forgot, sometimes,that this wasn’t Jen’s home.
‘Is Rob coming down tonight?’ Jen asked.
‘No.’ She and Rob managed to get together once or twice most weeks. She hated the fact that it couldn’t be more often. But they both had to put in pretty long hours, and with a two-hour drive between his office and hers, it was hard to accomplish. It had occurred to Charlotte that the amount of time she did manage to spend with Rob might have something to do with Jen’s change of attitude. It seemed out of character, though, for someone as sensible as Jen to be jealous of a boyfriend.
She smiled at Jen. ‘It’ll just be us. Girls’ night in. We can have a good catch-up.’
Jen smiled back. ‘Just like old times, eh?’
But it was a funny sort of smile, Charlotte thought.
Charlotte had spent a back-breaking morning digging eight wethers out from a blind gully where they’d been trapped by a drift of snow. Her only plans for the afternoon were a hot bath, which she was now soaking in, and a good book, which was waiting in her room. So she was less than pleased when Jen banged on the bathroom door.
‘Phone for you — it’s Rob.’
Charlotte heaved herself out reluctantly, shivering in the cold. She must get the bathroom heater fixed, she thought, making a grab for her dressing gown.
‘Hi,’ she said, somewhat grumpily, when she finally got to the phone.
‘Hi. Sorry, were you busy?’
‘I was in the bath.’
‘Sorry.’
Charlotte sighed. ‘Never mind.’
‘Listen — are you busy next week?’
‘No, not really.’ She struggled to think. ‘Why?’
‘I thought we could go to Queenstown.’
‘For a whole week?’
Rob laughed. ‘Yes, a whole week off. Come on, it’ll be fun. You ski, don’t you?’
‘Well, I’ve been a couple of times …’
‘You’ll love it!’ He sounded so excited she really didn’t have the heart to say no.
‘I’ll have to talk it over with Rex. Jen’s already off that week — I’m not sure I can get away too.’
‘See what you can do,’ Rob pleaded, ‘and get back to me. I’ll be on my cell phone.’
Charlotte put down the phone.
‘What was that all about?’ asked Rex, looking up from his newspaper.
‘Rob wants me to go skiing with him next week. But I don’t think I can, really — not with Jen away too …’
‘Course you can. Matt and I can manage without you for a week.’ He winked at his wife. ‘Worst comes to worst, Kath can handle a shovel.’
Charlotte grinned at the mental image. ‘I don’t want to leave you guys in the lurch.’
Rex shook his head at her. ‘Look around you — we’re not exactly run off our feet. Go on, you ring the poor boy back and tell him you’ll go.’
Charlotte looked at Kath.
‘Too right,’ Kath said. ‘Do you the world of good. It’s about time you took a holiday.’
‘Matt?’
‘Yeah, get off with you — we’ll be right.’ He grinned wickedly. ‘Extended dirty weekend, eh? Wish I had half your luck.’
‘Well, you know, you could take the week off instead …’
‘Go!’ The kitchen spoke in unison.
Charlotte laughed. ‘Okay, okay — I’ll ring him back, then.’
Rob picked Charlotte up early on Saturday morning. Jen was busy stowing her gear in the back of her ute. She’d been vague and snappy since she got up, and the atmosphere around the breakfast table had been strained.
‘Right,’ said Charlotte brightly. ‘See you in a week! Have a great time in Christchurch.’
‘Bye, Charlie. Take care of yourself.’
It sounded very final. ‘You are coming back,’ Charlotte heard herself ask, ‘aren’t you?’
‘Course I am.’ Jen smiled suddenly. ‘Hey, you guys have a wonderful time.’ She walked over and touched Charlotte’s shoulder awkwardly. ‘And don’t you break anything, okay?’
‘Everything all right?’ asked Rob, as Charlotte climbed into the old Land Cruiser.
‘Fine.’ Charlotte sighed. ‘Let’s go.’
They made the drive down to
‘Is Rob coming down tonight?’ Jen asked.
‘No.’ She and Rob managed to get together once or twice most weeks. She hated the fact that it couldn’t be more often. But they both had to put in pretty long hours, and with a two-hour drive between his office and hers, it was hard to accomplish. It had occurred to Charlotte that the amount of time she did manage to spend with Rob might have something to do with Jen’s change of attitude. It seemed out of character, though, for someone as sensible as Jen to be jealous of a boyfriend.
She smiled at Jen. ‘It’ll just be us. Girls’ night in. We can have a good catch-up.’
Jen smiled back. ‘Just like old times, eh?’
But it was a funny sort of smile, Charlotte thought.
Charlotte had spent a back-breaking morning digging eight wethers out from a blind gully where they’d been trapped by a drift of snow. Her only plans for the afternoon were a hot bath, which she was now soaking in, and a good book, which was waiting in her room. So she was less than pleased when Jen banged on the bathroom door.
‘Phone for you — it’s Rob.’
Charlotte heaved herself out reluctantly, shivering in the cold. She must get the bathroom heater fixed, she thought, making a grab for her dressing gown.
‘Hi,’ she said, somewhat grumpily, when she finally got to the phone.
‘Hi. Sorry, were you busy?’
‘I was in the bath.’
‘Sorry.’
Charlotte sighed. ‘Never mind.’
‘Listen — are you busy next week?’
‘No, not really.’ She struggled to think. ‘Why?’
‘I thought we could go to Queenstown.’
‘For a whole week?’
Rob laughed. ‘Yes, a whole week off. Come on, it’ll be fun. You ski, don’t you?’
‘Well, I’ve been a couple of times …’
‘You’ll love it!’ He sounded so excited she really didn’t have the heart to say no.
‘I’ll have to talk it over with Rex. Jen’s already off that week — I’m not sure I can get away too.’
‘See what you can do,’ Rob pleaded, ‘and get back to me. I’ll be on my cell phone.’
Charlotte put down the phone.
‘What was that all about?’ asked Rex, looking up from his newspaper.
‘Rob wants me to go skiing with him next week. But I don’t think I can, really — not with Jen away too …’
‘Course you can. Matt and I can manage without you for a week.’ He winked at his wife. ‘Worst comes to worst, Kath can handle a shovel.’
Charlotte grinned at the mental image. ‘I don’t want to leave you guys in the lurch.’
Rex shook his head at her. ‘Look around you — we’re not exactly run off our feet. Go on, you ring the poor boy back and tell him you’ll go.’
Charlotte looked at Kath.
‘Too right,’ Kath said. ‘Do you the world of good. It’s about time you took a holiday.’
‘Matt?’
‘Yeah, get off with you — we’ll be right.’ He grinned wickedly. ‘Extended dirty weekend, eh? Wish I had half your luck.’
‘Well, you know, you could take the week off instead …’
‘Go!’ The kitchen spoke in unison.
Charlotte laughed. ‘Okay, okay — I’ll ring him back, then.’
Rob picked Charlotte up early on Saturday morning. Jen was busy stowing her gear in the back of her ute. She’d been vague and snappy since she got up, and the atmosphere around the breakfast table had been strained.
‘Right,’ said Charlotte brightly. ‘See you in a week! Have a great time in Christchurch.’
‘Bye, Charlie. Take care of yourself.’
It sounded very final. ‘You are coming back,’ Charlotte heard herself ask, ‘aren’t you?’
‘Course I am.’ Jen smiled suddenly. ‘Hey, you guys have a wonderful time.’ She walked over and touched Charlotte’s shoulder awkwardly. ‘And don’t you break anything, okay?’
‘Everything all right?’ asked Rob, as Charlotte climbed into the old Land Cruiser.
‘Fine.’ Charlotte sighed. ‘Let’s go.’
They made the drive down to
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