“Lifting ten kilos? No.”
“Eleven,” she said automatically. “And who do you think has been lifting her all this time?”
He sighed. “Get in the car.”
She didn’t argue, just climbed in and leaned her head against the passenger seat. She heard him buckling Gracie in behind her, talking to her a bit, jollying her, because one grizzling child was enough. He unloaded the trolley into the boot, was back in a minute, climbing into the car and turning the key, the air conditioning coming to life along with the engine, providing blessed relief from the summer heat.
He looked across at her, smiled a little. “Here’s where you tell me I was right. Should have let me come back for the groceries.”
She tried to laugh, but her eyes filled with tears all the same. “Sorry. You were right. I didn’t realize how…close to the edge we all were. Thought we could squeeze in one more thing. Sorry.”
“Aw, sweetheart.” He put a hand behind her neck, gave it a bit of a rub. “No worries. Bath, nap. Good as gold.”
She laughed a little shakily. “Who are you talking to? Jack or me? I know I’m acting four myself.”
“Nah.” He backed out of the space, indicated left out of the carpark, and headed for home. “Just too pregnant. Most women in your shape wouldn’t be having house guests. Or a dinner party.”
“Righty-o, then,” he said as they set the groceries onto the kitchen bench, Helen following behind with Grace. “Go on up. Mum and I’ve got this.”
“The kids…” Her feet were lead, and her body wasn’t much better. All she wanted was to lie down and sleep for about fifteen hours. “They need a bath first.”
“Got it,” he repeated. “Go. Bath. Nap. Now.”
“Bossy,” she said with a sigh and a smile she couldn’t help.
“Yeh. Tell me about it later. Go.”
Hannah woke two hours later to the sound of Drew moving quietly around the bedroom, opening drawers. Changing, she realized fuzzily.
“Hey,” she said with a sleepy smile.
“Hey.” He came and sat beside her on the bed, helped her haul herself up against the pillows. He saw the ripple of movement under the tight white T-shirt, put a hand on the low, round bulge of her belly. “Whoa. Having a party in there.”
“Feels like he’s doing the haka.” She shifted a bit on the bed to get more comfortable, then put her hand over his, moving it. “That’s a foot. Feel that?”
“Strong, too,” he said. “This one’s a kicker, eh. You growing me another All Black in there? If he’s a back, Hemi’ll never let me hear the end of it.”
She smiled. “You never know. He’ll come out as who he is, we both know that. And who he is, is active. Only naps when I’m walking around carrying him, just like Jack. Hope that’s not an omen. At least Gracie’s a good sleeper.”
He frowned a bit. “Yeh. When all three of them are here, and I’m back to work…We’re going to talk about that.”
“Sounds ominous.”
“Nah. Never ominous.” His hand left her belly, came up to stroke her cheek, her hair, and she leaned into the thumb cradling her face, because it felt so good. He hadn’t put his shirt on yet, and she laid her own hand against his chest just to feel the slab of muscle under her palm.
“Finn may have worked you out too hard this morning,” she told him. “But what I didn’t tell you is, he did that for me. Our secret.”
“Feels good,” he said, smiling down at her.
“Yeah,” she said, “it does,” and smiled back.
He bent down, gave her a long, sweet kiss, fingered the heavy braid that hung over one shoulder. “Pity we’ve got all these people coming by again. I could use a bit of a reminder right about now that we’re not just Mum and Dad. Bet you could too.”
She hummed her agreement. “I look like a mum, no getting away from that. But you don’t look much like a dad to me.” Her fingers traced the white lines of old scars from a shoulder surgery or two. “What you look like
“Eleven,” she said automatically. “And who do you think has been lifting her all this time?”
He sighed. “Get in the car.”
She didn’t argue, just climbed in and leaned her head against the passenger seat. She heard him buckling Gracie in behind her, talking to her a bit, jollying her, because one grizzling child was enough. He unloaded the trolley into the boot, was back in a minute, climbing into the car and turning the key, the air conditioning coming to life along with the engine, providing blessed relief from the summer heat.
He looked across at her, smiled a little. “Here’s where you tell me I was right. Should have let me come back for the groceries.”
She tried to laugh, but her eyes filled with tears all the same. “Sorry. You were right. I didn’t realize how…close to the edge we all were. Thought we could squeeze in one more thing. Sorry.”
“Aw, sweetheart.” He put a hand behind her neck, gave it a bit of a rub. “No worries. Bath, nap. Good as gold.”
She laughed a little shakily. “Who are you talking to? Jack or me? I know I’m acting four myself.”
“Nah.” He backed out of the space, indicated left out of the carpark, and headed for home. “Just too pregnant. Most women in your shape wouldn’t be having house guests. Or a dinner party.”
“Righty-o, then,” he said as they set the groceries onto the kitchen bench, Helen following behind with Grace. “Go on up. Mum and I’ve got this.”
“The kids…” Her feet were lead, and her body wasn’t much better. All she wanted was to lie down and sleep for about fifteen hours. “They need a bath first.”
“Got it,” he repeated. “Go. Bath. Nap. Now.”
“Bossy,” she said with a sigh and a smile she couldn’t help.
“Yeh. Tell me about it later. Go.”
Hannah woke two hours later to the sound of Drew moving quietly around the bedroom, opening drawers. Changing, she realized fuzzily.
“Hey,” she said with a sleepy smile.
“Hey.” He came and sat beside her on the bed, helped her haul herself up against the pillows. He saw the ripple of movement under the tight white T-shirt, put a hand on the low, round bulge of her belly. “Whoa. Having a party in there.”
“Feels like he’s doing the haka.” She shifted a bit on the bed to get more comfortable, then put her hand over his, moving it. “That’s a foot. Feel that?”
“Strong, too,” he said. “This one’s a kicker, eh. You growing me another All Black in there? If he’s a back, Hemi’ll never let me hear the end of it.”
She smiled. “You never know. He’ll come out as who he is, we both know that. And who he is, is active. Only naps when I’m walking around carrying him, just like Jack. Hope that’s not an omen. At least Gracie’s a good sleeper.”
He frowned a bit. “Yeh. When all three of them are here, and I’m back to work…We’re going to talk about that.”
“Sounds ominous.”
“Nah. Never ominous.” His hand left her belly, came up to stroke her cheek, her hair, and she leaned into the thumb cradling her face, because it felt so good. He hadn’t put his shirt on yet, and she laid her own hand against his chest just to feel the slab of muscle under her palm.
“Finn may have worked you out too hard this morning,” she told him. “But what I didn’t tell you is, he did that for me. Our secret.”
“Feels good,” he said, smiling down at her.
“Yeah,” she said, “it does,” and smiled back.
He bent down, gave her a long, sweet kiss, fingered the heavy braid that hung over one shoulder. “Pity we’ve got all these people coming by again. I could use a bit of a reminder right about now that we’re not just Mum and Dad. Bet you could too.”
She hummed her agreement. “I look like a mum, no getting away from that. But you don’t look much like a dad to me.” Her fingers traced the white lines of old scars from a shoulder surgery or two. “What you look like
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