“In hindsight I know how stupid it was but…” Ted turned his solemn eyes to his wife. “I didn’t have insurance for the hay. I’m so sorry, love. I haven’t paid any of the crop insurances this year. I thought we could save some money.” He put his head in his hands.

Heather sat where she was. Paula could see the shocked look on Dan’s face and once again the only sound was the hum of the fridge.

“Mate…” Dan’s words dwindled as Heather pushed up from her chair and went to her husband. Carefully she wrapped her arms around him. “We’ll manage, love,” she said.

Paula looked from them to Dan’s unreadable countenance. She wasn’t sure that Heather’s brave words would be right.

Chapter 24

CHAPTER

24

“I’m sorry you had to be a part of that,” Dan said as he drove them away from the Watson’s. “You’ve had enough for one day, what with your visit to the doctor and now Ted’s drama.”

“I’m okay.” Paula ran a hand over her tummy as it growled for food. “There’s nothing like someone else’s troubles to make you forget your own.”

“Mmmm.” Dan’s murmur of agreement had a strange note, almost a question.

They both stared ahead in silence for a while.

“I didn’t say anything back there but Ted’s agreed to see a counsellor,” Dan said.

“You’ve been a good friend to him.”

“He’s done plenty for me over the years. He was a big help when Dad died. I’m only happy to return the favour but he needs more than a friend right now. He needs professional help to sort out the mess he’s in.”

Paula thought about all the things that had happened to Dan and Ted. Life was full of uncertainties but farming seemed to have an extra unpredictable quota.

“Why wouldn’t he insure his crops?” she asked.

“You heard him. He was cutting corners, taking risks. That’s what people do when their back’s against the wall.”

Something in his voice bothered her. She looked across at him but couldn’t make out his expression with only the glow of the dashboard to light his face.

“We’ve got insurance, haven’t we?”

“Of course. You do the books. You would have seen the payments.”

“Heather does their books. Why didn’t she notice?”

“I don’t know how they do their forward planning. Perhaps she overlooked it.”

Paula cast her mind over the myriad of names and figures in their financial records. They had a list of all the known and predicted accounts. If there was something missing would she realise? She knew little about farming. The only way she would miss something would be if it no longer appeared on the list. But Heather was used to bookkeeping and farming. Maybe Ted hadn’t paid insurance for years.