Episode 7375

Extended Summary

Ziggy arrives at the surf club and heads towards Salt but Leah, emerging from the gym, calls out to her. Upstairs, Ryder wonders how Dean and Amber know each other. Dean tries to make out they don’t know each other that well but Amber tells a story of him not being able to find his pants when Karen caught them in the back of his car. Dean explains he’s there meeting his girlfriend, just in time for Ziggy to turn up. After she and Amber exchange introductions, Dean ushers Ziggy away downstairs. Ziggy wonders why and Dean admits Amber, who he knows from Mangrove River, was more than a friend a couple of times but says the only reason he didn’t want to stick around was because he didn’t want to get into a long conversation.

Next morning, Colby and Bella are exiting the Diner flat. After making small talk about the weather, Colby asks about her plans for today, which Bella suspects means whether or not she’s meeting Nikau. She says she’s meeting Ryder so they can compare TAFE timetables and see if she can get a lift in with sometimes. Colby cautions her to be careful around the Paratas and Bella warns him that if he gets into a lecture she won’t come home tonight. At the Palmer house, John finishes a phone call and reports that the agency doesn’t have any carers available apart from Amber. Marilyn reminds him she’s meant to be working at the Diner since he said he didn’t want her looking after him, and asks if she’s meant to let Irene and Leah down. John says he’s not asking her to stay so Marilyn leaves.

At the Diner, Bella explains to Leah about how she had to defer her TAFE course to attend the equine centre but is hoping to start soon. Marilyn comes in, somewhat flustered, and Leah takes her into the kitchen. Marilyn explains about John sacking Amber and how she had to leave him alone, saying she feels trapped. Outside the flat, Dean sends a text to Colby. He tells Ziggy he needs to let Colby know about Amber being back, explaining Colby has a different history with her to him. Ziggy asks if Amber knows it wasn’t serious between her and Dean. Dean points out he hasn’t seen her in years and asks how Ziggy’s divorce is going. Ziggy says she’s filled in the paperwork but accepts the point. They kiss and go back inside.

On the beach, Colby and Ryder have finished a surf and Ryder is asking Colby to teach him how to cut back, saying Bella won’t mind if he’s a bit late. They see Amber further down the beach and she and Colby look at each other in mutual recognition. Amber slowly walks over and punches Colby before walking away. As they walk up from the beach, Ryder asks Colby if he’s going to arrest her and explains he saw her with Dean last night. Colby asks him to keep it to himself. Ryder points out it happened on a public beach, but when Colby says he’ll teach him to cut back if he does, he readily agrees.

John is lying on the couch doing exercise to strengthen his leg. Amber suddenly marches in. John points out he fired her and Amber retorts that she’s unfiring herself. John tries to protest but Amber cuts him short, saying she’s had a bad morning, she needs the job and he needs a carer. Meanwhile, Dean and Ziggy are curled up in bed but he is annoyed when she asks about Amber again. Ziggy says she doesn’t know much about Dean’s life before they met. Dean replies that she knows all about Willow and Karen and offers a list of everyone he slept with. He goes to leave before explaining he hooked up with Amber after getting out of prison: Colby was gone, Karen didn’t want to know him and it was over with Willow, and even though Amber was a good friend, it was the worst time of his life. Ziggy invites him back into bed.

Marilyn continues to fret over John and wonders if she should take an early lunch to check on him. Leah offers to pop in while doing errands. Ryder comes in and sits with Bella, telling her about talking to Evan on the phone last night. Bella wonders why he was late and Ryder says he can’t say. Bella seems to accept it, then Ryder blurts out that one of Dean’s friends punched Colby. At the Palmer house, Amber has got John making a few steps with his stick. Leah turns up and John explains she’s one of Marilyn’s workmates come to check up on him. Amber shoos her out, saying they’re going to the gym in her car. John is shocked to realise she means it: He admits there’s a gym at the surf club but explains he works there and doesn’t want people staring at him. Amber says that if they did, they’d have her to deal with.

At the surf club, Dean is amused to see the damage to Colby; Colby says Dean could have warned him but Dean cheerily says Colby deserved it. Ziggy asks for an explanation and Dean explains Amber’s brother died in a car accident and she blames Colby. Bella turns up with Ryder and asks Colby what’s going on. Colby tells her not to worry about it and asks to talk to Dean outside. Ziggy is left to look after the board shop. Outside, Colby asks Dean what Amber knows. Dean says she knows Colby left her brother to die. Colby says it’s not that simple and wonders why she didn’t report him. Dean says he convinced her not to. Colby asks how he should play it.

Ryder and Bella look over their timetables and agree he can drive her in just about every day. Ryder notes he’ll be pleased to have someone to talk to other than himself. John and Amber arrive; John worries everyone is looking but Amber suggests they’re just pleased to see him, which is backed up by a friendly greeting from Ziggy. Ryder points Amber out to Bella and she storms over but then she and Amber recognise each other: Amber is shocked Colby actually found Bella but says to ask him why she hit him. She and John go into the gym and she explains the exercises but John is curious about her history with Colby, reminding her she said they were a team.

Leah arrives back at the Diner and tells Marilyn that John’s carer was taking him to the gym. Marilyn realises from Leah’s description that it was Amber. Leah notes she seemed a tough nut but might be just what John needs. At the gym, Amber tells John that Jai was a good brother who made sure she was never hungry, then he was gone, she nearly lost Dean too and Colby walked away without a scratch. John is surprised she was part of “that crowd” and wonders if she still is. Amber says you can take the girl out of Mangrove River. Colby comes in with Dean and suggests he and Amber should talk.

Dean and Ziggy settle John back at home and John warns Dean not to touch anything. Marilyn arrives back and assumes he’s fired Amber again. John says she had to go so Ziggy offered him a lift back. Dean protests that that was him before he and Ziggy leave. John tells Marilyn that Amber’s from Mangrove River. Marilyn assumes that means he’ll want a new carer but John can’t wait to hear what happened between her and Colby. Meanwhile, Colby and Amber walk near the beach and she notes she’ll probably be around for a few months to help John. Colby reminds her they used to be friends and says he’s sorry about Jai. Amber points out Jai was only in the car because of him. Colby says he was trying to save Bella from Ross. Amber accepts that but says Colby had a choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing: He chose to walk away from people who’d tried to help him and she’ll never forgive him for that.