The Sun in Her Eyes by Paige Toon

turn to my friends. ‘Does he do that sort of thing often?’
    ‘Occasionally,’ Tina replies with a smirk.
    He returns with a bottle of red and a few glasses. I wait for him to sniff at his own wine before daring to try mine.
    ‘Ooh, that’s really nice,’ I say. ‘Is it one of yours?’ I reach behind me to pick up the bottle from the bar top.
    ‘Nah. They don’t stock Lockwood House here,’ he says as I study the label.
    ‘Why not?’ I put the bottle back.
    ‘We’re too expensive,’ he says. ‘But I want to expand and do a white at a lower price point. We’re actually buying some land up in Eden Valley.’
    ‘I had no idea you were so involved. You weren’t interested in the business at all when we were younger.’
    ‘No,’ he admits. ‘That all changed a few years ago, so I went to uni and did a course in oenology and viticulture.’
    ‘What’s that?’
    He’s amused by my vacant look. ‘Wine making and grape growing.’
    ‘Oh.’ Couldn’t he have said that? ‘What did that involve?’
    ‘Learning about plant genomics, crop improvement, sustainable agriculture, dry-land farming and a few other bits and pieces.’
    ‘You sound like you’re speaking in another language,’ I say wryly.
    He grins. ‘I could talk for hours about this subject, but I’d bore you to tears.’
    I like his passion, but I’m surprised. He was never particularly studious when we were at school. Has he changed that much? It doesn’t seem like he’s changed at all.
    ‘We should have kept in touch more,’ he says with a meaningful look.
    ‘Mmm.’ Butterflies swarm into my tummy, bloody things. I shift on my bar stool.
    ‘How long are you staying?’ he asks. ‘You should come and see Mum and Dad while you’re here.’
    ‘I would love to,’ I reply warmly. ‘I’ll be here for at least five more weeks.’
    ‘God, they’d love to see you,’ he says, eyeing me speculatively. ‘Maybe you could come to one of Mum’s dinner parties.’
    ‘Does that invitation extend to all of us?’ Josh interjects. ‘He’s been saying that for years,’ he points out sardonically.
    ‘Bullshit,
years
,’ Ethan replies, rolling his eyes. ‘Been a bit distracted lately, mate,’ he says convivially, but with an edge. He pats him on his shoulder.
‘But of course you can all come. I’ll talk to Mum about dates.’
    ‘Oh, here’s Julian!’ Nell cries, her face lighting up. I look over my shoulder to see a stocky bloke in a checked shirt and jeans approaching. He’s a bit red-faced and
sweaty – he must’ve rushed to get here.
    ‘Hi,’ Nell says cheerfully, sliding off her stool to give him a kiss. She goes around the group, introducing us, and after that I make an effort to be sociable.
    Soon, a few more of Tina and Josh’s friends turn up so I don’t find myself talking to Ethan again properly until we decide to move on to another bar. He throws his arm around my
shoulders as we walk, in that casual, comfortable way that he used to have with me when we were teenagers.
    ‘Where are you staying while you’re here?’ he asks.
    ‘With Liz.’ My voice lacks enthusiasm, but my heart is palpitating.
    ‘How is the old goat?’ he asks jovially.
    ‘She’s alright,’ I say. ‘Still a bit annoying.’
    ‘At least she’s been there for your dad, though, eh?’
    ‘Yes. True.’
    The thought comes to mind that if Liz left Dad now we’d be buggered. How could I go home if he had no one else here for him? Maybe I should be more generous towards her. It can’t be
easy for her.
    Ethan lets me go to open the door of the next bar and we all file inside.
    ‘What are you having?’ he asks me.
    ‘Hadn’t I better let you choose?’ I reply, deadpan.
    ‘She’s a fast learner,’ Josh jokes. ‘Can you get me and Teens a couple of beers?’
    We take a few more orders and then I go with Ethan to the bar and wait while he interrogates the girl serving, eventually making a decision.
    ‘So what do you do at the