In the passage she relaxed a little. It must be Bree at home. The music was loud and not the ABC, which would normally be on at this hour. The smell of cooking, warm and delicious, wafted from the kitchen. Bree must have heated the lasagne as well.

“Hello,” Laura called as she rounded the door then stopped in her tracks. A hunky-looking guy stood side on, shirtless, his head tipped back, swallowing from a beer bottle.

An expletive was lost in the splutter of beer that came from his mouth. He slapped at the liquid splashing down his bare chest. Eyes wide, she stepped into the kitchen.

He grinned. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Who are you?” They both spoke at once.

“I’m Laura King and I live here.” Laura got in first as she moved further into the room.

“Here you are.” The shirt in Bree’s hands slipped from her fingers as she caught sight of Laura. “Bloody hell.”

The bloke by the fridge raised his bottle, a grin on his face. “Not quite what I said but we’re on the same page.”

“Laura!” Bree’s face changed from surprise to something else, disbelief perhaps. “What are you doing here?”

“I told Mum I was coming.” Laura looked from the two of them to the table with its two place-settings. “Obviously you weren’t expecting me.”

“No.” Bree frowned. “Mum didn’t say anything.”

“Where is she?”

They all startled as the back door banged against the wall and another curse echoed along the passage.

“Kate?” Laura looked at Bree and they both turned to the door as their sister walked through, a backpack over her shoulder and bags in both hands.

“Hello.” She looked weary but her smile was warm, then her eyes opened wide as her gaze reached the bloke still standing between the table and the fridge, his beer mid-air. “And hello to you,” she said.

Bree snatched up the shirt she’d dropped and made her way round the table to where the bloke was standing, the grin still wide on his face. She passed him the shirt then turned to her sisters as he pulled it on, her hands on her hips.

“What are you two doing here?”

“It’s our home.” Kate was the first to respond, her chin jutted forward. She stacked her pile of bags against the wall.

“You must be Kate.” Hunky guy had finished pulling on an old oversized t-shirt of Bree’s with Real country girl emblazoned in large letters across his chest. He walked the length of the table and held out his hand. “Bree’s told me about her sisters.” He shook Kate’s hand and then reached for Laura’s. His grip was warm and firm. “I’m Owen.”

“Sorry to mess up your dinner for two.” Kate had obviously taken in the setting at the other end of the table too.