“Thanks, Sweet Pea. If it hadn’t been for that idiot in the four-wheel drive I could probably have managed on my own.”

Paula looked from Dan to the mob of sheep now happily munching straw over the fence. Manage on his own, could he? She bit her tongue and smiled.

“I’ve more work to do over at Ted’s,” he said. “Will you be right to find your way home?”

“I think I’ll manage.” She pulled a wry smile but he was already turning away.

Paula ambled back along the road towards her car and once again a vision of the old brown dog on his nimble feet popped into her head.

“Thanks, Rocket,” she said.

Dan’s vehicle turned and drew in next to her. He leaned out the window. “I forgot to tell you. The shearers will be here next week.”

Paula gaped at him. “We had them already.” She remembered her baptism of fire with Max and his offsiders. They were very fussy about the food they ate and Rowena had been sick at the time. Paula had managed to provide morning and afternoon teas and cooked lunches and had passed Max’s exacting standards, but she didn’t want to do that again in a hurry.

“That was only some of the sheep. We’ll be using Ted’s shed but with Heather at work in town we’ll need help with the food. It’s a different group of shearers. Rowena’s done some cooking and put it in her freezer.”

“So Rowena knew we had shearers but not me?” She glared at him.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you. They don’t want a cooked lunch, just something we can eat in the shed. Do you think you can organise that?”

“Well, yes…I suppose.”

“Thanks.”

“It was lucky they couldn’t fit me in to do the ultrasound at twenty weeks.” She raised her eyebrows. “That would have been next week.”

Dan opened his mouth but she cut him off.

“You told me to make the appointment and you’d be there. You didn’t mention shearers.”

Dan’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

He looked exhausted. She wished she was close enough to hug him. “It’s all right, Dan. I’ll organise it.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you tonight.”

Paula watched him speed away and shook her head. How far removed she was from her ‘personal assistant to the manager’ job in Sydney. She looked across at the sheep milling in the paddock. Sheep dog and shearers’ cook, she was still personal assistant to the manager. She pictured Dan’s blue eyes, his face when he smiled, his strong arms when he held her, his solid chest and…she laughed out loud. This job came with much better fringe benefits.

* * *