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Jackson and Marie were sharing toast in the kitchen. Ava poked her head around the door, her smile encompassing them both.
“Morning, guys.”
“Howdy, Aves. You wanna coffee?” Jackson stood, already on his way to the machine.
She shook her head. “You going to be at the house for a bit longer?”
Marie tried to smother her smile with a bite of her toast. She failed miserably. “You going somewhere?”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Not where you’re thinking. It’s hot this morning. I thought I’d go for a quick dip before the sun really gets going.”
“Sounds perfect. You should head to the beach. I’ve got stuff to do here this morning; I can keep an eye on little miss Sunshine when she gets up.”
“Nah,” Ava smiled to soften the rejection. “I’ve got things to do here too.”
“By things, do you mean the Christmas tree?” Jackson laughed. “We saw the decorations out this morning.”
She pulled a face of mock surprise. “Christmas? Me? Never!”
Marie laughed. “You’re like a little elf at this time of year, d’you know that?”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“I can grab a tree from town later today. I’m heading in for some supplies anyway,” Jackson offered with his trademark kindness.
“That would be great.” She smiled at them both then headed towards the door. “I won’t be long. Milly should sleep the whole time anyway.”
“Have fun,” Marie insisted and Ava waved her hand in farewell.
Her Crocs were by the door; she slipped them on and moved quickly away from the house, cutting to the lake via one of the rows of vines rather than the more commonly used path. She told herself it was so that she could check on the leaves, rather than to avoid being seen from Cristiano’s accommodation.
Another couple had just checked out of the cottages the day before. Cristiano was, temporarily, the only occupant.
Ava resisted the urge to look towards the buildings. She beelined for the lake, and chose the end that was furthest from his cottage. Even the short walk from the house had built up her temperature. She had fine beads of perspiration across her forehead. But she took a moment to enjoy the view of the water, glistening in the early morning sunshine, as it always did in summer.
As a child, she had crept out of the house early, like this, to dip into the cool depths of the murky water. She crouched down now and ran her fingers through the water. It rippled beneath her touch.
The dam itself was part of what made the property so perfect. It was naturally occurring, and it provided a great source of irrigation for the vines. The nearby Crosman river kept it topped up year-round, even in the peak of summer.
Ava slipped her shoes off her feet then stood, taking a small step into the shallows. It was delightfully cool and refreshing. She moved deeper, and deeper still, until the water came up to her belly button.
When she was pregnant with Milly, she’d swum like this, and Milly had kicked and turned in her belly with such force that she’d caused the surrounding water to shake. Ava had nicknamed her ‘rocket’, for the speed with which she had seemed to so
mersault in utero. Of course, she’d been preparing for an early departure, Ava had since realised.
She waded in deeper, up to her neck, and then kicked onto her back, so that she could float with her eyes closed and stare up at the sky. Blue with streaks of gold and purple, the last of dawn’s sleepy fingers were blowing away to give light to the brightness of the day ahead. But it was still pleasant. It was still early. She kicked her feet and drifted across the surface, like an angelic mermaid.
Watching from the veranda of his cabin, Cristiano was transfixed. She reminded him of Ava as she’d been three years earlier. Ethereally beautiful; utterly captivating. Her body was perfect – graceful and lithe – as she glided effortlessly across the surface. Her movements were swan-like, and her progress slow.
He placed his coffee cup down on the railing and moved towards the dam without realising he was walking. He was caught in her magnetic force, powerless to do anything but obey her hold over him. At the water’s edge, he paused only to lift off his shirt and discard it onto the grass. Then, he was wading in, moving towards her with strong legs, and then a powerful stride.
The splashing caught her attention and she straightened quickly and turned around. At the sight of Cristiano, she sucked in a deep breath, and tried with all her will-power to effect an expression of nonchalance.
He stopped swimming right in front of her and kicked up to standing. Unlike Ava, who was treading water, he was able to touch the bottom of the lake.
“Hello.” His voice was thick from disuse and lack of sleep.
“Hi.” She didn’t smile. She couldn’t. She was stricken by the confused emotions he brought out in her. The desire to touch him and tell him that she loved him required all her efforts to ignore.
