Hana’s relief couldn’t be mistaken as her husband walked away. ‘I’m glad you’re going with Jock. I’m in no state to go bouncing around in the Polaris looking for him.’

‘He’s lucky he has you.’ They turned towards the house and started to follow more slowly. ‘How’s your pregnancy going this week? I know you said the baby is good, but are you keeping well?’

‘I feel great. And Jock makes a fuss of me.’

Ava smiled. ‘He should.’

Hana shrugged. ‘And I think your mother is getting just a little bit clucky.’

They both laughed. ‘She’s got a lot on her plate with the tourism stuff.’ Not to mention the bombshell she’d dropped on Ava today. ‘She’s glad of your help. One day Jock will take over the station, and Mum and Mim will go to Alice to live. You’ll miss us all then.’

‘I wish Jock had your conviction. This drought has really knocked his confidence, and I think that responsibility at this moment could be the last straw. I’m worried about him.’

Reggie rushed up to Ava and she reached down for a pat of his soft neck as he sat against her legs, a warm quivering weight. ‘Me too.’ Then she said to the dog, ‘You’re a sook, Reg.’ Then lowering her voice she said, ‘This visit I’m thinking Mim is looking frail, too. What do you think?’

Hana nodded. ‘She works very hard and she’s worried about Jock as well. So is your mum. Mim won’t slow down on the station, even though Jock says he can do half the stuff she does. He tries to lighten her load, but she’s stubborn. And her hip hurts.’

They started walking again. ‘I know. I’ll have a talk to her. Maybe suggest Jock needs to feel like he’s pulling more weight. I’ll see what I can do.’

‘Thanks, Ava.’

‘Thank you. We’re so lucky Jock found you. Just take care of yourself and the next generation of Mays. Don’t work too hard.’ Hana was as bad as Mim on that front.

‘I’ll try.’

They pushed through the screen into the kitchen and her mum was there holding up the teapot as a question.

‘Yes, please.’ Ava sat herself next to Zac and smiled back at him. ‘So, you’ve been closeted with my grandmother and now my mother on your own. Still surviving?’

‘I’m enjoying myself,’ he said, and for some reason her mother laughed.

Chapter Thirty-two

Zac