Zara stood up, intending to take something out of the freezer for tea, but instead she found herself in her bedroom, packing a small overnight bag, and then heading out to the car.

Zara knocked on Kim’s door; her car was running and she was ready to go.

‘Hello, sweetie,’ Kim said as soon as she opened the door, then her face fell. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked cautiously.

‘As far as I know,’ Zara answered, ‘but I thought I should go and stay out with Mum and Will tonight. Give Mum a break. I didn’t get out there today. So just thought I’d let you know that I mightn’t be home for a few days. I think I’ll try to work from the farm.’

‘No problems. We’ll keep an eye on the house for you.’

‘That’s kind, thanks. Not that it should need it. I’m only letting you know so you don’t get worried if you don’t see me coming and going.’

‘No problems, thanks for telling us. Drive carefully, won’t you? This awful dust …’ Her voice trailed off.

‘Will do. See you later.’

‘Zara?’ Kim called after her. ‘We’ll be thinking of you.’

She turned and nodded.

Thankfully the dust had begun to settle as she drove out to the farm. Most of the paddocks still had some type of feed covering them, but even in the short time she’d been back, she could see the dry feed powdering up and starting to break down. If she’d been the praying type, she would’ve been praying now, as she drove, for steady soaking rains. For things to be a little easier for the farmers this year than it was last year.

A movement off the side of the road caught her eye and she instinctively hit the brakes. Assessing that the white station wagon in the parking bay wasn’t actually going to pull out onto the road, she put her foot down and glanced in the rear-view mirror as she drove past.

Bloody tourists, she thought.

She flicked on the blinker to turn into the driveway of Rowberry Glen and saw the lights of the house gleaming welcomingly in the distance.

Chapter 13

Lynda was just pulling up in the ute as Zara turned the ignition off in her car.

‘Didn’t think you were coming out tonight,’ she said through the open window.

Zara got out and walked towards her mother, patting the three dogs running around in the back of the ute.

‘I wasn’t going to, but I had this feeling I should. What have you been up to?’

‘Actually, I’m glad you’re here. Could you please give me a hand? I’ve got three ewes bogged in the dam and I was just going to ring Mick to see if he’d be able to help me get them out.’

Zara was already walking around to the passenger’s side of the ute. ‘Mick Sands?’ she asked. ‘Dad’s friend? I was going to ask you about him.’ She slammed the door and watched as her mum put the ute into gear and took off towards the north end of Rowberry Glen.