Page 26 of Sharing Forever in Hope Creek (Hope Creek #2)

Callie smiled when she woke up and realised she was not only out of hospital and in her own bed at the homestead, but that her head was cushioned against Jack’s chest and the low pounding she registered was the reassuring regularity of his heartbeat.

She wasn’t certain he’d still be here this morning.

Last night he’d been preoccupied … on edge …

and she knew something other than her fall was worrying him.

‘You’re awake, Sleeping Beauty.’

His voice was deeper first thing in the morning, and she found it even sexier. Oh, she could so get used to waking up in his arms. What a wonderful way to start the day.

‘Good morning.’

His hand smoothed over her hair. ‘How are you feeling?’

She moved so she was propped up on one elbow and able to look at him.

Before she answered, she took in every one of his features, from the well-defined nose to his chiselled cheekbones.

While he was still handsome, he looked exhausted this morning—and there was still something in his eyes, something elusive that told her he was here in body but maybe not completely in mind.

She pushed the thought away. As a successful businessman, of course he’d have a lot on his mind. ‘I think I’m okay. Probably not awake enough to tell yet.’

‘No headache?’

‘No.’

‘That’s good to hear.’

A quick glance at the digital clock on her bedside table told her it was almost nine o’clock. ‘Goodness, I’ve slept late.’

‘You must’ve needed it.’

Lines of fatigue etched themselves more deeply around his eyes and concerned her. ‘Did you sleep last night? You don’t look as though you did.’

Was he having second thoughts about fatherhood? About their relationship?

She hadn’t been able to convince him to make love to her last night and whilst he’d said he was still worried about her bump to the head, he hadn’t even been aroused as she’d drifted off to sleep in his arms. Given his libido, surely that was telling?

He looked away from her for a few seconds before answering, ‘Not much.’ Then passing it off he said, ‘You know how it is … new place, new bed … not to mention the dogs going mad in the middle of the night.’

‘Sorry about that. I do remember them barking but they didn’t really disturb me. I just snuggled back against you and I suspect I fell back into a deep sleep even before they stopped barking.’

‘Are they normally so noisy?’

‘They’re normally pretty good,’ she said as she stretched. ‘Must’ve been a kangaroo or a possum that got too close to their pen.’

‘Well, hopefully they’ll be quiet tonight, otherwise we might move back to the cottage for the rest of the time we’re here,’ he suggested.

‘Sounds like a good idea, anyway. It’ll be more private.’ And it was reassuring to know he still wanted them to be together.

I’m being oversensitive.

‘ There was no way Margaret was going to let you leave last night. You had all of us worried with your fainting spell.’

‘Well, you heard what the doctor said—I’m fine and the baby’s fine and there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.

’ She tilted her head at him before she said quietly, ‘You, on the other hand … Jack, even last night at the hospital when I could see how concerned you were about me, I felt like you were somewhere else.’ She was certain it was more than the new bed and the dogs that had kept him from his sleep.

‘If there’s a problem, we should talk about it. ’

‘No problem. I’ve had a lot on my mind, but everything’s fine.’ He ran a fingertip down the bridge of her nose before he traced the outline of her lips. ‘Are you ready for your dry cracker?’

Callie smiled. ‘You make me feel like I’m a parrot. Just don’t start calling me Polly!’

Her quip earned her a rumble of sexy laughter.

‘I think I’m good right now, Jack, but thanks for asking.’ He had learned about her need for the dry food to keep her morning sickness at bay and had been very solicitous. ‘I’m not in any rush to get out of bed. Are you?’

‘Er … yeah. I have to be somewhere and I have to leave as soon as possible.’

Damn! ‘That sounds mysterious.’

‘Business,’ he told her as he shrugged. Then his expression softened as his hand caressed down her side and across her abdomen so that his palm was placed over the area where their baby was developing. ‘You know how important you are to me, right?’

The skin between her brows tightened as she wondered where he was going with this. ‘You’re showing me that in your care for me every day we’re together.’

He nodded. ‘I know I saw the still photo from the ultrasound, but seeing our baby live last night on the ultrasound scan … I was deeply moved. It’s incredible to realise your body is nurturing a little human and even though your body’s designed to do it, it must still take a physical toll.’

She smiled at the awe in his voice. ‘Seeing the baby’s movements on the screen makes it a lot more real, doesn’t it?

’ The first time she’d heard the baby’s heart beating her jaw had slackened in awe.

Last night, Jack had held her hand as the doctor had performed the scan as part of the checkup after her fall, and in those moments she’d felt closer than ever to Jack.

‘I couldn’t believe it when I could see it so well—the spinal cord, the little nose. And those arms and legs moving about … You still haven’t felt any movement?’

‘No. But remember, at the moment the baby’s only thirteen weeks old and not that much bigger than a peach. It’s got a lot of fluid surrounding it, too, so that’s going to stop me from feeling the movement.’

‘I have to admit I was reassured when the sonographer said that what looked like a pot belly is totally normal.’

‘I assure you I haven’t been drinking beer so our baby isn’t going to be born with a classic Aussie beer belly!’ Callie laughed.

‘We humans are almost alien-like in utero, aren’t we? That huge head!’

‘The head has been growing faster than the rest of the body but by next scan it’ll be much more proportionate.’

‘Hey. If our child ends up big-headed it’s not because it takes after me,’ he joked. ‘I assure you I don’t have a giant ego.’

‘Hm. Well, don’t look at me! I’m definitely not egotistical.

’ From what she could gather about his success in business, he’d achieved a lot he could be proud of.

Growing serious, she said, ‘There is three-dimensional imaging that will show us the baby’s features much more clearly.

We could do that in Melbourne next time I’m due for a scan? ’

‘Yeah. Let’s do that.’

She almost melted at the tenderness in his eyes that accompanied his softly spoken words. ‘Thank you again for coming to the hospital. You really were a tower of strength and I know Margaret really appreciated you being there, too.’

‘Callie, stop thanking me. Of course I came.’ He moved and she levered herself up as well so they sat opposite each other. Then he cupped her face in his hands, his expression serious. ‘I’ll always do my best to be with you if you need me.’

Hearing his vow, she leaned forward and kissed him in case he saw that his words touched her so much she had to fight back tears. It was true what they said about pregnancy hormones—she felt more emotional now than she’d ever felt before.

Closing her eyes as he deepened their kiss, she remembered the angst she’d heard in his voice when he’d arrived at the emergency room and asked after her. Margaret and Jim had been by her side and she’d been lying in a bed with the privacy curtains pulled around her.

Callie had been recovering from the faint, but she’d felt light-headed all over again when she heard him identify himself as her ‘partner’.

Despite having believed that she would’ve coped with having and raising the baby without its father, it was incredibly comforting to have Jack by her side.

It was a revelation to know that—even though this baby hadn’t been planned, and he had said he hadn’t wanted children—he was concerned about both her well-being and the baby’s.

‘It’ll be great to see you more often if you do go ahead and buy the vineyard.’

Jack’s body stiffened.

‘Jack?’

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t drive you back here from the hospital when they discharged you.’

Callie frowned at his reaction and the distracted tone she heard again in his voice.

‘That was fine.’ She had been surprised at his assertion that he’d had some urgent business to take care of and that he would see her back at the homestead—especially as it had been after business hours.

‘You knew Margaret and Jim were there to drive me back here.’

He took her hand in his and she sensed there was something he was keeping from her, but he didn’t say anything more. Surely it wasn’t the bump on her head that was causing her to feel this distance from him. Something had changed.

Trying to stay positive, she said, ‘I’m glad you stayed the night.’

Thankfully Jim and Margaret hadn’t batted an eyelid when Jack had said goodnight to them and followed Callie into her bedroom, although Callie had admitted to him that she felt a bit self-conscious having him spend the night there.

It was ridiculous considering she was carrying his child, but straightlaced Callie was never far from the surface despite Margaret’s opinion that Jack was loosening her up.

‘You have to take things easier from now on.’ Jack urged her onto his lap and she started to relax again as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. ‘Stella’s worried she had you doing too much running around with wedding preparations and that you’re overtired.’

‘I told her that’s not true. You know the doctor said my light-headedness was due to hormonal changes,’ she argued as she savoured the scent of his skin. ‘There’s not much I can do about that other than standing up more slowly and drinking more water.’