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Wiping his boots on the mat at the end of the paved path, he quietly walked up the dozen steps that led up to the veranda at the front of the McLarens’ house.

‘Anyone there?’ he called out. ‘Hello?’

He was met by silence, which was soon broken by his work boots on the timber floor. As he passed the kitchen, a face appeared at the window.

‘Good morning, I’m Cy,’ he called.

Eyes wide, a woman looked out of him. Then she nodded and pointed to the door.

Slow footsteps sounded down the hall, and for a moment, he thought she was walking the other way, but after a moment, she appeared at the screen door.

‘Hello. You’re Cy? The manager?’

‘You’re Ms Morgan?’

‘Tarni Morgan, yes,’ she said through the half-open window. An aromatic smell was drifting from the kitchen, and Cy’s mouth watered. ‘I’ll just unlock the door and come out.’ She walked back inside, returned with a set of keys and unlocked the screen door.

Looked like she was security conscious, which wasn’t a bad thing. That was the one thing Kane had stressed to him a couple of times. Cy had wondered if it was their past experiences that made them distrustful or if being so close to the highway created security issues.

Crime could happen anywhere as he well knew from his father’s misdemeanours. The woman stepped outside, and Cy was taken it back to see how tall she was. She was almost as tall as he was and he cleared six feet by a good inch or two.

She held out her hand, her voice quiet and cold. ‘Hello, Cy. I want you to know I’ll keep to myself and won’t interfere with your work or be a bother to you with whatever you’re doing on the farm. I’ll be working in a small area of trees and then I’ll spend most of my time in my makeshift laboratory. I don’t expect we’ll see much of each other.’

And that suited her fine, was the message Cy picked up immediately. Well, that would suit him just as well.

‘I’ve made a roster for the kitchen, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so we don’t have to bother each other at mealtimes.’

Cy raised his eyebrows; she was pushing his buttons after a two-minute acquaintance. ‘I’m afraid I can’t stick to a roster; my days will depend on weather and workload.’

Her forehead creased in a frown. ‘Oh. Well, I’ll have to be flexible then.’ The smile that slightly tilted her lips appeared forced.

‘No, you don’t need to worry. I don’t need to come into the house at all. I’ve got a butane stove and a camp fridge so I don’t need to bother you.’

‘Oh no, you can’t do that.’ Her cheeks coloured a bright red and Cy got the feeling that this woman was used to calling the shots.

Well, she wasn’t going to tell him what to do. She wasn’t going to organise his life within a day of her arrival.

‘Kane and Ellie were quite definite that you were going to be using the kitchen. And Ellie said she’s filled the fridge and cupboards for both of us.’

‘Look, love,’ he said, hiding a smile when she cringed at the “love”. ‘There’s no need for me to come in there. I’m used to camping out in the paddocks working with cattle, with no electricity, no running water, so that little shed over there is five-star luxury to a cow cocky like me.’

She didn’t need to know that the apartment he’d rented at Cullen Bay in Darwin had been in a five-star luxury complex.

‘Well, if you’re sure then. But I’ll pack some of the food she’s left for your fridge.’

‘Whatever. Suits me fine. You do your thing, I’ll do mine. The shed’s locked now, so I guess you haven’t been there to see your gear.’

‘I tried to but the door was locked.’

‘I was down the back and I took the keys with me. There is the second set inside that I’ll give you. Did Kane fill you in on the security here?’

‘The security? No.’

‘If you’re in the shed, lock the house and vice versa. There’s a lot of traffic on the road, and Kane is very security conscious.’

There was no need to tell her the McLaren’s history. Tarni Morgan was only here a short time and it was none of her business anyway.

‘How about I take you there now, and then we won’t have to bother each other again,’ Cy asked