Running his fingers down Maggie’s teledex, he found the name and then the number he was after. Lifting up the sat phone, he dialled – heard a voice on the other end and made his request.
A nod, a yes, and Will read the numbers from the emergency coordinates up on the wall in front of the phone. Another nod, a yes, and he gently pushed a button to end the call. Putting a hand to his forehead, he pinched the wrinkled skin of his frown, thinking for a moment before he turned. Hoping he’d done the right thing.
He returned to the lounge room, to wait. To try to help Bella by rubbing her lower back as the time between the contractions grew shorter and shorter.
Whup, whup, whup.
From her place leaning over the beanbag, Bella cocked her head.
Whup, whup, whup.
A leaden feeling hit her chest and travelled down into her gut; a sense of deja vu.
Whup, whup, whup.
As it got louder, Will moved to the door to watch the helicopter materialise through the night gloom. It landed in the calf paddock beside the house, powering down from full throttle but keeping its rotor blades slowly turning while a figure climbed out through the passenger door and hurried across the grass. With the lightning and thunder now gone, Will walked out into the wet blackness, ready to meet the man as he came through the garden gate.
Another contraction kicked in. She’d known she was carrying the baby posteriorly but hadn’t known the labour would all be in her back; Dr Weir hadn’t mentioned that. She’d been so sure the baby had moved around the right way when it did that enormous flip the other day. But if it had, her tummy would be rhythmically contorting with pain, not convulsing alongside this excruciating backache.
And then she was gone into her own insular world, totally focused on getting through the next few minutes, breathing heavily, rocking and writhing with the pain, trying to find some relief.
‘Your ride’s arrived, Bella.’ Will’s deep voice came from somewhere near her ear.
She realised he was on his knees beside her. Then she could hear him getting up and walking around gathering pillows, blankets and her suitcase, which had been sitting half-packed in the corner of her bedroom. The pain eased and she could focus once again, eyes opening to saucers when she saw who’d arrived.
Warren stood uncomfortably just outside the sliding doorway.
‘Bella.’ A self-conscious nod and then a flick of his eyes, focusing somewhere over her head.
She sat back on her heels, pale-faced and exhausted. She looked up at Will, a challenging question in her eyes.
Will shrugged, his eyes soft even as his face hardened in concern for her. ‘It’s for the best, Bella. It’d take me at least eight hours to cut us out of here and the medivac chopper will take a while, they’ve got a bit on and we haven’t got . . . I mean you haven’t got that long to spare.’ His voice almost pleaded for her to forgive him.
She paused for a moment, stiff and restrained, as if there were a decision to be made. It only lasted moments and then she dropped all pretence of being in control. Will moved to her side and gently lifted her into his arms and carried her towards the door.
‘Grab the case, Warren. And could you belt out to the shed and flick the red stop button on the generator? Here, take this so you can see what you’re doing.’ Will motioned with his head to a big no-nonsense Dolphin torch sitting on the kitchen table. ‘I’ll put her in the chopper.’
Warren grabbed the case with his pale, soft hands and stumbled towards the shed. Opening the large stable door, he clicked off the big red button on the generator and then carried the case towards the gleaming Oxford, Bride and Associates helicopter.
As he ran to the front passenger door, he could see that Will had Bella belted in and Warren was clipping up his own seatbelt beside her. He watched as Bella reached out to grab Will’s hand. Warren then wrenched open his door, jumped into his seat, clipped up his belt and then nodded to the pilot. The helicopter powered up and slowly lifted off, to spin south and fly over the mountains; to carry its passengers through the night to the regional hospital at Narree.
Chapter 44
The two men lounged on opposite sides of the waiting room, a glass-encased cubicle outside the hospital’s maternity ward.
Warren sat in his Italian wool suit, knees crossed primly, head thrown back staring at the ceiling.
Will sprawled with his denim-covered legs stretched out in front, ankles crossed where his work boots met thick cotton socks. A cream battered Akubra rested at an angle from head to chest, shading his eyes from the bright fluorescent light overhead. Their clothes had dried out thanks to the warmth in the hospital.
And Will was praying hard.
The doctor looked all done-in as he made his way to the doorway of the glass cubicle. It had been a bloody long day and it was now chiming eleven on his Rolex wristwatch his boyfriend had given him for his last birthday. He’d wanted to go home – but now this emergency had come in. As he got to the door of the waiting room, he took in the two men sitting before him on opposing sides of the room.
‘Who’s the father?’ asked the doctor, trying to inject the appropriate tone of concern into his voice.
Will’s hat fell to the floor as both men jumped to their feet.
‘He is.’ Two voices rang out in unison, the men pointing directly at each other.
The doctor looked taken aback.
As did Will.
But not Warren.
He just shrugged and slowly dropped back down into his chair. He gracefully stretched his legs and lifted his head to blink at the ceiling once again.
‘What did you say?’ asked Will bewildered, until a vision swam before his eyes. The sun kissing the naked girl lying in the thick native grass of an open mountain plain.
Will focused and stared hard at Warren. ‘What did you say?’ he asked again.
Warren continued to look vacantly at the ceiling, mute.
The doctor cleared his throat. ‘Ah, well . . . It appears there’s a bit of confusion?’ His question hung in the air before he rushed on. ‘Well . . . that’s something you blokes need to sort out.’ He waited a moment then added, ‘If you’re interested, we’re about to take Isabella into surgery. We’re doing a Caesarean.’
‘Is she all right?’
‘A Caesarean?’
Will and Warren voiced their questions simultaneously – then glared each other down.
The doctor looked from one to the other and shook his head, wishing he was gone from this place, longing for his bed.
‘She’s doing okay, but it has to be an emergency Caesarean. Little one’s stuck trying to turn around for the entry into the birth canal. Lucky you got her here, that’s for sure.’
‘Can I see her before she goes in?’ asked Will, picking up his hat and moving it distractedly through his hands. His mind was dashing in so many directions, trying to make some sense of it all.
‘Ah yes, well, once you’ve sorted things out . . .’ The doctor’s hands waved between Will and Warren ‘. . . you can see her.’ He waited a moment then decided to say what was on his mind. What he felt, under the circumstances, he had to say.
‘Best work out who the father is first. I don’t want my patient upset. It’s a major operation she’s facing, you know, and she’s fragile, so don’t bugger her around.’
Abruptly the doctor turned, making his way back into the operating theatre. He pondered over the little ruckus. If he were a betting man he’d back the flannelette shirt and Wranglers over the Italian suit. A Wrangler-clad butt always did it for him.
Will sat down in the hard chair and glared across at Warren, who sat up and glared right back.
‘The baby’s yours, you know. Well, I’m guessing that’s the case. You’re the only other possible contender,’ said Warren, finally turning his head away, back up towards the roof. But not before Will glimpsed a glassy pool of tears held firmly in check within bloodshot eyes.
‘Mine?’
‘Yo
urs,’ confirmed Warren. ‘I can’t have kids. I’ve had a vasectomy.’ He slowly got to his feet. ‘I guess that’s it then. I’ll be off.’
Will sat motionless. ‘Mine?’ he said almost to himself. ‘Are you sure? Not that it matters. I love her, you know.’
‘About ninety-five per cent sure, and yes, I do know,’ said Warren, now standing in front of his adversary. ‘Good luck.’ His head dipped again as the tears threatened to spill.
Will pulled himself together and stood. ‘You won’t stay and see her afterwards . . . I mean them?’ he asked.
‘Well, I don’t think that’s really appropriate considering the circumstances.’ Warren gave a half-smile and cocked his head. ‘In my world it’s the father’s privilege to be the first to see his child . . . and its mother, of course.’
Will slowly nodded his head.
Warren turned towards the door, the lift within his sights.
‘Warren? Thanks, mate. For the helicopter, for the flight, for tonight, for all this . . .’ Will flailed his hands around uselessly, not really knowing what he was trying to say.
‘Not a problem, old chap, and glad we could help.’ The words were stilted as Warren stared straight ahead. At the lift he called back down the passage, ‘Just look after them,’ before turning away.
Will nodded, then watched as Warren walked into the lift and out of their lives. He paused for just a moment then headed towards the room where they were preparing Bella for the operation.
Why hadn’t she told him he was the baby’s father?
He swung through the doors just in time to see Bella being helped onto a gurney. Her face lit up at the sight of him.
‘Will!’ she called across the room.
Why the fuck hadn’t she told him? He could have helped her more, been more involved.
He strode towards her, his anger compelling him on. ‘Am I the baby’s father, Bella?’ He took hold of her arm. ‘Am I?’
She nodded once. Then a contraction hit her hard. She gasped and the nurse pushed Will aside, trying to help Bella through the pain.
Another nurse came barging through the doors that led to the operating suite. ‘We have to get her into theatre.’
‘Bella. Bella! Why didn’t you tell me?’ Will called as the gurney started to move towards the door. He needed to know, to understand.
‘You said you didn’t want children,’ she gasped. ‘Said you didn’t want to take the chance of losing someone you loved again.’
The night of their dinner together. Months ago. Probably before she even knew she was pregnant. Will groaned.
Bella closed her eyes and allowed the nurses to wheel her away.
Any anger Will felt at Bella for keeping the truth from him melted away as he walked into the single hospital room a while later, the only one with the softly glowing light. Bella lay tucked into a white hospital bed, a pink nightie softly framing her face. Her hair was lank and clumped high on her forehead, her face as white as the pillow. The stunning lapis eyes were surrounded by dark purple rings. But she looked happy, content, beautiful.
Tucked into her other side was a pink flannelette bundle. A tiny, fleshy arm had found its way outside the soft rug.
Will pulled up beside the bed, looking across at his daughter. Bella glanced up at him while her baby remained attached to a bared breast, little cheeks chugging away every now and then.
‘Hello,’ said Will with a gentle grin.
‘Hello.’ Bella’s return smile was dazzling. ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’ she said, as she looked down at her daughter.
‘She certainly is,’ said Will with reverence, his deep voice causing a pert little rosebud mouth to pop off the nipple and turn towards her father.
‘And so are you.’ He leaned in and kissed the mother of his child firmly on the lips.
She looked into his eyes as he pulled away. ‘And so now you know.’
‘I know,’ he confirmed as he sat gently on the side of the bed. ‘I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I know I said I didn’t want kids, but I didn’t really mean it.’
‘Yes, you did.’
‘Well, yes, at the time, I probably did. But I’ve changed my mind – you changed my mind. Sometimes these things happen for a reason, and I guess this is one of those times. You should’ve told me, Hells Bells. I could have done more, helped you—’
Bella broke in. ‘I didn’t want you to feel trapped. And, selfishly, this was something I had to do by myself. After I left Melbourne I needed to work out who I was and what I wanted. Where I fit in. And this little one has helped me do that. And really, it was hardly your fault. I was just there, that day, waiting for you.’
‘You were sure it was going to be me?’
‘Yes. I knew you’d be the one. I must have unconsciously known then that things weren’t over between us. There were still things to be done.’
‘Things to be done, all right,’ said Will as he gently took his proffered daughter into his arms. ‘I’d say we’ve done them pretty well, too. What do you reckon, little one?’
Bella looked at the man who was so much a part of her life and wondered how they managed to waste the last eight years.
But it wasn’t a waste, said the voice in her head. You wouldn’t be the people you are now unless you’d done what you did.
Yes, but we would have been married and on our third child if we’d just got our shit together earlier, Bella replied silently. There’d have been no Warrens or Prowsys to bugger up our lives. And all our babies would have been as gorgeous as this one.
Warren didn’t bugger up your life. You made choices, girlfriend, and have to take some responsibility too. And Prowsy? Well, men are men and they have an itch that needs to be scratched. Even my brother.
Bella knew Patty was right. She was as much to blame as Warren for the failure of that relationship. Never again would she lose touch with herself and what it meant to be surrounded by those she loved. And Prowsy? She could have a nice life far away, baking cakes in Scone.
Bella smiled as she watched her daughter cast a special kind of magic over the father who held her within his arms.
‘I love you, Bella,’ said Will, looking straight into her eyes. ‘What you saw in that window . . . it wasn’t what you thought. Nothing happened. There’s no-one else I want but you. Since the day you nearly ran me down in Queensland, there’s been no-one else for me but you.’
Bella was shocked at the vulnerability in his eyes. And in that moment she realised only she and their daughter were at the centre of his universe.
‘I believe you, Will.’
‘Thank God,’ he said. He quickly looked back down at his daughter, cupping her fingers with his own. But not before Bella saw the tears come into his eyes. She reached up and wiped one away.
‘I’m sorry I’ve been so pig-headed,’ she whispered. ‘Wes told me that, and he was right. I’ve never given you a chance to explain. Not in Melbourne, not at Hugh’s Plain, not with Prowsy. I’ve just run a million miles in the opposite direction, assuming all kinds of things.’
Will nodded before looking up. ‘Probably . . . but I’m guilty too. I just jammed my running into months rather than years. I still love you, regardless.’
‘You’re a bit of all right too, you know.’ Bella’s voice was teasing.
‘Only a bit of all right?’
‘Well, maybe a big bit.’
‘Does that big bit have any love in it?’
‘Maybe a bit.’
‘Only a bit?’
‘Maybe a big bit.’
Will leaned over his daughter’s head again and stared deeply into Bella’s eyes, his gaze holding a challenge.
‘Okay. Okay. You win. I love you too, my darling man.’ She tapped him on the nose. ‘Now give me back my daughter. I’m supposed to be trying to feed her, even though my bloody milk hasn’t come in.’
‘What are we going to call her?’ said Will, passing his little girl to her mother.
Bella pa
used for a minute, before lifting her hand to caress the tinge of red down on top of the baby’s head.
‘I was thinking Sophie. Sophie Patricia O’Hara.’
Will smiled at his tiny daughter. ‘Perfect.’
Epilogue
Three years later
Will O’Hara drove the four-wheel drive through the farm gate that passed as a check-in for the Nunkeri Muster. After paying their dues and passing the time of day with the blokes manning the gate, the family wended their way along the track beside the creek.
To the right-hand side of the track, flash off-road camper trailers, caravans and horse-movers were scattered across the plain; mixed among these were utes with tarps attached and held up with anything from sawn-off tree limbs to electric fence posts. Swags littered the ground in all directions.
‘I wonder who had a dawn dash this morning?’ Bella’s eyes twinkled at Will.
Will grinned and Bella could see that memories of another time were on his mind.
Strapped in her seat, Sophie squealed excitedly, returning them both to the moment. ‘See horseys, Mummy . . . horseys!’
‘Yes, sweetheart. Hang on a minute and we can go have a look.’
Sophie started to chant. ‘Horseys, horseys, I see the horseys!’ Her little brother Matt tried to join in, ‘Ga, Ga, orss.’
Will looked at Bella, who had turned and was gazing at both her children with a mixture of exasperation and adoration. How could he have once thought he didn’t want this? He loved them all, so much that he thought his heart would burst. He could hardly believe he and Bella were here, back where it all started.
Finally they found a place to park the twin-cab ute. After helping the children from the car, they walked together towards the huge crowd gathered around the marquee in the distance – Bella carrying Matt, and Will toting Sophie.
They passed the remnants of a massive bonfire lying in the middle of the plain, witness to a celebration held the night before. Country music blared from the big speakers. Horses cantered past, warming up for the Stockmen’s Challenge.
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