back to go in search of her father.
Paige dipped her hand into her right jeans pocket. She smiled sweetly. ‘All the answersyou need are right here.’ She uncurled her fingers to reveal his car keys. ‘And before you ask, yes, I have both sets.’
For a nanosecond his eyes darkened and then laughter lightened them to a clear blue.
‘That’ll teach me to leave my bedroom door unlocked.’
‘So it’s go with Dad or I’ll take your car for a road trip of a lifetime out to the very rocky back paddock.’
‘When it comes to my car, I’m not even going to try to negotiate.’ He held out a hand. ‘You win.’ The unspoken words ‘this time’ hovered in the air between them.
Paige plonked the keys into his palm. ‘One now and the other when I have proof.’
‘Proof?’
‘Yes, when you get back from spending the day with Connor.’
‘Did I hear my name mentioned?’ her father said as he emerged from the pantry, a square, frosted tub on his lap.
Paige crossed the kitchen to pick up the ice cream and deposit it onto the bench. Tait must have bought the special treat when they’d been in town. She’d noticed the big esky had been missing from the pantry shelf.
‘Yes, you did,’ she said. ‘Tait said he’d love to take you to the get-together tomorrow.’
Connor smiled. ‘You would?’
Tait nodded. ‘It’ll be a good opportunity to show you what my car can do.’
‘I’ll look forward to the experience.’ Connor turned to Paige. ‘We’ll leave after breakfast?’
‘I’m not going.’ She placed three bowls onto the bench-top and pulled open a drawer to search for the ice cream scoop. She knew if she looked at her father he’d see through her ruse of staying home and sending Tait out with him. ‘You both go.’
‘Possum, you have to go,’ Connor said, brow creased. ‘You volunteered to distributethe care parcels.’
‘The delivery of care parcels from the city isn’t due for weeks. I’ll help Anne sort through them at next month’s get-together.’
‘But this is a different truckload from a charity down south in Victoria. I’m sure Anne said she’d let you know.’
Paige ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach. ‘No, no phone call.’ She ripped off the plastic lid and scooped ice cream into a bowl. Just when she’d finally guaranteed she’d have a whole Tait-free day, her plans couldn’t now unravel.
‘What about on your mobile?’ Tait asked, tone smug.
Paige shot him a so-not-helpful look but put down the ice cream scoop to head to the basket she’d taken from the ute earlier. Please don’t let there be a message. She fossicked in the basket and located the mobile beneath the debris of water bottles, work gloves and first aid supplies.
She looked at the screen. One new message. Anne had contacted her about tomorrow. She bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt to keep her expression neutral, but she knew she’d been too late.
‘Looks like we’ll all be going on a road trip tomorrow,’ Tait said with a deep chuckle.
Connor turned his chair in the doorway to look into the now empty kitchen. For a brief time the heart of the house had again beat with the sound of his daughter’s laughter. But now the outside darkness pressed against the windows and the echo of Paige’s mirth had long faded.
Despite the constant bantering between Paige and Tait this evening, there’d been an obvious undercurrent of strain. Only today they’d fought together to save Gidget and such a battle should have brought them closer together. But it hadn’t. He’d seen the way Tait staredout into the night as though he too bore the weight of Banora Downs on his shoulders. He’d witnessed the way Paige bit the inside of her cheek in her old childhood tell. She was uneasy and it wasn’t a worry borne of the pressures of the drought. Nothing had changed. No, this was a new stress that could only be related to Tait.
Connor rubbed at his leg as his conscience shook a fist at
Paige dipped her hand into her right jeans pocket. She smiled sweetly. ‘All the answersyou need are right here.’ She uncurled her fingers to reveal his car keys. ‘And before you ask, yes, I have both sets.’
For a nanosecond his eyes darkened and then laughter lightened them to a clear blue.
‘That’ll teach me to leave my bedroom door unlocked.’
‘So it’s go with Dad or I’ll take your car for a road trip of a lifetime out to the very rocky back paddock.’
‘When it comes to my car, I’m not even going to try to negotiate.’ He held out a hand. ‘You win.’ The unspoken words ‘this time’ hovered in the air between them.
Paige plonked the keys into his palm. ‘One now and the other when I have proof.’
‘Proof?’
‘Yes, when you get back from spending the day with Connor.’
‘Did I hear my name mentioned?’ her father said as he emerged from the pantry, a square, frosted tub on his lap.
Paige crossed the kitchen to pick up the ice cream and deposit it onto the bench. Tait must have bought the special treat when they’d been in town. She’d noticed the big esky had been missing from the pantry shelf.
‘Yes, you did,’ she said. ‘Tait said he’d love to take you to the get-together tomorrow.’
Connor smiled. ‘You would?’
Tait nodded. ‘It’ll be a good opportunity to show you what my car can do.’
‘I’ll look forward to the experience.’ Connor turned to Paige. ‘We’ll leave after breakfast?’
‘I’m not going.’ She placed three bowls onto the bench-top and pulled open a drawer to search for the ice cream scoop. She knew if she looked at her father he’d see through her ruse of staying home and sending Tait out with him. ‘You both go.’
‘Possum, you have to go,’ Connor said, brow creased. ‘You volunteered to distributethe care parcels.’
‘The delivery of care parcels from the city isn’t due for weeks. I’ll help Anne sort through them at next month’s get-together.’
‘But this is a different truckload from a charity down south in Victoria. I’m sure Anne said she’d let you know.’
Paige ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach. ‘No, no phone call.’ She ripped off the plastic lid and scooped ice cream into a bowl. Just when she’d finally guaranteed she’d have a whole Tait-free day, her plans couldn’t now unravel.
‘What about on your mobile?’ Tait asked, tone smug.
Paige shot him a so-not-helpful look but put down the ice cream scoop to head to the basket she’d taken from the ute earlier. Please don’t let there be a message. She fossicked in the basket and located the mobile beneath the debris of water bottles, work gloves and first aid supplies.
She looked at the screen. One new message. Anne had contacted her about tomorrow. She bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt to keep her expression neutral, but she knew she’d been too late.
‘Looks like we’ll all be going on a road trip tomorrow,’ Tait said with a deep chuckle.
Connor turned his chair in the doorway to look into the now empty kitchen. For a brief time the heart of the house had again beat with the sound of his daughter’s laughter. But now the outside darkness pressed against the windows and the echo of Paige’s mirth had long faded.
Despite the constant bantering between Paige and Tait this evening, there’d been an obvious undercurrent of strain. Only today they’d fought together to save Gidget and such a battle should have brought them closer together. But it hadn’t. He’d seen the way Tait staredout into the night as though he too bore the weight of Banora Downs on his shoulders. He’d witnessed the way Paige bit the inside of her cheek in her old childhood tell. She was uneasy and it wasn’t a worry borne of the pressures of the drought. Nothing had changed. No, this was a new stress that could only be related to Tait.
Connor rubbed at his leg as his conscience shook a fist at
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