Chapter 4

Saturday morning dawned still and grey, but the clouds were already breaking by the time Roy poured his second coffee. The house was unusually quiet. Even Celia had made herself scarce, off to some flower show or other, and Anne had the good sense to reclaim her own weekend. He welcomed the silence, though it brought with it the burden of his thoughts.

It was hard to believe that only a week ago, life had been a tidy grid of site meetings, budget forecasts, and quiet solo dinners with takeaway leftovers. He had no thoughts of finding a wife, then unexpectedly found himself thrust into a maelstrom, mostly of it the making of his mother and secretary, he thought a bit sourly.

Suddenly, he was involved with questionnaires, interviews, the cameras — and now, five women, each very different, each with reasons to intrigue him.

He leaned against the kitchen counter, phone in hand, staring blankly at the timber grain in the benchtop. There was no going back now. The door had opened, and however he felt about the chaos, the only way forward was through.

He tapped Naomi Tai’s number and hit “Call.”

She picked up on the second ring. “Roy! Hi.”

“Hey, Naomi. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all. Just finishing breakfast, actually.”

He paused, trying to frame his thoughts. “It’s been quite a week,” he said finally. “And to be honest, I’m feeling a bit ... rung out. Thought I might try to unwind a little this afternoon. I know it’s short notice, but how would you feel about a spin around Lake Rua.”

“Whew, you do catch a girl a bit off-guard. But yeah, I’m a starter.”

“Great,” Roy replied. “I’ll pick you up about two. And bring your swim suit, because the spray can kick up on the lake.”

After ringing off, Roy decided to phone Brodie. With her love of animals, he thought a visit to a local zoo might be a good venue for them to relax and just enjoy each other’s company. Brodie was taken aback to hear his voice. Despite having been named among the “chosen”, at heart she did not think that Roy would follow through. She is a bit non-plussed, not knowing quite what to say.

“I enjoyed meeting you this week,” Roy started, “and I’d like to extend that. I know you love animals, so I wondered whether you would like to come with me on Sunday afternoon to Willowbank Wildlife Park. It’s years since I’ve been there, and I’d be keen to visit the Kiwi house again. Also, I remember you saying you love otters, and they have an otter family there. After wandering through, we could finish with a sort of high tea in the café. How does that appeal?”

Brodie could scarcely contain herself. “Nothing could be more perfect,” she quickly agreed.

“By the way, don’t dress up,” Roy suggested. “let’s enjoy a really casual outing. Besides, that way I might get to see the real you.”

Saturday Afternoon: Lake Rua

The clouds had long since scattered by the time Roy’s ute pulled up beside the launching ramp at Lake Rua, the sun glinting cheerfully off the water. Naomi, in cropped jeans and a light windbreaker, shaded her eyes with one hand.

“So where’s the boat?” she asked, looking around the carpark. The lake was dotted with paddle boarders and the odd kayaker, but no sign of anything resembling a launch.

Roy gave a sheepish grin as he dropped the tailgate and began to unstrap the cover from the trailer. “Well ... I may not have been entirely clear. We’re not going in a boat.”

Naomi stepped closer—and stopped dead. “Is that a jet ski?”

“Sure is,” Roy said, tugging the cover free. “She’s a beauty. 150 horsepower of pure fun.”

Naomi’s face froze. “You want me to get on that?”

Roy turned, catching the sudden tension in her voice. “It’s not as wild as it looks. You’ll be safe. I promise.”

“I thought you meant a boat. Like ... with sides. And seats. And a motor I don’t have to straddle.”

He paused, suddenly realising the depth of her discomfort. “You’ve never been on one before?”

“I’ve never even been near one before,” she said, trying to keep her voice level. “I don’t like motorbikes. I don’t like the idea of being thrown off something going that fast. I thought this would be, I don’t know—more of a cruise.”