Which part of ‘Go out to the lounge’ hadn’t he got? ‘I guess not. Adam, we want to get up.’
‘Okay. Are we having maple syrup and bacon on the pancakes?’ Adam didn’t look like he had any intention of moving this side of Christmas.
‘We won’t be having pancakes at all if you don’t leave us.’
Under the covers Ally touched his thigh and squeezed it. ‘Bacon, syrup and bananas. But I want to shower first and the longer we lie around, talking, the longer we’re going to wait for our yummy breakfast.’
Adam nodded again. Where had this new habit come from? ‘I’ll get everything ready.’
‘Great. See you out there soon.’ Ally nodded back with a smile. ‘But promise me you won’t start cooking anything.’
‘I don’t know how to mix the flour and stuff.’
As Adam ran out of the room Flynn stared after him. ‘He listens to you.’
‘I’m a novelty. You’re Dad.’ Her hand stroked where a moment ago it had been squeezing.
‘Keep that up and breakfast will be postponed for hours.’
She instantly removed her hand. Damn it. ‘Hours? Talk about bragging.’ She grinned at him. Then slid out of bed and wrapped herself in the too-large robe. ‘I’m going to look so good sitting down to breakfast in my little black dress. Why didn’t I think to bring a change of clothes?’
‘You should leave a set here for the morning after.’
‘If I did that, I wouldn’t have many clothes left at the flat.’
She travelled light. Very light. ‘Go shopping. Get some gear to keep here. In the meantime…’ he swung his legs over the side of the bed, dug into his drawers for a sweatshirt and pair of trackpants ‘… try these for size.’
‘I already know they’ll be too long and loose around the waist, but my hips might hold them up.’ She took the clothes and hugged them to her breasts. ‘Who’s first in the shower?’
‘You go. I’ll keep an eye on proceedings in the kitchen. Today could be the day Adam decides to try mixing the batter and that would be messy, not to mention uncook-able.’
‘You’re not fair. He’s got to have a go at these things. How else is he going to learn to look out for himself?’
‘But it’s so much quicker to do everything myself.’
Her face tightened and her chin lifted. ‘In the long run you’ll save heaps of time because Adam will be able to do these things for both of you.’
Ouch. She’d gone from Fun Ally to Serious Ally in an instant. She’d also had the nerve to tell him how his parenting sucked. ‘Go and have that shower,’ he ground out through clenched teeth.
He didn’t want to start an argument by saying she should leave this to him, but it had nothing to do with her. Even if she might be right, Ally wasn’t the one constantly working with a time deficit.
For a moment she stood there, staring at him. Was she holding back a retort, too? Or formulating a whole load more criticisms? Or, heaven forbid, was she about to explain why she felt so strongly about his son learning to cook?
Not likely. She’d never do that. Ally was a closed book when it came to herself. Except for that one time of sharing her past hurts, what drove her, and what held her back, her past was still blurred. He needed to remember that—all the time. But right this minute he had to get back onside with her. They were spoiling what had been a wonderful night and should be a great day ahead. ‘Ally, please, go and get cleaned up. Let’s not waste the morning arguing.’
Her eyes widened. Then her stance softened, her shoulders relaxed. ‘You’re right. We’ve got pancakes and a morning at the wildlife centre to enjoy. And we’ll need to stop at the flat on the way so I can put on some proper clothes.’
He’d dodged a slam dunk. ‘Proper clothes? Since when weren’t trackies and a sweatshirt proper?’
‘Since fashion became important. In other words, since the first time a woman put on an animal hide.’ She grinned and his world returned to normal.
His new normal. The one with Ally Parker in it. The normal that would expire in two weeks’ time.
CHAPTER NINE
TUESDAY, AND ALLY parked outside the bakery just as her phone vibrated in her pocket. ‘Hello?’
‘It’s Marie. I’m in labour.’
Her due date was in three weeks, but technically speaking Marie wasn’t having her baby too early. Two weeks before due date was considered normal and nothing to be concerned about. ‘I’m on my way. After I examine you we’ll arrange to get you over to the mainland and hospital.’
‘I doubt I’m going anywhere. The contractions are already coming fast.’ Marie’s voice rose with every word. ‘Hurry, will you?’
‘On my way. Try to relax. I know, easy for me to say, but concentrate on your breathing and time the contractions.’ Great. The last thing Marie had said to her was that she never wanted to have a home birth. A friend of hers had had one last year and there’d been complications that had nearly cost the baby her life.
With a wistful glance at the bakery she jammed the gearshift in Reverse and backed out into the street.
Adam opened the door the moment she parked in Marie’s driveway. ‘Ally, Marie’s got a tummyache. She’s holding it tight.’
Adam was there. Of course he was. It was a weekday. He wasn’t going to be anywhere else in the afternoon. ‘Does Flynn know you’ve gone into labour?’ she asked Marie the moment she stepped inside.
‘No. I needed a midwife, not a doctor.’ Marie glanced in the direction Ally was looking. ‘Oh, Adam. He’ll be fine. Anyway, what can Flynn do? Take Adam to the surgery for the rest of the day?’
‘Surely Flynn’s got someone he can ask to look after him?’
Marie’s face contorted as a contraction gripped her. She held on to the back of a chair and screwed her eyes shut.
‘Breathe deep. That’s it. You’re doing good.’ Ally stepped close to rub her back and mutter inane comments until the contraction passed. Then she got down to business. ‘Let’s go to your bedroom so I can examine you. Adam, sweetheart, Marie is having her baby so I want you to be very good for her. Okay?’
‘She’s having a baby? Really? Why does it hurt her?’ His little eyes were wide.
‘It’s baby’s way of letting everyone know it’s coming.’
‘Can I tell Dad?’
‘Soon. I’m going with Marie to her bedroom.’ His eyes filled with expectancy and she quickly stomped on those ideas. ‘I want you to help me by getting things I need, like water or cushions or towels. But not until I ask you, all right?’
‘Yes, I’ll be good. Can I bring them into the bedroom?’
‘No, leave them outside the door.’ Hopefully Marie was wrong about her baby coming quickly and she’d soon be on her way to hospital. ‘Why don’t you watch TV until I call you?’
‘I want to help.’
‘I know, but first I have to check the baby, then I’ll know what you can do for us.’ If Marie was heading to hospital she’d drop Adam off at the medical centre. Flynn would sort out childminding. He must have made alternative arrangements for this eventuality.
Adam’s mouth did a downturn, but he trotted off to the lounge and flicked on the TV.
‘Thank you, Adam,’ she called, before hurrying to Marie’s bedroom and closing the door behind her. ‘Have you called your husband?’
Tears welled up in Marie’s eyes. ‘My call went straight to voice mail. He’s at sea on the fishing boat. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’s booked leave for when the baby’s due. He can’t get here for days,’ she wailed.
Ally gave her a hug and a smile. ‘Well, in the meantime it’s you and me. Unless you’ve got a close friend you’d like here, or family?’ Someone familiar would make things work more smoothly.
‘My family all live on the mainland and my girlfriend would be hopeless. Faints if there’s the hint of blood or anyone’s in pain.’ Marie sank onto the bed as another contraction gripped her. ‘I don’t think I’m going anywhere.
These contractions are coming too fast. I seriously doubt I’ve got time to get to the hospital.’ Her voice was strained.
Ally glanced at her watch. She’d already begun timing the contractions. ‘Four minutes. You’re right, they’re close.’ She held Marie’s hand until the current contraction passed. ‘If you lie down I’ll see what’s going on.’
Marie flopped back onto the bed. ‘I feel this pushing sensation, but I don’t want a home birth. What if something goes wrong?’
‘We have doctors only five minutes away. But you’re jumping the gun. Baby might just pop out.’ Ally mentally crossed her fingers as she snapped on vinyl gloves and helped Marie out of her panties. She wasn’t surprised at the measurement she obtained. ‘You’re ten centimetres, fully dilated, so, yes, baby’s on its way.’ She calmly told her patient, ‘Sorry, Marie, but hospital’s definitely out. There isn’t time.’
Marie’s face paled and her teeth dug deep into her bottom lip. The eyes she lifted to Ally were dark with worry.
‘Hey.’ Ally wrapped an arm around her shoulders. ‘You’re going to be fine. I’ll phone the surgery to tell them what’s going on.’ One of the doctors would be on notice to drop everything and rush here if anything went wrong.
‘Sorry, I’m not good at this.’ A flood of tears wet her cheeks.
‘Find me a mother who is. This is all new to you. Believe me, no one pops their baby out and carries on as though nothing has happened. It’s an emotional time, for one. And tiring, for another.’ She sat beside Marie. ‘Take it one contraction at a time. You’ve done really well so far. I mean it.’
Marie gripped Ally’s hands and crushed her fingers as another contraction ripped through her.