Very naughty. Very hot.”
Sia was smiling as she hung up. She really hoped she could find a way to make things work with Todd.
“Hello, princess.” Bubba planted a kiss on Sia’s cheek. “Well, you’ve done good this time.”
Sia certainly thought so. She’d managed to get in touch with more than a dozen of Frank’s old friends, and all of them had agreed to go sans alcohol for his sake. To make up for that and get them in the party mood, Sia had gone all out with the spread and made jugs of non-alcoholic drinks that were going down very well.
Music was playing, she’d strung the Christmas lights across the backyard and everything was festive.
“He looks happy,” Sia said, seeking out her father. He was standing with a couple of men, his head tipped back laughing uproariously. It made her heart sing to see him like that.
“Not sure he deserves it,” Bubba murmured.
Sia squeezed his hand. “Now we’ve got the alcohol out of his system, he’ll come back to us. You’ll see.” She looked around. “Where’s Michael?”
“He stayed home. It’s the anniversary and he knows I need time.”
Sia gave the muscled arm another squeeze. Today marked eleven years since Bubba had met David, the love of his life. They’d had eighteen great months together then David had disappeared. Bubba had suffered, and Sia had always felt bad she’d never given him enough support because it had happened at the same time she was going through her own personal hell.
“Michael’s a good man.”
“He is.” Bubba’s smile was full of love. “I’m lucky. In fact, I’ve got some news. We’ve decided to have a baby.”
“Bubba, that’s wonderful.” Sia threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. “You and Michael will be wonderful parents. So what will you do — adopt? Foster?”
“Actually, we want the child to be biologically one of ours.”
“So you’re going to have sex with a woman?” Bubba blanched and Sia laughed. “Artificial insemination then. With a surrogate.”
“Exactly. Although who we’re going to get to do that, I have no idea.”
“There are professional surrogates, aren’t there? Women you can pay to bear your child.”
“We certainly intend to pay, but we’d like it to be someone local, so we can be involved in the pregnancy. I doubt there’s any professional surrogates in Bathurst.”
“You never know,” Sia said. “I’ll cross everything for you.”
“Thanks, princess.” Bubba kissed her cheek. “Now, I’m gonna say hi to your dad and then I’m gonna split.”
To go get drunk and deal with his grief over David. Sia wondered how she’d cope if she ever found the love of her life and then he left her.
A vision of Todd rose in her mind and she pushed it away. Not him. Despite the fact they’d resolved their differences, and wanted each other like crazy, she wasn’t going to buy into the dream that her teenage crush was her one true love. Todd would eventually leave Oberon, return to his life in the police force and she’d be here, helping her dad raise the kids.
It was best she didn’t set herself up for disappointment by thinking it could be more.
By the time the party was over, Frank seemed a little more well-disposed toward Sia. She worked the next day, and when she got home it was to find her father bathing Brock and Ebonny and reading to them, just like he had with her and Sienna. It gave her hope.
Unfortunately, Sienna hadn’t forgiven Frank, even after he’d seen the bruise, realised it was his fault and apologised profusely. When she got home, she treated him with such disdain that it wiped out all the good Frank had been feeling.
He’d turned on Sia, saying she must have been poisoning her sister. After spewing invective at her, he’d stumbled into bed. Sia wouldn’t let herself cry, but it was hours before she went to sleep.
So she woke on one of the most important days of her life feeling cranky and with red-rimmed eyes.
Frank, in an
Sia was smiling as she hung up. She really hoped she could find a way to make things work with Todd.
“Hello, princess.” Bubba planted a kiss on Sia’s cheek. “Well, you’ve done good this time.”
Sia certainly thought so. She’d managed to get in touch with more than a dozen of Frank’s old friends, and all of them had agreed to go sans alcohol for his sake. To make up for that and get them in the party mood, Sia had gone all out with the spread and made jugs of non-alcoholic drinks that were going down very well.
Music was playing, she’d strung the Christmas lights across the backyard and everything was festive.
“He looks happy,” Sia said, seeking out her father. He was standing with a couple of men, his head tipped back laughing uproariously. It made her heart sing to see him like that.
“Not sure he deserves it,” Bubba murmured.
Sia squeezed his hand. “Now we’ve got the alcohol out of his system, he’ll come back to us. You’ll see.” She looked around. “Where’s Michael?”
“He stayed home. It’s the anniversary and he knows I need time.”
Sia gave the muscled arm another squeeze. Today marked eleven years since Bubba had met David, the love of his life. They’d had eighteen great months together then David had disappeared. Bubba had suffered, and Sia had always felt bad she’d never given him enough support because it had happened at the same time she was going through her own personal hell.
“Michael’s a good man.”
“He is.” Bubba’s smile was full of love. “I’m lucky. In fact, I’ve got some news. We’ve decided to have a baby.”
“Bubba, that’s wonderful.” Sia threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. “You and Michael will be wonderful parents. So what will you do — adopt? Foster?”
“Actually, we want the child to be biologically one of ours.”
“So you’re going to have sex with a woman?” Bubba blanched and Sia laughed. “Artificial insemination then. With a surrogate.”
“Exactly. Although who we’re going to get to do that, I have no idea.”
“There are professional surrogates, aren’t there? Women you can pay to bear your child.”
“We certainly intend to pay, but we’d like it to be someone local, so we can be involved in the pregnancy. I doubt there’s any professional surrogates in Bathurst.”
“You never know,” Sia said. “I’ll cross everything for you.”
“Thanks, princess.” Bubba kissed her cheek. “Now, I’m gonna say hi to your dad and then I’m gonna split.”
To go get drunk and deal with his grief over David. Sia wondered how she’d cope if she ever found the love of her life and then he left her.
A vision of Todd rose in her mind and she pushed it away. Not him. Despite the fact they’d resolved their differences, and wanted each other like crazy, she wasn’t going to buy into the dream that her teenage crush was her one true love. Todd would eventually leave Oberon, return to his life in the police force and she’d be here, helping her dad raise the kids.
It was best she didn’t set herself up for disappointment by thinking it could be more.
By the time the party was over, Frank seemed a little more well-disposed toward Sia. She worked the next day, and when she got home it was to find her father bathing Brock and Ebonny and reading to them, just like he had with her and Sienna. It gave her hope.
Unfortunately, Sienna hadn’t forgiven Frank, even after he’d seen the bruise, realised it was his fault and apologised profusely. When she got home, she treated him with such disdain that it wiped out all the good Frank had been feeling.
He’d turned on Sia, saying she must have been poisoning her sister. After spewing invective at her, he’d stumbled into bed. Sia wouldn’t let herself cry, but it was hours before she went to sleep.
So she woke on one of the most important days of her life feeling cranky and with red-rimmed eyes.
Frank, in an
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