Midwife in the Family Way Read Online Free Page A

Montana nodded her thanks. ‘How is your mother?’
    Emma thought of waving hands and erratic attempts to walk. ‘She didn’t seem as sad last week, but her moods swing pretty wildly. I just wish I could keep her at home but she’s even too much in the care she’s in sometimes. I don’t know what I’ll do if she has to leave the centre in Brisbane. And Dad misses the lake.’
    Montana hugged her. ‘There’s no easy answer and we’ll be here for you if you need to talk.’
    â€˜I know.’ Emma shook off the melancholy of worry that she worked so hard to hide and returned to the practical. ‘What time do you want me to pick up Grace in the morning?’
    â€˜It’s Saturday. Sleep in. We’ll go shopping early and I’ll drop her home before lunch, if that’s okay.’
    Emma nodded as Louisa came back into the kitchen with her overnight bag and suddenly everyone was ready to leave.
    Home wasn’t far and Emma declined the offer of a lift in Montana’s bus-like vehicle. The evening was cool and it would be good to clear her head in the twilight breeze. To have space to mull over the day on the silent walk home.
    The sudden loud snap of a breaking twig pierced her reverie and her head flew up. Then she heard theunmistakable scrape of a shoe on gravel behind her just before a tall shadow loomed over her.
    Emma’s heart flipped like those silver fish did every afternoon in the lake and her hand came up to her throat as if to hold back a squeak. Up until now the idea of being nervous of the encroaching darkness had never crossed her mind. This was Lyrebird Lake and the safest place she knew. But at that moment her heart galloped crazily as she tried to pierce the gloom to see the person’s identity.
    â€˜Who is looking after you?’ Gianni spoke quietly, but there was a tinge of outrage in his voice.
    She peered through the dimness and confirmed it was his face. ‘Gianni!’ Her shoulders dropped as she breathed heavily out in an exasperated sigh. ‘Around here we don’t sneak up and scare people. As long as no one does what you just did, I don’t need looking after.’ She sighed again as her pulse rate settled. She tapped her chest as if to reassure her heart all was well. ‘You frightened the life out of me.’ She started to walk again.
    His dark brows almost touched each other. ‘You should not be walking alone, it is almost dark. Please let me drive you to your house.’
    Emma rolled her eyes. ‘I thought accepting lifts from strangers was dangerous?’ she said dryly. She glanced around. Now they were standing closer to the streetlamp but between the orange pools of each lamp it was pretty deserted and darker than she’d realised. But until thesilly man had put the notion in her head she’d been happy.
    â€˜Come,’ he said imperiously, and held out his hand.
    Emma looked down at his strong brown fingers, even darker in the dim light, and considered the implications of his touch. Did she want to feel the warmth that she just knew was going to stay with her? She didn’t think so.
    Emma avoided his hand and turned to his car. ‘All right.’ But as she reached for the door handle his fingers were there before her.
    â€˜May I?’ he said. ‘Please allow me?’
    Emma stood back as he glided the door open. Touchy Italian, she thought. ‘No problem. Feel free. I’m just out of practice with people opening doors for me.’ She swung herself into the low-slung seat and glanced around the interior of the European sports car.
    She read the label of the owner’s manual on the console. She’d never been in a Maserati before. Her door clicked shut beside her shoulder and she forced herself to relax back into the seat. The leather was doeskin soft and she wiggled her shoulders in it. Nice. Different from what she was used to, that was for sure.
    When