Ava slipped out the door of the hotel and across the car park to her car, which she’d moved here yesterday in preparation for the trip today. But once inside, after winding down the windows to let out the heat, she sagged against the seat. Instead of starting the car, she phoned her sister-in-law. Hana would be back at her little house on Setabilly, which was just out of sight of the main homestead to give the newlyweds privacy. Ava wished she could transport herself there for an hour, because she desperately needed to talk to Hana about Zac, and Hana could keep a secret. A phone call was the next best thing.

‘Hey, Hana.’

‘Hey. Sneaky Ava.’ She could hear the laugh in Hana’s voice. ‘Are you still “sleeping over”?’

‘I was. I’m just about to drive down to the medical centre at Yulara township.’ Her voice wobbled unexpectedly.

‘You okay?’ Of course Hana would pick that up. Intuition was her strong point. ‘Feeling sad about leaving your new friend?’

‘Zac.’

‘Is Zac short for something?’

Ava laughed. ‘I don’t know.’

‘And that’s okay, too,’ Hana was quick to reassure her. ‘You have all the time in the world to find out because I knew immediately Jock was for me. Instant attraction.’

‘Attraction doesn’t cover it,’ Ava said. ‘We exploded.’

‘And lucky you. Things are pretty explosive my way, too.’

‘Give my love to my brother, then,’ Ava teased. ‘How was the ultrasound?’ The medical reports arrived on the ward for filing into the mothers’ charts but she had resisted the temptation to check the report herself, which was not easy considering she’d never had a niece or nephew before and it was all pretty exciting. She surprised even herself sometimes with her self-control.

‘Excellent, apparently. He or she is growing well. Due date of birth still on track.’

‘That’s wonderful. Is the baby moving well?’

‘Playing football.’

They both laughed and Ava could feel her tension ease. Yes, she’d needed to hear Hana’s voice. She’d always wanted a sister, and Hana had slipped unerringly into that warm and wonderful spot. ‘Awesome. I’m about to head off. It’ll be good to see Denise.’ Ava’s best friend, Denise, always offered a warm welcome.

‘She’ll be glad to hear you’ve broken the drought with Zac.’

‘That’s disgusting,’ Ava protested, ‘and too Australian for a Kiwi like you.’

Hana chuckled. ‘Give my love to Denise. I haven’t seen her since she started as Aboriginal liaison down there. Is she still out at the arts centre?’

‘Yep.’ Ava glanced at the dashboard clock. ‘I felt a bit down leaving here and just wanted to touch base with my fave sister-in-law. Thank you. I feel better now.’

‘Give it a chance. You be happy, Ava.’