Yes, she knew. But she hadn’t been able to bear the thought of it. Her sisters’ efforts to keep her mind off the baby she’d given birth to twenty-three years go would only have served to focus her mind on it more. They’d been there to witness the aftermath of that turbulent time and their presence alone would have been enough to stir the memories.
Beth decided to throw them a crumb to sidetrack them. ‘I actually walked ou t of the cinema into a medical emergency. A woman had collapsed into a diabetic coma and then she started to fit. This…’ Beth paused slightly while she searched for an adequate description. ‘Guy and I, rendered some first aid while we waited for the ambulance.’
‘Guy?’ Rilla and Hailey said in unison, recognising the significance of Beth’s hesitation, sensing a juicy titbit.
Damn it! She shouldn’t have stumbled over how to explain him. She should have known her sisters would jump on that part of the information.
‘What was he like?’ Rilla asked.
‘What’s his name?’ Hailey pressed.
‘What’s he do?’ Rilla added.
‘Spill!’ Hailey demanded.
Hot. He was hot. Amazing green eyes, beautiful mouth and a way with her body that had made her weep in his arms.
‘He seemed nice enough,’ she fobbed them off, hoping her nose wasn’t growing. ‘His name is Gabe. He’s English. He’s a teacher.’ They were looking at her expectantly and she knew how tenacious they could be so she threw them another crumb.
‘We had coffee.’
And he made me laugh. He made me forget. And he was flirting and he had desire in those amazing eyes and something else, something sad, and when he suggested I go back to his hotel room I did because I couldn’t bear to be alone with the memori es, and we had sex. All-night sex. Last-night-alive-on-earth sex. Armageddon sex. Until I slunk out of his room at dawn.
‘Coffee?’ the sisters said in unison again, looking at Beth speculatively.
‘Do you fancy him?’ Rilla asked.
Beth rolled her eyes. ‘He’s…younger than me.’
‘How much younger?’ Hailey demanded.
‘Thirty-three.’ But he hadn’t looked a day over twenty-eight.
‘So?’ Hailey shrugged.
Her sister’s words triggered a Friday-night flashback.
‘Look, I’m flattered but you’re a little young for me,’ she had said and had laughed nervously.
‘So?’ Gabe had said, staring at her with desire and heartbreak in his eyes.
‘Don’t you think you should be playing with girls your own age?’ she’d practically squeaked.
‘No.’
And he’d been so sure of what he’d wanted and yet still kind of vulnerable, her insides had melted and she’d taken his proffered hand and followed him without any further argument.
‘Is he married?’ Hailey’s persistent voice broke into her wandering thoughts.
Beth gave her sister a scandalised look. ‘No.’
‘So?’ Hailey stated again.
Beth looked from one to the other, her head spinning. She was glad her instinct to keep Friday evening’s full story to herself had kicked in. For as long as she could remember her sisters had been trying to set her up with men. It was their payback for years of her mothering them. But the last thing she needed was them constantly questioning her about Gabe.
She didn’t want to be frequently reminded of her completely out-of-character actions. She already had a son out there somewhere to remind her of that. Her one-night-stand-man was best left at the hotel.
‘So nothing. We had a pleasant chat.’ Beth waited for a lightning bolt to strike her. ‘He’s in Australia for seven months. I’m never likely to see him again.’
‘What sort of a teacher is he?’
‘I don’t know. We didn’t really talk about our jobs,’ Beth said wishing she was wearing a theatre mask to hide the heat she felt rising in her face. She’d slept with someone she barely knew. They’d talked about the movies and books and music. And then they hadn’t talked about much at all.
Beth was saved any further interrogation by the arrival of the Brisbane General’s Chief of Staff. She’d never been so happy to see the man who’d been more like a father to her than the man who had actually given her life.
‘Ah, not one daughter but all three,’ John Winters said, beaming at his girls. He didn’t have to ask why they were altogether—he knew why.
‘Hi, Dad.’ Rilla and Hailey rose to hug their father and he gave them a big grateful squeeze each. He winked at Beth over the top of their heads. ‘How are you darling?’ he asked gently.
Oh, God, not you too. ‘I’m good, John. Really, I’m OK.’
John moved into the office and Beth rose to embrace him. He was tall and broad and handsome still, his hair greying nicely at the sides. She lingered in the circle of his arms, thankful every day that John and Penny had taken her in and given her a second chance at life.
‘To what do I owe the pleasure of your hallowed company?’ Beth teased. ‘It’s a bit far down from the executive suites to the bowels of the hospital, isn’t it?’
John chuckled and sat on the corner of her desk. ‘I’m just showing the visiting neurosurgeon around. He’s meeting me here shortly.’
‘Dr Fallon?’ Beth asked.
‘The English guy? The one who’s leading the neuro team to separate the Fisher twins?’ Hailey piped up. ‘What’s he like?’
‘He has an impeccable reputation. He’s only thirty-three but has a very bright future. He’s worked on some real cutting-edge stuff in Oxford and has a very successful private practice. He’s been involved with separating two sets of craniopagal conjoined twins already. The Fishers are lucky to have him. The General is lucky to have him.’
‘That’s not what she meant, Dad,’ Rilla said, laughing at her sister.
John’s eyes twinkled. He’d known exactly what his youngest daughter had meant. ‘Well, he doesn’t do much for me but I guess you young things would call him a hottie. Why, interested?’
‘No way,’ Rilla said vehemently. ‘But Beth, on the other hand…’ she turned to look at her older sister ‘…needs a good man.’
‘Hey!’ Beth protested. ‘If anyone needs a man around this joint, it’s you. It’s about time you started moved on. It’s been seven years since Luca left.’
‘Absolutely,’ Hailey agreed.
‘You can’t talk,’ Rilla said turning to her younger sister to deflect the attention from her. ‘How long has it been for you?’
Hailey laughed. ‘Give me a break. I only got back into the country eight weeks ago.’
‘You’re normally faster than that,’ Rilla pointed out.
Hailey started to protest and then figured it was a little rich to be outraged by her sister’s comment when it was essentially true. She’d had a string of boyfriends. But things had changed in London. ‘I’m mellowing in my old age.’ Hailey shrugged.
They all laughed and Hailey joined them. It was good to be back home among the family again. She’d missed them on the