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T he three stood and Jack led the way into the restaurant. He waved to the ma?tre d’h?tel and then asked where they could sit.

“Hi, Jack. Got a lot of bookings, but there’s a table over alongside the big window that’s free.”

“Thanks, Jane.”

The three moved to the table and sat.

“Don’t your staff get nervous when you two are in?”

“Doubt it. We run a pretty friendly ship. And, anyway, we eat here a lot or grab something from the snack bar in the night club, too lazy to make anything upstairs,” Sebastian said as he handed Lucy a menu.

Jack gave a laugh, more of a cackle actually, and whispered to Lucy, “Besides, Sebastian is a lousy cook and I refuse to do it all.”

Sebastian looked sharply at Jack.

Lucy tried to interpret the look he gave him but failed. Instead, she whispered to him, “Don’t worry, Sebastian. You can’t be as bad as me. I can’t cook to save myself. I live on stir-fries, made with those pre-made sauces in a jar, or toasted sandwiches.”

“Ah, that makes me feel better, Lucy. We’ll just ignore Jack.”

Lucy thought that would be hard to do but wisely said nothing. Instead, she opened her menu and scanned the dishes.

“What do you like to eat, Lucy?”

“Actually, I eat anything except tofu. I love food. That’s kind of obvious with my figure.”

The two men looked at her intently, and her face suffused with color under their scrutiny.

Sebastian glanced at Jack and breathed out heavily through his broad nose. “Oh yeah, look at her figure!”

“Don’t worry, I’m looking—and I’m so liking!”

“Mm, me too.” Sebastian winked at her. “So can I order for you?”

“Sure, thanks.” Lucy closed her menu and looked at the two men.

Sebastian sat at her right and Jack on the left. She thought she could get very used to having these two paying her attention.

A waiter came to the table, giving them a friendly greeting and joking with the two men. “How did you two get a beautiful woman to eat with you?” He looked at Lucy. “Did they bribe you or something?”

“Something.”

“Thought so. So, what’s everyone eating?”

Sebastian spoke up. He ordered smoked salmon and avocado as starters for them all. For Jack and Lucy, he ordered lamb loinspiced with za’atar, baba ganoush, yoghurt and sesame dressing, then crispy skin snapper with spicy leeks, and braised bok choy with barbequed polenta for himself.

A little surprised that Jack hadn’t ordered for himself, Lucy concluded they probably knew every like and dislike of each other if they’d been partners for over ten years.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair and turned his head to look at Lucy. “So how long have you been temping, Lucy?”

“Not long. About a year and a half this time around.”

“What sort of work did you do before that?”

Lucy hesitated, then decided it was probably easier to just explain her life. “I was looking after my mother. She had cancer, and I was her full-time carer for six years.”

Jack took one hand and s Sebastian covered the other. “I’m so sorry, Lucy.”

“That’s okay. It’s better for her that she’s gone and out of pain.”

“Are you a local or have you only recently come up the mountains?”

“No, I’m a local. I live in Little Hartley.”

“Little Hartley, some lovely old houses there.” Jack looked interested. “How long did it take to get down here?”

“Usually takes about twenty, twenty-five minutes. I had to allow for the morning peak traffic, but it was still only about thirty.”

The waiter arrived with their starters and silence reigned for a while.

“Your food is delicious.”

“Thank Jack for that. He convinced me to source only local and only Australian produce. We get our fruit and vegetables from a few places around here. Our wagyu beef is grown right here in the Blue Mountains, and our other meat is local, too. Our fish is from sustainable Aussie farms.”

“Well, as I said, it’s delicious.”

“Thanks.”

Sebastian finished and waited until the other two had stopped eating before turning to Lucy again. “You said your daughter was thirty-three and you’ve been divorced thirty-one years. So obviously your marriage didn’t work much at all.”

“No. In all honesty we were both too young. Then with Allison to care for it was just too much. We both figured it out almost from the start. Stayed together for fourteen months but then decided to call it quits. Divorced ten months later. Allison still keeps in touch with her father. He’s living overseas now and remarried. I only saw him at Allison’s wedding.”

“Good that your daughter still sees her father.”

“Yes, I’m happy about that. What about you two?”

The two men exchanged glances. Sebastian answered for them both. “Neither of us is married, and we’re not involved with any other woman.”

Lucy looked from one to the other. It seemed a funny way to answer.

There was something they weren’t saying.

She felt a sudden chill. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me everything?

Look, it may be wrong to say this when I don’t know either of you, but I think it’s important.

I’m not interested in getting involved even casually with anyone who’s in a relationship.

I just don’t believe in that sort of thing. ”

Jack sighed and looked at Sebastian as if asking for help.

He shrugged his shoulders but answered Lucy. “Can I put it this way? There is no reason why either of us can’t get involved with you. Can we leave it at that for the moment? Then, with your permission, we could have coffee upstairs and explain things.”

Lucy’s frown deepened. She hadn’t dated for so long, and now two men had dropped into her lap.

If she wanted to have a chance to take this any further with either of them, then she had to know exactly what she could be getting herself into.

She glanced down at her hands now in her lap then at both men in turn.

“I know there is something more to this. I admit I like you both. It would be nice to learn more about you, but I’m also wary, and, well, a bit confused. There’s no way I could ever get involved with anyone who was committed to someone else for any reason.”

When Lucy had admitted to liking them, both men grinned in delight.

Sebastian spoke quietly. “We understand completely. You wouldn’t be normal if you weren’t wary, but honestly, Lucy, it’s nothing bad. It would just be much better to explain it all without an audience listening nearby.”

What Sebastian said made sense. A restaurant wasn’t the place to have a private conversation, especially considering these two were the owners. It certainly wouldn’t be right for the staff to hear about their personal lives.

“Okay. I’ll accept the offer of coffee upstairs on the condition you tell me the truth. You tell me exactly what’s going on. I need to know upfront whatever it is you’re not saying before I decide whether I want to go any further.”

“Fair enough, Lucy, and thank you.”

The arrival of their main courses saved Lucy from replying.

There was no denying she was a bit rattled, wondering what Sebastian needed to discuss.

But then she took one mouthful of the lamb and closed her eyes.

It was heavenly. Lucy thought the meals she’d had at lunchtime were delicious, but if it were possible this was even better.

“If you ever get rid of Brad, I want him!”

They both laughed so loudly the people at the next table turned to see what was so funny.

“Don’t you dare poach the best chef in Katoomba! Hell, I think he’s the best in Australia.”

As Lucy finished her meal, she noticed her hands shook just a little.

The upcoming conversation had her thinking of all the things the men might tell her.

On and on suggestions presented themselves in her mind.

Maybe one’s ill ? No, they both look in the peak of health .

Maybe it wasn’t anything bad. Perhaps they were only here for a while and leaving to go somewhere else.

Or could be either of them just wanted a casual fling.

Too many imagined reasons raced around her brain.

Jack tapped her arm. “Don’t look so worried, Lucy.”

“I’m sorry.” She tried acting bubbly, but it just didn’t work. Their plates were cleared away, and Sebastian asked her if she’d like dessert. In normal circumstances, she’d love it, but at the moment she doubted she could. She shook her head.

Sebastian stood and held out his hand.

Lucy breathed in then exhaled, maybe a little loudly, and accepted his hand.

The three left the restaurant, thanking the staff as they did. The men led Lucy toward the stairs near the coffee shop. At the top of the stairs, on the right-hand side, Sebastian unlocked and opened the large green door. He stepped aside to let Lucy in.

“Oh, my handbag, I’ve left it in the office. And an empty mug.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get ’em.” Jack touched her hand and went off down the hall toward it.

Lucy tried steadying her nerves with another deep breath and entered a large vestibule.

Oh heck, am I stupid allowing myself to be alone with these two?

After all, they were strangers. Shaking still, she allowed Sebastian to take her hand and lead her down a hall with a few doors leading off on the left.

They entered a large, airy living area. The windows all along one wall overlooked the courtyard, and there was a long soft-looking couch running the length.

A few large comfy-looking sofas were scattered around the room, as well as two coffee-tables.

“The windows on this side and the others overlooking the streets are all double glazed and one-way so we don’t get much noise at all. Please, take a seat.”

Lucy hesitantly perched on the nearest couch.

Sebastian stood looking down into the courtyard then turned to her, smiling.

“Jack’s best at making coffee. Ah, here you are, Jack!

” Jack walked in, put Lucy’s bag on the low table near her, then strode into the modern-looking kitchen carrying the empty coffee mug. He looked at her, smiling, “Latte?”

“Thank you.”

They could see, and hear, him in the kitchen as he bustled about.

Lucy had a weird desire to flee, her mind still filled with crazy scenarios.

About ten minutes later, he handed Lucy a latte and a short black to Sebastian before collecting his own. The two men then settled on one of the couches in front of Lucy, but she wasn’t sure what she should do.

Should she drink her coffee?

Maybe just lounge on the chair?

How on earth could she relax when she was so nervous?

With a shaking hand, she put her cup on the table, trying to look calm and cool despite the fact she’d almost spilt her coffee.

Sebastian laughed. “Lucy, you look like you’re expecting the worst news and trying to put on a brave front.”

“I think that’s what it feels like,” she answered truthfully.

At least they were going to be honest from the start. It would be awful to get involved with one of them only to have him drop a bombshell. She could get her heart badly broken if she wasn’t careful.

“Okay then.” He stood up. “Jack and I aren’t involved with any other woman. We’re involved with each other.”