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“We live just out of town.” Emma beamed. “And Nat is our three-month-old son.”

“Hang on. You live here?” Violet asked. “You live here and you have a baby?”

“And we’re married.” Emma held out her left hand. “We got married in Sydney while Jake was working at Randwick.” She looked embarrassed. “It was only a family do, Violet. We didn’t invite anyone from Brisbane.”

“Don’t be silly. Oh wow. I am so out of the loop. I knew you’d moved down to Randwick for a job, Jake. That was the last I heard.”

“I did, but it didn’t work out. Then Emma’s dad offered to invest in a property we were interested in, and here we are. We’ve bought our own property, and we’re building up our own stud.”

Violet’s eyes widened. “Tell me about your stud. How far along are you?”

“We’ve been here two years,” Jake said.

Emma’s voice was full of pride. “It’s been great, we have two very impressive stallions, thanks to Dad, and they’ve covered quite a few mares from across the state this season. This spring, our own mares started to foal, and we’ve got quite a maternity ward going. It’s rare for us to be away from the farm like this.’

Finally, Violet realised where their stud was; she’d driven past it on the way in on Saturday.

“Oh my God, you’re the Smiths with the stud up the road from Joe! I would never have made the connection with you guys.”

“You know Joe Rossiter?” Jake asked.

“I’m staying at his farm. Another long story,” Violet said. Her head felt like she was caught in a whirlwind.

“Speak of the devil.” Jake stood and shook Joe’s hand when he arrived at the table. “Gidday, Joe. Day off?”

Joe nodded. “Afternoon off, so I thought I’d bring Violet out for lunch. You guys know each other?”

“Know each other?” Jake said. “We’ve known Violet since before she finished uni. When she first started doing work experience, she started doing contract work at the racecourse with Emma’s dad.”

It looked like Joe was about to get the full history of her working life. At least Jake and Emma didn’t know anything about the fiasco with Brian, and Violet certainly wasn’t going to mention it.

“Would you like to join us?” Jake asked.

Violet looked up at Joe as he stood beside her chair. “I think you pair were having a day out on your own. You don’t want company, do you?”

“Of course, we do!” Emma exclaimed. “We want to hear all about what you’re doing in Bindarra Creek and where you met Joe.”

Jake nodded. “Grab another chair and sit down, Joe.”

“I’ll just get my handbag,” Violet said.

“Stay there, I’ll get it.” Joe walked back to their original table and picked up her bag. Violet smiled at him when he handed it to her. “Thank you.”

Joe sat between Jake and Violet, and curiosity filled Violet when Emma held her hand up and spoke to her husband. “Jake, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I sure am,” he said.

Joe and Violet looked at each other, confused.

Emma leaned forward. “Violet, you said you quit your job?”

“I did.”

“Do you have another one?” Jake asked.

Violet shook her head. “I have an interview Thursday of next week, down at ‘Kingdom Stud’ in the Hunter Valley.”

Emma frowned and looked at Jake.