Rowena smiled at Paula. “We’re fine. And now that we’ve cleared the air you can concentrate on getting that baby well enough to go home.”

“I’m not going home.”

Dan and Rowena both stared at Paula as if she’d gone mad. She kept her gaze on Dan. She might be tired but she was determined.

“We may as well make use of this time in Adelaide. Until we get everything sorted out and do some future planning I am not taking our son back to the farm.”

“But I can’t stay here indefinitely. I’ve got to go home.”

“You can, but the baby and I will wait for you here.”

There had been enough hurt. Paula didn’t want to cause any more but she wasn’t going back with their future unresolved.

They were all distracted by a tap on the door.

“Hello.” Austin came in carrying a huge bunch of flowers with an enormous balloon declaring ‘It’s a boy!’

“Oh, Austin, Paula doesn’t need any more flowers,” Rowena said.

Paula rushed to give him a hug. “They’re beautiful, thank you,” she whispered in his ear.

“Sorry I’ve been so long. I couldn’t find your room. Ended up in a totally different building.”

“We’ve had a good discussion and I think Paula’s right,” Rowena said.

Paula wasn’t sure if her mouth was hanging open. She put her fingers to her lips just in case.

“We do need to sort this out, once and for all. There have been too many misunderstandings and mistakes made already,” Rowena continued. “Your father’s will was an unfortunate one, Dan, but he did what he thought was best at the time and we can’t change that now. What we can do is make sure the future, from this point, is given more forethought and planning. Of course I can’t imagine your son not being a farmer…”

Paula frowned. Some things would never change.

“It’s in his blood,” Rowena continued, “but you never know, I suppose.”

Or maybe they could, Paula thought.

Chapter 46

CHAPTER

46

“Is our little man ready for his big day?”

Paula glanced up. She had been gazing at her sleeping son and hadn’t heard her mother step softly into the bedroom.

“He’s full and sleeping like a baby.” Paula grinned at her own words. The first couple of weeks after he was born he’d slept a lot and they’d often had to wake him for feeds but that had changed once they’d settled back at home. He didn’t sleep at all for long periods of time, perhaps one five-hour stint at night if they were lucky, but she was still breastfeeding and he was growing fast. She had begun to worry he wouldn’t fit into the baptism gown but it was a perfect fit.