‘Dr Peterson!’ A woman’s voice. ‘Amelie? Are you in there?’
‘Coming!’
An attractive, fair-haired woman with a cherubic, dark-haired toddler in her arms stands at the front door. ‘I’m Anna,’ she says. ‘Anna McLeod, Julia’s daughter. I doubt you’ll remember me, but I wanted to welcome you to Summerfield.’
Her face is rounder now, her body fuller, but she’s no less beautiful than she used to be.
‘You used to work Saturdays with Dr McLeod.’ I match her smile. ‘I stared at you, didn’t I?’
She thinks about that. ‘Maybe.’
‘I thought you looked like a Barbie doll. Your mother’s other receptionist was beautiful too.’
‘That was Khari Gupta,’ she says. ‘I went to her wedding last year.’
‘CJ is your son, right? He was looking for Cameron and said he should meet him at the nets.’
‘He left me and Cam messages too.’ She sets the little girl down on her feet. ‘This is Tara, CJ’s sister.’
‘He’s a lot taller.’
Anna laughs. ‘Yes, it’s a big age gap, and this little munchkin looks nothing like her brother.’
‘Hello, Tara.’ I crouch down low. ‘I love your sparkly shoes.’
The girl smiles shyly.
‘How old are you?’
‘She’s two and CJ is fourteen,’ Anna says.
‘I didn’t mean—’
She waves a hand. ‘CJ’s father took off before he was born, but as it turned out, he did me a favour. I was twenty-two and Cam was only eighteen, but he’s been a dad to CJ from the start.’
‘CJ was proud of Cameron’s all-round cricket skills.’
‘They announced the Australian test team for the next test this morning, which would have been why CJ was looking for Cam. Statistics and players? They’re both crazy about them. Adam, that’s Tara’s dad, is relieved he doesn’t have to evenpretendto like cricket.’
Should I ask Anna to come into the terrace? How can I when—
‘Milly, she’s the receptionist who sometimes works with Julia, was planning to be here to welcome you too, but she got held up.’ Anna smiles. ‘She and her partner Benedict are a little on the alternative side, but they’re great. You’ll like them.’
‘I won’t be here for long.’ Too blunt. Too direct. Too—
Anna touches my arm. ‘Summerfield has changed, Amelie. I hope you’re able to stay long enough to see that.’
When I had appointments at Julia’s surgery on Saturday mornings, Anna gave meNational Geographicmagazines. Had Julia briefed her? I guess she had, but Anna always smiled kindly as she placed them on my lap.
‘Was it so obvious I didn’t like it here?’
‘Your parents were committed to their causes and could stick up for themselves. You couldn’t.’
‘I tried to.’
‘You should never have had to.’ When Tara points to Keith Urban, Anna takes her hand. ‘Julia and I are curious though. Why did you come back?’
I refused to answer Cameron but …
