Shadows were lengthening by the time Nick and Del arrived back at the Berrimilla Hall. Their monumental reconnection had left them both smiling. It seemed to Del that they’d shed the burden of these last few months, and could go lightly into their future with a fresh vision. The cloudless December day was melding into a perfect mountain evening; it was warm but not too warm, with the hint of a breeze.
A familiar car pulled up beside them. ‘It’s Kim and Taj,’ Del told Nick excitedly. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet them.’
Kim’s husband, Taj, was a tall man with penetrating, coffee-coloured eyes and a dark complexion. He had a swathe of jet hair falling over his forehead and a scar running down one cheek. He looked a little wild.
‘Taj came to Australia as an Afghan refugee,’ said Del. ‘Now
