Sarah's Baby by Margaret Way Page A

“I’ve gained some peace of mind, Joe. I don’t know that I can handle opening old wounds,” she added bleakly.
    â€œThink about it, Sarah,” Joe urged, coughing a little. Sarah heard the rattle in his lungs. “That’s all I ask. I think I can hang on here for another few months. After that, I’m not sure. You know how difficult it is to get doctors for rural areas, let alone a place as remote as Koomera Crossing. Could you manage it for just a few years? You’d not only be doing the community a great service, you’d be doing something I feel is absolutely crucial for yourself.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    N OT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT , when he saw her exit the shop, put on her sunglasses, then look toward where he was parked across the street, was Kyall sure she was going to come at all. He saw the town nosey parker, a woman he disliked, Ruby Hall—Muriel’s helper in the store—peer through the blind. She obviously figured he couldn’t see, so he gave her a little salute.
    It would be all around town within minutes that he and Sarah had driven off together. Ruby couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. At least she wouldn’t know where they’d gone, but he wouldn’t put it past her to jump into her little shoe-box car and follow them, ducking and weaving down the main street. She should’ve been a private eye. She would have loved it. The trouble was, there was no excitement in Ruby’s life. She was in her forties, uneducated and unmarried; her sharp tongue had put off the odd admirer. Ruby’s idea of excitement was loitering for the purpose of spying on other people. She wasn’t exactly harmless, either. It was Ruby who’d told Vera Saunders that her husband was having afternoon trysts with a certain young woman who used to work at the pub.
    Sarah was moving gracefully in his direction, so Kyall abandoned himself to simply staring at her. Her hair was pulled back in a thick braid, those glittering little ringlets springing in an airy halo around her face. She looked littlemore than a schoolgirl, her body slender and supple. For a moment he was swept by nostalgia.
    Sarah! Why did you do this to me? Why didn’t you write? How many years was it before he finally gave up? Surely what they’d felt for each other hadn’t completely died? He never ceased to marvel at what a poor, deluded fool he was. Whoever said women were the romantics had got it all wrong.
    She wore yellow jeans that showed off her slim hips and long legs. Instead of the usual T-shirt India favored, albeit with designer label, Sarah was wearing some gauzy cream top that had bands of cream lace on either side of the low V front. Very feminine and sexy enough to make him catch his breath. There were boots on her feet, a yellow leather bag slung over her shoulder. Sarah had always had style. Not something she’d learned but something that must have been with her from birth.
    â€œHi!”
    She nodded briskly. No smile. “Could we please go, Kyall? Ruby—I had to let her open the shop—has her nose poked through the blinds like she’s on to something important.”
    â€œThat’s okay. I’ve already spotted her.” He lifted a nonchalant hand, waved again. “I have complete confidence in Ruby to inform the town that Sarah Dempsey and Kyall McQueen have picked up where they left off.”
    â€œThen she’ll be pointing them all in the wrong direction.” Sarah stepped into the Range Rover. “So where are we going?” she asked tautly when he was behind the wheel, so dynamic in that confined space she didn’t know whether to jump out, cry with frustration or both.
    He placed both hands against the wheel. Beautifully shaped hands, strong, darkly tanned, long-fingered. Sheconsidered them for a moment, remembering their unique touch, then looked away.
    â€œListen, I’m not trying to kidnap you, Sarah,” he