Twenty minutes had passed when Kate’s voice startled her from her work. She dropped the spatula dripping with cake batter onto the floor and snatched it up again. She’d wipe the cupboard and floor later. “I’m making morning tea to take out to the paddock.”

“You do know Mum would have the freezer full already.” Kate cast her gaze around the kitchen. “What happened to breakfast?”

Laura looked back at the bench. She’d spread out a bit but she was trying to get the cake and biscuits ready to go in the oven at the same time then she’d put the pinwheels in when she took the sweet stuff out. “I forgot. I’ve boiled the kettle.”

Kate felt the side of the kettle, flicked it on again and took out a travel mug. “I’ll take a ute out and help with the mustering.”

“Okay.” Laura was a little disappointed. She’d hoped Kate would stay and help with the cooking or at least the washing up.

“You’d better have this lot cleaned up before Mum gets home.”

“Yoo-hoo.”

Kate and Laura looked at each other. “Granny?”

“You are home. I was beginning to wonder—” Olive arrived in the doorway and stopped, her words petering out as she looked from Kate to Laura. “What’s happened?”

“Hello, Granny.” Kate was the first to move. “Nothing’s happened. Laura and I are home for a visit.” She wrapped her grandmother in a hug and kissed her cheek.

“Nobody told me you were coming. Are you here for mustering? I’m meant to be at a trading table but they seemed to have enough helpers and I thought…” Over Kate’s shoulder Olive eyed the kitchen. “Where’s your mother?”

“Mum and Dad are on their way back from Adelaide.” Laura stepped up to embrace her grandmother. She smelled of violets and was her usual mix of old and new. Her clothes were always neat if a little old-fashioned but she bought a new pair of glasses each year with trendy frames. Her current pair were round in a tortoiseshell pattern of pinks and reds and her straight grey chin-length hair was parted to one side and held back with a bright pink clip that reminded Laura of a child’s hair.

“What on earth are they doing in Adelaide? What about mustering? Who’s doing the food?” Olive barely paused for breath before she took a lock of Laura’s hair and gave it a gentle tug. “I do hope that’s not a permanent aberration, Laura dear.”

“It’ll wash out…eventually.”

“Oh well, every lining has a silver cloud, I suppose.”

Laura swallowed a grin. Granny was fond of idioms but often muddled them up.

“Bree’s started the mustering with Graeme from next door and the other two fellas Dad hired.” Kate plucked an apple from the fruit bowl. “I was about to head out to help.”