Finally the tears slowed, stopped. Her heart felt lighter and yet nothing had changed. The house was still a wreck. Jackson would still return to Hong Kong. He might’ve said he was staying but she couldn’t take a chance on that. Time to toughen up. She pulled away, moved to stand in the middle of the room, the photo still in her hand. Wiping her other hand over her cheeks, she told him, ‘Thank you. As if there isn’t already enough water around the place.’
Jackson winced, but he didn’t turn round and hightail it out of her house. ‘Let’s see what we can save. Throw anything not ruined into the truck and take it back to Mum’s to clean before storing. Then we’ll check out Mrs Harrop’s place.’
It was a plan and she desperately needed something to focus on. Nodding, she walked through to her bedroom and stared around. Looked at the bed where she’d had so much fun with Jackson. Her wardrobe door stood ajar, her shoes everywhere. Bending down, she picked up one of the apricot silk pair she’d worn at the wedding. ‘Ruined. But I guess they’re only shoes.’
She didn’t realise Jackson had followed her until he said, ‘No such thing as only shoes for women.’ When she looked up, he gave her a coaxing smile. ‘I’ll take you shopping when we’ve had time to work out what’s going to happen with all this.’
That’s what she’d said about Nicholas’s things. Throw ’em out and get new ones. That didn’t seem so easy now. ‘I’ll get some bags to put things in.’
‘Have you called your insurance company yet?’ Jackson seemed determined to stick with her.
‘Hardly. Too busy yesterday and it’s still too early today.’ Where were those large black bin liners? They’d be perfect for the damp clothes she needed to take away for washing.
‘Jess.’ Jackson stood beside her as she poked through a drawer of sodden plastic bags and cling wrap.
‘Here we are.’ She snatched up the roll and kneed the drawer closed.
‘Jess.’ A little louder. And when she turned to head to Nicholas’s bedroom he put both hands on her shoulders. ‘Jess, I don’t know if this is the right time to tell you but I love you.’
‘Right.’ He loves me. That’s got to be good. But it doesn’t fix a thing. I need to sort clothes and stuff before the day gets started and I have to go to work.
Those big hands gripping her gave her a gentle shake. ‘I am not going back to Hong Kong. I’m here to stay.’
‘That’s good. We need another doctor in the bay. Rory’s busting to go live with his girlfriend in Auckland.’ See, some things did work out if everyone was patient.
Her foot nudged something in the mud covering the floor. Bending down, she retrieved Nicholas’s stuffed giraffe, Long Neck. The original yellow and black colours looked decidedly worse for their night in the mud. ‘This is one of Nicholas’s favourites.’ She dropped it into one of the black bags.
Jackson took the roll of bags and tore off a couple. ‘I’ll deal with Nicholas’s room if you like, while you go through your drawers and wardrobe.’ He sounded very upbeat. Why? It wasn’t like she’d acknowledged his statement.
Some time later she wound a plastic tie around the neck of the last full bag from her room and dumped it on the bed, on top of the beautiful quilt that apparently Sasha’s grandmother had made years ago. Jess considered it antique and now it was destined for the trash. What a shame. Hands on hips, she stood at the end of the bed and looked around at what had been her pride and joy. She’d painted the whole place, but here in her bedroom she’d let loose with her creative side, buying beautiful little knick knacks for the top of her dressing table, bedside lamps that matched colours in the quilt and the curtains she’d made. She’d been so damned proud of those curtains and now look at them—sodden, muddy and hanging all askew.
Water dripped onto her breasts. Tears? Surely she’d run out by now. Apparently not. They didn’t stop. Her hands began shaking and she had to grip her hips tight to keep them under some sort of control.
‘Hey, you’re crying.’ Jackson suddenly appeared before her with a box of tissues that was miraculously dry. ‘Here, let me.’ Oh, so gently he sponged up the tears, only to have to repeat the exercise again and again.
Her bottom lip trembled. ‘I know it’s only little, and very ordinary, but this is my home. I made it how I wanted it to be, a place for Nicholas to grow up in feeling secure and loved. I’ve been happy here, settled for the very first time in my life.’
Those long, strong fingers touched her cheeks, lifted her face so she had to look into his eyes. ‘You think that you’ve lost all that because your house is a write-off?’
Her head dipped in acknowledgement. That’s what she’d been trying to say, yes.
‘Sweetheart, the love that permeates this home doesn’t come from the paint and curtains and flower vases and books on the shelves. It comes from in here.’ He tapped her chest gently, right against her heart. ‘From within you. That love goes where you go. It’s who you are, and always will be. Nicholas is going to be secure and loved by you all his life, even though he mightn’t grow up in this particular home. Even when he eventually heads out into the world on his own, he’ll know you love him. Whether you get this place put back together or buy another one with the insurance money, it will be filled with your personality, your love, fun and laughter.’
For Jackson that had to be a record speech. She blinked as the tight knots in her tummy began letting go some tension. The trembling in her hands eased, stopped. ‘You really, really think so?’ she whispered.
‘I know so.’ His head lowered so that his mouth was close to hers. ‘I really, really know.’ Then he kissed her. A quiet kiss filled with understanding, with that love he’d not long ago declared, with his generosity. He was giving her something back after all that had been taken from her since the moment he’d walked out of her life three days ago. ‘I love you,’ he murmured against her mouth.
Jess leaned forward so that her breasts were crushed against his chest, her mouth kissed his in return, her hands finally lifted from her hips to his neck and held onto him. ‘I don’t know what to do. I love you so much and yet I can’t ask you to stay. You hate it here.’
‘I’m staying. End of story. I don’t hate it here any more. You taught me what this community is all about.’
‘Me? How?’ Surprise rocked through her. ‘All I do is try and make up for the mistakes I made when I was young and in need of friends who’d love me.’
‘Jess, Jess, you don’t get it. Yesterday, when you were dealt a blow here, what did you do? Stand around bemoaning your bad luck? Not likely. You went out caring for other people. That’s community spirit in spades.’
‘I’m a nurse. That’s what nurses do.’
And right on cue her work phone beeped. ‘Jessica, I think my waters just broke.’
‘Lynley? Is that you?’
‘Yes. Ouch. That wasn’t nice. I’m having some light pains every ten minutes or so. Guess this is it. Do I go to the centre now?’
A grim smile twisted her mouth. ‘You can wait until those contractions are closer, about six minutes between them. Unless it’s going to be difficult getting there after yesterday’s flood, then I’d suggest making your way there now.’ It was going to take some effort for her to get there given the road this side of town had been underwater last night.
‘It’s a clear run from here. What about you?’ Lynley asked.
‘I’ll be there as soon as possible. You concentrate on that baby’s arrival.’ She closed the phone and glanced at Jackson, to find him watching her closely.
‘Guess we’re headed for town, then. Have you got time to pick up some breakfast from Mum’s first?’
‘The baby’s not rushing but I have no idea if the road is manageable.’ And why are you coming with me?
‘Let’s go and find out.’ He took the bags of clothes she’d dumped on th
e bed and headed out to the truck he’d borrowed.
Nothing else for her to do but follow.
* * *
When Jackson had seen Jess’s shocked reaction to the state of her home he had wanted to pick her up, hold her close and transport her away from it all. He’d wanted to run her a hot bubble bath and let her soak away her desolation. Not that she’d have let him if he’d even tried. Had she heard him say he loved her? Really heard? Or had his declaration been like words on the wind? Not connecting with her?
He’d been disappointed at her lack of reaction but he figured it had been the wrong time. At least, if she knew how he felt she’d know she wasn’t on her own with this. Not that she was. Mum and Dad had had to be restrained from rushing over the moment they’d known where she’d gone this morning. Only by explaining that he’d be helping Jess and that he wanted to tell her why he was home had he managed to make them stay put.
He pressed some numbers on his phone, got hold of Jonty at the fire station. ‘Hey, man, how’s our road this morning? Is it passable? Jess has a patient in labour in town.’
‘It’s open but slippery as hell. There’s a temporary fix where the road was washed away. Don’t let her drive that thing she calls a car. It won’t hold on the tarmac.’
‘That thing, as you put it, has been submerged most of the night. It’s not going anywhere.’ He didn’t know if Jess had looked in her garage yet, and he’d try to keep her out of there for now.
Jonty groaned. ‘Jess has had more than her share of knocks in this flood.’
‘She sure has. I’m heading in with her so if anyone needs a doctor over the next few hours I’ll be at the medical centre.’ He snapped the phone shut, went to find Jess. ‘Road’s open so let’s grab some breakfast and take it with us. We can leave those bags of your belongings at the house.’ Mum would probably have everything washed by the time Jess got back.
‘You’re coming with me? It’s a normal birth, Jackson.’
‘Sure, but I might be of use at the centre. Besides, there’re enough people milling around at home to drive me to drink. It’s too soon to start clearing the orchards, so I’m superfluous.’ I want to be with you, supporting you, because I don’t believe you’re totally back on your feet as far as the shock is concerned.
She flicked him a brief smile. ‘You’re starting to think like a local. You know that?’
‘If you’d said that two months ago I’d have run for the hills.’