reliable when it’s dry. Compared with others who are no longer on their farms, we aren’t doing too badly.’ She sighed. ‘But the drought just won’t end.’
He blanked out the way her wretched tone tapped into emotions he always kept well guarded.
‘It will, and when it does, where do you see Banora Downs heading?’
She groaned. ‘Not more hypothetical questions.’
‘Sorry, I’m just curious about what you see in Banora Downs’ future. Even a city boy like me can tell it is a special place.’
‘Yes, you’re right. It’s a special place and needs to be preserved for generations to come.’
‘So you’ll be providing the generations to come?’
Tait ground his teeth. He was supposed to be focusing on the business plan not delving into Paige’s personal life.
‘Let’s just say as an only child it is my responsibility to carry on the family name.’
Even though he couldn’t really see her, he knew Paige was frowning. Her fingers were tightly interlocked on her lap. ‘But in saying that,’ she continued, ‘I’ve no immediate plans to do so. My priority is looking after Dad and if there ends up being no other “generation” there’s always cousin Charles. He married last summer and I’m sure a little Charles will be on the way soon.’
‘Is Charles the boy your father mentioned who fell out of the tree?’
‘Yes, one and the same, even though actually he is my second cousin. For some reason no one believes me when I say his fall had nothing to do with me.’
Tait risked a look at Paige’s profile. Dusty’s hot breath soon had him turn back to the road again. ‘Dare I ask why?’
‘No you can’t.’ Paige laughed. ‘Let’s just say a tomboy can out-climb a boy wielding a bow and arrow.’
‘I take it cousin Charles gave up archery?’
‘Not quite. When his broken bone healed he settled for shooting targets that didn’t move.’
‘A wise choice.’
‘That’s what I thought.’ She paused. ‘Were you ever a tree-climbing archer?’
Tait fought the tension that locked his shoulders. And failed. Dusty lifted his head and then lowered it as if in protest that his head rest had become too uncomfortable.
Tait chose his words carefully. His childhood was a no-go zone but he couldn’t afford for Paige to become too curious. ‘A tree-climber for a brief time, yes. Archer, no.’
‘That’s lovely you had a tree to climb. Not many little boys would have such anopportunity growing up in the city. Did you have a big garden?’
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. ‘So tell me more about how Banora Downs could be preserved for generations to come.’
If Paige noticed his change of topic, it didn’t show in her thoughtful reply. ‘I guess the main thing is to make the farm financially viable again. We’ll need to continue to drought-proof though. Also we’ll need to rebuild our breeding herd. Then once the farm can again pay its way, it will be a matter of preserving the homestead.’
‘So no plans to move into any alternative industries like olives, emus or alpacas?’ Even before he’d finished talking he realised he sounded far too knowledgeable.
Paige leaned forward and gazed past Dusty towards him. ‘For a suit-wearer you know a lot about rural industry.’
He scanned the roadside for a sign advertising a hotel, garage or anything to show they would soon enter Glenalla town limits and to steer the conversation in another direction. What was supposed to be an information-gathering car trip had descended into the journey from hell. Paige had the uncanny ability to home in on the things he didn’t want to discuss.
He cleared his throat. Yet again he couldn’t tell her the truth, just a partial truth. ‘I run an investment company that dabbles in agriculture.’
Apparently satisfied, she leaned back in her seat. ‘And people have invested in such things like emus and olives?’
‘Yes.’
‘How did they work out?’
‘Sometimes good and sometimes
He blanked out the way her wretched tone tapped into emotions he always kept well guarded.
‘It will, and when it does, where do you see Banora Downs heading?’
She groaned. ‘Not more hypothetical questions.’
‘Sorry, I’m just curious about what you see in Banora Downs’ future. Even a city boy like me can tell it is a special place.’
‘Yes, you’re right. It’s a special place and needs to be preserved for generations to come.’
‘So you’ll be providing the generations to come?’
Tait ground his teeth. He was supposed to be focusing on the business plan not delving into Paige’s personal life.
‘Let’s just say as an only child it is my responsibility to carry on the family name.’
Even though he couldn’t really see her, he knew Paige was frowning. Her fingers were tightly interlocked on her lap. ‘But in saying that,’ she continued, ‘I’ve no immediate plans to do so. My priority is looking after Dad and if there ends up being no other “generation” there’s always cousin Charles. He married last summer and I’m sure a little Charles will be on the way soon.’
‘Is Charles the boy your father mentioned who fell out of the tree?’
‘Yes, one and the same, even though actually he is my second cousin. For some reason no one believes me when I say his fall had nothing to do with me.’
Tait risked a look at Paige’s profile. Dusty’s hot breath soon had him turn back to the road again. ‘Dare I ask why?’
‘No you can’t.’ Paige laughed. ‘Let’s just say a tomboy can out-climb a boy wielding a bow and arrow.’
‘I take it cousin Charles gave up archery?’
‘Not quite. When his broken bone healed he settled for shooting targets that didn’t move.’
‘A wise choice.’
‘That’s what I thought.’ She paused. ‘Were you ever a tree-climbing archer?’
Tait fought the tension that locked his shoulders. And failed. Dusty lifted his head and then lowered it as if in protest that his head rest had become too uncomfortable.
Tait chose his words carefully. His childhood was a no-go zone but he couldn’t afford for Paige to become too curious. ‘A tree-climber for a brief time, yes. Archer, no.’
‘That’s lovely you had a tree to climb. Not many little boys would have such anopportunity growing up in the city. Did you have a big garden?’
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. ‘So tell me more about how Banora Downs could be preserved for generations to come.’
If Paige noticed his change of topic, it didn’t show in her thoughtful reply. ‘I guess the main thing is to make the farm financially viable again. We’ll need to continue to drought-proof though. Also we’ll need to rebuild our breeding herd. Then once the farm can again pay its way, it will be a matter of preserving the homestead.’
‘So no plans to move into any alternative industries like olives, emus or alpacas?’ Even before he’d finished talking he realised he sounded far too knowledgeable.
Paige leaned forward and gazed past Dusty towards him. ‘For a suit-wearer you know a lot about rural industry.’
He scanned the roadside for a sign advertising a hotel, garage or anything to show they would soon enter Glenalla town limits and to steer the conversation in another direction. What was supposed to be an information-gathering car trip had descended into the journey from hell. Paige had the uncanny ability to home in on the things he didn’t want to discuss.
He cleared his throat. Yet again he couldn’t tell her the truth, just a partial truth. ‘I run an investment company that dabbles in agriculture.’
Apparently satisfied, she leaned back in her seat. ‘And people have invested in such things like emus and olives?’
‘Yes.’
‘How did they work out?’
‘Sometimes good and sometimes
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