‘So. Any time now.’
Cassie glanced over at Shayne. He sounded so calm, his strong fingers light on the steering wheel of the Lexus as they drove into town from Bialga. Doctor Reece had been pleased with everything, even joking about her not needing him after all. He’d put it down to her new low stress lifestyle, commending Shayne on looking after her.
The two men had taken to each other, Shayne taking the opportunity to ask more questions, especially about the birth. The doctor was probably right. Life at Maidens Hill had been the ultimate relaxation holiday, even with the initial tension with Shayne and his family. She felt two hundred per cent on where she’d been when she first arrived. Still, she felt a touch of resentment at his calm acceptance of the imminent birth.
‘Aren’t you nervous?’
His hand left the wheel for a moment to pat her wrist where it lay on her thigh. He was so tactile. She hadn’t been touchy feely herself, not for years, but she was growing to expect it, to like it.
‘A bit nervous. This is all unfamiliar territory for me, but I like your doctor and he seems confident things are going to work out, even with the twin complication.’
She shifted on the seat. With one twin engaged low in her pelvis, it was increasingly uncomfortable to sit for long periods of time, even for the half-hour trip to the neighbouring town. It would be a relief to get home.
Shayne’s phone rang, and he switched on the Bluetooth, adjusting the earpiece as he listened.
‘Shit! I’ll be there.’
Cassie jumped at the expletive, said with so much force. The car slowed and he did a U-turn, heading back into town. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Jordan’s had an accident. The tractor rolled. He’s pinned underneath. A pity I don’t have the ‘cruiser, but there’s no time.’
Her stomach clenched. ‘Have they called the ambulance?’
‘It’s on its way, but it’s coming from Bialga, so it’s still half an hour away. Morgan is coming, so he’ll be able to assess Jordan.’
She stayed quiet after that, allowing him to concentrate on his driving as the road turned into dirt on the far side of town. The properties along here went deep into the hills and she wondered how far away the Taite farm must be. Finally, they pulled into a gateway marked by a grid and a painted barrel letter box. She’d expected cattle, but all the paddocks close to the road were planted with grain. They passed a house and sheds and a large, new looking barn, heading deeper towards the hills.
A sudden jerk tossed her against the door as Shayne left the track and headed overland to what looked like a winding watercourse, marked by willows amongst the taller natives. There was a battered troop carrier parked in the middle of nowhere and no sign of a tractor.
The car skidded to a halt beyond the other vehicle and Shayne was out like a shot, loping across the barren soil and vanishing into the gully.
Cassie hesitated only a moment before undoing her seat belt and exiting the Lexus. She could hear voices and followed them, pausing at the rim of the gully. Sucking in a startled breath, she stepped back. Shayne was holding onto the woman who’d been at the party, Celie. Jordan’s wife. Holding her back from the danger zone. She suppressed a groan. The tractor was almost completely rolled over, tangled with the spreading branches of a fallen tree.
She couldn’t see Jordan, which only made it worse. He must be pinned right under the tractor, with the added weight of the tree.
Shayne left Celie and approached the tractor, squatting down and edging close. Cassie’s vision went hazy and she gulped in some air. She couldn’t afford to faint. There were more important things for Shayne to be doing than picking up his pregnant girlfriend.
Celie was coming up the side of the gully. She was filthy, her dirt-covered hands scratched and bleeding, a short spade in her hands, the sort you kept in a four-wheel drive to dig you out of a bog.
‘Shayne said I should stay up here to direct the doctor and ambulance.’
‘You were down with the tractor?’
‘I was trying to help Jordan, but everything started shifting, so he sent me away.’ She pushed some stray curls away from her face. ‘I don’t know how they’ll get him out without the tree giving way. It’s balanced on the tractor, and if they move the tractor to get him out, the tree will probably come crashing down.’
And Shayne was down there, underneath. Helping his cousin. Except he wasn’t. He came striding over, demanding the keys of the troop carrier.
‘It’s unlocked.’
He nodded and scrambled into the back, emerging with a car jack. They watched him retrieve another one from the Lexus, take the spade from Celie and vanish back down to the scene of the accident.
‘What do you think he’s planning to do?’ Cassie couldn’t see how those tiny jacks would be any help in this situation.
Celie shrugged. ‘He’ll probably try to stabilise the tractor so it can’t drop any further onto Jordan. The seat is on his pelvis and thighs. His arm is pinned under the steering wheel.’
The woman seemed almost too calm, but then Cassie remembered the white knuckles as she’d gripped the small shovel and noticed the wide dark pupils in her green eyes. She was in shock.
‘Come and clean up. Do you have water? I think we have bottled water in the Lexus.’
Celie shook her head to clear it rather than as a negative. ‘We have a Gerry can in the troopy. We always carry spare water.’
It seemed to help her, cleaning up with a rag and then taking a long drink out of a thermos.
‘How did you find him?’
‘I came out to bring him his lunch.’
For the first time, Cassie noticed a quad bike abandoned near a group of shrubby wattles at the edge of the gully. ‘You came in the troop carrier?’
‘Yes. Jordan’s been working out here for the last couple of days, so he left the tractor here and rode back and forth on the quad.’ She laughed, a painful sound. ‘It was that damned tree. He was worried it might fall, so he was getting ready to bring it down. Clearing the ground.’
Another vehicle was raising a dust cloud on the track, and Cassie shot a glance at Celie.
The woman nodded. ‘It’s Morgan.’
The cruiser pulled up beside the troop carrier and Doctor Cavanaugh jumped out, bringing a large first aid kit with him. ‘In the gully?’
Relieved of their duty for the moment, they followed him down into the gully, keeping well back from the spreading tree with the tractor at its heart.
Cassie winced at the sight of Shayne’s legs sprawled under the tractor. The sound of digging was followed by a metallic scrape. Sliding the jack under some part of the tractor. The tree shivered and Cassie swallowed. The enormity of the danger pummelled her in the chest, and she dropped to her knees. ‘He could die.’
Celie crouched beside her, draping an arm over her shoulders. ‘They know what they’re doing. Shayne is a volunteer firefighter with the Rural Fire Brigade. He’ll be as careful as possible.’
‘But Jordan’s his cousin. He might take risks he wouldn’t otherwise consider.’
Morgan had crawled in beside Shayne and Cassie gulped down some more air. They hadn’t even hesitated to risk their lives for the other man. They didn’t even know if he would survive. ‘Is Jordan conscious?’
Celie sniffed and Cassie saw the tears creeping down, smudging the film of dirt she hadn’t entirely eradicated with her quick wash. ‘In and out. Conscious enough to order me away. Told me our children didn’t deserve to be orphans.’
He thought it was that bad. Jordan hadn’t struck her as a pessimist, so he mustn’t like his chances. The sound of a siren pushed through the silence of the gully. ‘They’re here.’
Celie shot to her feet and ran up the escarpment, waving vigorously at the top. It wasn’t just the ambulance. A couple of truckloads of SES workers descended on the scene. Ropes and cables were attached, and Cassie waited for Shayne to appear again. Morgan emerged to consult with the paramedics before they took his place. ‘Why isn’t Shayne coming out?’
A stranger stopped to look at her. ‘He’s got to stay. If he moves, the car jacks could shift, and the tractor will move and there’ll be nothing that’ll save Jordan Taite from being crushed.’
A rumble had all the men running as the tree settled further onto the tractor. There was a hush until one paramedic emerged, thumbs up. ‘Ready to go.’
Cassie couldn’t see how they planned on doing it but there were trucks at the top edge of the gully with cables connected and they started to wind them back. The tree shuddered and shifted, swinging to one side as the cables tightened.
It looked impossible; the men underneath were so vulnerable. There was a massive cracking noise as a large branch broke away, falling on the far side of the tractor. It seemed to loosen up something, and the tree lifted. The second paramedic dived back in, dragging the stretcher.
There were tense moments when everyone seemed to hold their breath. Jordan was pulled out on the stretcher, rushed by a team of the SES workers who helped carry him up the escarpment, vanishing in the direction of the ambulance. Celie must have gone too, because all that were left were the doctor and the rest of the SES contingent. They were squatting around the gap close to the spot where the tractor teetered.
Shayne was still in there, invisible behind the mess of the tree branches shifting and swaying. The surge of adrenaline that spiked when she expected to see him emerge trickled away, leaving her drained. She forced herself to stay upright, peering through the ring of men in overalls. He couldn’t die. Fate couldn’t strike again when things were looking so promising.
There seemed to be an argument happening and she watched with trepidation as they readjusted ropes and cables. From the tense atmosphere, something was worrying them, and she pressed her palms onto her belly. He had to be alright. His family couldn’t lose any more. He was about to be a father. She couldn’t lose another person she loved.
The breath stalled in her throat. She couldn’t love him. Mustn’t love him. Not now when he could be taken from her. She blinked away the moisture gathering on her lashes. Couldn’t, wouldn’t. More fool her. That boat had sailed long ago, when he’d taken her hand at the fashion parade and a link had been forged, long before there was a question of making a family.
A shout forced her to open her eyes as the men dragged a limp body from the tangle of branches. The tree shifted again and there was a metallic scream as the tractor crumpled under the weight.
Cassie kept her eyes fixed on the group. The man was being carried away from the snapping, growling monster as the tree consumed the tractor with its massive bulk.
Shayne. He was safe, but was he injured? Her chest hurt from the galloping rhythm of her panicked heart. Doctor Cavanaugh was leaning over him where they’d laid him on the ground, clear of the carnage.
She struggled to her feet and one man, the one who’d spoken to her before, came and helped. ‘Are you alright?’
‘Just very pregnant. How is Shayne?’
‘He’ll be good. Got a nasty cramp from being stuck under the effin’ tractor for so long, holding the jacks in place.’
Blood rushed from her head and she swayed. The guy gripped her arm and yelled something, but there was a buzzing in her ears.
It was Shayne appearing suddenly who caught her, bracing himself awkwardly in front of her and favouring one leg. ‘Hold on, my girl.’
‘I thought you were going to die.’ She wiped clammy hands on her shirt. Her pulse was still throbbing way too fast, and she couldn’t stop shaking.
‘I will not let your curse get me, my sweet. We Smiths are hard to kill.’
Her vision cleared and she saw the other men had gone back to their tasks. Morgan hovered until Shayne waved him away. ‘She’s fine. I’ve got her.’
I can’t. I can’t do this again.
Cassie wondered if she’d said it aloud because his grip on her arms tightened. Tipping her head back, she looked at him. He looked fierce, his eyes a dark pool with rims of bright green.
‘You should have stayed near the car.’
She didn’t have time to respond because his mouth took possession of hers. His arms wrapped around her, bringing her hard against him, her rounded belly pressed close. It was wild and full of the passion she’d missed so much. Maybe it was the kick against his stomach that brought him out of it because she was lost.
He rubbed a hand over her stomach. ‘Sorry, kids, I didn’t mean to squash you.’
The tenderness in his tone and gesture brought the ready tears. Damn it. She never cried and here she was, blubbing again. She leaned into his shoulder, inhaling the scent of him, overlaid with sweat. His shirt was drenched in a wide swathe down the front and probably the back as well. It was not unpleasant but must be uncomfortable for him. This entire scene must be difficult for him. She sucked in a breath and straightened, pulling away.
‘Will Jordan be all right?’
He sobered, his brow forming a crease between his eyes. ‘He’s going to have a tough road. Morgan thinks he’s trashed his pelvis and both femurs along with one arm and shoulder. They’re hoping the spine is okay, only bruised.’
‘Poor Jordan. How will Celie cope, and the kids?’
‘Family will help. He’s always helped us and with my extra staff I’ve been putting on, I’ll have a bit more leeway to give him a hand on the farm. I have a guy starting who I was going to put in a managerial position. I can loan him to the Taites.’
‘You sound like it’s all sorted.’
He scrubbed his hair back with a hand smudged with grease and dirt. ‘That’s life on the land. You have to think on your feet.’
‘Like diving under a tractor to help your cousin.’
His grin was a little crooked. ‘All in a day’s work.’
The SES team were cleaning up. She supposed someone would have to organise to clear the tree, but that would be a farm job. The sun was setting and she realised they had been there for hours. She’d been so focused on what was happening time had become irrelevant. ‘Are we able to go now?’
‘Absolutely.’ He kept his arm around her, but she could feel him struggle with the steep side of the gully with his leg. ‘They said you had a cramp.’
‘It’s stiff, but a walk will soon unknot the muscles.’
‘We’re a fine pair. You’re hobbled and I’m barely able to walk.’ She let out a breath and rubbed at her back. ‘I think sitting on the dirt wasn’t a great idea for me, either.’
* * *
Shayne watched Cassie rub her back again when they stopped at the Lexus. ‘Are you sure you’re alright?’
‘It’s just an ache. It was awkward sitting on the ground. It’s not like I spent a couple of hours crammed under a tractor with a giant tree on it.’
‘No. I suppose not.’ He steadied her into the car and walked around to flop into the driver’s side. ‘Lucky it’s not my driving leg.’
They waved at the guys putting equipment back into the trucks and headed out.
‘We might stop off at my parents’ place and give them a heads-up. We can freshen up there.’
She looked surprised because they never randomly dropped into his parents’ place. He had a bad feeling about that backache, and the thought of being twenty minutes out of town at this point gave him the shudders. If things settled down after a shower and a meal, he would take her home.
The one thing he remembered about Courtney’s labour was the backache she’d complained about for hours; until her water broke and she demanded he take her to the hospital. Not that he got to be in the labour ward with her. She’d had a female friend with her as her breathing coach. He’d waited outside with his parents and Ben. They’d let him in once Kimberley had been checked out and cleaned up. He’d brought his daughter out to the family while Courtney was transferred back to the ward. One advantage of being in a small local hospital. He knew most of the regular staff, so they’d let him hang around, even though the mother wasn’t technically in a relationship with him.
If Cassie had to go to Bialga he wouldn’t have that choice unless she let him stay. He hoped, the way things had been developing between them, she would be happy to have him there. He’d only attended one class because Cassie had done them on her own in Brisbane. It had been her suggestion, organised with the nurse at Morgan’s clinic, which meant she was open to him being there for the birth. If today hadn’t changed her mind.
She hadn’t talked to him properly after that first emotional outburst. Risking his life could play on her fears in any number of ways. Showing himself as someone who plunged into dangerous situations without thought could put her right off any kind of serious relationship.
‘What are you thinking about?’
The question came as they were pulling into his parents’ driveway. He parked the car and sat back, not in a hurry to get out and face his parents’ questions. ‘I was thinking about us. You don’t want to be involved because it’s hard when you lose someone. Today I put myself in a situation that could have been dangerous.’
‘It was dangerous. You could have died.’ She held up a hand at his protest. ‘I’m not deaf. I heard the SES team talking. Anything could have gone wrong. You and Morgan and Jordan could all be dead now.’
‘We aren’t, though. We did everything possible to be safe.’
‘I wonder how Becca Cavanaugh would feel if she knew her husband was in danger.’
‘I doubt if Morgan will tell her, especially as she’s as close to giving birth as you are. Closer, going on due dates. He was saying she’s overdue.’
‘Finding out he put himself in danger will probably do the trick.’
He stiffened, wondering if she was dropping a hint. ‘You think so?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Men. I don’t know why we had to come here. I’m filthy and you’re worse. What will your mother think?’
‘She’ll send you off to have a shower and find you some clothes.’
‘I’m not likely to fit into anything of hers.’
‘Dad will have some t-shirts and someone will have some tracksuit bottoms you can wear.’
‘Glamour.’ Her tone was wry.
‘I doubt if he has your favourite pink, but it will do until we get home.’
If they made it home. She was shifting on the seat, stretching to put her hand to her lower back. After the day they’d had, he wasn’t taking any chances. Especially after her doctor had said the twins could come at any moment.
‘Shayne?’ His mother’s voice made him jump as she tapped on his window. ‘What are you doing out here? Are you and Cassie all right?’
‘You’ve heard about Jordan?’
‘Grace rang. Morgan let her know. Jordan’s sister is looking after the children, so Celie can travel down to Brisbane. The Life Flight helicopter is on its way, so Morgan and Doctor Long are stabilising him ready for the transfer.’
She stepped back as he opened the car door. He put his stiff leg down gingerly and jiggled a bit until he was sure it would hold him. ‘We’re fine. Just grubby. I thought we should drop in and catch up. Can we have a meal before we head home?’
Her eyes narrowed as she craned her neck to look past him. Cassie was rubbing her belly this time with an odd expression on her face.
‘Good idea. Both of you look like you need a shower. Come on in, Cassie, you can have the main bathroom and Shayne can use the guest ensuite.’ She bustled off and he helped Cassie out and grabbed her large handbag. Her smile was perfunctory, but she made her way into the house. Dawn was in the main bathroom with a pile of apricot-coloured towels and a bundle of neatly folded clothes.
‘There should be something in there that will fit, even if the bottoms have to sit under your belly.’ She went off, muttering about checking the ensuite.
He was reluctant to leave Cassie, but she shoved him out with a firm hand on his arm. ‘I’ll be fine, really. Your parents have put grab rails in the shower and a seat, so if I feel wobbly I’ll be safe enough.’
‘Don’t lock the door. Just in case.’
She wrinkled her nose at him, but there was something tender in her smile. ‘You are a worrywart, aren’t you?’
It was hard to speak past the knot in his throat. ‘Don’t tell anyone. I’d lose all credibility with my workers.’
‘I won’t. Your secret is safe with me.’ He wondered if other things would be safe. Like his heart.
He hurried to have his own shower, changing into an old pair of chinos and a polo shirt belonging to his father that should have gone to the charity store back when his dad had lost the extra weight. His mother was a bit of a hoarder.
He was starting to worry and found himself hovering outside the bathroom door when she appeared. ‘Nice.’
She looked down at herself. ‘Surprisingly decent.’
It was a plain navy t-shirt and a pair of apricot trackpants that must have come from Nana’s old stash, from when she put on weight after her husband passed away. ‘Almost pink even.’
With a wry laugh, she dropped into step beside him. Her damp hair was in a braid, pinned up so it wouldn’t make her shirt wet. There were still shadows in her eyes, but her colour was back and the tremor he’d noticed in her hands was gone.
‘You had hair stuff in your bag?’
‘Always.’
His mother had a meal ready on the table. Something light in deference to the warmth of the evening. Ham and salad and a jug of Cassie’s favourite, freshly diluted orange juice with a hint of lemon.
Dawn carried the conversation, talking about Jordan and planning how she and the family could help. They all listened as the sound of a helicopter passed overhead. A short time later, it came again, in the opposite direction. Dawn exchanged a glance with Francis. ‘I’ll give Grace a call later.’
Cassie looked uncomfortable, shifting on her chair, poking at the food but getting some down. He wondered if it was a good thing to have a full meal when you might be about to go into labour. He eyed the leafy greens and decided it wasn’t likely to be a problem.
The phone rang and his father reached over to the buffet and answered it. He nodded a couple of times and murmured something about passing it on. Dawn was sitting up like an expectant meerkat.
He smiled at her. ‘Not about Jordan. He’s been flown out. Michael Long went with him because Morgan couldn’t go. That was them we heard go over.’
Dawn frowned. ‘Why didn’t Morgan go? He’s Jordan’s doctor, and he was the one treating him at the accident.’
‘Becca has gone into labour.’
Shayne turned and caught Cassie looking at him with eyebrows raised.
‘I doubt if he told her. She was due anyway.’
Cassie snorted. ‘I bet she winkled it out of him. Or someone else told her. Half the town was there.’
‘Tell her what?’ His mother was eyeballing both of them.
‘Nothing.’ It came out abruptly, but Cassie was receiving the full treatment. Stronger women than her could not withstand his mother’s silent interrogation technique.
‘It was nothing really, Dawn. Morgan had to crawl in close to the tractor to treat Jordan.’
Francis touched his wife’s arm. ‘They’re all fine now. No-one was hurt apart from Jordan.’
‘Where were you then, Shayne? Standing around watching, I suppose?’ His mother could do sarcasm like a pro.
‘I was helping Morgan, of course. We were all safe.’
His mother vanished into the kitchen after they’d eaten, promising to return with a pot of tea once she’d stacked the dishwasher. With similar tact, his father muttered something about bin day and followed his wife.
Shayne took Cassie into the lounge room so she could rest on the couch.
‘Shouldn’t we be going home?’
‘I thought we’d have the cup of tea first. Grace will ring them once Celie lets them know she’s arrived in Brisbane. With any luck, there’ll be an update on Jordan.’
‘I can’t believe Becca has gone into labour. What a day for the family.’
Shayne watched her shift on the cushions, wincing as she arched her back. ‘Would you like a back rub?’
‘Would you? I can’t seem to shake this. Everything aches. My skin on my belly feels more stretched than usual.’
He helped her put her bare feet up on the couch and sat behind her so she could lean into his shoulder, exposing her back to his touch. Her moan when he rubbed the heel of his hand into her lower back set his body alight, but his concern made it easy to dismiss it. ‘Do you think you might be in labour?’
She stiffened but relaxed almost immediately. ‘I haven’t had any contractions. Not even Braxton Hicks. It’s most likely because of standing around and being on the ground for so long with no back support.’
He kept kneading the flesh, tugging down the waistband of the trackpants to get to the softness at the top of her buttocks. Her little groans and exhalations were incitement to fantasise.
‘I could learn to live with this.’
‘All you have to do is say yes to my proposition and you can have me on tap for a lifetime.’ He knew it was the wrong thing to say before the words had finished leaving his mouth.
Cassie spun around, smoothing down her t-shirt and adjusting the trackpants. ‘You said you wouldn’t pressure me.’
‘It was a joke. Ignore it.’
‘I can’t.’ She pushed herself to her feet and faced him. ‘I wasn’t going to tell you this now because I know you and your family are going through stuff with Jordan. I can’t do it. I won’t let myself be drawn into something I don’t want or need.’
‘You’re tired and upset. We don’t have to do this now.’
‘We do. I’m sorry, but today only proved I was right not to get involved. I didn’t even know you were in the the Rural Fire Brigade or SES until today. It’s bad enough with all the normal things people do that might get them killed. I can’t be with someone who wilfully goes out and does dangerous stunts.’
Shayne thrust himself up from the seat. ‘I don’t wilfully go out to do dangerous stunts. We work as a team, and we always work out how to do things in the safest way possible.’
‘Like you did today? Why didn’t you wait until the rest of the crew arrived and secured the accident site?’
‘Because Jordan was being slowly crushed to death by the weight of the tractor. It was only a matter of time before the tree collapsed and pushed the tractor down enough to sever his spine.’
‘So, you risked your own life. That’s not responsible.’
‘You’d happily have me stand aside.’
She waved one hand in a sharp negative. ‘Of course not. I just … I can’t be with someone who does dangerous things.’
‘How do you define dangerous? My sister died from falling off a horse. I still ride horses. My other sister died in a car accident and my brother was badly injured. I still drive cars. Jordan is in hospital after a farm accident. I use tractors and other machinery every day. These are things everyone does daily. You can’t make a choice not to be with someone who does something as basic as driving a car. You drive a car.’
‘That’s why I never planned to be involved with anyone.’
He gestured at her stomach. ‘What about the twins? Are you going to wrap them in cotton wool? Stop them riding bikes, travelling in cars. It’s not logical, Cassie. You can’t live at all.’ He huffed out a breath. ‘That’s what you’ve been doing, isn’t it? Not living. Staying safe in your cocoon. It won’t work. You have people in your life now that you love. They can’t be wrapped up like your memories and kept safe. They will want to live life to the full and you will have to let them, even if it means letting them do dangerous things. Because they will hate you if you trap them in your safe little world.’
‘That’s cruel.’
‘It’s reality. I’m a father, Cassie. I know what it’s like to let my little girl do dangerous things. I can make sure she wears her helmet on the horse and does everything as safely as possible. But the moment she’s on that horse and galloping full tilt into the arena, all bets are off.’
‘I can’t. I can’t lose more people that I love.’
Shayne wondered if she realised what she was admitting. He hated hurting her, but he couldn’t back down. His future depended on it. ‘You’ll lose them anyway, even if they live.’
‘I just …’ she gasped, clutching at her stomach. ‘Something’s happening.’
The fear in her voice broke him and he reached out for her. She pulled away. ‘Don’t touch me.’
She must have read the reaction to her recoil in his face. ‘No. No. It’s not that. I think my waters broke.’