Sasha dived straight in. ‘Grady’s back.’
‘You know? Who told you? No one at the medical centre knows about your past with him.’
Sasha’s lips flattened. ‘I had the privilege of giving him a ride home in the early hours. I came across the Donovans caught inside their truck after sliding off the road last night and when the rescue crews turned up, guess who lined up with them?’ Shrugging out of her jacket, she went for broke. ‘I’ve also brought him into work as he’s covering for Mike this morning.’
‘You okay with this?’ Jessica’s chair scraped the floor as she pushed it back to stand.
‘Do I have a choice?’ The hand hanging up the jacket shook hard. No, she wasn’t okay. About Grady’s reappearance in her home town. About him coming to dinner at her parents’ home, like old times. About him working at her workplace. About anything.
Jess’s arms surrounded her, pulled her in for a hug. ‘Want to take a sickie?’ she whispered.
‘A four-week one? Yep, I do.’ Which only showed how rattled Grady made her feel because she never, ever ducked for cover when the going got tough. Hadn’t had it this tough for a while, though.
Stepping away, Jessica gave her a twisted smile. ‘Which doctor will you ask to sign the leave form? Roz or Rory? Or Grady?’
‘Now, there’s a thought.’ Retrieving her yoghurt and fruit to put in the fridge, she asked, ‘Want a coffee before mayhem arrives?’
‘Too late. It’s already here. You’ve got a stack of patient files higher than my dirty dishes at home.’
‘Then I’m never going to get done today.’
‘Let’s go grab that coffee anyway.’ Jessica led the way to the kitchen. ‘Bet you haven’t eaten this morning.’
‘You know me too well.’
‘Eat that yoghurt and banana before you start work.’
‘Why is it that because I’m pregnant everyone thinks they can tell me what to do? You’re not the first today.’
‘Let me guess. Grady been giving you orders, too?’ Jess actually smiled around her question.
Traitor. ‘Don’t act like that’s a good thing,’ Sasha said as she tugged the foil off the yoghurt pot. Because it was out of order. He had no place in her life. And her friend’s role was to support her, no matter what.
Jessica’s smile widened. ‘Mrs Collins is waiting for you to take her stitches out. Brought us a chocolate cake for morning tea as well. Which is good because that’s not enough breakfast for you and your baby.’
‘Chocolate cake?’ The thought of it made her gag. And she wasn’t insulting Mrs Collins’s cooking. Those chocolate cakes she made were the best on the planet. If only her stomach wasn’t in a riot of nerves. ‘Flipper might like some.’
Jess threaded her arm through Sasha’s. ‘How is my favourite baby?’
‘Bet you say that to all your mothers.’
‘Of course I do.’
‘Cheers.’ One of the best things to come out of returning home to have her baby was discovering that Jessica had also returned to Golden Bay only weeks earlier and would be her midwife. She couldn’t think of anyone better to be there when she delivered. They were forging a strong friendship. Jess had been in Jackson’s year at school so they hadn’t known each other well. Jess’s family life had been hectic and chaotic back then.
Inside the kitchen Sasha stopped, suddenly overwhelmed by everything. She studied her hands as she asked quietly, ‘Jessica, I am going to manage, aren’t I?’ She swallowed a huge lump that had risen to block her throat. ‘I know nothing about bringing up a child. Apart from my nursing training I haven’t had anything to do with babies. What if I make a right royal mess of things? Get the award for worst mother of the year? Flipper will grow up hating me.’ She blinked as moisture threatened to spill down her cheeks.
‘You? Worst mother? Not possible. You haven’t got a hopeless cell in your body.’
‘Every cell feels more than hopeless at the moment.’ This debilitating sensation hadn’t happened before. Until this morning she’d been quietly confident she’d get parenting mostly right, and if she got stuck she had her own great parents to turn to. Even with the problems they were facing at the moment, they couldn’t wait to be grandparents. Staring at her shaking hands, she almost cried. ‘What’s come over me?’
Jessica hugged her. ‘You’re hormonal. It’s quite normal in your condition. I was a blithering idiot at six months.’
‘Hormonal? That covers a multitude of things.’ And ignored what might be the real reason for her distress. That man she’d brought to work with her. Hugging Jessica back, she stepped away, headed for the kettle, plastering a false smile on her dial and bracing herself for the day.
‘Did you bring photos of the wedding with you?’ Jess asked.
Duh, of course. ‘The camera’s in my bag.’
‘I’ll grab it. Can’t wait to see Tina in all her finery.’
‘She looked gorgeous,’ Sasha said, the moment Jessica stepped back into the kitchen. ‘Stunning, as did Paolo. And when they said their vows I cried.’ Just like she was doing now. Fat, silent tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘They are so happy, so in love, it’s like magic.’ Her heart swelled with emotion. ‘It was the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever been to. They walked under an arch of skis and the theme of the reception was all about skiing.’
‘I should learn to ski and go to Italy, find myself a gorgeous Italian man like Tina did.’
‘Didn’t work for me.’ Sasha smiled genuinely at last.
Jess held the camera in one hand, deftly clicking through the photos, and wrapped her free arm around Sasha’s shoulders. ‘Hey, the bridesmaid looked gorgeous, too. That shade of emerald really suits her.’
‘I tried to hide the bump as much as possible but it wasn’t easy.’ Sasha hiccupped and dashed at her cheeks with the back of her hand. ‘Tina kept telling me to stop worrying but most of her wedding photos are going to have my pregnant belly as the centre of attention.’
Jess squeezed her shoulder. ‘If Tina hadn’t wanted Flipper in her photos she’d have taken you up on your suggestion she find another bridesmaid. She’s a true friend.’
More tea
rs fell. ‘I’m a right mess this morning,’ she muttered as she sniffed hard.
‘Babymones.’ Jess grinned around her made-up word for pregnancy hormones. Then the grin slipped as she leaned close. ‘And a little bit of disturbance in the two-metre package that just walked past the door.’
‘I wish…’ Sasha hauled in a deep breath. ‘You know, I haven’t a clue what I wish when it comes to Grady. I seem to be having some positive thoughts, memories…’ Again her voice trailed off and she shrugged.
‘You’ve got Flipper to think about. Leave Grady to his own resources. And if it gets too bad you come see me. Okay?’
‘Okay.’ She was so lucky with her friends. They really cared about her. As she did them. Tina had insisted she be bridesmaid, saying after all the things they’d done together during the two years they’d nursed in Dubai the small matter of a baby wasn’t going to stop her having Sasha beside her as she said her marriage vows.
And now Jessica and her little boy, Nicholas, had become an integral part of her life. She really had nothing to complain about, and everything she could wish for.
Except a father for her baby.
*
Grady tapped his fingers on the top of Mike’s desk. George Browning had gone, happy with a prescription for his cholesterol and something to clear his chest infection.
He should be heading out to the waiting room to collect the next patient but he needed a moment. He’d overheard Sasha talking to Jess in the kitchen, heard the raw uncertainty in her voice. So unlike the Sash he remembered. From the highest hair on her head to the ends of her toes she’d always emanated confidence. Always. Too much sometimes, but that was better than not enough.
Admittedly, being responsible for a tiny baby had to be different. Scary. Daunting. Especially doing it on her own. His fingers shoved through his hair. Sasha was having a baby. It still rocked him to think about it. And he’d thought about it for what had been left of the night after she’d dropped him off at his house. Sasha Wilson. Once the love of his life. You are still capable of rattling me, turning my heart upside down, making me want you and to be a part of your life.