women that had come afterwards. Mum had opted to leave them—by tying a noose around her neck and hanging herself from the garage rafter.
He shivered as the hated memory slapped him. Dad’s hoarse shout coming from the garage. Mandy, don’t leave me. Was that why his dad never settled for long? He’d often wondered but had never asked. Too much hurt to be raised if he did.
Yet none of that explained why the moment Sophie had turned him down he’d hurt bad. Really bad. No one had ever turned him down for anything quite so abruptly, and his proposal had been serious, a handing over of part of himself. Her reply had been a hot lance spearing him. He hadn’t planned on asking her, hadn’t given it much thought except to toss the idea aside as ludicrous. Still, the words had spilled out. Gratitude should be his response to Sophie’s answer. It wasn’t. ‘Now what?’
‘We swap contact details.’
He hadn’t realised he’d spoken out loud. ‘You know we’re on the same military flight out of here on Monday?’
‘I thought you were going tomorrow.’ Was that dread in her voice?
Please, no. He didn’t want her keeping him at a distance. ‘List changed my arrangements.’
‘You’re telling me you didn’t have any say in the matter? You’re in different armies.’
‘He can be bossy at times.’ Now was not the time to tell Sophie that List was concerned about her, and it especially was not the moment to be saying he agreed. That Braxton Hicks contraction had been sharp and hard, had turned her face white and her eyes wary. He wanted to be with her on the flight in case she had more or, worse, went into early labour. He did not want other men on that plane delivering their baby.
Sophie huffed something like a strangled laugh. ‘You’re not telling me anything new.’ Then she gasped. ‘He’s not done that so I’ve got a doctor on hand? He’s been nagging at me to stay here until after the birth.’
Bang on, Sophie girl. ‘You got it.’ But not all of it. He’d already figured that List was interfering, pushing them together as much as possible.
‘Fingers crossed I won’t be needing you. I’m sorry if Alistair has put you out.’
He wasn’t exactly up to speed on delivering babies so couldn’t argue with Sophie on that one. ‘I prefer the arrangements anyway. No stopping in Sydney on that flight, just straight through to Whenuapai. Home sweet home.’ Five days late meant less time getting his house sorted before taking up the temporary position at Auckland Hospital he’d signed up for while sorting out what he was really going to do.
‘Have you got your own place?’ she asked wistfully.
‘A house in Parnell. My dad house-sat for me this trip.’ And supposedly met the next great love of his life while there. Cooper’s teeth slid back and forth, grinding hard. When was Dad going to learn that none of the women he thought he’d fallen in love with were right for him?
‘I’ve got to make appointments to look at apartments to rent as soon as I get home.’ She nibbled at a fingernail. ‘I’ve never cared too much about where I lived before.’
But apparently now she did. That spoke volumes about her determination to do things right for her baby. ‘Where will you go until you find somewhere suitable?’ He reached across and gently tugged her hand away from her mouth. ‘Don’t do that. You’ll regret it in the morning.’ Her nails were always immaculate, resplendent in shockingly bright shades that she’d changed twice in the time he’d been here. He preferred the red to yesterday’s orange.
Sophie turned her head to stare out at the passing scenery. ‘I could go to my parents’.’
Her lack of enthusiasm for that idea dripped off each word. Who could blame her? After her brief revelation about her childhood he certainly couldn’t. ‘They’ll welcome you?’
‘I guess.’ Then she straightened up in her seat and turned to face him. ‘Of course they will. It’d only be a temporary arrangement.’
An idea was slowly creeping into his mind. An idea that needed thinking through, required looking at from all angles before he spilled it out to Sophie. He wasn’t going to blurt it out like he’d done with that marriage suggestion. Once was stupid, twice was really dumb.
But... ‘You could stay with me. My house is big enough that we wouldn’t be tripping over each other,’ he blurted.
Damn it, Sophie. What have you done to me? I go and say the craziest things without any consideration to the consequences when I’m around you. I’ve never acted so impulsively in my life. Not since I was eight and told Dad’s live-in girlfriend number two that I loved her and that I wanted her to stay with us for ever. That she could be my mother if she wanted.
Again silence reigned. Sophie hadn’t answered and seemed to be intent on the passing scenery, dry and boring as it was. Might be for the best. Like his marriage offer—if she didn’t say yes to moving in with him then he didn’t have to worry about anything. Didn’t have to consider that they’d be sharing his space, which wouldn’t be straightforward given his reaction to her whenever they were together. She was easily the most tantalising woman he’d known. Even now his blood heated and they weren’t exactly cosy with each other. His groin had been aching since arriving yesterday, and that had started before he’d set eyes on her. Anticipation had a lot to answer for. Yeah, he still wanted her, needed to make love with her again. Maybe then he’d get past this annoying niggle.
Because that’s what she was to him. A persistent itch. To think he’d invited her to stay with him.
Sophie’s carrying my baby.
Which gave him responsibilities, if nothing else. He’d stepped up and offered some solutions for the future, and she wasn’t barrelling him over with her acceptances. Still, he had to help her in every way possible, whether she liked it or not. There were a lot of things he could do to make life easier for her as she settled into becoming a mother. Whether he liked it or not.
He’d spent his adult life playing the field with women, but he’d never been a brute or deliberately hurtful, and now he would not walk away from Sophie. Her point about a loveless marriage was valid, and in some ways he was thankful for her turning him down. It was all for the best. He wasn’t the kind of guy who’d be able to live like a monk for the rest of his life, and if Sophie kept him at arm’s length it could get tricky. It was doubtful that Sophie would want to stay clear of men either, but he doubted he’d be her first pick. She’d been hot for him that night in Bamiyan, had pretty much thrown herself at him. No denying he’d been ready and waiting to catch her, though. But here in Darwin she’d been a lot more circumspect around him.
Cooper pulled up outside the barracks and hauled on the handbrake. ‘You’ve gone awfully quiet. You okay?’
‘You keep knocking me sideways. First marriage, now the offer of staying with you. I never expected any of that. Thank you. Please don’t think I’m ungrateful. I just happen to be a pig-headed woman who puts her independence before anything else. Except my baby, something I’m only just realising.’ She finally smiled at him.
The warmth went straight to his heart, and any problems he might’ve thought up about sharing his home with her dissolved. ‘I wouldn’t take that away from you. I start at the hospital in a few days and won’t be around the house very much anyway.’
Sophie
