“You’re right, Sweet Pea, but there’s no exciting answer, so I thought I’d make one up. Sorry I’m not much of a storyteller. The truth is, this paddock is on the edge of the property and it runs back at an angle and makes a point at one end. It’s always been called the corner paddock ’cause it makes a pointy angle. We’ve only got one paddock actually named the corner paddock but I know of a few others in the district.”

She tipped her head back and looked up at his face, which was framed by hair jutting out at every angle from underneath his cap. He had clear blue eyes and she could see a hint of mischief lurking in his grin.

“I want to learn all I can about this place, Dan. Sometimes I feel like such a…” She searched to find the right word.

“City girl?”

She struggled to get out of his arms but he held her firmly.

“Dan, I’m serious.”

“So am I. Nothing wrong with city girls.”

He bent down quickly and kissed her. His lips were warm and soft and Paula relaxed in his arms. Then, just as swiftly, he straightened, brushed his lips over her hair and patted her nose gently with his finger.

“Don’t worry. We’ll make a country girl out of you yet. Now, come on woman, no more distractions, there’s work to be done. I’ve got to get this lot over to the Harvey place.” He paused to look at her. “So named because we bought it from the Harveys.”

“Very original.” Paula screwed up her nose and watched him check around the machine he’d come to shift.

“Will you be able to find your way home?” he asked.

“I’ll follow the piece of string I rolled out,” she said. “Maybe I can think up some better names while I’m driving.”

“Go for it.” He gave her a wave. “Don’t forget to shut the gate.”

* * *

Dan slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “Damn,” he muttered. It was beginning to wear him down, keeping this terrible secret from Paula. It wasn’t just the stuff about the will that troubled him. They’d promised each other after the ‘Katherine fiasco’, when he’d tried to keep from Paula the fact that his ex-girlfriend was co-owner of some neighbouring land, Harvey’s place, with him, that there’d be no more secrets. He felt doubly guilty for not telling Paula but it was just until he saw the lawyer. No point in all of them worrying. Even so, it was hard to maintain the charade when he really wanted to confide in her. Paula was full of enthusiasm for their future and he wanted to be too, but it was difficult when the possibility of losing it all was never far from his mind.