Free The Sunburnt Country by Fiona Palmer Page B

will find out, everyone around here has lots to worry about.’
    ‘Is she in trouble?’ Dan couldn’t help but pry. He was desperate to know more about this town’s mysterious mechanic.
    ‘Who’s in trouble?’ asked Zac as he came back to the bar, this time pulling up a stool on the other side of Renae. He reached over to get his beer, his shoulder bumping hers.
    ‘Jonny. She’s just worried about Ryan.’
    ‘Is that what’s up? Everything okay with them?’ Zac asked, taking over the conversation with Renae.
    ‘Ryan was just a bit weird earlier. He hasn’t been himself lately but what do you expect? He’s been through a lot.’
    Zac nodded like he understood, but Dan was even more confused. Who was Ryan?
    ‘Is Ryan her boyfriend?’ Being the new guy, he figured he could get away with asking.
    Both of them looked at him before glancing at each other and snorting with laughter. ‘Ah, no, mate. Ryan’s an old mate of Jonny’s and ours. You have a lot to learn, my good friend. Why d’you ask?’ Zac looked down his nose at him, very Sherlock Holmes.
    ‘Oh, no, I was just wondering, that’s all. So many people I don’t know, just trying to piece you all together.’
    This seemed satisfy Zac but Dan noticed Renae shoot him a curious look, accompanied by the hint of a smile on her lips. She had even backed off with her flirting, and he had to admit he preferred her this way. Whereas Jonelle never seemed to put on an appearance. Oh, he liked her, that’s for sure. She had spunk. She was someone he thought his mother would approve of for her son, not like his father. His dad always believed work came before women.
    One thing was certain – he’d never met anyone quite like Jonelle Baxter.

Chapter 9
    JONELLE had just finished greasing the new bearings on Mr Walton’s ute and decided to walk to the shop for an iced coffee. All weekend she’d been restless with worry. The only way to stop her mind from thinking about Ryan was to bury herself in work. Most of it had been farm work, helping out her dad and brothers. Fixing fences was the worst job she could think of, but she’d jumped at the chance to stay busy. Zac’s clowning around could take her mind off anything. She’d called Ryan on Saturday afternoon. He’d seemed in good spirits, but even so, when she’d asked if she could come over and catch up, he knocked her back saying he was busy doing bookwork and wouldn’t be great company. He suggested another day, maybe the next weekend, and she’d agreed. But it still didn’t help Jonelle’s feeling of unease. Ryan’s outburst at the pub had been completely out of character.
    Walking towards the shop, she relished the light breeze that kept the flies away and the heat off her skin. After lunch the temperature was bound to soar again. By about two o’clock the streets would be deserted. She had to walk past the bank and did so swiftly, trying not to roll an ankle on the broken path. Not even the shade from the lilac tree could entice her to pause.
    Jonny parted the plastic strips hanging in the doorway and entered the shop. As she went to grab a drink from the shelf, she was startled by a voice inside the fridge. ‘Hey, Jonny.’
    ‘Oh Jesus, Carlo. You shit. What are you doing in there?’
    ‘I’m supposed to be stocking the fridge but really I’m just hiding from Gabby. She’s on the warpath today.’
    Jonny laughed and wished him luck as she took her drink to the counter.
    Jonny stopped outside the shop and opened up her carton, the cold milky coffee soothing her thirst. She spotted Ryan coming out of the post office with a handful of mail. He was wearing Bundara footy club shorts and an old shearing singlet with his workboots. She was going to call out but then she saw him throw his mail into the bin. She stood there in shock as Ryan climbed into his ute and drove off. She simply couldn’t move. She was scared. But scared of what? Scared at what kind of mood Ryan was in? Scared that