style="font-size:15px;"> 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
