Berry Flavours

by Fraser, Darry

  Clancy could see Berry doing his level best to steer clear of Mac Thomas altogether.

  She filled the bain-marie with plates apportioned with desserts earlier. Once done, she skittered around the tables gathering the used crockery and cutlery and headed for the sinks.

  Only a couple of hours to go. Then a couple of days to regroup before Berry’s restaurant opened again. She could manage; she knew it.

  The coffee was on. She stacked cups and saucers, filled milk jugs and sugar bowls then she headed for the tables.

  Only a couple of hours to go…

  She glanced at Mac’s table. All three were eating solemnly, and only Marlie glanced up once or twice to survey the restaurant. Some of the guests wandered across to their table to give season’s greetings, and all credit to Mac and Greg, they returned the same with some semblance of joviality.

  Food was disappearing fast. Mac’s wines and beers were disappearing fast. Clancy wondered if Berry would open his bar, but she doubted it. Mac should put money on the bar if he wanted people to stay. It was the least he could do.

  She tried to catch Berry’s eye, but he was busy sharing a joke with some customers.

  Some of the group headed for the dessert stand so she hovered nearby. Greg approached for his serve of dessert, the intense stare of his blue eyes fixed on Clancy.

  Only a couple of hours to go.

  *

  By five in the afternoon, only Mac, Marlie and Greg remained.

  Neither Clancy nor Berry made any attempt to talk to them until the chores were at least under control. But they needn’t have worried about making the first move.

  Mac lumbered up to the counter. “Lockett.”

  Berry didn’t look up from dunking the glasses over the brush. “Mac.”

  “I have to pay you.”

  Berry continued to work, head down. “Your food and booze, so it’s just Clancy’s wages; maybe four, five hundred. Five, I reckon.”

  “Right.” Mac withdrew a wad of cash from his pocket. “I got four hundred here. That’s all I got. On me.” He left it on the counter.

  Berry looked at him and nodded, left the money where it lay.

  Mac glanced back at the table and Marlie nodded encouragement. He looked at Berry again. “Thanks. You did save my arse doing lunch.”

  “Best thing for the district,” Berry said.

  “Makes no difference to next month.”

  “None at all.”

  Mac waited a beat or two. “Do I owe ya more than that?” He lifted his chin at the four hundred.

  Berry waited a beat or two. “No.”

  “Keep the leftover booze.”

  Berry lifted an eyebrow. There wasn’t any left over.

  “We’ll be going then.” Mac turned to Marlie and Greg. “Hurry up and get me out of here. If I can’t drive meself, I don’t wanna be stuck here beholden to this bloke.”

  Greg shot out of his chair and headed out the door, following his father.

  Marlie approached Berry. “You saved him today, Berry. I’m grateful.”

  “I saved those people their Christmas lunch, that’s all. You should have told him, though.”

  “He would have shot himself in the foot if I had.”

  “Marlie, some people just have to keep doing that until they get it all by themselves. This was not a favour for Mac, it was to keep the faith with local people.”

  She shifted her weight. “I hoped there would’ve been some...worthwhile discussion.”

  Berry stared at her. “Between Mac and me? About?”

  “The court case. To settle out of court.”

  “Hope you’re telling him that.”

  “He’ll lose everything otherwise.”

  “He just has to agree to the proper boundary and then I’ll settle out of court. It’s that simple.”

  “It’s not that simple for him and you know it.”

  “It is that simple, Marlie, for all of us.” Berry noted the stubborn set to her mouth and changed the subject. “And Heidi, how’s she going? How’s the baby? Still in hospital?” Marlie, the doting grandmother, he thought.

  “They’ll let her come home tomorrow.” She turned to go.

  Clancy came up to them with a smile. “What did she name her baby, Marlie?”

  Marlie looked right through her and left without a word.

  “Merry Christmas,” Clancy said to her back. She swung back to Berry. “Is it just me?”

  “No. She sides with Mac over everything, including the boundary business. And she’s a strange one, anyway.” Berry grabbed a couple more empties off the table. “He just has to agree to the legal boundary, move his fence-line a few metres back – over about three kilometres, I’ll grant you – and move the shearing shed back about twenty metres. That’s all. I’m not asking for his right arm. I’ve paid rates on that land for years.” He took what he could carry in his arms over to the bar and dumped the bottles into the recycling.

  Clancy followed him as far as the kitchen then ducked into the dish-wash area. “And that way great-grandma’s grave will be back on your side of the fence and not under the shed. I get it,” she said over the noise of the machine.

  Berry had come into the kitchen. He stood looking at her. “Pardon?”

  She looked up from the sink. “Isn’t Esther buried under the shed?” Strangely, Clancy felt all of a sudden the noise around them had stilled. “What did I say?”

  The only focus at that moment was Berry’s intense green-eyed stare. “Who told you that?”

  “Greg said it’s what you think, and so you want great-grandma back on your side of the boundary.”

  “Greg said Esther is buried under their shed?”

  Clancy frowned a moment trying to recall exactly what Greg had said. “No, he said... um, ‘he’s going for our throats because he reckons she’s under the shearing shed’. Meaning you reckon Esther’s under the shearing shed.”

  “I never knew where the hell she was buried,” he said. “And what bunch of maniacs would build a shearing shed over their grandmother’s grave?” He shook his head. “That is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard him come up with.” He looked around the restaurant for a diversion. “Place looks like a bomb’s hit it.”

  “Won’t take us long.”

  Berry scratched his head. “Thing is, the titles office can’t find the original documents which show the land I’m trying to retrieve is really mine, or was my Dad’s. And Mac doesn’t know that.” He disappeared into the restaurant and returned with stack of dishes. “Dad must have had the title papers at some point and never returned them. I don’t know. I can’t imagine how documents like that can disappear from the titles office.”

  Clancy followed him back into the restaurant, clearing dishes, returning to the kitchen and loading up the benches, scraping plates and loading and unloading the dishwashers. “Then how will court in January—”

  “Exactly. I’ve been hoping Mac would pull back and settle out of court, but it doesn’t seem like he will unless I can prove it without a doubt.” Berry dumped another stack in the kitchen, leaned on the bench. “Neither of us can afford to do this, and Mac even less than me. But he’s one stubborn bastard.”

  “Can’t give it one more go with Mac?”

  “You’ve seen the man. Proverbial brick wall.”

  “He might be a bit mellow after today.”

  Berry shrugged. “Marlie sort of suggested he might be ready to settle.”

  Clancy didn’t want to venture any further into territory she knew nothing about. But if Esther wasn’t buried under the shed – or rather, that the shed hadn’t been deliberately built on top of her – it was simply an issue of boundary. Still, big enough issue, she conceded and remained quiet.

  Berry looked at her. “You know what? It doesn’t have to be broached today. It’ll still be an issue tomorrow, so I’ll sleep on it and think again with a clearer head. Let’s at least get all this tidied up and then we can relax.”

 
Even sweating in the kitchen over a steaming dishwasher, with plates stacked to her eyeballs, Clancy felt the little thrill leap in her belly.

  Then she wondered whether or not to tell Berry the content of the conversation she’d had with her father.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I want to have a shower first, a long hot soak to shift the lamb and beef fat out of my pores.”

  Early evening had come and gone and night was descending. They were both perched on bar stools, the last of the dirty dishes done, food scraps and empty bottles removed, glasses and cutlery done and polished. The rest of it could be handled another day.

  Rommy was eating a Christmas dog dinner, a big one, at the back door.

  Berry agreed. “Okay. And then after that I want to have a plate of that terrine. You did save some, didn’t you?”

  “Can’t remember if we used it or not. It certainly was a hit.” Clancy was swinging her legs trying to relax them.

  Berry slid off his seat and headed for the coolroom. “All good,” he said emerging with a small tray and bringing it back. “I’ll take this up to the house.” He looked at her. “You will come up for a drink?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Let’s get out of here.” He took her hand in his other and led her out of the restaurant into the dark night. “When you’re ready, text me and I’ll come get you.” He and Rommy left her at the bedsit.

  She kicked off her shoes, fell flat on her back on the bed and stayed there for fifteen minutes. The aches wouldn’t subside until she’d had a hot shower, but she needed a little wind-down before then.

  And to think what to wear – out of the little choice she had – to have drinks with Berry later.

  Christmas night was not as warm this year as she had known other Christmas nights, so she’d get away with clean jeans, a top and a jacket.

  Her phone chirped. A text from her dad. Thought about it?

  She hadn’t really. She didn’t want to think about it. He had asked her last night to return to Jones and Jones. The new bride had discovered the restaurant game was not for her and she’d be happier waiting for her husband at home and not waiting on tables or being dish-bitch out the back.

  Clancy didn’t reply. She would, but not yet.

  She ran a long shower, scrubbed the cooking smells away, shampooed something fragrant into her hair – had Berry said vanilla? It wasn’t vanilla, maybe green tea.

  Dried off, she found clean undies, a lacy bra she’d forgotten she’d packed for that special occasion, a not-too-crumpled long sleeved tee, and clean jeans.

  Her heart did a little thud every so often as she thought of the night ahead. She would love to be with Berry, would love to see how far they could take it and make it work. She was even hoping against all the things she knew about relationships – how grown-ups often weren’t very grown-up, or how some were too set in their ways to make for a happy co-existence.

  In any case, she was hoping it would work with Berry, and the thought of being with him tonight warmed her from head to toe.

  She checked herself in the mirror. She needed earrings. Dangly ones. Where had she tucked her little jewelry box? The cupboard, top shelf.

  Standing on tiptoe trying to locate it with her hand was a waste of time. She dragged over a chair, stepped up, moved the recipe books aside and found the box.

  She also spied that old manila folder again. Her heart thudded only a beat before her head registered what she might have been looking at.

  Her phone chirped. Prob’ly Dad again. She stepped off the chair with her jewelry box and the folder and checked her phone.

  It was Berry.

  Yr taking too long. On my way don’t want to surprise you.

  She swiped the dust from the cover of the folder. Focused on the masculine cursive handwriting on it and flipped it open to reveal a couple of very old and large folded pages.

  Oh, but would she have a surprise for Berry.

  Rommy barked all the way down from the house.

  *

  They sat hunched over the low coffee table in Berry’s lounge, gazing at the original titles of the five blocks of land Berry’s father Tony had inherited from his father Dan.

  Dan Lockett, Berry’s grandfather, had expanded on the holdings Berry’s grandmother Joyce had brought to the marriage back in the thirties. Joyce was Esther’s daughter and Phillipe had split his land to allow his eldest daughter a dowry of sorts of five blocks. That was the block on which Berry’s house and restaurant now stood, and the other four made up his vineyards and marron ponds.

  Mac was Phillipe’s grandson from his second wife but he hadn’t done as well as Joyce and Dan. And that was where the boundaries had become a little fuzzy over time. Without the original titles, or Berry’s antecedents to correct things, hearsay couldn’t be proven true.

  Not that anyone was blaming Mac totally, but it was his assertion he’d laid fences on the correct boundaries. And now Berry could prove him wrong, without a doubt.

  “I have moved that cupboard a dozen times. I never thought to check the top of it.”

  Clancy refilled their glasses. “So this means?”

  “I take it to Mac, tomorrow.” He sipped his red wine. “On second thoughts, I’ll copy these as best I can here and take the copies to Mac tomorrow. It means he will know I have proof of the boundaries. He’ll have to come to the party or risk the lot.” Berry sat back on the lounge. “What a great day. It could give Christmas a whole new meaning.” His phone buzzed and vibed on the table. “Oh no.”

  Clancy laughed.

  He opened it. “A pic coming through.” Then he hooted and handed it to Clancy.

  There was Heidi smiling broadly, holding a dark-haired baby with a scrunched up face.

  Merry Christmas Uncle Berry from Harry Beresford McAdam.

  “Bit of a mouthful,” Berry mused when she handed his phone back.

  Clancy could see he was touched silly. She pressed his arm then sidled in alongside him. “I’m glad I could be here to see it. The baby pic and the old titles.”

  He lifted his arm around her. “Can’t say I’ve had this much luck all decade and now I’ve got all this in one night.” He took a last look at the picture then put the phone down. Berry sat forward to look at her. “What will we do now?”

  She snuggled a bit closer. “We could eat some terrine.”

  He hesitated only a moment. “We could.” Then got up and went to the kitchen.

  Rommy bobbed up from his dead-to-the-world sleep.

  Berry came back with the tray and two spoons. “After you,” he said handing her a spoon, but he didn’t wait. As he sat down, he tucked in. “This has got to be the best I’ve tasted. Ever.” He had his eyes closed savouring the mouthful of subtle citrus and creamy full-flavoured yoghurt.

  Clancy thought the time was right. She held his hand from delivering its next mouthful, knelt up beside him and kissed his nose, his eyes, his cheeks, then she let his hand go.

  Spoons clattered to the table.

  Berry swooped his arms under her and laid her on the settee, pushing her legs around his hips. He kissed her hard, flattened himself full bodied over her and let her feel what he wanted.

  He shimmied the T-shirt up, cupped a breast in each hand. “Nice bra,” he breathed and lowered his head to nuzzle each with a raspy chin. He reached under her and unclasped the hooks. “Nice boobs,” he said to her bare chest and his mouth descended.

  Her legs tightened around him. Her breath stopped for moments and at the exquisite pull on her nipple her back arched, her belly fluttered. She pulled at his shirt, dragging it over his head until the warmth of his broad chest touched her skin.

  His face didn’t leave her breasts but his hands removed her tee, pulled off the bra, pushed her legs back under him, went straight to her zip and slid it down. He moved lower and pushed her pants to her feet, kicked them off and... let his face rest over her bellybutton.

  After a moment, she asked, “What’s the
matter?”

  “It’s about now the phone rings,” he said into her hip.

  “No,” she cried, then laughed, her hands in his hair.

  He nipped her hip and came up alongside her. He sat and stripped off his jeans, leaving a tight pair of black jocks over a ready bulge. He sat her up and over him, hooked his fingers in her knickers as her hands rested on his shoulders. “Reckon I could stand up under you?”

  “No.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Besides, I like it here on the settee.” Her hands were still in his hair but her mouth had found his and the long slow kiss she delivered didn’t give either of them much more time. They slid to the floor. “Or on the floor.”

  The coffee table shifted and the dog gave a tiny yelp.

  Berry pushed her knickers down and out of his way. His warm hand travelled up her leg and his fingers toyed with the silky softness he found. She gasped, gripped his shoulders, moved her bare hips under his and her hand eased him out of his undies.

  She shifted her hips again, her legs around him and then the powerful slide entered her body, took her breath away.

  “You okay?” he rasped.

  “Wonderful,” she breathed and urged him harder, tightening her legs, drawing him deeper inside.

  He wasn’t going to last, and that was okay with her... she wasn’t going to be far behind—

  A grip of hands, a groan, a shudder—

  One last uncontrollable beat and her body gripped his, sure to take every last drop of him... he buried his face in her breasts and as his mouth tugged one nipple she cried out and gave herself up.

  Berry waited as she quietened beneath him then sank on her. “And so this is Christmas...”

  Clancy reveled in the warmth over her body, the scratchy hair of his chest on her breasts, the corded muscles in his arms. He tucked his legs under hers.

  She closed her eyes... only for a few moments, the delicious temptation to drift off completely was hard to resist.

  “I’ll manage to last a whole lot longer next time.” Berry shifted alongside her, draped the throw over them both and wrapped his arms around her.