Despite the mountain of work that I need to catch up on, I glance up almost every fifteen seconds to make sure she’s okay. At one point she murmurs something under her breath about choices and I wonder if that has anything to do with what triggered her. But she quietens when I tell her she’s okay, and she settles in for the rest of the flight.
Kylian meets us at the small airport we fly into after we refuel in Sydney. I hadn’t wanted to land the plane on the Baxter Winery property without knowing how Damien’s going to react. Kylian waves, his car parked on the runway like he’s some fifties movie star.
“Hey, bro!” he shouts, jumping up and down.
My heart swells at the sight of him. I still thank the stars every day that he’s okay. He still sends me pictures of his injuries as if to remind him that I’m “like just soooo lucky to still have his baby brother.”
That’s especially true considering if he weren’t here, then Damien would be the next baby brother, and that’s not going so well.
“Hi, Clarissa,” Kylian greets her, friendly but not overly so.
“Hi Kylian, you look well,” she replies, voice a little nervous.
“Not really.” He shrugs. “I’m just that good-looking.”
“Oh, my god,” I snort. “I see Kiara’s been taking good care of that ego. I’m going to have to have a chat with her. Kiara’s Kylian’s girlfriend,” I explain to Clarissa, although I’ve been talking about them all for weeks, in the hopes that come the day she has to meet them, she might feel like she knows them. “Fiancee,” Kylian corrects me.
“Shit, I keep forgetting. All my brothers have been tied down. Poor things,” I joke, but as soon as I say it, realization strikes. “Oops. I mean… being tied down is the best.”
“Ooooh, you’re in trouble now. Clarissa, we can drop him over the Barossa dam, what do you think?
I turn to Clarissa worried about how she’s reacting but she is actually laughing. The first laugh I’ve heard from her in over a week. I smile and slide my arms over her shoulders and she gives me a gentle smile.
“Sure, but how about this idea – we find a church with a really big spire and drop him over that instead?” Clarissa says, ganging up on me.
Kylian laughs, his warmth infectious. “Good idea. Guess that’s partly why this ugly fucker keeps you around.”
She pats the back of my back as I open the car door for her. “That plus he can’t drive for shit.” “Hey!” I exclaim.
In the car, I watch in the mirror as Clarissa looks out the window while we make our way to the Barossa. It’s a short drive from the airport, with interesting landscape as farmland turns into miles and miles and miles of vineyards.
It’s almost winter here, but it’s still relatively warm, the sky clear and the scent of earthiness in the air. I love it here and I’m so jealous of Damien getting to live a short plane ride away. I’m just going to have to find a place of my own.
“Does he know we’re here?” Clarissa asks after we’re almost halfway there.
“Um, he knows Matthias is coming,” Kylian answers, glancing at me. “We weren’t really sure what else to tell him.”
She nods. “It’s okay. I’m just going to stay in the room. I won’t come to any of the wedding activities. They won’t want me there. And I don’t blame them. I’m not here to cause any trouble, Kylian.”
“I know. Matthias wouldn’t bring you if you were. That much, I believe. We’ll work something out.”
I reach around the seat and touch her knee, giving it a little squeeze. She puts her hand on mine to let me know she’s okay.
When she’s not looking, I mouth “thank you” to my youngest brother, who can also be the most mature amongst us sometimes.
Kylian parks the car around the back entrance of the estate and ushers us into one of the rooms. “I’ll let you know about what’s going on, okay?” he mutters to me. “I’ll see you around, Clarissa,” he calls out and she gives him a grateful wave.
I feel like I’m being torn a thousand different ways. I want to go see my brothers and soon-to-be sisters-in-law, but I can’t just leave Clarissa here. That’s not fair. I dragged her here, I can’t just dump her to stay in a room the whole weekend.
She laughs and shakes her head. “Your face is like a billboard. You don’t play poker, do you?”
I run my hand over my face, hoping to wipe away some of the evidence of my thoughts. “No! And if Kiara asks you if you want to play, say no immediately. She will chew you up, spit you out and feed you to the possums.” I sit down on the bed next to her. “I’m okay here.”
She pulls out her laptop, and plugs it into the wall. “I came because you wouldn’t go if I didn’t. So I’m here. If I need something, I’ll text you; otherwise, pretend I’m not here. I’m going to be fine. Just go.”
I wrestle with myself for a moment and then remember that she’s right. Damien and My-Linh are my reason, and they deserve the best of me.
I stand up and smooth out my travel wrinkled pants. “I’m just going to have a look to see who is here, and I’ll be back okay? Don’t run off with some other man before I return”
She laughs, something about being away from the life that we have in New York has lifted a weight from her shoulders. “Just go, I’m sick of your face anyway. I forgot how good looking Kylian is.” She tilts her head, sizing me up with a look. “You think he and Kiara are going to last?”
Her squeals fill the room as I launch myself at her and wrestle her onto the bed, then give her a deep kiss. “I’m going to come back later and finish that thought.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
And when I leave the room, I’m whistling without even knowing it.