Paula walked into the end of the Watson’s shearing shed. It was built on a slope so the end where she was organising the food was at ground level. The strong smell of sheep wafted around her but to her relief, her stomach didn’t object. She was already uneasy with anxiety about providing food for shearers. There were three of them bent over on the boards removing the wool from the sheep tucked against them.

Yesterday afternoon, Heather had shown her where to serve the lunch. It was a space in the short end of a dogleg attached to the shearing shed. Heather had left food for morning and afternoon tea. Paula’s job was to provide lunch and do the cleaning up.

The basket and box she carried contained a batch of Dara’s pasties, some of Rowena’s sausage rolls, an assortment of sandwiches and a carrot cake, also from Rowena’s freezer. Paula had baked a chocolate cake but it had been a flop. Dan might eat it but she wasn’t brave enough to serve it up to anyone else.

She grinned to herself as she recalled the cake, which had risen with such promise, only to sink into a soft mess in the middle once she’d removed it from the oven. Not what would have been described elsewhere as ‘tight’.

“Do you need a hand?” Tom’s voice in her ear made her jump. The noise of the shears and the sheep had masked his approach.

“Thanks,” Paula said. “There’s one more box in the boot of the car.”

Dan was inspecting a fleece at the sorting table. He looked up, gave her a smile then held up his hand showing five fingers. She put down her load and glanced at her watch, five minutes until they would knock off for lunch.

The cups and plates they’d used for morning tea were stacked at one end of an old laminex table. She picked them up and put them in the box Heather had provided. Later she would take everything down to the house and wash up.

“Where would you like this?” Tom said.

There was a cloth over an old cupboard where the urn and tea and coffee things were set out. Paula indicated the space alongside. She began to unpack the food, passing it to Tom.

“I haven’t seen you at lunch for a few days,” she said.

“I’ve had to pop in to town a couple of times.” Tom looked down then up again quickly. “Dan asked me to,” he blurted. “There were some jobs to do.”

“That’s okay.” Paula was puzzled by his response.

“Louise is away anyway.”

Paula was even more perplexed. “I suppose you’re missing her.”

“Yes, we message each other.”

Paula thought Tom’s eyes almost glazed over.

“But not while I’m working,” he added quickly.