It was all a foreign language to him, but he trusted her instincts.
“We could also offer events,” she continued. “Maybe a damper night, or coffee and scones for guests again. Perhaps even find an astronomer to show guests the stars, or offer horse rides.” Amy glanced at Matt. “Could your parents run bush tucker tours for us? Teach people about traditional foods and medicines.”
Matt nodded. “I can ask them. If they aren’t interested, I could do it once a week, or maybe one of the elders will want to do it. We’d have to work out costs.”
“Ed could recommend an astronomer,” Brandon said. “He’s into that isn’t he?”
“Yeah.” Their youngest brother volunteered at the Perth Observatory. Darcy read through the remaining suggestions and costings. “This is a lot of work for one person, Ames. Can you handle it?”
“We won’t do it all at once. And if it gets too much, I can look at hiring someone else.”
Her projections were very appealing, but the tourists dried up in summer when it became too hot. He looked at Brandon. “Think we can afford it?”
“We can’t afford not to,” he said. “The money will tide us over until we shear.”
The pang of guilt settled in his gut. They wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for him insisting they move to cattle. “All right. What do we need to do next?”
***
A high-pitched screech woke Darcy out of a dead sleep. He leapt out of bed, heart racing, searching for the source of the noise. His alarm. He swore and switched it off, noting the light coming through his window. Normally he didn’t need an alarm to wake, his body clock in sync with the sun, but he’d set it because discussing the family finances had taken them way past his usual bedtime.
Now he was glad he’d done so.
He grabbed his clothes and went down the hall to shower. On his way back to his bedroom, he stopped in Lara’s room. One arm lay across her face and her sheets were pooled around her ankles. Her Wonder Woman singlet rode up, exposing her white belly. His heart swelled as he looked at her. He couldn’t ever regret getting Sofia pregnant. Not when it had brought him Lara. He walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t stir.
“Pumpkin. It’s time to wake up.” Gently, he touched her arm.
She opened one eye, grumbled something indistinguishable, and turned over away from him.
He chuckled. “I thought you wanted to go riding with Miss Arnold. I’ll have to call her and tell her not to come out.”
That got her attention. Instantly Lara sat up, pushing her hair out of her face and blinking to clear her vision. “No more sleeps?”
He grinned. “No more sleeps. I’ll make you breakfast, then we can get the horses ready. Miss Arnold said she’d be here by seven.”
Lara brushed him aside as she clambered out of bed. “What time is it now?”
“Quarter past six.”
“OK.”
While she got dressed, Darcy made breakfast. The coffee was ready as Matt strolled in dressed for the day. Darcy handed him a mug.
“Morning, Uncle Matt,” Lara chirped as she walked in, dressed in jodhpurs and a T-shirt with a horse on it.
“Morning, La La. What time is Faith getting here?”
“Soon,” she said, getting the milk out of the fridge.
“Maybe I’ll stick around and say hi.” Matt grinned at Darcy.
Darcy didn’t comment, though he wanted to tell his friend to bugger off.
“She’s so nice, and she knows so much about horses. She says Starlight is a good racer.”
A twinge of concern swept through him. Lara had latched on to Faith quickly. She’d been like that with Amy too. Was she after a mother figure? Sofia had sent her presents on her birthday and at Christmas, but otherwise had nothing to do with Lara. Not that Darcy minded any more. The last he’d heard she’d remarried and was living in Melbourne, which had hurt a little, but he hoped she was happy.
He made Lara a hot chocolate and then checked the bench for the backpacks his mother would have prepared. He stilled and closed his eyes. Not any longer. He was so used to her being one step ahead, always so organised. He sighed and fetched the backpacks from the laundry, packing beach towels and water into each one as well as throwing in the choc chip biscuits they’d made the night before. “You got bathers underneath your clothes, pumpkin?” The battery in the long-range radio was charged, and he placed it in his bag.
