‘And you’re here to help Finn.Your ex?’
‘I don’t know where Finn is.’Bree shrugged, slicing more mango for herself.‘But I do know he’ll panic when he learns that we’re in the same room together, praying he’ll still have a house left when the dust clears.’
A flicker of a grin crossed Taryn’s face as she lifted her coffee.‘It might be smarter to start boarding up the windows for safety reasons first.’
Bree gave a bark of laughter as she pointed at Taryn with the mango knife.‘Careful, buttons.Keep that up and I might actually like you.’
Bree washed her mango-sticky hands in the sink, dried them on a tea towel, then rested one on her belly with a dramatic sigh.‘But because you aren’t going to pander to me in mydelicate condition—and honestly, who calls it delicate when I’m the size of a prize heifer trying to smuggle a bloody watermelon?I’m gonna let you have the floor.Ask what you want.But be quick, you’ve only got a few minutes before the cavalry arrives.’
Taryn peered out the window at the empty drive.There was no sign of Finn’s troopy.But beside the old police wagon stood a surprisingly bright yellow vintage Kombi van.‘What cavalry?’
‘You’ll see soon enough.Oh, and this is the part where I promise to be brutally honest.’Bree smiled sweetly, tapping at her bare wrist.‘Tick-tock.’
Taryn leaned her hip against the counter.‘Alright.You found Cowboy Craig for Finn.You found the land for the Stock Squad’s quarantine station.Did you also find Izzy to be their lawyer?’
‘Einstein was my lawyer first, told Finn that.’
‘And you found Stone?’
‘Pebbles, yeah.’
‘Do you say that to Stone’s face?’
‘Hello,buttons.’
Taryn should have frowned, instead she laughed.
‘And to finish your next question—’
‘Am I that obvious?’
Again, another one of those knowing grins as the redhead’s green eyes sparkled.‘When Finn said he’d need a pilot, I told him Pebbles would be perfect for the job.Turned out I was right, huh?’Bree took a bite of sliced rockmelon.
‘So, you run the local stock brand register?’
Bree rolled her eyes.‘Why ask questions when you already know the answers?You know my family has been making stock brands in this area for generations.Come on, you can do better than that.Dig deep, buttons.’
‘Fine.Did you know about the Spinifex Highway?’
‘I’m a long-time local.And every local knows that highway.Aren’t you going to mention cronyism?’Bree shot back.‘Oh wait, I dropped that word already.’
Taryn’s eyes flared.‘Why do you think that?’
‘It’s what I’d be thinking if I were in your shoes, even though I can’t remember the last time I slipped on my own socks.’She peered over her enormous belly to wriggle her toes.‘Do you think it’s too late for a pedicure?’
‘Um… How far along are you?’
‘I’m overdue.So says the doctor.’
‘What do you mean?’The tingly sense of worry started creeping up her spine.
‘Yep, any day now.’Bree patted her belly tenderly, while surprisingly calm.‘Keep going, we haven’t got long to finish this conversation.’
‘I heard a rumour…’ Yet Taryn didn’t want to say it.
‘About Finn, huh?’
Taryn nodded.
