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He gathered none of it had been complimentary.
‘How’s Kit?’
‘Asleep,’ he ground out.
‘All night?’
‘She was up—’
She brushed past him into the living room. ‘She’s not supposed to be up!’
He clenched his jaw till he thought his teeth might snap. He unclenched it to say, ‘The doctor said she was allowed up to have a quick shower once a day.’ He felt like a schoolboy hauled up in front of the principal. ‘She had breakfast, took her antibiotics and now she’s sleeping again.’
‘You’d better tell me you prepared her breakfast.’
Who the hell did this woman think she was? He was tempted to shove her back out of the door again. ‘Look, I’m worried about her too. I mean to make sure she follows the doctor’s orders to the letter.’
‘I’m going to pop my head in to check on her.’
‘Don’t wake her,’ he growled.
She tossed him a withering glance before disappearing down the hallway that led to Kit’s bedroom.
He scowled after her. She had another thing coming if she thought he was offering her coffee.
Darn it! She was Kit’s friend. He stalked into the kitchen and put the jug on to boil.
Caro entered moments later. ‘You and me—’ she pointed to him ‘—outside, now.’
He blinked. ‘Are you calling me out for a fight? I’ve got to warn you, Caro, I don’t hit women.’
She smiled sweetly. ‘It should be a walkover then, shouldn’t it?’ She glared and held the back door open. ‘I want to talk to you and I don’t want to disturb Kit while I’m doing it.’
And she was itching to bawl him out. It didn’t take a degree in economics and a finely honed ability to read people to figure that one out. He decided it might be safer if Caro didn’t have a hot drink in her hand. He preceded her out of the door and into the back garden. Kit’s bedroom faced the street. They shouldn’t disturb her out here.
‘How long before you shoot through again?’
Again? What did she mean, again?
He rolled his shoulders and scowled. If he’d known Kit was pregnant he wouldn’t have left for Africa when he had. He’d have … delayed it for a week? a sarcastic voice muttered in his head.
He thrust out his jaw, folded his arms. ‘I’m not leaving today. I told Kit I’d be here for her and I will be. There are things we need to sort out.’
Caro folded her arms too. ‘You can forget it if you mean to offer her money.’
‘This is none of your damn business.’
‘Kit is my best friend. I love her. Can you say the same?’
For a moment he couldn’t utter a single word. The same suffocating shroud that had blanketed him at Frank and Doreen’s last night twisted about him now.
‘Exactly what I thought,’ she snorted. ‘You’re going to turn tail and run.’
‘I am not!’ he shot back, stung by the loathing in her voice. He’d wanted to bolt yesterday, but he was still here now, wasn’t he? ‘And I have to pay child support. It’s a legal requirement.’ That was only honourable and right.
She stuck out a hip. ‘You’re a right piece of work, aren’t you?’
His jaw dropped.
The next moment Caro’s face was wreathed in smiles. ‘Hey, honey-bun, you’re supposed to be in bed.’
He turned to find Kit in the doorway. She raised an eyebrow in his direction. ‘You’re still here.’
Had she thought he’d do a runner while she was asleep? He straightened. That was exactly what she’d thought. He forced himself to grin—no stress, the doctor had said. ‘Sure I’m still here.’ She was still convinced he meant to abandon her.
Isn’t that exactly what you mean to do?
He bit back an expletive. He wasn’t doing happy families, but he thought about that hole in her wall. Someone had to fix it. He could fix it.
He could make sure Kit had everything she needed and that she was ready for the baby before he sailed off into the sunset.
Kit glanced from Caro to him. He did all he could to keep his expression bland. He tried not to groan when she moistened her lips.
‘What’s going on out here?’
‘Caro and I were just having a chat.’ He would not upset her. ‘You know the doctor’s orders. You want me to carry you back to bed?’
‘I’m going, I’m going. May I have a chamomile tea?’
‘Coming right up.’
Kit disappeared. Caro grabbed his arm before he reached the back door. ‘You mess with my friend and I’ll come after you with a meat cleaver.’
He held the door open for her, bowed her inside. ‘Chamomile tea for you too?’
‘Ooh, lovely.’
She’d pay for that smile. He’d sweeten her tea to within an inch of its life.
But one thing had become increasingly clear—he’d come after himself with a meat cleaver if he hurt Kit any more than he already had.
CHAPTER FIVE
‘WERE you giving Alex a hard time?’ Kit asked after Alex had delivered their teas and then beat a hasty retreat.
‘You bet.’ Caro grinned. ‘I read him the riot act.’
‘Oh, Caro!’ But Kit couldn’t help laughing as her friend kicked off her shoes and climbed up onto the bed beside her.
Caro grimaced when she took a sip of her tea.
‘I thought you liked chamomile.’
‘I do.’ Caro’s lips twitched. ‘It’s just that first sip, you know? Anyway, tell me how you are feeling.’
‘Much, much better. My temperature is back to normal and the awful cramps in my back have become a low level ache … much easier to deal with. And I don’t feel as if I’ve been hit by a bus any more either.’ She shuddered. ‘I thought I was going to be stuck with that back pain for the next six months.’
‘Your colour is good. The antibiotics must’ve kicked in.’
‘I think the doctor is being a panic merchant,’ Kit grumbled. She almost felt whole again. ‘What am I going to do in bed for another two and a half days?’
‘It’s better to be safe than sorry.’
Which was what Alex had said when he’d brought her breakfast.
Caro took another sip of her tea. ‘You don’t think he deserved the riot act?’
‘I don’t know. I … I can’t believe he’s still here.’ Though he had been sort of sweet last night—reassuring and kind. Somehow he’d managed to defuse her misgivings and her awkwardness, without her even realizing it. She wasn’t quite sure how. ‘He even vacuumed the living room while I was having breakfast if you can believe it.’
And he hadn’t thrown up again. Her lips twisted. At least, not that she knew about.
She glanced at her friend and a different emotion surged through her. She took her and Caro’s mugs and set them on the bedside table, and then she took Caro’s hand. ‘I have something really important to ask you.’
‘Shoot.’
‘Me getting sick like this, it’s made me realize a couple of things. I …’ Her stomach knotted and a lump lodged in her throat. Caro squeezed her hands but didn’t rush her and Kit loved her all the more for it. ‘Caro, if something should ever happen to me … I mean, it probably never will …’ She hoped to heaven it never did. ‘But … but if I died, would you look after my baby? I don’t know who else I trust as much as you. Mum and Grandma would help out, of course, and—’
‘Yes.’
Caro didn’t hesitate. Kit closed her eyes in relief. ‘Thank you.’ But a weight pressed down on her. If she’d done this right, her baby would have two parents to rely on rather than one. She’d robbed her child of that and she knew, no matter how much she tried, she would never be able to make that up to her baby. Ever.
Unless Alex had changed his mind and wasn’t going to walk away from his child after all. It seemed a slim hope.
A tap on her door brought her crashing back. Alex stood in the doorway. Her chest clenched. Had he heard what she’d just asked Caro? The pinched white lines around his mouth told her he probably had. She swallowed. But he didn’t care, did he? Not about her and not about the baby.
He’d wanted her to terminate her pregnancy!
Her heart burned. Sorrow and anger pulsed through her in equal measure. What did he care what safeguards she put in place to take care of her baby? He meant to leave again just as soon as it was humanly possible. She was sure of it. Her best guess was that he’d organise for Doreen and Caro to take it in shifts to look after her for the next couple of days so he could hightail it back to Sydney.
Perhaps she should confront him about that right now? It was just that the doctor had ordered her to rest—no stress, no worry. Yesterday she’d been feeling too fuzzy to take those orders in properly. But today … She swallowed. Today she’d do anything to keep her baby healthy. Fighting with Alex, confronting him about his intentions, had to wait. She raised an eyebrow. ‘You wanted something?’
He rubbed his nape. He didn’t meet her eyes. ‘I wanted to check if Caro was staying for a while. I need to pop out to grab a few things.’ His voice was devoid of all emotion.
‘Pop away,’ Caro said with an airy wave of her hand, not even looking at him.
Alex left without saying another word. Kit pleated the quilt cover with her fingers. ‘Do you think he’ll be back?’ Maybe he’d make that dash for Sydney right now.
‘Oh, I’m sure of it.’
She didn’t understand Caro’s grin but, before she could ask for an explanation, her friend said, ‘Snooze or a game of gin rummy?’
‘Ooh, go on. Break out the cards.’
* * *
The first thing Kit saw when she woke was the framed photograph of her ultrasound picture on her bedside table. She stared at it for a moment before hauling herself into a sitting position and reaching out to pick it up.
‘I thought it might help.’
The second thing she saw was Alex sitting in a dining room chair at the bottom of her bed. Her stomach tightened. She dismissed that as a symptom of her kidney infection. ‘Help?’
‘I thought it might give you added incentive to follow doctor’s orders and stay in bed.’
She had no intention of disobeying the doctor’s orders—her baby’s welfare was too important for that—but Alex’s thoughtfulness touched her all the same. She stared down at the picture, lightly ran her fingers over the glass, following the contours that made up her baby.
‘I couldn’t make head nor tail of it,’ he confessed.
It suddenly seemed wildly important to Kit that he did. ‘Head here—’ she pointed ‘—tail there.’
Alex didn’t move to get a better look and she remembered then that he didn’t want this child. She pressed the photo frame to her chest. She wanted to tell her baby that it didn’t matter.
Only it did matter. A lot.
‘Why are you sitting guard at the end of my bed?’
‘I didn’t want you getting up again unless you had to. I’m here to fetch and carry.’
Oh.
‘Caro said to ring if you needed anything.’
Caro had gone? How long had Kit been asleep for? She and Caro had played cards for over an hour and then she’d napped. She glanced at the clock. She’d napped for three hours! Caro would’ve had to leave to collect Davey from pre-school.
‘Your friend is a psychopath, by the way. Can I get you something to eat or drink?’
Kit’s lips twitched. She settled back more comfortably against her pillows. ‘No, thank you.’ She still had an almost full bottle of water on the bedside table. ‘I know Caro can come across as kind of scary, but she has my best interests at heart.’
‘I know,’ he said softly. ‘I’m glad you have such a good friend.’
She was so surprised she couldn’t speak.
He shifted on his chair. He was too big for it. It wasn’t the kind of chair made for lounging, but the only other option was to invite him to join her on the bed and no way on God’s green was she doing that. The last time they’d been in bed together …
It had been heaven.
Once the thought flitted into her mind, it lodged there—a stubborn, sensual reminder that pecked at her, teased her. All the sensations Alex had created in her with deft fingers and a teasing mouth, with the dark appreciation of his eyes and intakes of breath as she’d explored his body with as much thoroughness as he’d explored hers—exquisite, torturous reminders—they all flooded through her now and her body instantly came alive in some kind of primal response. She recalled with startling accuracy the taste of him, the feel of him against her tongue, her palms … his scent. The way he’d—
‘Kit!’
