farm, but it was on everyone’s mind.
‘So, what are we going to do, Lara?’ he asked, finally pushing his gravy-smeared plate away from him.
She wished she could avoid the subject all together. ‘I don’t know. We just can’t sell it. Can you at least wait a few weeks and let me try to come up with something? Please.’
Amanda nodded to Noah and he smiled back. ‘Yeah, sure. We can wait a few weeks. Just remember that now’s the time to sell,while everyone is cashed-up after harvest. I need to sell before seeding starts.’
‘Thanks, Noah. I’m sure I can figure something out. I’ll have to.’
Lara closed the door to her old room, dressed again in her city clothes: jeans, heels and designer top. Next time she’d have to stay longer and give it a total clean-out and paint. She’d promised to visit Noah more often; she could fly to Esperance from Perth and make a holiday of it.
‘Time to go.’ With a sigh she headed into the kitchen, where Noah and Amanda were having breakfast.
‘Wow, you look gorgeous,’ said Amanda approvingly.
Noah raised an eyebrow. ‘So that’s what half an hour in the bathroom gets you?’ he teased. ‘You might need another ten minutes.’
‘Ha. What about you in that holey faded T-shirt and tragic sock tan! Hey, you’d better wear those new shirts I bought you, too.’
Noah moved towards Lara, wrapping his arms around her. ‘Gonna miss you, sis. Thanks for coming home and not killing me for wanting to sell Erindale.’
She hugged him back, her throat constricting with emotion. Noah smelled of faint lanolin, deodorant and bacon. His whiskers scratched her neck and his unbrushed mop tickled her face as he pulled away. She looked at him closely, drinking him in and making a strong memory of his smiling brown eyes, his tanned face and the laugh lines around his mouth. Lara forced a wobbly smile to her lips and nodded. Words wouldn’t form.
‘Call me as soon as you come up with something, okay?’ Noah looked less than hopeful.
‘And I’ll stay in touch,’ Amanda said, hugging Lara warmly.
She headed for the door and they started to follow her. ‘No – don’t see me off. Stay and finish your breakfast. You’ve gotta go and get the next mob in soon. I’ll be fine.’ She heaved her case out the door.
Outside, Dippa came to her gingerly, the arthritis stiffening his joints after a long sleep, but nuzzled her like a puppy. He was in bloody good condition for a dog his age, but she couldn’t help wondering if he’d still be here by her next visit. No doubt she’d have to come back and help pack up the house if Erindale was sold. She pushed the thought from her mind and fought back tears as she said goodbye to Dippa, and headed to the car shed.
Jack drove over early to see Noah, telling himself it wasn’t to catch another glimpse of his sister. Okay, well, maybe it was. Bit hard not to when she was such a stunner. A current of magic had run through him every time he’d looked at her. She was perfect in every way, except the one that mattered most: she was a city chick. He’d been there, had his heart broken and learnt his lesson.
He spotted Lara opening the gate. ‘Here, let me help you,’ said Jack as he picked up her luggage and slid it into her car’s back seat.
‘Oh, thanks, Jack. Where did you come from?’
‘I just pulled up, but I’m glad I got to say goodbye. Back to the city, hey?’ He shut the door and turned to face her, folding his arms across his chest. He felt her gaze run over his body, and heliked it. They had a connection, he was sure of it. What a shame they lived in different worlds.
‘Yes. I’ve got an important meeting to get back to.’
‘Noah will be sad to see you go.’ Her face flickered briefly with sadness. ‘You really made his weekend, you know.’
‘Really? Thanks, Jack. That’s nice of you to say.’
They stood facing each other, silent for a few moments. Jack drank in her vibrant eyes, her high cheekbones
‘So, what are we going to do, Lara?’ he asked, finally pushing his gravy-smeared plate away from him.
She wished she could avoid the subject all together. ‘I don’t know. We just can’t sell it. Can you at least wait a few weeks and let me try to come up with something? Please.’
Amanda nodded to Noah and he smiled back. ‘Yeah, sure. We can wait a few weeks. Just remember that now’s the time to sell,while everyone is cashed-up after harvest. I need to sell before seeding starts.’
‘Thanks, Noah. I’m sure I can figure something out. I’ll have to.’
Lara closed the door to her old room, dressed again in her city clothes: jeans, heels and designer top. Next time she’d have to stay longer and give it a total clean-out and paint. She’d promised to visit Noah more often; she could fly to Esperance from Perth and make a holiday of it.
‘Time to go.’ With a sigh she headed into the kitchen, where Noah and Amanda were having breakfast.
‘Wow, you look gorgeous,’ said Amanda approvingly.
Noah raised an eyebrow. ‘So that’s what half an hour in the bathroom gets you?’ he teased. ‘You might need another ten minutes.’
‘Ha. What about you in that holey faded T-shirt and tragic sock tan! Hey, you’d better wear those new shirts I bought you, too.’
Noah moved towards Lara, wrapping his arms around her. ‘Gonna miss you, sis. Thanks for coming home and not killing me for wanting to sell Erindale.’
She hugged him back, her throat constricting with emotion. Noah smelled of faint lanolin, deodorant and bacon. His whiskers scratched her neck and his unbrushed mop tickled her face as he pulled away. She looked at him closely, drinking him in and making a strong memory of his smiling brown eyes, his tanned face and the laugh lines around his mouth. Lara forced a wobbly smile to her lips and nodded. Words wouldn’t form.
‘Call me as soon as you come up with something, okay?’ Noah looked less than hopeful.
‘And I’ll stay in touch,’ Amanda said, hugging Lara warmly.
She headed for the door and they started to follow her. ‘No – don’t see me off. Stay and finish your breakfast. You’ve gotta go and get the next mob in soon. I’ll be fine.’ She heaved her case out the door.
Outside, Dippa came to her gingerly, the arthritis stiffening his joints after a long sleep, but nuzzled her like a puppy. He was in bloody good condition for a dog his age, but she couldn’t help wondering if he’d still be here by her next visit. No doubt she’d have to come back and help pack up the house if Erindale was sold. She pushed the thought from her mind and fought back tears as she said goodbye to Dippa, and headed to the car shed.
Jack drove over early to see Noah, telling himself it wasn’t to catch another glimpse of his sister. Okay, well, maybe it was. Bit hard not to when she was such a stunner. A current of magic had run through him every time he’d looked at her. She was perfect in every way, except the one that mattered most: she was a city chick. He’d been there, had his heart broken and learnt his lesson.
He spotted Lara opening the gate. ‘Here, let me help you,’ said Jack as he picked up her luggage and slid it into her car’s back seat.
‘Oh, thanks, Jack. Where did you come from?’
‘I just pulled up, but I’m glad I got to say goodbye. Back to the city, hey?’ He shut the door and turned to face her, folding his arms across his chest. He felt her gaze run over his body, and heliked it. They had a connection, he was sure of it. What a shame they lived in different worlds.
‘Yes. I’ve got an important meeting to get back to.’
‘Noah will be sad to see you go.’ Her face flickered briefly with sadness. ‘You really made his weekend, you know.’
‘Really? Thanks, Jack. That’s nice of you to say.’
They stood facing each other, silent for a few moments. Jack drank in her vibrant eyes, her high cheekbones
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