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‘More likely he didn’t want me rolling up on his shift with pneumonia.’
She smiled at him and his eyes widened, the blue startlingly bright under the hospital fluoros. He took her elbow and steered her to the exit.
‘We need to get you home. Another big day tomorrow.’
She didn’t argue when he took the car keys from her. A ten-minute drive was not going to kill anyone. Especially when Morgan turned up the heater in the car. It was lovely, nestling back into the comfy leather seat and watching the headlights pick out the patches of white snow along the edge of the road.
The evening had been lovely until the disaster with Edward. Like a real family outing. It was hard to remember they weren’t a proper family sometimes. At least once they were out of his hair, Morgan would be able to think seriously about his own future.
‘I didn’t see Sabine at the festival.’ She cringed inside at the way the words spilled out.
Morgan glanced across. ‘Sabine’s in Sydney for the holidays. She’s taking schoolwork down for Tory Dibble so she doesn’t get behind while she’s in hospital. I had to see her the other night to finalise the arrangements.’
‘That’s why you’ve been seeing her?’
‘Jeanette was worried about it. Sabine has been helping me liaise with the hospital in Sydney. They have a school attached to the Children’s Hospital for long-term patients.’
Becca looked back over the events of the past weeks with new eyes. ‘That’s the only reason?’
‘I’m not dating her. I told you I’m not in the market for a relationship.’
He sounded tired. As he should be after having to rescue Edward.
‘I thought you meant with me. Grace seemed to think …’
‘We know what my mother thinks. The Mallings’ are old money and naturally she looks at Sabine and thinks purebred little aristocrats.’
She couldn’t help laughing, though there was an edge of truth in the words that stung. ‘She seems to be changing her mind. I always wondered if she loved the twins or whether it was the price she had to pay for keeping me out of your life.’
‘It’s time we talked about those reasons.’
They were turning up his driveway before she realised where they were heading and she twisted to look at him. ‘Aren’t you dropping me home?’
‘For a start, I think you’re better off not being alone. You’ve had a bad time and could be suffering from shock.’
‘And the rest?’
‘I need to talk to you. About my mother.’ He compressed his lips as they pulled into his garage. ‘I need to explain about what happened back when the babies were born.’
‘What happened? I thought we’d settled everything.’
‘I’m pretty sure you think my mother’s pressure on you was unfair. There was more going on than you probably realise.’
‘Like what?’
‘I’m not going to freeze to death in a car while I narrate a long and rather tedious story. I’m cold and I need a hot shower to get warm again. You need one too. Your hair is wet and I’m pretty sure your clothes are still damp.’
He climbed out of the car with this last pointed comment and she did the same, huddling into her coat. She was still cold and damp from the snow and holding Edward while she’d put her coat around him.
She stumbled as her boots hit the rutted surface of the yard and Morgan steadied her. ‘I’m sorry I can’t do the macho thing and carry you inside, I’m still wiped out from pulling Edward out of the creek. He weighed a tonne with his waterlogged clothing.’
‘It’s okay. I didn’t see the rough ground. My glasses are a bit fogged up.’
All the same, he guided her into the house and to the bathroom. ‘You go first. I’ll put the kettle on and make sure the radiator is on in the bedroom.’
He grabbed a couple of towels from the old-fashioned linen press and indicated a navy dressing gown on a hook behind the door. ‘You can borrow my robe until we dry your clothes.’
She was already in the shower with the hot water pummelling her aching body when she remembered he’d said bedroom.
