Chapter 39: Chapter 39: A job offer

It didn't take long for Jennie's brothers to surround David and begin to horse around, frightening her with their splashing and exuberance. Gentling her, David brought her back to Noel, jollying and tickling her until she giggled whereupon he kissed her and charged back into the water to toss the boys around. They loved it, even Liam, the eldest.

Neil joined Noel and Peter. 'Why don't you go and join in?' Noel asked them both.

They wanted to, she could see, but they were her brothers and stayed.

The cousins mauled him all the way back up the beach and over the road where Leigh caught them at it and told them to lay off and let Michael have a drink in peace. At some point in the free-flowing conversation Noel let her head drop back against the chair and closed her eyes, only half listening as Caroline educated David about the family and the reason why Noel's surname was not the same as her brothers.