Midwife in a Million by Fiona McArthur Page B

Rory knew he wasn’t going to like what was coming ‘…I’ve been powerless. I’ve been excluded in consultation on what affects me and, worst of all, unable to keep myself or my child safe, and I won’t ever be like that again. I am in charge of my own destiny.’ She turned her face to look into the fire. ‘I’m going to run my own life and nothing or no one is going to change that.’
    That finality struck into his heart like a shard of ice.
    But it pricked his anger as well. That wasn’t fair. Rory frowned. ‘I’m not trying to change you, Kate, but I’m not a nobody, harassing you. I’m your friend, the man who wanted to marry you, someone who knows you inside and out—or did—ten years ago. I loved you, Kate, as you were, and I could love you as you are now. I’m just trying to be here for you.’
    He took her hand and, when she didn’t respond, he slipped his arm around her and drew her close. ‘I’m not going to pressure you. Ever. Though maybe we could call a truce. Share some grief that affects both of us.’
    After the initial stiffness she did slightly relax against him as she thought about it. It did affect bothof them. It was a new concept that maybe she’d been too buried in her own misery to think about before.
    She hadn’t given in, but truce was a good word and sharing the memories of that time with Rory, the only person she had ever shared them with, was painful but strangely healing. She thought for the first time of Rory as her baby’s other parent. And for her possibly selfish assumption that it wouldn’t matter to him if he didn’t know. Maybe she did owe him an apology.
    ‘Kate—’ he squeezed her hand ‘—is it too late to give our son a name? It’s so sad we can’t call him anything. Acknowledge our baby as a real person who will always be a part of our lives, no matter how fleeting.’
    The sting of tears Rory’s comment caused made Kate blink and she wished just once she could turn towards him and sob in his arms. Why couldn’t she cry?
    A name? For their son who flew away ten years ago. She looked at Rory, in his eyes such concern that she realised he worried his question hurt her. The ice inside melted a little more. ‘I always liked Cameron,’ she said softly, and squeezed his hand back.
    ‘Cameron Onslow-McIver.’ He lifted her fingers to his mouth and turned her hand to kiss her palm. The gentlest benediction. ‘Our son.’
    So they sat there as the fire died, occasionally talking but mostly just leaning into each other and Kate could feel the easing of the burden she’d carriedfor so many lonely years. That pain would never go but Rory had not done the one thing she’d feared above everything. He hadn’t said her baby didn’t matter.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    I T WAS six a.m. and the sun was dusting the horizon pink when Rory woke. He doubted Kate had slept well because the stretcher bed had creaked all night and he’d bet she wished she’d swapped places with him in his quiet swag.
    He rolled over onto his back and stared at the tree branches lacing the sky at the edge of his vision. He needed to find a way to keep open the chink in Kate’s barriers against him. Maybe then he could also ease the burden that Kate had carried for so long.
    He could almost deal with the fact she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life with him. Almost.
    What he couldn’t deal with was the memory of that despair in Kate’s face and the realisation that she’d done it alone when he should have been there. No wonder she hadn’t wanted to see him again.
    He’d made decisions that had affected her without thinking of her choices. No matter that leaving to make his fortune for her had been in her best interests.
    He sighed. Had it really been, though? Rory wondered sardonically to himself, not for the first time since he’d returned to the Kimberley. Hadn’t it all been about him feeling inferior to Kate’s family and needing to prove he could be bigger and better than