Natalie took up the clip of accounts from beside the keyboard and started sifting through them. She’d been struggling to stay on top of the account-keeping for months now. Goodness knows how she’d sort it in time for the end of financial year. Somehow her heart hadn’t been in it and she’d really hoped Bree would show more interest, but she didn’t want to push her and now there was no point. Natalie couldn’t shake the worry and the disappointment that overwhelmed her. After ten minutes of fruitless fiddling she pushed back from the desk. Bree had said Laura was back to stay for a while but Laura hadn’t mentioned it. Her bedroom door had been shut whenever Natalie had passed. She decided it was time to investigate.

Laura leaned against the dual cab, the sun warm on her face, her stomach comfortably full of her mother’s sandwiches. They’d all met in a creek bed, dry of water and offering some shelter from the chilly wind. Her mum had been waiting with lunch when they’d all arrived, Milt and Kate and the two blokes all on motorbikes and Laura in the ute. Laura had managed to get through the morning with only a few wrong turns and without her dad losing his cool and they’d finished the paddock. She hoped that meant he might not need her this arvo.

She was only half listening to the conversation; so was her mother, judging by the faraway look on her face. Bree and Kate had been talking about music and Kate was banging on about a show her friend Sarah had gone to in Port Lincoln, but she’d stayed the weekend and Kate hadn’t been able to go because she had to work the next day. Kate was acting as if it was a big deal, as if Sarah had planned her weekend to exclude Kate. Laura wouldn’t have been surprised if that were true. She’d only met Sarah a couple of times but it had been enough for her to question the friendship. Sarah was gushy and frilly and…pink. Each time Laura had met her she’d been wearing all pink; even her shoes and fingernails were a shade of pink. Laura suspected her underwear would be too. Kate was the polar opposite; never out of jeans, always practical and reliable, a down-to-earth person with a heart of gold. That might be laying it on a bit thick but Laura did admire her oldest sister.

“I guess friendships change,” Bree said and looked at her mum as if she’d back her up but Natalie had moved from the fallen log she’d been perched on to pack up the remains of their lunch and obviously had no opinion on the matter.