Episode 7344

Extended Summary

Ryder exits the caravan park house and tells Roo he’s going to meet Evan and possibly go on the lighthouse walk. He also thinks it’s time that Evan met Alf properly. Roo tries to dissuade him, suggesting it might be best to wait, but Ryder intends to spring a meal on Alf. He thanks Roo for pushing him to get to know Evan. Soon after, he meets Evan on the beach and says he’ll take him to meet “Grumps”. Evan suggests he calls him Alf and Ryder suggests he call him Mr Stewart. He notices Evan is out of breath; Evan says he had to run to get there on time. They go to find Alf and Martha at the bait shop. Ryder introduces Alf and Evan to each other and Martha introduces herself. Ryder announces they’re going for lunch at Salt and Martha quickly accepts for both of them (also correcting Alf when he calls Evan “Errol”).

Ziggy finishes a phone call at the garage and tells Dean she doesn’t have time for the holiday or even to talk about it. She suggests she can spare half an hour at lunch but Dean says to forget it. He leaves as Justin arrives with coffee. Ziggy gives him a rundown on the work and Justin tells her he appreciates it. Dean meets up with Ben outside the surf club and shows him the flyer. Ben thinks it looks awesome and Dean explains Ziggy doesn’t want to take time off work. He worries that she’s been stressed recently. Ben suggests that once she’s settled into her new role there’ll be other comps.

Shortly after, inside, Ben encounters Maggie as she exits the gym and asks her about the trip and Coco. Maggie somewhat pointedly suggests he should call Coco himself. Dean tells Ben that a conversation like that is what he’s trying to avoid for himself and Ziggy. Ben says if she won’t ask Justin for time off, there’s not a lot Dean can do. Dean gets a light bulb look on his face and goes to the garage, asking Justin himself. Justin is happy for Ziggy to take time off, saying he’s learned you need a work/life balance. Ziggy arrives back from dropping a car off and Dean tells her what he’s done. Ziggy is furious.

Ryder leads Alf, Martha and Evan into Salt. Seeing Roo at the bar, he asks for a table for five, then invites Roo to join them, also suggesting she help break the ice between Alf and Evan. At the garage, Dean points out to Ziggy where her 10mm socket is as she works on a car. Justin leaves, saying to let him know. Ziggy accuses Dean of undermining her. Dean says it was about spending time together. Ziggy says the job is important to her. Dean says he didn’t understand that and leaves her to it.

Justin meets up with Leah near the beach and tells her about Dean and Ziggy’s disagreement. They see Maggie looking lonely; Leah decides to go and speak to her while Justin goes to check on Ben. Leah invites Maggie to come for a walk. As they walk on the beach, Maggie reflects that she’s been with Ben for 20-odd years. Now the girls are grown up, she thought they’d travel together and have adventures: Instead, they just seem to fight all the time. She admits she’s never lived alone. Leah suggests she needs to find a new version of herself.

Ryder tells the story of Alf buying him a car and Alf says he earned it by studying hard. He questions Evan about his plans and Evan says he just wants to get to know Ryder. Martha mentions their trip around Australia and Ryder suggests he and Evan go on a road trip some day. Roo and Evan both look uncomfortable and Roo asks to speak to Evan outside. There, she wonders when Evan plans to tell Ryder and quickly realises he isn’t going to. Evan says he doesn’t want Ryder to spend all his time thinking it’ll be the last time he sees him. Roo says their bonding is a lie and asks what he’ll do when he can’t hide that he’s sick. Evan doesn’t know but repeats that he doesn’t want Ryder to know, walking away.

Alf, Martha and Ryder wonder where the pair have got to. Ryder asks Alf if he likes Evan and Alf says he has to, given how alike Ryder he is. Ryder gets a text from Evan saying Roo’s gone home and implying he’s not coming back. Ryder goes to look for Evan while Alf and Martha go home and find Roo. They ask her what’s going on. Roo says it’s going to end badly between Ryder and Evan, explaining that Evan’s dying: She promised not to say anything but doesn’t like lying to him.

Ziggy arrives home as Dean is wrapping something. He shows her what it is: A toolbox with plenty of sockets in it. Ziggy says a customer brought in a beat-up car and she realised you need to work at things. She promises they’ll go away together when she’s settled at work. Meanwhile, Leah and Maggie are now sat on the pier. Leah points out that Maggie is an intelligent career woman who survived cancer and suggests that if a door closes, another one opens.

Ryder is met by Alf and Roo outside the house and tells them Evan texted him and they’re meeting at the Diner later. Roo sits him down and tells him Evan’s dying. As she explains, Ryder looks more and more devastated.