“I’m sure another doctor wouldn’t be able to tell me anything different.”

Through the open door, Dan could see Paula had a tight grip on the phone. Her other hand was pressed against the opposite ear.

“While my blood pressure is elevated Lachlan wants to see me each week. He doesn’t want me to fly and it’s getting too late to book anyway. Christmas is less than two weeks away.”

So her blood pressure was still up. He had tried to be reassuring before she left for her appointment, saying they’d book flights to Sydney as soon as she got home. He knew the only flights they were likely to get would be expensive but he sensed Paula needed to be with her family for Christmas. He could hear Diane’s raised tone from where he stood. His mother-in-law was an agreeable woman but very persistent.

“That’s kind of you, Mum, but we don’t need you to pay for the flights,” Paula said. “Look, I can hear a car, I have to go. I’ll ring you later. Bye.”

Paula’s words had tumbled out. There was no car. He watched as she dropped the phone to her lap and began to sob.

Dan sighed. If he told her everything now he wasn’t sure he could hold his own emotions in check. He was overwhelmed by what he felt was the treachery of his father’s will and the huge impact that now had on their future. If he told Paula about that now he wasn’t sure he could hold it all together to be the support she needed and he’d be adding more to her worries. Lachlan Hunter may just be taking things cautiously but what if the pregnancy did become more complicated? All Dan could do was be there for her and pray that Paula and the baby would be alright.

Somehow he would make Christmas special for them here on the farm. He stepped over the shopping bags and bent to wrap his wife in his arms.

Chapter 27

CHAPTER

27

“Merry Christmas.” Dan placed a small parcel in Paula’s lap and nuzzled her ear with a soft kiss.

She hunched her shoulders as a warm shiver wriggled down her spine then she turned to kiss him back. “Thank you.” His gift was simply wrapped in gold paper with a deeper gold ribbon. She wondered if he’d wrapped it himself as she placed it beside her and pushed herself up from the couch.

“No,” he said. “You stay there and open your present. I’ll get whatever you want.”

“Dan,” she smiled lovingly at her husband, “you’ve done enough this morning. I was going to get your parcel.”

“Okay,” he said and bounced onto the couch.