He groaned. “Do we have to? Women have been having babies since the dawn of time without a single lesson in doing what comes naturally.”

“It might be natural but I want to be as prepared as I can be. Besides, we said we’d drop the key off and have a cuppa before we left. By the time you’ve talked farming, the morning will be well underway.”

“We’ve got to be home by lunchtime. Tom is going away for a few days and there are lambs to…ouch.”

Paula dropped her hand back from pinching him on the arm. “We’re only calling in at the hospital to meet the doctor – not booking in. We have to get to know the person who’s going to deliver this baby since Lachlan can’t do it. Besides, you’re not the only one with work to do. I’ve got the tax statement to work on when we get back. We’ll be home by lunchtime. Let’s enjoy this last evening without worrying about the farm.”

Dan opened his mouth to say something and Paula frowned at him.

“Let’s go for that walk.” He put out his hands to help her to her feet.

They linked arms and picked their way through the low shrubby sandhills to the secluded little beach. It was a beautiful evening. The air was still warm after the heat of the day and seagulls wheeled overhead or paddled in groups on the edge of the water.

“It really is superb here,” Paula said. “We’ll have to come back again soon.”

“Not sure when. Tom’s away for a couple of weeks, we’ve still got hay to cart and lambs to tail.”

Paula looked up at her husband. It was hard to see his face in the gathering dark but she knew it well enough to imagine the lines on his forehead and the focused look he would have as he thought about work.

She was coming to understand there was still a part of Dan that never totally relaxed. He was similar to Ted in the way he covered his concerns with short and sometimes gruff responses, although thankfully Dan was a much nicer person than Ted. Even though their neighbour had been through a terrible time, with his often curt manner and rude remarks she still found it hard to like him.