Read Sweet as Honey (The Seven Sisters) for Free Online

finally gets
around to sorting you out.” He gestured at the groom-to-be.
    Honey blushed. Dex gave him the finger.
Everyone else started laughing, and Cam rolled his eyes and went behind the
counter to finish tidying up.
    “Are the rest of you going?” Honey asked
her sisters, trying to distract attention from her hot cheeks.
    “We are,” said the twins together. That
pleased Honey. Koru wouldn’t drink too much if the girls were with him.
    “We’re heading off,” Daisy said, nodding at
Reuben. Chase scowled, but they both ignored him. How long would it be before
he gave up? He was like a puppy dog trailing around, Honey thought. She knew
Daisy had feelings for him, maybe even loved him, although Daisy would never
confide that to her. But no way would her ambitious, materialistic sister
settle for anything less than a guy with his own house, car and lucrative
career. Although she still handled the business side of things at Matariki ,
her life was now in Auckland. Chase wasn’t even in the picture anymore, and the
sooner he came to terms with that, the better it would be for him.
    “Right.” Jude got off the table and
extended his hand to Belle to help her off. “Let’s get going.”
    They all stood and spilled outside into the
sunny courtyard. The bookshop had closed and the Italian restaurant in the
corner was getting ready to open for the evening. The smell of jasmine hung in
the air, the last remnant of summer.
    Honey hugged the twins, kissed the air by
Daisy’s cheek, then threw her arms around Koru, who squeezed her tightly and
held her for a brief moment, the only sign she’d had of any emotion beneath his
carefully cultivated nonchalant façade. Then they all walked away toward the
main road, heading for their cars.
    Honey cast a brief glance back over her
shoulder. Her father stood in the doorway to the café, a tea towel in his
hands, and he gave her a wave when he saw her look around. She waved back,
swallowing against the emotion that fluttered in her stomach. Above his head,
the sign glinted gold again in the sun, and she made herself take a steadying
breath. Yes, he was alone, but they’d made it through the day, and he was going
to be all right. He’d go home and Lily would make him dinner, and then when she
got in later that night, they’d sit on the deck and have a glass of wine
together, and talk a little about memories they had when they were all young.
And maybe she’d cry a little, but that was okay. Everything was going to be
fine.
    Dex squeezed her hand, and she looked up at
him. He winked at her before waving goodbye to the others and leading her up
the road toward the house he currently shared with Jude in Kerikeri. “I’ll get
changed and then we can head to the restaurant. You ready for something to
eat?”
    “Starving,” she agreed.
    “Everything all right?”
    She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.
“Everything’s fine.” And she meant it.
    ***
    Dex had suggested going to the cinema in
the hope that it might take Honey’s mind off the day, but he’d worried she
would find it difficult to forget her mother’s anniversary, and might even grow
upset at times. She didn’t seem particularly emotional, though, and appeared happy
enough through dinner, polishing off her rack of lamb and mashed potatoes,
followed in her case with chocolate torte and his with another latte. Then they
watched the movie, holding hands, and she didn’t object when he snatched the
occasional kiss.
    Afterward, he took her home. Unusually, the
large drive in front of the house held only Cam and Lily’s cars—clearly nobody
else had made it home yet. Dex parked and they got out, and without speaking
began their favourite walk down to where the river tumbled over the rocks, heading
for Rainbow Falls a few miles further downstream.
    The sun had set but the moon was nearly
full, marbling the rocks white, highlighting the ripples in the river with
silver.
    He turned her into his arms and kissed