Outback Dreams Read Online Free

to live with their daughter. The new year-one teacher had an affair with the principal. Oh, and Monty’s started renovating Old Man Silvey’s place on Annadale Farm, but maybe he’s already told you that.’
    Jenni snorted. ‘No, he hasn’t. Daniel is far too busy working to talk to his old mum. I had hoped he might come down with you this weekend.’
    Faith bit her lower lip and shrugged apologetically. ‘I did suggest it, but…’
    â€˜It’s not your fault,’ Jenni blustered. ‘Anyway, whatever do the Burtons plan on doing with Tom’s old cottage?’
    â€˜According to Monty, Adam just wants to give Mrs Burton a project. They might rent it out to holiday-makers one day, but he reckons she’s wallowed far too long.’
    Jenni sighed. ‘Adam would be right. I don’t blame Esther Burton for pining after her little girl, but it must be almost twenty years since she went missing. It was before we moved down here.’ She paused for a moment, as if contemplating. ‘Esther needs to remember she has a husband and son worth living for.’
    Not having children herself, Faith found it hard to imagine what it would be like to lose one, but she guessed it wasn’t something you’d easily recover from. Most of her memories of the Burton girl were from stories still passed around by the locals— Adam rarely spoke about his sister—but Faith remembered the fuss when she first went missing. The whole town had been involved in the search, but no one had ever found a trace.
    â€˜How is Daniel anyway?’ Jenni finished making her tea, placed a mug next to Faith and sat down at the table.
    â€˜Same as ever.’ Faith found herself holding back a grin as she recalled the way she’d described him to the old girls last night. She’d almost forgotten she didn’t have a real boyfriend. ‘He works so hard, I rarely see him unless I go along and play his assistant. If he’s not at the Burtons’, he’s out on the boats or helping some farmer or other with a task they’d rather not do themselves.’
    â€˜Good to see nothing changes,’ Jenni mused over the top of her mug, although her tone told Faith she wished it would.
    Faith watched her egg mixture bubble in the pan. ‘You raised him stubborn. He’s got a dream and he won’t stop working until he achieves it.’
    Another sigh left Jenni’s lips. ‘Stubborn runs in the Montgomery blood, but I’d like him to settle down one of these days. I’d like to have grandchildren while I’m still young enough to enjoy them.’
    And I’d like to have children before menopause, thought Faith.
    She started and almost burnt her hand on the edge of the frying pan. Where had that come from? At twenty-nine, she’d never— until two seconds ago—given one thought to her biological clock. She’d never even been sure she wanted to have children. Had to be all those successful and fertile women she’d been hanging around last night. Had to be all that talk of her successful and good-looking pretend boyfriend. A girl’s imagination could get away from her if she let it.
    â€˜I think you might need that puppy as much as Will,’ Faith said eventually. ‘You know, like a substitute grandchild.’
    Jenni raised one eyebrow.
    â€˜Monty barely stops work long enough to meet eligible women and anyway, the only one he’s shown any interest in recently is princess Ruby Jones.’
    â€˜Princess who?’ Jenni leaned forward, her eyes dancing with interest.
    â€˜Oh, it’s nothing. It’s really none of my business.’
    â€˜Now, don’t go giving me that line,’ Jenni said in her strict-mum voice. ‘You wouldn’t have said anything if it was nothing. Who is this Ruby? It’s the first time I’ve heard of her.’
    Faith sighed. ‘Ruby is the daughter of Robert