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‘No pigs?’ Binny put her little hands on David’s face and turned his head to face her.

David shook his head. ‘No pigs.’

‘Piggyback then.’

Gina swung around as a woman’s voice called out:

‘David Johnson. I thought it was you!’

*

Ellie had spent most of the day at the hangar but no flights had been booked. Saturday was usually quiet as it was more often than not the changeover day for tourists. Kane hadn’t been rostered on, but she couldn’t help herself pulling up the electronic roster to see when they were next on together. Despite her expectations, she’d enjoyed the drive down to Jim Jim with him yesterday.

Pulling into the car park, she’d done a double-take when the pregnant lady and the man in the baseball cap had stepped back and waited for her to drive past. It looked like David Johnson, but the cap and sunglasses hid his face, and she’d only got a side-on view.

She’d just got out of the car and put the keys in her pocket when a child’s voice called out, ‘Daddy!’ She watched as the little girl sped towards the road, but the man ran across and intercepted her before she could step onto the bitumen.

It was David. He swung the little girl onto his back and crossed back to the woman who was waiting at the car. ‘David Johnson. I thought it was you!’

He turned slowly, holding the little girl protectively against his chest. He frowned for a moment and then his face cleared.

‘Ellie? Ellie Porter?’

‘Long time no see. It’s ages since I last saw you.’

He looked around the car park before he held out his hand. Ellie leaned in and kissed his cheek as the little girl took David’s hat from his head and turned it around so that the brim was over the back of his neck

‘I thought you’d be in Darwin. Aren’t you an important politician now? Chief Minister, no less?’

‘I’m just here for the weekend.’ Again David scanned the car park before twisting his hat around. ‘But I’m trying to have a family break. Don’t tell anyone I’m here. You know, privacy and all that.’

Ellie laughed. ‘Oh, David, I’m sure it’s all around the lodge already. If you checked in, everyone will know.’

David dropped her hand and pulled at the collar of his polo shirt. ‘This is my wife, Gina. We only came outside to get a couple of things and this naughty little madam followed us. Come on over to the apartment with us and we can catch up inside. Andrew, our little boy’s over there.’

His wife was a beautiful woman with flawless, olive skin and almond-shaped green eyes. She glanced nervously at David before she greeted Ellie. David tipped his head back to the cute little girl who had her arms wound tightly around his neck. ‘This is Binny, short for Belinda.’ Hitching the little girl up his back with a roll of his shoulders, he said, ‘Binny, say hello to Ellie. She’s an old friend of your uncle Chad.’ The little girl observed Ellie shyly as they all crossed the lawn to the building.

Back before Dad died and they left the farm, Ellie had briefly gone out with David’s youngest brother. They’d hung out at the Johnson house in Jabiru in the summer holidays until Dad found out that Mr Johnson was something important at the Ranger uranium mine. After that he’d said he preferred that she didn’t go to their house. David was a good ten years older than Chad and she’d only met him a few times that summer when he’d come home for Chad’s birthday. She’d forgotten all about him until years later when she read he’d been elected to parliament. She’d watched his meteoric rise to Chief Minister while he was still in his thirties and had followed his career with interest.

‘Where’s Chad these days?’ Ellie asked.

‘New York. Met a girl at uni and followed her back home to the States.’ David put the little girl down and she ran through the open door. He stood back and waited for the two women to step inside before him.

Ellie whistled quietly as she took in the decor. It was one of the most expensive suites at Makowa. ‘Wow. This is a bit different to my staff apartment.’

Gina turned to her and smiled. ‘It is very nice. We’re lucky to have the chance to stay here.’ Her voice was accented. A memory niggled at Ellie. Something she’d read about David marrying someone famous while he was overseas. Gina certainly had movie-star looks.

David looked from one to the other as if weighing something up. Ellie frowned, uncomfortable. ‘Look, I won’t take up any more of your time. I’ve got to drop some keys back to the office.’ She nodded at David’s wife. ‘Good to meet you, Gina. Have a nice break. And say hello to Chad next time you speak to him.’ She turned to go.

‘Ellie, no. Wait.’ A significant look passed between the couple, and Ellie paused in the doorway.

‘Can I beg a favour?’

‘Sure,’ she said. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘I have to go back to the city for the week, and I was wondering if you could keep an eye out for Gina and the kids while they’re here.’ David had lifted the sunglasses but his gaze was hooded. ‘Just maybe drop in occasionally.’

Ellie nodded. ‘Of course. How about a coffee one morning? Or even lunch?’ She turned to Gina with a smile. If she found it strange that the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory was leaving his heavily pregnant wife here alone with two small kids, she certainly wasn’t going to say anything. It was none of her business.