Sarah's Baby by Margaret Way

up abruptly.
    â€œIt comes and goes. Sit down, Sarah.” He spoke like a father. “I’m not quite sure why I feel this way, but I believe you were destined to return to this town. I’ve never given much evidence to dreams, but I’ve been having some odd ones lately. I know—” he held up a hand “—the medication. But the voice in my dreams tells me to beg you to take my place. There are unanswered questions surrounding you, Sarah. I believe the only way you’re going to find the answers is to return to Koomera Crossing. The way has been paved for you. Muriel is at peace. And here I am, dying, ready to hand over the running of the hospital toyou. I don’t suppose it was ever what you had in mind. But for a few years? Would you mind so much leaving the city and the medical center you work for?”
    â€œJoe, it’s not possible,” Sarah said. “Ruth McQueen drove me out of town. She’d do it again. Lest we forget, they own the town. They built the hospital. The dedication stone bears Ewan McQueen’s name.”
    â€œAren’t you forgetting Kyall is a man now? Not a boy. A lot of the power has passed to him. He’s enormously popular, not only in the town but the entire southwest. If you spoke to Kyall about taking over, what are the chances he’d say no? He’d back you to the hilt. I know Ruth’s been trying and trying to marry him off to India Claydon, but with no luck. The girls have always been after Kyall, but for him, it appears, there is only you. Unless there’s someone in your life?”
    â€œNo.” Sarah shook her head. “I’ve had a few relationships that didn’t work out. One almost came to something but in the end, I couldn’t commit myself. We’re still friends, though. He’s a fellow doctor.”
    â€œWould you think it over for me, Sarah?” Joe looked at her out of strangely light-filled eyes. “You’d have plenty to do. Probably much more than at your city surgery. Challenges, too. You’re the kind of doctor who could run this place. You could manage the nurses. People warm to you, Sarah. They always did.”
    â€œI’m afraid of coming back, Joe,” Sarah confessed. “There’s so much grief inside me. So much anger.”
    â€œThere always will be until you exorcise the pain.” Joe’s almost messianic gaze locked on to Sarah’s. “Don’t say no, Sarah. Talk to Kyall about it. You’re going to see him, aren’t you?”
    â€œHow do you know that?” Sarah stared at Joe, taken aback.
    â€œI saw the two of you together, Sarah. God, I’ve known you both from babyhood. Ruth may not have considered you grand enough for her grandson but in my opinion she’ll never break you up.”
    Sarah’s tone came out more harshly than she intended. “Wouldn’t your plan to bring me back to town put me in danger, Joe? You’ve as good as accused Ruth of conspiracy to murder.”
    â€œI’ve never spoken a word of that to anyone other than you, though I nearly did to Harriet. Maybe I’ve found my calling as a psychic,” he said with a quiet laugh. “Either that or when you’re dying, you give your whole life a good going-over.”
    â€œI see it like that, too, Joe,” Sarah said much more gently. “But although McQueen money assisted me, nothing’s changed behind the scenes. I only spent two minutes in their company, yet I felt their clear message. Go away. Go far away. ”
    Joe slapped his hand on the side of his swivel chair. “Listen, you’ve got the right stuff, Sarah. You’ve got plenty of guts and, I’m betting, a lot of resilience. You’re not afraid of Ruth, are you?”
    Sarah knew in her soul she wasn’t. “I’m more afraid of Kyall,” she said after a long moment. Of his condemnation if he ever found out the true story.