Chapters (48)
- Cover
- Praise
- About the Author
- Also by Tricia Stringer
- Title Page
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgements
- Excerpt
- One
“Mum, she’s okay.” Laura spoke before Natalie had a chance. “The baby has a strong heartbeat.”
“Oh, that’s good news.”
“She couldn’t see a doctor—”
“Why not?”
“She was already on another call-out but there was a midwife there.”
“Helen?”
“Yes, Helen.”
Natalie felt a small wave of reassurance. Helen Bond had years of experience and was well regarded as the local guru for all things to do with pregnant mums and babies.
“Helen rang the doctor and she wants Kate to have an ultrasound in Adelaide tomorrow to see if they can work out what’s going on. Bree’s going to drive her.”
“Where’s Kate now?”
“In the hospital. Helen said she’d keep an eye on her.”
“That’s good.”
“Mum…Kate said before we left to tell you not to come back…it’s such a long way…” Laura’s voice was sounding small and uncertain again.
“I was already on my way,” Natalie said firmly. “My flight was cancelled, engine trouble. But I’ll be back as soon as I can tomorrow.”
“It’ll be great to see you.” There was relief in Laura’s voice. “We’ve missed you.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Natalie glanced at her watch and did the calculation. It was almost one am at home. “You girls get some rest and I’ll ring in the morning once I know when I’ll get back to Adelaide.”
“Okay, night then. Love you, Mum.”
“Love you too, darling, and love to Bree.”
Natalie glanced around the minimalist hotel room and gave a brief thought to the cabin that had been her home for almost two weeks. She’d enjoyed the guilty pleasure of total indulgence and time to herself and now…She picked up her phone and rang Milt.
He answered straight away.
“Bree’s driving Kate to Adelaide tomorrow for an ultrasound but everything’s okay for now,” she said. “I’ve been delayed in Perth.”
“I can meet them.”
“I wish I was home.”
“You being home wouldn’t have changed anything, not about Kate and the baby anyway.” He paused. “It’ll be good to have you back, Nat. Let me know when you have an arrival time. I’ll pick you up.”
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Three
Laura shoved one hand in her coat pocket and waved with the other as Bree drove away. The sun was still a dull glow beyond the horizon and the early-morning air was freezing. Her breaths puffed out in little clouds in front of her. The cat wove between her legs. She bent down and picked him up, pressed her face to his soft warmth.