“Good luck with that,” Bree said.

“Do you think Dad surprising Mum is a good idea?” Laura asked.

“Should be,” Kate said. “I hope it works out.”

They’d discussed their parents’ odd behaviour in detail once their dad had left but they were no closer to working out what was going on. Like her sisters, Bree harboured a fear there was something wrong with their mum in spite of their dad’s reassurance she was simply taking a break. When he’d said he was going to join her they became more suspicious. On top of that he wouldn’t say how long he would be. Bree was anxious to join Owen but she couldn’t leave until her dad came back. She glanced at the clock. Owen would have knocked off work by now.

“If you’ve got everything under control here I’m going to have a shower and ring Owen,” she said.

“Don’t be too long; Paul will be here soon.” Laura almost bounced on her chair.

Bree left them to it, one pale, sad-faced sister and the other pink-cheeked with a sparkle in her eyes.

Paul arrived at the farmhouse at five-thirty exactly. Bree was coming back from the quarters as he knocked on the door. He was clutching a bottle of bubbles and a bottle of red. “I didn’t know what everyone liked to drink,” he said.

Laura was beside him before Bree could shut the door. She introduced him to Kate and Bree, who thought him better looking than she’d remembered. He wore a thick knit navy sweater over tan chinos and his hair was perfectly groomed. He obviously used product. No wonder Laura was smitten.

Laura served up her vegetable hotpot to great acclaim from Paul and Kate, and Bree had to grudgingly agree it wasn’t bad but she enjoyed the chocolate pudding with ice cream more.

“So your dad’s gone to join your mum at last.” Paul patted at his lips with the paper napkin. “She must be glad.”

“Probably more surprised,” Bree said.

His look turned quizzical.

“Mum doesn’t know he’s coming.” Laura looked at the clock on the wall. “This time tomorrow he’ll probably be there.”

“No,” Kate said. “He couldn’t get the flights he wanted. He’s spending tomorrow with his cousin in Adelaide and going to the footy. He’ll fly out Sunday morning.”

“He may as well be enjoying himself,” Bree said. “It’s too wet to get the seeder going again.”

“Where is your mum exactly?” Paul asked.

“Somewhere north of Broome in an Aboriginal community,” Laura said.

“The Dampier Peninsula?”

“I think so.”

“I had a friend who taught up there for a while. At a place called One Arm Point. He loved it but it was fairly isolated.”

“I think that’s why Mum chose it,” Bree said.

“Have you heard about the family fun day being organised to support the Halbots?” Paul asked.