back to shift into park.
Ronnie’s relatives were inside, which gave her a minute to adjust and transition into big loud family time.
Nev turned off the engine.
Lorikeets in the bloodwood tree that Rainbow called the vanilla ice cream tree. “Is that her favorite?” Ronnie pointed.
Nev nodded, put on sunglasses and unwrapped a stick of gum. “You good?”
Effortlessly mature and sexy. So annoying. Ronnie would have been turned on if she wasn’t half dead. It would be a long time, yonks, before she got laid again. “Thanks for a fun date.”
“You’re welcome.” Enigmatic behind Ray Ban aviators, Nev chewed the gum. “Something tells me it won’t be the last time.” Nev cracked an amused smile.
Relieved and grateful, Ronnie went in for a kiss, but Nev gave her a hug.
Ronnie wasn’t offended. “Why do you do that?” she asked, curious.
Nev hesitated.
“Do you want to kiss me?”
“Um…” Nev licked her lips. “When you’re older.”
“How much older?”
Nev chewed the gum and hid behind the aviators. “A good wine takes decades to ripen. If you drink it too early, it’s sour. Once you pop the top, you have to drink the whole thing in two days. It stops aging. You only get one chance to time it right. The longer you wait, the better the good ones get. You’re not ready. I’m not ready.”
Ronnie rolled her eyes. “M’kay.”
Nev got out and walked around, opened the passenger door, then helped her down. Ronnie steadied herself against the truck door.
Reg and Blaise stood behind Rainbow on the raised Victorian veranda, next to the sign. Rainbow ran out screaming the way she screamed for ice cream trucks. Ronnie braced for impact.
Her daughter was gentler than the dogs would be, but not by much. Rainbow squeezed her around the lower ribs as if testing to see if she would break.
Ronnie held her breath, patted her daughter on the back.
Nev walked her to the veranda before handing her off to her relatives. Reg and Rainbow lifted her up the stairs.
