The sensible, no-nonsense part of her pointed out that Jack was in a similar state, with the sweat and dust, and she didn’t see anything particularly romantic about him. But then …eww, why would she?
Just then, Ewan turned and locked eyes with her and her throat went dry. Her heartliterallyskipped a beat, and she swallowed painfully.Maybe it’s heat stroke?
‘Mum, can I go over to Ewan and Grandad now?’ Poppy asked from beside her, effectively ending whatever the hell that response had been.
‘I can watch her,’ Ewan called, waving Poppy over, who didn’t even bother to check with Kenzie before running forhis outstretched hand. He swooped down and picked her up effortlessly, swinging her onto the top rail in front of him, wrapping his arm around her securely and pointing out something about the cow Jack was finishing with inside the yards.
Poppy’s delighted giggle sent a ripple of confusing emotion through her, both joy and the tiniest bit of fear. He wasn’t pushing himself on their daughter; he’d been allowing her to get to know him in her own time and whenever she did approach, it was always so natural and easy.
She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting. Maybe some slight awkwardness or hesitation? But there hadn’t been. He spoke easily, letting her do most of the talking, which, quite frankly, was all youcoulddo around the little chatterbox that she was, and he seemed genuinely relaxed. Like he’d been doing it all her life.
‘Jack?’ her mother called from the ute parked under the shade of two enormous fig trees. ‘Are you ready for lunch?’
Kenzie glanced at her watch, and realised it was almost one-thirty. Due to the early start, the majority of the work had been done, with just a few things left to finish before they moved the cattle down the back.
‘I’m starving,’ Jack said, kissing his wife’s cheek after he and Ewan had washed their hands under the nearby tap.
‘Me too,’ Poppy said, blowing a loose strand of hair from her ponytail out of her eyes.
‘Don’t forget to feed our best worker,’ Jack said, nodding down at his granddaughter.
‘Never. I made an extra special sandwich for you,’ Sam said, taking out a small lunch bag from the bottom of the basket.
Kenzie watched Poppy’s eyes grow wide. ‘A fairy bread sandwich,’ she said in a reverent tone.
‘Seriously?’ Kenzie exclaimed, eyeing her mother sceptically.
‘What?’ her mother asked innocently.
‘You would never have packed a fairy bread sandwich for our lunchboxes.’
‘This is different. I’m a nan. I’m allowed to do things like this.’
Kenzie noticed Jack and Ewan both studiously concentrating on their sandwiches, clearly hoping not to be asked their opinions. ‘Hmm.’
‘Nan, can you make my lunch every day?’ Poppy asked. ‘I like it when all the sometimes food at our house is everyday food here.’
‘See what you’ve done?’
‘Oh, well, it’s only on special days,’ Sam told her granddaughter hastily.
‘Yeah, only days ending in Y,’ Kenzie muttered, rolling her eyes.
‘Tonight, we’ll have extra vegetables,’ Sam promised.
‘Eww,’ Poppy said, turning up her nose.
‘Good luck with that, Nan,’ Kenzie warned, before opening her own sandwich—chicken, not fairy bread, she noted, to her disappointment.
‘I hope he hasn’t been working you too hard, Ewan?’ Sam asked.
Ewan swallowed a bite before answering. ‘Not at all. It’s been great to get my hands dirty again.’
‘I appreciate it,’ Jack said, before looking over at his wife sheepishly. ‘No offence, sweetheart, but it’s been a lot easier working with someone who can tell a steer from a heifer without me having to go back through and double-check.’
‘It’s hard to tell when they’re all moving around so fast.’
‘I know,’ Jack said with a reassuring pat of her knee. ‘I’m just saying … it’s been a lot less stressful for everyone.’
