Read The House On Burra Burra Lane for Free Online

size, which was cavernous, just by atmosphere. A roaring fire, some armchairs in the family dining area and the expected tables and chairs in the bar. Next to the bar was a humungous twisted-metal kookaburra sitting beneath a big station clock.
    Sammy felt exposed walking through with Ethan. She didn’t recognise anyone, but most lifted a hand in gesture to their vet.
    ‘What will you drink?’ Ethan turned at the bar, sliding a hand into his back pocket and producing a wallet.
    ‘I’m buying the first round, remember?’ If she let him buy, it might look like a date.
    ‘No. I’ll get them.’
    A man came up behind the bar, dressed in fancy black: trim and narrow with a pencil-straight tie and a waistcoat.
    ‘Frank,’ Ethan said, ‘this is Samantha Walker.’ He turned to Sammy. ‘This is Kookaburra’s owner, Fast Frank.’
    ‘The Burra Burra Lane lady herself.’ Fast Frank nodded at Sammy, tipped an imaginary hat. ‘Good to meet you. How’s it going? Doing okay? Not too much for you yet?’
    Ethan cleared his throat as he took money out of his wallet.
    Fast Frank shot him a glance. ‘Just asking, Ethan. Just asking.’ He turned to Sammy with raised eyebrows. ‘So you’re settling in?’
    Sammy smiled at the intense interest, and at her own sense of prowess. ‘Okay so far.’
    Her house was the only one on Burra Burra Lane. A five minute drive from All Seasons Road and Ethan’s surgery, and a perfect fifteen minute drive to the hardware store on Main Street. She tapped the bar. ‘I’ll have a beer please, Frank.’
    ‘Coming right up, Miss Walker.’
    ‘Call me Sammy.’
    It would be good to do some people-watching as she found her spot in this new environment, but one glance over her shoulder told her she was of more interest than she’d like to be. She’d stay close to Ethan. Not too close, just next to him.
    ‘Young lady, get yourself over here where I can see you.’
    ‘That’s Grandy,’ Ethan said. ‘You’d better go.’
    Sammy turned to an old man who had to be close to ninety. He must have been a strapping young man because his length swallowed up the chair he sat in. He’d stamped his boots on the floor in a proprietary manner and he had a cane between his long thighs. It was the aura of town commander that dragged Sammy, and her nerves, forwards.
    A spectacular young woman sat next to Grandy. She had sleek blonde hair which she stroked from her face with pale hands and manicured nails in a glossy crimson varnish.
    ‘I’m Grandy Morelly.’ He placed his hands on top of his cane. ‘And this here’s m’granddaughter, Julia Morelly. Foolish young time waster but the only grandchild still in town, so I have to put up with her nonsense.’
    Sammy wasn’t sure whether to show surprise or sympathy. Julia certainly demanded attention. Her looks fitted wine bar living, not the country.
    ‘There’s a tab running on you,’ Grandy said. ‘We’re trying to figure out how long you’ll stay.’
    A bet ? Sammy swallowed. Is that why Fast Frank had been interested? Did he have a bet down? Presumably this was a normal country town exercise, so she didn’t respond with anything but a smile. Did Ethan have a bet down?
    ‘You’re slight, but I’ve given you the year.’
    ‘The whole year?’ Sammy enquired politely.
    ‘Some only gave you three months.’ Grandy winked. ‘What are you doing with Ethan?’
    Her breath caught. ‘I’m not doing anything with him. He’s my builder.’
    ‘Ethan,’ Julia said, her gaze turning dark and dreamy, as though she was thinking of long evenings full of steamy passion. ‘If I was animal inclined, I’d probably get a dog or some birds.’
    ‘Sit still, Julia,’ Grandy said, his tone disgruntled. ‘Ethan isn’t for you, he’d swallow you up with one sentence, you foolish girl.’
    Julia gave a slight pout.
    ‘Got twenty acres attached to the side of your property, young Walker. The fence is coming down in sections but I tell you what I’ll