‘I was given notice last weekend at my house. I’ve got just over a week to find somewhere new to live.’
‘Oh Nat,’ Sue said. ‘You poor thing. Have you looked for something else yet?’
Nat nodded. ‘Unfortunately my references aren’t exactly glowing.’
‘Finding somewhere to live without a job isn’t going to be easy,’ Hannah said.
Nat stared at her sister. ‘Do you think that any of your comments are helpful? I know I messed up, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat, and I know getting another job will be tricky, as will finding a place to live. I don’t need you being so condescending about it all.’
Hannah’s cheeks flamed red. ‘I wasn’t being condescending, I was just stating a fact. I’m sorry if you took it any other way.’
‘You should move in with us,’ Amy said. ‘That would be so much fun.’
‘And listen to your mother telling me how stupid I’ve been, how I take too many risks and now have to live with the consequences . . . no thanks.’
‘I don’t think you’re stupid,’ Hannah said. ‘I just think there are better ways to do things. There’s that saying that banging your head against the same wall and expecting a different result is madness. That’s what I see you doing. Yes, it’s admirable to be helping people but not when it’s at a massive cost to you. There are other ways to go about helping without having to suffer yourself. I know you said no to the life coaching sessions but I wish you’d give them a go. The sessions force me to set goals and stay focused. I wouldn’t have been offered this promotion if I hadn’t made a plan and worked towards my goals.’
Nat rolled her eyes. She knew when she’d handed Hannah the present back that it was unlikely to be the end of it. ‘Like I said on my birthday, I’m happy with my life. I don’t need a stranger giving me advice. God, I get enough of it from you for free, which I ignore.’
Hannah folded her arms across her chest. ‘Maybe if you didn’t ignore it you wouldn’t be back in a difficult situation once again.’
‘Maybe if you stopped dishing out unsolicited advice I would relax and not feel like I was being judged the whole time. And don’t worry, there’s no way on this earth I’d ever want to move in with you, so you won’t be put out.’
Phyllie clapped her hands together. ‘Enough. We’re here to celebrate my gorgeous daughter-in-law’s birthday and the anniversary of her passing. You two will stop your bickering and, Nat, you will move in with me. End of discussion. We’ll sort out the details later.’
‘But . . .’ Nat started to object.
‘No buts. It will help you out temporarily and’ – she turned and glared at Hannah – ‘hopefully get your interfering sister off my back about assisted living.’
Nat couldn’t help but smile as Hannah’s cheeks blushed an even deeper shade of red.
‘There will be no more arguing tonight,’ Phyllie continued, looking from Nat to Hannah. ‘We are not here to act like children.’ She glanced at Amy. ‘No offence, honey, you behave a lot more maturely than these two at times.’
Amy grinned. ‘And I have news too. Exciting news.’
All eyes turned to her.
‘I was one of ten students to win something today!’
‘That’s marvellous,’ Phyllie said. ‘What did you win?’
‘A place in Equestrian. Studying the behaviour of the horses and learning to ride. We can also volunteer to work at the stables after school or on the weekend.’
‘No,’ Hannah spoke with authority.
All eyes shifted from Amy to Hannah.
‘It’s too dangerous. We’ve had this conversation before and you know my feelings on it. This is not something to discuss now. We’ll talk about it when we get home.’
‘Sounds like you’ve already made your mind up,’ Nat said. ‘Not much of a discussion.’
‘Stay out of it.’ Hannah was biting her lip, a sign her anger was escalating.
Damien held up his hands. ‘Okay, this is a discussion for us to have at home. Not during Carmel’s celebration.’ His eyes drilled into Amy’s. ‘Not the best night to ask, Ames.’
‘Why not? Grandma would have wanted me to join the pony club. And the lessons through school are free. There were only ten places in Equestrian for this term, and I got one of them. You can’t say no.’
Hannah took a large sip of her champagne, looking as if she was trying to contain her irritation. ‘Even though you never met her, you believe your grandma would have wanted you to put yourself in danger unnecessarily?’
Amy nodded. ‘I don’t need to have known her. You’ve all spoken about how adventurous she was, how she loved horses and how if she’d survived the accident she would have got back on and kept riding. Now I can get back on for her. And anyway, in Australia only twenty people a year die from horse-related accidents, you said so yourself.’
Hannah shook her head. ‘Only twenty. That’s twenty people too many. The figures of how dangerous horse riding is were supposed to put you off, not make you think only twenty.’
‘Twenty out of millions is nothing,’ Amy said. ‘You’re overreacting.’
Nat stifled a laugh. Overreacting was an understatement when it came to Hannah. She grinned at her niece. ‘Twenty out of millions isn’t many, is it. I guess that means it’s safe for you to go.’
Amy looked to her mother, her hazel eyes full of hope. ‘Does it?’
Hannah shot daggers at her sister. ‘Of course not. Twenty deaths a year confirms it’s dangerous. People worry about dying from spider and snake bites and shark attacks, yet they don’t seem to realise that the deadliest animal of all is the horse. There are more horse-related deaths per year in Australia than any other animal. Now, let’s change the subject.’
‘We’ll talk about it at home,’ Damien repeated. ‘Tonight is about celebrating your grandmother’s life, not arguing about things that don’t need to be resolved right now.’
Amy’s glare was lost on Hannah as her phone rang, again. The colour, which had become quite red as she got more and more worked up, drained from her face as she took it from her pocket and glanced at the screen.
‘For goodness’ sake,’ Phyllie said. ‘Someone’s obviously needing to speak to you. Go and answer it.’
Hannah nodded before standing and pushing her chair back. She put the phone to her ear as she retreated from the room. ‘Hold on a minute, Martin, I’m at a dinner so I need to leave the room.’
‘Martin’s her boss,’ Damien said, in what appeared to be an apology on Hannah’s behalf. ‘I’m sure she won’t be long. She knows how important tonight is. It’s probably why she was ignoring his calls, she wouldn’t want Carmel’s night interrupted.’
Hannah walked to the far end of the house, ensuring she was well out of hearing distance before clearing her throat. ‘I’m at a family dinner, Zane. It’s the anniversary of my mother’s death, which takes priority over anything you could have to say to me right now. I told you twelve years ago I wanted you gone from my life. You agreed I’d never hear from you again.’