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Tarni took her gloves off and put them on the bench and walked over to him. Now that she could see him clearly, she realised that there were dark shadows beneath his eyes, and she felt guilty that Cy was sleeping down in the shed.

She smiled. ‘Look, Cy, there’s no need to stay down there and have your morning tea. You might as well come up here. That’s not going to bother me at all.’

‘Are you sure?’ he said.

‘Positive. It would be nice to have some company now and then.’

‘Thanks, that’s great. I need a new thermos. This one usually goes a bit cold by morning tea time anyway. That’s why I come back here for lunch. I must make a note to myself to buy one next time I go to town.’

‘I’ll be going into town later if you’d like me to pick one up for you. As crazy as it sounds with all that Ellie left, I do need to shop.’

Surprise filled her; they were having a normal conversation, and Cy looked relaxed.

‘Will it bother you if I put the kettle on?’ he asked.

‘Not at all,’ she said. ‘I was about to have a break in the sun, eat my apple and have a drink too.’

‘Would you like a cuppa? Seeing as I’m boiling the kettle. I’ve got coffee here too if you prefer that.’

Tarni thought for a moment and then decided a cup of tea would be nice and it would be rude to refuse his gracious offer. ‘A cup of tea would be great.’

‘What sort of tea do you like?’ Cy looked pleased that she’d accepted.

‘You have a variety?’

‘I do.’ He grinned at her. ‘I love my tea and not just a bushie’s billy tea. I have green tea and Chai, plus I’ve got some normal teabags for when I go mustering over at my cousin’s place. Ryan pays out on me for drinking “that green shit” as he calls it.’ It was the longest sentence he’d spoken to her since she’d arrived. ‘Sorry for swearing.’

Tarni chuckled. ‘Not a problem. Even though I worked in a lab, most of my colleagues were male, and I’ve heard a lot worse than that. A cup of the “green shit” would be great.’

Cy’s grin stayed and she was surprised to see what a difference it made to his face. He looked a lot younger than she’d first thought he was. With his tanned rugged face, she’d picked him as well into his thirties, but now she wondered if he was closer to her age.

‘I’ve got two apples here if you’d like one.’

‘It’s okay,’ he said. ‘I’ve got some of the fruit that you gave me.’

‘I’ve cooked up most of the vegies and made some meals ahead, to save me time at night,’ she said.

‘That was a good curry I could smell last night.’

‘I’ll give you a container of it. That is if you don’t mind eating vegetarian.’

‘If you’ve got enough that would be great,’ Cy said. He turned and headed to his side of the shed, and paused at the edge of the half wall.

‘I’ll bring our cuppas outside. There are a couple of chairs around the other side of the shed.’

‘Thanks. I’ve got a couple of things to switch off. I’ll meet you out there in a couple of minutes.’ Tarni was still smiling as she walked back to her seeds. It would be good to have some company.

A few minutes later, she put her hand to her eyes as she stepped out into the bright autumn sunshine. It was the first time she’d walked around here. There was a patch of lawn on the eastern side of the shed, and two camp chairs and a small table sat on the edge of the grass in front of a circular brick fire pit. In front of the chairs, two small half-logs were turned on their sides to make footstools. In between the sitting area and the fence were a small trampoline and a set of swings.

The fire pit was still glowing with embers; Cy must be sitting out here at night, and cooking on the tripod that sat over the coals. Tarni was surprised she hadn’t noticed the fire or smelled the smoke the past few nights. Then again, she’d locked up securely and the kitchen faced the other direction, so that probably explained it. It would be nice to sit out here at night under the stars; if there was one thing she loved, it was sitting by a campfire.

She settled into one of the chairs, put her feet up on the log and munched her apple. She tilted her head back and let the autumn sunshine warm her face. Contentment filled her as she relaxed, and the feeling was good. Only a minute or two later, Cy walked around the corner of the shed, carrying two huge mugs of tea, with a packet of biscuits tucked under his arm. He placed them on the table between the two chairs and glanced at Tarni before he sat down.

‘You look settled.’

‘I feel good,’ she said. ‘It’s a nice spot out here.’ She gestured to the south where the morning mist still hovered over the tops of the mango trees. ‘I brought the other apple out in case you wanted that after your cuppa,’ she said.

‘Thanks, I’m okay. I’ve eaten more fruit and veggies this week from that stuff Ellie left than I have for a long time. Healthy eating. Better than the takeaway I lived on in Darwin.’