‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘Totally fine.’
And she did seem fine, so he filed his unease away and concentrated on keeping the flies off the food while the horde fussed about who was sitting where. Within three seconds of everyone being seated at the makeshift table beside the stable he felt like he was ten years old again.
The squabbling did it.
‘Who put avocado in the salad? That is so selfish. We don’t all want our lettuce slimed up with green mush.’ Felicity, of course. Liked her salad items separated by white space.
He leaned in and whispered in Kirsty’s ear. ‘She used to cry at high school if she opened her lunchbox and the tomato was touching the carrot.’
When theygotlunch at school. His mum was the best, in a million super profound ways, but remembering her kids needed a midday meal during school hours had not been one of them.
‘Is there bread?’ said Will.
‘Damper,’ said Robbo, who must have been standing over the fire for too long. His face was sweaty and red; he looked tired. ‘Amy helped me make it, and now I’ve gone and left it in the coals. I think my brain cells must have been zapped along with my—’
Patty set her hand on Robbo’s. ‘It’s fine, love.’
His dad started to hoist Amy off his knee to climb out of his chair.
‘No worries, Dad,’ Joey said. Cooking lunch for the Miles family crowd seemed to have knocked his dad around today. ‘I’ll get it.’
He climbed out of his seat and used an ancient branding iron to flip the foil-wrapped parcel from the coals. Too hot for him to pick up, that was for sure. He grabbed a fletch from the timber stash to use as a platter and carried the damper to the table.
‘So, Kirsty, how’re you finding Clarence?’ said Anthony.
‘It’s gorgeous. A lot greener than where I normally live, that’s for sure.’
‘And where’s that?’ Now Lachy was shoehorning in a question. Was this some sibling set-up to squeeze info from his rouseabout? He frowned at Daisy, who lifted innocent eyes in his direction before dropping him a wink.
Definitely a set-up.
Kirsty didn’t seem too bothered. ‘South Australia. I work out of Port Augusta at the moment. I’ve worked all over, though. Marla, Broken Hill, Port Fairy. I spent a few years in the Territory, too. That’s where I got my pilot’s licence. There’s always plenty of work outback for a pilot with a commercial licence.’
‘And no, um … kids?’ said Felicity, in the tone of voice she used when she really didn’t care. Daisy had probably given her a list of questions and bribed her into asking them.
‘No kids,’ said Kirsty. ‘No dogs. I don’t tend to stay long in the one place.’
Gus gave a woof, and Joey noticed the groodle had his head lying on Kirsty’s lap. Her fingers were stroking the dog’s ear, and Gus’s eyes had gone all squinty and sleepy.
Amy abandoned the game of incy-wincy spider she was playing up Grandpa Robbo’s arm and sat up straight. ‘It issoboring talking about Kirsty all the time,’ she said. ‘Who wants to talk about me?’
‘I do,’ said Robbo. ‘What have you been up to lately, Amy lamb?’
She puffed out her scrawny little ribcage. ‘I’ve been writing poems for the muster. Who else is entering the bush poetry competition?’
‘Not me,’ said Joey, peeling back the foil and taking a whiff of hot bread.
‘Uncle Lachy?’
His younger brother grinned. ‘Worried I’ll beat you, Amy?’
‘As if. I’m entering in thekids’category. What about you, Kirsty?’
Kirsty coughed. ‘Um, nope, uhuh, no way.’
Patty passed a plate of corn cobs down the table. ‘You’ll have to get in quick,’ she said, ‘if you change your mind. Entries close next week for the written poems. Performance poems can enter on the day, as usual.’
‘What’s the difference?’ said Kirsty. ‘Not that I’m entering.’