The Midwife's Son

‘You’re daydreaming again.’ Jackson stood in front of her.

‘Must be the heat.’ She poured the last of her water down her throat.

‘Shucks. Here I was thinking I might be the reason you had that far-away look in your eye.’

‘Nope. That was pollen from the lemon flowers.’

His finger ran along her bottom lip, sending zips of heat right down to her toes. ‘Is that why you always smell of citrus? You spend a lot of time hauling Nicholas out of the lemon tree?’

Rising onto her toes, she nudged his hand out of the way and kissed those full, sexy lips that knew how to tease and tantalise her for hours on end. ‘Try reading the label of my shampoo bottle. Less exotic but more practical.’

He took over the kiss, deepening it until she had to hang on to keep her balance. Pressing her body up against his, she felt the hardening of his reaction to her. Not now. Not here. Hands on his chest, she pushed back. ‘Nicholas.’

His sultry eyes widened. ‘God, I’m like a crazed teen around you, forgetting everything except what you make me feel, want.’ Jackson stepped back, tugged at his shirt to cover the obvious reaction to their kiss. ‘Better do something else before the trouble really starts.’

‘I’ll get towels and things for the beach.’ How mundane was that? It should dampen their ardour.

Jackson followed her inside. ‘I came around to ask you what you think about camping.’

‘As in a tent? Sleeping bags and air mattresses? That sort of camping?’ It had been years since she’d done that and then it had been in the Australian outback with her parents. She’d spent her whole time sitting up with the thin sleeping bag zipped right to her throat, terrified a snake would come into her tent and bite her.

‘Is there any other sort?’ Jackson grinned. ‘A friend from way back has a bit of land by the beach out at Wainui Inlet. There’s a shed with bathroom and cooking facilities. I figured we could go out there and pitch a tent, go swimming and fishing. Nicholas can take his bike and ride around the paddock when we’re tired of the beach.’

Jess grunted. ‘Like that’s going to happen. It’s usually a battle to get him out of the water. A prune is wrinkle-free compared to what he ends up looking like.’

‘I’ve got steak, potatoes wrapped in foil to bake, lots of salad stuff, and fruit for afterwards. How can you refuse?’ Jackson implored, looking at her like a little boy intent on winning his case.

‘Steak? You don’t have any faith in your fishing skills?’

‘Fishing? Are we going fishing?’ Nicholas leapt between them, looking excited already.

Jackson locked eyes with her. ‘Are we? Fishing and camping?’

There wouldn’t be any snakes or other creepy-crawlies for her to worry about. ‘What are we waiting for?’

Of course, it took nearly an hour to pack clothes, towels, more food, toys and the bike into the truck. Nicholas hindered progress but as he was trying so hard to be helpful Jess didn’t growl at him once. His excitement level escalated until it was almost unbearable, and then Jackson stepped in.

‘Hey, sport. Take it easy, eh? You need lots of energy to go fishing and swimming, and the way you’re going now you’ll run out before we leave.’

‘Sorry, Jackson. I’ll be good, promise.’

Jess shook her head. ‘How do you do that?’

‘I’m very good at getting my way. With little boys and their wicked mothers. Okay, make that singular. One boy and his mother.’ Jackson’s hand cupped her butt, squeezed gently. ‘Nicholas will go to sleep tonight, won’t he?’

Finally she let go of the hurt that had sprung up when Jackson had told her he wouldn’t be staying. ‘Come on,’ she teased him. ‘The kid’s never been in a tent before. He’s going to be wide-eyed all night long.’ Chuckling when disappointment darkened Jackson’s eyes, she added, ‘You can leave behind any condoms you’ve packed.’

‘Which reminds me. Be right back.’ He headed outside to the truck. Returning, he handed her a parcel the size of a book.

‘What’s this?’

‘Open it before your young man comes back inside.’

She tore the paper off, became even more baffled at seeing the plain cardboard box. With her fingernail she slit the tape holding down the lid and flicked it open. ‘Bleeding heck.’ She stared at the condoms. ‘You planning on staying around for a while, or just being very busy?’

‘That first time? You told me I owed you and I always pay my debts.’ Leaning in, he kissed the corner of her mouth. ‘Now put them out of sight. I hear small footsteps coming this way. I won’t complain if you put a handful in your pocket for later, though.’

‘A handful? Yeah, right.’ Laughing all the way to her bedroom, she slid the box into the drawer of her bedside table and, yes, shoved some condoms into her overnight bag.

* * *

Jess slipped the air-filled bands up Nicholas’s arms. ‘These’ll help keep you afloat in those waves.’ Tiny waves that suddenly seemed big compared to her wee boy. ‘Hold my hand.’

Small fingers wrapped around hers. ‘Will there be fish in the water, Jackson?’

‘Not around you. They’ll see your legs and swim away fast.’ Jackson took his other hand. ‘You like swimming, sport?’

‘I only like the pool.’

Uh-oh. How did I not know that? Jess bit her lip. ‘We’ll stay on the edge where it’s shallow.’ She sank to her knees in the water, the waves reaching the top of her thighs, and reached for Nicholas.

He leaned against her, studying the waves, worry darkening his eyes. ‘Why does the sea go up and down like that?’

‘Sometimes the wind makes it happen.’

‘But there isn’t any wind.’ Nicholas stared around the small bay.

Jackson squatted down beside them, those well-honed thighs very distracting. ‘There might be further away. Or a big boat might’ve gone past. Engines on boats stir the water like when Mummy makes a cake, and that sends waves inshore.’

‘My cakes resemble the sea?’

Jackson grinned and lifted a strand of hair off her face. ‘Don’t know. You’ve never made me one.’

‘Be grateful.’

Nicholas sank down lower, sucking in his stomach as the water reached his waist. ‘It’s not cold, Mummy.’

Right. So why the shivers? ‘Let’s play ball.’ Hopefully a game would distract him enough to relax and have fun. She made to take the beach ball from Jackson and came up against hard chest muscles, the hand holding the ball well out of reach. Her gaze shot to his face, caught the cheeky grin. Right, buster. Carefully removing her other hand from Nicholas she turned and shoved at Jackson, toppling him into and under the water.

‘Nicholas, help me. Your mother needs controlling.’ Jackson coughed out salt water, that grin wider than ever. ‘Let’s show her she can’t play dirty tricks and get away with it.’

Her son didn’t need any more encouragement, leaping onto her, wrapping his arms tightly around her knees. Jackson showed no sympathy, helping Nicholas dunk her.

She leapt up, shaking her sodden hair, water streaming down her body. ‘Right, who’s next?’

‘You can’t catch me, Mummy.’ Nicholas forged through the water, parallel to the shore, shrieking at every splash he made.

Jackson took her hand and they pretended to chase him hard, keeping close enough to reach him quickly if needed but letting him think he was winning. Inevitably he tripped himself up and went under. Jess felt the air stall in her lungs. He’d panic and choke.

Jackson lunged forward, caught Nicholas and stood him on his feet. ‘You okay, sport?’

Wide-eyed and grinning, Nicholas shouted, ‘Yes. Look at me, Mummy.’ He jumped up, tucking his knees under his chin and dropped into the water again.

‘Guess

he likes the sea as much as the pool, then.’ She was relieved. Living in Golden Bay meant he’d spend a lot of time on or near the water and if he feared it then he wouldn’t learn to master it.

‘What happened to that ball?’ Jackson looked around. ‘Oops, it’s heading out. I’d better retrieve it before it gets too far away.’ He dived in and swam for it, his strokes strong and powerful, pulling his body quickly through the water.

‘Mummy, I want to swim like Jackson.’