Lara laughed and went over to the fridge. “Drink?” She held up a bottle of water.
Always the little hostess. “That would be great, thanks.”
Darcy’s fiancée, Faith, walked in. “Hi, Sam. You settled in already?”
“Yeah, didn’t take long to unpack.”
“Good timing,” she said. “We’re heading out on a night ride. You want to come with us?”
Sam frowned. “I’m too heavy. The horses always groan when I mount them.”
Lara laughed. “Dad and Uncle Brandon ride them. You’re about their size.”
“I’ll give it a miss this time. I wanted to catch up with Brandon.”
Amy wandered in, her blonde curls damp and hanging down around her face. “Hey, Sam, sorry I didn’t hear you arrive. The others shouldn’t be long.”
Lara handed him a glass of water and he sipped it.
“Need a hand with anything?”
“No, everything is ready. We’re just waiting for the boys and Georgie to arrive.”
“Georgie is coming out?” Georgie had been a blessing, looking at houses for him while he’d been in Perth. Maybe she could tell him how he should approach Penelope.
“Yeah, she and Matt have been taking it in turns where they sleep now that Matt has a double bed in his room.”
A scuffle and thud announced the men returning home from their day out on the station. Darcy came in first, his frame taller and leaner than Brandon’s, but he had the same dark hair and eyes. He grinned at Sam as he hung his Akubra on the hook by the door. “G’day, Sam, how’s it going?” The family dog, Bennett, trotted over wagging his tail and Sam patted him.
“Could be better.”
Brandon came in behind Darcy and, in the same routine, placed his hat on the hook and said, “Are you sick of the town already?”
Sam laughed. “No, but a certain red-headed park ranger has thrown a spanner in the works.”
“Penelope?” Faith asked. “What has she done?”
“Suspended my licence for a week.”
Everyone stared at him as Matt came through the door and after he hung his hat on the hook, he smiled at Sam and then frowned. “What did I miss?”
“Sam’s been suspended already,” Brandon said.
Matt’s eyes widened. “Seriously? That’s gotta be a record.”
Sam rolled eyes. “Thanks for the support.”
Darcy got glasses out of the cupboard and two bottles of water from the fridge. “So what happened?”
Sam told them the story. “What’s your take on Penelope?” he asked Faith.
“She seems kind of shy to me. She didn’t say a lot at the girls’ night.”
Amy shook her head. “Not shy, worried. Worried about saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing. I’d say she lacks confidence.”
Interesting. He hadn’t considered that, but if he reviewed his interactions with her, it fit.
“So, what are you doing for the rest of the week?” Matt asked.
