by Leah Martyn
Somewhere, away in the distance, there was the hum of a tractor, the soft cooing of nesting doves in the shrubbery outside. Turning, she stroked the pillow beside her where Riley had lain his head. Happiness flooded through her. They were so rich—in the ways that counted.
‘Here we are.’ Riley was back, shoving things to one side on the bedside cabinet to find room for the tray. He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her mouth. ‘I couldn’t find any champagne but we’ve got mineral water.’ Magician-like, he waved a hand over what he’d brought.
Smiling indulgently, Jane pushed herself up against the headboard. ‘You’ve been ages. What else have you got there?’
‘Cream cheese and crackers. Coffee. And I nipped out to your strawberry patch. I found some beauties.’
Jane blinked. ‘You didn’t wash them, did you?’
‘I wiped them with a paper towel.’ He raised a dark brow. ‘Was that right?’
‘Perfect.’ Her arms went round his neck, drawing him down. ‘We’ll make a gardener of you yet, Dr Brennan.’
Riley climbed in beside her. ‘Mineral water for our toast.’ He handed her the flute and raised his own. ‘To new beginnings?’ He smiled a tender, tentative smile.
‘New beginnings,’ Jane echoed, and drank thirstily.
Riley fed her a strawberry. The juice ran down her chin. ‘This is decadent,’ she giggled.
‘But well overdue.’ He took up a cracker and went to spread it.
Jane placed a quick hand on his arm. ‘Just plain, thanks.’
Riley turned aside to pour the coffee. ‘None for me.’ Jane reeled back. ‘I’ll stick to mineral water. But you have some,’ she insisted.
Riley refilled her glass, a thoughtful expression on his face. ‘Mind telling me something?’ Handing her the mineral water, he watched her take a mouthful.
Jane blinked. ‘Fire away.’
‘Did you ever go back on the Pill?’
Jane shook her head. ‘I never much liked taking it anyway. And there was no need. You were away—’ Suddenly she stopped, her mind groping towards something else entirely.
Riley took her hand, his expression unreadable.
‘When was your last period?’
‘When?’ She blinked at him and tried to think. ‘I’ve kind of lost track. Riley…?’ She broke off.
He lifted her hand and touched his mouth to her knuckles. ‘Nothing since the night we were together, by any chance?’
She shook her head. ‘There could be lots of reasons why I missed. The stress I’ve been under and—’
‘Don’t think so.’ Riley slid his hand across her stomach, his grin stretching from ear to ear. ‘I think you’re pregnant, Janey.’
‘Could I be?’ Her face was incredulous.
He lifted a shoulder. ‘Sounds feasible to me. And look at the pattern.’
‘My equilibrium’s been all over the place,’ she admitted.
‘And you’re crying at the drop of a hat.’
‘And I’m right off coffee. Oh, Riley!’ Her face was wreathed in smiles. And then she sobered. ‘But with our previous history, we shouldn’t get our hopes up.’
‘Only one way to find out.’ He flew out of bed and hunted round for his shirt, tugging it on. ‘I’ll nip out to the chemist. Won’t be long.’
Jane didn’t know how she got through the next twenty minutes until he got back.
‘Moment of truth.’ He handed her the paper bag with the chemist’s logo.
‘It may not work so soon.’ Jane had her robe on, the sash tied loosely at the waist.
‘It’s been a few weeks.’ Riley pushed her gently towards the bathroom. ‘It should show something.’
‘What will you do?’ Jane held the home pregnancy test kit against her chest.
‘Practise my breathing. Go.’ He shooed her with his hand.
At the bathroom door she turned back, her expression closed. ‘If I’m not, Riley?’
‘It won’t be the end of the world,’ he promised.
A few minutes later, Jane emerged, her face stiff.
Riley’s heart plummeted. ‘Well?’ His voice cracked.
‘We’re going to have a baby!’ And throwing herself into her husband’s arms, Jane promptly burst into tears.
EPILOGUE
THE christening party was in full swing.
‘Just one last one.’ Vicki had appointed herself official photographer. ‘Riley, put your hand on Jane’s shoulder and look down at the baby. Now, everyone say, ‘‘Hi.’’ Lovely.’
It was the end of August, a soft, sunny, winter’s day in south-east Queensland, and in the garden of Jane’s and Riley’s cottage the guests began to mill about the buffet which had been set out under a marquee on the front lawn.
‘Would you like to nip inside and feed her, Janey?’ Riley looked down at his eight-week-old daughter on her mother’s lap and wondered if he would get over feeling so puffed out with pride at being her father.
He didn’t think he was unduly biased, but she had to be the most beautiful baby he’d ever seen—tiny features so perfectly formed, little rosebud mouth and eyes so like her mother’s as she woke now and looked around her.
‘Shortly.’ Jane smiled up at her husband. ‘I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea first.’
‘I’ll get it.’
‘Sit for a bit.’ Jane patted the garden seat beside her. ‘Our daughter seems quite content for the moment.’ Jane snuggled in against him with a contented sigh.
They’d had the happiest months of their marriage, drawing even closer throughout her pregnancy, and Riley had been her greatest support at the birth. ‘It’s been a lovely day so far, hasn’t it?’ In front of family and invited friends, Kiara Rose Brennan had been baptised in the little stone church of St Francis of Assisi at ten-thirty that Sunday morning.
‘Yes, it has.’ Riley sent her a lopsided grin. ‘Mind if I take her for a while?’ With gentle expertise, he lifted the little one from Jane’s lap and tucked her into the crook of his arm. ‘I’m glad Carol came to meet her granddaughter.’
‘Me, too.’ Even though her relationship with her mother had never been easy, Jane realised she’d been ridiculously pleased to see her. Maybe the arrival of her own daughter had mellowed her, she thought wryly. Her eyes faintly questioning, she looked across to where her mother was in deep conversation with Natalie Brennan. In her light grey costume with its little fur collar, her mother looked younger and happier than Jane had ever seen her. Maybe she’d met someone…
‘Ah, here come the godparents.’ Riley sketched a wave as Mayetta and Bryn, with little Sophie toddling between them, made their way across the lawn.
Jane laughed softly. ‘I wonder if Kiara will be an early walker like Sophie? May said she’s into everything.’
Riley’s look was tender on his child. ‘We’ve all that to look forward to.’
‘And then some…’
Jane didn’t have to count her blessings. They were all around her in their friends and family. And in her husband who loved her to bits, and in their beautiful baby daughter, she knew she had the greatest blessings of all.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-5714-9
THE DOCTORS’ MARRIAGE
First North American Publication 2002
Copyright © 2001 by Leah Martyn
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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