Drover's Run..

"So its just the four of us for dinner tonight Jodi." Kate remarks.

"It's a shame Stevie's still got her knickers in a twist we could have had a fun night like the old days." Jodi grumbles.

"That's a bit unfair Stretch she's been through a lot." Kate sympathizes.

"Yeah well so have we." Jodi grumbles.

"We didn't have our life exposed like she did and we didn't have to face the prospect of loosing our freedom and all we hold dear." Kate retorts.

Jodi looks at her friend and replies" I guess you're right but she doesn't have to take it out on us."

" She's taking it out on herself Jodes we're just getting the tail end of it." Kate replies.

...

Alex saunters over to the shed door and is surprised by what he finds.

Stevie is sitting on an oil drum with her back to him.

Her shoulders slumped forward ,her head lowered.

" Hey." He offers.

Swiftly she stands and begins moving tools around on the bench.

She doesn't reply or acknowledge his presence.

...

"Don't you think it's time you act like a grown up instead of this childish routine you're pulling at the moment." He yells.

A rubber mallet thumps into the tin a metre from where he's standing.

She glares at him.

Even though her eyes are glassy the anger in them isn't lost on him.

"Is that the best you have to offer!" He yells at her.

She turns back to the bench and snarls." Go to hell."

A long silence fills the space between them.

...

" I know you don't want to talk to me Stevie because you're hurt , sad and angry. You've never been a selfish person and despite what you've been telling yourself I don't deserve your silence. I've been through a lot too ya know my father was murdered , the child I thought I was going to have disappeared and my marriage dissolved. To top that all off I've lost my best friend ." He explains

He hears her sniff as she lifts her hand to her face.

Stevie tries to gain control of herself.

Her heart is pounding as her thoughts spin rapidly through her mind.

A minute drags past before she turns around.

He's gone.

...

Wiping the last of the tears from her face she feels a mixture of guilt and sadness.

Taking four steps closer to the door she retrieves the mallet from the floor and inspects the dint where it hit the shed wall.

A single red rose on the bench catches her eye.

It wasn't there before.

Lifting it to her face she inhales the aroma.

...

Nick walks to the Ute and opens the door as Alex turns the engine over.

" Hows Tess?" Alex asks.

" She's ok."

" Stevie talk to you?"

"Yeah ."

"Well that's a start ."

"Nah she told me to go to hell!"

"At least she said something."

"If looks could kill I'd be dead." Alex replies.

Stevie watches as the Ute lifts a cloud of dust as it moves towards the front gate.

...