“Sure, Bruce. I’m on my way.” He lowered the phone. “I’m sorry, Paula. I have to go.”

“I know.”

He took the esky she held out to him. “We’ll talk when I get back. No more interruptions, okay.”

“Okay.”

He kissed her cheek and she pushed another container into his other hand. She saw him wince.

“Shouldn’t you be wearing that splint?”

“Do you know where it is?”

“In the bathroom.”

* * *

Paula trailed along after him, torn between the knowledge that he must go and fight the fire and her need to finally get some answers from him.

Dan loaded the food into his truck and kissed her again. It was too hot for long hugs.

She stepped back as he started the engine, then he wound down the window.

“Can you give Tom a call and make sure he’s been checking the sheep?”

She nodded and waved as he drove away. Now that he was gone, the emotion drained from her body, leaving her limp with legs of jelly. Spud sat beside her and licked her hand. Tarzan whined from the house yard.

“Damn it,” she said. “Dan didn’t get the dog food out of the boot.”

She massaged her lower back with her fingers. The pain was constantly there. Not bad, just an ache that wouldn’t ease up. The baby books said it was from the way her baby was positioned but she would ask Lachlan about it on Friday. Tomorrow night was the birthing class. She hoped Dan would be back in time but the way things looked, she might have to go alone.

“Come on, Spud. It’s too hot out here.” She gave the dog a pat and he scampered in front of her to the car shed.

The wind had come up again and was gusting in short bursts, flicking up dust and rattling anything loose. Paula jumped as the old wooden door of the car shed slammed against the pipe that held it in place. She never closed the doors. They’d been jammed open for that long, she hadn’t even been sure they still swung on their rusty old hinges.

She opened the boot, gripped the large bag of dog food and lifted it with a groan. Spud scampered at her feet and as she stepped back she trod on his paw. His high-pitched yelp gave her a start and she stumbled. The weight of the bag pushed her backward and she went down with a thump on her behind.

Paula gasped as a pain jolted up her spine. She clutched her stomach, terrified that she had hurt the baby. Slowly, she tested each of her limbs. Nothing hurt apart from her back and that pain was fading. She felt some gentle pressure as the baby stretched inside her.

Spud watched her from a safe distance.

“It’s okay, boy. Come here.”