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meal order.’
    â€˜No, no, we’ll order everything right now,’ the grey-haired lady said and fell to examining the menu. ‘Jake, you decide on the drinks whilst I make up my mind on the food. You know my taste in wine.’
    â€˜I see you have a suggested glass of a different Ambrosia wine with each course,’ Jake said as he examined the menu. ‘You know, Angelina…’ he rested the menu on the edge of the table and glanced up at her ‘…I’ve never seen any Ambrosia wines in bottle shops, or on Sydney restaurant wine lists. Why is that?’
    â€˜Oh. We—er—export most of our wine. Here in Australia, we’ve only been selling bottles at the cellar door. Up till now, that is. Ambrosia Wines does have a booth at next weekend’s food and wine expo at Darling Harbour, so hopefully we will be in some Sydney restaurants soon.’
    â€˜I see.’ Jake dropped his eyes and picked up the menu again. ‘These suggested glasses should suit you, Dorothy. You like to try different wines. But I won’t indulge myself. Not when I’m driving. So just mineral water for me, thanks, Angelina.’
    â€˜Flat or sparkling?’ Angelina asked crisply, having extracted her order book and Biro from her skirt pocket.
    â€˜Sparkling, I think,’ he replied. ‘To match my mood.’ And he threw her a dazzling smile that sixteen years ago would have rattled her brains and sent her heartbeat into overdrive.
    Angelina’s heart was still going pretty fast behind her ribs, but her brain hadn’t gone to total mush. She flashed him back what she considered was a brilliantly cool smile, the sort of smile she could never have produced at fifteen.
    â€˜Sparkling mineral water,’ Angelina murmured as she jotted it down. ‘Now, what about your meal order?’
    When she glanced up from her notebook again, she found Jake staring at her left hand—her ringless left hand. Her fingers tightened around the notebook.
    â€˜You’re not married,’ he said, his tone startled.
    â€˜No,’ she returned in what she hoped was a crisp, it’s-really-none-of-your-business tone. ‘I’m not.’
    â€˜I can’t believe it! I thought you’d have half a dozen kids by now.’
    â€˜And I thought you’d be in jail,’ she countered.
    Mrs Landsdale laughed. ‘That’s telling you, Jake. Now, stop badgering the girl and just tell her what you want to eat for now. Keep the third degree till later. But I must warn you, dear, he’s the very devil when he starts questioning people. Not only is he not in jail these days, but he’s also a lawyer. And a very good one, too.’
    Angelina wished her mouth hadn’t dropped open at this news. But Jake Winters…a lawyer ?
    â€˜Yes, I know,’ he remarked drily. ‘I don’t blame you for being surprised. Sometimes I’m a bit surprised myself. But Dorothy’s right. We’ll keep all this till later.’
    Angelina digested this astonishing revelation with mixed emotions. Was this good news or bad news? She supposed it was a lot better than the father of her son being in jail. But a lawyer? She couldn’t think. Too many shocks in too short a time. Best she just get on with what she was doing and think about it later.
    â€˜Have you made up your mind yet, Mrs Landsdale?’ she asked the grey-haired lady.
    â€˜Do call me Dorothy,’ the woman returned with a warm smile. ‘And yes, I’ll have the Atlantic salmon. No entrée. I’ll save some room for that coconut pudding you mentioned. I’m very partial to coconut.’
    â€˜Me, too,’ Angelina concurred. ‘And you, Jake? Made up your mind yet?’
    â€˜The same. I’m easy.’
    Angelina wanted to laugh. Easy? If there was one thing Jake Winters would never be, it was easy.

CHAPTER FOUR
    S HORTLY after three, Jake jumped into his pride and