Right As Rain by Tricia Stringer Page A

asked.
    â€œHe’s done his best but this isn’t where he wants to be. We really shouldn’t hold him here now that Mackenna’s back and we’ve employed Cam.”
    â€œThere’s plenty of work to do.”
    Lyle sniffed the air. “Is something burning?”
    â€œDamnation!” Louise whipped around and pulled open the oven door.
    â€œI won’t have that language in the house,” Lyle said.
    She raised an eyebrow in his direction.
    â€œThink I’ll retire to the lounge and read the Stock Journal,” he said.
    â€œIf you can’t stand the heat . . .” she called to his back as he left the room.
    She turned her attention back to the quiches. One was dark on top but the rest were simply well done. They could eat the dark one for lunch and the rest would still be fine for the trading table. She was rostered to go on the stall at two o’clock for an hour or so. Hopefully Patrick would forget she’d mentioned taking in the food.
    Louise busied herself cleaning up the kitchen and pondered his earlier moodiness. Mackenna had probably said something to upset him. She still saw him as her baby brother instead of the man he’d become. The mention of Mackenna and Hugh was interesting. When they were teenagers Louise had always thought they’d make the perfect couple, but there was also Carol. The three of them had started school together and they were inseparable. After school they’d all left for Adelaide at the same time to take on their respective courses: Mackenna as an apprentice chef with a big hotel in the city, Carol to study nursing and Hugh science. They were all doing so well and it had become apparent that Hugh and Carol had feelings for each other. Then just as they were finishing their respective courses, Carol had been tragically killed. Her vehicle had hit a tree as she returned home to the South East late one night.
    Along with Carol’s family, the community had been devastated and for a while Louise felt that a part of Mackenna had also died. Something had gone on between Carol’s father and Hugh as well. There were rumours that he blamed Hugh for not being with Carol that night. Whatever had happened, her death had impacted them all and Hugh had hardly returned to his home since.
    Not long after the accident, Mackenna took up a job in Victoria but only lasted at it a few months before she returned, wanting to spend some time on the property. Louise had thought it would be temporary. Mackenna needed time to grieve and being home on the farm seemed the right place to do it.
    Now, life had moved on and somehow Mackenna had become an integral part of the farm. Lyle’s sudden heart attack was a timely reminder for Louise that her daughter needed to get on with her life. Being tied to a farm that she may one day have to manage alone was not the future Louise wanted for her. The will would make legally sure it couldn’t happen, but Louise knew there was a lot more to be done to get Mackenna to change her views.
    Hugh McDonald might be the catalyst that was needed. When they’d hired Cam, Louise had thought it hadn’t hurt that he was charming and good-looking. There was a chance he might have been right for Mackenna, but Hugh was much more suitable as a potential husband. Louise decided she could suss out the lay of the land by inviting him over for a meal. See for herself if there was any spark between her daughter and the eligible bachelor. She flicked on the radio and began to sing along. For the first time since Lyle’s heart attack she felt the weight lift a little from her shoulders.

CHAPTER
8
    Hugh pulled up outside his family home. It was nearly time for dinner but instead of going inside he turned off the ignition, laid back his head and closed his eyes. There was no sound bar the ticking of the engine as it cooled and the last birds singing in the diminishing light. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it