‘There’s a chair out there,’ she murmured so the others couldn’t hear, ‘on the verandah, for when you need time away from the family –’ she glanced across the room – ‘or Mim. It’s my favourite spot. You can watch the birds and the wildlife come down to drink and let the world go by.’ Then she smiled and directed him to a chair. ‘There’s no time for interesting views when lunch is on, though.’ She nudged him.

He looked down at her, her head near his shoulder, her compassionate eyes slightly concerned.

‘You’re looking a little peaky again,’ she told him.

‘Pale and interesting?’

She pointed to one of the kitchen chairs. ‘Pale,’ she said.

‘Come on, you two. Sit,’ Stella called as she began to ladle an aromatic orange soup into bowls on the table. Fresh, home-baked bread and a small bowl of butter sat in the middle.

Ava gave him another nudge, as if to say, See, and he pulled out a chair. Then, to draw attention away from him, she spoke to her mother as she sat beside him. ‘After the accident the dust storm closed Yulara. Did you have it here?’

Mim snorted. ‘Not like you had out at the rock.’

‘You were lucky it lifted,’ Ava’s mother said, then sent a piercing inspection Zac’s way. ‘I can see we’ll have to get some colour into your cheeks, Zac. Eat up.’

Chapter Twenty-five

Ava

Ava tried not to stare at the man at the table. Tried to stamp down the excitement of having him here. He’d been so earnest just then as he’d held her shoulders, as if he’d woken from a sleep. It could just be his brain catching up with the last twenty-four hours, or it could be a breakthrough with his memory. The thought bounced in her head like a bower bird hopping across the paddock.

He looked damn fine, despite the occasional bruise. Gorgeous, in fact. How was she to deal with this overwhelming pull she had for him, now, in front of her family? She was thrown by the way his damp hair curled over his ears. He must have washed his face and wet the edges of his hair, probably to stay awake. She had to physically restrain herself from asking him about it, though why on earth that tiny fact was incredibly interesting she didn’t want to consider.

She felt herself relax as he smiled at her. As if he was glad she was within arm’s length. She had the strangest feeling he wanted to reach out and touch her hand, which was a crazy idea at the lunch table of people he didn’t know.