‘Never seen you hold a bloke’s hand before, Ava.’ Jock scowled at the house.
Ava narrowed her eyes. What’s eating him? ‘I never found one sexy enough.’
Jock nearly choked. ‘Hope there’s more to him than that?’
She was tempted to say ‘Is there more?’ to get a rise out of her suddenly protective younger brother. But Jock looked bowed down with some emotion and she glanced back at the house to see if Hana was there. She couldn’t see her. Hana kept him on an even keel.
‘Hana tells me the baby is growing well.’
A rare smile crossed her brother’s face. ‘It kicks like there’s no tomorrow.’ His face appeared sad for a moment before he seemed to drag a smile from the bottom of his boots. ‘We still don’t know the sex, but we don’t care either way, so the surprise is nice for Hana.’
She tilted her head at him. ‘The surprise will be nice for you, too.’
‘Of course.’ He brushed that away and faced the house again. ‘We’ve got a couple of weeks before we have to go back to Alice Springs. There’s the muster to get through first.’
‘We’ll manage. We always do.’ She lowered her voice. ‘You okay?’
Jock combed his hair back from his face with his fingers. ‘The stock look terrible. There were even a few that we’ve had to shoot. They’re starving. Mim says the rain will turn up, but I’m thinking I might have blown it.’
‘You’re not responsible for the drought. And the improvements you made were needed,’ Ava said. ‘Do you want to go for a drive together? See how the back looks?’ She wouldn’t let him go alone again if he came back from the paddocks looking like this. ‘I guess we could bring Zac?’
Jock looked thoughtful. ‘Mum says he’s sick.’
‘He’s recovering.’ Boy, was he recovering. ‘But I’ve seen him in action, and if you needed a hand with a steer he could help.’
He laughed, but it was bitter and angry and she frowned in concern. ‘I blew the budget and it’s going to wipe us out.’
‘This isn’t like you, Jock, all doom and gloom. Stop it. You can’t take the blame for the weather.’
Jock positively vibrated with self-loathing. ‘I should have waited another year for the solar pumps.’ She’d never seen him like this. He’d obviously been stewing on it for some time. He dragged his hand through his hair again and she could see it was shaking. He was worse than she’d thought.
‘Overcapitalising happened to the Wilsons. And the Johnsons before that. Mum should have stopped me.’
His voice had risen and now Hana appeared at the back door. She glided across the grass to put her hand on Jock’s arm. ‘Hey, cowboy. Getting loud there.’
Jock’s stiff expression softened. ‘I know. Sorry, honey. I was telling Ava about the cattle. She said she’d come with me to count.’
Ava didn’t remember saying quite that, but she would. She’d bring Zac if he was up to it. And she hoped they wouldn’t find too many ill cattle. Jock didn’t look like he could take it. But then he’d been here day in, day out watching the feed disappear while she’d been in Alice in another world. Maybe he needed to get away for more than an ultrasound in town. She sighed. But they couldn’t afford that, either.
‘Tomorrow morning, then, rather than today?’ She was thinking that Zac would have had another night’s sleep and he’d managed the walk to the creek bed with ease earlier. Managed to hold her hand with no ill effects. She’d ask him if he thought he’d be up to sharing Jock’s run later.
Hana sighed and rested her hand on Jock’s arm. ‘Mim’s just told your brother he’s not to go looking for bad news.’
Jock brushed that aside. ‘We can say we’re showing Zac around. Take some food, call it a picnic.’ His voice was bitter and harsh. He must have heard it himself because he ended with his voice calmer and softer. ‘Mim will be happy with that.’
She and Hana exchanged looks. Ava wasn’t so sure Jock was looking at this rationally, and judging by Hana’s expression she didn’t think so either, but they could both see Jock was taking it hard. Ava couldn’t blame her brother. Everyone was struggling.
‘What does Mum say?’
‘She’s focused on the ecotourism.’ Jock waved his hand in disgust. ‘Believes it will save the day.’
‘It might.’
‘Tea, anyone?’ Stella’s voice floated out to them and Jock set his jaw.
He glanced at the house. ‘Better go in if we want to do this thing tomorrow.’
‘You go ahead.’ Hana’s voice was quiet but determined, and Jock nodded. ‘I want to talk to Ava for a minute.’
Ava watched as Zac stepped out onto the verandah to wave them in. ‘I’ll go out with you tomorrow, Jock, and see if I can help. After “we” –’ she used her fingers for inverted commas – ‘show Zac the station.’
Hana’s relief couldn’t be mistaken as her husband walked away. ‘I’m glad you’re going with Jock. I’m in no state to go bouncing around in the Polaris looking for him.’
‘He’s lucky he has you.’ They turned towards the house and started to follow more slowly. ‘How’s your pregnancy going this week? I know you said the baby is good, but are you keeping well?’
‘I feel great. And Jock makes a fuss of me.’
Ava smiled. ‘He should.’
Hana shrugged. ‘And I think your mother is getting just a little bit clucky.’
They both laughed. ‘She’s got a lot on her plate with the tourism stuff.’ Not to mention the bombshell she’d dropped on Ava today. ‘She’s glad of your help. One day Jock will take over the station, and Mum and Mim will go to Alice to live. You’ll miss us all then.’
‘I wish Jock had your conviction. This drought has really knocked his confidence, and I think that responsibility at this moment could be the last straw. I’m worried about him.’
Reggie rushed up to Ava and she reached down for a pat of his soft neck as he sat against her legs, a warm quivering weight. ‘Me too.’ Then she said to the dog, ‘You’re a sook, Reg.’ Then lowering her voice she said, ‘This visit I’m thinking Mim is looking frail, too. What do you think?’
Hana nodded. ‘She works very hard and she’s worried about Jock as well. So is your mum. Mim won’t slow down on the station, even though Jock says he can do half the stuff she does. He tries to lighten her load, but she’s stubborn. And her hip hurts.’
They started walking again. ‘I know. I’ll have a talk to her. Maybe suggest Jock needs to feel like he’s pulling more weight. I’ll see what I can do.’
‘Thanks, Ava.’
‘Thank you. We’re so lucky Jock found you. Just take care of yourself and the next generation of Mays. Don’t work too hard.’ Hana was as bad as Mim on that front.
‘I’ll try.’
They pushed through the screen into the kitchen and her mum was there holding up the teapot as a question.
‘Yes, please.’ Ava sat herself next to Zac and smiled back at him. ‘So, you’ve been closeted with my grandmother and now my mother on your own. Still surviving?’
‘I’m enjoying myself,’ he said, and for some reason her mother laughed.