Heart Of Courage. Sue MacKay
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but I’m looking, man. I want the wife and kids, the whole nine yards of snotty noses and nappies. The football in the back yard. The romantic nights under the stars when the kids are asleep in bed.’
Cooper rubbed his hands over his head. ‘Thought I knew you. When did you get so staid?’
His pal laughed. ‘When the plane landed here six months ago. I climbed down onto home turf and knew I was ready to settle down. I’ve had enough running around with the boys and not having anyone special to come home to after a particularly messy tour.’
‘You’re going to quit the army? And you’re aiming to convince me to join up with your lot?’
‘Don’t put words in my mouth. I’m merely trying to get you to think things through clearly, make the right decisions with all the facts.’
There was that nudge again. This time like a bulldozer. List did know something about him and Sophie. He’d swear it. But he wasn’t going to ask. A barrage of questions would follow. Questions he had yet to work out the answers to. ‘Is there any other way?’ he asked acerbically. Then shrugged. ‘Up for a beer when you’re done here?’ Thinking could be highly overrated and right now he’d had more than his share of it. ‘I could do with a distraction—and something cold and wet.’
And I do not want any innuendo about Sophie.
‘Let’s go. I’m not even meant to be here today, only came on so as I could give you a hard time.’
‘Got my uses, then.’ Cooper followed his mate out into the glaring sun, looking forward to catching up properly with him.
‘How close are you to Sophie?’ List tossed over his shoulder.
Cancel that. He should never have suggested a beer. ‘Who says I am?’ What had Sophie told List?
‘No one. The fact that she was the first person you went to see on arrival speaks volumes. Usually it’s me you’re plaguing with your presence.’
Why hadn’t he thought of that? ‘There’s no hiding anything from you, is there?’
List smirked. ‘Don’t forget it. One last thing and then I’ll shut up.’
List didn’t do shutting up very well, but what could he say? ‘Go on.’
‘I’d like to swap you onto the same flight out as Sophie’s taking early next week. It’s a long haul back to Auckland and I’d hate for something to happen and there be no medic to help.’
Worry lifted bumps on Cooper’s skin. ‘Is she having problems?’ Please, anything but that.
‘A couple of short bouts of sharp pain. She calls them some funny name, says they’re false labour pains, but I don’t know. Seems strange to me.’
The worry backed off. ‘Braxton Hicks contractions. They’re quite normal.’ He could still leave on his planned flight.
‘That’s them. Normal, eh? Fair enough, but I’d still like you on that plane.’
‘She’ll be fine.’
And I’ll be at home, getting on with my next career move.
‘And if she’s not? What if she goes into labour between here and NZ?’
There’d be people to help her, to deliver the baby and take care of them. ‘I’ll be on that flight.’
* * *
Stretching out on her bunk twenty-four hours later, Sophie put her hands over her stomach and stared up at the ceiling. The heat had drained the energy out of her once again.
Kick.
‘You take your toll too, little one.’ Little one. Soon she’d have to decide on a name. There was a list in her drawer. Lots of names she liked but none that grabbed her. It wasn’t as easy to choose as she’d have believed. A name was for life. She didn’t want anything that could be shortened into an awful nickname, or something odd that might get her girl teased, but she didn’t want plain and ordinary either. Her friends on base were constantly teasing her about her inability to make up her mind. Said it was a prime example of baby brain in someone who usually knew exactly what she wanted.
But then this whole pregnancy thing had been a brain mess. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place, and would probably keep her celibate for a lot longer than she’d planned on.
Could just buy condoms by the ton.
Yep. That’d work.
Ha. She was only weeks away from becoming a mother. There wasn’t going to be time for having fun with men. Junior here would need all her attention, and any spare time would be taken up with work. If she could find a part-time position after baby arrived. She had to. How else would they live? Babies didn’t come free, and she wanted the best for hers. A cosy home—read a tiny but cheery flat. A loving mother—read one who’d never blame her daughter for holding her back from her career.
Somehow she’d find the balance between parenting and working, because one wouldn’t happen without the other.
Knock, knock. ‘Sophie?’
Cooper. The last person she wanted to see right now. But not acknowledging him mightn’t work. He appeared to be the kind of man who’d walk right on in, and that would only make her look stupid. Struggling up off the bed, she reached to tug the door wide. ‘Yes?’
Oh, but he looked good. More than good. Make that breathtaking. His white T-shirt accentuated his biceps and as for those pecs... Her cheeks reddened. They were out of this world. If she’d had to make a mistake then she’d made it with a seriously built guy. Her glance slid lower, took in the knee-length shorts that sat snugly on his slim hips.
‘Sophie, can we spend some time together?’
‘We worked in the same room all day.’ She’d deliberately kept any conversation focused on patients or upcoming health programmes. Last night she’d seen him leave base with Alistair so had relaxed about eating in the mess, knowing he wouldn’t suddenly appear at her side, full of awkward questions.
‘I’d like to get to know you a little better,’ he insisted.
Why so reasonable? At least she could argue with the angry version. ‘It’s hard to find privacy around here.’ Did she really want to be alone with him when all she could think about was the outstanding features of that body his clothes did nothing to hide? A body she’d seen little of yet had known intimately.
‘We could go somewhere there’s air-conditioning,’ he said with a tempting smile.
She made up her mind, hoping she wouldn’t regret it. ‘Air-con will get me every time. It’s stuffy in here.’ Learning more about Cooper couldn’t hurt. As long as she kept it all in perspective and didn’t start thinking they could have a future together. She hadn’t forgotten his reputation as a playboy. Or her mum and dad’s style of parenting. Which was what her baby would have if they got together. Very off-putting for her as well.
‘I do have another idea. Want to go for a swim? I hear there’s a nature park not far away that’s safe from crocs. We could take a picnic.’
She knew exactly where he meant. ‘You’d risk going that far in my car?’ What would she use for a swimsuit?
Cooper swung some keys from his finger. ‘Air con, remember?’
‘Who have you stolen that off?’
‘List.’ She must’ve gaped at him because he explained, ‘Alistair.’
‘Of course.’ Alistair would lend his vehicle to his mate.
Cooper jiggled the keys at her. ‘Your choice. Swim or bar. Which is it to be?’
As her skin was moist with sweat due to the soaring temperatures and the additional weight she carried the idea of slipping into cold water was impossible to let