I just wish I could remember his first name.

  The New Year’s celebration in Lakeshore was one for the ages.

  We had our dinner and get-together at the Pine Lake Inn as was our tradition, and Rosie outdid herself with the menu. Stuffed squab, creamed young potatoes, barbecued lamb, carb and prawn congee, lamingtons, and yes… jelly slices. The tables were a thing of beauty, all decked out with fancy cloths sprinkled with multicolored confetti. Like I’ve said, Rosie’s a genius in the kitchen.

  Just like every year, it was me and Rosie who served, and the staff sat down with the guests to enjoy. Our way of saying thanks to them for everything they do for us. Their Christmas bonuses don’t hurt, I’m sure, but the eleven people we employ here like this bit the best, I think. Certainly, our handyman George was right into it. Not sure how many glasses of champagne he had, but I know I cut him off when he stood up and started singing Bold Jack Donohoe.

  We kicked everyone out around ten o’clock anyways, except the two staff who were on duty tonight, and the guests of course. Most of them left anyway, searching for the fun of a Tassie New Year’s.

  Which is exactly where me and Rosie were going.

  The Thirsty Roo was packed to the rafters but when Alfonse Calico saw me and Rosie arm in arm, he came rushing through the crowd to shoehorn us in. “Outta the way, the lot of you,” I heard him shouting. “Don’t ya see this is Dell Powers coming through my doors?”

  He’s a tall man, and gorgeous in a way that some men can carry so well. His dark skin shone with beads of sweat but he didn’t care. His shirt front was open to show off that waxed and sculpted chest, and his gold chains swung freely as he twirled first me, and then Rosie, bumping us into every man and woman standing near. We all laughed, and that encouraged him to do it some more.

  “I know I’m breaking about a dozen fire codes,” Alfonse laughed, “but since the head of the fire department’s right over there drinking my beer I think I’m safe!”

  He grabbed me, hand in hand, and began trying to perform a waltz that became more of a swaying back and forth after more than one patron got bumped into and lost their drinks down their shirts. Alfonse promised them a free refill and that always smoothed everything over. I saw a couple dump their drinks on purpose and head off for the promised freebie.

  “I have to go,” Alfonse roars in my ear over the crowd. “I have to sing! I must sing, and I must perform for my fans!”

  Away he went, threading through the standing crowds and the tables and the harried servers trying to keep up with the orders for ale and stronger stuff. I could see he’d been at the stronger stuff himself, and maybe his husband too. They caught each other in the middle of the floor and planted a kiss on each other that would’ve been a bit more appropriate behind closed doors.

  “Go on with ya!” someone shouted at them both. “Get a room!”

  The whole place erupted into laughter and then cups were being banged on tabletops and voices were shouting for a song, a song, a song!

  There was no space to clear for Alfonse, and so he stood up on the serving bar, planted his feet, and began singing a song off his new album, a cappella.

  If his producers had been smart, I thought, they would’ve put that version on his album. I could tell by a few raised mobile phone cameras that it would be all over YouTube in no time, anyway. When it was over, Alfonse bowed and bowed to the cheers, and promised another come the stroke of twelve, and then went back to kissing his husband.

  I thought of Mark Anderson… no, sorry. Craig Anderson. The one who murdered his brother and took his name for a while trying to hide from his crime. I remembered how much he was looking forward to hearing Alfonse sing. Such a waste. On both ends of the equation, I suppose, because one brother was dead and the other was already well on his way to spending a life in prison. Over what? Money?

  Well. It is a root of all evil, or so I’m told.

  I shook my head, and drank from my schooner, and set aside all the sad thoughts of the previous year. They didn’t matter anymore. In just fifteen minutes the clock would strike midnight. Time to start over, and do it better.

  “Mom!” I heard a voice calling. Now, I imagine every mother in the place turned at that because it was hard to tell who was who in all this ruckus, but when I turned around, there was my son coming through the crowd, with someone else at his elbow.

  “Look who I found wandering the streets,” Kevin tells me. “Know this bloke, do ya?”

  “Yes,” I say through a smile wide as the whole Outback. “Yes, I do.”

  It was James. He’d made it back to me for New Year’s. Here he stood, pressed tight up against me amid the crush of the entire town of Lakeshore, his liquid blue eyes looking into mine.

  “Miss me?” he asks.

  Putting my lips to his ear, I answer. “What a stupid question.”

  Kevin is saying something about going off to find Carly and her boyfriend, and then getting back to Ellie at his house for their own celebration. I think I mumbled something back to him, but I can’t be sure. I’m lost in the arms of the man I love.

  All around us, people begin to count backwards as the TV shows the time left until midnight.

  “Five!”

  James kisses my forehead.

  “Four!”

  Then my cheek.

  “Three!”

  Then the tip of my ear, where he knows I’m ticklish.

  “Two!”

  For a second of time that seems to stretch into infinity, his eyes hold mine, and we’re lost in each other’s love.

  “One! Happy New Year!”

  Horns blare out on the street. I can hear the pop, pop, pop of the fireworks display going off behind the mayor’s house. I can feel everyone slipping past me to go watch.

  James kisses my lips, and I’m fine right here, right where I am.

  Happy New Year.

  * * *

  Continue reading?

  Book 8!

  More Info

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  Jelly Slice

  (My mother always made this treat at Christmas for the family.)

  * * *

  Ingredients

  1 packet of Marie biscuits

  6oz of butter

  1 tin of Condensed Milk

  Juice of 2 lemons

  2 teaspoons of gelatin

  1 packet of Port Wine Jelly Crystals (or your favorite flavor)

  Method

  Crush packet of biscuits in a plastic bag with a rolling pin until they are fine crumbs. Mix in melted butter and then press into a cake tray. Refrigerate.

  Dissolve Gelatin in 1/2 cup of warm water and add milk. Beat until thick. Add lemon juice while beating.

  Pour on top of biscuit base and refrigerate.

  Mix jelly with 1/2 cup of warm water then add 1 cup of cold water. Pour on top of base mixture and refrigerate until jelly is set.

  Glossary of Australian Slang

  A few clicks - a few kilometres(miles).

  A goner - person or thing that is dead, lost, or past recovery or rescue.

  Aces - good.

  Around the bend – not in one’s right mind.

  Back of beyond - a remote place.

  Back of Bourke - an isolated place; middle of nowhere.

  Bloke - man.

  Bludger - an idle or lazy person.

  Blue - incident/drama. Argument.

  Bonkers - crazy.

  Bonza - most excellent, cool, great etc.

  Brekkie - breakfast.

  Bugger - used as a term of abuse, especially for a man or used to express annoyance or anger.

  Bugger off - go away, leave a person alone.

  Bunyip - the bunyip, or kianpraty, is a large mythical creature from Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes.

  Can of cordial – can of soft drink. (This usage of 'cordial' for a soft drink is universal in Tasmania.)

  Chips – french fries or flavored chips in packets (snack).

  Chuck a wobbly - To overreact to something.

  Deadset - true, the truth.

  Delish - delicious.

  Devil's Marbles - a famous natural rock formation in Australia.

  Dipstick - a loser, idiot.

  Dodgy – dishonest or unreliable. Potentially dangerous. Of low quality.

  Donkey Track - very rough, unpaved road.

  Doovalacky - General term for an unknown item. A common Australian colloquialism. Used whenever you can't remember what something is called.

  Down in the dumps - sad, unhappy.

  Drongo - idiot.

  Drop bear - a dropbear or drop bear is a fictitious Australian marsupial.

  Extension Warrant - when the police have held someone for four hours without a charge already, and need to apply to a judge to hold the person for eight hours with good cause.

  Fair dinkum - true, genuine.

  Favs - favourites.

  Fella - man.

  Flat out like a lizard drinking - very busy.

  Fossick - search, rummage.

  Git - an unpleasant person.

  Give it a burl - Give something a go. To have a try at something.

  Give them the flick - To break up with somebody.

  Give you a ring - Call on the telephone.

  Good oil - useful information, a good idea, the truth.

  Got crook - was ill.

  Grouse - a medium to large game bird, colloquially also means "great".

  Had a gutful - fed up, had enough.

  Had a squizz/take a squizz – to take a look at something.

  Have tickets on oneself - to have a high opinion of oneself.

  In a Jiff - in a minute, very soon.

  Jiff - a brief moment.

  Keen - very interested/interesting.

  Mad as a cut snake - Furious.

  Milk bar - is a suburban local general store or café. Similar terms include tuck shops, delicatessens or "delis", and corner shops or corner stores

  Mobile phone - cell phone.

  Nipper - child.

  Noggin - head.

  Old biddy - old woman.

  Pav - Pavlova - a dessert consisting of a meringue base or shell filled with whipped cream and fruit.

  Constable - is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police.

  Pull the wool over someone's eyes - to deceive someone.

  Ratbag - trouble maker or someone causing havoc.

  Real Crank - a crazy person.

  Right as rain - satisfactory, comfortable, well.

  Roos - kangaroos.

  Sammies - sandwiches.

  Senior Sergeant - ranking officer in the Australian police force.

  She’ll be right - It will all be okay.

  Sheila - a woman.

  Shonky - dishonest, unreliable, or illegal, especially in a devious way.

  Snit – a fit of irritation. A sulk.

  Spiffy - great, excellent.

  Spit the Dummy - a sudden display of anger or frustration; to lose one's temper.

  Stellar - outstanding.

  Strewth or S'truth - exclamation, mild oath.

  Strike a light - an exclamation of surprise or frustration.

  Takeaway food - Take-out or takeout; carry-out; take-away, parcel, refers to prepared meals or other food items that the purchaser intends to eat elsewhere.

  The Sarge - nickname for Sergeant.

  To string along - to keep someone waiting or in a state of uncertainty.

  Too right - definitely.

  Two-pot screamer - a person who shows the effects of alcohol after drinking comparatively little.

  yewy - U-turn.

  Vaca - pronounced vay-kay - vacation, holiday.

  About the Author

  Kathrine Emrick writing as K.J. Emrick is the author of the popular Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery series and the Pine Lake Inn Cozy Mystery series.

  Strongly influenced by authors like James Patterson, Dick Francis, and Nora Roberts, Kathrine Emrick dreamed of being an author for the majority of her life.

  She never quite gave up on the idea of being a published author and at the age of 51, thanks to the self-publishing explosion, she finally realized her dream. Her maturity allows her to bring a variety of experiences and observations to her writing.

  She lives in beautiful South Australia with her family, including several animals. Kathrine can always be found jotting down daily notes in a journal and like many authors, she loves to be surrounded by books and is a voracious reader. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at the local library.

  Her goal is to regularly produce entertaining and noteworthy content and engaging in a community of readers and writers.

  To find out more please visit the Kathrine's website at kathrineemrick.com

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  K.J. Emrick, The Fall That Kills You

 

 

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