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Serena groaned. “I forgave you for that long ago, Lucas, but forgiven does not mean forgotten.”

“Noted. I appreciate it.” Lucas tapped a finger against his forehead.

“Lucas and I were thinking we could all head to the beach this afternoon for a picnic?” Sam suggested, trying to change the subject. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Serena took Maribel’s hand, and they said their goodbyes, heading home to grab swimsuits and towels.

Josie and Lucas began discussing food ideas as Sam wrapped his arm around Hazel’s waist.

“This is nice, our friends all together,” he whispered in her ear.

Turning up to him, she smiled in agreement, and he placed his lips over hers. The kiss deepened, and Hazel had to pull away before things got too steamy.

“What was that for?” Sam asked her cheekily.

Hazel stood on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “That’s all you get, for now. Save some for later.”

The next few hours were spent at the stall with Sam by Hazel’s side, but they were so busy she didn’t realise it was nearly closing time when she finally had a break. She surveyed her remaining stock and was glad to see that she only had one necklace, three pairs of earrings and two bracelets left. The day’s takings were surprising, not nearly as much as her usual weekly pay cheque, but more than she had expected. She put the counted cash away in her small tin box and began to pack the remaining jewellery. Working with Sam to take the stall down, Josie and Lucas ducked over to the grocer to grab some food for the picnic.

Later, on the walk down to the beach, Lucas walked in step beside Hazel.

“I feel terrible about Serena. I was so mean to her.” Lucas sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

“She wasn’t overly nice to you either. It’s okay, Lucas, I’m sure she’s over it. Serena is a lovely person. Even if she is still a little mad, it won’t take long for her to start being nicer to you.”

“I hope so. So, what brings you back to town? When Sam mentioned your name, I didn’t actually think it was you. I do recall you declaring to never set foot here again that last summer.”

Hazel winced. “I was awful.” She laughed. “I got dumped, fired and found myself homeless in about forty-eight hours. What have you been up to?” Her voice was a higher tone than usual as she tried to change the subject.

“Oh wow, there’s a story there.” Lucas readjusted his glasses. “I actually write historical books. My last book was about the Great Emu War.”

Hazel choked a little. “The what?”

“The Great Emu War.” Lucas chuckled at Hazel’s confused facial expression. “It really happened. At the end of 1932, a war between emus and man broke out. The emus had been upsetting farms in Western Australia for quite a while. Troops were sent out, and instead of a quick victory, they found they had very much misjudged the emus. It was hard to hit them with gunfire, and even a machine gun that was mounted on a truck was far too slow for them. Fast runners, emus.”

“So, who won?” Hazel asked, still very confused.

“The emus.” Lucas grinned.

Hazel shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

They finally reached the sand and followed Sam and Josie to find the perfect spot.

“You’re living in Brisbane?” Hazel asked, her feet making squeaky noises as they trudged through the dry sand.

“Yeah. It’s been really great. There’s a lot of opportunity in the city. I never would have reached where I am now if I’d stayed with my parents in Warwick.”

Hazel nodded. Something tugged at her heart. Lucas was right. There was no way she would further her career here. She could feel the familiar little ball form in the pit of her stomach. It vibrated with a nervous energy that threatened to overtake her.

She placed the towel she had been carrying down on the sand and sat. She tried to think of literally anything else as she watched the waves crash onto the shore.

The afternoon sun beat down on the glittering water as they all gathered under a striped yellow beach umbrella. Towels had been laid down, topped with wooden boards that held a selection of snacks. Fruit, dips, cheeses and crackers made up one board, while cured meats, olives and nuts sat atop the other. A bottle of wine had been opened, and Hazel cradled a small glass in her hand. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t too terrible either.

Maribel sipped on a juice box, desperately waiting for someone to build a sandcastle with her. Josie eventually cracked, and the two trotted off towards the water with buckets and spades. They made numerous trips carrying ocean water up to their building site. Maribel was the lead contractor. Directing Josie around, they made a castle decorated with scavenged seashells. Everyone else eventually meandered down to the building site. They all worked together to form sand in the shape of a mermaid tail around Maribel’s legs. Once they had finished, she chortled with laughter as she lifted her legs high into the air, breaking her sandy mould. Running into the waves to clean herself off, she spent the next hour or so splashing in the water. As the afternoon wore on, Maribel made herself a small nest in the sand. She quickly fell asleep, wrapped in a mermaid towel.

Even as the sun set, the group made no effort to leave. Josie and Serena eventually shared a towel between them, the wind becoming nippy without the heat of the sun. Hazel leaned against Sam, who had placed his towel over her like a blanket. He was softly tracing shapes on her forearm, his light touch tingling her skin.

Serena had barely spoken a word to Lucas, let alone looked in his direction.