Emma sat beside Reg on the hard, plastic chairs in the waiting room of the hospital, while Ben held a sleeping Zoe in his arms sitting on the other side of her. The site of Zoe asleep in Ben’s arms made her want to cry. How was she going to leave Holbrook when she knew for certain she was falling in love with Ben? Every moment they spent together, she had to stop herself from reaching out and touching him. His touch electrified her.
Now with Daphne suffering another stroke, she knew without a shadow of a doubt she’d be staying on in Holbrook. Reg and Daphne needed her support. Daphne may need extra care, and Emma wanted to help Reg with that. She’d stay here to make sure Reg was taking care of himself too, and she’d volunteer to care for Daphne at times to give Reg a break and have some time for himself. She knew he’d fight with her about it, but she also knew he would appreciate her help too.
They hadn’t heard anything from the doctors and nurses behind the glass sliding doors. Each time the door opened, she felt Reg tense beside her, and each time she laid a reassuring hand on his arm. ‘I’m sure the doctors will be able to tell us something soon.’
Reg patted her hand. ‘Yes, no news is good news, right?’ his voice trembling with emotion.
Emma nodded. They had been at the hospital for half an hour, pulling in behind the ambulance when it brought Daphne in. She had been unconscious, and Reg had been beside himself with worry. Emma hoped having Zoe, Ben, and herself here with him for support would help him to cope in some small way. At least he knew he wasn’t alone. There was nothing they could do but wait and be here for him.
Holbrook Hospital was in complete contrast to the hospital she had been admitted to in Melbourne. It still held the same sterile smell, but it was quieter. Much quieter. They were the only ones sitting in the waiting room of the emergency department, and not a soul had come through the doors since they had come in. She remembered being terrified as she had drifted in and out of unconsciousness, waiting for her surgery. She hoped Daphne wasn’t feeling scared, she hoped that a nurse was holding her hand, and she hoped someone would hurry up and come and tell them she was okay. That a nurse would lead them to her bed, so she knew she wasn’t alone. That was what Emma had hated about being in emergency—even though she was surrounded by medical staff, she had never felt more alone. With no family or friends allowed by her bedside, Emma feared she’d die alone. She didn’t want that for Daphne.
A doctor approached them after exiting through the sliding doors. Reg and Emma immediately stood. The doctor’s face was grim. ‘Mr Edwards.’
Emma could see Reg shaking and placed an arm around his shoulders and sat him back down in the chair. The doctor crouched down in front of Reg. ‘I’m terribly sorry, Mr Edwards, but we believe your wife has suffered a middle cerebral artery stroke. I’m afraid there was nothing we could do to save her.’
Reg covered his mouth as he dropped his head and sobbed, his shoulders shaking with his grief. With tears streaming down her face, Emma gave Reg a comforting hug. This was such a huge shock for her, she couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like for Reg. To be married to the love of his life, his best friend for forty years, and now that woman was gone. She felt Ben rubbing her back up and down, offering comfort of his own. Sometimes life was so cruel. Daphne only had eight months of getting to know her granddaughter, and Zoe would probably never remember the woman whose face lit up when she entered a room, a woman who loved her unconditionally.
The doctor had been speaking to Reg, and Emma hadn’t heard another word after the words that poor Daphne had passed away. She came out of her shock long enough to hear the doctor ask, ‘Would you like to see her?’
She saw Reg nod, and she helped him up to stand on shaky legs. The doctor took one arm to steady him, and Emma took hold of his other arm. They walked him slowly through those glass sliding doors to his wife where he’d give her one last kiss, one last lingering hug, where he would tell her for the last time how much he loved her and then say his final goodbye.
It was after midnight when Emma finally turned the key and walked into her house after dropping Reg back home. Emma had offered him her guest room, but he’d refused, saying he wanted to be alone with his thoughts. She was so worried about him and didn’t think he should be on his own, but he had refused to stay at her house or let her stay at his place.
She was mentally and emotionally exhausted and was thankful Ben was with her. He carried a sleeping Zoe into her room and placed her in her cot. Emma followed him and kissed Zoe on the forehead, whispering, ‘I love you to the moon and back, my beautiful baby girl.’ She covered her with her fluffy pink blanket and tucked her in snuggly, the way she liked.
Ben steered her out of Zoe’s room and towards her bedroom. She protested, ‘No, I have to check the house and locks.’
Ben gave her a gentle nudge towards her room. ‘I’ll do it. Go get ready for bed.’
Her eyes felt swollen from crying, and she bet she looked a mess, but here Ben was offering his support yet again. She nodded and went into her room. Changing into her pyjamas was as if she was moving in slow-motion, on autopilot, simply going through the motions. When she walked out of her room, she couldn’t even remember getting changed. It was like she was living outside her own body. She’d only known Daphne for a short time, but she loved, respected, and cherished the woman, and she’d miss her terribly.
Ben walked towards her, taking her hands in his. ‘I’m staying tonight. No arguments. You need me here, and I want to be here with you. I’ll sleep in the spare room.’
Emma didn’t have the energy to fight with him about it, besides she didn’t want him to leave either. She dropped one of his hands but kept hold of the other as she turned and pulled him through the hallway and towards her bedroom. Turning, she took in his confused face. ‘Stay in here with me tonight. I need to be held, I’m not asking for sex. I’m asking for you to hold me, just hold me tonight. Please.’
Ben nodded. ‘Okay.’
Emma walked over to the bed and pulled down the doona, climbing underneath. She watched as he turned off the light. They were in complete darkness, but she felt him as he came to her. Felt the mattress sink as he sat down to remove his shoes and socks. He went to climb into bed next to her, and although her eyes hadn’t adjusted to the dark yet, she could tell he was still wearing his jeans. ‘You’re going to be pretty uncomfortable sleeping in your jeans. I don’t mind if you take them off.’
He didn’t speak, but she saw him stand and turn away from her. Her eyes were adjusting to the dark now, and she could see the outline of his body as he slid his jeans over his hips and down his legs. She heard the rustle of material as he kicked the jeans off his feet and felt him sink onto the mattress beside her. Then his arms were around her, and hers were around him. She breathed in his masculinity as she rested her head against his chest, felt the hardness of his torso through his t-shirt and the brush of his lips as he kissed her on her head and heard the whisper of his voice as he said, ‘Goodnight.’ She let herself relax in his arms, closed her eyes, and dreamed of a world where Ben was holding her like this in her bed every night.
Being a light sleeper, Emma came awake with the slightest of movements. Ben had been spooning her, his hand resting around her waist, his breath tickling the hair on the nape of her neck, but he was moving now, slowly and gently, extricating himself out of her arms. She rolled over and opened her eyes, gritty with the tears that had dried as she’d fallen asleep, to see Ben putting on his jeans. ‘Where are you going?’ He kneeled one knee on the bed and leaned over to her, kissing her gently on the lips, sweetly but briefly, too briefly. She wanted his lips to linger on hers longer. A lot longer. She grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him to her again, this time kissing him possessively.
He broke away from the kiss. ‘Damn, I wish I could stay, but I have to go. It’s time to milk the cows.’
‘No, it’s dark, it can’t be time yet.’ She dragged him back to her and kissed him soundly on the lips again. S
he broke free this time. ‘Don’t go,’ she begged.
Ben sighed, ‘Babe, I wish I could, but the cows don’t milk themselves.’ He took her hand from his shirt and kissed her palm. Tingles of sensation rocketed through her body as his lips swept up to her wrist and up her arm to her elbow where the sleeve of her pyjamas ended. He looked up at her, his eyes hooded with desire. ‘This is a to-be-continued conversation.’
He stood, and she leaned up on her elbows. ‘Promise.’
‘Promise.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll ring you later. Get some sleep. Okay?’
‘Okay. Bye.’
‘Bye.’ Bending down, he scooped up his shoes and socks and walked out the door. Emma fell back against her pillow, staring at the ceiling. He had called her babe, and she had liked the sound of it. It made her feel like she was special to him. Perhaps she was. Her lips still tingled from his kiss, and she ran a finger over them. She closed her eyes, hoping sleep would return, and then her eyes shot open with recollection. For a moment, Ben had made her forget. For five minutes, everything in her life was perfect until she remembered Daphne, Reg, and Jason Knight.
Emma sat next to Reg on the hard church pew. Through the midst of her tears, she could see tears streaming down his face as his beloved wife was carried out of the church by the pallbearers. It had been a beautiful service, and the beautiful spray of flowers which had adorned her casket was simplistic but stunning—a beautiful array of cream roses, cream tulips, and white lilies with a splash of green fernery.
The church had been incredible these last few days as she and Reg had finalised the arrangements for the funeral of a woman who would be greatly missed. They helped to make sure every detail was seen to so the service ran smoothly, and so Reg could pay tribute to his darling wife in a tasteful manner—a touching service fit for a woman who deserved only the best. Although the community of Holbrook hadn’t known Daphne very long, they turned out to say goodbye and pay their respects to a woman who was strong and loved by so many in such a short space of time. Friends and family also came all the way up from Melbourne to pay their condolences.
Emma’s heart went out to Reg. Only eight months ago, he had buried his daughter, and now he was burying his wife. Life was cruel sometimes. Emma had been with him every step of the way in the lead up to the funeral. Emma and Zoe were his family, and more importantly, Emma felt like a part of Reg’s family. Daphne and Reg had always made her feel that way. She’d been there to help him pick the photos to be displayed on the slideshow during the funeral service. Every photo told a story, and Emma was going to make sure Zoe knew all those stories. In years to come, Zoe may not remember her grandmother, but Emma would make sure she knew what a remarkable woman her grandmother had been and how much she had loved Zoe. She’d never stop telling Zoe that, and neither would Reg. In the back of her mind, Emma knew now Daphne had gone, so had the responsibilities Reg carried, and therefore he may want to file for custody of Zoe. It was his right, and Emma wouldn’t fight him on it. Zoe was his granddaughter, and although she’d miss her terribly, she would always play a part in her life.
The church had put on a huge spread of delicious homemade cakes, quiches, sandwiches, and desserts for lunch after the funeral. She was sitting next to Lilly, chatting and feeding Zoe a mini quiche when Ben sat beside her. His plate was piled high with an assortment of food. ‘You hungry?’ she asked.
He elbowed her gently. ‘It’s for both of us. I didn’t know what you would like, so I got a bit of everything, and I figured we could share.’
Wow. He was thoughtful enough to think to get her something to eat. Where had Ben Beckett been all her adult life? He was the total opposite of selfish, and it baffled her why on earth he hadn’t settled down and committed to a woman. He sent out an aura he was the bad boy of Holbrook, but everything about him was sweet, lovable, and totally selfless. She reached out and took a mini sausage roll. ‘Thank you.’ She took a bite. It was homemade and hit the spot. She hadn’t eaten anything this morning, too nervous and upset to even feel hungry, but now her stomach was aching to be filled.
Lilly jumped out of her seat. ‘There’s Lottie and Will, I’ll be back in a bit.’ Emma watched as she all but ran over to Lottie who looked elegant in a long pantsuit, her baby bump was becoming more prominent now, and she was absolutely glowing. So was Will, for that matter. She had never seen so many people in love in one place. Will adored his wife, he always had a hand on the small of her back or was holding her hand. He was holding her hand now, making small circles on Lottie’s hand with his thumb. Damn, Emma craved that kind of love. Without taking her eyes from the scene before her, she reached over and grabbed whatever her hand fell on from the plate Ben was holding. Niko, Lilly’s husband, had joined Will, Lottie, and Lilly. He came up behind Lilly and placed two hands around her waist. Everywhere she looked, her friends were in love. She was in love too, but she couldn’t voice it nor could she flaunt it.
All of a sudden, her four friends looked over to where she was sitting, and Emma quickly looked away after being caught staring at them. She turned to see Ben looking at her curiously. ‘You okay?’
‘Yeah fine, it’s been a big week.’ She took a bite of the sandwich she had picked from the plate and screwed up her face in disgust. Salmon. She hated salmon.
Ben laughed. ‘Not a salmon fan, I take it.’
Emma put the sandwich back on the plate. ‘No, not at all.’
Ben picked up the sandwich and shoved the small triangle in his mouth. ‘Lucky I am,’ he said with a mouthful.
Emma shook her head, giggling. ‘You’re so disgusting sometimes.’ Looking at him, he looked so goofy as he made cross eyes at Zoe, sending her into a fit of giggles. She was beginning to love everything about him. She’d missed him terribly this week. Between his responsibilities at the farm, and with her helping Reg with the funeral arrangements, they hadn’t seen much of each other until today. Emma had been in constant contact with Detective Morrison in Melbourne and was relieved to find Jason Knight was following his parole conditions, and had made no move so far to submit for custody of Zoe. The death of Daphne had seen many people avoiding bringing up the subject of her past, which was a blessing. It didn’t stop some gossips, though, who bombarded her with questions, wanting to know all the gory details of the shooting.
Emma looked up to see Lottie approaching them. ‘Hey, how are you holding up?’
‘Yeah, okay. I’m more worried about Reg. He’s going to miss Daphne so much.’ Lottie made herself comfortable next to Emma.
Ben had begun a robust conversation about the price of hay bales with an elderly gentleman sitting next to him.
Lottie placed her hands out to Zoe. ‘Hey, munchkin.’
Zoe went into Lottie’s arms. She had grown accustomed to spending time with Lottie as she often called in to visit Lilly on her way home. Emma looked forward to seeing Lottie too when she picked Zoe up from Lilly’s place. The three of them would often sit down and have a chat over a cold drink or cup of tea.
Zoe was twirling Lottie’s curls around her fist. ‘A group of us are going out for dinner at the pub on Friday night. We would love if you and Zoe could come,’ Lottie asked.
‘Umm, I’m not sure. Everyone has been really nice not harassing me about my life in Melbourne. I’m pretty sure now the funeral is over, I’m going to be inundated with questions. I’m not sure I am up to it.’ Emma was aware Ben’s interest had left the conversation he’d been having and was centred directly on the conversation she was having with Lottie.
‘Aren’t you going to work tomorrow?’ Ben piped in.
‘What’s that got to do with going out for dinner?’ Emma asked
‘My guess is The Cheese Emporium is going to be busy with customers tomorrow, all dying to find out every little detail about your life. By dinnertime, everyone will have had the story, be satisfied with what they’ve heard, and will hopefully, leave you alone.’ Ben shrugged and put another sausage roll in his mouth.
�
�He’s right, you know,’ Lottie said. ‘By dinnertime, you’ll be old news, and they’ll be searching for the next juicy thing to gossip about.’
‘Well, there’s the fact Jason Knight is still out there, too. I feel safe at home.’
‘Safety in numbers,’ Lottie said. It seemed for every excuse she had, Lottie and Ben had a reasonable explanation as to why her excuse wasn’t valid.
Lottie stood up, handed Zoe back to Emma, and smiling said, ‘Besides, you have to come. It can be yours and Ben’s official first date. He’ll pick you up at six thirty.’ Lottie walked away with a skip in her step.
Ben looked uncomfortable as she turned to him, and she wondered what was going through his head. She didn’t have to wonder long as he stood and mumbled about something to do with cows and milking. The man was always avoiding the subject of their relationship with the excuse of having to milk the cows. She felt dejected as she watched him walk away towards the exit of the church hall. All of a sudden, though, he stopped, bowed his head as if he was thinking about something, and the next thing Emma knew he was striding back towards her.
He placed his hands in his pockets, and for the second time since she met him, he didn’t look at all confident. ‘I’ll be at your place at six tomorrow. Is that okay with you?’
‘Sure, only, if you want to, though. Don’t feel pressured to take me out.’ Emma felt a tad awkward, half expecting him to renege on his offer.
‘Nope, I want to. We’ll have to take your car, I only have the bike.’
‘Not a problem. See you tomorrow night.’
Zoe waved to Ben and said, ‘Bye.’
‘Bye, possum,’ he said before turning around and leaving.
Emma looked over to where Lottie and Lilly stood near the food table. They wore smiles on their faces looking very happy with themselves.
Ben had been preoccupied all day. He had come up with numerous excuses to call tonight’s date off with Emma. Although keen to spend the night at the pub with her, enjoying a pub meal and a couple of drinks, he wasn’t so sure about the night becoming a proper date. As soon as Lottie had called the night ‘a date,’ his blood had run cold. He’d been trying to get a date with the woman since the moment he met her, but now he had gotten to know her and everything she’d been through, he was reluctant to move things forward. Even having a casual fling would leave them both hurt in the end, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.
All of You Page 17
