Summer Skin

by Kirsty Eagar

‘Huh,’ Jess said. After a while, she asked, ‘Do you think you’ll miss it? Knights?’

  Mitch shook his head. ‘I don’t miss places. Just people.’ They stared at each other for a moment. Jess touched his face.

  ‘So what do you want to do tonight?’ she asked, lying down again.

  ‘I’ll be reading, if you can’t just be quiet for five minutes.’

  ‘So rude,’ Jess murmured. She buried her face in his cotton T-shirt, breathing in the smell of him. ‘You know what? You are my favourite season.’

  ‘And you are noisy,’ Mitch said, turning a page.

  Jess dropped her arm over the side of the bed, patting around until she found Shakespeare. She opened it, and intoned, ‘My boyfriend hath got summer skin.’ Mitch grunted. ‘He did not want to let me in.’ Jess thought for a moment. ‘But he was cracked. And I was …’

  ‘Whacked,’ Mitch suggested, unkindly.

  Jess let Shakespeare fall and turned towards him. ‘So I put on my boots, and kicked his fucking heart open.’

  At that, Mitch finally relented, tossing his book to the floor and turning to face her in one smooth motion. Then he kissed her. Tenderly.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Catherine Drayton, thank you for your support, advice, input and integrity. Likewise, Anna McFarlane—I am privileged to call you my publisher. Thanks to Jen Dougherty for sharp insights and a process that was lean, clean and smart. I am so grateful to the team at Allen & Unwin, especially Theresa Bray, Clare Keighery, Kylie Mason, Susan Lee, and, of course, Debra Billson, for The. Best. Cover. Ever.

  Thanks to the Creaghe, Eagar, Nott, Cash and Lewis families, especially Doer, for leading by example, and Rohan and Joanna for well-timed advice. Thanks to my girl, Kelly Hawken, always ready to dance, and to her husband, Chris Hawken (Lau), for his rugby expertise—any mistakes are mine! Thanks to Trish Doller for feedback. Thanks to Cath Crowley, Belinda Jeffrey, Rebecca James, Gab Williams, Rebecca Lim and Vikki Wakefield for acts of personal generosity that went above and beyond. Thanks to my surfing friends; Fran Young, you inspire. Thanks to Karla Rothpletz-Tatt, who posts and promotes. Thanks to J.C. Burke, Patrick May, Bec Payne, David Partridge, Kellie Nash and Champagne Deb—in the end, words couldn’t do you justice!

  This book is dedicated to you, Jeanette. Thank you for sharing so much love and joy with me, and for raising the man I married in the way you did. In that, you have given me, and my daughters, the world.

  Most of all, thanks and love to Jason and Charlee Bean and Harper Jay.