Ava remembered Jock’s response to Zac holding her hand yesterday. ‘Which people?’ Her brother needed to get out more and stop carrying the worries of the world on his shoulders. ‘Who’s our visitor?’ They both sat down next to Mim, who held a pot of tea for refills.

Hana glanced towards the hallway and lowered her voice. ‘Lorenzo DeFortelli’s coming over for morning tea to see your mother.’

‘Is that the Italian who bought Dreamtime?’ Ava didn’t understand. ‘The one Mum sutured the other day?’ Hana raised her brows suggestively and Mim nodded gleefully. ‘Why is he coming?’

‘Hana asked him.’ Mim looked archly satisfied, while Ava wondered how her sister-in-law and grandmother had managed to arrange this ‘surprise’ for her mother.

‘Does Mum know?’

Hana’s eyes sparkled. ‘He arrived last night at the same time as the RFDS to check we were okay, but wouldn’t come in. He’s a lovely man who seemed relieved it wasn’t Stella they’d come for. We told Stella he asked to visit today and that we’d offered morning tea.’

‘Did he really ask to come?’ Ava’s scepticism didn’t come out as subtle as she meant it to. As if Mim or Hana cared.

‘Sort of.’

‘Shhhhh. She’s coming.’ Mim jumped up, hurried over to the sink and picked up a tea towel. Hana stood and reached for the broom. Ava raised her brows and sipped her tea. They were mad. There were no dishes to dry and she was pretty sure her mum would have already swept. She watched Mim grab a clean cup out of the cupboard and polish it furiously.

When Stella walked in, Ava realised her mother had actually put on mascara and perhaps a bit of blusher. Curiouser and curiouser. Maybe Mim and Hana had it right?

Stella said, ‘Where’s Zac?’

Trying to keep a straight face, Ava gestured vaguely towards the hills. ‘He went with Jock to check the bores.’

Her mother frowned. ‘Mim and Jock did that two days ago.’

Ava could see Granny Mim gesturing behind her mother’s back for her to carry on, and her control stretched. She racked her brain as she tried to remain composed. ‘Zac seems interested in the running of the station.’

‘Oh. Okay.’ Stella tilted her head at her, staring her down. ‘I like him, Ava. Despite the fact that you’ve known him less than a week and already slept with him.’

That wiped the smile off her face. Hana’s broom stilled. Ava threw her hands up in the air. ‘Is nothing sacred around here?’

Stella’s ‘No’ made Ava wave her away. Grrr.

‘Tea,’ said Mim. ‘The first cup of tea of the day is sacred. Nobody says a cross word until after that.’

Ava and Stella both looked at her. Ava growled, ‘Right. We had that at six this morning.’