Their Newborn Gift by Nikki Logan Page B

of him had been holding out for a bikini so that her stomach was bared. He’d not noticed it under her usual farm-wear, but the changing shape of her belly was clearly visible in a swimsuit under the teal fabric. He ripped his fascinated eyes away, his heart pumping.
    His child was in there. Safe. Warm. Loved.
    That last thought had him frowning.
    He’d changed into shorts back at the property so all he needed to do was kick off his shoes and he was good to go.Some ancient sense of chivalry told him he should get straight in. If there was danger to be faced, he should face it first. Wasn’t that what a chivalrous man would do? It wasn’t a quality he had a lot of experience with.
    The water swallowed him like a living creature. The first five centimetres were comfortable enough but below it was frigid. The kind of cold straight from the guts of the earth. His breath hitched in, and other bits of him hitched up for survival. Not that there was anything to protect any more.
    He shook the miserable thought off and stepped away from the rock shelf to the deeper water. As he did, he heard a hiss as Lea stepped into the water. The curse that followed was not particularly ladylike; he smiled.
    Reilly let himself drift into the centre of the pool. It wasn’t enormous, but was so green and deep it could be harbouring Nessie herself. He thought his days of adrenaline rushes had died with his Suicide Ride career, but he had a little one now at the thought that he really had no idea what might be in the water with them. But Lea’s confidence was contagious. She knew what she was doing.
    Molly stood patiently in the shade beside the water, all floated-up, waiting for her mum to swim over to her. The rock in Reilly’s gut threatened to pull him under. Without clothes, the poor kid was a pure stick with wasting, pale flesh. If Lea’s plan didn’t work…
    She reached up from the pool and lifted Molly gently into the arctic water.
    Childish squeals ricocheted through the rock gully and pierced at least one of Reilly’s eardrums. But then they subsided as Molly’s body warmed up until she too floated quietly, the sun heating her upper half as the water cooled her lower half. For long minutes he and Lea drifted around the pool in opposition, keeping a wide berth from each other. But slowly, subtly, Reilly let himself float closer. Made himself float closer.
    For the first time ever, the silence was bothering him. He glanced at Molly and saw that her eyes had drifted shut. Her third nap already today, probably due to the hot, uncomfortable car ride.
    He frowned. ‘Can I ask you something—in the spirit of getting to know each other?’
    Lea’s smile was tight but resigned. She could hardly protest, given it was her line from earlier.
    ‘What made you want to raise a child alone, outside of a relationship?’
    It was a risk, a huge risk; this could go two ways. He held his breath and hoped she’d answer. He wanted to put this question to rest. ‘You were young. Outnumbered twenty-to-one out here in the bush. You couldn’t find a husband?’
    She swam on for a moment and he thought she might not answer, and then she rolled onto her back. The half-circle of rock surrounding the pond acted like natural amplification, meaning she didn’t even need to raise her voice to be heard. The soundwaves raced across the surface of the water to his ears. He drifted closer to Molly just in case she got in any trouble as she slept.
    Lea watched him carefully across the glittering surface and glanced at her daughter. ‘I’m not looking for a husband.’
    Present-tense noted. ‘You don’t like men?’ He knew that wasn’t true, she’d liked him a lot several years ago. Many times over. But it didn’t hurt to check.
    Lea laughed, tight and low. ‘My formative impressions of husbands and fathers weren’t very positive.’
    He nodded. ‘Your father. You told me in the motel he’d died recently.’
    She watched him carefully across the