“Don’t think I’ve had a pork schnitzel before.” She watched as Laura took a piece of the meat she’d been hammering, dredged it in flour then slipped it into a bowl of beaten egg. “Mum usually buys chicken or beef ready made from the butcher. Looks like a process.”

“Not that bad.” Laura dropped the viscous meat onto a plate and smothered it with a breadcrumb mix. “Spritzi’s mum makes the pork ones from scratch, just like her Oma made them, and they’re delicious. The butcher in town had pork loin steaks on special so I thought I’d give them a go.”

“Do you need help?” Bree preferred to keep out of the way of food prep but as the only other person present she felt obliged to offer, like she did with her mum, but Natalie rarely accepted help.

“I’m fine with the food. I’ve made a potato salad to go with it and a green salad. Maybe you could set the table.” She blew a wisp of wayward red and yellow hair from her face, rubbed her shoulder against the tip of her nose and grinned. “You can help when it comes to cleaning up.”

Bree shook her head and went to the fridge in search of a beer. “Where are Dad and Kate?”

“Kate’s up in her room, I think. She had a shower a while ago, and Dad hasn’t come in yet. He’s doing something with Jack.” Laura raised her neatly textured eyebrows. “Who is staying for dinner again, by the way.”

Bree ignored the question in her sister’s look. She had no more idea why her dad was so chummy with Jack than Laura did. She couldn’t put it all down to his parents still being in Adelaide. Jack had been over to their place on several occasions prior to his mother’s diagnosis. Not for meals or cups of coffee but paddock work and sheep inspections. Bree waved a beer at her sister. “You want one?”

“No thanks. I’m going to make a Floradora in a minute.”

“Do you wear it, eat it or drink it?”

“Drink it. Gin, lime, raspberry and ginger ale. It’s divine. I’ll make you one.”

Bree screwed up her nose and popped the top off her beer. “I think I’ll stick to what I know.”

Laura had finished her food prep and prepared her fancy drink when Kate arrived in the kitchen. Bree stared at her. “Make-up! I hope that’s not because Jack’s coming for dinner again.”

“I didn’t know Jack was coming for dinner.” Kate’s response was snappish. “What’s that?”

Laura had placed a tall glass on the table.

Kate leaned in to inspect the pretty pink drink, which sported a segment of lime on the rim. “Since when do we run to lime out here?”