“A girl?”
Mackenzie nodded. “We had the twenty week ultrasound the other day.”
Emma moved on and the next person to hand her a flower was Andrew. “Congratulations Emma. You deserve this happiness,” he said as he brushed his lips across her cheek.
“Thanks for everything Andrew. I hope you find love again one day too.”
Liam stood at the end of the aisle, near Tom, beaming. Annabel fidgeted beside Ruby. Christine and Rick stood nearby, keeping an eye on the girls. Rick was working overtime trying to restrain Noah and stop him from scooping up the dry leaves and tossing them in the air. Christine cradled Levi, her new baby, on her hip, her eyes filled with warmth and flourishing friendship.
Emma looked up and saw Tom grinning, Ruby now glued to his side with a confused look on her face. Emma’s stomach chased itself around in circles like a puppy chasing its tail. It was almost time for her surprise.
“Hi,” she said shyly when she finally stood in front of Tom.
Their friends gathered close, forming a semi-circle around them.
“Hi yourself,” he whispered. “Are you ready?”
She gave a tiny nod and Tom dropped to one knee, his hand extended, holding a small sprig of baby’s breath toward her.
“Emma O’Connor, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? And will you accept these flowers to complete your bouquet?”
Emma nodded, suddenly speechless. They had planned every part of this day, this moment, this surprise together, but it still took her breath away.
She added the tiny white flowers to the center of her little posy before placing her hand in his. He stood then and kissed her on the lips before holding her tight, crushing her to his chest. Their friends and family clapped and cheered and whistled. They broke apart and grinned at everyone. Now for the next part of the surprise. Emma was giddy with excitement.
“Emma and I have another surprise,” Tom announced.
In the crowd, Kate gasped.
“Today we’re going to get married.”
It took several moments to get everyone’s attention again. Tom was about to say something when Emma placed a finger to his lips. “Actually Tom, before we get married, I have a surprise for you.”
Confusion crossed his face.
“Don’t worry, it’s a surprise, not a secret,” she murmured, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. “Today is a special day and I know how hard it is that your mum isn’t here to share it. But it wouldn’t be right to celebrate without your family.”
Sophie and Alex appeared then, making their way toward him. Tom’s eyes widened. Little Lily toddled on unsteady legs between them, her hands in theirs. Tom hugged his sister tenderly and tears filled their eyes. After a long embrace, he let her go and hugged Alex, slapping him twice on the back.
Emma had tears in her own eyes and a lump in her throat bigger than Tasmania. “I hope you don’t mind I kept this a secret,” she whispered.
Tom swallowed once then twice, unable to form words. “Thank you,” he said finally.
The wedding celebrant arrived and five minutes later, the simple ceremony commenced.
“These vows aren’t just between Tom and Emma, because not only will they be a new couple, they’ll also become a new family.”
Emma knelt so she was face to face with Ruby.
“Ruby, thank you for sharing your daddy with me. I love your daddy, as I also love you. I wasn’t there when you were born and I wasn’t there when you took your first steps but I promise from this day on I will support you in every step you take. I also promise not to try to replace your mum, but if you make a place in your heart for me, I promise I will be here for you. I hope to earn your love, your respect and your true friendship. On this day as I marry your daddy and promise to love him forever, I also promise to love you too.”
Ruby nodded, her face a mix of awe and seriousness.
“I love you Rubes,” Emma said, emotion making her voice quiver. She kissed Ruby on the cheek and stood. It was time to tell Tom how much she loved him.
“Tom, I give you my promise to be by your side forevermore. I promise to love, to honor, and to listen as you tell me your thoughts, your hopes, your dreams, your fears and your secrets. I promise to love you deeply and truly and unconditionally and hold your hands in mine until the end of our days. I also promise to commit myself to helping you, Christine and Rick guide Ruby through her life.”
Tom rubbed his eyes before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. “I take you Emma to be my beloved partner in life. I promise to love, honor and cherish you until the end of time.”
Emma barely heard the rest of his vows because when he opened the lid she began to cry. She recognized the simple wedding band as the one Judy had worn. He took the ring and gently slid it onto her finger then kissed her softly on the lips. “I love you.”
The celebrant turned to the guests. “Before I pronounce them husband and wife, would you join with me in repeating these words? Together we promise to support the newly created Henderson family, brought together in love. We rejoice in the happiness they have found in each other and promise to care for them as they establish new family ties which cannot be broken.”
Everyone repeated the vow and the celebrant turned to Tom.
“You may now kiss your bride.”
*
Afterward, when everyone had gone home, Tom and Emma sat on the front step of Lexton Downs wrapped in a thick blanket, watching the sun slide serenely over the horizon. The sky was a technicolor dream coat, flushed red and yellow and pink and orange and blue.
“Red sky at night, farmer’s delight,” Emma said dreamily, gazing at the magnificent sunset.
Tom nudged her softly. “Red sky at night, my delight.”
The first star made its appearance, followed quickly by others.
“Star light, star bright—” Tom murmured.
“The first star I see tonight.”
“I wish I may, I wish I might …”
“Have this wish I wish tonight.”
A cool breeze grazed her skin and she snuggled closer to him. He placed a protective arm across her shoulder, pulling the blanket tighter around her to ward off the chill. The sun dipped lower and a mist settled over the paddocks. In the stables, a horse whinnied and another horse answered.
“What do you wish, Em?”
“That every night we spend together will feel like this.”
“Emma.” Tom whispered her name tenderly. “Do you know how much I love you?”
Emma picked up her posy of flowers.
“Did you notice what type of flower you added to my bouquet?” she asked.
Tom chuckled. “I’m a guy. We don’t notice those things.”
She held the flowers toward him. “It was this one,” she said, pointing to the dainty white flowers in the center. “It’s called baby’s breath.”
“It’s pretty.”
“It’s in the center for a reason.”
Emma couldn’t help but laugh at the mystified look on Tom’s face.
“Are you really that slow?” she asked with a roll of her eyes. “It’s called baby’s breath,” she repeated.
The air was thick as she waited to see if Tom would grasp what she was intimating. “I used baby’s breath to represent our baby.”
“Baby?”
She nodded.
“You’re having a baby?”
“We are having a baby,” she corrected.
“We’re having a baby?”
“Are you going to repeat everything I say?”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Of course I’m sure.”
“And it’s not a missed period?”
She shook her head. “Definitely not. I’m nearly sixteen weeks.”
His eyes opened wide. “How did you not know?”
“I’ve never been regular and with the accident and being in hospital and everything, I lost track.”
He
gathered her into his arms and held her for a long time.
“I always thought – Ruby – Nicola—” he stammered.
“Shh,” she breathed. “The past doesn’t matter. We have the future.”
He placed a hand against her still-flat stomach. “When?”
“Early September.”
The sun disappeared, leaving the landscape bathed in a dusky, dusty blue. For a while they sat, side by side, holding hands. As Tom’s finger stroked her hand, her throat constricted with love for him. When he sought her lips again and placed a gentle hand on her belly, his kiss was full of the promises of the future. A future filled with children and love.
Acknowledgments
Some days I sit back and pinch myself. It’s been a whirlwind ride and I can’t believe how far I’ve travelled since having my first book, Intensive Care, published in January 2015.
To everyone at Momentum, thank you for once again believing in me and being such a dream team to work with. This publishing process has been such a joy because of you. Haylee, Joel, Patrick and Ashley, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Julia, it has been a delight working with you again on the editing of this book and I look forward to one more turn when I give you the final book in the series, Critical Condition – Liam’s story – in the next few months.
I wouldn’t be able to write without the incredible ongoing backing of my kids, Jeremy, Chloe, Zach and Toby. Thank you for reading my books and even selling copies to your friends! I love you all more than you probably know. Keep dreaming big dreams because I know you will achieve whatever you set your hearts on.
Like my other books, this one has been helped along and improved by some amazing beta readers and critique partners, namely Andrea Grigg, who is a constant supporter. Andrea, thank you for pushing me to make every sentence shine. I can’t wait until I get to do the same for your next book. Narelle Atkins, thanks for your valuable expertise, friendship and ongoing Facebook conversations. Justine Lewis, thanks for offering advice and suggestions – especially on all things law-related. Marg Wigg, thank you for being a cheerleader and picking up those pesky grammatical errors in the very early drafts.
For my nursing colleagues in ICU, thank you for buying my books and reading them – your support means more to me than you’ll ever know. Now please stop trying to guess which characters are based on people we work with! I promise I won’t put you in my next book without asking you first.
To all my readers, thank you. I never dreamed I’d have people wanting more of my stories. You make every single word a joy to write.
Finally, thank you, Tim. You are the most important person in my life. You have sacrificed so much for me over the years and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thank you for supporting me now on this writing journey. I keep wondering when our lives will slow down and resume at a more normal pace, but somehow I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. Anyway, what’s ‘normal’? I love you.
About Nicki Edwards
Nicki Edwards is a city girl with a country heart. Growing up on a small family acreage, she spent her formative years riding horses and pretending the neighbour's farm was her own. After spending three years in a regional city in New South Wales, her love of small country towns was further developed. One day she plans to escape to the country with her husband Tim and live on land surrounded by horses, dogs, cows and sheep. Until then she lives vicariously through the lives of the characters in the rural romance novels she loves to read.
In 2006, when Nicki's youngest child started school, she returned to university, juggling full time study, part time work and raising four small children, to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. Always a voracious reader, Nicki's other dream was to be an author.
Nicki writes medical rural romance for Momentum and when she isn't reading, writing or dreaming about rural life and medical emergencies, she can be found working as a Critical Care Nurse in a busy Intensive Care Unit, where many of her stories and characters are imagined.
Nicki and Tim reside in Geelong, Victoria with their four teenage/young adult children. Life is busy, fun and at times exhausting, but Nicki wouldn't change it for anything. Visit her at nickiedwards.com.au.
About The Peppercorn Project
One heartbroken woman. One bitter cop. One community to save them.
After the tragic death of her husband, single mum Isabelle Cassidy is bereft and broke. When she hears about The Peppercorn Project – a scheme that offers affordable rent in the tiny but vibrant town of Stony Creek – Issie sees it as her family's best chance at a fresh start.
Newly single police officer Matt Robertson moved to Stony Creek to lick his wounds after a bitter divorce. Wanting only peace and quiet, Matt is against the Project, seeing it as a threat to the peace he's found in the country town – until he meets Issie. Despite himself, Matt is drawn to the widow and feels inexplicably protective of her fragile family.
Just when Issie begins to imagine a future with Matt, an accident proves how far she has to go before she can move beyond her grief. But the citizens of Stony Creek won't rest until they see these two broken souls find a new beginning, together.
Can Issie move beyond the pain of her past and entrust Matt with her family, and her heart?
A gorgeous rural romance for fans of Fiona McArthur, Rachael Johns and Fiona McCallum.
For more information, please visit momentumbooks.com.au/books/the-peppercorn-project.
Also by Nicki Edwards
Intensive Care: Escape to the Country
Emergency Response: Escape to the Country
Operation White Christmas:
An Escape to the Country Novella
First published by Momentum in 2016
This edition published in 2016 by Momentum
Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd
1 Market Street, Sydney 2000
Copyright © Nicki Edwards 2016
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.
A CIP record for this book is available at the National Library of Australia
Life Support
EPUB format: 9781760302344
Mobi format: 9781760302351
Print on Demand format: 9781760302443
Cover design by Danielle Hurps
Edited by Julia Knapman
Proofread by Melissa Kemble
Macmillan Digital Australia: www.macmillandigital.com.au
To report a typographical error, please visit momentumbooks.com.au/contact/
Visit www.momentumbooks.com.au to read more about all our books and to buy books online. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events.
Life Support: Escape to the Country Page 28
