the clock above the nurse’s station. The tim e was almost 4am. She would get fewer than three hours sleep before she had to be up to take Jeremy to school.
“I’ll be back later Jess, I promise,” Jem said then gathered her things to return home.
Knowing Jess was finally responding provided enough stimulation to keep her alert for the drive home. However, by the time Jem let herself inside the house she was struggling to keep her eyes open. She opened the bedroom door and in the gloom saw a shape move under the bedcovers.
Eben.
It said something that she was too tired to care. She lethargically peeled off her clothes and fumbled under the pillow for her nightshirt. Not finding it, she decided to put on something of Eben’s rather than switch on the light to search for her nightshirt and have the possibility of him waking to see her there naked.
In the first drawer she opened she found a pair of pyjamas. Too exhausted to cover more than what was essential she slipped Eben’s pyjama top over her head then crawled between the sheets of what had become her side of the bed. Pulling the blankets over her shoulders, she quickly succumbed to sleep.
Chapter 7
Jem felt the bed shudder beneath her as though she were in an earthquake. Then a childish voice yelled “Wakey, wakey,” and a weight dropped on her stomach.
Her eyes flew open as the weight rolled off her.
Aidan .
“Aunty Jem, Uncle Eben! There’s someone at the door!” Jeremy called out from the next room.
A moment of panic surged. She had forgotten to set the alarm clock when she had snuggled up to Eben.
What’s the time?
Scrambling out of bed Jem grabbed her dressing gown and glanced at the clock then snatched Aidan mid-jump before he could land on Eben. It was ten to eight, later than she would have liked but still possibly enough time to get Jeremy ready and off to school before the bell rang.
If she hurried.
She looked at Eben to see how he was handling the disturbance. He had burrowed further under the covers.
Not a morning person.
He had spent his days helping her between his unexplained absences and although she knew he stayed in the house with the children while she was at the hospital, whatever he spent his nights doing after they went to sleep kept him up very late. Jem still couldn’t bring herself to believe he’d spent his days surfing in the miserable weather despite the surfboard attached to his roof rack.
Feeling generous to wards him for letting her sleep in yesterday she decided he deserved to rest.
She closed the bedroom door behind her and put Aidan down in the family room. Nearby, Drongo looked at her then trotted towards the kitchen. When she didn’t follow he returned, caught her eye as she crossed the room and trotted towards the kitchen again.
Follow me. I know where the food is.
Jem ignored him and moved down the hall. Scurrying across the chilly tiled entry floor she wished she had taken the time to put her ugg boots on. A long buzz from the doorbell followed by insistent rapping indicated the person outside had been waiting a while.
“Just a moment,” she called as she quickly tied her dressing gown shut then fiddled with the safety lock on the door.
She flung open the door and found a large hulk of a man with a tattooed face and piercings through his eyebrow on her doorstep. Little daylight made it past his huge frame. He looked like something found in the dark alley of a nightmare.
For once I hope the kids make enough noise to wake Eben so he can save them and be able to collect my body parts for a proper cremation, Jem thought wildly.
“Are you J. Flint?” the harsh voice belonging to the tattooed face asked then coughed.
“Yes, I’m Jem Flint,” Jem said, trying to hide her fear.
Better yet , I should’ve woken Eben up last night and had my way with him. At least then something worth seeing would have flashed before my eyes before I died.
The tattooed man’s fist came up and Jem
“I’ll be back later Jess, I promise,” Jem said then gathered her things to return home.
Knowing Jess was finally responding provided enough stimulation to keep her alert for the drive home. However, by the time Jem let herself inside the house she was struggling to keep her eyes open. She opened the bedroom door and in the gloom saw a shape move under the bedcovers.
Eben.
It said something that she was too tired to care. She lethargically peeled off her clothes and fumbled under the pillow for her nightshirt. Not finding it, she decided to put on something of Eben’s rather than switch on the light to search for her nightshirt and have the possibility of him waking to see her there naked.
In the first drawer she opened she found a pair of pyjamas. Too exhausted to cover more than what was essential she slipped Eben’s pyjama top over her head then crawled between the sheets of what had become her side of the bed. Pulling the blankets over her shoulders, she quickly succumbed to sleep.
Chapter 7
Jem felt the bed shudder beneath her as though she were in an earthquake. Then a childish voice yelled “Wakey, wakey,” and a weight dropped on her stomach.
Her eyes flew open as the weight rolled off her.
Aidan .
“Aunty Jem, Uncle Eben! There’s someone at the door!” Jeremy called out from the next room.
A moment of panic surged. She had forgotten to set the alarm clock when she had snuggled up to Eben.
What’s the time?
Scrambling out of bed Jem grabbed her dressing gown and glanced at the clock then snatched Aidan mid-jump before he could land on Eben. It was ten to eight, later than she would have liked but still possibly enough time to get Jeremy ready and off to school before the bell rang.
If she hurried.
She looked at Eben to see how he was handling the disturbance. He had burrowed further under the covers.
Not a morning person.
He had spent his days helping her between his unexplained absences and although she knew he stayed in the house with the children while she was at the hospital, whatever he spent his nights doing after they went to sleep kept him up very late. Jem still couldn’t bring herself to believe he’d spent his days surfing in the miserable weather despite the surfboard attached to his roof rack.
Feeling generous to wards him for letting her sleep in yesterday she decided he deserved to rest.
She closed the bedroom door behind her and put Aidan down in the family room. Nearby, Drongo looked at her then trotted towards the kitchen. When she didn’t follow he returned, caught her eye as she crossed the room and trotted towards the kitchen again.
Follow me. I know where the food is.
Jem ignored him and moved down the hall. Scurrying across the chilly tiled entry floor she wished she had taken the time to put her ugg boots on. A long buzz from the doorbell followed by insistent rapping indicated the person outside had been waiting a while.
“Just a moment,” she called as she quickly tied her dressing gown shut then fiddled with the safety lock on the door.
She flung open the door and found a large hulk of a man with a tattooed face and piercings through his eyebrow on her doorstep. Little daylight made it past his huge frame. He looked like something found in the dark alley of a nightmare.
For once I hope the kids make enough noise to wake Eben so he can save them and be able to collect my body parts for a proper cremation, Jem thought wildly.
“Are you J. Flint?” the harsh voice belonging to the tattooed face asked then coughed.
“Yes, I’m Jem Flint,” Jem said, trying to hide her fear.
Better yet , I should’ve woken Eben up last night and had my way with him. At least then something worth seeing would have flashed before my eyes before I died.
The tattooed man’s fist came up and Jem
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